Some Perspective, Bam!

I am not one to jump on many Caps fans, but the whining about the last two games has got me perplexed. Perhaps we need some perspective ala Emeril Lagasse.

Would you rather have a team that is 18-21-5 through Jan. 13th? That was where the Capitals were a year ago. How about a team that is 14-24-5 ('05-'06)? The Caps are 27-13-3, sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference, first in the Southeast and have a 18-2-1 record on home ice. Bam! Perspective.

The Captials have called up 12 players from their farm club due to injuries and still the team is performing at a high level, including putting two long winning stretches together. A five game winning streak (Dec. 10-18) and a seven game winning streak (Dec. 23 -Jan. 6). Bam! More perspective.

They lost the last two games, it happens. It is an 82 season schedule in a very competitive league, losses are going to happen. It's how you respond to those losses that is key. When the Caps were shut out 3-0 against Columbus they came back and played a tough game the very next night against Montreal at the Bell Centre. I would imagine with a couple of days off the Caps are ready to respond tonight against Edmonton. Bam!

Caps Notes:

• The Capitals spent some good quality time working on the power play during practice yesterday. They moved Alex Ovechkin from the point to down below, replacing him with Sergei Fedorov. Having Fedorov back there is more defensively responsible. The Caps have let in 4 short handed goals this season, in Bruce Boudreau's mind that would be four too many. At least they are not as bad as the Rangers who have 13 shorthanded goals against so far this season. Ouch.


• The potent line of Ovechkin-Nick Backstrom-Alex Semin has stalled Ovechkin's scoring. When it has been Ovechkin-Backstrom-Viktor Kozlov, that line seemed to have more chemistry. The last goal Ovi registered was a shorthanded tally in the New York Ranger win on January 3rd. Currently he is on a 3 game scoreless skid.


• Tonight's game against Edmonton and then subsequent game tomorrow night in Pittsburgh is the second straight back to back games where the Caps must travel. The Capitals this year have never won both games on a back to back this year.


• Tyler Sloan and Sean (don't call me Shawn) Collins have been sent down to Hershey making way for the return of John Erskine and Jeff Schultz. Tom Poti is still on the LTIR until Wednesday. Karl Alzner's days are numbered if Poti comes back.