Hockey from The Wasteland

Game 2/3

2009-04-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

Well, my assumptions and posts have been wrong so far. I still can not believe that Bruce Boudreau started Simeon Varlamov in Game 2. Even though I was wrong, I strongly believe it was a critical error in judgement by Boudreau. The decision reeks of desperation and sends the wrong message to the team. I will be the first to admit that the goal tending was not in any way the reason why the Caps lost game 2 (unless of course we are talking about Henrik Lundquist). The loss simply gave the Caps no other options. Where does Boudreau go with respect to goal tending now?

The biggest problem with the Caps in game 2 was the lack of grit and ability to get anywhere need Lundquist. The vast majority of the shots the Caps fired on Lundquist came from above the circles. The Caps need to drive to the net or circle off with the puck and let some traffic get to the net.

This series is not over. The Caps have been the better team so far. The Caps will need to come out with a renewed intensity and get on the board early. If they can get the lead early, the Caps should come away with their first win in the series. One win will make this task much easier.

Goaltending Controversy?

2009-04-18T05:48:00.000-07:00

Game 1 was clearly a disappointing loss from the Caps perspective. The Caps outplayed the Rangers in nearly every facet of the game with the exception of goaltending. Jose Theodore was too far back in the net on all four goals that were scored by the Rangers. He seldomly challenged shooters and simply did not make a big save in the game. The last three goals scored by the Rangers were good shots but when Theodore went down into the butterfly, the targets above his glove hand shoulder and blocker shoulder were huge due to the fact that he was not out challenging the shooter.

As for a potential goaltending controversy, there is no reason to even consider it yet. There is no way that Simeon Varlamov is going to start Saturday in game 2. I would not be surprised to see Varlamov if Theodore struggles at all. Clearly, Bruce Boudreau is having some fun with the media, putting the pressure squarely on the shoulders of Theodore and ensuring that Varlamov is mentally ready should he need to come in in relief.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the undressing of Jeff Schultz on Brandon Dubinsky's winning goal. That play made Schultz look like he belonged back in Pee Wee. I've read that he has some sort of injury (my confidence would be badly bruised after that incident) and will not play on Saturday.

I should also mention that I thought that the Caps did not play with a sense if urgency after the Rangers scored their fourth goal. Saturday's game will be pivotal in assessing the true development of the team.

First Period

2009-04-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

It was a great first period and demonstrated why the playoffs are so awesome to watch. The intensity and level of play cranks up substantially. The Caps dominated the period in about every phase of the game but the Rangers did a good job of weathering the storm. Periods like the first can sometimes be dangerous. How many times do you see the team being dominated get a bounce or simply get an easy goal to turn the game completely around? Henrik Lundquist is clearly in the flow of the game and Jose Theodore has yet to be really tested. The Caps will need to keep the intensity level high and not start to coast.

I'm Back

2009-04-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I took the regular season off but I'm back for the playoffs. A brief post before it all gets under way. There has been a lot of discussion about the goaltending in this series with much of the attention focused on Jose Theodore. I actually think Theodore will be strong in this first series. He was outstanding in Colorado last year and I expect him to rise to the occasion again. The Caps should win this series in six games. More to come...

The Long Summer

2008-06-04T16:09:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been some time since I posted something. I need to make some time to reflect on the season, collect my thoughts and put something meaningful together to post. Nevertheless, I came across this story today from TSN that some of you might find of interest. It waxes poetic about the off-season plans for the Caps. The link follows below.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=239645

Game 2 Recap/Series Outlook

2008-04-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

The Flyers simply outplayed the Caps as a team on Sunday. The Caps did not falter from a lack of effort but had way too many individual efforts and not nearly enough team efforts. It can be a fine line but they were mostly out of sync on Sunday.

The Flyers have done a great job of putting people in front of the net and bumping/interfering with Cristobal Huet in both games. They have been penalized for some of this activity but I believe the Caps must respond to this strategy at both ends of the ice. The defense needs to do a better job of clearing the net and, if need be, literally clobbering someone even if it leads to a penalty. Additionally, the Caps need to get more traffic in front of Martin Biron. They need to bump him and potentially knock him over a few times even if it leads to a penalty. They need to especially do this on the power play. In fact, I will suggest that they need to consider putting Donald Brashear on one of the units to wreak havoc in front.

The Caps will also need better puck support in all phases of the game. The individual efforts will not get the job done alone in the playoffs. The Caps will need to at least match the intensity level of the Flyers on Sunday to continue to compete in this series. Tonight’s game may prove to be the deciding factor in this series. Huet will need to play better in net and the Caps will need to play a more consistent, intense game throughout the series for the Caps to have a chance to move on to the second round.

Cardiac Kids Strike Again

2008-04-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

The Cardiac Kids did it again. Even if you are a minimal fan, how could anyone not love watching this team play? Down 4-2 after two periods (in the playoffs to boot), the Cardiac Kids scored three goals in the third period to come away with a 5-4 win in their first playoff game. Erasing a two goal deficit is never easy and to accomplish this in the playoffs is quite a feat. The Caps never quit and simply seemingly willed themselves to victory. I also loved seeing the Verizon Center rocking even though I witnessed it via television.

There is no denying that there is something special if not magic about this team right now. Sometimes I wonder if the nucleus of the team is simply too young to know any better. No panic button exists with this team. Mike Green's goal early in the third ignited the team and the building and you knew then that the train was a rolling. The Caps simply steamrolled the Flyers in the third. Not surprisingly, the goal by Mike Green was made possible by an unbelievable touch pass from Sergei Federov who is really the only player with substantial playoff experience in the lineup (Olaf Kolzig surely has plenty). Four of the five goals for the Caps came from players playing in their first playoff game. Does it surprise anyone that Alex Ovechkin got the game winner? That was an unbelievable play.

Let's also remember that the Caps have a "minor league" coach behind the bench. I like that the fact the Bruce Boudreau never deviated from his game plan. However, I thought he went away to quickly from the fourth line early in the game. I would have answered the Flyers third goal with the fourth line. They basically scored the first two goals and seemed to provide some energy and a nice change of pace. They played with controlled emotion and generated some scoring chances.

The goaltending was not superb tonight. I'm sure Cristobal Huet would like to have a couple of those goals back. The Flyers did a good job of crowding the net and making it difficult for Huet to see the puck. The Caps defensemen will need to do a better job in clearing the front.

One game will not win the series and I'm sure the Flyers will respond accordingly on Sunday. Let's see how the youth handles the second game of the playoffs. Huet should be better in goal, but the Caps will need to bear down and find a way to beat a more determined team on Sunday. Stay tuned to this series. It is being broadcast on a national basis on Versus. Sit back and enjoy.

Playoff Predictions

2008-04-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

I wanted to put a quick post up to go on the record with my predictions for each playoff series. I wanted to have more time to discuss each series but I thought I should get something up quickly so here we go. I see the following teams advancing to the second round - Washington, Montreal, Pittsburgh and New York in the East and Detroit, San Jose, Dallas and Colorado in the West.

Do You Believe in Miracles?

2008-04-06T06:19:00.000-07:00

With a 3-1 win over Florida last night, the Caps ended the second chapter of their fairy tale season. I can not help comparing this accomplishment to the improbable USA defeat of Russia in the 1980 Olympics and Al Michael's famous line of "Do you believe in miracles?". This team was left for dead in late November but started a long, stressful, pressure-packed climb with the hiring of Bruce Boudreau and a new, yet simple, aggressive approach to the game. It took several months and the last game of the regular season for the Caps to rise to the top of the Southeast Division and clinch the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The last two months have been unbelievable. Will Hollywood want to make this story into a movie? Frankly, I do not think you could make better entertainment than what this team provided in the stretch run. It's good to see a packed house at Verizon Center and that the television ratings have soared to record levels.

Chapter three of this story book season will began production on Thursday in a series against Ottawa or Philadelphia depending on the outcome of the Pittsburgh/Philadelphia game today. Jeff Schultz was hurt in yesterday's game against Florida and will put even more pressure on a young and inexperienced group of defensemen heading into the playoffs. There has been no "official" word on his injury. We will have to wait and see what moves the Caps make early next week.

For now, let's sit back and enjoy the euphoria for a few more days. Thank you for the unbelievable ride the last few months. Getting to the big dance is a wonderful accomplishment and will hopefully pay huge dividends for this young team in the seasons to come. A preview of the playoffs and each match up will be posted before the playoffs begin next week.

Destiny's Team?

2008-04-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

The Panthers did hang on last night to beat the Hurricanes 4-3 putting the playoff fate of the Caps in their own hands. The Panthers never quit last night and literally survived an continuous onslaught from Carolina. Tomas Vokoun left after stopping 17 of 18 shots in the first period with back spasms. Craig Anderson stepped in and played a wonderful game for the next forty minutes. Anderson has played very well for Florida this year and if my memory is right had a nice stretch where he had two shutouts and held the opposing teams to a long scoreless streak. I would expect to see Anderson between the pipes tonight.

The Caps hold their own destiny in their hands tonight. They simply have to earn a point to lock down the third seed in the playoffs and the home ice advantage for at least the first round. If the Caps lose in regulation, they can start making tees times for tomorrow. It's that simple.

The Caps have the advantage of being at home to get the match ups they want and playing a team that should be dog tired after last night's game and travel. The Caps will need to come out strong and never let up. All of their games against the Panthers this year have been close contests and I expect tonight will be no different. The Panthers played extremely hard last night and should have some life left in their legs after their victory. Anderson did look exhausted at the end of the game. Perhaps he will not be as sharp early on.

It is hard to believe the Caps are in this position heading into tonight. They were the worst team (record wise) in the NHL at Thanksgiving and now stand on the verge of winning the Southeast Division title and the third seed in the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Gabby Gabby, Hey!

Playoff Chase Part Trois

2008-04-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

As I sit here and right, the three games with playoff implications for the Caps are all in progress. Philadelphia leads the Devils 1-0, Florida leads the Hurricanes 2-1 and Boston and Ottawa are scoreless. As of now the Caps sit in the eighth and final playoff spot after their 4-1 win over Tampa Bay last night.

The Caps best chance to make the playoffs going into tonight in my opinion hung in the balance of the Boston and Ottawa match up. Ottawa throttled the Maple Leafs last night to finally right what seemed to be a sinking ship. If I understand all the tiebreakers correctly, if the game ends in regulation and the Caps win tomorrow night, the Caps are in the playoffs. I'm conflicted a bit about who to root for but have settled on rooting for Ottawa.

I would like nothing more than to see Philadelphia be the odd team out of the playoffs but both of the teams left on their schedule, New Jersey and Pittsburgh, have nothing left to play for. While I doubt that either team with lie down, it is clear that the Flyers will be the more desperate team.

It would be nice to see the Panthers hang on (they now lead 3-2) and beat the Hurricanes tonight. If they do win, the Caps will get to face a team playing on back to back nights and potentially only need a single point to be in the playoffs.

Playoff Chase Part Deux

2008-04-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

The Caps came up huge last night with a 4-1 win over Carolina to pull even in the standings with the Hurricanes. The Caps continued to help themselves and have the luxury of sitting back tonight and to watch three other games that probably will have some say in their playoff fate. The only negative from last night's game was the "upper body" injury to Shaone Morrisonn in the first period. I have not seen any specific update on his status but based on what I saw last night I would surmise that he has a separated shoulder.

As I sit here writing this, Eric Staal just scored for Carolina on the opening shift of the game against Tampa Bay. This is obviously one of the three games tonight of concern for the Caps as Carolina owns the tiebreaker. If both team win out, Carolina with get the nod over the Caps. Let's hope Tampa can weather the storm, settle in and somehow keep Carolina from getting two points tonight.

One of the other games is the match up between Boston and New Jersey. New Jersey has scored first on a goal from former Cap Dainius Zubrus. Let's hope the Devils will put the Bruins away in regulation tonight as the Caps remain one point behind the Bruins.

The third game to keep an eye on tonight is the Philadelphia/Pittsburgh game. As much as I hate it, I will be cheering for Penguins tonight. Perhaps Sergei Gonchar, another former Cap, can provide some much needed help.

This stretch run has almost been as much fun as the playoffs. I'm enjoying the ride and hope to enjoy another ride next week with the Caps. As I'm finishing this post, Tampa Bay just scored on the power play to tie the game in Carolina. Go Bolts!

Playoff Chase

2008-03-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

Shortly, the Caps will be taking the ice to play the Panthers in yet another critical game in the playoff chase. However, it's hard not to feel that the playoffs are slowly and painfully slipping away from the Caps. Boston shut out Ottawa 4-0 earlier today to pull four points ahead of the Caps with four games remaining. Boston starts a three game road trip tomorrow in Buffalo and follows with games in New Jersey and Ottawa before concluding the season at home against Buffalo. In an earlier post, I suggested that the Caps would need to reach the 92 point mark to reach the playoffs. It seems they will need to get to 94 points to have a chance. To get to 94 points the Caps need to win out. After tonight's game the Caps finish the season at home with games against Carolina, Tampa Bay and Florida.

Carolina is also four points ahead of the Caps and plays on the road tonight against Tampa Bay after crushing Atlanta 7-1 last night. After tonight's game, the Carolina faces the Caps on the road and then finishes the season at home against Tampa Bay and Florida. With the way Carolina is playing, especially Eric Staal and Cam Ward, I would be surprised if they lost more than one game of the four games remaining. I think it's fair to hand the Division banner to Carolina at this point.

The Caps best chance may be catching the Flyers as they are only three points ahead of the Caps. The Flyers also have four games remaining with the next two on the road against the Islanders and Pittsburgh before finishing the season at home against the Devils and Penguins. As much as it will bother me, I will have to root for the Penguins for a little help. The Islanders seem to have already packed it in, so I do not expect any help tonight.

I really hope that the game in which the Caps basically self imploded (they did have some help from some awful officiating) at the end of the third period against the Bruins a few weeks ago does not end up being the difference between the team playing hockey or golf in early April. Of course one game does not make the critical difference in a season long journey but that one result is simply hard to swallow.

For any fans of the Caps out there, let's root for Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Buffalo, Ottawa, the Islanders and whomever the Hurricanes are facing. The last couple of weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster ride but let's hope when the ride comes to a stop we will get to go on the next ride that is the playoffs.

Capitals/Sabres Matchup

2008-03-05T15:46:00.000-08:00

After a very disappointing loss to the Maple Leafs, he Caps bounced back with a trouncing of the Boston Bruins on Monday night. The team was sloppy in the neutral zone and got sub par goaltending out of Olie Kolzig during the loss to Toronto. The only positive from the Toronto game was that Alexander Ovechkin broke out of his scoring slump.

The Caps scored early and often against the Bruins and simply dominated the game. It was a great response to the poor outing against Toronto. Cristobal Huet was back in the net but did not return for the third period due to back spasms. Huet made some nice saves but really did not have to do too much. It was just one of those nights were everything went in the favor of the Caps. Ovechkin scored three goals in the first period to top the 50 goal mark again. It was nice to see since the Bruins had beat the Caps in every prior meeting this season.

I almost hate the way the Caps won because it makes you wonder if the team will relax a bit and think that everything is back on track. There is simply no room for error at this point. Tonight, the Caps face another team in the Buffalo Sabres that has dominated them this season. Kolzig will start in net tonight as Huet is being held out as a precaution. This is yet another opportunity for Kolzig to shine and demonstrate that he still deserves the billing as a number one goalie in the NHL. Kolzig and the team did him no favors against Toronto.

Buffalo played a very physical game last night against Philadelphia and had to travel back to Buffalo after their game last night. The Caps need to try to take advantage of their fresh legs and jump on Buffalo early as well. With Carolina in action tonight against the fading Thrashers, it is important for the Caps to come away with two points tonight and exercise their demons against Buffalo.

Oh, What a Night

2008-03-01T14:33:00.000-08:00

Two of the three "NHL" trades pulled off by George McPhee at the deadline paid immediate dividends for the Caps last night in their 4-0 win against New Jersey. Cristobal Huet stopped 18 shots and basically cruised to an easy shutout in his first game as a member of the Washington Capitals. Sergei Fedorov had the secondary assist on a power play goal that proved to be the game winner. It was a beautiful passing play all around that led to Mike Green's 17th goal of the season. Federov also dominated in the faceoff circle all night and gave the power play a huge boost last night.

The Caps played an all around solid game last night. Despite being the road team and not being able to techincally get the matchups they wanted, the Caps outplayed the Devils in all facets of the game. The defense for the most part kept everything to the perimeter and did not allow very many quality scoring chances. Huet made a few good saves but most importantly made all the routine saves and controlled the rebounds all night. This was a team win. It is certainly the first time in a long time that one can say that the Caps goaltending was better than the oppositions. However, most of the credit has to go to the team as a whole.

Matt Cooke will make his debut tonight for the Caps. Evidently he will play on the second line with Federov and Alexander Semin. It should be fun to watch his energy and forechecking prowess mix with the skill of Federov and Semin. Bruce Boudreau has also decided to start Olie Kolzig in net tonight. I like this decision and hope that Kolzig answers the bell. This represents another opportunity for Kolzig to emphatically state that he deserves to remain in the mix as a number one goalie.

I must admit that I found the comments from Kolzig's agent, Art Breeze, to be humorous. If you did not see them, an excerpt from Capitals Insider follows. "I have no idea why the Capitals chose to do what they did," Breeze said by phone. "You will have to ask that of Capitals ownership and management. The temptation to comment further is overwhelming. I am constrained, however, from additional comments by my client's professionalism. I sincerely wish I weren't. Olie clearly has been, and certainly continues to be, the heart and soul of the Washington Capitals," he added. "Almost single-handedly he has carried that franchise on his broad shoulders for many years. And he has many more years playing at the highest possible level ahead of him."

I realize it is his job to stand up and fight for his client but he really needs to look at the situation objectively. Kolzig has played below average this year and the team simply needed something more from the goaltending position. Maybe his agent has not watched him play very much this year.

Anyways, the Caps victory last night put them within three points of Carolina for the Southeast Division lead with two games in hand. They simply need to play better than Carolina down the stretch to get into the playoffs. Last night was a great way to start off the final push for a postseason berth. Let's hope the excitement and leadership from the trades continue to translate to improved play where it really matters on the ice against Toronto tonight.

NHL Trade Deadline Moves

2008-02-27T13:05:00.000-08:00

The Caps made a number of moves at the trade deadline yesterday that should bolster the team for the stretch run. While I’m happy with the moves George McPhee made, I believe they may be too late to make a significant difference in the push to get into the playoffs. It’s worth pointing out that Carolina General Manager Jim Rutherford made a couple of moves prior to the deadline that has played a role in their improved play as of late. None of the new additions were able to make it to Washington in time to be in uniform for the game against Minnesota last night. After last night’s victory, the Caps have 18 games remaining in the regular season.

At the finish of the last two seasons, the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference ended up with 92 points. With the preponderance of three point games this year, it is reasonable to assume that 92 points is the realistic number the Caps will need to finish with to end up in the playoffs. The Caps stand at 66 points after last night’s game. They are only three points out of the eighth spot but several of the teams in front of them have a game or more in hand on the Caps. They remain five points out of first place in the Southeast Division with two games in hand on Carolina. No matter how you look at it, the Caps can only lose five more games in regulation and hit the 92 point mark. Clearly, the Caps remain within striking distance and they do play Carolina two more times this year. These two games against Carolina may ultimately decide their fate.

The two most significant trades for the Caps netted them Sergei Fedorov and Cristobal Huet. Both of these trades addressed specific areas (a second center to help generate secondary scoring and goaltending) that the Caps have struggled with most of the year. Understanding that it takes two to tango, both of these moves were long overdue. If the Caps would have addressed these issues 15-20 games ago, the team would most likely be in a much better position with respect to the playoffs.

The acquisition of Huet is the one I’m most excited about. The Caps gave up the 2nd round pick they received from Anaheim for Brian Sutherby to acquire Huet. This is a great move not only for now but for next season as well. The goaltending has been an issue all year for the team and did not look good for next year either. The move buys the team a little more time to develop some of the younger goalies in their system. I should note that I believe the Caps made a mistake in letting Michael Neurvith play in the OHL again this year.

The Fedorov move will be interesting to see how it plays out. If it turns out that Fedorov is simply a rental player for the next 18 games, the trade may end up being a costly move for prospect Ted Ruth. It certainly was an aggressive move for the Caps and one that should be applauded. It would be a great problem to deal with next season with Fedorov, Michael Nylander and Niklas Backstrom as your centers. I look forward to seeing what Fedorov can add to the lineup for the balance of the season.

The Caps also acquired Matt Cooke from the Canucks for Matt Pettinger. Cooke should add a little more grit to the team. Pettinger has had a disappointing season this year and never seemed able to get it going no matter where he played in the lineup.
The Caps certainly made a statement with their moves yesterday. It’s clear they want to make the playoffs this year. I just hope that the moves were made in time to salvage a playoff spot that is seemingly slipping away from them.

Capitals/Hurricanes Preview

2008-02-23T08:23:00.000-08:00

To say tonight's game is the biggest game of the year for the Caps might be a bit of a stretch. Win or lose the Caps will still be in a position to earn a playoff spot. However, a win tonight will go a long away in building some much needed confidence for the young team. The recent three game road trip within the Division provided a great opportunity for the Caps to separate themselves from the rest of the Division. Unfortunately, the Caps were unable to take advantage of the opportunity and only salvaged three points out of the trip with the win over Tampa Bay. The Caps returned home, blew a two goal lead to the Islanders and fell in a shootout.

Despite the slightly disappointing road trip and loss to the Islanders, the Caps are only four points behind Carolina with three games in hand heading into tonight's contest in Raleigh. You have to like the Caps chances tonight. The Hurricanes have played well since losing Rod Brind'Amour and beat Atlanta 5-3 in their last game at home. Alex Ovechkin has been held off the score sheet for three games in a row for the first time this season. It's been reported that he has been suffering from the flu. Hopefully he's feeling better. He seems to be due for a big game. The Caps have also only lost two games in a row once during Bruce Boudreau's tenure as coach. The biggest factor tonight will most likely be goal tending. If there ever was a need for a goalie to steal a game for a team, tonight is the night that Olaf Kolzig must stand tall in the net. No more goals can be scored from behind the goal line no matter how fluky the play.

It is also critically important that the Caps avoid a three point game tonight. They need to outright win the game in regulation and pull within four points with three games in hand. The Caps are 1-3 in their last four games and have slipped further down the standings in the Eastern Conference. They can not afford to continue playing .500 hockey or less and expect to stay in the playoff race. A win tonight will be huge for this team.

The Sandwich Game

2008-02-15T19:06:00.000-08:00

After losing a tough game to Atlanta in a shootout on Wednesday, the Caps headed to Florida to take on the Panthers tonight. The middle game of this critical three game road trip ended in a disappointment. The Caps fell to the Panthers tonight 4-2 after battling back from a 1-0 deficit to take a 2-1 lead just a minute into the third period.

The biggest reason for the Caps loss tonight was simply goaltending. I feel like I'm beating a dead horse but goaltending continues to be this team's Achilles heal. In the game against Atlanta, Kari Lehtonen was better than Olie Kolzig in the shootout. In tonight's game, Tomas Vokoun was better than Brent Johnson. The Caps outplayed the Panthers in nearly every other facet of the game. They out hit them. They out shot them. They won the special teams battle. They had the edge in face offs. Their goaltending let them down again.

On Florida's first goal, Johnson gave up a terrible rebound that he should have easily directed to the corner. Unfortunately, the rebound softly bounced back into the center of the ice. Rostislav Olesz scooped up the puck and put an easy backhander into the net. Despite the deflating goal, the Caps continued to battle the rest of the period but could not beat Vokoun.

In the second period, the Caps really came out strong. Stephen Weiss was called for a questionable hooking penalty and Alexander Semin scored quickly off the ensuing face off. Vokoun shined during the next 18 minutes of play and the penalty kill units for the Caps played exceptionally well after some more questionable calls.

To start the third period, the Caps had to finish killing off a penalty. Shortly after the penalty expired, Tomas Fleischmann let go a wrist shot after crossing the blue line that fooled Vokoun and ended up in the back of the net. I'm sure Vokoun would like to have that one back. It was a great way to start the period and with a 2-1 lead, you had to feel pretty good about the direction of the game at that point. However, three minutes later Nathan Horton scored a goal to knot the score at 2-2. Just five minutes later, Johnson let in a brutal goal that was scored from behind the goal line by Kamil Kreps. It's almost impossible to overcome two bad goals in a game and David Booth scored an empty net goal to seal the victory for Florida.

The Caps have only salvaged a single point in the first two games of this important road trip against Division foes. Atlanta came back and beat New Jersey in overtime tonight to jump into a tie with Carolina atop the Division. The Panthers and the Caps are now tied for third place just two points off the pace. It's worth noting that the Caps do have a game in hand on all three of these teams. It's also worth noting that tonight's loss marked the first back to back losses since Bruce Boudreau became coach.

It's a relief to know that despite the back to back losses the Caps still are right in the mix. However, they desperately need better goaltending and some more secondary scoring to realistically have a chance at making the playoffs. It would be very helpful for the team to see Chris Clark, Tom Poti and Brian Pothier get healthy and back into the lineup. It's a shame that Rod Brind'Amour was lost for the season by Carolina last night. However, the injury will certainly make the road more difficult down the stretch for Carolina.

The Caps have another chance to salvage something from this road trip tomorrow night against Tampa Bay. A third loss would be a terrible end to the trip.

Big Three Game Trip

2008-02-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

It’s hard to say that the next three games are the most important games of the season but starting with tonight’s game in Atlanta the Caps have an opportunity to begin separating themselves from their Divisional foes. The Caps come into the game back in second place in the Division and tenth place in the Conference after Carolina’s victory over Boston last night. These games are as close to must win games as you can come. While the Caps certainly will not be out of the race if they lose all three games, they will make a significant step forward in terms of cementing their chance for winning the division.

The Caps are 2-2-1 against Atlanta this year and most recently fell 2-0 to the Thrashers in early February. Kari Lehtonen stopped all 36 shots he faced in that contest. I’m looking forward to seeing as mush as the game as I can tonight.

How Sweet It Is Again

2008-02-11T15:55:00.000-08:00

The Caps only had to wait two days to get back on top of the standings in the Southeast Division. The Caps put together a solid game against the Rangers and were able to come away with an victory in overtime. Beating any team that Jaromir Jagr plays for is especially sweet in my book. It also worth noting again that the Caps kept the streak intact with respect to back-to-back losses under Bruce Boudreau.

In my last post specifically about the Caps' loss to Carolina, I suggested that the team needed to improve in two areas. The first was on the power play. After going 0-7 against Carolina, the Caps went 2-3 against the Rangers on Sunday. Granted that the Rangers were a tired team after playing the day before in Philadelphia in a very physical contest, the Caps won the special teams battle which ultimately earned them the two points. The Rangers went 0-6 on the power play.

Carolina did a great job of pressuring the puck while shorthanded and the Rangers seemed to give the Caps a little more time to get things set up. Mike Green scored the game winner in overtime on the power play by simply firing a low, hard shot that appeared to deflect off of Marc Staal's stick. I thought it was fitting to see him get the winner as he played an awesome game, expecially in the third period when the Caps were trailing 2-1.

The second area for improvement was goaltending. Olaf Kolzig played perhaps his best game of the season. He made some unbelievable saves when the game was on the line. His rebound control was better with the exception of the second goal scored by Chris Drury. The team needs this type of goaltending on a more frequent basis to stay at the top. Perhaps some of the rest is helping Olie get back to the level expected of him.

Now that the Caps are back on top, the hard part of staying there begins again. The challenge ahead in the next week seems a bit poetic. Three road games against Division foes offers a great opportunity for the Caps to start separating themselves from the pack. It will not be easy but climbing out of the cellar seemed like an impossible task in November.

Richard Zednik

2008-02-11T15:40:00.000-08:00

In last night's game between Buffalo and Florida, Richard Zednik's carotid artery was sliced by Olli Jokinen's skate accidentally after Jokinen was upended. It was a scary moment. Zednik was rushed to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery to basically save his life. The good news is that the surgery was successful and he appears to being doing well with no brain damage.

The incident reminded me of the game in which former Caps goalie Clint Malarchuk had his throat slashed by a skate in a game also in Buffalo. If my memory serves me well, the incident happened after his playing days in Washington. It was a very scary and gruesome incident as well. I'm sure you can find the video on YouTube if you so desire.

I was part of the off ice staff for the Caps when "Fast Richard" first came into the league. He sure was cocky but he was a much needed injection of youth and speed for an aging, veteran team. I wish Zed all the best and hope he's back skating for Florida soon.

Sweet While It Lasted

2008-02-09T06:21:00.000-08:00

At the All Star Break, the Caps stood on the verge of over taking first place in the Southeast Division. After their win against Philadelphia, the Capitals completed their unlikely climb from the cellar of the NHL to the top of the Southeast Division. The accomplishment was nothing short of a miracle after the poor start to the season. I must admit I did not think the team would be able to climb out of the hole. Kudos to the team for getting to the top and putting themselves in a position to realistically compete for a playoff position. After battling so hard for the past few monts to get there, the hardest part began last night with the battle to stay there.

To say last night's game against Carolina was a huge milestone for this team is an understatement. After the final horn, the Caps stay atop the Southeast Division only lasted two days as the Caps fell to the visiting Hurricanes 2-1. The win vaulted the Hurricanes back over the Caps into first place. The loss dropped the Caps from the third seed to the tenth seed in the playoff standings. It was a disappointing loss for a few reasons.

First, the Caps did not play all that poorly as a team. They had their chances but could not take advantage of them. The most telling statistic of the game is the fact that they went 0-7 on the power play. The fact that they had seven opportunities shows that they were playing hard. However, the power play was simply terrible last night. The power play unit played selfishly with each individual trying to do it alone. The Caps had a five on three advantage for 1:10 and looked awful. In fact, Carolina had the best scoring opportunity during this time frame. In the game's waning moments the Caps had another power play with a chance to tie the game up. Alexander Semin was mugged in front of the net and ended up slashing the defenseman and taking a selfish penalty that all but ended the Caps hope of getting the equalizer. The power play will have to get better real quick.

Is it fair to say that Cam Ward stole the game for the Hurricanes? While I'm not so sure that Ward is the main reason the Hurricanes were victorious, there is no question that Ward outplayed Brent Johnson last night. I know this is a familiar refrain but far too often the Caps goaltending has been subpar vis-a-vis the opposing goaltending on a night by night basis. Last night simply came down to rebound control. Ward did a fantastic job controlling his rebounds all night. On Carolina's second goal, Brent Johnson gave up a huge rebound to his left that was easily drilled home for the eventual game winner. The first Carolina goal was not Johnson's fault. Milan Jurcina got beat wide by Erik Cole and Cole made a sweet move to deposit the puck into the net.

The good news is that the Caps still have a game in hand on Carolina. The Division is packed so tightly right now that the race over the final two months of the season to win the Division crown should be great to watch. The Caps have a lot of games against the teams in their Division and it seems pretty logical that the team to play the best against their Divisional foes will most likely win the third playoff seed. The Caps will face the Rangers at home on Sunday before embarking on a three game road trip against Atlanta, Florida and Tampa Bay.

The Rangers presently hold the eigth and final playoff spot. They are three points ahead of the Caps but the Caps have played one less game. Let's remember that the Caps have not lost back to back games since Bruce Boudreau took over the coaching duties. It would be sweet t0 beat Jaromir Jagr and the Rangers.

The three road games following the conclusion of the home stand should really provide a better understanding of how far this team has come. The trip offers the Caps a chance to get some separation in the Division. Let's hope the team continues it's improbable climb to the top and, once there, gets to enjoy it for more than two days.

Forsberg, anyone?

At the Break

2008-01-25T16:28:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe how far this team has come since Thanksgiving. The playoffs seemed like an impossibility and yet now at the All Star break the Caps sit one point out of first place in the Southeast Division with two games in hand on Carolina. They are also only three points out of the eighth spot in the conference standings. I must give the team and Bruce Boudreau a lot of credit.

Although the Caps have been on a roll, the break comes at a good time. The team seemed to be getting a little tired and a four day rest should do them some good. Hopefully, a few of the banged up players will be able to get back in the lineup soon as well.

It's a shame that only Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom will represent the team at the All Star festivities. Mike Green deserved to be there but clearly was overlooked. Hopefully, he'll be there next year.

I must say I was happy to see Brent Johnson in net last night. He played great. Perhaps I was a little too critical in my assessment of Olaf Kolzig's play the night before with respect to Mats Sundin's game winning goal. I read some other accounts of the play and Boudreau said he did not like the gap that Steve Eminger gave up at the blue line or Alexander Semin's coverage of Sundin. The gap did not look too large to me and I did mention Semin getting beat by Sundin. I stand by my assessment of the rebound. It was soft and juicy and, ultimately, an easy poke home. The bottom line in my book is the team just simply seems to play a little better with Johnson in net right now. Given their status in the standing, the Caps can not afford to give up any points at this juncture.

Let me be clear. I am not suggesting that the Caps ride Johnson for the balance of the season. Kolzig should clearly be the goalie of choice. I wonder if he might be a bit tired and fighting the puck right now since he was essentially the lone workhorse for Boudreau for quite some time when Boudreau first took over the coaching duties. Having said that, Kolzig simply needs to play better for this team to have a realistic chance of making the playoffs and doing anything in them if they get there.

Enjoy the All Star break. Let's hope the Caps can maintain the momentum after the break.

Caps/Leafs Recap

2008-01-23T19:00:00.000-08:00

What a brutal finish to a game that the Caps were just about guaranteed to at least come out of with a point. Mats Sundin scored on a terrible rebound given up by Olie Kolzig with 29 seconds remaining in the third period. A routine shot was put at the net from the left point and Kolzig left a soft, juicy rebound just to his right. Sundin beat Alexander Semin to the puck and quickly tucked it under a sprawling Kolzig for the game winning goal. Bruce Boudreau must not have heard my plea to start Brent Johnson although it seems Johnson will definitely get the start in the finale of the home and home series with the Leafs.

The Caps had the better of the play for most of the game and ended up coming away with nothing to show for it. After working so hard to tie the game up with just a few minutes to go and having some great chances of their own to pull ahead, Olie simply let them down again. Where's the big save, let alone the routine save, when the game is in the balance. The feeling must be pretty somber in the locker room tonight.

The good news for the Caps is that they get to try to avenge the loss to the Leafs right away and to remove the bad taste out of their collective mouths. It will be interesting to see what if any changes Boudreau makes for the next game. I would bet that Steve Eminger comes out and that Jeff Schultz goes back in. Depsite the bitter loss, the Caps are still in position to climb atop the Southeast Division. Let's keep in mind that the Caps have not lost back to back games since Boudreau became the coach.

First Period Update Caps/Leafs

2008-01-23T17:23:00.000-08:00

It was a pretty entertaining first period. Although the Caps came out of it down 1-0, after a give away at their blue line was quickly thrown at the net and deflected past Olie by Chad Kilger, they had the better chances in the period. The third and fourth lines did a great job cycling the puck in the offensive zone but simply could not capitalize (no pun intended) on their opportunities. They will wear the Leafs down if they can keep this up and maybe open up the ice a bit more for the first and second lines. Neither team was able to score on the power play. Steve Eminger's penalty was terrible. Those plays have no place in the game and are scary no matter what team you are cheering for. If you did not see it, Eminger boarded Alexei Ponikarovsky from behind after Ponikarovsky beat him to the puck. The Caps were almost down two at the conclusion of this penalty kill when Kyle Wellwood beat Boyd Gordon cleanly on the draw and Hal Gill rung a shot off the crossbar. If the Caps can maintain the energy level from the first and keep generating some chances, they will come behind yet again.

A win is a win

2008-01-22T05:22:00.000-08:00

The losing streak finally came to an end last night against the Pens. From my perspective, it was a long time coming. It was great to see it go down the way it did. Olie started in net, much to my chagrin, and had a devilish save percentage of .666 (10 saves on 15 shots). Thank God Dany Sabourin had a similar save percentage of .692 before being pulled.

After falling behind in the third period, Viktor Kozlov scored a beautiful power play goal on a great feed from Matt Pettinger to tie things up. The Caps had a few good chances down the stretch but could not get the go ahead goal. In overtime, the Caps essentially played the entire session shorthanded and a good portion of it down two men. The penalty kill unit did a great job and Quintin Laing blocked three shots to send the game to a shootout. It was interesting to see Alex Ovechkin race to the bench as the overtime session came to an end to give a helmet rub to all of the penalty killers. It says a lot about his leadership and certainly shows that he understands and appreciates what the other players contribute to the team.

The Caps won the shootout 2-1 on pretty moves by Ovechkin and Alexander Semin. Olie got lucky in my opinion during the shootout, as the first shooter missed the net, the second chance rang off the crossbar (Olie was clearly beat) and Jarkko Ruutu made Olie look completely silly. However, two points are all that matter right now. With the win, the Caps moved into second place in the Southeast Division and remain three points behind Carolina with three games in hand. The Caps are also three points out of the eighth spot in the Conference standings.

Next up for the Caps is a home and home series with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Hey Bruce, please start Brent Johnson in net. I also need to recognize Nicklas Backstrom who had back to back four assist games. He is the first rookie in NHL history to accomplish this feat.

Caps/Pens Preview

2008-01-21T10:53:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I have a really good feeling about the game tonight. Although the Caps have lost six straight to the Pens, the team seems poised to end that streak tonight. The Pens will be without Sidney Crosby and evidently may be missing a few more players (Adam Hall, Colby Armstrong and Tyler Kennedy). The Caps will be without a number of players as well with Shaone Morrisonn joining the injury list along side Chris Clark, Michael Nylander and Brian Pothier. I hope Boudreau plays Brent Johnson in goal tonight. The team seems to have gotten an extra spark since he relieved Olie against Philadelphia. The power play has been hot of late and the team continues to find ways to win and overcome most obstacles. Let's look for a 4-1 win tonight.

My Apologies...

2008-01-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

My apologies to all my faithful and committed readers (all one or two of them including me) for the time between my last posting and this one. The holidays can be brutal in terms of having the time to just kick back and watch a game. I've also been traveling a bit for work which means I generally get to see no hockey during my travels. However, I will make more of an effort now that things are settling back into a routine to post more often.

What a difference just a few weeks makes? Not only have the Caps climbed out of the cellar of the league (they were the worst team in the NHL in terms of standings in November) but with the end of their five game home stand, the Caps are only three points out of the lead in the South(l)east Division with three games in hand on Carolina. They also trail Atlanta by two points for second place with two games in hand. They are also only four points out of the eight playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Caps went 4-1 on the home stand and now stand at .500 for the first time since late October.

What can you say about coach Bruce Boudreau? He has the team playing the way most people thought they would before the season started. I love his quote after last's night game - "We've officially reached mediocrity." He just keeps it all in perspective for the team. The challenge now will be to not be satisfied with the hole this team has miraculously climbed out of. It's natural to take a collective sigh of relief and forget that there is still a lot of work to do. The nice part for the team is that they truly hold their own destiny in their hands with respect to winning the division. This is clearly the easiest path to the playoffs for the Caps. While they also carry their own fate in the Eastern Conference, there are simply many more teams to pass in the standings.

The next five games for the Caps are against Eastern Conference foes and include two home and home series against Toronto and Montreal. I would love nothing more for the team to go into Pittsburgh tomorrow and hammer the Penguins. Although the Pens will be without Sidney Crosby (the Caps will be without Michael Nylander), a win would be significant achievement.

Again I apologize my truancy in terms of posting my thoughts. More to come on a more frequent basis...

Karl Alzner Article

2008-01-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

For those interested in reading an article on the Capitals first round draft pick from last year and the World Junior Championships, please see the link below from the NHL website. It is hopefully a preview of things to come in future years for the Capitals defensive corps.

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=348475

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

2007-12-21T05:47:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-20T07:35:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-18T10:20:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-13T06:14:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-12T15:50:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-12-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

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?

2007-12-07T08:55:00.000-08:00

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...

2007-12-07T08:20:00.000-08:00

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?

2007-11-26T16:07:00.001-08:00

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...

2007-11-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

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.

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.
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.
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.
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

2007-11-21T09:32:00.000-08:00

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...