They got two of a possible six points last week. That might be great if you were the last place team in the league, but when you’re riding high atop the NHL, two out of six doesn’t cut it. So what happened? Personally for me, I think the beginning of the end started with the emotional overtime win versus Pittsburgh.

After trailing 4-1, the Caps managed to battle back and win 6-5 and the celebration was akin to winning game seven. It was the second time the Caps had beaten Pittsburgh in their 14-game winning streak. After a bounce back like that, how could any team beat them?

I think the Caps began to believe their own press. Who needs defense when you can overcome a three goal deficit in the third period? When the Caps skated against Montreal, the Canadiens scored on their very first shot before the game was a minute old. The Caps didn’t get worried; they bounced back and scored one of their own. The Caps even took the lead to start the second period…but then they got sloppy. Montreal scored four goals in the second period and put Washington in a 5-2 hole. Sure, it didn’t help matters that the refs got together and waved off a goal without any form of video review, but when you give up four goals in a period, you have to recognize that you have a serious problem.

You wouldn’t pull your goalie for the whole game would you? Of course not! Why? Well sure, it gives you the extra attacker, and you have an offensive advantage, but it’s a lot easier for your opponent to score on you than it is for you to score on them. When you don’t play defense, and you’re not careful with the puck, you have left your goalie on an island.

The Caps went on their high scoring winning streak by being solid in their own end. It wasn’t just Theodore, it was defensemen being in the right position and sweeping rebounds into the corners. It’s not just the defensemen; forwards have to be back there to clean up the corners on the back-check. They can’t all be waiting at the blue-line for the outlet pass, they have to get back there and help clean up the boards.

In Montreal, the Caps made a last second score that forced overtime. Just like in Pittsburgh, they forced overtime through sheer will. They felt like the game was theirs for the taking…right up until Plekanec scored the game winner for Montreal with :08 seconds left in the overtime period.

So they lost, right? It had to happen sometime. The puck just didn’t bounce their way. They still bounced back from a three goal deficit, nothing to worry about, they’ll get ‘em next time, right?

Well, not exactly. Y’see, when the streak was hot, everyone wanted to be part of it. Now that the burden of the streak was over, they didn’t have all that pressure. So the next night when they went into Ottawa, they could make some changes. The Caps welcomed back Semyon Varlamov, and some guys with minor injuries decided to sit this one out. The Caps found themselves down 3-1 at the end of the first, but they rallied back to tie it 4-4 at the end of the second period.

It was time to turn on the offense. They had just scored three goals in Montreal in the third, and had scored two versus Pittsburgh in the third, and now they had their hot-shot goaltender back in net. Varlamov was 16-1-3 in the regular season, who needs defense when you’ve got him back there between the pipes?

Instead, the Caps gave up two goals early in the third, and even though Alex Semin became the third consecutive Capital to get a hat-trick in three consecutive games, Ottawa showed the Caps that the best defense is really to play defense.

The Caps had been handed their first regulation loss in 15 games; they lost 6-5.

The coach’s words were finally starting to sink in. You can’t expect to win if you let your opponents’ score five or more goals in a game. Sure it’s possible, the Caps had proven that versus Pittsburgh, but you can’t sustain it.

In the Caps’ final game (final game before the Olympic break) versus St. Louis, we saw more of a commitment to defense, but there were still some areas of concern; mostly in transition and puck protection. The Caps’ were turning the puck over way to many times in the neutral-zone creating odd man breaks going to other way. The defense was much more solid, but it’s hard to play defense when you give up a break-away or a two-on-one.

The Caps enter this Olympic break on a three game skid, so most of the team will have plenty to think about over these next two weeks.

Certainly, this isn’t the end of the world for Washington. They are still first place in the league, even if it is only by one-point. They still have a 13-point lead in their conference, and are in no danger of missing the play-offs. The Caps’ 27-point lead in their division is two points shy of being more than the combined margins of all the other divisions.

The Caps could lose more than half of their remaining games, and still win their division.

So, now we have the Olympics for the next couple of weeks. The media world is a-buzz about Team Canada. I’m so sick of hearing about Team Canada I’m ready to stick sharp objects in my ears to dull the pain. Personally, I’m wanting to hear more about Team Russia. With six current and former Caps on the team (Ovechkin, Semin, Varlamov, Gonchar, Kozlov and Federov) how could I not pull for them? Add to that Malkin, Datsuk, Kovalchuk, and Afinogenov, and San Jose Sharks’ (who happen to be second in the league) goaltender Evgeni Nabokov and it certainly looks like Russia is going to be hard to beat.

With the snubbing of Capitals defenseman Mike Green (the highest scoring defenseman in the league, mind you) and Vincent Lecavalier from Tampa in favor of “west coasters” I’m just this side of rooting against Team Canada. Who am I fooling; of course I’m rooting against Team Canada!

Sure, I’ll be happy if somehow Team USA surprises everyone and takes the gold, but my heart lies with the Caps, and Team Russia has the most of them. How could I root for anyone else?

C! A! P! S! Caps! Caps! Caps!

So where do the Caps stand? Well, after their late December meltdown, the Caps slid pretty far in the standings giving up their seat atop the NHL leader-board. Just seven days ago, the Caps were two points behind Chicago and six points behind San Jose. The Caps are now two points ahead of Chicago and have closed to only 1-point behind San Jose for the top spot in the NHL.

The Caps have increased their lead in the Eastern Conference standings from three points ahead of New Jersey, to eight points ahead of New Jersey and have increased the lead in their division to 23 points. The remaining teams in the Southeast division aren’t fighting for first anymore; they are fighting for second. Florida, Atlanta and Tampa have 57, 56 and 55 points respectively and second place seems to change every other day. The margin from worst to first in the Southeast is 35-points! It’s the widest margin in the NHL.

Washington could forfeit every game between now and March 8th and still be leading the Southeast division.

Many are worried that the Caps may be “peaking too early.” I think what we are seeing in Washington is a team that is showing that it can accomplish whatever goals they set for themselves. Sure Coach Boudreau is not talking about the winning streak to the media, but you better believe that the players are focused on it.

This team believes in itself; the players believe in each other. The “superstar effect” is gone. These guys aren’t waiting for Ovechkin or Semin to make the game-winning play; they all want to make the game-winning play.

Since Ovechkin was named Team Captain, the team has gone 13-2. Ovechkin isn’t leading the league in goals. He’s not even leading the league in points, and he’ll tell you he doesn’t care about such things. What he does care about is winning. Last year the touchdown play was Backstrom to Ovechkin for the score. This year it’s Ovechkin to Backstrom; or Flieschmann to Fehr or Laich to Semin etc..

It’s easy for a team to “watch out” for one guy. Whenever Ovechkin is on the ice, he sees the opponents’ “top line.” With scoring coming from all four lines, and from their defensemen, the Caps are hard to stop. Washington averaged 4.67 goals per game in January and are averaging 3.82 goals per game for the season. That’s a half-goal per game better than anyone else in the league!

So the question on everybody’s mind is where will the winning streak end? Will it be tomorrow in Boston (4^th in the Northeast with 55 points)? Thursday in New York versus the Rangers (4^th in the Atlantic with 57 points)? Friday when they come home to face Atlanta 24-hours later (3^rd in the Southeast with 56 points)? Sunday versus Pittsburgh (2^nd in the Atlantic with 69 points)?

Let’s break down the upcoming opponents.

Tuesday, February 2^nd @ Boston Bruins

Last Game: Thursday October 1^st at Boston, Caps won 4-1

Boston may not be doing very well this year, but it’s hard to know which Boston team you’re going to face. Boston has gone 0-3-2 in their last five games, and 1-7-2 in their last ten, but their one victory in that time period was over the San Jose Sharks (who currently sit at first place in the league, 1-point ahead of Washington).

Thursday, February 4^th at New York Rangers

Last Game: Tuesday, November 17^th, @ Rangers, Caps won 4-2

New York has a history of giving the Caps trouble, especially in Madison Square Garden. When the Caps last visited the Garden, they escaped with a two goal lead only because New York had pulled their net-minder trying to get the tying goal. New York carried Washington to a full seven games in last year’s playoffs. New York has won only three of it’s last 10 games including a 3-1 victory yesterday over Colorado. The secret for the Caps here is not to over-look them.

Friday, February 5^th vs. Atlanta Thrashers

Last Game: Saturday, January 9^th, @ Atlanta, Caps won 8-1

Atlanta has faced Washington three times this year, and all three times were in Atlanta. The Thrasher faithful watched their team fall by scores of 5-4, 4-3, and most recently 8-1. Atlanta will be looking to return the favor to the Washington fans in Verizon against a Caps’ team that may have been softened up playing back to back games. The only two players on the Caps’ roster that will be well rested will be Mike Green who will be returning from his three game suspension, and the goal-tender (unless Boudreau is going to have one goalie play both in New York and again the next day at Verizon which is highly unlikely).

Super Bowl Sunday, February 7^th vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Last Game: Thursday January 21^st, @ Pittsburgh, Caps won 6-3

Thursday, January 21^st was the first time the Penguins and Capitals had seen each other since game 7 of the ’08-’09 playoffs. Washington hung six goals on them at the Igloo; since then Pittsburgh has won three of it’s last four games and will be looking for similar retribution as Atlanta. Pittsburgh is the toughest opponent for the Caps this week (by the numbers) so hopefully Washington isn’t looking too far ahead.

Unbelievably, the only one of these upcoming opponents the Caps have lost to this season has been New York and it was at Verizon Center (and you have to go way back to the fourth game of the season; Thursday, October 8^th Rangers won 4-3). New York is also the only opponent on the list to play the Caps at Verizon this season.

As long as the Caps keep doing what they’ve been doing, there is little reason for them not to continue this streak. Let’s just take it one game at a time and hope for a history making win in Boston!

C! A! P! S! Caps! Caps! Caps!

The Caps went 2-2-0 last week netting four of a possible eight points. They continued their winning streak over the Southeast division and remain the only team in the league with a perfect record within their own division (8-0-0).

The Caps lost Semyon Varlamov after their game versus Tampa Bay, but also seemed to lose a little bit of their confidence. They played less aggressive on defense (often playing the stick instead of the man) and struggled in their transitions through neutral ice which limited their scoring chances.

Opponents have figured out that the Caps are not a good fore-checking team, so they tend to stack four players across the blue-line to force the Caps to dump the puck in. It’s not without it’s risks, because if the Caps do manage to win the battle for the puck in the corner, they will put on a “passing clinic” that wears down defenders and opens up shooting lanes.

Buffalo and Toronto both played tight on the Caps attackers limiting their passing angles, and intercepting their passing lanes. Carolina tried collapsing in on their goalie to limit how much of the net could be seen. By stacking both defenders and a forward in front of their net-minder, Carolina attempted to create a human shield for their goalie. This is especially risky as it created a virtual shooting gallery for the Caps. I’ll show you what I mean in the recap.

Monday, December 7^th, at Tampa Bay – After watching the Caps score a combined 14 goals versus their previous two opponents, the Lightning had to be a little nervous. Add to that the fact that reigning two-time MVP Alex Ovechkin was returning fresh from a two game suspension, and you could just tell this wasn’t going to be Tampa’s night. To their credit, the Lightning played the Caps tough in the first period and both teams only registered seven shots on net apiece ending the period tied 0-0. Then the Second period saw three goals by Washington, including two by Mr. Ovechkin. With no goals in the third, the Caps would go on to blank Tampa 3-0.

Love for the new glove – Varlamov was using a new glove for the first time versus Tampa and it came in…er…handy as he would make several spectacular glove saves versus the Bolts. His new glove resembled a white baseball mitt on steroids and seemed o give him an extra couple of inches of reach out on the tip. Varlamov had a 2.21 Goals against average and a .924 save % coming into the game. His new glove has a 0.00 GAA and a 1.000 save %.

Work the body – The big difference in the game versus Tampa was Washington’s ability to knock guys off the puck. They kept the crease and slots clean, and created turnovers that allowed them to transition through center ice before Tampa could recover. The Caps were able to skate into the attack zone largely unchecked and set up shop where they worked Tampa as if they were on the power play. Even with a three goal lead, the Caps kept up the pressure outshooting Tampa 11-5 in the third period.

Wednesday, December 9^th at Buffalo – The story of this night can be summed up by one play. Alex Ovechkin was in the left slot, received a pass that left Buffalo net-minder trapped on the right side and gave Ovechkin a wide open net to shoot at from 25 feet away; and he missed it. Call it luck if you will, but that was one of a few missed opportunities the Caps failed to…er…Capital-ize on. Ryan Miller gave up a few chances early, but came away unscathed. He buttoned things up so well as the game went on that I caught myself ready to call the police with the way he robbed Nicklas Backstrom. Unfortunately, Caps net-minder Jose Theodore wasn’t quite so “dialed-in” as there were a few goals he would have liked to have back. The Caps would fall to Buffalo 3-0 simultaneously ending their six-game winning streak and all of their scoring streaks.

Ying and Yang – While the Capitals were busy shutting our Tampa, the Sabres were being shut-out by New Jersey. The Caps bounced back from their shut-out win, with a shut-out loss to Buffalo.

Holding the line – Buffalo stacked the blue-line four-across and pinched in at the point of attack. The kept the Caps to the outside, and clogged up the middle to limit cross-ice passing. This allowed Miller to stay at home and square up against his shooters, and even still he made some spectacular saves. Many a Capital threw their hands up thinking they scored only to realize that Miller had the puck.

Friday December 11^th, vs. Carolina – It certainly looked as if the Caps scoring woes were going to carry over into this game at Verizon Center as the Caps found themselves with a two-goal deficit at the end of the first period. It was Alex Semin who tied the game up in the second period including a goal that was scored with six-tenths of a second left in the second period. Thomas Flieschmann would give the Caps the go-ahead goal early in the third, but it would be Tim Gleason (wearing a gold-fish bowl on his face) who would score short-handed to tie it up forcing an overtime period. Then, 1:16 into overtime it would be Mike “Game Over” Green who would send the hometown fans home with smiles on their faces.

OUCH! Stay away from that man, wouldya? – Tim Gleason was “boarded” by Alex Ovechkin the first time these two teams met which resulted in Ovechkin’s first 5-minute major, and 10-minute Game Misconduct of the season. Gleason didn’t seem any worse for wear from that exchange and left many (including myself) believing that Ovechkin’s punishment didn’t fit the crime. This time, as Ovechkin was warming up for a shot on net, Gleason attempted a poke check that caused the puck to ramp up his stick and catch him with the full force of an Ovechkin slap-shot on the side of his face. He would not return until the third period, and when he did, he was wearing a full-face mask. I’d be willing to bet his head is still ringing today.

Power-Up – After watching his team struggle, Boudreau made a decision to move Alex Semin up to the top line with Ovechkin and Backstrom. Teams usually “double cover” both Ovechkin and Semin when they are on the ice, but with them both out there together, Carolina just didn’t have enough players to double cover them both.

Saturday, December 12^th at Toronto – Washington was supposed to leave for Toronto immediately after playing Carolina. Due to difficulties with their airplane, the team was grounded until 10am the next morning. The Caps went into the game without a morning skate, and at first it looked like they didn’t need one as Washington took an early two-goal lead. Toronto would tie it up in the early stages of the second period, and It was Nicklas Backstrom that returned the lead to Washington just short of the midway mark of the game. Not only would Toronto tie it up again before the end of the second period, they would dominate the Caps in the third scoring three goals and finishing the Caps off 6-3.

Needing a nap – Washington had all the energy early in the game, but the fatigue began to set in as the Caps stopped playing the body and began to rely on their stick-checks. This sloppiness turned into penalties, and odd-man breaks leaving Nuevirth on an island. By the third period the team was on it’s last legs, and had all but given up on the game.

Coming Up – Washington continues it’s road trip this week as they play three games on the road. The first is tomorrow night versus Colorado, then Friday and Saturday night versus Vancouver and Edmonton. Be prepared to stay up late as the Caps games won’t start until 9:30pm Tuesday, and 10pm Friday and Saturday.

Go Caps!

The Caps even missed the services of Mike Green for a couple of those games, and didn’t miss a beat.

The injury bug finally caught up with them when Mike Knuble was injured Friday night and absent from Saturday’s game in New Jersey.

Knuble hasn’t been the prolific scorer that Ovechkin is, but he’s a hard worker. He wears down opponents.  He finds the open slots, controls and moves the puck well, and if he sees a few inches of daylight, he’ll score on you.

The Caps still got good pressure on New Jersey. I don’t want to take anything away from the team. They fought hard against a rested New Jersey team, and a future hall-of-fame netminder in Marty Brodeur, but they missed Knuble who plays well from in front of the crease gobbling up rebounds for either redistribution, or second chance attempts.

Hopefully he feels better soon; and with that, let’s get to some recapping.

Wednesday, November 11^th, vs. NY Islanders – :08 seconds in and the Caps were up 1-0 thanks to Alex Semin. Six minutes later the Caps were down 3-1 and Jose Theodore was replaced by Semyon Varlamov. A period and a half later, the Caps were up 4-3, and with less than three minutes left in regulation, the Islanders tied the game on the power-play and forced overtime. After a scoreless overtime period, the game came down to a shootout. The Caps elected to shoot first. After the obligatory three rounds, both teams had scored a goal. With each stop of a Caps’ shot, it put all the pressure on Varlamov, as the Islanders could end the game with their next goal. Verizon Center was on it’s feet, and in the 11^th round it was Chris Clark that finally put the pressure on New York when he scored. Semyon held his team’s fate in his glove literally as he caught New York’s final shot and ended the game with a big win and a big grin! Washington would win 5-4.

The goal that tied the record – Alex Semin’s goal in the first :08 seconds tied a Caps record for the fastest first goal of a game that dates back to March 14^th, 1987.

Note to the fans – Shootout goals do not count for season stats or hat-tricks. Alex Semin’s goal during the shoot-out was in fact the third time he had put a puck in the net, but it doesn’t count as a “hat-trick.” This can actually have the unintended consequence of icing your own goalie, as he waits nervously while all the hats are cleaned up off the ice. Thankfully; it didn’t take long for the hats to be cleared, and I think Varlamov has ice in his veins.

The Goalie of record – After giving up three goals in the game’s first six minutes, Jose Theodore was given the night off. When Alex Semin tied the game at 3 early in the 2^nd period, it became Varlamov’s game to lose. He played 57 minutes (including OT) and stopped 25 of 26 shots surrendering his only goal while NY was on the power-play. Words cannot accurately convey how spectacular he was in the shoot-out.

Friday, November 13^th, vs. Minnesota – Coming into Verizon off a tough shootout loss in Tampa, the Minnesota Wild should have been exhausted. They started off strong outshooting the Caps 7-1 in the first half of the first period, but after that it was all Washington who outshot Minnesota 32-9 over the next period and a half. Cal Clutterbuck, who torched Washington last season for two goals, got his third against the home team as he put Minnesota on the board first just 1:31 into the second period. It was the first time in eight games that Washington hadn’t notched the game’s first goal. Defenders Mike Green and Brian Pothier scored two for the Caps to put them back on top and it was Brooks Laich with the empty netter that put the game out of reach. Minnesota would fall 3-1.

Varly is Gnarly – Varlamov stopped 55 of 57 shots in the 117 minutes he played this week. He is now 11-1-1 in regular season games, and 7-1-0 this season. He has a .912 save percentage and a 2.67 goals against average in his games this year.

On the bright side – The loss of Mike Knuble comes just as the Caps are about to welcome back Alex Ovechkin. This should leave room on the roster for the Caps latest call-up, Mathieu Perreault. In Perreault’s six games he has 2 goals and 3 assists and a 22% shooting percentage.

Saturday, November 14^th, @ New Jersey – Washington entered New Jersey tied for first place in the Eastern conference. Washington was riding a four game winning streak; New Jersey had won their last eight straight. Just as the game was five minutes old, the Caps had a 2-0 lead; unfortunately it would be all New Jersey from there. Bruce Boudreau was looking for his 100^th career victory but would have to wait a little longer as he watched New Jersey score five unanswered goals over the next 38 minutes. Washington, who had played pretty disciplined hockey over their last four victories, began to come apart as they pressed for answer goals. The Caps gave up several odd-man breaks, breakaway goals, and started committing penalties that greatly hindered their come-back effort. In the end, the Caps fell 5-2 and slipped to second in the Eastern Conference.

Random Scoring Stats – For the fourth time this season, the Caps scored on their first shot of the game. For the first time the season, the Caps found themselves down by as many as three goals.

Reaching a milestone – Caps’ Captain Chris Clark played his 500^th game Saturday night.

Coming Up – The Caps are hanging around in Jersey waiting for their matchup Tuesday versus the Rangers. Then they come back for a Friday night game versus the Canandiens, and immediately head to Toronto to face former Caps Coach Ron Wilson and his struggling Maple Leafs.

New York is always a tough opponent for Washington, especially in New York, but it is looking like the Caps are going to get some high powered help with the return of Ovechkin. Having a few days off before facing Montreal should help the Caps, but the overnight flight to Toronto could make that game a little more even than it would be ordinarily.

If I’m Coach Boudreau, I start Varlamov versus New York and Montreal, and give him a break Saturday by starting Theodore versus the Leafs.

All in all, it’s been a good week for the Caps, but now I’m off to write a ‘Skins blog as they finally put together a game to be proud of this week!

C-A-P-S Caps! Caps! Caps!

Seven of those goals came in a game without Alex Ovechkin or Mike Green.

Now I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself and start talking about how dominant the Caps are playing right now. We should keep in mind that the Caps scored 11 goals against a struggling Panthers team, but the fact that they were able to do it without Ovechkin does speak volumes for the depth and heart that this organization has.

It is sometimes very easy for a team to throw their hands up when their best player is hurt and start to feel sorry for themselves. The Caps started to look like one of those teams Wednesday night in a losing effort to New Jersey, but Boudreau rallied the troops and they came out fighting Friday night in Sunrise Florida where they played a nearly flawless game against the Panthers.

Without further ado; let’s get to the recap!

Wednesday, November 4^th @ New Jersey – In typical fashion, the Caps jumped out to an early lead scoring the first goal of the game in the first period. Also in typical fashion, the Caps let the game slip away in the third period. After the Devils tied the game in the second period, the Caps gave them four power play opportunities in the third which resulted in two goals for the Devils. Coach Boudreau was not happy with his team’s performance. “When you go behind the net and you put your stick on a guy you’re going to get a penalty.” said Boudreau, “Brendan Morrison has been in the league for 10 years, Semin’s been in the league for five years. These guys know this. It’s just dumb penalties.”

Chris Clark; Devil Fighter - Caps Captain Chris Clark (say that three times fast) has two fighting majors this season. Both have come against New Jersey. He found himself in a scrape versus David Clarkson when the Devils came to Verizon back in October, and again here versus Rod Pelley.

Well that was disappointing – In the absence of Ovechkin, the team turned to their other Alex (Semin) to pick up the slack. Semin tallied only three shots on goal, but was flagged for two penalties, one of which gave the Devils the go-ahead goal.

Friday, November 6^th, @ Florida – In the first of a home-and-home series versus the Panthers, the Caps played a nearly flawless game. There were a couple of moments during the first period that would have been tough on those with heart conditions. Both net minders had some near misses where the puck hovered in the crease in front of an open net, only to be swept away by a defender. Tomas Vokoun had a shot squirt through his pads and slide perilously close to the goal-line before running out of steam and stopping just short. It looked like it was going to be the Caps first goal, but it was saved by a Florida defender from going in. The in typical Caps fashion, they again scored first, but this time was different. The Caps played mistake free hockey until the midway mark of the third period when they received their first penalty (50 minutes without a penalty!). Florida scored their only goal on that power-play, but then, a little over a minute later, the Caps were called for a 5-minute major. The Caps did not allow a single shot on goal for that five minutes and went on to win 4-1.

Who’s left? – The Caps came into the game with six defensemen. By the time Florida had scored their first goal, and were gearing up for five minutes of power-play time, the Caps were down to three. Mike Green and Jeff Shultz were both injured early in the game, and Shaone Morrison was not only assessed a five minute major, but was given a game misconduct penalty and kicked out of the game. Tyler Sloan, who had been converted from defenseman to forward before the game started, was re-converted back to defender after Green and Shultz were injured, and the bulk of the Caps defensive ice-time was divided up between Poti (28:42), Pothier (25:20), and Jurcina (23:12).

Blue-Collar Heroes – For the second consecutive game, the Caps first goal was scored by Tyler Sloan. Sloan (who was later converted to defenseman), and defender Tom Poti teamed up to account for two of the Caps four goals. The other two were scored by Brendan Morrison.

Morrison scored the Caps second goal, which became the game-winner when Florida scored their only goal on the power-play. The penalty that Florida scored on was Brendan Morrison, two minutes for interference. Morrison also scored the empty netter to make up for Florida’s PPG.

Saturday, November 7^th vs. Florida – This was going to be a tough game for both teams. Florida and Washington were both playing their third game in four nights. The Caps scored the only goal of the first period, but then it appeared that fatigue, combined with their mountain of injuries, had finally caught up with them as Florida scored three goals in the second period. The Caps looked like a beaten team in the second period as Florida was all over them, but the Caps were just “playin’ ‘possum” as they came out fresh in the third period and scored a season high five goals in that period alone. This time Florida was the team looking gassed scoring only one goal in the third, but ultimately unable to stop the onslaught as the Caps rolled to a 7-4 victory.

It’s a Trap! – The Caps have built a reputation for being a team that starts early but withers late. They have outscored teams in the first period by an amazing 20-6 in 17 games this season. It’s no surprise that the Panthers were lulled into believing they had this game in the bag after outshooting the Caps 23-16 in the first two periods and leading 3-2 to start the third.

The Caps had as many shots in the third period as they did in the first two combined, and scored on 31% of them. The Caps outskated, outshot, outscored and outhit a surprised Florida team in one of the best efforts I’ve seen from this team in a long time.

Coming up – The Caps enjoy a few days off, and don’t play again until Wednesday when they host the Islanders. They play again Friday when they bring Minnesota to Washington, and then it’s off to New Jersey again Saturday night.

Even though the Caps played two great games without their star winger and star defenseman, they are hoping for speedy recoveries for both as their opponents get tougher this week.

Hopefully the fun continues, as the Caps are playing well in their absence so far!

C-A-P-S Caps! Caps! Caps!

It’s another Monday, so it must be time for another Caps Recap!

After suffering through four straight losses, the Capitals have bounced back and added two more games to the win column last week and have now won four straight. This is certainly worth celebrating, but the fact is, the Caps are still not playing really good hockey. To say their power play is not performing would be an understatement; their power play has proven to be a liability as their opponents scored two shorthanded goals while the Caps went 0-11 on the power play last week alone.

I suppose you could say the Caps went -2 for 11 on the PP.

Something else that is interesting is that Caps superstar Alex Ovechkin was rendered without a goal in both of this past week’s contests. You might say that a large part of the teams woes have to do with the slump that Ovechkin finds himself in, which could have something to do with the absence of Alex Semin on the second line.

Superstars not withstanding; the Caps have seen their B-liner’s step it up and that’s what you need from a good hockey team. Their wins may not have been pretty, but you get no extra points for style.

Let’s get to the recap

Thursday, October 22^nd – Caps @ Atlanta – In keeping with their trend, the Caps jumped out to an early lead when Eric Fehr scored on an early breakaway just 2:02 into the game. Atlanta matched them step for step in the first period and both teams went into the locker-room tied at 2 goals apiece. In the second period, the Caps victimized Thrashers’ goalie Ondrej Pavalec by scoring three goals in :88 seconds and ending his night early. The Caps’ special teamers gave up a shorthanded and a power-play goal in the third period, but the team managed to hang on and eek out a 5-4 victory.

Dialing Long Distance – Midway through the second period, Jeff Schultz got the gift of a lifetime scoring a goal from 190 feet away. As he rounded his own net, he received a pass from Caps’ netminder Semyon Varlamov, and tried to pass the puck up the ice to Mike Knuble. As far as passes go, it wasn’t a very good one and never connected with Knuble, but it skipped it’s way up the ice taking an extremely lucky (or unlucky, depending on whom you were rooting for) bounce a mere seven feet from Thrasher’s goalie Ondrej Pavalec shooting right up over his glove and into the net.

Noticeably Absent – The Capital’s “Young Guns” (Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin and Green) were each held without a point in Thursday’s game versus Atlanta (to be fair, Semin wasn’t playing due to injury). The Caps were 0-1 this year when their young stars were held scoreless, and went 1-9-1 in the few times that it happened last year.

Maybe it’s the name Alex… – With Alexander Semin out with an injury, and Alexander Ovechkin having trouble finding the back of the net, it fell to Alexandre Giroux to get an Alex on the score sheet. Giroux’s goal in the first period was his fourth ever NHL goal and it comes against the organization that let him slip away in the minors. Giroux played for the Thrasher’s AHL affiliate in Chicago for the first part of the ‘07-‘08 season where he was coached by the Thrashers’ current head coach, John Anderson.

Saturday, October 24^th – Caps @ NY Islanders – Caps’ fans who tuned in late may have been surprised to see their team behind after the first period. It’s the first time the Caps have trailed to start a game this season. The Caps struggled to find an answer all game and rotated several different forward through the Ovechkin-Backstrom line. The Caps still struggled on the power-play, and gave up their second short-handed goal in as many games. The Caps dug deep and finally found their goal scorer mentality and it was Mike Green that led the charge. Keith Aucoin tied the game up, and it was Brooks Laich that won the game in overtime.

That was ugly – This game should not have been as close as it was. The Caps came in with a 5-2-2 record to face an Islander team with only one win for the season. Senior Writer for WashingtonCaps.com had it right when he said “wins are like goals; you don’t ask ‘how,’ you ask ‘how many.’” If the Caps don’t figure out the ‘how’ and soon it’s going to be a long week.

For more Caps Coverage – check out this blog by Bosshog “Caps Steal One in Overtime”

Coming up, the Caps are bringing home the Philadelphia Flyers tomorrow night, and then it’s going to feel like Déjà vu as the Caps square off against the Thrashers (in Atlanta on Thursday) and Islanders (at Verizon Center on Friday) again.

With both of Washington’s teams facing a Philadelphia opponent (Redskins tonight, Capitals tomorrow, both televised nationally) it’s going to smell an awful lot like cheese-steak around here for the next coupla days.

Something tells me it’s going to be up to the Caps to split the difference.

C-A-P-S Caps! Caps! Caps!

The Caps, who came out swinging in their first two games, went down flailing in their last three going from 2-0-0 to 2-2-1.

Ordinarily, I’d break down the games with a quick blurb about the game, and some noteable notes, but I feel your pain Caps fans. We don’t really want to re-live last week do we?

I didn’t think so.

How is it that the Caps are playing this poorly?

1) You gotta play D – Defense isn’t just in your own zone; it’s at center ice and in the attack zone as well. You are going to turn the puck over sometimes and you need to be ready to stop them before they cross center ice.

2) Watch those penalties – Watch your stick; keep it low. If you keep your stick low to the ice at all times you lessen the chances of hooking and high sticking penalties. Watch your opponents’ feet. Keep your stick outta there and you avoid the trip penalty. I’m not saying that’s an easy task, but it’s a lot easier than playing PK all night.

3) A goal is a goal – Goals don’t always have to be pretty. Stuff-ins, tuck-ins, rebounds; if it crosses the goal line it counts. Get some bodies in front of the net then start taking your shots. If you can see the net…shoot; then let your guys in front of the net play whack-a-mole with the puck.

Now last week wasn’t all bad news. The Caps lost each of their games by one goal, so nothing was ever out of reach; they weren’t blow outs, just a few bad nights. The Caps played some good hockey, but in the end they just came up a little short.

Here are some things to put a smile on a Caps-fan’s face

- Center Brendan Morrison has four points in his last four games (3g-1a) and stands fifth on the team in scoring (tied for third in goals). Last season, with Anaheim , Morrison didn’t record his fourth point until Nov. 16. He has at least one shot on goal in all five games this season and has scored on half of the shots he has taken. His ice time has been above 16:00 in each of the last three games; in the first two games he skated under 15:00 per game.

- Alex Ovechkin had nine shots on goal in Saturday’s game at Detroit and 10 hits. That matched his hit total from the first four games of the season and moved him into a tie for second in the league in hits (20). His 35 shots on goal are 11 more than any other player in the league (nearly double any other Cap). Ovechkin assisted on Brendan Morrison’s power-play goal, moving him into a share of the NHL scoring lead with teammate Nicklas Backstrom and two others.

– Goaltender Jose Theodore has a .930 save percentage in his three starts this season (80 saves, 6 GA), including a .924 save percentage in the Caps’ last two losses. He stopped 34 of 37 shots against the Red Wings Saturday night.

– Washington already has six power-play goals this season (6-for-24, 25%), including at least one in every game. The Capitals are still without a PPG from their top two power-play goal scorers last season (Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green). All five of Ovechkin’s goals have come at even strength.

- Washington has three of the top 5 point-leaders in the league (Ovechkin-10, Backstrom-10, and Semin-9), and two of the top 5 goal scorers (Ovechkin-5 and Semin-5)

The Week Ahead

This week starts tonight with the Caps back home against the Devils, and they stay home all week facing the Sharks on Thursday and Predators on Saturday. For those of you keeping score, that’s two more playoff teams from last year they will be facing this week. The Caps went 2-0-2 last year versus the Devils, lost the only game they played versus the Sharks, and won both their games versus the Predators in OT.

So it doesn’t really get any easier Caps fans, but with a sold out Verizon Center should help the them feel right at home this week!

Rock the Red and as always…

LET’S GO CAPS!!!

Mike Richards opened the scoring for Philadelphia on the power play; he parked himself off to the left of the net, deep in the zone, and defenseman Matt Carle picked him out with a diagonal pass through the Caps zone. Richards fired the puck into the net from an obtuse angle, and the Flyers had a 1-0 lead.

It didn’t stay that way for long, as the Capitals evened the score at 1-1 with a goal from who else? Alex Ovechkin. Ovie kicked a Matt Bradley pass up to his stick and quickly snapped the puck past goaltender Ray Emery, to notch his fourth goal in three games. Nicklas Backstrom and Bradley were credited with assists, but give one to Coach Bruce Boudreau as well – who made a great change on the fly to get Ovechkin on the ice against the Flyers fourth line.

Less than two minutes later, the Flyers were back on top when Kimmo Timonen beat Semyon Varlamov on a shot from the point. The Flyers were a man up as the Caps were going to be called for a delayed penalty, and Timonen took advantage of a heavily screened Varlamov.

Three minutes after that, the Caps evened the score at 2-2 with another goal from Ovechkin – his fifth of the season. The Russian superstar pressured Chris Pronger into a giveaway in his own zone, and Backstrom picked up the loose puck and hit Ovechkin who was driving for the net and beat Emery with a backhand.

The game settled down for a few minutes before Alexander Semin put Washington up 3-2 on a fabulous individual effort. Entering the Flyer zone, Semin dangled the puck in front of the Flyer defenseman Braydon Coburn, before undressing him with a beautiful curl drag move, and then beating Emery.

Then Flyers captain Richards took over; he took advantage of yet another Caps penalty and notched his second power play goal of the game. Just 18 seconds later, Richards scored again to give the Flyers a 4-3 lead, and notching just his second career NHL hat trick. In fact, Richards was the first Flyer to score a hat trick BEFORE the start of the third period since John Leclair. Richards’ third goal also changed Caps goalie Varlamov from the game, and Jose Theodore took over.

Seven goals in less than 15 minutes of second period action – four by Philly and three by Washington – the pace was frenetic. Flyers defenseman Matt Carle assisted on all four goals and in the process, set a club record and tied an NHL mark for defensemen with four assists in the second period (Rob Blake also did it on Jan. 29, 1998).

In the third, it was Washington’s turn to capitalize on a man advantage; Semin snapped home his second of the game with Backstrom picking up his third assist, and Ovechkin getting the other.

Brendan Morrisson scored just 1:14 later when he tipped in a Matt Bradley shot to put the Caps back on top 5-4 half-way through the period.

It stayed that way until Scott Hartnell pushed a Coburn rebound past Theodore, on yet another Flyers power play with 4:15 to go, forcing overtime.

Birthday boy Briere scored the game winner at 3:45 of overtime, and give the Flyers  the victory at the Wachovia Center.

After the game, it was obvious what Caps Coach Bruce Boudreau attributed the loss to:

“I think you take eight minors in a game, and you’re not going to win a game. Six in one period. That’s how four goals get scored against you, when you get six penalties in a period. That’s just not acceptable.”

The Caps actually took nine minor penalties – ten if you count the delayed penalty that Philadelphia scored on.

When asked about his decision to pull his goaltender, Boudreau offered:

“Varlamov gets scored on in bunches. He gets down on himself, and we’ve gotta get him out of that.”

The game pitted two of the NHL’s best teams against each other, and it didn’t disappoint despite the hype; it was a high-flying affair from start to finish – well at least from the second period on.

Many consider the Flyers to be a front runner for Stanley’s Cup, and with better goaltending, the Caps are right there; so while a loss is a loss, Boudreau and the organization should be happy with the level of play that the Capitals are displaying early in the season.

Next up for Washington is the New York Rangers on Thursday at the Verizon Center.

Game Notes:

It was the third time in three games that Ovechkin has scored three points – only two other NHL players have ever opened the season with three or more points in the first three games – Peter Stastny and Guy Lafleur.

Backstrom has eight assists in the Caps first three games.

Matt Bradley had a fight in the first period with tough guy Ian LaPerriere, after Laperriere unceremoniously dumped Caps defender Mike Green into the boards. It’s always great to see a guy that doesn’t usually fight, drop the gloves to defend one of the team’s superstars. Kudos to Bradley – that’s leadership.

Check out video from the game and post game interviews here.

The Caps had two games last week facing the Northeast Division Champion Boston Bruins in their season opener followed up by the familiar face of Ron Wilson and his Toronto Maple Leafs in their home opener. The Caps came out of the gate swinging scoring 10 goals in their first two games. Alex Ovechkin having three goals in his first two games is hardly a surprise, but for him to be tied with Brooks Laich certainly may raise some eyebrows.

The race for the cup starts here, so lets get to some recapping!

10/1/09 Season Opener @ Boston – Caps 4, Bruins 1

Washington looked like they might be in trouble after allowing 10 shots in the games first 13 minutes, but Jose Theodore held down the fort until the cavalry could arrive. The Caps woke up in a big way allowing only 10 more shots for the rest of the game. Brooks Laich got the scoring for the Caps started when he scored on the power play with less than three minutes left in the first period. Ovechkin chimed in with a goal of his own in the second period. Laich and Ovie would add another goal a-piece in the third and by the time Bergeron had gotten a mark on the scoreboard for the B’s, the game was over.

Star Power

Alex Ovechkin’s first goal of the season touched each of the Caps’ “Young Guns” before finding it’s way to the back of the net. It started when Mike Green entered the attack zone and left a drop pass for Backstrom. Backstrom slid the puck across to Alex Semin who  tee’d up a backhand pass to Ovechkin for the score.

“No Way” Jose

Many (including myself) have questioned Bruce Boudreau’s decision to start Jose Theodore in the team’s season opener. Theodore answered those questions by stopping 19 of 20 shots; 10 of which came in the first period alone. Theodore had a great game and hopefully has shown us visions of things to come for the Caps netminding this year.

10/3/09 Home Opener vs. Toronto – Caps 6, Leafs 4

Alex Ovechkin needed only 77 seconds to get the crowd on it’s feet chanting “MVP! MVP!” at Verizon Center Saturday night. The fans in Washington love their superstar because he rarely disappoints! The Caps had this game well in hand by the end of the second period leading 6-1. The home crowd was treated to goals from both of the Caps new veteran players in Mike Knuble and Brendan Morrison before the Caps decided to take their foot off the gas. Toronto began to sneak back into the game scoring three goals in the third, but the 5-goal deficit was just too much to overcome.

I Laich Where This is Going

Brooks Laich is personally one of my favorite Capitals. Not simply because of all the fun puns you can have with his name, but also because he is a smart player. He is a student of the game, and he learns well. Citing Sergei Federov as his model, Brooks said “That guy never seemed to be in a hurry. He was just very calm and poised and I watched him like a hawk day in and day out. I think that has really helped me.” Laich’s studying is starting to pay off. He now has three goals and two assists for the season. If you include last season, Laich has scored a goal in each of his last four games and has scored seven goals in his past six.

Hey guys, there’s still a-whole-nother period!

If the Caps’ game versus Toronto was to be judged by the third period alone, the Caps would be in real trouble. Coach Boudreau expressed some concerns with the way the team played in the third period, but fell just short of criticizing the team that had just rang up six goals in the first two. “I was once told that anytime you win, you shouldn’t complain because there’s so many times you lose.” Said Boudreau, “I told the guys that it was a great win and a great start but that we have to learn how to win 6-1 when we are in this position and not think we are going to win 9-1″

Coming Up

Tuesday, 10/6/09 @ Flyers 7:00pm
Thursday, 10/8/09 vs. Rangers 7:00pm
Saturday, 10/10/09 @ Red Wings 7:00pm

Parting Stat

With Saturday’s effort, Alex Ovechkin now has 100 more points (426) than games in which he’s played (326).

It’s been a great week to be a fan in Washington. The Caps won both their games, the Redskins won their game, and Dallas lost. Does it get much better? We’ll see you next week!

C-A-P-S Caps! Caps! Caps!

Alex Ovechkin scored just over a minute into the game. While the Toronto Maple Leafs may have had 59 minutes to get back into the game – they never did. The Capitals were able to capitalize on the home crowd energy right from the start, and their three unanswered first period goals were the difference in the 6-4 win.

It Was Over When…
When the Capitals killed off a penalty with just under half a period to play. The Leafs had crawled back to 6-3 and a goal with 7 to 9 minutes left, might have got them back in the game.

Three Stars:
1st Star – Alex Ovechkin; he added two assists to his game-opening goal
2nd star – Alexander Semin; also had three points, with two 2nd period goals and a helper on Ovechkin’s goal
3rd Star – Brooks Laich; who had a goal and an assist

Key Statistic:
5-for-8
Vesa Toskala was pulled between the first and second periods, after stopping only of five of eight first period shots.

Noteworthy:
Ovechkin and Semin both already have six points, after registering three points a piece in each of the Caps first two games… Laich and Nicklas Backstrom both have five points in two games… it took 77 seconds for the Verizon Center to have a reason to shout ‘M-V-P’ for Ovechkin… Toronto defenseman Mike Komisarek received his sixth penalty of the season in the first period… Mike Green led all players, with over 24 minutes of ice time… center Michael Nylander was a healthy scratch for the Caps, along with defensemen Jeff Schultz and Tyler Sloan… it was the  eighth consecutive time that the Caps have won their home opener; they are now 9-1-1 all-time in home openers at Verizon Center.

Up Next:
The Caps take on the Flyers in Philadelphia on Tuesday, and then are back home on Thursday to face the New York Rangers.

Check out the video highlights of the game if you missed it.