I knew this game was big, but when I got a call shortly after Team USA tied the game from someone who never watches hockey to ask me “did you see that?!” I knew it was a good game.

It’s a rare thing when the losing goaltender is named MVP, but Ryan Miller certainly earned it, and when he returns to Buffalo Wednesday night, I expect his home crowd is going to salute him appropriately.

For the Caps, it’s back to business. After going into the Olympic break on a three game losing skid, the Caps would like to right the ship. It’s never easy for the Caps, and their matchup in Buffalo on Wednesday pits the highest scoring team in the league versus arguably the best goaltender in the world (at least as noted in these most recent Winter Olympics).

The last time Washington squared off against Buffalo was just before Christmas in a 5-2 win at Verizon Center. Earlier that month, Buffalo shut-out Washington in a 2-0 game in Buffalo.

On the heels of that matchup, the Caps will return to DC Thursday night where the Tampa Bay Lightning will be waiting. The last time Washington faced Tampa it was a 3-2 decision for the Caps as part of their 14-game winning streak. Many Caps fans will remember the 7-4 loss in Tampa that sparked that winning streak in early January.

The Caps round out their week with a matchup Saturday versus the Rangers. The Caps last game versus the Rangers ended in a 6-5 decision for Washington in early February; also part of that winning streak. Washington is 2-1-0 versus New York this year, and that one loss came way back in October in a 4-3 loss at Verizon Center.

The Caps hit the ice yesterday with their full team back on the ice. They have 20 more games to play over the course of 40 nights. I don’t expect any big trades before the deadline, but you never know with George McPhee; the man has pulled rabbits out of hats before.

It’s good to be back, I’ll be sporting my Brooks Laich jersey tomorrow!

C! A! P! S! CAPS! CAPS! CAPS!

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!

Here’s a few things to start off with. Did you know that the Caps have scored four or more goals in all but two of their eleven games this month? The Caps faced down Detroit (who even though banged up is always a dangerous opponent), Pittsburgh, and Phoenix. The Caps scored 13 goals in those three games. They were also 38% on the power play scoring 5 PPG’s on 13 attempts. More impressive, the Caps were flawless on the power-play this week allowing no power-play goals. That’s 0-15 for the Caps’ opponents in the past three games.

The Caps outscored their opponents this week by a combined score of 13-7. These teams didn’t just lay over for the Caps, as the Caps’ goal-tenders faced an average of 38 shots per game. I don’t know what it is about the Caps’ bench, but both of their goal-tenders have had a taste of it here recently, and their game seems to have improved as a result. The Caps’ combined goaltending this week was 3-0-0 stopping 107 of 114 total shots with a .938 Save % and a 2.33 Goals-Against Average (GAA).

Jose Theodore has had the hot hand this month, but even so, he still managed to dig deep and come up with two impressive games, and a dozen highlight-reel stops versus Detroit and Pittsburgh. Michal Neuvirth seems to have finally shaken off the demons from his bad game in Tampa and put up an impressive win over Phoenix.

Ovechkin may have had a rare “pointless” game versus Detroit, but he shined where Caps fans wanted it most; versus Pittsburgh. Especially after Penguins’ pseudo-star Sidney Crosby got a garbage goal on a broken play to give the Eskimo-Chickens the lead, Alex responded with two goals and an assist. I personally would have loved seeing Ovechkin get the hat-trick because if you thought Sadly Crieslikababy was upset about the hats in Verizon Center in game two last year, he’d have been suicidal about hats raining down from his own rafters.

So, what are the Caps doing differently? Well, the Caps penalty kill stat gives us the first clue. The Caps have changed their mindset in the defensive-zone. The Caps used to play more of a collapsing umbrella style of defense which was focused more on taking away the shooting lanes and forcing attackers to the outside. Now the Caps have gone to more of a box-style of defense where they keep the goalies’ sight-lines clear and can play more aggressive on the outsides. In essence, they are taking away the passing lanes and trusting their net-minders to make the stops.

This allows the Caps to chase down the puck-carrier into the boards and pinch him in so that he has to shoot, or risk turning the puck over.

The Caps are also playing more aggressive in the attacking zone with a focus more on setting up plays than taking the quick shot and getting back to play D. They try to get the puck in deep, and then feed the puck back to their waiting defenders at the point. Now the defender can go point to point across the ice. Dump the puck back into the corners or activate themselves and charge the net. This system doesn’t rely on Alex Ovechkin to make the play every night, and instead has allowed a lot of Caps’ players to flourish; such as Eric Fehr.

Fehr had 15 goals in his first 113 games; he has had 14 in his last 36. Nicklas Backstrom has long been known as Ovechkin’s “set-up man” and has had consistently high numbers of assists; he is on pace to score 30 goals this season. Nearly half the Capitals’ bench has double digits in goals.

So, we now know how the Caps’ did this week, so where do they stand?

The Caps are:

1^st in the Southeast Division with 72 points; 19 points ahead of Florida in second place.

1^st in the Eastern Conference; 3 points ahead of New Jersey in second place.

3^rd in the League overall; 6 points behind San Jose in first, and 2 points behind Chicago.

1^st in average Goals per Game with 3.74; San Jose is second with 3.28.

1^st in Power Play Scoring % with 26.0; Montreal is second with 24.7.

1^st in win % when the opponent scores first (.579); New Jersey is second with .500

Coming Up:

The Caps are busy this week with four games. The first comes tonight as the Caps play their only away-game for the week in New York versus the Islanders. The come home tomorrow to face off against the Anaheim Ducks, and then they welcome two division rivals to Verizon Center as they take on the Florida Panthers on Friday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday.

If the Caps pull off a win tonight, it will be the third straight season the Caps have had a seven game win-streak. Prior to Boudreau’s arrival the Caps went 13 seasons without winning as many as seven games in a row.

Want to join other Caps’ fans for a “Road Viewing Party”? Then you’ll want to check out Glory Days Grill in Gainesville (7581 Somerset Crossing Drive, Gainesville, VA 20155) for the Official Caps Viewing Party. There will be giveaways, premium raffle items as well as food and drink specials. Tonight’s game versus the Islanders will be on as many as 6 big screens! Happy hour runs from 4-7pm leading up to the game and at 9pm there will be $5 Appetizers. You won’t want to miss Slapshot and your fellow Red-Rockers for this party! Who knows, you might even see me there!

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

Let’s Go Caps!

We have a lot of games to cover, so I’m going to dive right in. Our first starts with the 7-4 loss in Tampa; definitely not the way anyone wants to start their week.

Tuesday, January 12th, @ Tampa Bay – The Caps had won the past 12 meetings versus the Bolts as they came in to Tampa on this evening. The Tampa crowd was electric after the Lightning charged ahead and struck the Caps down in the first period, 4-1. Coach Boudreau changed the conductor in net, pulling Neuvirth and calling Theodore to the front. The Caps managed to tie it up in the second, but Tampa managed to zap Theodore for a goal, and still carried a 5-4 lead into the third. Tampa created a bit of friction in the final period, adding two more goals to their lead, and the static boiled over between Steve Downey and Alex Ovechkin. After several fighting majors were doled out in the third period, the Lightning would leave the Caps Thor (norse god of thunder for those who didn’t catch the reference) as they would go on to win by the final score of 7-4.

Grey Area – Immediately after Downey and Ovechkin left the penalty box for their roughing minors, Downey wanted to go for real, and tried to pick a fight with the Great Eight. If he wanted to dance, Alex was ready to oblige. Both players tossed their gloves, and Alex tossed his helmet, but before the two combatants could lock horns, Matt Bradley came to the defense of his Captain and rode Downey to the ice. Bradley was ejected from the game under the “third man in” rule. The refs made the correct call based on the letter of the rule, but not on the spirit of the rule. The rule prohibits another player from jumping into a fight, once two players are already engaged. The key word is engaged. Ovechkin and Downey had both tossed their gloves, so it could be argued that even though they were 10-feet apart, they were “engaged” in combat. The rule is designed so that one player doesn’t have to fight two at the same time. Alex skated away after Bradley jumped in, so it was a fair fight between two combatants, but the refs followed the letter of the law and ended Bradley’s night.

Wednesday, January 13th, @ Florida – It was beginning to feel like deja-vu for Caps fans as Washington fell behind 4-1 for the second time in as many nights. Most fans in Washington have learned that when it comes to the Caps, nothing is over. Roaring back with three goals in the third period, the Caps would carry the Panthers into the shoot-out. After both teams went scoreless for the first three rounds, Florida (who shot first) would put up the game’s first tally. The Caps matched them score for score over two rounds, when Theodore finally made a big stop, it was Thomas Fleischmann with the game literally on his stick that would deposit the game winner.

A cornucopia of interesting factoids – This game marked the first time the Caps had come back from a three goal deficit this year. Jason Chimera got his first Gordie Howe Hat-Trick (a goal, an assist, and a fight) as a Capital, Chimera’s goal was his 10th of the season and he has become the 11th Capital with double digit goals on the season, the Caps had played 18 of their last 27 on the road, of that 18, they played 16 different opponents.

Even with the Caps busy schedule, they still had time to visit with the kids of Bristow Run Elementary School

Friday, January 15th, vs Toronto – It took less than a minute for Alex Ovechkin to unpack the bags for Washington and set out the game’s first goal. Even though the Caps had just come off a three game road trip, and had played their last game two nights ago, they seemed energized to be home. The Caps would skate all over the Leafs and finally looked like the power-house team that they are, winning6-1.

And more interesting factoids – The Great Eight’s goal in the first period marked the eighth time this season that the Capitals had scored on their first shot on goal. Mike Knuble’s two goals were his third multiple goal game of the season, it was also the 34th time that a Capitals’ player has scored two goals in a game this season. No Caps player has earned a hat-trick (shoot-out goals do not count towards a hat-trick). The Capitals majority owner Ted Leonsis extended an invitation to “Capstronaut” (a fan that has been showing up to games in an astronaut costume) through his blog to join him in the owners box; “Capstronaut” appeared in the owner’s box during the game. I personally found it a very cool move on Leonsis’ part.

Sunday, January 17th vs Philadelphia – This was the game Caps fans had been waiting for. The true litmus test for Washington who had faced Tampa, Florida, and Toronto. Those were games the Caps were supposed to win (even though they lost one). Philly was going to be the real challenge. In the first period, Philly and Washington exchanged goals twice and it was 2-2 after 1. Both teams battened down the hatches in the second period, but not before Alex Semin beat Ray Embry making it 3-2 after 2. In the third, Philly was given an early power-play opportunity to tie things up, but instead Brooks Laich stole a drop pass and ran it in for the shorthanded score. Later in the period, Ovechkin would get his first penalty shot goal of his career (he is now 1 for 6). Philly’s last goal came on a late power-play 6-4, but it would be too little too late, the Caps would win 5-3.

And still more interesting factoids – Brooks Laich had his first three point night since October of last year, and scored his first shorty in four straight seasons. Ovechkin registered his 2,000th career shot 4.5 years into the league, no other player in NHL history has registered 2,000 shots in less than six years. The Caps had never won a Sunday game, and it was the first time this season they had won an afternoon meeting. The Caps’ last penalty shot goal was October 13th, 2008 (Nylander vs. Vancouver).

It doesn’t get any easier for the Caps this week as they face Detroit, Pittsburgh, and the surprisingly good Phoenix Coyotes. Hopefully the Caps can give me a big win for my birthday tomorrow versus Detroit.

Hold on tight fans, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

Let’s Go Caps!

The team’s obviously been working on their passing, and shooting accuracy, but more importantly, they are starting to trust each other again. We aren’t seeing as many occasions where guys are bumping into each other, or passing the puck to vacant spaces. They have their confidence back. Lets get to the recap.

Tuesday, January 5^th 2010, vs. Montreal – After losing the past three straight, the Caps bounced back with a much needed win in front of the Verizon faithful. The Caps came out pretty tentative and skated to a 0-0 tie with the Canadiens at the end of the first period. It would be Thomas Flieschmann who would get the first goal of the game in the second. Later in the second, if you got up for a bathroom break at the wrong time, you might have left a 1-0 game only to return and find that the Caps were up 3-1. There were three goals scored in a little over two minutes (one for Montreal, and two for the Caps). Montreal would narrow the Caps lead to 1 with a goal in the third, but it was Alex Semin with his second goal of the night that would give the Caps the insurance marker and a much needed victory on home ice 4-2.

One streak still continues – Washington’s three game losing skid ended many of the Caps’ scoring streaks, but the Caps have yet to lose three straight games in regulation under Coach Bruce Boudreau in his 185 games as the bench boss.

Like buttah – Thomas Flieschmann played his first game as a center for the Washington Capitals. How’d it go? One goal, two assists, a +2 rating and he was 67% on face-offs.

Thursday, January 7^th, 2010 vs. Ottawa – Jose Theodore was let out of the dog-house Thursday night to face a team with one of the worst road records in the NHL. The Caps are often known for “playing down” to their opponents, but on this night they took the lead early and ran with it. After scoring two goals in the first period, the Caps lead looked a little shaky late in the second as Ottawa closed to within a goal to end the second period. It was Nicklas Backstrom who not only got the Caps their two-goal lead back, but also gave them a three point advantage in the third period. Ovechkin would score one late in the third to make it a four goal lead, but Ottawa would get one more in the waning seconds of the third and the Caps would hold on for a 5-2 win.

I’ll have what he’s having – Nicklas Backstrom has been a regular set up man for Alex Ovechkin and has tallied over 50 assists in both of his first two years. He seems to be on track to not only make it a three-peat, but at his current rate, he may score more than 30 goals this season!

Off the chain – Caps’ netminder Jose Theodore has been stewing on the bench, unhappy to see his job go to AHL Call-Up Michal Neuvirth. This game was not only a brief rest for Nuevirth, but a show of confidence for Theodore who had not beaten the Senators since October 19^th, 2006. Granted, the Sens have a horrific road record, and Theodore doesn’t see them very often (even though it’s been years since he last beat them, he’d only lost to them twice during that time), still, when the coach throws you a bone, you take it a run, right?

Saturday, January 9^th, 2009 at Atlanta – Atlanta was coming into this game after only just recently snapping a nine-game losing streak. The Caps were flying high after a 5-2 victory over Ottawa. The two previous meetings between these teams were decided by a single goal, and the mix seemed just about right for this to be just as close. I figured the Caps would win, and told a friend of mine I predicted a 4-3 OT win. I was forced to rethink that prediction when it was 4-0 less than five minutes into the second period. I won’t get too much into the uglier details for Atlanta fans, but the Caps would score four goals on two different goaltenders, and roll to an easy 8-1 win.

Maybe Atlanta’s coach needs to switch to Pepto – Atlanta was certainly feeling some heartburn finding themselves down 4-0 less than halfway through the game. It may be possible that he was asking for “Prilosec” instead of “Pavelec”, but in any case, the goalies were switched, and the scoring continued.

Be careful what you wish for – Bruce Boudreau turned 55 Saturday night. It would seem that several Caps’ players had the same idea on what to get him for his birthday!

I’m out of time this week, so I’ve got to cut the recap a little short. I’m glad to see the Caps’ have turned things around, and just in time too, as they face a string of divisional opponents! They seem to have righted the ship, now it’s just a matter of staying the course!

Go 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!

1)      The NHL needs to reconsider it’s stance on Ovechkin – Due to mounting pressure from the 29 other teams in the league looking for a way to “restrain him” the league has painted crosshairs on Alex Ovechkin. Any little thing he does is going to be subject to penalization and suspension. The knee-on-knee hit was not a “dirty play” as much as some would like to say it is. Alex went in for the hit up high, the defender swung inside on Alex who had planted himself to make the hit, and their knees collided; Ovechkin got the worst of it. The Game-Misconduct was unnecessary as there was no way he was coming back into the game anyway, and it triggered an automatic “two-game” suspension.

Ovechkin isn’t just a local favorite, he is a superstar. Even people who aren’t fans of the Capitals are sometimes fans of Ovechkin. They love to see him play. He scores goals, he makes hits and he celebrates after each goal as if it were his first. He plays with a passion seldom seen in the NHL.

Penalizing Ovechkin, and suspending him from games isn’t going to “level the playing field” for other teams. As a matter of fact, the Caps scored 14 goals in two games all without the services of one Alex Ovechkin.

Like it or not, the two-time reigning MVP is the current face of the NHL, and their overly harsh treatment of him is only the league trying to cut it’s nose off to spite their face. The league should not want to give their best player a bad reputation by making him seem like a “trouble-maker.” I’m not saying they should give him carte-blanche to do whatever he pleases, but they should think very carefully about how they have instructed the refs to look at him. Last night Ovechkin was penalized for “Unsportsmanlike Conduct-Diving” when it was clear to anybody who saw it that Ovechkin wasn’t “throwing himself to the ice” in an attempt to draw a penalty, he had his skate kicked out from under-him.

They penalized the other player for tripping, so how can they also penalize Ovechkin for “diving” if they saw that he was tripped?

This is a classic example of the league’s “show of force” so that the coaches from the other 29 teams around the league can’t accuse the league of giving him “special treatment.” Sure, it may quell some of the angry letters submitted by the “sour-grapes” coaches, but at the same time the league is painting their best player as a villain for the general public.

The league should find a way to reconcile this, and lay off Ovechkin. If he is getting the “superstar treatment” it would be hard to argue that he doesn’t deserve it.

2)      How about that Semyon Varlamov, huh? – There is something special about this kid, and I think the Caps are starting to see that they have their lockdown net-minder in their midst. Varlamov has posted two shutouts in his last four games and, dating back to the playoffs, has four shutouts in his last 28 games. He is 7-0-2 with a 1.53 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage in his last nine appearances and has been one of the three stars in four of his last six games. The 21-year old has won 10 of his 14 starts this season and is now 12-1-2 on the year with a 2.21 GAA and a .924 save percentage. Varlamov’s 12-1-2 record gives him the best points-percentage in the NHL and makes him 16-1-3 in his career. Not bad for a kid only in his second year!

3)      Living Out of a Suitcase – Did you realize that the Caps have played eight of their last twelve games on the road? They aren’t done yet; by the time they wrap up their game against Montreal on December 19^th, they will have played 12 out of their 17 games (dating back to November 14^th) on the road, and played 17 games in 36 days. That is basically a game every other day for over a month, with 70% of them being on the road.

4) A Quick Recap – Now you know I couldn’t resist this, and while it is not my traditional recap of each of the Capitals opponents for last week, I feel it necessary to see where we are in the standings. Even after last night’s blanking at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres.

The Caps are:

19-6-6 with 44 points

1^st in the Southeast Division – 11 points ahead of Atlanta (15-10-3)

1^st in the Eastern Conference – 1 point ahead of New Jersey (21-7-1)

1^st overall in the League – One game up and tied with San Jose (19-7-6)

1^st in Goals Per Game – Averaging 3.48 goals scored per game.

1^st in Power-Play Percentage – Scoring on 24.2% of time when they have the man-advantage.

1^st in Win Percentage when trailing After the 1^st Period – They bounce back and win 62.5% of the time.

Undefeated in the Southeast Division

The Caps have two more games this week; at home versus Carolina tomorrow, and then the turn around and head out to Toronto for a rematch versus the Maple Leafs on Saturday.

Washington was just in Carolina November 30^th and came away with a 3-2 win in a game that wasn’t as close as the score implies. Carolina scored their first goal in the first five minutes of the game, and scored their last goal with around 0:16 seconds left in regulation. Between those two times the game was all Washington.

When Washington last visited Toronto, they lost 2-1 in a game that required a shootout. Similarly, the Caps played a game at home the night before their last game versus Toronto. In that two game series the Caps lost on both Friday (to Montreal 3-2 in regulation) and Saturday so Caps fans are hoping history doesn’t repeat itself here.

I’ll be back Monday with more, but in the meantime…

LET’S GO CAPS!!!

A friend of mine lives in Tampa and has season tickets to St. Pete-Times Forum, but since I’ve got work stuff I’ve gotta do, I won’t be able to make it. How frustrating is that? I would’ve rocked the red on the road!

Last week was a good week for the Caps as they went 2-0-1 versus their three opponents. The most frustrating was last Monday when they gave up a two goal lead and lost in OT. They bounced back with a shutout over Buffalo, but history started to look like it was going to repeat itself Saturday night when the Caps gave up another two goal lead and looked like they just might lose in regulation.

With nearly a third of their starting roster out due to injury, the Caps have not played as tough as they might usually, but they are playing well enough to win games. Let’s get to the recap, and we’ll see if the Caps’ standings have improved.

Monday, November 23^rd @ Ottawa – The Senators got on the scoreboard first, but three unanswered Caps’ goals later, the Caps were carrying a two goal lead into the third period; ahead 3-1. This would be the 24^th time in 24 games that the Caps have had the lead in the second period. Ottawa would go on to tie the game up with two goals in the third period, and the Caps would ultimately fall to the Senators 4-3 when Mike Fisher tapped in the game winner 1:14 seconds into the extra time.

Nothing is Over – The Caps have carried a lead in the second period or later in every game they’ve played. They had only won 13 of those 24 games to this point. They were 6-4-4 when leading after the first period, and 8-0-2 when leading after two. They were 1-4 in games that were decided in overtime, and 2-2 in games requiring a shootout.

The Regal (Jay) Beagle – Knocking on Ottawa’s door, Jay Beagle took a step that was new when he scored his first ever NHL goal. He joins Mathieu Perreault as Caps players’ scoring their first ever NHL goals this season. At the rate the Caps are calling up players from Hershey, it won’t be long until three’s company. You’re going to be cussin’ me later when you’re walking around with that theme song stuck in your head; sorry ‘bout that.

Wednesday, November 25^th vs. Buffalo – Y’know, I don’t mind when the refs keep their whistles in their pockets. Not everything has to be called. The occasional hook, or hold, or accidental trip here and there that doesn’t change the result of the play should be ignored. I do take exception when the two teams are evenly matched in a game that is 1-0 when the refs throw out a 5 minute major and a 10-minute game misconduct ejecting the league MVP for a play that didn’t even result in an injury time-out. The Great Eight was tossed from the game for what at most should have been a two-minute minor penalty as he laid a hit into Buffalo’s Patrick Kaleta. Buffalo was given five minutes with an extra attacker in the third period, but the Caps’ penalty killers would save the day, and it would be Eric Fehr who would put the game out of reach as the Caps’ blanked Buffalo 2-0.

How Gracious of You – The NHL did not admit that the refs’ ruling on Ovechkin may have been a little harsh considering the infraction. Ordinarily a Game Misconduct ejection in the third period results in an automatic one-game suspension. The league opted to hold off on the suspension as long as Ovechkin doesn’t receive another Game Misconduct penalty in the next 42 games. If he does, the suspension will be automatic.

Famous or Infamous? – Ovechkin is now the only player in the league to lead his team both in goals-scored and Penalties-in-Minutes. Over half of Ovechkin’s PiM’s total came from this game.

Saturday, Noveber 28^th @ Montreal – The Caps jumped out to yet another 2-goal lead in the first period, stunning the hometown crowd on Montreal. The crowd wouldn’t stay quiet for long as their hometown heroes stormed back to tie the game in the second, and took the lead in the third. As the crowd began singing “oh-way oh wayoh wayoh way” the Caps’ snuck back in and tied it up when Eric Fehr ripped in a power-play goal with 0:12 seconds left in regulation. It would be Nicklas Backstrom scoring the only goal in the shoot-out on the last shot of the third round that would finally allow the Caps to leave with a win, 4-3.

As close as it gets – Pulling a goal tender is a risky, last-ditch effort by teams when they need that one last goal to tie up a game. With the Caps skating six-on-five, they had to keep the pressure on, and be careful not to turn the puck over with their net empty. The tripping penalty called on the Canadiens, with 0:16 left in regulation, actually helps Montreal in that situation. Sure, they are now skating short-handed six-on-four, but now they can take pot-shots at the empty net without getting an icing call. Thankfully, Eric Fehr only needed about four seconds to score the equalizer.

An eyebrow raising stat – If I told you that only two players were responsible for all of the Caps’ five goals in the past two games (shoot-out goals don’t count) you would correctly guess Alex Ovechkin was one of those two players. You’d probably be surprised not only to hear that the other player was Eric Fehr, but that he scored three of the five goals (Alex had the other two).

So where do we stand?

The Caps received five of a possible six points last week and are now 15-5-6 with 36 total points.

They are:

1^st in the Southeast Division – 7-points ahead of the Atlanta Thrashers in second who have snuck ahead of Tampa Bay (now at third) by 1-point

1^st in the Eastern Conference – Tied with Pittsburgh who also has 36 points, but has played one more game than the Caps. Note: Pittsburgh has not lost an overtime game this season and are 18-9-0

2^nd in the League Overall – Now only 4-points behind San Jose, tied with Pittsburgh for second, and 1-point ahead of New Jersey and Chicago, both tied for fourth.

Coming Up: The Caps will see a lot of I-95 this week as they start off in the south tonight facing Carolina, come home to face Florida on Thursday, and finish their week off in Philadelphia on Saturday.

The Caps are currently undefeated against divisional foes (4-0-0), and they face two more this week with Carolina and Florida. Carolina is dead last in the division with a 5-16-5 record (can you say trap game?), while Florida is second to last but still in the mix with a 10-11-4 record. Philly is third in their division, and this game could go either way. Philly beat Washington way back in early October 6-5 in OT, but the Caps came back and beat them later in that month 4-2 in regulation.

Here’s hoping they don’t fall asleep on Carolina tonight, and have a blowout win!

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

Yeah, you would expect a drop-off in production, but the Caps seem to play pretty good in the absence of Alex Ovechkin. They won four out of the six games he missed. He returned this week and they have lost two out of the three games he played in since his return.

Now this isn’t an indictment against Ovie; He scored a goal in two of those three games. His teammates however have not played as well since his return.

My thought process is that these guys knew they were going to have to “carry the load” without Ovechkin, but now that he’s back, “we can relax a little bit.”

I think there may be a mindset among players that when their superstar returns, things are going to be easy. They won’t have to try as hard because they got the league MVP back. This past week seems to illustrate my point. The Rangers game last Tuesday was the toughest game on the Caps schedule last week. They were in New York, and the Rangers always play tough versus the Caps. They went into MSG and beat the Rangers.

This weekend however, they were at home versus a struggling Canadiens team, and then on the road versus a Leafs team that had only won three other games this season. The Caps lost to both.

Now I know they have enough players injured that it accounts for roughly a third of their bench roster, but c’mon, our back-ups aren’t exactly chopped liver. They can play well; they just didn’t.

I’m hoping that losing to the Leafs is a wake-up call to those who thought they could come out and just “go through the motions” and leave it up to Ovechkin to win it for them.

And with that, let’s get to some recapping.

Tuesday, November 17^th, @ New York Rangers – With the Caps down 1-0 to New York, it was Matt Bradley who gave the team the spark it was looking for when he took on Aaron Voros of New York (see the fight here at Hockeyfights.com – http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/88826). It was a rare fight for the Capitals since they jettisoned Donald Brashear in the offseason and it was certainly one of their bloodiest of the season. Many can argue whether Bradley “won” the fight, but it was Bradley’s goal late in the third period that was the game-winner as the Caps rolled past New York 4-2.

“Ouch” just doesn’t do it justice – Quintin Laing is known to give up his body for the shot-block, but when he dropped to block a shot from Michal Roszival, he managed to catch the puck with the left side of his face. The full force of Roszival’s slapshot broke Laing’s jaw and he will miss several weeks while he drinks his meals through a straw.

Hardhat Honors – After each game, the players give a red hardhat to the player who they felt worked the hardest in the game. This night the Caps had to choose between Laing who broke his jaw blocking a shot, and Bradley who though bloodied by a fight and stitched up scored the game-winning goal. The Caps elected Brads, and he deferred to Laing.

Friday, November 20^th, vs. Montreal Canadiens – I’m still scratching my head about why Coach Boudreau elected to rest goal-tender Semyon Varlamov for this game. I might understand if he was putting in Jose Theodore, but Theo was gone with a family emergency and the Caps had just called up Michal Neuvirth to replace him. Neuvirth got the start. Now I’m not pinning this loss solely on Neuvirth, because the Caps in general played like they really didn’t respect the Canandiens. There was no sense of urgency as they let the game slip away. By the time the Caps did start skating like the game was on the line, they were down 3-1 late in the third. They lost 3-2.

Introducing; John Carlson – With their first pick of the 2008 NHL entry draft, the Washington Capitals selected defenseman John Carlson. With his proud mom in attendance Carlson did not play like a baby-faced rookie but like an NHL vet, even ringing a shot off the post. Don’t worry, Mom, he’ll get his first NHL goal soon enough.

Saturday, November 21^st, @ Toronto Maple Leafs – Now ordinarily, I include stats and fun facts after a recap of each game. Not this time. The Caps played miserably MISERABLY against this Leafs team. They didn’t skate, and to make up for it, they didn’t pass well either. It seemed like nearly every pass was either too far ahead, or just behind the player they were aiming for. These either lead to turnovers in the neutral zone, or would throw the players offsides. Were it not for the inspired play of Semyon Varlamov, the Caps would have lost this game early in regulation. They carried a 1-1 tie into the shootout, and failed to register a single goal. It was the worst performance I’ve seen from the Caps in as long as I can remember. Caps lose 2-1 in the shootout.

Where are we? – The Caps gained three out of a possible six points last week. They are:

13-5-5 (31 points)

1st in Southeast Division – Caps 31 points, Tampa Bay is 2^nd with 25

1st in Eastern Conference – Caps 31 points, Pittsburgh is 2^nd with 30

3rd in the League Overall – San Jose is first with 36, followed by Chicago with 32, Caps with 31 and Pittsburgh with 30

Coming Up – The Caps continue their tour of the Northeast division starting tonight as they stay in Canada and face the Ottawa Senators (11-6-3, 15^th in the league). They come home Wednesday to face Buffalo (12-6-2, 11^th in the league), and return to Canada on Saturday for a rematch versus Montreal (11-11-1, 22^nd in the league).

The Caps need to wake up and play a better game tonight or it’s going to be a long flight home with a very unhappy Coach Boudreau…

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