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.

Caps Clawed

The Caps lost their first game in regulation at home tonight to none other than the miserable Florida Panthers. It could have been against the Sharks or the Red Wings, but the Caps lost to Florida, giving them a home record of 9-1-1 and a major blow to their confidence. With a win tonight, the Caps could have been five points ahead of Carolina giving them some breathing until the likes of Green and Semin returned. Tonight's game was a blackout date so it was not on TV, therefore I did not see it...obviously, but I did notice the Caps let up three goals in the second period, effectively washing away their lead and any chance of a victory. This is concerning. Yes, the Caps have a depleted blue line, but Theodore must be there to shut the door, 10 saves on 13 shots through two periods is unacceptable, heck, I could accidentally get in the way of the puck that often too. Losing to Florida is unacceptable when you have been so dominant at home. The Caps were lucky last year when their blue line faced minimal injuries, but this year it is time for guys to step up, for the unsung heroes to make a name for themselves. The playoffs would be nice this year, but getting through an injury riddled regular season is the first step and to do that, all Caps, not just the three or four stars, must elevate their game.

After Two Cups In Five Years, Southeast Still The Weakest

Tampa Bay did it in 2004 and Carolina followed in 2006, but even after winning those Stanley Cups, the Southeast Division is still viewed as the weakest in the East. Over the last five full seasons (04-05 was the lockout) only seven appearances were made in the playoffs by teams from the Southeast Division, four from the Lightning, two from the Caps, one from Atlanta and Carolina and none for the lowly Florida Panthers, which the Caps play tonight. We all know the Caps have had some miserable seasons the past few years, but they have turned the corner and are touted by The Hockey News as the most exciting team in the NHL, with two of the best players in the league in Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin. Last year Carolina and the Caps did their best to draw as much attention to the division as possible when they were involved in a fight to the finish, with the Caps edging out the Canes for the final playoff spot in the final day of the season. This year, the Caps and Carolina are at it once again with only three points separating them in the standings. The East is below the West and the Southeast is least in the East, but the Caps are holding their own and the rivalry they have with the Canes is certainly giving rise to new interest in a forgotten division.

Caps Convincing At Home

So after a road trip to forget, the Caps came home and won two straight in convincing fashion to go 9-0-1 at home this season. All the more impressive were those games were won with call ups from Hershey, five of them to be exact. Just two years ago the Capitals were the laughing stock of the league working on their second consecutive 70-point season...my how far they've come. Now, some are calling the Capitals contenders and, while that may be a stretch, the Caps certainly are a playoff team no one would want to meet in the first round. Being able to pull out two victories with as many injuries as they have, yes at home and yes one against the Thrashers, still, is impressive and makes me think the Capitals are going to be contending for many years to come. The prospects have looked great and Theodore seems to have finally come around, posting his first shutout of the season against Montreal. It is still early, but the Caps are notorious slow starters and this year they have come out of the gate taking no prisoners and that has me very excited. The Caps are skating in Columbus tonight, I hope for more of the same.

Ovechkin Has Huge Night, But Theodore Was The Difference

Facing a four game losing streak, the Caps came up big tonight, beating Atlanta 5-3 at home. Ovechkin had a huge night with his sixth career hat trick, but it was Jose Theodore who was the difference...yes, Theodore. Jose has been inconsistent at best this year and he has many Caps fans missing Christobal Huet, but tonight he was the Theodore the Caps needed. Jose made a huge save very early in the game to stave off his team going down 1-0, giving the Caps the momentum they needed to score two quick goals. Theodore, at times, has been nothing short of unbelievable this year and other times, well, not so much. Tonight he was consistent, making the stops he needed to. With the Caps having eight, yes eight, injured players, Theo and Ovie made sure the Caps stayed the only team in the Eastern Conference not to lose in regulation at home, but without Theo coming up big in the first and again in the third to keep the momentum with the Caps, who knows what may have happened. Another pleasant surprise tonight were the newcomers from Hershey, they played steady, fundamental hockey, exactly what the Caps needed them to do. All in all it was a good win for the Caps, but Friday they face a bigger test when the 2009 All-Star team comes to town...oh, sorry, I mean the Montreal Canadians.

Fan Voting Must Go

So, with fan voting well under way for this year's All-Star game, it should be obvious to everyone but Canadian's fans that fans should not have a say in who makes the roster and who doesn't. Currently, Montreal fans have voted in droves and, if voting stopped today, would have filled the six starting Eastern conference roster spots with Candadians. This is nonsense, the NHL needs to do away with letting the fans vote next year, or at the very least, let the fans voice their opinions in another way. A possible solution, one that makes a whole lot more sense, is the NHL, maybe GMs, choose who will appear at the game and then the fans could vote on who is in the starting lineup. This way guys who are deserving will make it to the game and then the fans can feel like they have a say by voting who starts; everybody wins. If I wanted to see the six starting spots filled by Canandians, wouldn't I just watch a Montreal game? Yes. I know it's Montreal's 100th season in the league, but this is just too much. The All-Star game is the NHL's chance to showcase its talent and the game and by having all the East's spots filled by Canadians, well, it's an injustice to the league and to the true fans of the game. Obviously you want to see some representation from your favorite team, but the fans, well, most of them anyway, realize this is a big night for hockey and they want ALL deserving talent to be on display, that, and it makes for a much more enjoyable viewing experience for the eight of us with the Versus network. Come on Gary, get with it.

Hershey Coming to Town

The Caps announced today that they have called up four players from Heshey, forwards Graham Mink and Chris Bourque, along with defenseman Karl Alzner (finally) and Sami Lepisto. I had a hunch that Alzner and Lepisto would be called up, but the two forwards were a surprise considering the amount of cap space the Caps have. Regardless, Karl Alzner is finally coming to town and that has me very excited. The Caps have touted this guy from the beginning and due to cap space he hasn't played in DC yet, but tonight is the night. Tonight's game should be very entertaining given the new lineup, but I don't think as entertaining as last year's Thrash/Caps pre-Thanksgiving match, a game in which I attended..."Fire Hanlon, Fire Hanlon." Remember? That was the beginnning of the end for Hanlon, who I heard is now selling corn on the cob along various roads throughout the country and the beginning of the beginning...or..uh...something like that for Mr. Bruce Boudreau. Unfortunately I wil not be at tonight's game, which is ashame because I have never been able to see a Hershey Bears game. I may not watch the game tonight either, I need to go brush up on my hockey skills, if the Caps keep going this way they may need to post sign up sheets asking people to volunteer to play a couple games here and there. Good luck Caps...you'll need it.

More Injuries (Updated)

So, my earlier post outlining all the Caps injuries; add Chris Clark to the list. The Caps captain hasn't come close to living up to his 2006-7 30 goal season...I forgive you if you thought he was already injured, for he has been almost non-existent on the ice this season. The former Calgary Flame missed 64 games due to injuries last year and apparently he will be missing some more this year. To elaborate on my thoughts from earlier, why not put Clark on the LTIR list and call up a young lad or two from Hershey who would play hard day in and day out trying to earn a roster spot? According to HockeyBuzz.com, Clark's salary takes up close to $2.4 million in cap room, which would leave just enough room to call up coveted defenseman Karl Alzner ($1.675 million) and Sami Lepisto ($700,000). This assuming Fedorov is back soon, which would make up for the lost forward in Clark. In a perfect world this would be how things happened, but then again, if we lived in a perfect world, Clark would be contributing like he did two years ago and the Caps would be injury free.

Shultz Injured, Now Caps In Cap Trouble

With all the recent injuries the Capitals have suffered, the team finds themselves in quite a bind. The Caps were forced to shift Brooks Laich, a forward, to the back end during the third period of last night's Wild game after Shultz left with a broken finger. The problem for the Caps now is going to be calling up players to fill the holes without exceeding the salary cap. An injured player must first be placed on long term injured reserve to free up his salary, which is a minimum of ten games, or 24 days, which ever comes first. The only player who may possibly fall under that category would be Shultz, who makes $750,000 a season, who is listed as "week to week." Without a player being placed on LTIR the Caps may find themselves having to deal a player in order to be able to call someone up from Hershey and fit under the cap. With Shultz's salary the Caps could only call up defenseman Sami Lepisto and not highly coveted prospect Karl Alzner. The Caps are in a tough situation, which was only made worse by the Shultz injury. It will be interesting to see how the Caps navigate the waters in order to fill roster spots, but they must do it quickly as the Atlanta Thrashers visit the phone booth tomorrow night.

Injuries Too Much to Overcome

With the loss against the Wild tonight, the Caps finished just 1-3 on their roadtrip. When healthy, the Caps are one of the most potent offensive teams in the league, but with all of the injuries they have suffered, this trip has been one to forget. Among the injured, Alex Semin, Mike Green, Sergei Fedorov, and now, Jeff Shultz, who is listed as week to week with a broken finger. Alex Semin was second in the league in points when he was injured, an injury GM George McPhee a week ago called, "not serious". The "upper body injury" seems to have been a little more serious than he first claimed. Mike Green, who had the most goals by a defenseman last year, was a major blow to the Caps blueline and now with Shultz missing, the Caps are without their top two defensmen, ouch. The Caps will be fine when they are healthy again, until then, they must weather the storm and try to earn as many points as possible.

Classic Commercials? Gone.

So as I watched the Caps go down in humiliating defeat to the mighty Sharks this weekend, I was annoyed at something other than their play; the commercials. You know, the same six commercials we have to watch every game. If that Pulte Homes song is a choice at the next karaoke event I go to, I've all but won. Or even worse, that very catchy, but annoying to the point that I would never purchase a Toyota, "Saved By Zero" song by The Fixx, ugh, terrible. Sure, you and your perm danced the night away to new wave back in the day, but it doesn't mix with selling a Toyota. So, I got to thinking, what happened to the good old days of Olie Kolzig and his wife celebrating their anniversary only to have Olie pour the wine down his face like he would his water bottle, or the one where the caps are at the urinal and Ron Wilson is timing them as if he were timing their shifts? Those were the days when you didn't mind watching the Caps look like they were a good minor league team against a powerhouse NHL team. The ones last year where the guys were being examined by a doctor followed by a corny line or two were terrible and this year with Boudreau selling a Mercedes...funny the first time, well,okay, made me smile the first time, but now, I'd rather turn on QVC and make fun of the people trying to sell me something that would change my life. Come on Caps, bring back the good commercials, it would help to keep your viewer's sanity.

Ovechkin Still Contributing

Just a few weeks ago, many of us were wondering when Alex Ovechkin would finally score again. At some point in your life you may have heard your father ask this very question in reference to himself, but this was bigger, much bigger. How could a player who scored 65 goals just one year ago have just two goals in 11 games, a pace that would have given him just 15 goals for the year? While fantasy team owners cried themselves to sleep, I, for one, was looking on the bright side. While Ovechkin was scoring as much as your grandfather, he was assisting like he was Adam Oates. Just a year ago, he had 47 assists, a respectable number, but this year he is on pace to have 72 by the end of the season. Also, Alex is plus-14 so far this year, putting him on pace to be a plus 67 by season's end...holy cow Batman! The point being, Alex didn't score much early on, but he was contributing in other ways. He has become not only an offensive threat, but also, someone who can contribute defensively as well, so much so that Boudreau used him on the penalty kill early in the season. Ovechkin is the greatest player in the league (Sorry Bettman, we all know you wish Sid was YOUR kid) and will continue to be as he grows and develops for many years to come.

Caps/Anaheim Recap

The Caps started their trip out west in ideal fashion Wednesday night when they beat the Anaheim once mighty Ducks 6-4. Those who weren't able to nap during the day may have missed this late starter, but for those of you who watched saw the Caps jump out to a very early 3 goal lead only to see it cut to a single goal before the end of the first period. The Ducks are the most penalized team in the NHL and the Caps capitalized (say that 10 times) early, scoring two powerplay goals before the game was four minutes old. Backstrom continued his torrid pace by following shortly with a great backhand shot past Anaheim goalie Jonas Miller, who was pulled less than eight minutes into the game, a far cry from his shutout performance against the LA Kings on Sunday. All was peachy for the Caps, until Anaheim stormed back by putting two past Theodore, who played a very average game (which begs the question, Theodore or Johnson?) My concern after the first period was, the Caps came out strong, but they need to maintain pressure and seal the deal early. Granted, the second goal from Anaheim was scored even though the Caps had some decent defensive coverage, but still, the Caps need to go into the locker room with at least a two goal lead. Anaheim is struggling at home this season, but the Caps are just two days away from playing the San Jose Sharks, a team that refuses to lose at home this season (10-0-1). It was a nice win for the Caps, but I fear they will not be so lucky at the Shark Tank on Saturday. You play with Sharks, you lose an arm...or in this case, some standings points.