Japers' Rink

Finding That Dahlen In the Rough: The Busts and the Best of McPhee's Reclamation Projects

2009-11-20T16:00:13Z

by Gregory Smith - AP

Early success earned Capitals GM George McPhee a reputation for discovering and fulfilling "reclamation projects." There's no fixed definition for the scope of that category of player, but my working definition would be: acquisitions of established NHLers once known or projected as being at least modestly gifted and who, following either significant injury or prolonged struggles, or both, are given another chance to demonstrate that they've got something left in the tank.

More so than ever in the salary cap era, when nearly every contending franchise must push its payroll near the cap ceiling to accommodate the varied needs of a would-be champion, a successful reclamation project, ideally one that entails limited financial risk, is a key component of a winning team. It's almost as important as astute drafting and trade deadline swaps.

So, we've compiled a list of McPhee's top five best reclamation projects, and top five busts. First, the busts.

"The Busts"

5. Sergei Berezin - Left Wing

Berezin's arrival in Washington, at the 2002-03 trading deadline, and subsequent performance encapsulates all of the ways in which the "Jagr plan" went horribly wrong in D.C. He fit squarely into the same category as the offensive corps of skilled but one-dimensional forwards seemingly just past their prime, adding to the developing "country club" atmosphere in Washington.

Dealt by Chicago for the Caps' 4th round selection in the 2004 draft (defenseman R.J. Anderson, who never played in an NHL game), Berezin's acquisition otherwise cost the remainder of his season's salary. And, with the Blackhawks, he began to regain the scoring touch for which he was known in Toronto, when he potted 37 goals in the 1998-99 season. He scored a goal in each of his first three games as a Capital and looked like he could be a real playoff force. But a mysterious arm ailment dogged him in April, and he was invisible in the post-season, tallying only a single assist in the disastrous first round playoff exit versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. He never played in another NHL contest after that, instead signing with CSKA Moscow the following December.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
2002-03 (Caps only)	9	5	4	9	10	4	0	0	2	28	17.9	15:41

4. Joe Murphy - Right Wing

Murphy can lay claim to two of the most prized accomplishments of a hockey player's career: (i) being selected 1st overall in an NHL draft (Detroit, 1986) and (ii) winning a Stanley Cup (Edmonton, 1990). And he didn't get his name engraved on the chalice by accident: he scored six goals and 14 points in 22 playoff games that championship spring, on the "kid line" with Adam Graves and Martin Gelinas. In this respect, he was quite a successful reclamation project for then-Oilers GM Glen Sather, who rescued the "talented misfit" from an impatient Red Wings fan base. After reaching an offensive peak two seasons later, his career began to unravel. He played for four different teams and, in November of 1999, was suspended by Boston for insubordination.

McPhee took a chance and signed him in February of 2000, but he proved uncoachable. And uncontrollable.

From the Washington City Paper:

In December of 2000, an injured Murphy accompanied the team to New York City for a match with the Rangers. After the game, he and some teammates went out for a team-sponsored dinner and according to court documents drank a lot of beer and vodka before moving on to a club and drinking more. At the end of the night, Murphy tried to convince a woman to get in his limo, only to get cracked across the head with a bottle by the woman’s male companion. Days later, Murphy was assigned to the team’s minor-league affiliate in Lowell, Mass.; Murphy refused to report to Lowell, was suspended by the team, and never played professional hockey again.

He even filed a workman's comp claim for injuries sustained as a result of that altercation, as long time Rink readers may recall. Read and enjoy.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
1999-00 (Caps only)	29	5	8	13	8	53	1	0	2	50	10	14:27
2000-01	14	1	5	6	-5	20	1	0	0	22	4.5	12:31

3. Stephane Richer - Right Wing

Richer, who colorfully wore #44 throughout most of his 421 NHL goal career, is a legend in both Montréal and New Jersey, winning the Cup in both locales. Not so amongst the Capitals faithful. McPhee inked him in late August of 2000, looking to fill a perennial scoring hole in the lineup. He didn't make it out of camp, deciding instead to retire, and accrocher ses patins. Or did he? One year later, he signed with Pittsburgh and scored 13 goals and 25 points in 58 games, before being dealt to New Jersey for a final twirl in the Garden State.

2. Andrew Cassels - Center

Bereft of capable bodies to pivot a scoring line coming out of the lockout, particularly one to dish to rookie Alex Ovechkin, McPhee signed a Hartford Whalers legend in Cassels to a one year, $1.5 million deal. Things started out well enough for a team just looking to compete on a nightly basis, but the faster post-lockout game was a bit too much for the former 1st rounder (Montréal, 1987). He was released by January of 2006, registering only two assists in his final ten games as a Capital, and as a NHLer. Though the salary cap was far from an issue for the Caps in those days, McPhee and Cassels negotiated a full release, obviating the need for the player to report to the American league or the team to play the remainder of his salary.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
2005-06	31	4	8	12	-3	14	2	0	0	29	13.8	13:13

1. Jeff Friesen - Left Wing

Like the Cassels signing, Friesen was acquired by trade in September of 2005 with New Jersey (for Washington's 3rd round selection in 2006 -- Kirill Tulupov) to bring some scoring punch to a squad largely stripped of offensive skill prior to the lockout. Another winger with Devils Stanley Cup pedigree, McPhee thought Friesen had another 20-goal campaign in him. Instead, inconsistency and groin troubles limited him to 33 games, and just 7 points, in a Caps uniform through March. Perhaps worst of all, he wore (and was permitted to wear) #12.

The salary cap-strapped Devils were able to dump his salary on Washington, but McPhee managed to essentially turn a 3rd round pick into a 2nd rounder (Keith Seabrook), when he, in turn, dealt Friesen to Anaheim.

After a final, dismal 2006-07 campaign in Calgary, Friesen retired in February of 2008, at the age of 31, Cup ring on hand.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
2005-06 (Caps only)	33	3	4	7	-11	24	0	0	0	64	4.7	14:45

Now, we turn the corner. And two of these five "best" are yours to enjoy on the current roster.

"The Best"

5. Matt Bradley - Right Wing

With his recent heroics at the Garden, it's fitting that we start with Brads. We appreciate that including Bradley in a list of "modesty gifted" skaters may be a bit of a stretch. His Legends of Hockey bio does refer to him as "an offensively gifted forward," and he tallied 33 goals and 83 points in his final junior season. So there's that.

Signed in the frenzied days of August 2005, as teams such as the Caps scrambled to ice a competitive team following a pre-lockout purge, Bradley has emerged into a fixture on the Caps' checking line, part folk hero, part timely playoff goal scorer, all buzzsaw charging down the wing. The Professor is one of those glue guys, the heart-and-soul, whatever you want to call him. He's a bridge between the collective memory of hard-working Caps teams that wore the "old school" stars and stripes and the offensively explosive squad of today. And he's inspiring a new generation of fans.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
2008-09	81	5	6	11	-1	59	0	0	1	98	5.1	10:37
2009-10 to date	21	4	5	9	4	17	0	0	1	27	14.8	12:20

4. Sergei Fedorov - Center

The Legend was relieved from Columbus Blue Jackets purgatory by McPhee at the March 2008 trading deadline and helped guide the franchise to its first playoff appearance in five years. He was the cultural liaison for the dynamic duo of the Alexes, credited particularly with guiding Alex Semin toward becoming a more complete player (if not instilling in him a greater conservatism and hockey sense). And Fedorov's goal alone in Game 7 of the first round series last April against the Rangers, propelling Washington to its first playoff series win in over a decade, was perhaps alone worth his $4 million salary for 2008-09.

It's also noteworthy that Feds became the most prolific Russian-born goal scorer in the NHL (finishing last season with 483 career goals) in a Caps sweater.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
2007-08 (Caps only)	18	2	11	13	-2	8	1	0	1	34	5.9	18:16
2008-09	52	11	22	33	4	50	2	0	2	118	9.3	16:31

3. Brian Bellows - Left Wing

Lodged in my memory forever is Steve Kolbe's warbly shout over the radio waves in overtime of Game 6 of the 1998 first round playoff series, versus Boston: "Brian Bellows caught Bryon Dafoe napping! It's a five-hole goal!" McPhee signed the former North Star great in late March of that spring, when he was toiling for the Berlin Capitals. His production had dropped precipitously since 1993-94, but McPhee's signing gave BB a second life. He played 21 games in the playoffs during that one and only magical Cup run, and tallied six goals and 13 points. Among those 6 post-season tallies was a GTG in the third period of Game 3 of the Finals, knotting the score at one, and sending the Verizon (née MCI) Center crowd into a frenzy, the volume of which this fan has heard matched, possibly, only by the roar of the home crowd watching 2008's first-round game seven against the Flyers.

That following season of 1998-99, however, was a bust for just about every player in a Caps uniform.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
1997-98	11	6	3	9	-3	6	5	0	2	26	23.1	N/A
1998-99	76	17	19	36	-12	26	8	0	3	166	10.2	15:14

2. Brendan Morrison - Center

This one of our "best" is, admittedly, still a project in progress. But so far, B-Mo has exceeded most everyone's expectations. He's developing into, quite literally, a pivotal role player on the power play. And in scoring at least a point in 13 of 21 games to date, anchoring the second line, he's providing legitimate second pivot production befitting a Cup-contending club.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
2009-10 to date	21	6	10	16	8	14	2	0	0	31	19.4	16:47

1. Ulf Dahlen - Center

After striking oil with Brian Bellows, McPhee went back to the European well again, signing another former North Star standout in center Ulf Dahlen in August of 1999. Dahlen was skating for HV 71 Jonkoping in the Swedish Elite League, and hadn't played in an NHL game since the spring of 1997. Dahlen anchored a checking line with Jeff Halpern and Steve Konowalchuk, a trio that some in Caps land have declared the greatest checking unit in franchise history. While not translating into any playoff success, Dahlen dazzled fans during the 1999-00 season with his impressive ability to cycle the puck deep, and his trademark open pivot skating style around the net, en route to a 26-7-8 team record at home. And he almost never committed a bad penalty, instead drawing many himself.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
1999-00	75	15	23	38	11	8	5	4	106	14.2	12:40
2000-01	73	15	33	48	11	6	6	2	145	10.3	14:48
2001-02	69	23	29	52	-5	8	7	4	141	16.3	16:09

So there you have it. You win some, you lose some. Interestingly, there are no defensemen on this list.

Did we miss any? Disagree on the ordering? Hit us up in the comments.

Friday Caps Clips: Canadiens @ Caps Game Day

2009-11-20T11:46:45Z

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

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Your savory breakfast links:

Previews of tonight's Caps/Habs tilt from NHL.com and Peerless, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner Habs Eyes On The Prize for coverage from the other side of tonight's match up.
The Caps will be without Alexander Semin, Mike Knuble, Boyd Gordon and Quintin Laing tonight, and will likely also not have Jose Theodore, Shaone Morrisonn and Milan Jurcina available.
Prized blueline prospect John Carlson is set to make his NHL debut tonight after being recalled yesterday. [Dump and Chase, CSN Washington, Washington Post, Washington Times]
More on Theodore. [Washington Times]
A couple of Verizon Center thrillers and a Jose Theodore picture that never gets old are among the highlights of the decade's ten best games. [Puck Daddy]
Matt Bradley Week continues #needsmorebradley. [D.C. Sports Bog, Peerless]
Some (more) well-deserved praise for Brendan Morrison. [CBC]
From the "If you say so, Larry" file: Brian Pothier is one of at least four mean Capitals defensemen. [NY Post]
You had me at "Washington Capitals Sparklines." [Missing Monkey Head]
Wondering where the Caps stack up in terms of man-games lost to injury so far? [From the Rink]
A tender moment, captured and uploaded. [Flickr]
Speaking of candids, the three most outgoing Young Guns attended Wednesday night's Wiz game. [D.C. Sports Bog]
A look at the Caps at the quarter pole. [Puck Prospectus]
Arturs Irbe was back in his native Latvia to take part in the NHLPA's Goals & Dreams "10 countries in 10 days" tour. Wait, there's still an NHLPA? [NHLPA Goals & Dreams]
The words say "Malkin is FAR more important than Ovechkin," but what I read is "Crosby stinks." [Rock The Red.net]
Braden Holtby is back in Hershey and has a new mask. Spoiler alert: no more chocolate bars. [John Walton Hockey]
The Bears' special teams are the opposite of the Caps': awesome PK, lousy PP. [LDN]
Eric Mestery is back in Tri-City. Sweet? [Tri-City Herald]
Kids, Navy, Sylvain Cote and, of course, hockey. [The Capital]
Russia: gold medal favorites. Canada: wanting so badly to be able to play the underdog card. [The Hockey News]
Finally, per the HHoF, on this date ten years ago, the Caps "set an NHL record by going 12 consecutive games without allowing a power-play goal, in a 3-0 win at Boston. Craig Billington recorded his 100th career victory (and 8th career shutout)."

More Matt Bradley

2009-11-19T18:30:11Z

More photos » by Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP

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At the first ever Caps Convention earlier this fall, one of the highlights was watching as distinguished panelists Brooks Laich, David Steckel and Matt Bradley fielded rapid fire questions from some of the toughest interviewers around – kids.

After hard-hitting queries into their favorite breakfast cereal and how long they’d been playing hockey, one small participant stood up and asked them how many goals they wanted to score in the upcoming season.

"One more than Ovie," Laich joked.

Added Steckel, "probably at least 50 with this line."

And then all eyes were on Bradley. "I'm going to aim high," he said. "I'm going for ten."

It was a classic Matt Bradley joke, told with that modest, self-deprecating style that has endeared him to Capitals' fans since his arrival in DC right after the lockout. And yet with every game it seems more and more likely that his tongue-in-cheek prediction could come true – or even prove to be a vast understatement.

In his five seasons with the Caps, Bradley has performed his duties as one would expect. A good, steady, consistent fourth-liner, he's always been able to add a lot of grit and energy to the lineup while chipping in with the occasional goal or fight (or both).

But this year he seems to have a little more jump, a little more finish - and it shows in almost every area of his stats so far:

Season	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	SOG	S%	ATOI
2005-06	74	7	12	19	-8	72	87	8.0	12:36
2006-07	57	4	9	13	-5	47	77	5.2	11:55
2007-08	77	7	11	18	1	74	111	6.3	9:60
2008-09	81	5	6	11	-1	59	98	5.1	10:37
2009-10	21	4	5	9	4	17	27	14.8	12:20

After a strong postseason performance that saw him pick up his first two career playoff goals, Bradley has taken the momentum and translated it into a great start to the year. In just a quarter of the games played he's already within one goal and one assist of his entire total for last season; he's also only five goals away from his career best, coming back in 2002-03 when he was a second-year pro with the Sharks.

Bradley's also picked up his game in other areas, becoming a jack of all trades on a team that can use a few. He's shooting more and with better accuracy. He's increased his average ice time - a sure sign of trust from the coaching staff - by almost two minutes over last year. And he's become one of the team's best penalty-killers, and has more points per 60 minutes than either Alexander Semin or Brooks Laich - with considerably less skilled linemates.

But numbers don't always tell the whole tale, and they certainly don't with Bradley. What he brings to the team, on and off the ice, is exactly what you want from your role-players - grit, hockey smarts and the ability to lead by example. It's not hard to see why he's beloved by both teammates and fans alike.

Matt Bradley is never going to challenge Ovechkin for the scoring title or become a heavyweight fighter like Donald Brashear was. Yet none of us will soon forget Bradley's performance against the Rangers the other night. It was Bradley that people were talking about afterward. It was his momentum-changing, face-bloodying scrap against the Rangers' Aaron Voros, followed by his game-winning goal against one of the league's best netminders, that carried the discussion.

It takes a lot to overshadow Alex Ovechkin. In one game, with just two shifts, Matt Bradley did exactly that.

Caps recall Carlson

2009-11-19T15:13:53Z

Caps recall Carlson

"The Washington Capitals have recalled defenseman John Carlson from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today."

- Press Release

Thursday Caps Clips: Neuvirth To Get a Start?

2009-11-19T11:42:53Z

via Caps In Pictures

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Your savory breakfast links:

In case you missed it in the overnight, Tuvan published a translation of interviews with Alex Ovechkin and Semyon Varlamov following the Rangers game.
On the injury/other front, Jose Theodore might not be available this weekend (which would likely get Michal Neuvirth a start), Alexander Semin is also questionable for the two games and Quintin Laing is out up to six weeks with a broken jaw. Milan Jurcina is getting better, Boyd Gordon is not, and Shaone Morrisonn is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. I think that's everyone. [Washington Post, others]
The Bears have recalled Michael Dubuc from South Carolina and another forward from Kalamazoo of the ECHL. A sign of a recall (or two) from Hershey to D.C. for the weekend? [Patriot-News, @timleone)]
As mentioned above, Laing will be out up to six weeks with a broken jaw (but at least he got Fark'd for his efforts). Here's a look at part of what the next few weeks will look like for Q. [Peerless]
AO misses two weeks, still has nearly the most clutch goals in hockey this season. [The Hockey News]
As far as undersized pivots who have been pleasant surprises for the Caps this fall, Brendan Morrison has to be in the top two. [Washington Times]
Matt Bradley is probably the toughest environmentalist around... [National Geographic]
... and his legend grows. [Washington Times]
Is Brooks Laich the most underrated player in the League? [Bangin Panger]
Pierre LeBrun offers some (solicited) praise for Nicklas Backstrom. [ESPN]
Celebrating Bruce Boudreau's 100th win. [Rock The Red.net]
Speaking of Gabby, how do you name the League's top-nine coaches on the season so far and not have him on that list? [ESPN]
Apropos of nothing, Varly's win on Tuesday night pushed him into sole possession of 22nd in franchise history in wins, breaking a tie with Cristobal Huet and Craig Billington. He could be in the top-14 by New Year's and would need 22 more to be in the top-10 by season's end.
Since you've no doubt been wondering, Sergei Fedorov is currently fourth on his KHL team in scoring with four goals and nine assists in 23 games (and a team-best plus-ten rating) and Viktor Kozlov is tied for fifth on his team with five goals and ten assists in 25 games. And I hear it's really, really great over there and everyone's nice and it rains gumdrops (just in case Michael Nylander's reading).
There have gotta be scores of Canadian kids growing up and patterning their game after Alex Ovechkin (recall that kids like to rebel against their parents), but probably not as many Russian kids emulating Mike Green. Here's one. [NHL.com]
The Sabres have named former Cap Grant Ledyard Director of Youth Hockey Development. [Sabres]
Not directly Caps-related (though we all know the link), a nice story about a kid and one of his hockey coaches. [Autism Speaks via @CapsInPictures]
Finally, happy birthday to a couple of former Caps and Sabres - Ledyard turns 48 and Dean Melanson turns 36.

Alex Ovechkin: 'Those Two Weeks Lasted an Eternity'

2009-11-19T05:27:50Z

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

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Following the extremely satisfying win by the Capitals in MSG, Sport-Express correspondent Vasilij Osipov caught up with Alex Ovechkin and Semyon Varlamov and got their impressions on the game.

****

The main game-day event in the NHL was, without a doubt, the return to the ice of the best player in the league for the past two years, Alex Ovechkin. Or, more precisely, the meticulous conspiracy which accompanied this return. During the morning practice skate Alexander the Great estimated his chances at returning as "fifty-fifty". And with his acting abilities, the head coach of the Capitals could play a spy in a television series. Bruce Boudreau declared, with a tragic sigh, that Ovi probably wouldn't be able to play...

Things only started coming in focus during the pre-game warm-ups. Guest number 8 spent a lot of time warming up on the ice, doing a lot of stretches. After that, Ovi started taking shots at the net with defenseman Green passing him the puck. Just watching him, it didn't seem like the Russian had been sidelined for two weeks, so powerful were his trademark shots.

However, the Russian National Team leader did start out playing fairly cautiously. This continued until the midpoint of the first period, when Alexander laid out the powerful New York defender Marc Staal. The famous Madison Square Garden had built a massive wall against the trespasser, but Ovechkin wasn't going to be stopped now. He had undoubtedly gotten dialed into the game. And soon the Muscovite showed that it wasn't for naught that he had worked so hard on his shot during the warm-ups. After a bump pass from Mike Green during a power play, he shot the puck past Henrik Lundqvist's right hand corner with an almost imperceptible blast

OVECHKIN: ‘THE FIGHT WOKE US UP'

During the second period, Ovechkin found a diagonal pass from Captain Chris Clark, who shot it over to Green, and the pass was put home by Brooks Laich. Besides a goal in his first game after returning from his injury, Alexander also racked up seven hits, more than anyone else on either team. After the game, Alex answered some questions from your SE reporter.

Not a bad comeback after an injury, wouldn't you say?

"Yeah, it was really good to score in the very first period. It really helps your self-confidence. But I really have to hand it to our tough-guy, Bradley. Today we came out on the ice a little sleepy after a three-day rest. But his fight really woke up the team. We started moving and playing more forcefully. And he made a beautiful game-winning goal. Way to go!"

Is the fact that you played a defensive position during the power play connected with your injury?"

"No, it's just simply that Mo had been on the ice for a long time and was a little tired. Coach told me to move "up". As you saw, that brought us success since I was able to beat Lundqvist."

How do you feel physically?

"Outstanding! I can't wait to get back out on the ice. Those two weeks which I spent on the sidelines seemed like an eternity. Plus, I was able to return in the most well-known arena on earth. I really like to play here, because the fans create an unforgettable hockey atmosphere. It's really great that we were able to win, especially since we haven't won here for a long time."

It seemed like you were playing a little bit cautiously at the beginning of the game.

"You're right, I was a little afraid to make hard hits, I was feeling a little bit of psychological pressure. I was subconsciously worried about re-injuring myself. But after Staal got caught up under my arm, I realized that my injury wasn't going to bother me and I could play at full strength. Then I got back to my usual game. (smiles)"

So you could say that Ovechkin's injury is behind him?

"Yes, I feel great."

VARLAMOV: ‘SASHKA- WAY TO GO'

One of the heroes of the game, Washington goalkeeper Semyon Varlamov, also shared his impressions with your SE reporter.

How were you able to beat a usually super-aggressive team?

"We played really well today on defense and we took advantage of the few chances which we got."

Can you tell a difference in a game with Ovechkin and one without him?

"I think that the team had a certain amount of nervousness. But we saw how Ovi played at full strength and that gave us confidence. Today he started playing actively right from the start, making a goal on the power play, playing twenty minutes, always leading the team."

Did your heart skip a beat when you saw how Alex was making one hard hit after another?

"We knew that he had trained well, and his recovery went a lot faster than anticipated. So basically, Sashka- way to go! He always kept the pressure on their defense, he played selflessly and he led the team."

Was it a difficult victory?

"We were really sweating several times, thinking that the Rangers might find the game which they were demonstrating at the beginning of the season. I'm really glad that we were able to keep the advantage."

Red Is Blooming At the Garden

2009-11-18T18:30:20Z

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

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When anyone asks me what I miss most about my hometown having moved north to Gotham over nine years ago, three things immediately come to mind: the Black Cat; the C&O Canal; and the potential to attend every home Capitals game. It is, however, a small consolation that living here affords me the opportunity (sadly now just twice in a regular season) to hop on a subway and, in mere minutes, arrive at the entrance to the Garden and watch Les Capitals.

Yesterday, pulling over a home red Boyd Gordon gamer, I bounded out into the early evening darkness, consumed with thoughts of Alex Ovechkin's continued dominance at the "World's Most Famous Arena." While gentlemen and ladies in business suits dashed in every direction, obsessed with something else far less compelling, I strode through to the E train platform, just as the magic train to hockey paradise arrived.

Expecting to see a handful of Blueshirted straphangers, perhaps muttering something about Henrik Lundqvist deserving no special reverence unless he, as Mike Richter well before him, delivers another championship to Gotham, I spent my underground ride wholly unmolested. In fact, not a single passenger on the train was wearing Rangers accoutrement. Now, I understand that this is a big town, and that there are a myriad of transportation options to get a hockey fan to the arena. But it was not until I was nearly at the enemy gates that I observed event goers defiling themselves with Rangers jerseys.

As I stood before the gaping maw of the Garden swallowing the hordes of blue-clad patrons climbing the staircase beside the great marquee, waiting for my arena companion (himself a suburban Rangers fan), I made every effort to greet every red rocker in sight. This goodwill led to some mockery by Rangers fans, some of which clearly could not comprehend the genuine brother- and sisterhood that we have as citizens of Caps Nation. 'Tis a pity, that their game experience is so lacking.

Now while this multi-purpose arena has a palpable hockey history (Eddie Giacomin himself was in attendance and a nice tribute to him graced the jumbotron), I had forgotten the most annoying aspect of the experience of watching hockey at MSG: the open concourse. Ridiculous numbers of attendees (I won't call them fans) ambled by while the game progressed, mid-period, at a furious pace below. Cotton candy towers bobbed in front of my view. A two-on-one break was completely obscured by a soda vendor. And, oh yeah, when I think about hockey at the arena, I always crave a lemon ice. Shameful.

Several other attendees, in the lower bowl, rose and remained standing to carry on a conversation while the game proceeded. Apparently no true Ranger fan sits in a section lower than the 300 level, and the "I Am A Ranger" in-game promo revealed as much.

Last season I observed that Caps country was annexing some territory up here along the Northeast Corridor. That trend continued last night, as the arena on 34th Street was peppered (I couldn't resist) with Capitals faithful dressed in red. But I will say one thing about the Ranger fan at MSG: when things begin to turn well for the home team, the noise level organically rises to a level that instills a real fear that the floodgates will open at any moment. I could have perceived the Caps down several goals early, and Semyon Varlamov chased, solely by the force of will of the local supporters. Fortunately, it ended in dramatically different fashion, and the visitors went home happy.

How did the Ranger fan respond when I virtually lept into the air and shouted after Matt Bradley's roof job? With despondency, that's how. The men's room banter did elicit a pointed query: "Who the [Franceschetti] is Gordon?" To which I replied: "Is that a rhetorical question, or do you really want to know?" The intoxicated Ranger fan mind was incapable of fashioning an appropriate response.

During an intermission I shook hands with fellow Caps fans like a politician on the campaign trial, stopping to chat with one of them. My buddy asked if I knew the guy. In a way, yes. I knew all that I needed to know.

After the game, I hi-fived a handful of other Caps fans outside, including one fetching blonde not quite as hot as my wife. To which my buddy replied, jealous of the experience:

"If I was single, I'd be wearing a Caps jersey."

On my way home, waiting for the subway, I stood near a mother and young son, both festooned with Ranger blue. Mom asked her son: "Did you have a nice time?" The boy's response was inaudible, and I couldn't help noticing that he glanced upward at my red jersey with a certain wistfulness.

I remember the feeling, kid. Whether you're part of the red tide on 7th and F or invading the hockey infidels' cathedrals, it sure is fun these days to be a Caps fan.

Wednesday Caps Clips: Welcome Back, Ovi

2009-11-18T11:46:52Z

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

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Your savory breakfast links:

Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's win from Corey (blog, article), Tarik (blog, article), Vogs, Puck Daddy, Joe B., Ed Frankovic, Peerless, DC Landing Strip, OFB, Scotty Hockey (Rangers) and Blueshirt Banter (Rangers).
Steinz on Matt Bradley's night... [D.C. Sports Bog]
... and a related caption contest. [FanShot]
Quintin Laing's hard luck continues - a broken jaw blocking a puck. Um, ouch. [@cmasisak22, DC Landing Strip with a tribute]
Nice Alex Ovechkin profile by Chris Botta over at Da House, but, believe it or not, youth hockey existed in and around D.C. before AO arrived. [FanHouse]
Why FiOS is irking many a Caps fan. [Mike Holden's blog]
"10 Things You Should Know About... Mike Green." [Capitals]
Speaking of Green, apparently he's only the second-best Greene in hockey. That joke would probably be better spoken than in text and even better if it was remotely accurate. [SI]
Sticking with #52, I definitely need this card for my collection. [FanPost]
More power rankings, with the Caps holding at fifth at Fox Sports and down five to seventh at CBSSports.com.
The 2003-04 Caps were one of the decade's worst teams. We've come a long way, baby... but there's a ways to go yet. [Puck Daddy]
If you didn't listen to the Bruce Boudreau segment on HNiC radio we linked to yesterday, Steinz has pulled and transcribed some of the high points. [D.C. Sports Bog]
Zach Miskovic, Sean Collins, Karl Alzner, John Carlson... and Bangin Panger's mom. (Best set up ever?) [Twitpic]

Recap: Caps 4, Rangers 2

2009-11-18T03:40:24Z

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

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[AP Recap - GameCenter - Game Summary - Event Summary]

The Caps' performance tonight was about as uneven as the horrible MSG ice, with just as many ruts and bumps along the way. But there was more good than bad as the Caps earned their first regulation win in New York since 2004 - and Bruce Boudreau became the fastest coach in Caps' history to 100 wins.

Naturally any night instantly becomes better when someone like Alex Ovechkin makes his return - and it didn't take long for #8 to put his stamp on the game. He capped off a dominant end to the first with a power play goal and threw his body around with reckless abandon, to the tune of seven (credited) hits. The only slightly uncharacteristic stat on the night for Ovie? One shot on goal (along with six that either missed or were blocked).

Of course, in true Ovechkin style, one shot was all he'd need.

Ten more notes on the game:

The Caps were without Erskine and Ovechkin against the Devils, and thus without any physical presence. With both players back in the lineup, the bodies were flying once more - and it was contagious. Ovechkin's seven hits were complemented by thirty others from throughout the lineup. Although any night when New York's Chris Higgins is credited with seven of his own is a night to question the validity of the stats.
Which is more surprising - that Nicklas Backstrom finished with an even 50% success rate on faceoffs...or that Morrison won just three of eleven?
They may have allowed a power play goal to a team that has struggled with the extra man recently, but the Caps' penalty kill was aggressive and effective. Especially good PK performances by Dave Steckel, with his usual calming influence, and Brooks Laich, with his usual awesomeness. Er, willingness to block shots.
On the flip side, the power play showed no ill effects from getting the world's best player back and struck twice. And the key thing about both tallies was the traffic - Ovechkin's shot went through about 276 bodies (give or take a hundred) on its way in, while Laich picked up another of his typical crease-crashing goals.
Speaking of Laich, he continues to lead the team in power play goals with five and is now tied with Semin for second among Caps' goal-scorers.
Okay, that Marian Gaborik guy is pretty good. His game-tying goal in the third was one that only a handful of guys in the league could have gotten - although one of them had a nice view of it from the visiting team's bench.
Semyon Varlamov performed well but wasn't tested all that much, facing just twenty shots and stopping eighteen of them. He didn't seem all that comfortable in net tonight, though, and appeared to lose track of the puck a little too much - particularly late in the game.
Let's trademark this thing right now: the Matt Bradley hat trick. That's a goal on Henrik Lundqvist, a fight, and a busted-open face. After all, anyone that awesome deserves his own hat trick.
The Rangers came out absolutely flying to start the first, with five quick shots - and one quick goal - on Varlamov before the game was five minutes old. After that, however, the Caps took over and didn't allow another Ranger shot on goal until the second period.
How about the defensive trio of Mike Green, John Erskine and Brian Pothier? They combined for a goal, an assist, a +3, 10 shots on goal, 4 hits and 6 blocked shots. Not bad.

It was a little rocky at times but overall not a bad outing for the Caps, who pick up the two points they needed to reclaim first in the East (for now) and did so with the help of - but not just because of - Alex Ovechkin.

They "blew" a lead, but there's no shame in doing so when the guy stealing the lead is named Gaborik. They played physical, but not at the expense of generally sound, disciplined hockey. They maintained a lead, but didn't play as if they were afraid to lose it. And they come away with a good team victory...no buts about it.

Game highlights:

Game Day Open Thread - Caps @ Rangers

2009-11-17T22:00:15Z

Next Game

Washington Capitals
@ New York Rangers

Tuesday, Nov 17, 2009, 7:00 PM EST
Madison Square Garden

Tuesday Caps Clips: Caps @ Rangers Game Day

posted by J.P. about 10 hours ago

306 comments | 1 rec

Complete Coverage >

Tonight's probable netminders:

	GP	MIN	W	L	O	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
Semyon Varlamov	9	495	7	1	0	0	22	2.67	250	228	.912	0

	GP	MIN	W	L	O	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
Henrik Lundqvist	17	980	9	6	1	3	41	2.51	503	462	.918	1

Have at it, people.

A Mixed Bag on Special Teams

2009-11-17T20:00:18Z

More photos » by Evan Vucci - AP

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Over the past ten games, the Caps' special teams have been a bit of a mixed bag. The power play - sans Alex Ovechkin for six-plus of those ten games - has clicked at an eye-popping 35.3% success rate, thanks in part to Brendan Morrison's play at the point and to Mike Green being Mike Green.

But as good as the Caps have been with the extra man, they've been nearly as bad down one. How bad? Try a 69.7% kill rate over the past ten games, a mark that leaves the Caps in the bottom third of the League for the season in that metric (obviously not good for a team with occasional discipline issues, to put it generously). Granted, they've been excellent overall in limiting the number of penalties they've had to kill, but a manageable 3.4 shorthanded situations per game over that stretch is only really manageable when around four out of every five are being successfully killed - hence the 6-4 (6-2-2) record.

A few thoughts on the penalty kill:

Change the personnel up a bit. It's not a coincidence that the penalty kill has struggled without Boyd Gordon (who has played just a few minutes of the ten games in question), and there's nothing the team can do about his health at present. But they can give more ice time to a guy like Alexander Semin (who has proven to be a good penalty killer and is proving it again in limited time this year), and maybe realize that Quintin Laing isn't quite the PK monster some think he is (nor is Mike Knuble). On the blueline, John Erskine has been bad on the kill (you'd think Karl Alzner could be a tremendous help here, given what he and his mates have been doing in Hershey). Milan Jurcina has been surprisngly good on the kill, as have puck movers Green and Brian Pothier (in small minutes), which hammers home the point that getting the puck isn't enough - clearing it is the key.
The goalies need to be better. Believe it or not, the Caps have allowed the second-fewest shots on goal per sixty minutes of 4-on-5 ice time in the League this season. And yet their GA/60 is eighth-worst and their 4-on-5 save percentage is the League's second-worst. Translation? Either the team is giving up a lot of high-quality chances, or their goalies aren't making as many stops as they need to. It's probably a combination of the two, but as the old cliche says, you're goalie has to be your best penalty killer, and the Caps' netminders haven't been.
Without David Steckel, the Caps would be up the creek. Steckel's GAON/60 isn't great at 4-on-5, but his ability to win faceoffs is invaluable (as would Boyd Gordon's be). Without him, there'd be a lot more rubber flying at - and past - Caps goalies.

The Caps have been winning despite a struggling penalty kill and may well continue to do so. But a couple of tweaks, a little health and a bit of luck and the unit could be humming again. If and when that happens... look out, League.

A Balanced Attack

2009-11-17T18:00:23Z

More photos » by Rich Schultz - AP

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"Secondary scoring" is one of those phrases that gets thrown around the hockey world a lot - yes, even right here - to determine and define what makes a deep team, offensively. It generally refers to whatever offense is produced by anyone other than the superstar(s), the top line, etc.

Still, secondary scoring is a somewhat blurred notion, hard to define based on the simple fact that what constitutes secondary scoring on one team is what passes for primary on another. For example, Mike Knuble has five goals on the year - the 6th highest total on the Capitals, it would be among the top three for a number of other teams.

Rather than this convoluted idea of secondary scoring, what teams are really looking for is balanced scoring - a balanced attack, with the offense distributed as evenly as possible throughout the lineup.

So how do the Caps stack up with the rest of the league?

For comparison's sake we'll look at the following: the total number of goals scored by each team (GF), the number of goals coming from the top 3 scorers (T3G), the % provided by the top 3 (% of Ttl), the number of multi-goal scorers (MGS) and the number of players contributing at least one goal (GS).**

**Totals through 11/15/09

Team	GF	T3G	% of Ttl	MGS	GS
*Tampa Bay Lightning	44	28	63.64%	8	11
Anaheim Ducks	52	27	51.92%	7	14
*Columbus Blue Jackets	55	27	49.09%	10	14
*San Jose Sharks	73	34	46.58%	13	18
Vancouver Canucks	62	28	45.16%	10	15
*Los Angeles Kings	65	29	44.62%	10	14
Atlanta Thrashers	63	28	44.44%	9	14
*New Jersey Devils	51	22	43.14%	10	14
*Dallas Stars	59	25	42.37%	11	14
Ottawa Senators	48	20	41.67%	9	17
St. Louis Blues	41	17	41.46%	8	17
*Washington Capitals	75	31	41.33%	12	18
Montreal Canadiens	49	20	40.82%	9	16
*New York Rangers	61	24	39.34%	15	18
*New York Islanders	56	22	39.29%	13	17
Florida Panthers	46	18	39.13%	8	16
*Calgary Flames	59	23	38.98%	10	17
Edmonton Oilers	58	22	37.93%	13	16
Toronto Maple Leafs	45	17	37.78%	12	15
*Philadelphia Flyers	59	22	37.29%	12	17
*Colorado Avalanche	60	22	36.67%	12	19
Nashville Predators	39	14	35.90%	10	15
*Detroit Red Wings	62	22	35.48%	13	20
*Pittsburgh Penguins	61	21	34.43%	13	15
*Buffalo Sabres	46	16	33.33%	11	15
*Chicago Blackhawks	57	19	33.33%	11	17
Minnesota Wild	49	16	32.65%	10	6
Boston Bruins	46	15	32.61%	11	17
Phoenix Coyotes	50	16	32.00%	12	16
Carolina Hurricanes	42	11	26.19%	10	15

* - teams currently in playoff contention

A couple of things of note:

The Caps are right around the middle of the pack when it comes to balanced scoring.
However, they also lead the league in goals scored (75), and are tied for third in both the number of multi-goal scorers (12) and the number of goal-scorers in general (18).
The Predators have scored just eight more goals as a team than the number of goals produced by the Caps' top three goal-scorers.
Under the header of "Numbers Can be Deceiving": the Hurricanes would appear to have the most balanced attack in the league...but check out their goal total.
Under the header of "It's Exactly How it Looks": the Lightning are currently getting almost 64% of their offense from their top 3 scorers, providing 28 of the 44 total goals. All but three of those goals have come from just two players - Stamkos and Malone.
The top two teams in the league, San Jose and New Jersey, are in the top ten when it comes to more offense from fewer players.

Of course, any discussion involving the Caps and balanced scoring right now has to take into account the fact that their most primary scorer, Alex Ovechkin, has been out for six of the twenty games so far. The Caps scored twenty-three goals during that stretch, with goals coming from eleven different players.

And that is pretty darn impressive.

Why There's a Book on Semyon Varlamov

2009-11-17T16:00:14Z

More photos » by Rich Schultz - AP

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Semyon Varlamov is hot. In his last seven appearances, last spring's overnight sensation has a a 6-1-0 record, 2.09 goals against average and a .928 save percentage. Perhaps most importantly, he has seemingly overcome the troubles that plagued him early on this fall - he's given up more than two goals in a period just once during this streak and has, for the most part, avoided letting a single goal against open the proverbial flood gates.

And yet the book on Varly remains the same: go high glove. In fact, he's been beaten there a couple of times in his last three outings. After the jump we're going to take a closer look at these goals to get a better understanding of just why savvy shooters are picking that spot to snipe.

Here's Nicklas Bergfors' first goal from November 4's game in Newark:

Nice shot. But let's slow things down a bit (via YouTube). As Bergfors winds up, Varlamov is in good position - square with his glove high:

But as the shot is released and Varly drops into his butterfly, he drops his glove:

He can't recover. 2-1 Devils.

Fast forward a week to Varlamov's nearly flawless relief appearance against the Isles. Nearly flawless:

Trent Hunter's power-play rocket tied the game at four with just over two minutes left in regulation. Varly never had a chance. But could he have?

Again, via YouTube, we see Varly readying for the shot as he did for Bergfors' blast - with his glove high:

But, just as on the Bergfors tally, as he drops into his butterfly, he drops his glove:

The shot goes upstairs and the game goes to overtime.

These two goals demonstrate that when pucks are flying at nearly 100 miles per hour, the extra movement of having to raise one's glove back to the position it was in a fraction of a second prior can be the difference between a save and a goal. The goalie who minimizes his movement here probably minimizes his goals against average as well.

This isn't to say that Varlamov hasn't made highlight-worthy glove saves - he has. And his recent record and numbers would seem to indicate that if there is indeed a book on him, perhaps not everyone's reading it.

But these are just two examples of a fixable technical problem in his game. The good news is that one would think it's correctable. Time to coach him up, Archie.

Caps recall Beagle, Neuvirth

2009-11-17T14:31:40Z

Caps recall Beagle, Neuvirth

"Caps recall Beagle in case Steckel can't play and Michal Neuvirth due to Jose being in DC for personal reasons"

- @washcaps

Tuesday Caps Clips: Caps @ Rangers Game Day

2009-11-17T11:32:13Z

More photos » by Nick Wass - ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Your S.Avery breakfast links:

Previews of tonight's Caps/Rangers game from Vogs, NHL.com and Peerless, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner Blueshirt Banter and our good buddy Scotty Hockey for coverage from the other side of tonight's match up.
As of yesterday, Alex Ovechkin was a go for tonight's game (Milan Jurcina, Boyd Gordon and perhaps David Steckel... not so much). [In The Room, Washington Times, Washington Post]
Vogs with more, including the new line combos. [Dump and Chase]
Put another way, "[T]he vacation is over. It's time to go into battle." [AO himself, via @dchesnokov]
The Caps' shot differential, broken down by game situation, shows a propensity for taking the foot off the pedal once ahead. [Behind the Net]
Peerless takes a look at the second ten-game segment of the season for the team and the forwards.
The Boss gives a State of the Team at roughly the quarter pole. [Ted's Take]
Ken Campbell recaps the Caps' rebuild. Money quote: "[O]n the trades that mattered, McPhee knocked them all out of the park and his scouting staff completed the fine work by getting quality NHL players with the draft picks he acquired." </warm and fuzzies> [The Hockey News]
Bruce Boudreau was on HNIC radio with @JeffMarek yesterday. Really good listen (the obligatory Flash love comes at about the 20-minute mark). [CBC (audio)]
Oh, fun topic: injuries! [CSN Washington]
Arturs Irbe on coaching: "My motto is very simple: If I'm not good enough as a coach and my players don't feel that I'm giving them enough, then why extend my stay?" That's a simple motto? [CBC]
AO continues to be an exception to most rules. [Vancouver Sun]
Fresh power rankings are out with the Caps up a spot to third at The Hockey News and Sportsnet, down one to third at SportingNews, up one to fourth at CBC, up two to fourth at ESPN and down two to seventh at TSN.
Peter Bondra on Alexander Semin. [OFB (with more discussion in this FanPost)]
Bear Tracks! [Lebanon Daily News]
Finally, happy 60th birthday to original Cap Gord Smith and happy 54th to Dennis Maruk (who is listed as being two inches shorter than Mathieu Perreault and holds the Caps single-season scoring record with 136 points).

A Tale of Two Goaltenders

2009-11-16T20:30:13Z

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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Jose Theodore came into this season poised and ready to defend his #1 spot against pressing youngsters Semyon Varlamov and Hershey hot-hand Michal Neuvirth. His numbers through those first few weeks were sparkling, often the reason the Caps won or were even in games while some of his teammates phoned it in.

Halfway through November, however, the tables have turned - and Jose's numbers, once white hot, have cooled considerably. In his last six games, he's stopped 120 of 141 shots for a painful .851 save percentage, and his overall numbers have taken a hit:

	GP	MIN	W	L	O	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Jose Theodore	14	722	5	3	4	0	39	3.24	364	325	.893	0

As Theodore stumbles, it's Varlamov who is now making a statement. With just one regulation loss - in his entire NHL career so far - to his credit, Varlamov has steadily improved his numbers and regained a little of the form that saw him challenge for the top spot in the first place.

	GP	MIN	W	L	O	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Semyon Varlamov	9	495	7	1	0	0	22	2.67	250	228	.912	0

Still, it's not necessarily a done deal that Varlamov is taking over as the #1 guy. It's not guaranteed that Theodore has lost his starting spot.

...not yet at least.

Instead what we're starting to see in net for the Capitals is the development of a true goaltending tandem. When one guy falters, the other is there to pick up the slack - and when that happens, it pushes whomever is struggling to double his efforts to improve. It gives him motivation to get back in the saddle and reclaim his spot.

As of right now we've seen Theodore rebound from a disappointing end to last season with a hot start, only to falter slightly in recent weeks. On the flip side, Varlamov’s first postseason came to a somewhat shaky end and the season started the same way, but he’s slowly rebounded. The ups and downs are baked right in with these two.

Still, it's not a guarantee that either one reverts back to his early-season form - this discussion may become moot in April should Varlamov truly take the reins away from Theodore. And the discussion changes entirely if Michal Neuvirth throws his hat into the ring at some point, as well:

	GP	MIN	W	L	O	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Michal Neuvirth (AHL)	9	539	6	3	0	2	21	2.34	247	226	.915	0

But young goaltenders are streaky. Theodore is notoriously inconsistent. Odds are that this is not the last time we visit the issue of who is the #1 goalie - and really, that's kind of the way it should be.

Capital Ups and Downs: Week 7

2009-11-16T16:00:35Z

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

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Our weekly look at individual Washington Capitals' ups and downs:

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Jose Theodore	▼	Brutal week (0-1-0/7.17/.714) leaves his season numbers in tatters, but more important than just this week, JT60's GAA and save percentage over the last five games: 4.29 and .850. Yikes.
Semyon Varlamov	▲	Don't look now, but after a 2-0-0/1.02/.964 week (including a marathon shootout win), Varly has a GAA that's half a goal better and a save percentage .019 better on the season than his main competition in D.C. More important? That 7-1-0 record.

Defensemen
John Erskine	-	Led the team in hits and was +1 against the Wild, scratched against Jersey. Such is the life of the sixth/seventh/eighth defenseman.
Mike Green	▲	A goal and four assists in three games and, with three points while up a man, the key to a power play that went 4-for-7 for the week.
Milan Jurcina	▼	Bad game against the Isles (including a bad penalty that led to the game-tying goal), out with a muscle pull for the next two.
Shaone Morrisonn	-	Led the team in hits against the Isles and blocked shots against the Devils.
Brian Pothier	▲	Continues to assert himself in the offensive zone with great results, including Friday night's game-winner and seven shots on goal in three games.
Tom Poti	-	On the ice for five of the ten goals the Caps allowed on the week (including an empty netter).
Jeff Schultz	-	Missed two games, came back to do his thing in Jersey.

Swingman
Tyler Sloan	-	Skating as a blueliner for the two games he played this week, he didn't show up much on the stat sheet... which isn't a bad thing.

Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom	▼	Minus-5 rating and just one assist in three games (not to mention a 2-for-10 night in the dot Saturday). Think he'll be happy when AO returns?
Matt Bradley	-	Solid work Friday night, a helper and the team's only plus rating Saturday.
Chris Clark	▲	Assist streak ends at four on Friday, one game after his shootout winner. Eight shots in less than two games since the Knuble injury - a sign of things to come?
Eric Fehr	-	Points in four of five entering Saturday night, gets yet another chance to make an impact with Knuble out.
Tomas Fleischmann	-	Has pointed in every game since his return except the first and his three-point week includes a power play goal and two extra man helpers. But a minus-six rating on the week (minus-two against the Isles, minus-four in Jersey) prevents him from getting a green arrow here.
Boyd Gordon	-	Blink and you missed his return to the lineup and subsequent exit from it.
Mike Knuble	▼	An assist and minus-two rating against the Isles and a busted finger against the Wild. But the Caps got him for April, not November, so don't worry too much.
Brooks Laich	-	An empty netter was his only point of the week, but 14 shots on goal is a nice number for three games.
Quintin Laing	-	Played the prototypical Q game on Friday night, didn't do much on either end of it.
Brendan Morrison	▲	Points in five-straight, including power-play helpers in the past two games where he's subbing for AO on the point (and doing quite well).
Michael Nylander	●	The dreaded yellow circle of "What the hell, dude?"
Alex Ovechkin	-	Getting closer to playing, but not in the way that we're all getting closer to dying - most expect the Great Eight in the lineup Tuesday night in Gotham.
Mathieu Perreault	▲	Goal, assist, plus-two for the week and has yet to have a minus rating in any of his six games. We'll talk about those faceoffs some other time.
Alexander Semin		Two goals against the Isles (and countless other fantastic chances) and one of the world's worst turnovers against the Devs. He's trending neither up nor down - he's trending Sasha.
David Steckel	-	Dominating the dot (70% for the week and 83% against Minny), but still yet to find the back of the net. It'll come, Stecks.

Monday Caps Clips: Quiet Start to The Week

2009-11-16T11:38:56Z

by Bill Kostroun - AP

View full size photo »

Your savory breakfast links:

Two of the top ten individual seasons of the 2000s belonged to Caps (and don't be thrown by the anachronistic picture of AO). [Puck Daddy]
Out of control. Inconsistent. Simultaneously brilliant, awful and just plain inexplicable. Alexander Semin? No. Alexander Semin's hair. [Caps In Pictures]
More love for the Caps' pint-sized pivot. [NHL.com]
Michael Nylander is circling dangerously close to our collective last nerve. [Peerless]
Finally, happy 32nd birthday to Josh Green and happy 61st to Dave Forbes - two of the 23 men in Caps history to don the number eight.

Sunday Caps Clips: End of a Streak

2009-11-15T15:12:53Z

by Bill Kostroun - AP

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Your savory ~~breakfast~~ brunch links:

Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's loss from Corey (blog, article), Tarik (blog, article), Vogs, Joe B., Ed Frankovic, Peerless, In Lou We Trust (Devils), and Hockey Mom.
A bit of what the Caps could learn from Los Diablos. [Peerless]
Perhaps one of the reasons the Caps lost last night was that they were playing without two of the League's top-18 players around the net. [Behind the Net]
Down a level, the Bears beat the Baby Pens 3-1 thanks to Karl Alzner's game-winner and Michal Neuvirth's 27 saves (to nail down his fifth win in a row; he's now 6-3-0/2.34/.915 after a rocky start).
Some leftover thoughts from the Minny side of Friday night's game. [Wild]
Mathieu Perreault gets some well-deserved love. [CSN Washington]
Milan Jurcina is "Chara without the offensive upside, though he does have a booming point shot." Srsly? [NHL.com]
More Caps mentions in NHL.com Olympic previews of the Czech Republic, Canada (where Mike Green misses the cut), Russia (sorry, Varly), Finland (atta boy, O) and Sweden.
Finally, I love Kevin Paul Dupont as a writer, but taking a shot at Alex Ovechkin for caring about the escrow issue and raising it on a players-only conference call is unfair (as discussed here). [Boston Globe]

Recap: Devils 5, Caps 2

2009-11-15T03:15:14Z

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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[AP Recap - GameCenter - Game Summary - Event Summary]

The Caps came into Prudential Center tonight riding a four-game winning streak and jumped out to a quick lead, denting Martin Brodeur and the Devils for two quick goals by the five minute mark of the first period. It seemed like it was the start of a lopsided rout, a night when Brodeur would look human and the Alex Ovechkin-less offense would continue to pummel their opponents.

Instead they continue to prove that a 2-goal lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey - especially against the Devils - and bookend Ovechkin's absence with two losses to New Jersey. Thus endeth the winning streak. Thus endeth their time atop the East. And three games to the Devils all end in disappointing losses. At least there's only one left...

Ten more thoughts on the game:

Jose Theodore looked pretty good through twenty minutes. After that, though...let's just say that between the final forty tonight and Varlamov's performance last night, the battle for #1 is alive and well.
Playing back-to-back nights may not have been the reason for the loss, but it certainly didn't help matters, especially in the physical side of things. Six hits total, with no more than one apiece, is a telling stat - and also a sure sign that without Ovechkin, John Erskine and Milan Jurcina, the physical element to this team takes a drastic hit.
There weren't many bright spots tonight, but Brendan Morrison's work tonight - and pretty much every game since arriving - was one of them. He was one of the few who seemed to have some jump in his step and picked up time on both special teams; he also finished a dominant 11-for-15 in the faceoff circle.
Not a thoroughly undisciplined game for the team, with only three minors taken, but it's the second straight game that they've taken a penalty for too many men on the ice. And while New Jersey doesn't take a ton of penalties (probably out of fear of waking up next to a horse's head), drawing only one penalty is not good enough.
Tomas Fleischmann's goal in the first was a great power play strike as he continues to be hot. But Flash also finished -4 and had one of just two (recorded) giveaways for the team.
It wasn't the worst game Alexander Semin has played this year. We'll reserve that distinction for the last time these two teams met. However, his attempted cross-ice pass to no one that got picked off for a breakaway goal the other way was one of his more boneheaded plays of the season.
It would have been nice if Martin Brodeur had continued to look human for all sixty minutes. Really nice. Ask Chris Clark how nice. But hey, at least the Caps kept him from getting that elusive milestone shutout...right?
Boyd Gordon re-injured his back in the second period and didn't return. At this point, it's just more of the same.

It does open the door for a longer stay in DC for Mathieu Perreault, another player who had a decent night despite the team's overall struggles. He's just a little bundle of energy, a tiny one-man wrecking crew, a miniature French-Canadian Energizer Bunny. Somewhere up in the press box, Ovechkin is proud.

With Mike Knuble in the lineup, there seemed to be a consistent net presence - regardless of whether it was Knuble, Chris Clark, Brooks Laich, Eric Fehr, or even Tomas Fleischmann, someone was always stationed in the crease. Without him, the Caps seemed to forget how to drive the net; considering Brodeur's going to stop just about everything he sees, and he was seeing everything, that pretty much sealed the Caps' fate.

Three games against the Devils, three losses. Three opportunities to take a firm grip on first place in the East, three opportunities blown. And for the first time this year, the Caps fall by a margin of three goals. Let's hope the pending return of Alex Ovechkin sparks something in the team - because we have to do this back-to-back thing again next weekend, and it doesn't get any easier.

Game highlights: