Capitals 5, Tampa Bay 3

I know this was a win, but other than a lucky bounce for Pothier what did the Caps do 5 on 5?  3 power play goals is great and an empty netter to seal it was also great, but the Caps did not generate offense in the second or third periods.  I was very happy to see Brian Pothier score his first goal since December 2007 though.  What a story this is!  I was a little disappointed he did not get a standing ovation, although he got a semi-standing ovation and I know why.  Everyone in the building that wasn’t standing doesn’t even know that Pothier has been struggling with post-concusssion syndrome for the past 15 months.  They don’t even know who he is most likely.  At any rate, I thought it was great and I am glad that he is back.

The Caps are going to lose in the first round of the playoffs because they don’t clear the puck or play defense or score 5 on 5.  I highly doubt someone is going to give them 9 power plays in a playoff game when their power play is as good as it is.  Give me a break.  The Caps had better find a way to win a lot of 3-2 and 2-1 games because that is how you get it done.  We’ll see.

Thoughts?

Avalanche 4, Capitals 1

I don’t know what the problem is with the Capitals versus the Western Conference teams, but the Caps are going to get crushed in the Stanley Cup finals if they don’t do something about this.  Of course, they have to get there first.  The Caps were outplayed in this game in most every aspect.  The Caps need to find a way to score when Ovie does not have a good game.

The Avalanche scored a couple of nice goals, but Brashear didn’t do anything on one play other than stand there which allowed the third goal.  That forced the Caps defense to have to pinch and it eventually led to a breakaway for the fourth goal.  It didn’t help that the Caps missed at least two wide open nets (I still can’t believe Kronwall’s shot didn’t go in) which may have changed the complexion of the game.  Kronwall also led Smyth whack at the puck 4 times before finally hitting him.  Oh yeah, but the puck was in the net by then.  I hope Erskine is over the flu by tomorrow.  At any rate, the Caps did not get on the PP be/c they were never in the Avalanche’s zone and consequently were always killing penalties be/c the puck was in their end.  I thought Theo played well despite giving up the four goals.

The Avalanche clogged the neutral zone and did not allow the Caps to enter the zone with any speed.  So what did the Caps do?  They tried to skate the puck through the neutral zone anyway.  This method of defending the Caps has worked well this season and it won’t be long before everyone is doing it.  The Caps need to learn to dump and chase and then score or else they will be going home after the first round of the playoffs.  Philly and New Jersey will play this style of defense, especially when they see how well it works.  The Caps need to adjust their offense better.  Boudreau mixed up the lines, but that won’t help if the style of play is not changed as well.  I hope the Caps realize this very soon.

Thoughts?

Capitals 3, Panthers 1

Wow!  A good win against a division opponent.  Very cool.  The Capital’s PK has been under a lot of duress in the press lately and rightfully so.  They have given up a PP goal in 13 straight games, I believe?  Until last night!  Morrison was called for a 5 minute major for boarding Cory Stillman with 5 minutes left in the game.  I think the call was a good one, but a major?  No way.  Stillman was so hurt he immediately went out for the faceoff.  Give me a break.  Whatever.  At any rate, this put the Caps in a 5 on3 situation for a little over a minute before getting Feds out of the box.  The Caps not only killed the 5 on 3, but they did NOT give up a shot in doing it!  Moreover, the Caps killed the remaining 4 minutes of PP time by only allowing 2 shots on net and Green scored an empty net goal!  It was an exciting finish to the game and the Verizon Center crowd was loving it.  Despite this excellent effort however, the Caps still need to clear the puck on the PK.  Throughout the game this was a definite problem.  Still, the Caps got it done at home.  Very cool.

Did anyone hear the different announcer in the arena last night?  I want the old guy back.  There is nothing like him going, “Capitals Full Strength” when the kill a penalty.  Cool!  I wonder if he was sick or something?  We’ll see.

I am really liking the development of Eric Fehr over the past 5 games or so.  He scored a nice goal last night early in the game and his line was the best all night.  I have been on Fehr a lot in this blog and I am glad to say some positive things about him lately.  Very cool Mr. Fehr!  Keep it up!

Thoughts?

Capitals 4, Red Wings 2

Wow!  What a great win!  The Caps really stepped up in the third and beat a good Detroit team.  Can this be a harbinger of the future?  Let’s be cautious folks.  Boudreau switched up the lines for this game and Poti played in his first game after missing 15.  Couldn’t you tell the difference, especially on the PK?  This was the first time the Caps had their regular lineup in place since November 6th.  Wow!  That is a lot of injuries.  Yet, the Caps are winning and are in control of their division and beating the top teams in the East.  Good news.

Let’s discuss Semin.  Yet again, he took a stupid penalty after doing something stupid and the puck ended up in the Caps net.  Boudreau moved Semin down to the third line in the third period as a result.  I think he should have been moved all the way to Moscow.  Go back to my posts from October and November and you will see me discuss Semin’s penalties at that time.  However, I stated that people would overlook it at the time because he was scoring a thousand points a night.  Now, the points are gone and the penalties have become glaring.  Someone needs to take Semin aside and explain to him that he must play defense and play defense by moving his feet!  His defense on the first goal was absolutely sad.  I really hate Semin right now.

I though Laich, Fehr, and Kozlov played well in this game.  How good did Fehr look with Backstrom as his center?  He had five shots and could’ve scored two goals very easily.  Hint, hint.

Thoughts?

Bruins 3, Capitals 2

It is really disappointing to have such a good game end in such a terrible way.  The Caps controlled the shots against the Bruins as they ended with a 36-28 advantage and they carried the play throughout the game.  If Thomas wasn’t great for Boston this would have been 10-2.  Whatever.  Ovie’s stupid pass through the middle allowed Thornton to score for Boston despite a good effort from Theo.  Still, a bad play.  Green is guilty of this a lot as well.  You must go up the sides people!

The Caps and Bruins were physical in this one as well which made it even more exciting.  I read the Caps were outhit 31-21, but it seemed like the Caps stood up for themselves.  I am thinking that since the Caps were in the Bruins’ zone most of the night it allowed them to hit more.  Still, my main concern right now is the PK.  The Caps cannot go into the playoffs with a PK south of 80%.  When the Caps went to the Cup in ‘98 their PK was above 90%.  That is insanely high, but it allowed the defense to play aggressively.  Right now, the Caps cannot take stupid penalties because they lose games as a result.  I stupid hooking call on Backstrom lost this game.  Enough said?

I am encourage by Theo’s continued good play.  Hopefully, this is the Montreal goalie we knew and the Theo of October and November is gone.  Chara’s hit on Ovie was clean and fair.  As much as it upset me to see Ovie laying there I couldn’t fault Chara.  It looked like Ovie just caught a toe in the ice and his speed left him vulnerable.  That is good, hard hockey.  It wasn’t dirty.

Semin sucks.

Thoughts?

Capitals 2, Islanders 1

Another exciting game for the Caps as they beat the Islanders in overtime.  This was one of those games where the Caps couldn’t score and you were just waiting for the Islanders to win it at the end.  However, a very weak call in OT allowed the Caps to go on the PP and win it thanks to a great pass from Semin to Ovie.  Of course, the Caps may not have even been in that situation were it not for two bad penalties putting the Caps in a 5-3 PK.  They gave up one goal, but not a second which was fortunate. 

The Caps outshot the Islanders 38-28 and won the faceoff circle war as well, 33-25.  The Caps carried the play once again.  Clark was back in the lineup with Steckel and Fehr being healthy scratches.  Clark and Flash have been quiet lately.  I don’t see either doing much.  In Flash’s case, he had a couple good shots, but has not scored a point.  Clark has done nothing as far as I can tell.  He needs to be in there scrapping.  I thought Brooks Laich played very well and has been lately.  He has not scored a goal though, but he is streaky.  He has gone two games in a row now with an assist.  Keep hustling Brooksie!

The Caps are off to Ottawa for a game tomorrow night.  The could head into the All-Star game with 65 points with a win.  Is anyone scared the Caps may win the division too soon?????

Thoughts?

Capitals 2, Bruins 1

Wow!  Very cool game.  Jurcina made a super defensive play (which he wouldn’t have needed to make had he not made an errant pass to Schultz, but whatever, it turned into a goal) and poke checked Boston’s St. Pierre.  They puck ended up on Semin’s stick and he beat two Bruins down the right side and ripped a slap shot over Thomas’ shoulder.  I don’t think Thomas expected the shot to be that fast.  It was by him before he even reacted.  Very cool!

The other Capitals goal, scored by Greenie, was a picture perfect backside pinch.  Boston was focused on the puck and not who was rotating.  Nylander, in his fashion, made a perfect pass and Green roofed it to tie the game.  The goal was scored about 2 minutes after the Boston goal and effectively put the momentum back in the Capital’s end.  Nice power play guys!

Theo was so lazy on the Boston goal.  He didn’t even try to recover to the other side of the net until it was way too late.  I have seen him do this two or three times and get burned.  It was a bit ironic for me because earlier in the game Theo really jumped into position to make the save.  I thought to myself that Theo was up for the game.  Whatever.  He only gave up the one goal and I will take that all day long.

The Caps won the faceoff circle war after losing the first 10 faceoffs.  Erskine was great in the Caps zone with three hits and clearing the front of the net.  The penalty he took was ill-timed, but the PK bailed him out.  Overall, the Caps carried the play all night.  They still need to go to Beantown two times, but they won both games in Washington.  A very good win!

Thoughts?

Capitals 6, Penguins 3

How cool was this?  I LOVE beating Pittsburgh!  I love watching Crosby and Malkin get beat up, get hurt, and lose!  Very cool.  I really hope everyone heard Ovie yelling after his second goal.  The crowd went dead silent and you could hear Ovie screaming on the ice.  I was laughing.  Ovie is so determined to lead this team to a win every night and that is why he is awesome!  Ending a three game losing streak with a win in Pittsburgh is great for the Caps.  It didn’t look good at first, but the Caps really came on in the second and third periods.

The “skirmish” prior to the third period was the result of Crosby yelling at Ovie about a cheap shot he gave him.  I didn’t see Ovie do anything cheap, but Crosby is a baby anyway.  Maybe if he whined less and played more the Penguins would be in the playoff hunt.  There is too much talent on that team to not make the playoffs.  I am sure they will be there.  A Caps/Penguins series would be incredible to see.

Semin’s goal on the pass from Federov was incredible.  A fantastic play.  Flash played very well also as he scored on the power play on a rebound off Ovie’s shot.  Kozlov had a nice goal on a fantastic pass from Backstrom.  Even Schultz got in on the action with an empty net goal to seal the deal.  Hopefully, this is the Capital team that will play Boston on Saturday.  The Caps play Boston twice in the next four games and are currently 11 points behind.  If they lose both games then catching the Bruins could be very difficult.  I personally will be happy with a #3 seed, however the Caps are thinking big.  Nothing wrong with that, I guess, as long as they don’t lose focus on the present.

Thoughts?

Oilers 5, Capitals 2

Well, the Caps continue to lower their level of play against inferior teams in order to be obliging and give away points.  I can imagine it in the locker room before the game.  Clark or Ovie stands up and says, “Hey Guys.  We play Edmonton tonight and they are terrible and they just flew across the country and their best player is hurt and their goaltending is suspect and we should win this game……oh, I don’t know….at least 4-1.  However, we are going to TRICK everyone and just suck up the ice all night.  What do ya say?”  Add a Russian accent if it’s Ovie talking.  Give me a break already.  Granted the defense has been playing with call-ups most of the season, but it gets to the point where the defense needs to stand up and bang people off the puck.  Theo needs to PAY ATTENTION!  How many times do you hear, “I don’t think Theo even saw that one.”  Again, give me a break.  Theo is brilliant for 5 minutes and is terrible the next 5 minutes.  Theo!  We need consistency!  Hello!

The PP looks terrible and has for a couple of games.  The Caps want to score goals and no one wants to do the work to create chances.  Boudreau used the term “mucking” which is the appropriate.  No one moves or cycles.  I hope this is addressed very quickly.  I suspect it will be.  Boudreau is an intelligent man.  The Caps play has been lazy and uninspired.  No one is backchecking like they should.  This needs to be changed?

Wasn’t it nice to see Erskine back and banging bodies?  Three hits on his first shift!  Tell me he wasn’t feeling it!!!!!  Well done Mr. Erskine.  It is nice to have you back.

Thoughts?

Canadiens 5, Capitals 4

Jurcina wants to get out of Montreal as soon as possible, I imagine.  A flip of the puck over the glass showed less than stellar intelligence, but not checking Kostitsyn after losing the puck in his legs cost the Caps the game.  He made a mistake and unfortunately it led to a goal that cost the Caps a point (at least).  However, Collins didn’t play well either.  Get the puck deep Sean!  Please!  Green continues to be a poor passer out of the zone.  Unreal.  On the positive side for Jurcina, his good play along the boards led directly to Semin’s breakaway and second goal of the game.  Very cool.

Jurcina wasn’t the only Capital who played poorly.  Backstrom and Sloan took two very bad penalties and the Habs put two goals in the net in 43 seconds.  Suddenly, the momemtum shifted.  Nylander, Brads, and Flash quickly responded with a goal but that momentum was short lived.  Finally, Semin, Backstrom, and Ovie need to learn to dump and chase and pass to each other versus all this one on one skating they do.  It has accomplished nothing in the past two games and certainly hasn’t led to goals.  I guess my screaming at the TV isn’t getting it done.  PASS THE PUCK!

The Montreal announcers were saying last night that the voting should be done by the fans since the game is for the fans.  I guess that is real convenient thinking when Montreal has four starters of which none should be in starting roles.  What the announcers should have said was the game is for the fans “in Montreal.”  That is the correct statement.  They even went so far as to say that “Washington fans don’t know where NHL.com is.”  Nice.  Let’s just say that was rude and leave it at that.  I obviously do not concur with their sentiment.  Montreal is a hockey hotbed and Phoenix, Dallas, Washington, Raleigh, Miami, etc. are not.  Yet, all these teams have All-Star talent.  Every team should be represented.  So, yes Montreal, the voting needs to be changed.

Finally, the Caps are 8-2-2 against the teams that would be in the playoffs (Boston, Rangers, Devils, Buffalo, Carolina, Montreal, and Philly) if they started today.  So, despite their weak division, the Caps are not “getting fat” on points from Atlanta and Florida.  This is good news for the Caps.  The Caps definitely play to the level of their opponents.  This needs to be fixed.

Thoughts?

Sergei at the Blueline?

When the Caps brought Sergei over at the trade deadline last year I knew this was going to happen (or at least be tried) eventually.  Sergei is playing defenseman for the remainder of the preseason and “seeing what he can do.”  I guess my initial concern is by playing him as a defenseman the Capitals will be losing his faceoff talents.  This was something he did very well last year and during the playoffs.  Winning faceoffs allows puck control.  In my opinion, Adam Oates and the #1 penalty kill allowed the Caps to make its Stanley Cup run in 1998.  I would like to have that again.

I am also concerned his 38 year old legs won’t be fast enough to stop the rush when the Caps don’t forecheck well.  Let’s face it, Sergei is not a banger (a la Erskine).  How many goals were given up last year by wide open guys right in front of Ollie/Huet?  A LOT!  Somebody needs to be back there bangin’ and I don’t see Sergei as that man. 

I would rather see him as the third line center defending the other team’s #1 line that way we keep his skating and faceoff ability in our zone.  We also keep a better defense.  Offense sells tickets.  Defense wins championships.  I would personally prefer watching a season of 2-1 hockey games and hoisting  Lord Stanley’s Cup than the Pengiuns style of play.  Is any lead they have safe?

Thoughts?

Good Lord….Another Crappy Start

I don’t even want to discuss this.  The Caps bring in Theodore and then have to pull him.  Did the stupid Caps not realize it was opening night.  What the hell?  Anyway, here is a summary from the Caps’ home page.  I don’t even want to write about it.  Idiots.

Capitals 4, Blackhawks 2!!!

This was a very well played game after the first 10 minutes or so.  Jose gave up two REALLY soft goals, both of which were from a very bad angles through his legs.  For Pete’s sake, he did not look confident and his heavy sigh at the end of the game seemed to prove his ambivalence.  He did play very well in the second and third periods making a great save diving across the goal mouth.

Brashear is so underrated.  He forced two turnovers in the first period which the second led to Bradley’s goal.   A very nice play.  Brashear is not just a bruiser.  He is a good skater and passer as well.  I will take that all day long.  And how cool is it to see Ovie score two goals.?  He is so happy when he puts it in.  I just laugh.  He is the franchise.  Laich as usual earned my respect.  He does all the grunt work, like Bradley does, and gets so little recognition.  He took two shots from his backside (in front of the net) and put in that third goal.  Very cool.  Understandably, he got the hard hat award from Clarkie after the game.  Well deserved, Mr. Laich!

I wasn’t very happy with Nylander being on the third line last night.  Federov is a better defender. He was also 9 of 10 in the faceoff circle at one point.  Wouldn’t you like to be able to control the puck like that against the other team’s #1 line?  Furthermore, I think Semin would benefit more from Nylander, but I am not Boudreau.  Let us see how this plays out.

Finally, how cool was it to see the Red in the stands and the raising of the banner?  I was so excited for those guys.  Hopefully, this year will be better than last.  Of course, the joy was short lived as Chicago scored 26 seconds into the game!  Thanks Jose!  Whatever.  The Capitals dominated the last 50 minutes by keeping the puck in the Chicago zone, killing penalties, and outshooting Chicago 34-21.  If it weren’t for Khabibulin playing well, this would have been over much earlier.

Thoughts?

Capitals vs. Vancouver Pre-Game

Word on the street has it that Federov will be playing defense tonight and Brent Johnson will be in net.  Nylander will be playing center on the second line and Boyd Gordon will be inserted into the lineup centering the third line.  Erskine will be scratched for Federov and Eric Fehr will be a scratch as well.  I wrote about this last week and I will be interested to see how the Caps do on faceoffs as Backstrom is currently around 29%.  Boyd Gordon will play well and so will Nylander.  Puck control may be an issue.  Boudreau indicated this change would get Gordon into a game and Vancouver’s speedy forechecking warrants Federov’s puck moving capability.  This is a reasonable hypothesis, in my opinion.  We’ll see.

Kevin Bieska (Vancouver defenseman) will be out as he apparently flew back to Vancouver to have his knee evaluated.  That is good news for the Caps.

Washington 5, Vancouver 1

How cool was this game?  The Capitals opened a can of whoop-ass and slapped Vancouver around.  The Vancouver forecheck never existed and Washington’s forecheck dominated.  This game was an absolute joy to watch from beginning to end.  When the other team is trying to get the puck out of their zone all night it is impossible to shoot.  Hence, 10 shots for the night for Vancouver and the last one came from center ice.  Federov was fantastic on defense.  I was very impressed and may rescind an earlier post about keeping him at center on the third line.  I thought Boyd Gordon played extremely well in his first game and that type of play may keep Sergei at the blueline.  We’ll see.

Greenie’s power play goal was perfectly played and Nylander made a great move on the penalty shot, although I thought the call was a gift.  I really hope this is what we see of Semin this year.  That toe drag shot is very deceptive.  And how cool was Jurcina’s goal?  Boyd Gordon wins the draw to Clarkie who puts it on Jurcina’s stick and then into the goal.  Very cool.  I must say I replayed that one a couple of times.  A perfect faceoff.  Well done guys.

The Capitals continue to outshoot opponents.  35-10 in this game and the faceoffs were 50%.  I will take it!  Regarding an earlier post, Backstrom improved his faceoff percentage to 55% against Vancouver.  We need more of this if Federov is to continue playing defense.

Thoughts?

Kozlov Injured

Victor Kozlov has apparently hurt his knee after getting hit in the Vancouver game.  He was wearing a brace the next day and walking without crutches.  I haven’t been overly thrilled with his play and was going to rip him in this post, but now………

It appears that Clark will be taking his spot on the top line.  Depth…..not a bad thing.

Capitals 4, Pittsburgh 3

Wow!  We actually beat Pittsburgh!  The Caps never beat Pittsburgh!  The last 30 minutes were vintage Caps (this season anyway) and they were able to overcome a horrible first period.  They were on the PK for most of the period it seemed.  I believe they took 4 minors.  Duh!  Is anyone better 5 on 5 than the Caps right now?  Doubtful.  I was thinking during the game that they shouldn’t try to draw penalties.  The Capitals power play needs work and obviously will need to be improved upon, however they are playing great 5 on 5 this season so far.  The Caps outshot Pittsburgh 21-6 in the third period.

What is the deal between Malkin and Ovie?  Does anyone know the cause of this strife?  Ovie was trying to run him over all night.  This was going on last year too.  I don’t understand why Malkin doesn’t fight back.  It is not like he is a little guy or anything and why doesn’t someone from Pittsburgh go after Ovie?  Whatever.  I think it is funny.  Ovie and Crosby had words at the end of the game.  Crosby is a wimp also and mouths off and doesn’t back it up.  At least Ovie will stand in and fight you.  I have no respect for Crosby or Malkin.  They remind me of how Lindros was in the mid-90’s.

How brave is Matt Bradley?  This is why I like Bradley.  He gets his butt kicked BADLY and yet he gets stitches and is down on the ground blocking shots.  Very cool.  Well done, Mr. Bradley.  I read several comments from the Caps who said despite the beating it sparked them.  That is the definition of taking one for the team.  You should get the hardhat award Matt.

Thoughts?

Capitals vs. New Jersey Pre-game

Poti (groin), Brashear (hand), and Kozlov (knee) are hurt and will not be playing tonight.  Federov will play for Poti, while Clark will play on the first line.  Boyd Gordon will most likely play the third line center and Steckel on the fourth line.  The Caps called up Bourque from Hershey who will play on the fourth line.  I read that Bruce is thinking about putting Bourque on the PP’s second unit as Bourque has done very well there for Hershey.  We’ll see.

Bourque is not a big banger and I highly doubt will try to perform Brash’s job.  I don’t think it would play to his assets to try this.  We’ll see what happens.  Brent Johnson will start in goal.

Does anyone know if Pothier is ever going to play again?

New Jersey 4, Capitals 3 (SO)

You can really tell the difference between a playoff team (Pittsburgh and New Jersey) and the two games the Caps played prior to these two.  New Jersey was not overmatched against the Caps and controlled the game for the most part.  They made the Caps’ power play look terrible (1 for 8).  New Jersey is a very good checking and forechecking team.  A fluke goal only allowed a tie.  And how good is Broduer?  He will most likely go down as the best goalie of all time, in my opinion.  I never saw Sawchuck play, but Broduer will pass Patrick Roy for most wins this season and has already passed Sawchuck.  He is a great goalie.

The Caps were outshot for the first time this season.  Green was on the ice an incredible 34 minutes according to the stat sheet.  Semin continues to play well, but the Caps need to find a way to get Ovie going.  Ovie is going to face the opponent’s best defensive pair and checking line all season.  The Caps need to find a way to create space for him.  Bourque was sent back down to the minors after the game which tells me that Brashear will be ready to play in Calgary on Tuesday.  The next three games will be tough for the Caps.  I think a 1-1-1 record is a reasonable goal.

The hero of the night for the Caps was Brent Johnson.  He made more saves in the first period than in the entire Vancouver game.  He also kept the Caps in it throughout.  I thought he played very well.  I know Jose was brought in here to be a #1 goalie, but if he keeps letting in softies and Johnson continues to play well………who knows.  We’ll see.

Thoughts?

I am Back!

Hi Everyone,

I have been away for awhile.  I was visiting a very special lady.  Forgive me, but she is prettier than you!  Anyway, I missed the whole west coast swing, the Nashville and Buffalo games, but I did catch the Carolina and Ottawa games the other night (more to come on that).

Ovie being away obviously hurt things, but the Capitals have not been playing well.  They don’t seem to be working like they did at the end of last season and the first 5 games or so this season.  Of course, the quality opponents haven’t helped.  Also, how about Semin’s award?  Very cool.  He has played very well, but I would like to see him learn to shoot without dragging the puck every time.  Goalies I am sure are going to be looking for that move.  A quick, surprise release will prove fruitful for him, I am sure.

When is Clarkie going to do something?  Geez.  You are the captain for pete’s sake.  At least he hit somebody the other night.  And is Kozlov going to do more than skate around the ice?  Does he have a point?  I just don’t see his contribution and that is just not this year.  The end of last year was the same.  Step up, buddy!

Fehr and Steckel have been regular scratches of late.  Maybe Steckel could get on the fourth line for Gordon?  Shaone Morrison gets a CAT scan after throwing up blood?  He took a puck in the puck in the abs apparently (didn’t see the game).  He was back playing the other night, but now appears to have hurt his groin?  Great.  This guy is getting killed and Kozlov skates around.  Unreal.

Whatever.  Thoughts?

Senators 2, Capitals 1 (OT)

Ugh!  Well, we got a point on the road.  I guess that is good.  One goal in two games.  Brent Johnson continues to be man as far as I am concerned.  Jose just looks uncomfortable and makes me nervous.  Johnson seems far more comfortable and he made some fantastic saves, especially the poke check save on Alfie.  How cool was that?  Alfie didn’t even know he lost the puck it seemed!  Very cool.  Johnnie had 42 saves which is great, but it also means the defense gave up 44 shots.  Geez.  That is the Caps of old and also means the forecheck is not effective.  Puck control!  C’mon already.

I thought the Capitals worked harder, but I still don’t see anyone in front of the net or working the boards.  The net front is where Laich usually gets his goals and I don’t see him there.  I am not happy with that, but maybe Boudreau has changed something of which I am unaware.  If that is the case, then I do not approve.  Someone has got to bother the goalie, create traffic, and allow shots to get through unseen.  The think the goals will come back if that happens.  Until then, hope for shutouts.

The penalty kill looked really good, especially the 5 on 3 kill.  Of course, the Caps are getting plenty of practice at it by being in the box ALL THE TIME!  Laich’s hooking penalty was stupid and the call on Federov was arguable at best, but add an additional two minutes for the unsportsmanlike puck flip into the wall and there is 4 minutes lost when the Caps really needed it.  The Caps have been in the box more than their opponents in 10 of their 11 games.  That has got to change.

Chris Clark played 8 minutes and had three hits.  That is what you want from  your captain?  Why not make Kozlov captain and just make the C worthless altogether??????

Finally, does anyone feel comfortable with Green’s defense.  Hey, score 20 goals.  Good for you, but put a body on somebody.  Hit somebody!  Geez, at least try to get in the way.  I am uncomfortable with Green and now that Morrison is hurt, that could be trouble.  Shaone takes a lot of abuse for Green and now he is throwing up blood for it.  Now, I guess it is Schultz’s turn.  Good luck buddy!

Thoughts?

Recent Quotes of Note

The following was stated by Penguin’s coach Michel Therrien regarding Semin’s comment about Sidney Crosby:

“Is he talking about the youngest guy to get 100 points in the history of the NHL?  Is he talking about the youngest guy to win the Hart Trophy and lead the league in scoring?  Is he talking about the youngest captain in the NHL to bring his team to the Stanley Cup Final?  That’s all I have to say.”

Ha!  Good stuff.  Now, Malkin and Crosby can hate Ovechkin and Semin.  I can’t wait for the next Pittsburgh game.  Of course, Malkin and Crosby are girls and won’t fight so Brashy and Bradley better be ready.  Good stuff!

Also, ESPN’s John Buccigross take stock of the Capitals with the following:

“Concern about the goaltending is the only issue.  This seems like a team that could just explode with 10 wins in a row at any time.  The Caps have so much to like up front.  I think once they figure it all out and catch a groove, they could become a major force in the league.  As a fan, I wold just be concerned about whether my goalie is better than some of the other guys in the Eastern Conference. Again, you don’t win with good goaltending come playoffs time; you win with great goaltending.”

Amen.

Thoughts?

Capitals 3, Hurricanes 2

Wow!  How exciting was this?  The Caps haven’t been scoring goals and so Ovie, Semin, and Feds were put on the top line and guess what happened?  Goals.  Ovie had the three primary assists.  Federov had a beautiful set play goal and of course Semin’s game winner with 11 seconds left.  A nice pass and shot.  I don’t think Ward saw the puck.  Ward looked very good throughout the night and deserved better, but Johnson outdid him.  My concern with the Caps of late has been poor passing and overpassing.  The power play looks terrible and the puck continues to roll off sticks.  It is so frustrating to watch.  However, the penalty kill continues to impress and is the reason the Caps won vs. Carolina and took a point in Ottawa.  The PP needs to have more shots!  Shoot already!  I am going have to have a talk with Backstrom.  Every pass doesn’t need to be gorgeous.  Just put it on the winger’s stick already!  Whatever.  In his defense, he looked much better against Carolina.  Keep moving forward buddy.

How cool is Brooks Laich?  He blocks a shot by taking it in the log, he is hobbling off the ice (I am sure he couldn’t even feel his leg), and he  STILL stops the D to D pass along the blueline????  Are you kidding me?  That is why I like this guy.  He does the garbage work it takes to win games.  The crowd gave him a real nice ovation when he finally got off the ice.  Well done, Mr. Laich.

Brent Johnson continues to impress with 32 saves.  I thought Carolina’s second goal was a little soft, but the Caps overcame it.  I hope they stay with Johson, but something tells me that Jose will start against the Rangers on Saturday.  We’ll see.

The Caps got a good win at home against the division leader.  Well done!  Let’s ride this into Saturday night against the Rangers.

Thoughts?

Injuries……….

I am reading that Morrison does indeed have a groin pull.  Sucks.  Federov has a “lower body injury.”  I love the NHL’s new injury reporting policy.  Give me a break.  I hope none of these injuries are serious.  I suspect we’ll see Alsner called up for Saturday’s game.  We’ll see.

Preliminary Information…..

I am reading that Tyler Sloan was called up for Morrison and will play with Poti.  It also appears Feds will not play as Steckel and Fehr are in the lineup.  Only the fourth line will be its normal lineup as Backstrom is back on the top line with Ovie and Semin.  Johnson is in goal.  Nylander will center the second line.  Oh, Clark is not playing either.  I don’t know what the deal is.  It may be a benching.  I am sure that won’t go over well with him.

Thoughts?

Capitals 3, Rangers 1

Well, the Caps got an ugly win although I wouldn’t call the game ugly.  The goals were ugly, but the game was fast.  Laich was in front of the net all night and got an ugly goal for his efforts.  Boyd Gordan made a sweet move and his efforts were rewarded with an assist as Poti put in the rebound.  A good hard working man’s goal.  Unfortunately, Poti didn’t get to enjoy it very long as he allowed an accidental goal with a deflection off his stick.  You can’t fault him for that.  It was just bad luck.  Brent Johnson continues to play outstandingly in goal.  Semin took a stupid penalty right at the end of the game and the Rangers could have easily scored.  I hope Boudreau talked to him about that one.  Of course, everyone will forget about it because he scored an empty netter which could have very easily been an icing penalty.  At any rate, the Caps beat a very good team at home which they will need to do in order to win the division.  Kozlov handled the puck more and played with more intensity.  It was nice to see.  I still would like to see a goal or an assist at least.  Finally, the Caps owned the face-off circle.  Gordon won 8 of 10 there.  Puck control!

I guess a concern I have from the game is the large number of turnovers the Caps had, especially in their zone.  Fortunately, the puck never rolled right to a Ranger but it got crazy.  They don’t seem to pass well which slows things down when coming out of their zone and now they aren’t protecting the puck.  Johnson made more saves than he needed to and bailed the Caps out.  I hope Boudreau is addressing this!

Back to Brent Johnson.  How good has he been in the past three games?  He is 2-0-1 with a 95% save percentage stopping 102 of 107 shots.  He faced 28 shots against the Rangers.  And how nice was the poke check save on the penalty shot?  Well done, Mr. Johnson.  I am sure he will start against Tampa Bay on Monday and it appears he will be facing Ollie.  I hope the Caps fans give him a warm welcome when he is announced.  I am sure they will.  He deserves it.

I didn’t see a lot out of Steckel and Fehr.  I don’t think they played badly, but they didn’t catch my eye either.  I am thinking that will put Clark back in the lineup on Monday, although who knows exactly what is going on with that.  Federov and Morrison will probably not play on Monday, so Sloan will start and Fehr or Steckel will play depending on Clark’s situation.

Thoughts?

Capitals 4, Lightning 2

The Capitals really came out and skated in this game.  They really seemed faster than TB for most of the game.  Two nice power play goals by Gary Roberts gave the Lightning two goals and that was it.  The Caps scored all four goals in the net closest to the TB bench.  Why do I mention this?  Because three of the goals were scored on bad/slow line changes.  Green, Fehr, and Poti’s goals were all scored because TB did not get off their bench and backcheck.  Usually this sort of mistake is made on the far end of the ice.  Not so in this case and they made it three times.  Give the Caps credit for cashing in, but TB really did not do well in a simple area.  Ovie finally scored on a really nice deflection from Semin.  Brashear made a super pass setting up Poti’s goal.  So far this season, the Caps have destroyed teams that did not establish a forecheck and/or clog the middle of the ice.  Last night was no exception.  The Caps were able to clear the zone easily and entered their zone with speed.  TB was backpedaling the whole time, especially in the first period.  The Caps also were in front of the net which helped create problems.  Overall, a well played game.

Kozlov, Federov, and Morrison did not play.  I thought Fehr and Steckel played well in their stead.  I like John Erskine in that he takes the body and punishes people.  I, however, do not like him taking interference penalties.  If he is going to the box, it should be for roughing.  Period.

Think about this.  The Caps are in first place and Backstrom has yet to score or really play like himself and Ovie has just three goals.  What are the Caps going to be like when they do score???????  The Caps should thank Brent Johnson for picking up the slack as his goaltending has been phenomenal lately.  I hope this keeps up.  It is fun to watch the Caps play right now and it is good to see the Verizon Center full.  The Caps are also taking care of business at home.  That is a good thing.  Let’s see what happens in Carolina on Wednesday.

Thoughts?

Capitals 5, Hurricanes 1

Wow!  What a phenomenal game!  The Caps made the Hurricanes look like a high school team in this game.  Ovie, Semin, and Backstrom had 12 points between them and only Jeff Green got another point.  Incredible!  Semin now has 27 points on the season and leads the league.  Ovie scored in consecutive games for the first time this season.  Maybe he will get himself on a roll?  Look out if he does.  And how good was Laich’s screen on Greenie’s goal?  The was picture perfect.  He won’t be on the scoresheet, but that is how you win games.  Laich does a lot of grunt work for this team as does the 4th line.  They are doing it very well lately and that is why the Caps have won four in a row.  Of course, Johnson has a lot to say about that as well.  He has been very good.

Johnson hurt his hip making that great save on Staal(?).  It looked awkward on TV so I am sure there will be a day to day listing next to his name tomorrow.  A post interview quote from Johnnie stated, “It felt pretty bad out there, but it’s tough to tell right now.”  We’ll see.  Theo will have to pick up the slack.  Hopefully, he will play better than he has prior to Johnnie taking over.  Cross your fingers!

Jurcina took some heat for his three penalties.  The delay of game penalty was stupid, but the roughing penalty I will take all day long.  Staal hit Johnnie with his stick and you cannot let people take liberties with your goalie.  Throwing Staal to the ice was warranted and expected.  Nobody touched Johnnie after that, did they?  Semin has been taking much more stupid penalties the past two games, but it is overlooked be/c of his scoring.  Milan can keep shoving forwards to the ground and beating on them if it keeps the goalie from being messed with.  Just stop the delay of game penalties.

Still no word on Morrison and Federov.  Kozlov skated around again, but at least he seemed to have more energy in this game.  A very good effort from everyone overall.

Thoughts?

Capitals 3, Devils 1

New Jersey just isn’t the same team without Brodeur.  The goaltending wasn’t bad.  Clemmenson only gave up two goals (the third was an empty netter), but the NJ power play and penalty kill are falling.  They are both among the worst in the league.  Laich tipped in Ovie’s shot and Ovie added an empty netter (third consecutive game with a goal).  However, the big news is Kozlov got a point on an assist to Fleishmann.  Wow!  Kozlov got a point.  I guess he had his Wheaties for a change.  It was nice to see Flash get a goal as he has worked hard and made some nice passes over the past few games.  Flash has been playing well lately.  Maybe getting a contract and not worrying about being sent to Hershey has relaxed him?  Who knows, but his 5 goals are very welcome and hopefully 30 on the season would be very helpful from the forward.

Theo has 32 saves and looked very confident in the net.  He had a very nice save in the second period on Zach Parise.  The only goal he gave up was on a horrible change by the Caps who left him high and dry against Patrick Elias.  You can’t blame him on that one.  It cost him a shutout.  At least it didn’t cost them the game.  I fully expect Theo to be in net tonight against the Devils again.  I am sure Johnnie is not ready to play yet.

The big news is Semin not returning for the third period.  An upper body injury is all that has been reported, however Boudreau stated the he would probably play tonight.  Hmmmmmm.  We’ll see.  The latest news is they are going to wait and see what he is like in the warm-up.  I am sure they will err on the side of caution with this.  So, I don’t expect him to play.  If it is a shoulder and he gets banged into the glass he could be out a couple weeks instead of one game.  I am sure the Caps realize this.

Still no word on Federov.  Morrison appears to be getting closer to returning.  Nylander will play tonight and Theo is in goal.  I have no idea what the lines will be as the Semin situation needs to be resolved.  If he does not play, I wonder if the Caps will move Flash up to the first line?

Thoughts?

Devils 6, Capitals 5 (SO)

Wow!  This was a really good game to watch if you like to be excited and then disappointed all night.  The Caps played well enough to win and poor enough to lose.  I still can’t decide which they deserved, but they got a point on the road against a good team and I guess we should be thankful.  Still, Ovie’s goal with one second left saved what would have been a very disappointing night.  It was a great pass by Backstrom amongst a lot of players that got it done.  The Devils seemed to regain their awesome forecheck in this one and it caused the Caps problems all night.  There were a lot of turnovers and poor backchecking allowed Gionta’s goal and several more chances.  I thought Theo played well, despite the soft goal he gave up to Elias which was short side.  Ollie used to do that all the time.  Whatever.  New Jersey found their old form and the Caps still almost won the game.  I guess that is the positive to take out of this.

Steckel played well on the penalty kill and Fleishmann scored again and played hard.  I like our 4th line as well.  They are consistent.  Did you notice Brookbank for New Jersey back off from Brashear when pushed?  He is their tough guy and Brashear scared the tar out of him.  Brashear has a lot of respect in this league and he should.  Even Kozlov scored a goal.  He looked as surprised as I was.  However, it was nice to see his improved effort rewarded.  I thought the Caps gave up too many shots, but that can be expected with the Devils’ forecheck.  The Caps go on a four game road trip of which three are on the West Coast (San Jose, Anaheim, and LA) and Minnesota.  Plan on staying up late!!!  Hopefully, they will go 2-2 on this trip.  That may be a lot to ask given how well San Jose and Minnesota are playing.  We’ll see.

Thoughts?

Sharks 7, Capitals 2

Ok, this was horrible.  The Capitals came out in the beginning of the second period and for 8-10 minutes played hard and got a goal for their efforts on a very nice hustle play by Tom Poti.  Then, the “stank in the Tank” began again.  The third period started the same way and the Capitals were rewarded with a very nice tic-tac-toe power play goal by Flash.  I guess another positive to take from this is Brashear’s beating of Jody Shelley.  How cool was that?  Shelley was bleeding all over Brash’s sweater!  Why do people fight Brashear?  Idiots.  I would like to have known what Brashear said to the ref’s to get a 10 minute misconduct though.  Ok…….that’s it.  No more good to tell.  On to the bad stuff.

After the goals, the Caps played poorly at best.  Morrison had a night to forget and seemed to be very upset about it.  He scored on his own goal (by accident of course), but he also had several turnovers.  Ovie had a terrible blueline pass and had to hook the San Jose player (Marleau?  I can’t remember who it was now) in order to prevent a goal.  I believe it should have been a penalty shot, but no matter.  San Jose scored anyway.  Ovie also didn’t backcheck and let Setoguchi score.  Ovie, you have to play both ends dude!  How many times have I written that this season?  I don’t think Johnnie saw a puck all night so I can’t really blame him except for Grier’s goal.  That was pitiful.  Vlasic’s goal should NEVER happen.  How do you score from 40 feet?  Easy.  Have the goalie looking around four guys.  The Caps defenseman have to knock that puck down.  Backstrom was not his usual self and showed his frustration by punching Rob Blake in the head.  Nicklas, you are lucky he didn’t kick your butt for that.  Three goals were given up on the first 5 shots, I believe, and the first shot went in AGAIN!  Sergei Federov left with an ankle injury after the first period.  It is the same injury as before.  We will have to see what the damage is.  I guess this will delay the Nylander trade, which I don’t know if that is a good idea.  What is the latest on that?  I am so disgusted with this team right now.  Let’s face it.  When the Caps are good, they are great.  But, when they are average they are BAD. 

The Capitals need Clark to do something, Kozlov to do something, and Nylander to do something.  The Caps cannot rely on Semin, Ovie, Flash, and Backstrom to carry this team all year.  If Nylander can be traded for better defenseman or a goalie I would be thrilled.  Boyd Gordon can be the third or fourth line center all year long.  He hustles, hits, and plays hard every night.  I would really like to have Matt Cooke back.  Whatever.  Now, a promising start to this road trip with the Anaheim game has turned real ugly at San Jose and LA.  The Caps need to play a tough Minnesota team on Monday.  Cross your fingers.  This one could be painful, but at least we won’t have to stay up to 1:30 to see it.

Thoughts?

Capitals 3, Montreal 0

The Capitals won again despite being down eight starters and they shut out the Canadiens.  I am sure Theo was thrilled to get his first Capital shutout against his old team.  He stopped 28 shots and and is looking much more comfortable in goal versus the beginning of the season.  He also was square to the puck all night and did not give up a lot of rebounds.  Locker kept talking about how he has been working on quickening his feet.  I guess it is working.  I have never played goalie.  I wouldn’t know.

Flash had a really nice goal on a bonehead play by Montreal’s Buillon.  I have never seen a goal like that before.  Still, it was a sweet pass from Nylander to get it back to Flash and the goal.  Very cool!  Steckel scored the third goal on a sweet deflection.  I am still amazed these guys can do that with their stick.  Does anyone not agree that Alzner will be wearing a red uniform next season?  He hasn’t done anything flashy in the first two NHL games of his career, but there hasn’t been that blaring mistake either.  Can Montreal’s defenseman say that??????  No way.  I also thought Lepisto and Helmer played well.  I think staying out of the penalty box was key.  The Caps only took three minors and won the faceoff battle as well.

A really good win for the Caps and a standing ovation for Theo as the #1 star from the Verizon Center crowd.  Very cool!

Thoughts?

Blue Jackets 3, Capitals 0

This was a terribly played game.  The team was listless and only showed sporadic bursts of good play.  I know it was their third game in four nights, but this has been typical of the Capitals play on the road.  Their current road record is 4-8-2 and 9-0-1 at home.  Does this tell you something?  No one went to the front of the net and no one went into the corners to hit somebody.  Steckel had a great night in the faceoff circle and total shots taken were fairly even.  I guess my real problem with last night’s game was with Backstrom.  He made a terrible pass up the middle when trying to leave the zone.  Of course, it was a turnover and led to a goal.  The thing I hated was he didn’t even hustle to try and hit the guy or even get in the way.  Jurcina was there, but was backpedaling because he assumed (I am guessing) that Backstrom would be competent enough not to do something that stupid.  Whatever.

Backstrom’s mistake on the power play led to Nash’s second goal.  Again, he didn’t hustle on the backcheck.  I am not sure he would have caught Nash, but just hustle anyway and show your team you care a little bit.  What do ya say????  Backstrom has been like this all season, and last year as well, and I guess the Caps are going to let him get away with it because he passes to Ovie.  I would like to see what Backstrom does centering the third line.  I am sure his numbers would plummet and his +/- would go way down becuase he wouldn’t backcheck.

On the plus side, I am impressed with the improved play of Kozlov over the past few games.  I guess his knee is healed.  I also thought Bradley had a couple nice hits last night as well.  Now, Alzner is hurt and Hershey will have to send someone else up.  Oh boy.  This is getting brutal.

Thoughts?

Panthers 5, Capitals 3

I didn’t see this game.  It was blacked out.  I looked at the stat sheet and the Capitals are just not a good road team.  Even against Florida.  Florida is a game you have to win.  This is ridiculous.  I know everyone is hurt, but the worst team in the worst division has to be beaten.  Period.

Thoughts?

Sean Avery

Ok, Sean Avery is an ass.  That goes without saying.  However, his suspension today is why Gary Bettman should be suspended.  He started his “reign” with his decision to move the Hartford Whalers to tobacco road and eleven years later is still proving what a colossal jackass he is.  What Avery did showed very little class and was extremely rude.  However, with everything else going on and no one is getting into trouble?  Give me a break.  So, basically, as I understand it, the rules are this:  you can drive a players head into the boards and/or glass and get a three game suspension or you can jump on a guy’s back and drive him face first into the ice breaking his neck and ending his career and get 25 games.  BUT, if you make a rude comment to the press about a former girlfriend and her new lover, then you are suspended indefinitely.  Wow!  Nice work Gary.  You are the epitome of “braintrust.”  Jackass.

Thoughts?

Capitals 5, Islanders 2

Wow!  This was a good game.  The Caps skated very well throughout the entire game with the exception of a few minutes in the second period.  Unfortunately, this was when they gave up a terrible goal.  You can say what you want about Lepisto on the play, but I don’t fault him.  Yeah, he could have (should have?) made a better play on the puck, however NO ONE back checked.  There were TWO Islander forwards standing there in front of the net having tea.  What was everyone else doing?  That was called lollygagging when I played.  Give me a break.  Johnnie should have lit into everyone and I hope he did.  That was terrible.

On a positive note, Brash got a goal which was nice to see.  He works hard and fights for this team.  It is nice to see him score a goal (and the game winner!).  Nice going Brash!  Ovie and Backstrom scored, but Fehr had a nice backhand.  I was getting annoyed with him watching this game because he has not been contributing over the last few games and I wanted him sent down.  I know that is not going to happen with Clarkie out, but he needs to bang more or something.  One goal every ten games is not going to get it done, IMO.  Laich continues to be solid with two assists and missed a breakaway shot and a backhand shot that should have gone in were it not for excellent goaltending from McDonald.  Still, he contributes and has quietly amassed almost 20 points this season.  I will take that.  Keep going to the net Brooksie!  Johnnie played very well in the net.

When are the hurt people coming back?  I am reading that all are skating except Erskine.  Another defenseman has been called up for Sloan.  The 11th defenseman and we are only 25% of the way through the season.  Geez.  I have been happy with Lepisto, Helmer, and Alzner though.  It will be exciting to have Alzner up full time.  He is going to be good.

Thoughts?

Capitals 2, Maple Leafs 1

This game was blacked out in my area.  I listened to it on the Internet which is sooooooo much better.  Yeah, right.  I saw Alzner’s goal which was cool, on replay, and it is nice to see him trying to improve from what I have been reading.  I think he is going to be a good one for the Caps.  Next year’s starting D could be Green, Alzner, Morrison, and Jurcina.  That would be very nice as they are all young and would provide an excellent foundation for the next five to ten years.  Hopefully, the Caps will win the division and advance to the second round in the playoffs.  Of course, if the playoffs started today the Caps would face Philly.  That would not be a matchup I would want for the Caps in the first round.  We’ll see.  A long way to go yet.

Thoughts?

Hurricanes 3, Capitals 1

Wow.  This was a bad ending to a good effort.  The Caps proved again that they are not a good road team and this was one they needed to get with Boston, Montreal, and Ottawa coming to town.  This could be the start of a four game losing streak.  Once again, I am going to get on Backstrom.  His bad, errant, misinformed, stupid, moronic backpass in the Cap’s zone led to Ray Whitney’s first goal.  Additionally, he did not backcheck and Lepisto was stuck fending off two guys behind the net.  Of course, he fell down and Backstrom stood there looking at the pretty lights while Johnnie was hung out to dry.  Backstrom is a good passer.  There is no argument on that, however he does not play defense.  He gave up two goals today because of it.

When is Ovie going to score one on one?  I don’t believe I have seen him score on a penalty shot which amazes me.  He is 0 for 5 on them in reguation.  He is less than 20% in OT.  That is startling.  You can tell it upsets him, but I don’t see any improvement.  I am not sure if he is working on it in practice.  I would think he would be. 

The Caps have some good young defenseman.  It is easy to see why Hershey is so good.  I guess I wonder what happens to the forwards in the transition.  Fehr, Giroux, Laich, Steckel were all goal scorers in the AHL and none of that has translated to the NHL.  Hopefully, the Caps will get some guys back for Wednesday night against Boston.  They are going to need shooters to get the puck by Thomas.  He is playing really well this year.  We’ll see how they do.

Thoughts?

Capitals 5, Ottawa 1

Well, the Capitals continue to be an awesome team at home and less than stellar on the road.  After beating the Bruins a couple of days ago, the Caps dominated the Senators from beginning to end in this one.  They forechecked really well and it led to many Ottawa turnovers.  One of these turnovers led to Laich’s goal on a beautiful tic-tac-toe pass play with Federov and Bradley.  It was nice to see Laich get a goal after a ten game drought.  Also, how nice was it to have Green and Federov back in the lineup after getting Poti back against Boston?  It paid some dividends didn’t it?  Federov had three assists and Green had a goal and two assists.  Very cool.  The Caps are still giving up too many shots, but Johnnie has been pushing them aside.  Thank goodness.  Johnnie has been lights out over the last four starts.  His save percentage is almost 96% and is 4-0 over that stretch.  Now, Theo is hurt along with Fehr.  How many people can this team put on IR?  I think the Caps should just bring up all of Hershey.  Crazy.  Well, they keep winning and that is the important thing.  They need to get better on the road.  Tomorrow’s game versus Montreal will be a good indicator.  Most likely, Varlomov will be in goal in order to rest Johnnie.  Let’s see how he does.

Thoughts?

Capitals 2, Canadiens 1

I didn’t get to see this game as the Caps played in Montreal.  I don’t understand why they do that but whatever.  I saw the highlights and Varlamov was very impressive.  Nylander’s goal was absolutely fantastic and allowed the Caps to get a good win on the road.  Of course, Federov, Sloan, and Backstrom got hurt.  The Caps can’t play a game without someone getting hurt.  It is impossible it seems.  Hopefully, they will be ready for the Islanders on Tuesday.  The Caps dominated the faceoff circle as they won 36 faceoffs versus only 20 for Montreal.  How nice is it for the Caps to have the depth they do?

Thoughts?

Capitals 5, Islanders 4

The Caps dodged a bullet in this one, although they played well for most of the game.  A lack of intensity in the third period allowed the Islanders to tie the game after being down two goals.  None of the goals given up by Johnnie were “softies” as three of the goals were deflections.  In fact, the Caps had a softie goal of their own as Laich’s dribbler was misplayed by MacDonald and went into the net.  Ovie had two nice goals, one of which on a beautiful behind the back pass from Semin, and the other on a turnover that he won the game with in overtime.  Boyd Gordon got an ugly, hard working goal that is so typical of him.  He is so underrated.  Even Jurcina decided to shoot and got a goal for his efforts.  The Caps dominated in shots after two periods, but the game ended virtually tied due to their soft play.  Finally, the Caps dominated the faceoff circle during the game as Nylander, Gordon, and Steckel won 75%, 63%, and 67% of their faceoffs.  The Caps continue to do very well in this area.

I read that Boudreau was unhappy with the Caps play allowing the Islanders back into the game after being up 2-0 and 4-2.  I imagine it will be a tough practice today.  The Caps play St. Louis Thursday night at home.  Hopefully, the play will be better.  However, the Caps got a win on the road and that is a good thing.  Isn’t it nice though that Caps are not satisfied with just winning?  That is a good sign.

Thoughts?

Capitals 4, Blues 2

The Caps continue to win at home.  They are now 13-1-1 in their games at the Verizon Center and have the best home record in the conference.  That bodes well come playoff time as they will most likely be the #3 seed, at worst, barring a terrible second two-thirds of the season.  It was nice to see Kozlov score two goals as he has been playing much better over the past month.  He must feel good about scoring after getting so many assists.

Yet again, Eric Fehr saves himself from the beating I want to give him.  Just when he frustrates me so much I want him sent back to Hershey, he goes and does something well.  This game was no exception.  He made the steal along the wall and made a beautiful pass to a wide open Flash in front the net.  The result?  Goal!  It looked like Flash was a little startled to suddenly have the puck.  That was how fast Fehr did it.  So, Fehr is out of my doghouse…..for now.

How good was Varlomov?  I didn’t see the Montreal game, but he was very good in this one as well.  He has stopped 61 of 64 shots in his first two games.  He was quick, agile, and athletic in the net and always challenged the shot.  I was very impressed.  He will probably be sent back to Hershey when Theo is back.  The future is bright in goal it seems for the Capitals.  That is good because the present doesn’t appear so sunny.  I am not thrilled with Theo and Johnnie, while playing very well over the past ten games, doesn’t give me the warm fuzzies in the playoffs.  We’ll see.

And again, Semin is hurt.  A really cheap shot by Backes may be keeping Semin out of the lineup for some time.  Who went and punched Backes in the face?  Ovie.  Yeah, that is great but I would rather see the whole team do something than just one guy.  Especially, given the cheapness of it.  Whatever.  At any rate, it could be some time before Semin is back as he was quoted as saying it could be a nerve in his lower back.  That isn’t good.

Thoughts?

Flyers 7, Capitals 1

Ugh yeah.  I think we will all choose to forget about this one.  This is the type of game that shows how far the Caps still need to go.  The Caps put 25 shots on Nittymaki in the first period and he saved every one and looked rather calm doing it.  He flat out saved the game for Philly and they went on to win as the Caps decided not to play in the second and third period.  The Caps had power plays and didn’t score, but Philly did on theirs and even had a shorthanded goal thanks to Green not being a defenseman.  He was a -4 for the night.  He is not even trying to play defense it appeared at times.  I would rather he played defense than offense since he is a defenseman.  Call me crazy.  Nittymaki is the perfect example of what the Caps need in goal to go to the next level.  He was flat out incredible.  48 shots were taken and he saved 47 of them.  I hate Philly, but I think they are the best in the East.  It is scary to think that New Jersey, Philly, and Pittsburgh are all that good and you can add in Boston, New York, and Buffalo.  I don’t think the Caps could beat any one of those teams in the playoffs.  Not at the moment anyway.  We’ll see how the season unfolds, but they are benefiting from a weak division.  I think the Caps need a toughness lesson.

The only highlights from last night’s game were the two fights Brashear got into.  Riley Cote decided he wanted to be tough and ended up with a cut under one eye and come out for the second period looking like Rocky.  Brash destroyed him!  It was sooooo cool.  And Cote proved his IQ is smaller than his shoe size by coming after Brash again in the third period.  One punch.  End of fight.  Brash just pointed his finger at him.  Very cool.

Philly is good folks and when Briere and their wounded defense gets healthy they are going to be even better.  That is scary.  Who wouldn’t like Carter, Briere, and Richards as your top three centers?  Wow.  The Caps really need to get healthy, get better in goal, hit more, and play more physical hockey in order to be succesful.  I hope Boudreau gets this team going.

Thoughts?

Capitals 5, Rangers 4

Wow!  What a game!  After the first period, I was just sitting back and thinking about other things because the Caps were doing nothing except annoying me.  Theo showed again that he is “not there” mentally at times as he allowed a bad goal and didn’t even seem to want to save Callahan’s goal.  I am glad they pulled him.  But considering the Caps had 4 of 6 starting defenseman being call-ups from Hershey, everyone is hurt,  and being down 4-0 what odds would you have gotten on the Caps winning the game?  Again, wow!

An “Oh, by the way” goal from Ovechkin and a nice deflection by Flash pulled the Caps within two which was followed by a nice breakaway goal from Kozlov to make it 4-3.  Could you hear the deafening silence in MSG?  Ovie’s second goal was fantastic.  Absolutely fantastic which tied it up.  YouTube it if you can.  It was a great play.  Theo played very well over the last 35 minutes or so.  It is amazing how fickle his confidence is.

Overall, I think the Caps benefited from a letdown in intensity from the Rangers, however give the kudos to the Caps for staying in the game and believing they could win.  It was two points earned that shouldn’t have been.  Let’s see how these two points play out when the season ends.  Won’t it be funny if the extra point earned in OT and two points overall allow the Caps to jump into a higher seed than the Rangers.  Could be?!

Thoughts?

Capitals 3, Sabres 2

If you have not seen the replay of Ovie’s goal last night, then do yourself a favor and watch it on YouTube.  This was a fantastic play as he went around three guys and scored while laying/falling on/to the ice.  Very cool!  It turned out to be the game winner.  Boyd Gordon had a nice tip in goal and Kozlov continues to impress with a laser shot that went 7 hole.  He has four goals in four games now.  I am very happy with his play over the past month.  The Caps outshot and outhit the Sabres and had a slight advantage in the faceoff circle.  The best news was that Theo looked good from the beginning of the game.  I don’t know if that has happened this season.  Maybe he is feeling confident from the Rangers win?  Finally, Backstrom continues to pile up the points with another three assists.

The Caps are still dealing with injuries, but word is that Green and Schultz are close to coming back.  Federov is on LTIR while Poti  and Semin are on IR.  The Caps continue to win despite all the injuries and that is fantastic.  Clarkie returned last night and had a couple of nice hits.  I would like to see him in front of the net more.  He would cause trouble for the goalie and maybe get a couple garbage goals.  Flash has pneumonia.  The good news just keeps rolling along.  Whatever.  The Caps are winning and so I am happy.

Thoughts?

Capitals 4, Maple Leafs 1

What a great night for the Caps organization!  Mike Gartner’s number was lifted to the rafters prior to the game.  I remember seeing Gartner play when I was a kid, although I was particular to Bobby Carpenter at the time.  Scott Stevens and Rod Langway, among others, were also there.  That must have been a fun dinner to attend!

The Caps started slowly and I am sure it was due to the delay in the start of the game as the Caps had to stand at the bench while Toronto waited in the locker room.  However, the Caps skated well in the last two periods with Laich scoring twice from the front of the net.  This is where he usually gets his goals and they are much needed.  I read that he was told to simplify his game and that appears to be working as he has 5 goals in the last 8 games.  Very cool.  Ovie had another two goals of which one was an empty netter.  His first goal was a savable shot by Toskala, but it got by him.  Ovie created the goal courtesy of his hit on the defenseman which led to a turnover.  Nice work Ovie!

Isn’t Theo playing much better of late?  He looks more confident with his saves as rebounds go into the corners and there are no more bobbles of the puck.  He also looks quicker and more fluid in the net.  Hopefully, this is the Theo of old but it is still way to early to tell.  Let us hope it is.  Also, it appears Bradley is fine after going head first into the boards during the game.  It was a little scary at first.  Those who watched the game on TV saw Bradley say, “What happened?” when they got him up.  I was thinking concussion because that is usually the case.  However, I am reading that he is shaking it off.  How tough is this guy?  Finally, wasn’t it refreshing to see Clarkie playing like Clarkie?  He instigated and finished his checks and was a general nuisance to the Leafs.  I really enjoyed seeing it and hope he keeps it up.  The Caps need more toughness.

The Caps won 55% of the faceoffs during the game of which Steckel was 10 of 12.  That is why he kills penalties.  The Caps always win the faceoff battle which goes a long way toward winning the game.  They also outshot the Leafs 29-24.  Overall, another good win at home.

Thoughts?

Capitals 4, Sabres 2

Another good win for the Caps AND on the road!  This win puts the Caps at roughly 0.500 on the road and they are 15-1-1 at home.  That will get it done!  The Caps kept their turnovers very low for the game and this effectively negated the Sabres forecheck which is very good.  It is how the Sabres generate their offense.  Accordingly, the Sabres were lackluster in their play and effectiveness, although the score indicates a closer game.  A power play goal was scored with a few seconds left in the game long after it had been decided.

Gordon scored an empty netter as the Caps were short two men and continues to do all the little things that help the Caps win.  Brooksie had another goal from the front of the net only two minutes into the game.  It took the crowd out of the game and the Sabres as well.  Even Chris Bourque got in on the action scoring his first NHL goal on a rebound of Steckel’s shot.  In fact, 3 of the 4 goals were scored off rebounds.  When you play a goalie of the caliber of Miller you have to score off rebounds because chances are the first shot will be saved.  The Caps were very good at going to the net in this game and it paid off with three goals.  Theo continued to look good in this game as he showed good energy, quickness, and timely saves.  Hopefully, this will continue.

For the first time in many games, the Caps were outshot (33-31) and were beaten in the faceoff circle (31-24).  Theo’s play saved the day on this one.  However, the difference was the lack of turnovers and the Caps going 2 for 4 on the power play versus 1 for 5 for the Sabres.  Again, the one came with 11 seconds left to play.  Overall, it was another good win for the Caps in a building that has been very unfriendly to them over the past several years.  Keep it up!!!!

Thoughts?

Capitals 7, Lightning 4

Wow.  I am not sure how to feel about this one.  Bittersweet, I suppose.  The Caps continue to win at home (16-1-1 this season), but this had ugly all over it.  Sean Collins scored his first NHL goal which was exciting for him, I am sure, and Johnnie looked good in the net until late in the game.  I think the Caps were on cruise control and then decided they needed to play and then let up again.  They scored two goals a minute after the Lightning scored which regained the Caps’ momentum.  The Caps were very fortunate in this regard.  They also benefitted from two bad decisions by Tampa’s goalie who gift wrapped two goals for the home team.  Gordon made a sweet pass on the first to Bradley (who forced the turnover) and the second to Gordon who shot at a vacated net.  They were both terrible plays by the Tampa goalie.  Horrible.  At any rate, the Caps continue to look for the cross ice pass to Green pinching in and it continues to pay dividends.  Greenie scored the third goal of the game.

How about Clark????  He got into a fight (a draw) which was impressive given his right arm is still in a cast!  But, more importantly, he scored his first goal in the third period on a nice pass from Nylander.  Clark is really playing like his old self over the past five games or so.  He is being an instigator and playing in front of the net causing opposing goalies difficulty.  The Caps will need this type  of play from him.  Also, how nice was Steckel’s goal?  A long cross ice pass from Jurcina to Bradley and another cross ice pass to Steckel who deflected the puck in the net!  All at full speed!  Very cool.

The Caps forechecked very well during the game and forced several turnovers, however they continue to not clear the puck along the boards which led to a Tampa goal.  Ovie made a cross ice pass to Nylander who misplayed the puck and Tampa took it straight in and scored.  The Caps cannot continue to make this mistake.  This will be very costly in the playoffs where one mistake can end your season.  I hope this issue is addressed by Boudreau.

Jamie Heward is out of the hospital and flew back to Tampa.  He suffered a concussion and is out indefinitely.  At 37, this could end his career which would be bad obviously.  I watched Jamie play for the Caps and it is certainly unfortunate that this happened.  Ovie seemed to be upset about it as his play was off the rest of the game and he was remorseful after the game.  I hope Jamie recovers quickly and gets back out on the ice.  He is a great player/person and deserves better.

Thoughts?

Capitals 2, Rangers 1

This was a well played game defensively by both teams.  It is good to see the Caps win a game like this as this is the type of win they will need to get in order to advance in the playoffs.  It got really chippy at times as reflected by Clark’s fight and Semin’s “skirmish.”  Semin’s fight gives new meaning to the phrase “fights like a girl.”  However, he stuck up for himself and that is what matters.  I didn’t see anybody else skating to his defense and I wondered why Brashear didn’t do anything.  Maybe Boudreau kept him on the bench too much?  Overall, the Caps got beat up a bit as they did against Philly and they really need to address this.  You can’t just let Gomez punch you in the face Mr. Nylander.  Someone has got to hit back!  In the end, the Caps won and that is what matters.

What got into Fehr last night?  He played very well and has hustled his butt off the past two games.  It is nice to see.  I am wondering if he is concerned about playing time now that Clark and Semin are back.  What happens when Flash returns (projected for Tuesday)?  Fehr may be the odd man out and that may be what is putting the burr in his britches?  At any rate, I am enjoying his play whatever the case.

Did anyone notice that Gordon won the last two faceoffs in the Caps zone as the game wound down last night?  It allowed the Caps to clear the zone and kill the clock without a single shot against Theo despite the Rangers having the extra man.  That is a small thing that wins hockey games that don’t make the paper.  Well done, Boyd.

Theo looked strong in the net and won his fifth in a row.  Very cool.  However, Green did his best to not allow that with three turnovers at the blue line that Theo bailed him out on.  Just clear the zone Mike!  Every pass doesn’t need to be cute and/or spectacular!

Overall, the Caps continue to win and the mistakes will be covered up and/or overlooked until they start losing games because of it.  The Caps are a good team, but not a great team.  To advance past the first round of the playoffs they will need to be more solid in their zone.  The goalie play has improved, but the passing needs to get better out of the defensive end.

Thoughts?

Blue Jackets 3, Capitals 0

Sound like a familiar score against Columbus????  It should because this was a replay of the game played in Columbus in November.  The Caps had 45 shots and none went in the goal.  Again.  The supposedly miserable Blue Jacket power play went 2 for 7.  Alzner did not have a good game and Jurcina bobbled a puck that landed on Umberger’s stick and then into the net.  I thought the Caps skated fast and were constantly attacking, but no puck went in.  Mason is the real deal and will win the Calder Trophy unless he falters.  Despite this, the Caps did nothing to try to score against a trapping defense.  There was no dump and chasing or guys driving the net in order to get a rebound.  It was a lot of one on one moves that never work against a trapping defense.  I would have liked the Caps to try something different.  There power play was terrible and the 5 on 3 they had for 40 seconds did nothing.  Semin just holds the puck?  Does he think the goalie is just going to slide out of the way?  Whatever.  Theo played fairly well, although it would have been nice to make the save on the second goal.  That may have changed things.  Who knows?

It was nice to have Federov back and Flash as well.  They both played well.  Fehr and Nylander were healthy scratches.  Federov apparently will not be playing in Montreal, so I expect Nylander to be back in.  Boyd Gordon was hurt in the warm-ups (back spasms) so I also expect Fehr to be playing as well with Laich centering a line.  Johnnie will probably be in goal given Theo’s performance.  We’ll see.  Hopefully, the Caps will win the game as they have left 4 points on the table against the Blue Jackets.

Thoughts?