Great Start, No Finish

Capitals 1, Canadiens 2 SO (2-3)
Game Summary - Event Summary

Well, it started off good. The Washington Capitals could not have scripted a better first period to open their 40th anniversary season. Then the Canadiens had to spoil it. The Caps held the Habs to just two shots in the first period. 19 year old rookie Andre Burakovsky scored his first NHL goal in his first game to put the good guys up through the first intermission.

The Caps took advantage of a lack luster Montreal team who had played last night against the Maple Leafs. They were physical on the puck, forced the defense to turn over pucks, and were out playing/racing/hitting the Habs in almost every battle.

Brooks Orpik made quite the debut in a Caps sweater. He was a wrecking ball all night amassing 6 hits and they weren't little pops in the corner either. At least four of them were "Ah" inspiring, open ice knock downs. Clearly any animosity Caps fans had with him was washed away with every Hab fan that hit the deck.

Burakovsky made the hometown faithful jump to their feet with his first NHL goal. He had a large game drawing an early penalty. He used his speed effectively in the first period and it helped turn over a puck that Troy Brouwer picked up, found Burakovsky in the high slot, and the young centerman slapped one past Dustin Tokarski.

While the first period showed us what is possible, the rest of the game saw that early buzz die as the Caps couldn't seem to keep up with the physical pace. The Canadiens found their second wind and started to push back, forcing the Caps to play in their own end more. After a goal was taken away for goaltending interference, and one take back for not actually going in, the Habs finally found the back of the net half way through the third period as Tomas Plekanec found the back of the net.

Braden Holtby played solid. He would turn aside 24 shots and even come up with a couple of big glove saves in the shoot out. Holtby seemed the calm and aggressive goaltender that we fell in love with a couple of seasons ago. That is a good thing. With a better defensive crew in front of him, he should steal a game or two and nearly did tonight. 

Overtime saw a couple of close chances for the Caps but it would go to a shootout. The Caps could not keep pace with the skilled Habs and eventually Brendan Gallagher would bury the game winning shoot out goal and give the extra points to the visiting squad.

The Capitals, hoping to rekindle the success a season ago, could not get their power play to connect. They would go 0 for 5 with the extra man and it could have been a turning point in the game if they were able to score. The PK would stay perfect, killing off 5 of their own penalties.

There certainly positives to take from this game. Every thing they did in the first period was outstanding. But it needs to translate to goals. The team is still working on getting the system down. The home opener high led to a pretty good crash later as the Caps seemed to miss their scoring opportunities. They have to improve on what they showed in the first period.

Playoff Picks 2013

48 games in the books. Normally that would be a look at the halfway point in the season, but this year, the abbreviated season makes for an abbreviated prognostocation of the playoff race that is not.. abbreviated. I would do Western Conference picks up to the Conference Champs one day, and the Eastern picks the next. This year, why not put it under one roof. Also it's late and I am tired.

Western Conference Quarterfinals

#8 Minnesota Wild vs. #1 Chicago Blackhawks - Does anyone really think the Hawks are going to have the season they had to drop a playoff series to the Wild? As much as I like seeing the underdog take out the number one, the Wild haven't had enough consistency to get it done this season, even with big time summer signings. Sorry, but Hawks in 5.

Blackhawks defeat Wild in 5 games

#7 Detroit Red Wings vs. #2 Anaheim "Mighty" Ducks - New lease on life, the Ducks under the direction of Bruce Boudreau have proven to be a power house in the Western Conference. But, wait, where have we heard this tale before? The Red Wings are a sleeper team this year, and if they can finally put it together, you really can not count them out. Wings wake.

Red Wings defeat Ducks in 7 games

#6 San Jose Sharks vs. #3 Vancouver Canucks - The goaltender drama of the Canucks certainly caused an early stir for the Canucks, but the pair have put together a great backstopping tandem that added stability to Vancouver. This will be a great series, one for the record books. But the Sharks are playing well of late... so there.

Sharks defeat Canucks in 7 games

#5 Los Angeles Kings vs. #4 St. Louis Blues - A rematch of the Conference Semifinal a season ago, the Blues look to exact revenge against the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. Should be a good match up full of twists and turns and some pretty good hitting. Underdogs again, the Kings looked poised to make another deep run, not much the Blues can do about that.

Kings defeat Blues in 6 games.

Western Conference Champs

Yada yada yada, so on and so forth, bottom line is the Blackhawks make this post season their personal coming out party. So yea, Chicago wins the West.

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

#8 New York Islanders vs. #1 Pittsburgh Penguins - If any team sort of "over did" it to load its team with talent full of rentals to make the playoffs, then the Penguins are the mid-life crisis buyers of the NHL. Bringing in the big guns that included the stealing of Jarome Iginla from Boston, the Penguins are poised to push for the Cup even with out Sidney the first round or so. Islanders would be a fun underdog to watch though.

Penguins defeat Islanders in 6 games

#7 Ottawa Senators vs. #2 Montreal Canadiens - A team on the rise, the other stumbling into the playoffs. This was a hard one to dissect. Senators get Erik Karlsson back from injury and it should provide a short boost for the injury-riddled team. The Habs are a pretty fast talented team that could out talent the Senators.

Canadiens defeat Senators in 6 games

#6 New York Rangers vs. #3 Washington Capitals - I will break down this matchup in due time (we don't start until Thursday for Pete's sake). Caps playing stellar hockey down the stretch, Rangers sort of hanging around until a final push late in their season. Sorry Rags fans, no Ilander/Ranger series this year.

Capitals defeat Rangers in 7 games

#5 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. #4 Boston Bruins - For a team that going into the third period was a lock for the win, the Bruins have fallen into "no lead is safe" territory. The Maple Leafs are just begging to make an example out of them. Couple of interesting story lines with Phil Kessel returning to face Boston in the playoffs.

Bruins defeat Leafs in 5 games

Eastern Conference Champions

Everything points to the Penguins making it out of the East. They have the most talent that could include the return of one Sidney Crosby. But the road they have to traverse is full of teams that don't have the pressure they have to make it to the Finals. I don't think this team can plug all the holes in time. The Habs or Bruins are also favorites, but unless something extreme happens, Pens should take the East crown.

Stanley Cup Champs

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Picking a winner between two teams that didn't face each other in the short season. But to quickly make a decision, Blackhawks are far to good of a oiled machine for the patch work Penguins.

Blackhawks first team to repeat Cup champions since the '05 lockout.

There you go Chicago, you are welcome. Breaking down the Rags and Caps up next.

Getting Nowhere Fast

Capitals 1, Canadiens 4
Game Summary - Event Summary

AP

From bad, to ugly, to scary, the Washington Capitals are falling down a hole in only the third game of the season. Panic buttons sought after and pushed. The woes continue for the boys in red as they are manhandled in their third game in a row by the Montreal Canadiens 4-1.

Joey Crabb scored the lone Capitals goal. It came at just over two and half minutes play in the third period to break up Carey Price's shut-out.

The Capitals are off to their worst start since the '93-'94 season. If you are looking for silver linings, the dark clouds seem to be growing at a rate to over look the bright spot. While it is not the end of the world, there does need to see some sort of improvement. Just some quick points on the Caps loss.

• Michal Neuvirth looked good through the first period. You can't really blame him for the four goals given up tonight, much like you could not fault Braden Holtby in the previous two games.
• The Capitals' PK is terrible. There is just no nice way of saying it. And it's simple mistakes that are leading to goals with a man down. Defenders turning their back on plays, making the wrong read on plays developing in front of them. Making those corrections just comes with time, a luxury the Caps do not have. 
• The Capitals' PP fares no better. The Caps were 0-4 tonight and what ever play they could muster, the shots seemed to be snuffed by a sprawling defender or Price was able to make the easy save. Lack of movement seems apparent on the new power play system.
• Mathieu Perreault complained about his ice time, so coach Adam Oates gave him more time. Matty P seemed to add a spark through the night and at times had a few good looks at the net. That is a player rewarding his coach for giving him more ice time.
• If you are looking for heart, Matt Hendricks has an Aorta the size of the Washington Monument. He fights, he hits, and he has scored. Hendricks might not have been on the scoring end tonight, but his hard work, tenacity and overall hockey sense makes him, thus far, this team's MVP.
• Adam Oates said it. The Capitals are a "fragile" team right now. It showed. After the 5 on 3 goal and the following Habs PP goal, the Caps just looked beat. Body language spoke volumes following Montreal's two goal lead. Hanging heads, team mates not speaking on the bench, it looked as ugly as it was.
• The line juggling in this game reeked of desperation on the behalf of the Caps' coaching staff. Alex Ovechkin started on the right wing, but moved back to his familiar left wing spot. Not that any of that juggling helped much. Ovi's move back to left wing was done in the hopes to get him going.

No time to dwell, Caps face Devils tomorrow night at "The Rock".

Caps Notes:

• The Capitals are the only team in the Eastern Conference with out a standings point. Both Carolina and Philadelphia were the last hold outs, and both won their games tonight. If the LA Kings win or tie tonight, the Capitals will be the only team in the NHL with out points. Setting the bar high.
• The tandem of Carl Alzner and John Carlson was broken up for the third period, at the mention of breaking the pair up by Alzner to the coaching staff between periods. The coaching staff obliged and Alzner played with Hamrlik to start the third.
• The Habs broke a 6 game losing streak against the Capitals with their win tonight.

First Round Winners And Losers

The first round of the NHL playoffs had just about everything. And age old rivalry, some new foes in post season play and more game sevens than you can shake a hockey stick at. This is what the playoffs should be, right? Some games have been whoppers of games, while others have been snoozers.

So let's get to it, the first round winners and losers:

The Winners

Stanley Cup Fearless Predictions: Eastern Conference

Whoa Nelly! Are you ready for the up for grabs Eastern Conference? No team has shown true dominance through out the dominance. In fact, it took to the last handful of games for each of the division champs to secure their crown. But even the pundits can't seem to agree if division champs Boston, Philadelphia or Washington is strong enough to take the Conference. Which makes the field wide open, much like it was last year where the bottom seeds shocked the millions of office pools through out Canada.

To pick a winner is like winning the lottery. Last year the two lowest seeds were battling in the Conference final. Can that repeat again?

Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 New York Rangers

Of course I am going into more detail about this particular series at a later date. The quick overview is Washington will have to learn from it's mistakes through the last three post seasons. All of them have gone to seven games. Even with the Capitals high powered offensive players, it struggled this year to score. But where the offense faltered the defense picked up. For the Rangers, there is little or no fear going into this series. They have taken 3 of the 4 games in the regular season series including a pair of blow out games were the Broadway Blueshirts beat the Caps 7-0 and 6-0. Ouch. If the Rangers can show the offensive spark they had against the Caps in the regular season, the Caps will be going home early with a plethora of questions.

Washington sneaks by New York Rangers in 6 games

#2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #7 Buffalo Sabres

The Flyers have tripped up in the final stretch of the season and lost their first place in the Eastern Conference to a surging Capitals team. Even though they had to deal with some pretty big losses on the blue line in Chris Pronger and a inconsistent netminding conundrum they are still a scary team to face in the playoffs. They face a team that has turned it on as of late just to make the playoffs. Philly's hard nose play should wear the Sabres talent guys down. I just don't see how Ryan Miller can stop them all.

Philadelphia defeats Buffalo in 5 games

#3 Boston Bruins vs. #6 Montreal Canadiens

Who isn't going to watch this hard charged series. You have history, intrigue, and controversy. Every thing a classic series should have. Will the Habs get their day by putting Zdeno Chara on the golf course early? Can Tim Thomas stop a sneaky Canadien offense that seems to relish in big game goals? Can Carey Price live up to the hype that Jaro Halak left last post season? A lot of questions that are worthy of watching to see the answers. If Boston can lock down defensively and negate the Habs' speed, they will have a much better post season than the come from behind debacle against Philly a year ago.

Boston takes out Montreal in 7 games

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa reminds me a lot of the Caps two years ago. Great offensive talent but so-so defense and okay goaltending. The big question is how the Penguins are going to approach them with out their offensive keys in place with Sidney Crosby not likely to return until round two and no Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins have survived nicely with out either in the line up with others picking up the slack. If Tampa can survive the relentless forecheck of the Penguins and keep the play in Marc-Andre Fluery's end, then they should pull out the upset. But this is a team that needs more playoff experience before that can happen.

Penguins knock out Tampa in 5 games.

Eastern Champion: Boston Bruins

The Bruins have a chance to take it all and the way Tim Thomas is playing, it's plausible to see them conquering the Eastern Conference. They will have to survive an emotional first round against Montreal and battle Washington and Philly to take the Eastern crown. I do think the Capitals can make it to the Conference finals, but injuries will plague them through the post season. It will be Boston that takes honors here.

Stanley Cup Winner: San Jose Sharks

I picked them last year, and for much the same reasons I pick them to win it all last year. Shaking free of their demons, I just like the direction this team is taking themselves. But it will be no easy task for them. They have to keep their scoring up and their goaltending has to be top notch. Plus a series between Boston and San Jose would be pretty intriguing with the age old trade that sent Joe Thronton to the west coast.

Coming up... Series breakdown between the Caps and Rangers.

Holtby Stays Hot

Capitals 2, Canadiens 0
Game Summary

AP

When Marco Sturm put in a rebound past Carey Price, no one would have known that is all it would take for the Washington Capitals to outlast the Montreal Canadiens 2-0.

The goaltending duel between Braden Holtby, called up from Hershey as Michal Neuvirth was feeling under the weather and Semyon Varlamov had played the night before in Ottawa, and Carey Price would keep the scoring tight all game. The Caps would get the game winner just 84 seconds into the game.

Nick Backstrom took a shot on Price and the rebound bounced right to Sturm's stick. He slipped it past a sprawling Habs' goaltender to get his fifth goal of the season, his first as a Capital. Backstrom had a fantastic night pressing the offensive effort with a pair of assists and seven shots, a career high in shots for him.

That would be the only goal that Holtby would need. He eased into the game facing only 3 shots in the first period. A testament to the Caps new and constantly improving defensive scheme. After that the Habs' offensive fore-check started up and Holtby answered the call. His ability to suck in shots and not allow rebounds, especially on the power play. The local media only gave him the game's number 2 star, but he was far more deserving of the game's first star than Price.

The second goal would not come until late in the third period as the Habs were pressing the play. Sturm pressed the puck passed the Hab defender at the blue line, and it broke into a two on one for Backstrom and Alex Semin. Backstrom's quick pass set up Semin's roof shot over Price to ice the game for good for the Caps.

While the Caps come away with a good defensive win, there were still break downs in their end. They were able to keep their penalties down to three, but they were at critical junctions in the game as the Caps held on to a one goal lead.

The power play also struggled with out Alex Ovechkin on the point. At times it looked disjointed and often selfish. Semin would come down the ice on his own to try to score. Eric Fehr was used on the point, but it didn't seem to work causing Bruce Boudreau to change up lines on the PP.

The Capitals finish their six game road trip with 4 wins, 8 points. They were shut out once and had a pair of shut outs (Neuvirth against the Devils, Holtby against the Habs). The Caps still remain a game behind the Flyers for first in the Eastern Conference and tied with the Penguins. They have also clinched a playoff spot during that road stretch.

They return home to face a Carolina Hurricanes team that is fighting for a playoff spot. It should be a very interesting game, one that might have a playoff feel to it as it's important for the 'Canes to keep picking up 2 points. The 'Canes also play the Caps tough and this divisional rival game will be an important one for both teams.

Playoffs End For Capitals

Capitals 1, Canadiens 2 - Habs win series 4-3
Game Summary - Series Totals

A record franchise season in wins, road wins, points, number one overall seed in the league and President Trophy winners. But it all ended in seven games. The Washington Capitals could not figure out Jaroslav Halak or the Montreal Canadiens' defensive trap. All the Habs needed was the first goal of the game, and it paid off for them as they do away with the Washington Capitals in seven games with a 2-1 win.

Shock, would be one word to describe it. That the one thing that would bring the Caps' season to a screeching halt is the lack of offense. The Capitals could only muster a single goal in the waning moments of the game off of Brooks Laich stick. That was all they could do, and it wasn't good enough.

During the season, if I had told you the Capitals were down by a goal or two going into the third many Caps fans would not even bat an eye to say that they were out of the game. But early goals by the Canandiens in three straight games put them on the ropes. A rare sight for a team that had no problem scoring goals.

The Habs got lucky too. Jaroslav Halak played probably the best three games a goaltender can put together in the post season. Credit his defense too, for clearing out the space in front of him and giving him a chance to see the puck. When everyone said that the Caps' size was an advantage, I doubt they envisioned the Habs doing what they did defensively. Or what the Caps lack to do offensively.

Twenty four seconds into the third period, the Capitals thought they had tied the game up off of a great shot by Alex Ovechkin. But NHL official Brian Watson waved off the goal, deeming Mike Knuble was in the crease and interfered with Halak. But the replay showed if Knuble interfered, it was by the narrowest of margins. Instead of that, the Habs come back later in the period and score the eventual game winner.

The Caps lose another series after taking a commanding lead. In the history of the Caps' post season, blowing a series lead is nothing new. But this one stung, with what the Capitals have done all season long.

Questions now arise in the off season for the Capitals too. What new faces will be here in the fall? Nick Backstrom will have to negotiate a contract. Veteran goaltender Jose Theodore will most likely not get a contract renewal in the off season. Non-playoff performers like Tomas Fleischmann and others may find themselves in different sweaters come September. And will Bruce Boudreau be back?

All questions to be answered in due time.

Holy Halak

Capitals 1, Canadiens 4 - Series tied at 3
Game Summary

The Washington Capitals brought their shots to the game, the problem was Montreal Canadien goaltender Jaroslav Halak had an answer for just about every one of them. In a game that was mostly dominated by the Capitals Halak turned away 53 shots and only allowing one goal against the offensive juggernaut that are the Washington Capitals. While Halak was brilliant, Caps' netminder Semyon Varlamov was marginal. The result, a 4-1 win and a forced game seven by the Canadiens.

Eric Fehr scored the only goal for the Capitals who once again were frustrated by the Habs defense. The Capitals were only able to score one goal out of 54 shots as well as 23 shots that were blocked and 17 shots that missed the net. For a whopping total of 94 shots the Caps attempted.

Special teams again do the Caps in as they went 0 for six on the power play and allowed a power play goal against. Mike Cammalleri came up huge with a power play goal in the first period. It was really all the Habs needed, as Halak seemed to find a zone. The puck was a beach ball to him and he was stopping everything.

The Capitals were unable to do anything to the three straight diving calls the Canadiens' took. The power play just was not clicking for them. Even with a 5 on 3, the Caps were guilty of being "too cute." A problem that has plague them all season long.

When the Canadiens' took the 3-0 lead, game seven was inevitable. It would be the Capitals fourth straight playoff series that has gone to seven games. There record is a humble 1-2, including a drubbing on home ice by the Pittsburgh Penguins last post season.

The Capitals are guilty of relying too heavily on their offense that has, thus far, fallen short of expectations. Besides Nick Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin who both have 9 points (both have 5g, 4a) and Mike Knuble who has 6 points (2g, 4a) thus far in this series, no Capital has more than 4 points or 3 goals. And when that top line is shut down, the Habs are getting by with shots from second and third lines with no damage at all.

Alex Semin has taken the most shots in the post season by any other player, 0 goals. The top scoring defenseman for the Capitals Mike Green has yet to score a tally. Eric Belanger, Tomas Fleischmann and Brendan Morrison all have zero goals. There is nobody adding goal support for the top line and the Caps will suffer another game seven loss if that does not change.

The Caps can not ask Semyon Varlamov to be any better in net for them. The Caps' netminder has done exactly what was expected of him, keep the opposition's score low enough for the Capitals' offense to take over. In fact the Caps concede that the goaltender doesn't have to be perfect to win. That may be true in the regular season, but that logic is slowly slipping in post season play.

The Capitals can ill afford to give up the first goal again to the Habs. When they have done that, it has taken a monumental effort to get back in the game, if they do at all. If the Caps are eliminated in the first round, best bet is Bruce Boudreau gets the pink slip for his team's inability to put a little 'ol puck in a 6' x 4' frame.

Game seven is at the Verizon Center on Wednesday night.

NHL Logic

.. or lack there of.

Colin Campbell handed down the sentence for Marian Hossa's hit on Dan Hamhuis in game 5 of the Blackhawks and Predators series today. It was a verdict on a hit that was identical to that of Alex Ovechkin's hit on Brian Campbell in the very same building in the regular season. As everyone looked at both hits side by side the reaction was the same from every analyst and commentator; Hossa is going to be suspended for that hit.

Here's Hossa's hit:


Here is Ovechkin's hit:


So when the Colin Campbell came out with Hossa's punishment, it was understandable everyone was confused when the verdict was not a suspension. Nothing, nada, not one game missed for the exact same hit that forced Ovechkin to sit out 2 games.

You can see why players and coaches are confused when it comes to the league's supplemental discipline. Campbell released this statement in his defense of the decision:

"I have made the decision that this play does not warrant supplemental discipline after considering all of the facts, including reviewing the video and speaking with Mr. Hossa. This play is distinguishable from recent incidents by a number of factors, including the degree of contact involved; the fact that the consequences of the play do not appear to be as severe; that this was a hockey play involving a race for the puck; that Mr. Hossa is not a repeat offender; and that the call of a major penalty by the referee was significant and appropriate."

To be honest, I don't get it. It is the exact same hit, the exact same incident. Both players pushed the opposing player from behind and both slammed into the boards uncomfortably. So what are we suppose to surmise from this? You can run a player as long as you don't hurt him or have any prior "history" (whatever that means, since it is Ovechkin's first offense of hitting from behind or boarding penalty).

What fans, players and general managers are really looking for is just some consistency. And I am not even a Hossa hater. I could care less if he gets off or not. But I do believe in fairness, and by the decisions of the league office that fairness thing is not present in their actions.

Caps Notes:

• Caps spent their last free day working on the power play. Just 1 for 24, the leagues best PP has been a non-factor in this series. Bruce Boudreau worked a new player into the mix, tough guy Eric Belanger.
• After blowing some steam right after Friday night's game, it was a calmer Boudreau at Caps practice. After saying 5 or 6 players were just along for the ride, he back tracked a bit. As per Tarik's blog:
  

  "The other day he was more irritated, and today he was a little more calm," Mike Knuble said of Boudreau, the power play's architect. "Today, it was, 'Alright guys, I know we can do this', now that he's had a day to get away from it. It was just little things like puck recovery and being on rebounds a little more. Little things to focus on."

• "Sno-vechkin" has taken on new levels. Habs fans are incensed over Alex Ovechkin spray one of the Canadien kid flag bearers with ice as he is coming to the bench. You can make up your own mind on the video below:
  
  The best commentary was when NHL on the Fly commentator Larry Murphy blamed the kid for "waving the flag in front of him." The Habs' fans have problems if this is their rallying cry.
  
• The Hershey Bears have opened a 2 games to none lead on the Albany River Rats with a 6-3 win tonight.
  

Caps' Guns Go Quiet

Capitals 1, Canadiens 2 - Washington leads series 3-2
Game Summary

There was only one mood in the Washington Capitals' locker room: irked. The Caps were irked they got off to a slow start, irked they once again let power play opportunities go awry, and irked that the Montreal Canadiens only needed two goals scored in the first ten minutes of the game to decide game 5 and force a game 6 back in Montreal.

"We're not getting 20 guys playing," An irked head coach Bruce Boudreau said in his press conference. "We're getting thirteen and fourteen guys every night rather than every one playing. Tonight we had 5 or 6 passengers again."

Alex Ovechkin was the only goal scorer in the game. His tally was of the garbage goal variety as John Carlson's point shot bounced off Jaroslav Halak and Mike Knuble in front and Ovi dumped in the loose change. It would be the only bright spot in the game for the Capitals who came out flat to start.

"It's not like we didn't address the start," an irritated Bredan Morrison said to reporters. "We knew they were going to come out and [try to] put our backs to the wall and they out played us in the first twenty minutes. We made too many glaring mistakes that ended up in our net."

Right off the face off, Montreal had a scoring chance. Just nine seconds in Brian Gionta gets the Habs off to a great start, nearly scoring and having Caps' goaltender Semyon Varlamov make the save early. Then in the shift after next, 1:30 into the game, the Canadiens would get a puck past Washington's netminder. Mike Cammalleri had the honors.

"We wanted to win the game," Ovechkin said of the slow start. "We start[ed] pretty badly right away, and they get opportunity to score goals in the first ten seconds. We [can't] start like this."

It would take just six minutes later for the Habs to score again. It would be the eventual game winner as the Capitals' defense bit on the low forward Gionta and Travis Moen was alone in front of the net. Moen made a move and put the backhander past Varly and the Habs had the lead from there.

Montreal would come back and play tough defense against the Caps. Falling back into their trap, the Habs' defense did a great job of getting sticks into passing lanes and jumping on loose pucks. The Caps' high octane offense was forced to take outside shots to no avail. Halak seemed to gobble up shots and avoid any reckless rebounds.

"We missed some very good looks," Boudreau said of his team's lack of offense. "When you have players that are suppose to be scorers and they miss really good looks, it's like a checker not doing his job in my mind. They got to score those goals."

The Capitals sudden loss in offense was helped along also by a struggling power play. The best power play in the league is one of the worst in the playoffs, just one goal in 24 chances. Montreal's penalty killing is not that special either, they are clogging up passing lanes and playing aggressive on the player who is bobbling the puck.

"Our power play is not helping us," centerman Brendan Morrison said. "It is not helping us right now. They're doing a good job pressuring us. We talk about adjustments, but it hasn't translated onto the ice yet. If we want to win this series, it has to help us win a game. So far it hasn't done that."

The game was laden with missed calls on both side of the puck. Varlamov played the puck outside the trapezoid area but the refs missed it. Eric Belanger took a stick up high by Andrei Markov and ended up losing a tooth, but the officials seemed to miss it. They also called a slash and a too many men penalty on Montreal, but only awarded the later to the Capitals. Instead of a 5 on 3, it was a 5 on 4.

It seemed the Caps couldn't catch a break when they needed it either. The officials didn't miss the mix up with Eric Fehr and Varlamov as the pulled the goaltender, leading to a too many men call on the Caps which thwarted any chance of a comeback.

"If we score goals we feel good," Ovi said. "But we didn't score."

The series goes back to Montreal, where the Capitals are hoping to wrap things up to avoid a 4th straight series that has gone to seven games. If the Caps wish to end things quickly, they will have to come out with a much better effort early. They will also have to crash to the net as well.

Boudreau made things clear that a shake up is likely with his lines. Most likely Tomas Fleischmann whose play has been stagnate in this series will be a healthy scratch, but more players could be watching from the press box at Bell Centre.

When asked if he was going to shake up his lines, Boudreau responed, "I will think very deeply about it in the next few days."

Caps Notes:

• David Steckel has been a healthy scratch for three straight games after starting in the first two. Shaone Morrisonn also has an undisclosed injury keeping him from being in the line up, he has missed two straight games. Tyler Sloan replaced Mo on the back end and finished the night with two blocked shots and a minus one rating.
• Alex Semin leads the league in shots with 29. He has zero goals.
  
• Former Capital Donald Brashear was at the game, a guest of Alex Ovechkin. A brief montage of number 87 flashed on the big screen and he got a standing ovation from the crowd.
• In response to the Habs' fans booing the American National Anthem in Montreal, Caps fans cheered when " O' Canada" was sung at Verizon Center.

Caps Take Habs To The Brink

Capitals 6, Canadiens 3
Game Summary

Washington Capitals' star players are finally hitting a stride. Alex Ovechkin and Mike Knuble scored a pair of goals as the top line with Nick Backstrom accounted for 8 points tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. They would take a three games to one lead over the Habs as they take over the game in the third period and take the game 6-3.

Ovechkin started the scoring on the power play. The Caps' power play had been stifled up until game four. Nick Backstrom carried the puck up the ice and found Ovechkin on the wing as the Canadiens' defenders backed away from the oncoming Capitals. Ovi snapped it past Montreal's netminder Carey Price.

The Habs would answer back just over a minute later as Mike Cammalleri put away a centering pass up over Semyon Varlamov. Then Montreal would really take over the game in the second period.

The Capitals seemed to lose their cool a bit, taking some bad penalties off of some bad discipline. They took three pealties in the second allowing the Habs to build some momentum. Semyon Varlamov made some spectacular saves including three glove saves on what looked to be sure goals. Varly would weather the Habs' storm only allowing a power play goal in the second period.

It happed on the second penalty of the second period by the Capitals, Jason Chimera was called for roughing after a Canadien took a swipe at Varly. Andrei Markov shot it from the point, but missed the net. The puck bounced back into the crease behind Varlamov and Brian Gionta stuck his stick in and tapped it into the net.

Bell Centre erupted and the Canadiens had the Capitals on their heels out shooting the Caps 21 to 9 in the second frame. Ovechkin did draw a Hal Gill holding call close to a minute later, but the Caps would be guilty of a too many men penalty after some miscommunication on the bench. It looked like the Caps wasted another opportunity to get back into the game. That was until the Habs let up in the last seconds of the period.

Boyd Gordon took a clearing pass from John Carlson with Roman Hamrlik pinched in and took himself out of the play. Gordon broke into the Habs' zone with Knuble on the wing creating a 2 on 1. Gordon waited out Josh Georges, who sprawled out to block the pass, and he sent a saucer pass over Georges stick onto Knuble's. Price had no chance as Knuble buried the shot and all the momentum the Canadiens built crashed with a little over six seconds left in the middle frame.

The Caps seemed to come out with some jump in the third and it would be Ovechkin once again who would find the back of the net to give the Caps the lead. Less than a minute later Jason Chimera would score to make the hole a bit deeper for the Habs. Add two empty netters by Mike Knuble and Backstrom to round out the scoring for the Caps.

Both goaltenders started the series as back-ups, but they took center stage in this on. Varlamov out played Price, coming up with the saves his team needed. Varly showed flashes of his performance in last year's playoff run making some great saves. He would stop 36 Canadiens' shots.

The Capitals will take a commanding 3 games to one lead over Montreal by winning three straight games. They have the chance to clinch the series and move to the second round back at the Verizon Center Friday night.

Caps notes:

• Since their disappointing start in game one, the top line of Knuble, Backstrom and Ovechkin have been on fire. Backstrom has nine points (5 goals, 4 assists), Ovechkin has 8 points (4 goals, 4 assists) and Knuble 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists).
  
• Alex Semin finally made the scoresheet with a single assist, his first and only point of the series thus far. Semin has been trying to fight his scoring funk. He has 20 shots on net in the series but has yet to score.
• The Caps again dominate in the third period. The Caps have 80 shots in the final period to the Canadiens' 35.
• Montreal's goaltender Carey Price was not very sportsmanlike in the waning moments of the game. On the Jason Chimera goal he was tagged with an unsportsmanlike penalty when he chipped the puck at Jeff Schultz as the Caps celebrated. Then when Nick Backstrom scored his empty netter, he gave him a two handed swipe of the stick from the bench. He would be tagged with a double minor for unsportsmanlike for that tap to the Caps's forwards legs. "It's just frustration," Price told reporters following the game. "It's not a good move. But let them know you're there. I didn't mean to actually hit him, but it's over."

Caps Stage A Dramatic Come-Backstrom To Even Series

Capitals 5, Canadiens 5 OT
Game Summary

Once again the Caps got off to a less than desirable start. Two shots and two goals ended the night for Jose Theodore. But Nick Backstrom's monster night would overshadow Theo's mis-steps in net. The Washington Capitals big players showed up for game two and they would even the series at one with an over time winner against the Montreal Canadiens 6-5.

Alex Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom both had a 4 point night. One goal and three assists for Ovi, a hattrick and an assist for Backstrom. Eric Fehr would score his first of the series and 20 year old John Carlson had a goal and assist. A big goal that would send it to overtime. The win would snap a 6 game playoff home overtime losing streak for the Caps and it would come in comeback fashion.

The Canadiens would get the start they wanted in game two. The first was a turn over by Jason Chimera at the Habs' blue line. Scott Gomez would turn the play around and find Brian Gionta wide out at the top of the circles. The shot seemed to handcuff Theodore and find it's way to the back of the net. It was a shot the Caps' goaltender should have had.

Theo would be terrorized again by a seemingly innocent play. The Caps had been dominating the play when another turn over in the neutral zone had the play going in the opposite direction. Andrei Kostitsyn put a nice wrister up over Theo's shoulder and that would do it for the Caps netminder. Enter Semyon Varlamov.

The Caps would cut into the lead as Eric Fehr sniped a snap shot past Jaroslav Halak. It was a break away for Fehr set up by line mate Tomas Fleischmann who capitalized off of a Canadien turn over and found Fehr breaking toward the middle of the ice. But the Caps couldn't build off of that goal.

In the second period Kostitsyn would score a pair of goals on replacement Varlamov giving him his first playoff hattrick of his career. One of them was on the power play after Brooks Laich took a tripping call, the other at even strength. It would build a 4-1 lead for the Canadiens and it looked they would be en route to a two game series lead from there on. They would quickly clog the neutral zone and the Caps could not get into Montreal's zone.

The Caps would eventually break their offensive woes when Backstrom shot one that bounced in off traffic in front. It would cut into Montreal's 4-2 lead and start a Caps resurgence. They were crashing the net with vigor and kept Montreal on their heels with time squeezing away in the second period. They would not score, but it didn't take long for them in the third.

Alex Ovechkin would strike early, just under three minutes in. John Carlson blasted a shot from the point and Halak seemed to make the save. Ovi was in front and poked his stick into Halak's pads and the puck trickled in behind him and the Caps were now only down by one. The goal would be Ovechkin's first of the series.

Then at the midway point in the third, Backstrom and Ovechkin would tie things up. Ovi skated down the right side and attempted a shot through Jaroslav Spacek but it was blocked. After the shot laid back in front of Ovechkin and the Canadiens broke coverage for a second, he found a wide open Backstrom in front of the net for a tap in play to pull the Caps even at 4 apiece.

The tie would not last long as the Caps once again turn over the puck. Mike Cammalleri and Tomas Plekanec played a little give and go that ended up behind Varlamov. With just over five minutes to play, it had looked as if the Canadiens would steal another game at Verizon Center and put their foes in a 2 game series hole.

The Caps mounted a come back by double shifting the top line and it payed off when Ovechkin drew a slashing call and the Canadiens seemed to let up their play for a bit. Backstrom kept the play alive cutting down the middle and found 20 year old John Carlson who was on the outside lane. He cut in to the upper slot and ripped a wrist shot past Halak and sent the Verizon Center crowd into a frenzy as well as tying up the game with 1:21 left to play.

Not much could be generated after that and the game would once again go to overtime. The Canadiens had the first scoring chance, nearly redirecting one past Varlamov. But the counter attack by the Caps saw Backstrom score his game winner through a screen on the Habs' defender and beat Halak high glove side. The building exploded and the Caps showered the ice to congratulate their first win, and hopefully celebrate a momentum change in the series.

The Caps draw even with the Canadiens as the series moves to Montreal at a game apiece.

Room For Improvement

The Capitals are a game down in their opening series. Not that anyone should panic, but there are some mistakes that can be rectified. There are just a couple of things the Caps could do better going into game two. They can not afford to go down two games in this series. Here are simply 5 things the Caps can do to improve their chances on getting that important win and some of them are redundant problems they seem to have.

1. Giving is bad: The Capitals were guilty of 15 give-aways in game one. The Canadiens only had 6. And it was the defensemen that were coughing up pucks. It often lead to a Montreal chance on net. Mike Green lost control 4 times, John Carlson turned it over 5 times.

The Caps' defense has to make better decisions with the puck inside their own zone. The Habs seemed to clog the half boards and broke up Washington's break out. The end result is scrambling forwards coming back and the defense quickly trying to cover everyone. There needs to be a better way for the Caps to clear the zone with out turning the puck over.

2. Bring hardhats for 60 minutes: The Capitals were awesome in the first period. They were dominating, getting chances in front of the net and forcing the play. But that effort was not matched in the second or third periods.

The Caps have often been guilty of playing well and then letting that effort go lax thinking things are going well. Relying on other lines to carry the effort for the entire game is a mistake the Caps must correct.

3. Broken record but, Stop taking stupid penalties: The Habs are second best on the power play. The Caps PK is less than stellar. It doesn't take Stephen Hawking to figure out that taking penalties against Montreal is a huge mistake. The Caps are clearly the better team 5 on 5. Stay out of the sin bin, or get significantly better on the penalty kill.

4. Power play has to be better: The Caps were 0 for 4 with the extra man. When the other team takes a penalty and gives you a chance to score, you have to take it. Anything other is just not acceptable in playoff hockey.

It's not like the Caps are playing the best PK in the league either. The Canadiens were a marginal 16th in the league during the regular season. There needs to be more urgency to score when the Capitals have that opportunity.

5. Hit the net: The shots the Caps got to the net are not the problem, but they could have bested the 47 shots they had if they hadn't missed the net with high shots. The Caps had 20 shots that sailed wide or high.

Those shots are going to catch up to Jaroslav Halak. When they do, the flood gates will open for the Caps.

Caps Notes:

• Alex Ovechkin once again has brought over a trainer from Russia during the playoffs. Bruce Boudreau denied the star forward might be nursing an ailment. "He's a 100-percent healthy so we'll get that out of the way," Boudreau said. "I heard a couple of people say last night that he might be playing hurt. No, we're making excuses for him. He just didn't have a great game."
• Ovechkin, Jose Theodore, Alex Semin, Nick Backstrom and Mike Green did not practice with the team Friday. If line changes were made, it was hard to tell what they were with missing players. Although Boudreau promised no overhaul changes to the line up for Saturday night's game.
  
• It was good numbers of the Capitals in the Washington area for game one. The game held an average of 5.1 through out the game and peaking at 7.4 during the overtime period (approx. 210,000 viewers). It is the fourth highest ranked game in Capitals post game history, dwarfed only by game 7 against Philly in 2008, and games 6 and 7 against Pittsburgh last post season.
• There were no new injuries reported by the Capitals. Milan Jurcina remains out for 2 to 4 weeks.

Caps Take A Beating Not Just By Habs

Capitals 2, Canadiens 3 1OT
Game Summary

The Washington Capitals dropped game one in their series against the Montreal Canadiens. They took a bigger hit in the headlines:

As seen above on the TSN.ca website with the headline that reads No-Vechkin. Kinda harsh, but a little bit true as Alex Ovechkin was held at bay in Game 1.

Then there is this one from Yahoo! Sports:

"Party Time." Really? It's not like Montreal won the series. It's game 1.

Or how about ESPN.com:


It's like the Capitals can't even move because they are so "Stunned."

Other interesting headlines:

Longest headline ever: "Top-seeded Washington Capitals fall, 3-2 in overtime, to Canadiens in Game 1 of first-round Stanley Cup playoff series" - Washington Post

"Habs topple Caps in OT" - Globe and Mail

"Canadiens beat Caps 3-2 in overtime" - Montreal Gazette ... with the first paragraph reading: "Anyone who wrote the Canadiens off in their first-round playoff series against the Washington Capitals is guilty of premature resignation."

Interesting Quotes of the night:

"Our best players weren't our best players tonight and their best players were. Our role players were really good." - Bruce Boudreau

"They just don't give us the room. They just put two guys in front of me, two guys in front of [Backstrom]. I don't know. We just have to talk each other and what we have to do better." - Alex Ovechkin

"He didn't play good. I can't put my finger on it right now, but when you get 50 shots on goal and Ovechkin doesn't get any, and you have four power plays, there's something... They took him away. But I didn't think he was very good." - Bruce Boudreau

"He did a good shot shooting against the grain. I was moving one way, and he went the other. He's a skilled player, and he was able to make that shot." - Jose Theodore on the game winning shot by Thomas Plakanec

"I don't think it's a surprise. There's a belief in this room that we can win this. We have a lot of respect for the team over there – and they’re going to come out hard on Saturday, but we like our group too." - Mike Cammalleri

"We were giving them so many chances and so many shots in the first period. In the second and third our guys started skating." - Jaroslav Halak, who stopped 18 of 19 shots in the opening 20 minutes.

“It’s not like we thought we would win it in four.” - Jose Theodore

Stanley Cup Fearless Predictions - Eastern Conference

The Washington Capitals finished an amazing season winning the President's Trophy and the race for eighth was a bit riveting with a near miss by the New York Rangers who lost their playoff spot by a shoot out. It makes panning out the Eastern Conference no easy chore. But I will try anyway.

Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens

There will be a more comprehensive breakdown of this series hopefully by tomorrow. But the long and short of it, Montreal just doesn't have the guns to run an open style of game with the Capitals. Canadien coach Jacques Martin will most likely play a controlled game where one goal will be the deciding factor and bet his team can grind out a defensive transition game to make it close. But the Caps are far to skilled and if the games are going to be decided by a goal or less, the best bet is the Caps score it.

Washington defeats Montreal in 5 games.

#2 New Jersey Devils vs. #7 Philadelphia Flyers

If there was ever going to be an upset in the first round of the playoffs, best bet is it is in this series between the Devils and Flyers. The Flyers played New Jersey surprisingly tough this season, partly because of their size. The Devils don't usually like to get into a physical type game and the Flyers aren't happy unless someone is getting thrown out of a game. It is going to come down to goaltending, and my money is on Martin Brodeur.

New Jersey defeats Philadelphia in 7 games.

#3 Buffalo Sabres vs. #6 Boston Bruins

This is actually a tough series to figure out. Buffalo just doesn't score much and Boston is a very defensive team. So it is going to come down to goaltending. Boston's Tuuka Rask is a rookie, but has played strong enough to over take the number one job from veteran Tim Thomas. While in the other net, Ryan Miller has played so well for the Sabres that many are considering him this year's MVP. Rask was 4-1 against the Sabres, while it's hard to ignore Miller's good play. It is literally a coin flip. Injuries also play a pretty big factor as both seem to be limping into this series.

Boston defeats Buffalo in 7 games.

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Ottawa Senators

When are these two not going to square off in the first round of the playoffs. Ottawa was destined for disaster at the beginning of the season, but they found a savior in Brian Elliott. He helped the Senators rise to a playoff spot when most left the team for dead. The Penguins are the returning Stanley Cup Champs, and taking on Ottawa was not what it was like 3 years ago when they lost that emotional series. If the Pens come out sluggish or play to Ottawa's level, the Sens could steal a series away. I doubt if a healthy Evgeni Malkin and their coach Dan Bylsma will let that happen.

Pittsburgh defeats Ottawa in 5 games.

Eastern Conference Semi-Finals

Washington Capitals vs. Boston Bruins

The Caps offense against the Bruins defense. They should be close games and the Caps will have to deal with a lot of Bruin hard work. If the Capitals can hold their own on the defensive end, it's no contest. The Bruins don't have the offensive power to over match the Caps. Most likely the Bruins will play a tough game keeping the score close to one goal differential as possible, much like the Canadiens did the round before.

Washington defeats Boston in 6 games.

New Jersey Devils vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

A divisional matchup with Stanley Cup implications. The Penguins will have to face down a tough defense in the Devils while holding their own on the back end. This is were they will miss a few of their defenesmen gone way of free agency. Marc-Andre Fluery will have to out duel the best if the Pens hope to repeat. The Devils will have to lean heavily on Ilya Kovalchuk to get them to the next step.

Pittsburgh upsets New Jersey in 7 games.

Eastern Conference Finals

Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

The road to the Stanley Cup Finals in the Eastern Conference will go through these two teams. Again, the ratings will be huge, the games will by hyped and Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby will not disappoint. But just like the Penguins were determined after they lost to Detroit to not repeat, the Capitals will look for the same. Last post season, this series would eventually decide the Stanley Cup winner. A possible repeat of the same?

Washington defeats Pittsburgh in 7 games for the Eastern Conference Crown.

Caps move on, at least in theory, to the Stanley Cup Finals. But wait, no fearless prediction can go much further with out a look at the Western Conference first. That will come out this afternoon along with my pick for the Stanley Cup winner. I am so excited, I could just spit.

Going For 15

Ask any Capital about the winning streak, most would say, "It's great, but we have a bigger goal." It is true that many of the players in this locker room know what a mountain it is to climb to be on a streak such as this. They may have reached the steepest part of the mountain.

If the Caps want a shot at the record, they would have to win the next three on the road before the Olympic break. And the teams they face will not be push overs. The Canadiens, Senators and Blues are on the calendar before the NHL takes their pause for the Olympics. The Capitals have to deal with teams looking to topple the top team in the league and one team in particular had a nice win streak of their own.

The Senators were trying to match the Caps' winning ways as they were on their own 11 game winning streak. They saw that streak come to an end, but the team has been playing very well with improved goaltending and impressive wins against the Devils, Penguins, Bruins (twice), Blackhawks and Rangers. The Caps can not take any of the remaining teams lightly if they want the streak to continue.

Caps Notes:

• The next home game for the Capitals is on March 4th when they finish a back to back that starts in Buffalo and the next night they face Tampa Bay at home. After the Lightning game, the Caps will play every other night until the 21st of March when they get 3 nights off. 5 home games to start, then 4 games on the road. 10 games in 18 nights.
• Think there is NBC bias? DC Bog breaks it down.
• The Caps moved up their practice today to get out of dodge before the another snow downpour hits the area. They will leave this afternoon for Montreal.

Caps Stop Losing Skid, Name Ovechkin Captain

Capitals 4, Canadiens 2
Game Summary

Just hours after naming Alex Ovechkin the franchise's 14th captain, the Washington Capitals got the win for their new leader by defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. But it would be the supporting cast that gets it done for the Caps leaving Ovi without a point.

Alex Semin scored a pair, the game winner and the insurance goal. Add goals by Tomas Fleischmann and a lucky bounce off a Eric Fehr shot and the Caps put a stop to their three game losing streak. Even though Ovechkin was held off the scoresheet, the new captain's presence was felt. He had a monster hit in the third and created some great scoring chances. There was nothing wrong with his speed as he was all over the ice.

Michael Neuvirth is slowly becoming the Caps "go to" goaltender. He had 24 saves. As he gets more time in the net for the Caps, the more calm and collected he looks. He is standing great in the crease and is very sound and square to the shooter. When he is in trouble, his flexibility and his athleticism is making up for any missed steps.

Fleischmann had a heck of a game, closing quick on the puck and making some great plays with the puck. Very deserving of the game's first star. His pass to Semin to set up the insurance goal broke the backs of the Habs. Flash finished with a goal and two assists.

Overall the Caps played a gritty and emotional game. A great game to play to get themselves out of their 3 game slump. There were a fair amount of scrums with the Habs after plays. The intensity seemed to boost the Caps play. That emotion is something they seemed to lack on the western road swing.

Caps Notes:

• On a night that they named Ovi captain and beat the Habs, Caps' prospect John Carlson scores two goals including the game winner in overtime as Team USA defeats Team Canada in the World Junior Championship Gold Medal Game.
• Tarik reports that Dave Steckel has signed an extension with the Capitals after the game.

Hi, You Have Reached Puckhead's Thoughts...

You are probably wondering where I have been for the past week or so. Things are changing rapidly in my life and it has been hard to keep up with a new job, a new house and the sweetest most wonderful pregnant woman in the world. I should be back to full speed after the Thanksgiving break.

The Caps played pretty solidly against the Rangers. They had to recall John Carlson in for an injured Shaone Morrisonn who took a heavy hit and went to "la la land" according to Bruce Boudreau. Quintin Laing's broken jaw will just add to the legend of the shot blocker. And Matt Bradley proves that you can bleed and be a hero all in the same game.

Next game is against the Montreal Canadiens. Alex Ovechkin always seems to ratchet up the skill against the Habs. I am not sure it is for the Habs' fans or to frustrate them, but Ovi loves to play against this team. Expect some lines to be shuffled as Hershey Bears come in for injured players, including Alex Semin's bum wrist.

I am a little surprised Carlson gets the call up over Karl Alzner, but Carlson has been playing solidly in Hershey. We might also get to see Michal Neuvirth in action in regular season action.

A lot is going on and I am moving boxes and catching cat naps on my breaks. Life is good.

A Few Surprises

We have made it a full week through the start of the '09 - '10 season and there have been a few surprises. It's still too early in the season for these to be permanent trends, but the good and bad starts have certainly raised eyebrows.

Phoenix Coyotes' quick start. The Coyotes weren't expected to do much this year, with their coach pushed out and the franchise in danger of moving to southern Ontario. But Dave Tippett may have got this team concentrating on playing more than worrying. They started with two big wins over division rival Kings and shut out the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. They have cooled a bit losing their last two games.

Vancouver's slow start. Roberto Luongo did start the season on a good foot, allowing 13 goals through his first 3 games. The Canucks have since turned it around, but he has a mortal .865 save percentage and a dismal 3.52 goals against. Not good for a team that believes they are Cup bound.

Ray Emery's return to the NHL. It started off pretty good, but in the last 3 games Emery has let in 13 goals. The Flyers see something in Emery that the rest of us can't see. But team mate Mike Richards is off to a great start, scoring a hat trick against the Capitals.

Montreal's slow start. I really thought the Habs got it right in the off season, re-vamping the team, making the right moves and getting a new coach. But that hasn't translated to wins. They lost an ugly one to Vancouver 7-1. With all that talent, they still don't have a consistent goaltender.

In a month we will see how this all shakes out, but there are some interesting storylines developing in the NHL. There are a few more interesting starts to the season for some teams, the Capitals' slow start and the Blues' big wins in Europe.

It is always nice to talk about what is happening on the ice, rather than the stuff that happens off of it. So far, the season is off to a great start.

It's A Beast In The East

The Eastern Conference is getting much more competitive as teams look make an impact in the playoffs. At the beginning of last season, there seemed to be a toss up for the lead in the East. The Penguins got off to a sluggish start and other teams seemed poised to take top spots from teams that have enjoyed success in seasons before.

Two teams stand out as favorites, but as always we start with the worst, first.

15. Tampa Bay Lightning: Do they even know who their owner is? The debacle that was last season for the Bolts will continue into this season as management is not sure what its doing. It certianly won't be a boring year for Tampa as they try to make all their off season signings somehow all fit together into a cohesive team. They did clean up some of the mess this off season by buying out a few contracts and getting solid talent in return, but will it be enough for the once darlings Vincent Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis return to the spotlight? In a word, no.

14. New York Islanders: Long Island is putting all their eggs in the John Tavares basket. They have brought in some good goaltending in Martin Biron and Dwayne Roloson as they will fight for a number one spot as Rick DiPietro recovers from injuries. But with injuries already hampering the Isles, it's doubtful they will make much noise in the East this year. If Kyle Okposo didn't get demolished in the preseason game against Calgary, it might be a different outcome for the once great franchise.

13. Atlanta Thrashers: The Thrashers just need an identity going into this season. The management has made an effort to continue to build a team around Ilya Kovalchuk and young goaltender Kari Lehtonen. They traded for Pavel Kubina and Tim Stapleton from the Leafs and adding some punch from the free agent list in Nik Antropov, Noah Welch and Anthony Stewart. The Thrashers are a much better team than the 13th place in the East they received last year, but when this team's chips are down, they would rather cash in and leave the table rather than tough it out. Blue land will be signing the blues this season again.

12. Ottawa Senators: The Danny Heatley saga took up most of the Sens off season. In return though they do get Alex Kovalev. The team is trying not to let the whole Heatley situation bother them, but usually moral is low after that kind of public affair. Their new acquisitions in Jonathan Cheechoo and Milan Michalek in the trade should help them get a few games under the belt. But their goaltending situation still stinks and there defensive core never recovered when Wade Redden and Zdeno Chara left. It will be a disappointing year for the capital city.

11. Philadelphia Flyers: The Flyers got some size on the blue line by bringing in Chris Pronger. But there has been a slow leak on the forward lines. Joffery Lupul and Scottie Upshall were contributors to the Flyers rough offense. The Flyers didn't make very many changes up front but got bigger and tougher. But the bigger and tougher you get, the less talented you get. If their top forwards in Daniel Briere, Jeff Carter and Michael Richards can stay healthy, the Flyers might be okay.

10. New York Rangers: It is not going to be John Tortorella's fault, but this team will underachieve yet again. Newcomers Marian Gaborik, Vaclav Prospal, Ales Kotalik, Tyler Arnason and Donald Brashear should keep them in the hunt for a playoff spot. But they lose quite a bit of talent in Scott Gomez, Nikolai Zherdev, Derek Morris, Paul Mara, Nik Antropov, Colton Orr, Fredrik Sjostrom and Blair Betts. The Rangers have a salary cap problem that forces them to bring up more youth.

9. Toronto Maple Leafs: Sure some toughness is going to give the Maple Leafs some respect. But they will need to follow that up with some scoring. They are hoping Phil Kessel will help in that regard. With Brian Burke at the helm, you know the Leafs will not back down from a fight. But he also added some good goaltending talent bringing the "Monster" Jonas Gustavsson and solid defense in Micheal Komisarik and Francois Beauchemin. If the Leafs can get some chemistry, they could be battling for a playoff spot late in the season.

Playoff Bound

8. Carolina Hurricanes: There will be a couple teams that will fall from grace this year in the East. I think the 'Canes is one of them. After making a coaching change late in the season and a few last minute trades, Carolina made a better effort to finish their season and earn a playoff spot. But they have a bad habit of taking things for granted. They made very little changes to the line up, a change here or there. They bought out Frantisek Kaberle and traded Patrick Eaves to bring back Aaron Ward. Add Stephan Yelle and the 'Canes should make the playoffs, barely.

7. Buffalo Sabres: The Sabres won't be denied a second season in a row. The changes are minimal, but it may be all they need. Coming into the Buffalo fold are Mike Grier and Steve Montador. The Sabres will also allow their young talent develop naturally. They will have Ryan Miller back in net with Patrick Lalime back him up, the pair should able to get the team into the playoffs.

6. Florida Panthers: The Panthers were oh so close to that last playoff spot last season. But this might be the year that they shed all that have held them down and make a run into the playoffs. Tomas Vokoun has to have a good season for this to happen since Craig Anderson left for Colorado. The Panthers have good core of young players returning in David Booth, Keith Ballard and Stephen Weiss. When these players get into the winning ways, I smell a playoff spot for an up and riser in the Southeast Divsion.

5. Pittsburgh Penguins: The hangover from the Stanley Cup will hamper the Pens all year. With Sidney Crosby injured so early in the year and the loss of Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill, the Pens lose a little expertise and strength on the blue line. But they are still a dangerous offensive team that should make the playoffs no problem. They won't have the chip on their shoulders they had last year, and that may lead to a lack of motivation.

4. Montreal Canadiens: The Habs did a major overhaul. Normally that would be cause for concern. But this could be a good thing for the Canadiens. A change in attitude and a new coach the Habs have replaced the same old disappointments from seasons past. Talent streaming into Montreal include Scott Gomez, Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta, Travis Moen, Jaroslav Spacek, Hal Gill and Paul Mara and goaltender Curtis Sanford. Chemistry should be key through the first half of the season, but I expect the Canadiens to be fighting rival Bruins for first in the division.

3. New Jersey Devils, Atlantic Division Champions: Everytime they are counted out, the Devils prove people wrong. They have a system that works, a GM that knows his team inside and out and quite possibly the best goaltender of all time in net. Bottom line, they compete every season for top spot in the East. Bringing back Jacques Lemaire as head coach for his second stint with the Devils fits into the defense/goaltending first, every thing else second. Expect the Devils to be a tough team to beat this year.

2. Boston Bruins, Northeast Division Champions: Zdeno Chara, Tim Thomas and Marc Savard. Three names that will make the Bruins a tough team to face this year. They were almost unstoppable, until they faced the Carolina Hurricanes in the playoffs. They finished first in the East last season, and they should play with a bit of a chip on their shoulder this year. With all their off season drama behind them (mainly with the deal that sent Kessel to Toronto). Now all is left to do is lean on Milan Lucic, Savard and Blake Wheeler for some offensive production.

1. Washington Capitals, Eastern Conference Champions: The Capitals felt they had the Stanley Cup Finals with in their grasp. But one bad game left an unsettling feeling in their stomachs. The game 7 debacle against the Penguins have made the Capitals even more ready for this season. Alex Ovechkin put on some weight in the off season and the goaltending battle has heated up between Jose Theodore, Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth. This is basically the same team returning, very little change over the off season. The additions of Mike Knuble and Brendan Morrison replace the departing Viktor Kozlov and Sergei Fedorov. There is only one goal for this team, and that is the Stanley Cup.

Top spot in the Eastern Conference could go either way between the Bruins and the Capitals. But both will have to save enough for the post season too. The biggest improvement from last year would be the Panthers. I didn't give them much respect last year, but they surprised me. I don't think they are going to waste another season trying to get to the playoffs, and I see them being a good team this year.

I will work on the Caps season preview before the game on Thursday.