Vezna Varly and the Caps Survive Game 5

The Caps should have put this series away long ago, but their lack of offense has the Rangers looking like the better team and have the Caps hanging on for their hockey lives. In Game 5 the offense finally came alive and the Caps cruised to victory, forcing a Game 6 in New York on Sunday. Part of the problem so far for the Caps is they only show up when they want to. If the Caps played the way they did tonight in Game 2, this series is over, but instead they play passive hockey and seem to wait until it their backs are against the wall to play their best hockey. The key to tonight's win was they jump on the Rangers early and when the Caps score first they rarely lose. Another key for the Caps was they got secondary scoring in the form of Matt Bradley who had two goals tonight against King Henry after getting shut out in his first fifteen games against the net minder. Everything went right tonight in DC and the Caps need the same performance in New York if they are to have any chance at all in this series and while it's a still a long shot, if the Caps can come back to win this series I feel bad for the team they meet in Round 2.

After Loss, Game 2 Becomes A Must Win

Please, feel bad for me, I'm a Capitals fan. The Caps had huge expectations going into the playoffs this year and while the playoffs are far from over, the Caps sure didn't help themselves by losing 4-3 at home in their first game against the Rangers. Losing the first game means game 2 becomes a must win because they certainly don't want to go to New York down 2-0 in the series. Theodore was bad, the defense was bad and quite frankly I feel this Caps team will be lucky if they get out of the first round alive. Theodore MUST be at the top of his game because anyone familiar with the Caps knows their defense is horrible. Ovechkin showed up, as did Semin, but the playoffs require everyone showing up and playing at the top of their game. The Caps dominated on face offs, but allowed two power play goals to a team that converted slightly over 13 percent during the regular season. The Caps haven't won a playoff series since 1998 and aren't likely to win one this year if they keep up with the lackluster play they showed tonight, so please if you know a Caps fan, send them a get well soon card, or maybe give them the number to a suicide prevention line because right now they need it. Game 2 is Saturday, so I plan on having a horrible Saturday following mass amounts of alcohol followed by bad decisions. Thanks Caps for another letdown, but hey, at least you're good at something.

P.S. this will be my last blog here, but you can visit me at "I'mnowaPensfan.com"

There is more than chocolate coming out of Hershey

Every NHL team talks about depth, whether it be depth on the bench or throughout the organization and there is no other team in the league with more depth than the Caps. The Caps have used 40 different players this year and are most likely going to finish second in the Eastern Conference and are challenging team records in wins and points. With all of the injuries and players the Caps have used this year you would have expected them to be battling it out with the Islanders for John Tavares in the upcoming draft. The call ups out of Hershey have been so good this year that many around Washington want them in the lineup next week when the playoffs start. Perhaps the most impressive call up has been goaltender, Simeon Varlamov who has filed in for the injured Brent Johnson beautifully going 4-0-1 with a 2.37 GAA and a .918 save percentage. The Caps are one of the league's best this year, but an even better team awaits. Just think, Ovie, Green, and Backstrom haven't hit their prime yet and with the full-time addition of Karl Alzner and Varlamov, the Caps will be scary good for many years to come.

Powerplay Powerful, But Other Questions Remain

To make a long run in the playoffs teams need great goal tending and a powerful power play. While the jury is still out on the Caps goal tending, the Caps are guilty of having one of the league's best power plays and I think, the best power play unit in Ovie, Semin, Backstrom and Green. The Caps rank second in the league on the power play and in the last two games alone have five power play goals. The last time I remember something being that potent I was in the Cologne department of Bloomingdales. Last year's playoff birth was a surprise and the Caps fell just short of going to the second round, but this year the team was expected to go to playoffs and with the offensive firepower to take down any team, the only question that remains is how well will Jose and the D holdup against the league's best.

Caps Can't Capture 1st

With the regualr season coming to an end teams are battling for playoff positioning and the Caps are right in the thick of things. If the season ended today the Caps would play the Penguins, which would have Bettman counting his lucky stars, but the Caps could realistically be in first place in the Eastern Conference, but their subpar play of late has kept them fighting for second with the Devils. A dance with Sid the Kid could be dangerous, especially given the fact that the Penguins have always given the Caps problems in the playoffs. The Caps seem to be coasting into the playoffs, but a little more effort and energy could make the road to the cup much easier.

Caps Will Go Where Theo Takes Them

The Caps were one of four teams to do absolutely nothing before the trade deadline. Only time will tell if GMGM made a good move by not making a move. McPhee said teams were interested in the Caps future first line D-man Karl Alzner. Alzner is the type of D-man Caps fans would be crossing their fingers to get at the deadline once he develops in a few years, so not moving him was wise.
For the Caps to be true competitors, the kind of team that can go head to head with the Sharks or Wings and beat them four times in seven games, their greatest gain will have to come in the form of Jose Theodore. Sure a Pronger or Bouwmeester would have boosted the blue line, but Cups are won on the heels of a hot goaltender. Theo is going to have be at his best for the Caps to legitimately contend and wouldn't it be a shame to give up a future solid first line Defenseman like Alzner to have Theo fall flat and the Caps make an early exit. So give McPhee's decision time to play out, in a year or two this deadline day could look like a winner.

Caps/Pens Rivalry Heats Up

Ovechkin and Crosby had a date in the district this weekend and I have a hunch they won't be making googly eyes at each other anytime soon, in fact, they appear to hate each other. The Caps/Pens rivalry has been a good one over the years and it's only getting better, which is good news for the league. The NHL needs Ovechkin and Crosby to generate ratings and their hatred towards each other leads to great hockey, which, you guessed it, leads to ratings. The game yesterday afternoon saw the Caps send the Penguins waddling (get it?) back to Pittsburgh and it looks like the Pens may miss out on the playoffs just one year after going the finals; shh, if you're quiet enough you can hear Gary Bettman crying himself to sleep. Before Boudreau the Caps were 1-7-1 in recent years against the Pens, with Sid the Kid outdeuling Ovie, but since Boudreau the Caps are 4-1-1 and 3-0 this season, with Ovie moving ahead of Crosby and establishing himself as the best in the league. The Caps and Penguins have hated each other for years and with the addition of Sid The Kid and Ovie into the mix, the rivalry has just begun.

Is Number 42 Number 1?

Four years in the league and Ovechkin still has tricks up his sleeve. On Wednesday night Ovie scored his 42nd goal of the year and possibly the best goal of his career. No, I haven't just awaken from a coma and think it's January 17th, 2006, one day after "The Goal" in Phoenix, and yes I'm fully aware of how great that goal was, but this was better. The goal Wednesday night, against Montreal, showed why Sid may be the face of the league, but Ovechkin's the soul. On that magical evening in Phoenix Ovie was full speed ahead from the neutral zone as Coyoties defender Paul Mara skated backwards playing defense. The play then developed into a two on one and with goalie Brian Boucher confident Mara had Ovie covered, played for the pass, well, the rest you could say is history and had many thinking Ovie would never top it. Fast forward to February 18, 2009, the day of "The Goal, Pt. 2," but this isn't your ordinary lame sequel where your favorite actor was replaced because they were in rehab or "retired from making movies", this was even better than the first. The goal started as Ovie was in the neutral zone skating backwards, he then passes, behind his back, the puck off of the boards to himself, has enough speed to beat a defender who has had forward momentum from the neutral zone the entire time, then on top of that (insert crazy movie music that builds as you head towards the climax) he has enough skill to control the puck and score as he is taken to the ice and then he tops it off by celebrating as he is sliding on the ice. Alex Ovechkin continues to amaze and the only fans still saying Ovie takes a back seat to Crosby as the league's best are die hard Pens fan, well, them and Bettman, who I heard cuddles with a lifesize Crosby doll everynight before he goes to bed.

Going Green Has Been Going Great

Caps fan have known for a couple of years what the rest of the league is finding out, Mike Green is good. The Caps defensemen had a breakout season last year with 18 goals and 56 points and this year he has already surpassed his goal totals and is rapidly approaching his point totals of last year. Green is currently going through a streak the NHL hasn't seen since 1983-84 when Boston's Mike O'Connel scored in seven straight games. Green tied that mark in last night's disappointing shoot-out loss and will get his chance at history Saturday when the Caps are in Tampa. Mike leads all NHL defenseman in goals and points and if he still leads at the end of the season, will have done what only Sergei Gonchar came close to doing seven years ago, leading NHL defenseman in scoring at the end of the season while a Washington Capital.

Going Green really does seem to help the environment, at least the environment at the Verizon Center as Green and Ovechkin have helped to sell out the Verizon Center 16 times this year, but all of that environment warming has caused the ice surface to be a bit choppy at the Phone Booth, with, at times, temperatures in the building measuring 62 degrees and 42 percent humidity, two degrees higher than the NHL recommended temperatures of 60 degrees and 40 percent humidity. This has some Caps to go as far as saying that's why the team has been plagued with so many injuries this year, but enough of that, this is a pleasant post. The city hasn't been this excited about hockey in a very long time and I have a feeling the best is yet to come. The Caps finally have enough depth to make a legitimate run in the playoffs and run, or, er, skate they will.

Special Teams Not So Special

As I sit in section 431 tonight at the Verizon Center watching the Caps and Panthers I noticed again in this game what has been a growing problem in recent weeks--special teams. Lately a Caps power play means two minutes of quality scoring chances for the other team and the first power play for the Caps, a double minor, was yet again another glowing example of playoff problems to come. A lapse in the Caps defense led to a break away for the Panthers followed by a Mike Green tripping penalty. The Caps have, for the most part, gotten away with poor power plays, but they should schedule tee times for early May if they can't correct the problem.

Ovie Needs The "C"

Remember when captain Chris Clark used to be an asset to the Caps? It's okay if you don't, I have a hard time remembering things so far in the past as well. I guess when things are bad, they're really bad for Clark who will undergo season ending surgery Thursday to repair his ailing wrist. Clark will once again be forced to end his season prematurely after playing just 32 games (Clark played in just 18 games because of an injury last season). With Clark out for the season and ineffective when he was in the lineup, the time is right for a change in captaincy for the Caps and the team should look no further than superstar Alex Ovechkin. A captain is called upon to lead a team on and off the ice, to stick up for his teammates on the ice and to step up and be a game changer when needed, something The Great 8 does every single game. His first two years in Washington Clark was that guy, a dominate presence on the ice and an offensive threat, putting up some impressive numbers, scoring 20 and 30 goals respectively, but Clark has been anything but effective since. Clark was made the captain based on his experience and leadership skills, but that was before Ovechkin matured into the player he is today. Ovie is who the fans pay to see and he delivers night after night. This is Ovechkin's team.

Caps A Contender At Last

So sue me, it has been awhile since my last post, blame it on the holidays. Since my last post I've finished my semester at school, been visited by Santa (seriously, he's real)and perhaps more importantly, I have stopped making my Theodore voodoo doll. Theodore must think he's still in Colorado and it's the second half of last season because he is playing stellar hockey and is making the fans in Washington forget all about traitor, oh sorry, I mean Huet. The Caps have stepped up their play, fought through numerous injuries and have come out on top...almost. The Caps are second in the east and fourth overall, but have the longest current winning streak in the league at seven. The Caps are virtually unbeatable at home (18-1-1) and look like they will skate away with a second consecutive Southeast Division title. The days of 70 points are over, the Caps have their eyes on Lord Stanley.