If George McPhee was looking for a bit of "shock and awe" with his trade before the Capitals played the Carolina Hurricanes, the shock may have back fired. The Caps allowed 3 first period goals and never recovered as the Hurricanes blow away the Caps 6-3.
What preceded the game left both fans and players a bit on edge as the team's captain Chris Clark and defenseman Milan Jurcina were traded to Columbus for Jason Chimera. Yes, the same Chimera that got under the skin of the Caps and was involved in the play that may have injured Alex Ovechkin. McPhee wanted more grit and some salary space. He got it with this trade, but he also disrupted a very tight locker room.
The Caps changes in the past 2 and a half years has not had a shake up like this in it's ranks, unless we are talking about goaltending. McPhee even came out and stated he would like to keep the group together for as much as he could to give them another chance. He already has a tight nit group of guys and this shake up may have caught them off guard.
The end result is a team that was off kilter, off game and a team that failed to win against a weaker team and slipped in the standing a point behind the New Jersey Devils. All for more grit. McPhee may have realized his team lacked a bit of toughness. Chimera will bring that edge that is not quite a fighter and not quite a saint either.
What McPhee brought in was someone to add some energy to a team that seems to only thrive on goals. A player that can mix it up, and still have the speed to cut to the outside and make a play. Not so much a fighter, but an agitator. It is something the Caps have lacked since saying good bye to Matt Cooke, choosing Matt Bradley instead.
GMGM has also made room for another possible trade or pick up at the trade deadline. He dumps salaries of $2.5 and $1.375 million off his cap will only absorbing $1.875 and a contract through 2012. In a word, some cap "srtategery" going on here.
It was a shock for the Caps to make the move and deal the players that seemed to grow on the fans. Captain Chris Clark was the leader of this team, and a close friend to many in the locker room. His play through injury and hard working attitude seemed to satisfy the Capitals' faithful. Jurcina would probably be the last defenseman you would think be traded. He was a physical player that had a laser of a shot. The trade does ease the log jam of defensemen the Capitals have as well.
That shock seemed to rub on to the Caps as they took the ice to get their ninth straight win against a divisional foe. But that didn't happen. In one of the worst first periods I have seen the Caps play in some time, the Hurricanes took advantage of a stunned Caps' team scoring three goals in the first and never really looked back. When the Caps needed a save, they didn't get one from Jose Theodore. Not that it was entirely his fault, but he certainly didn't look very special out there.
In the grand scheme of things, it was simply just another loss. We sill need to see how Chimera fits into the locker room and how his play will affect the Caps as a whole. There might be more moves to come out of GMGM and that remains to be seen as well.
Showing posts with label Clark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clark. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Caps Dropped By Canuck Defense
Capitals 2, Canucks 3
Game Summary - Post - Times
The Washington Capitals in the middle of a long west coast swing road trip were not able to get past a stingy Vancouver Canuck defense. The Canucks would battle back from a one goal deficit to beat the a road weary Capital team 3-2.
In a strange first period, the Canucks opened the scoring as Ryan Kessler broke away from the Caps defense and was hooked from behind. The puck hit Jose Theodore, bounced off the leg of Jeff Schultz and into the net. Not long after that Brooks Laich took a hit along the boards after dishing the puck to Alex Semin. Laich was thrown over the boards into the Canuck bench. Semin scored off the play and the game had it's first two goals in very unconventional ways.
The Caps took the lead from there when Chris Clark scored off his own blocked shot. That is where the they would begin to sputter on offense. The Canucks tightened the defensive end and capitalized on opportunities given to them. Rookie Mason Raymond scored on a two on one when the Caps got caught deep in the offensive zone. Then the Canucks would take the lead on a Tom Poti penalty where he took an extra two minutes for unsportsmanlike.
The story of the game was the ineffective power play for the Capitals. They had only one shot on net in all four of their power plays against the Canucks. Alex Ovechkin remained pretty much ineffective against a stingy defense. Through the first two periods, Ovi didn't even have a shot on net. He would finish pointless on the night.
Semin did have a late penalty shot but failed to score on his opportunity. It's a disappointing finish to a game that saw the Caps dominating play through much of the first period. Letting their power play chances slip away, there wasn't much room the Canucks afforded the Capitals as the game wore on.
The Caps have to put this behind them as they travel to Edmonton and face the Oilers for a second late night game in a row. The game against the Oilers will end the four game western road swing for the Capitals as they will play Buffalo at home on Wednesday.
Game Summary - Post - Times
The Washington Capitals in the middle of a long west coast swing road trip were not able to get past a stingy Vancouver Canuck defense. The Canucks would battle back from a one goal deficit to beat the a road weary Capital team 3-2.
In a strange first period, the Canucks opened the scoring as Ryan Kessler broke away from the Caps defense and was hooked from behind. The puck hit Jose Theodore, bounced off the leg of Jeff Schultz and into the net. Not long after that Brooks Laich took a hit along the boards after dishing the puck to Alex Semin. Laich was thrown over the boards into the Canuck bench. Semin scored off the play and the game had it's first two goals in very unconventional ways.
The Caps took the lead from there when Chris Clark scored off his own blocked shot. That is where the they would begin to sputter on offense. The Canucks tightened the defensive end and capitalized on opportunities given to them. Rookie Mason Raymond scored on a two on one when the Caps got caught deep in the offensive zone. Then the Canucks would take the lead on a Tom Poti penalty where he took an extra two minutes for unsportsmanlike.
The story of the game was the ineffective power play for the Capitals. They had only one shot on net in all four of their power plays against the Canucks. Alex Ovechkin remained pretty much ineffective against a stingy defense. Through the first two periods, Ovi didn't even have a shot on net. He would finish pointless on the night.
Semin did have a late penalty shot but failed to score on his opportunity. It's a disappointing finish to a game that saw the Caps dominating play through much of the first period. Letting their power play chances slip away, there wasn't much room the Canucks afforded the Capitals as the game wore on.
The Caps have to put this behind them as they travel to Edmonton and face the Oilers for a second late night game in a row. The game against the Oilers will end the four game western road swing for the Capitals as they will play Buffalo at home on Wednesday.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Caps Go Eleven Rounds With Isles
Capitals 5, Islanders 4 OT/SO (2-1)
Scoresheet
The New York Islanders and the Washington Capitals seem to be getting used to extra time to decide a winner. This game would be no different as it would go into an eleven round shoot out for captain Chris Clark and the Capitals take the extra two points and the overall lead in the Eastern Conference. Clark's wrister beat Islander Dwayne Roloson winning the game 5-4.
Alex Semin had one of those nights where he dominated the ice, both in a good way and a bad way. Just :08 seconds into the game, Semin let a wicked slap shot go and it beat Roloson. It would tie a franchise record for fastest goal in a game. Semin would get a second goal on the power play and scored again in the shoot out. Tomas Fleischmann continues his consecutive game point streak to six games with a goal and Eric Fehr scored a neat little back hander that ricocheted off a defender and into the net.
The Caps got off to a quick start by scoring just eight seconds into the game, but the Islanders answered back with 3 straight goals. One of which came off of Semin's stick when he tried to cut down the middle of the ice and was hit by Trent Hunter. The puck ended up on Sean Bergenheim's stick and he had a clear break away and scored on Jose Theodore. It would be the last we saw of Theodore who was replaced after that with Semyon Varlamov.
That is when the Caps put their nose to the grindstone and worked their way back into the game. Nick Backstrom played a big part in the first period to get at least one goal back when he showed some stick handling skills on the power play. Cutting through Islanders he lost the puck in front of the net, but Fleischmann was there to shoot it past Roloson to make it 3-2.
Semin would tie it on a second period power play when Mike Green made a nice move in the zone, circled the net and found Semin in front for the quick high shot. Eric Fehr would give the Caps the lead not long after that when he tried a backhand pass to the front of the net. The puck hit the defender however and the puck found it's way into the net. The Caps answered the Islanders's three straight goals with three of their own.
It looked like the Caps were going to make it to another regulation win, but Trent Hunter rocketed a shot past Varlamov's shoulder and tied the game with just over two minutes to go.
In the overtime period, it seemed as if the Caps did not want to take it into a shoot out. They pressured often in the extra frame getting four shots on net. But the Islanders' goaltender came up with the saves and a shoot out was inevitable.
It would take eleven rounds of the shoot out before captain Clark wristed a shot past Roloson to give the Caps the win. Varlamov was only beaten once by Jeff Tambellini, but he remained solid for the remaining rounds. He gave a celebratory fist pump when he stopped the last player and as his teammates jumped the boards to celebrate the Caps' eleventh win.
With their two points, the Caps will take sole possession of first place in the East by two points. While they hold a two point lead in the East, they hold a 9 point lead in their division with Tampa Bay at the Caps heels. Doing this with out franchise player Alex Ovechkin makes the feat that more remarkable. 10 players have scored a goal since Ovechkin was injured, picking up the offensive slack.
It was not the prettiest game the Caps have played, but they were a resilient group coming back from a 3-1 deficit. It was a well earned win as the New York Islanders out worked the Caps many times. After Bruce Boudreau switched goaltenders, the Caps played a more balanced game. A good sign that the team doesn't quit, no matter the score.
Scoresheet
The New York Islanders and the Washington Capitals seem to be getting used to extra time to decide a winner. This game would be no different as it would go into an eleven round shoot out for captain Chris Clark and the Capitals take the extra two points and the overall lead in the Eastern Conference. Clark's wrister beat Islander Dwayne Roloson winning the game 5-4.
Alex Semin had one of those nights where he dominated the ice, both in a good way and a bad way. Just :08 seconds into the game, Semin let a wicked slap shot go and it beat Roloson. It would tie a franchise record for fastest goal in a game. Semin would get a second goal on the power play and scored again in the shoot out. Tomas Fleischmann continues his consecutive game point streak to six games with a goal and Eric Fehr scored a neat little back hander that ricocheted off a defender and into the net.
The Caps got off to a quick start by scoring just eight seconds into the game, but the Islanders answered back with 3 straight goals. One of which came off of Semin's stick when he tried to cut down the middle of the ice and was hit by Trent Hunter. The puck ended up on Sean Bergenheim's stick and he had a clear break away and scored on Jose Theodore. It would be the last we saw of Theodore who was replaced after that with Semyon Varlamov.
That is when the Caps put their nose to the grindstone and worked their way back into the game. Nick Backstrom played a big part in the first period to get at least one goal back when he showed some stick handling skills on the power play. Cutting through Islanders he lost the puck in front of the net, but Fleischmann was there to shoot it past Roloson to make it 3-2.
Semin would tie it on a second period power play when Mike Green made a nice move in the zone, circled the net and found Semin in front for the quick high shot. Eric Fehr would give the Caps the lead not long after that when he tried a backhand pass to the front of the net. The puck hit the defender however and the puck found it's way into the net. The Caps answered the Islanders's three straight goals with three of their own.
It looked like the Caps were going to make it to another regulation win, but Trent Hunter rocketed a shot past Varlamov's shoulder and tied the game with just over two minutes to go.
In the overtime period, it seemed as if the Caps did not want to take it into a shoot out. They pressured often in the extra frame getting four shots on net. But the Islanders' goaltender came up with the saves and a shoot out was inevitable.
It would take eleven rounds of the shoot out before captain Clark wristed a shot past Roloson to give the Caps the win. Varlamov was only beaten once by Jeff Tambellini, but he remained solid for the remaining rounds. He gave a celebratory fist pump when he stopped the last player and as his teammates jumped the boards to celebrate the Caps' eleventh win.
With their two points, the Caps will take sole possession of first place in the East by two points. While they hold a two point lead in the East, they hold a 9 point lead in their division with Tampa Bay at the Caps heels. Doing this with out franchise player Alex Ovechkin makes the feat that more remarkable. 10 players have scored a goal since Ovechkin was injured, picking up the offensive slack.
It was not the prettiest game the Caps have played, but they were a resilient group coming back from a 3-1 deficit. It was a well earned win as the New York Islanders out worked the Caps many times. After Bruce Boudreau switched goaltenders, the Caps played a more balanced game. A good sign that the team doesn't quit, no matter the score.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Caps Win In OT... Again
Preseason: Capitals 3, Blackhawks 2 OTScoresheet
In almost a repeat of the first preseason game, the Capitals have to come from behind to get the win in overtime against the Chicago Blackhawks. In front of 19,734 in attendance at United Center in Chicago, the Caps' start was a little slow. The Blackhawks jumped to the early 2-0 lead. But Washington came back with goals in the second and third periods to force overtime and eventually winning with just :12 seconds left in the extra frame.
The Caps got off to another shaky start, but goaltender Micheal Neuvirth kept them with in reach. Chicago got some jump from the crowd early and scored in the first five minutes of the game off of a Patrick Sharp clean up shot with the puck in the crease.
The Caps then started taking penalties, much like they did in the game against Buffalo. They were called for four straight infractions for a total of 5 penalties in all. But the penalty killers did their job, not allowing a single Blackhawk power play goal. That seemed to build the momentum for them and Chris Clark's goal that bounced off a Blackhawk's skate to beat Huet seemed to energize the team.
The line of Clark, Alex Giroux and Kyle Wilson were on the ice for Chicago's 2 goals, but they made up for it by scoring the next two. Wilson scored late in the third to tie up the game and Neuvirth continued to look strong in net, killing off a 3:19 Blackhawk power play when Giroux took a 4 minute high sticking double minor.
Cam Barker took a high sticking call late for the Hawks and the Caps had a late power play to finish regulation, but their power play didn't click. It wasn't until late in the overtime period did Shaone Morrisonn dig the puck from the corner and feed it to a waiting Mathieu Perreault. Perreault buried the walk off goal and the Capitals stay perfect in the preseason.
The battle for second chair in goaltending has reached a boiling point. After Semyon Varlamov gave a spectacular performance in Buffalo, Neuvirth answered with a pretty well played game in Chicago. Both are making the decision harder for the coaching staff to pick one over the other, but one thing is for sure: the Caps have some great goaltending for the future.
Kyle Wilson and Mathieu Perreault played well for the Caps as the battle for the forward spots heat up. Wilson finished with a game tying goal and an assist, while Perreault scored the game winning goal in OT. Andrew Gordon also played well although he didn't make the scoresheet.
The Caps' defensive squad played well overall. Although there were some breakdowns, Neuvirth was there for the save. John Erskine had 5 hits, while Morrisonn assisted on the game winning goal. Tom Poti and Milan Jurcina both finished a plus 2.
The Blackhawks had a lot of stars on the ice for this exhibition game, but the Caps held pretty firm. Jonathan Towes, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Dustin Byfuglien and Cristabol Huet were all in the line up for the Hawks and the Caps still were able to hold their own. A positive sign.
Caps have one day of practice before their next game at the phone booth in Chinatown versus the Sabres. Caps may have more cuts on the way before the game Monday night.
Photo: AP
Friday, May 08, 2009
It's A Three Game Series
Capitals 3, Penguins 5
Scoresheet - Times - Post
Another great start for the Capitals turns to disaster as we finally see the human side of Semyon Varlamov. The Penguins finally soften up the rookie goaltender and got the goals they needed. The Cap however looked lethargic at times and just out of sorts others. The Penguins bring the series back to Washington with the series now tied at two games a piece with a 5-3 win.
Again, the Caps get off to a great start when Nick Backstrom scored just :36 seconds into the game. His slapshot slipped past Marc-Andre Fleury and the away team had scored it's fourth straight first goal in the series. The celebration was short lived as the Penguins came back to score the next three goals.
Varlamov, for the first time in the playoffs, has looked beatable. The first goal was a clear shot from Sergei Gonchar that beat him. Then the Pens got a garbage goal from Bill Guerin and Varly was beat again. This time from a Ruslan Fedotenko shot that somehow beat Varlamov's glove. Soft goal number two allowed the Pens to build up a two goal lead.
"He struggled," Bruce Boudreau said of his goaltender's performance. "There were four soft goals out of the five. But he'll bounce back. He's a real competitive guy."
From that point on, the Caps just did not look very good. They couldn't get their break out under control, their passes were sloppy and they just looked disconnected. The Caps did get a late goal in the second to make it interesting. Alex Ovechkin carried it over the blue line and centered the puck to a break Mike Green down the middle. Green made a few good moves and hit the post with his shot. But Chris Clark was there to put in the garbage when the puck bounced on the goal line.
The Caps power play could have been called their sloppy play. There was no movement, they were just standing around watching the puck carrier. The passes were sloppy and often anywhere but on the tape of their teammate's sticks. Some key power plays ended up with one shot on net and a slew of missed opportunities.
"They were desperate down here," Boudreau said. "Alex is only human, he can't be unbelievable every night. He's a great player, he just had one of those nights where he's not going to get three goals."
The Caps felt they had to press and got caught being a bit too aggressive. The result was a two on one the other way for the Penguins. They restore their two goal lead and the Caps took a penalty not too long after that. Things were looking pretty dire for the Caps when a surprise shorthanded goal gave the Capitals some late life. Milan Jurcina cashes in on some great hitting by Matt Bradley. The puck gets up to Jurcina on the point and he rifles a shot past Fleury.
But that would be the high water mark for the Capitals as once again Varlamov let in a soft goal with just over 5 minutes left in the game. The Caps pulled the goalie in a last ditch effort to score, but the damage had been done. They couldn't get past the Penguins' as they built up a wall around Fleury by blocking shots. The Caps just couldn't get the puck to the slot in front of Fleury.
The Caps, once again, did not play their game. Instead they sat back and let the Pens come at them. When they had the momentum, they just couldn't sustain any more pressure. They just need to pick what kind of team they are going to be when they play the Penguins. They either have to be the aggressive team or the lay back defensive team. This hybrid way of playing is screwing them up.
There was some dirty stuff in the game that seemed to stem from Ovechkin's leg hit on Sergei Gonchar. The hit was leg on leg and Ovi was penalized for tripping on the play. The Penguins, however, want the league to look at the tape and deal with Ovechkin's hit severely by suspending him. Ovechkin did look like he was going for the shoulder check when Gonchar stepped aside to try to avoid the hit.
"Yeah, it probably was knee on knee. I tried to hit him with my shoulder and he just moved left [into] the same spot," Ovechkin said.
The Penguins took some liberties toward the end of the game as well. Chris Kunitz and Jordan Staal double teamed a hit on Shaone Morrisonn. Evgeni Malkin elbowed Jurcina that was not called either.
As bad as things look, there are some positives. Clark's goal was a good for the Caps who need to start crashing the net and putting pressure on a defensive squad that does break down. Jurcina's goal was a goal of opportunity and the Caps needed a shortie just to get something down for special teams. And the Caps can pull from Bradley's push in the offensive zone to create havoc and give his team a chance. If they can add more energy and spark, the Caps will do okay.
Jay Beagle was the recalled forward who saw some good action early and played well for a shift and half. That was until he got hit in the first and we never saw him again. He played two short shifts in the second and didn't see any ice time in the third period.
Tyler Sloan sat out in favor of John Erskine coming back into the line up. Erskine played okay, but he was a little out of sorts at times with his team. Karl Alzner was sent back down to Hershey as the Baby Pens won tonight 6-3 to tie their series in the AHL with the Bears at two games apiece.
Now the series returns to Washington, just 24 hours after the drop of the puck for game four. The Pens have the momentum coming back to DC as each team jump on a plane and head back to the phone booth. The Caps can draw on their home crowd for some jump, but they can't afford to play like they did in games three and four. It's the little things that are killing them, that extra little effort that the Penguins are showing and the Capitals aren't.
Scoresheet - Times - Post
Another great start for the Capitals turns to disaster as we finally see the human side of Semyon Varlamov. The Penguins finally soften up the rookie goaltender and got the goals they needed. The Cap however looked lethargic at times and just out of sorts others. The Penguins bring the series back to Washington with the series now tied at two games a piece with a 5-3 win.
Again, the Caps get off to a great start when Nick Backstrom scored just :36 seconds into the game. His slapshot slipped past Marc-Andre Fleury and the away team had scored it's fourth straight first goal in the series. The celebration was short lived as the Penguins came back to score the next three goals.
Varlamov, for the first time in the playoffs, has looked beatable. The first goal was a clear shot from Sergei Gonchar that beat him. Then the Pens got a garbage goal from Bill Guerin and Varly was beat again. This time from a Ruslan Fedotenko shot that somehow beat Varlamov's glove. Soft goal number two allowed the Pens to build up a two goal lead.
"He struggled," Bruce Boudreau said of his goaltender's performance. "There were four soft goals out of the five. But he'll bounce back. He's a real competitive guy."
From that point on, the Caps just did not look very good. They couldn't get their break out under control, their passes were sloppy and they just looked disconnected. The Caps did get a late goal in the second to make it interesting. Alex Ovechkin carried it over the blue line and centered the puck to a break Mike Green down the middle. Green made a few good moves and hit the post with his shot. But Chris Clark was there to put in the garbage when the puck bounced on the goal line.
The Caps power play could have been called their sloppy play. There was no movement, they were just standing around watching the puck carrier. The passes were sloppy and often anywhere but on the tape of their teammate's sticks. Some key power plays ended up with one shot on net and a slew of missed opportunities.
"They were desperate down here," Boudreau said. "Alex is only human, he can't be unbelievable every night. He's a great player, he just had one of those nights where he's not going to get three goals."
The Caps felt they had to press and got caught being a bit too aggressive. The result was a two on one the other way for the Penguins. They restore their two goal lead and the Caps took a penalty not too long after that. Things were looking pretty dire for the Caps when a surprise shorthanded goal gave the Capitals some late life. Milan Jurcina cashes in on some great hitting by Matt Bradley. The puck gets up to Jurcina on the point and he rifles a shot past Fleury.
But that would be the high water mark for the Capitals as once again Varlamov let in a soft goal with just over 5 minutes left in the game. The Caps pulled the goalie in a last ditch effort to score, but the damage had been done. They couldn't get past the Penguins' as they built up a wall around Fleury by blocking shots. The Caps just couldn't get the puck to the slot in front of Fleury.
The Caps, once again, did not play their game. Instead they sat back and let the Pens come at them. When they had the momentum, they just couldn't sustain any more pressure. They just need to pick what kind of team they are going to be when they play the Penguins. They either have to be the aggressive team or the lay back defensive team. This hybrid way of playing is screwing them up.
There was some dirty stuff in the game that seemed to stem from Ovechkin's leg hit on Sergei Gonchar. The hit was leg on leg and Ovi was penalized for tripping on the play. The Penguins, however, want the league to look at the tape and deal with Ovechkin's hit severely by suspending him. Ovechkin did look like he was going for the shoulder check when Gonchar stepped aside to try to avoid the hit.
"Yeah, it probably was knee on knee. I tried to hit him with my shoulder and he just moved left [into] the same spot," Ovechkin said.
The Penguins took some liberties toward the end of the game as well. Chris Kunitz and Jordan Staal double teamed a hit on Shaone Morrisonn. Evgeni Malkin elbowed Jurcina that was not called either.
As bad as things look, there are some positives. Clark's goal was a good for the Caps who need to start crashing the net and putting pressure on a defensive squad that does break down. Jurcina's goal was a goal of opportunity and the Caps needed a shortie just to get something down for special teams. And the Caps can pull from Bradley's push in the offensive zone to create havoc and give his team a chance. If they can add more energy and spark, the Caps will do okay.
Jay Beagle was the recalled forward who saw some good action early and played well for a shift and half. That was until he got hit in the first and we never saw him again. He played two short shifts in the second and didn't see any ice time in the third period.
Tyler Sloan sat out in favor of John Erskine coming back into the line up. Erskine played okay, but he was a little out of sorts at times with his team. Karl Alzner was sent back down to Hershey as the Baby Pens won tonight 6-3 to tie their series in the AHL with the Bears at two games apiece.
Now the series returns to Washington, just 24 hours after the drop of the puck for game four. The Pens have the momentum coming back to DC as each team jump on a plane and head back to the phone booth. The Caps can draw on their home crowd for some jump, but they can't afford to play like they did in games three and four. It's the little things that are killing them, that extra little effort that the Penguins are showing and the Capitals aren't.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Updates On Brash And Mo
More than likely Donald Brashear will be suspended and sit out Game 7. Not for his hit during the game, but for his altercation with Colton Orr during warm ups. Ever since Sean Avery mixed things up with Maple Leaf Jason Blake before the game even started, the league has taken a harsher stand against any player that causes a commotion before the game even begins.
As for the Shaone Morrisonn's alleged biting incident, I looked at the replay and at no time is Mo's mouth anywhere near Brandon Dubinsky's arm so much as the NBC broadcast showed. Assistant coach Jim Schoenfeld made the comment late in his press conference about Dubinsky getting a tetanus shot after being bitten by Mo. But reporters couldn't confirm the attack with players as most of them had already left.
Instead, Dubinsky's arm does look to get pinched between Mo and Ryan Callahan as he jumped into the fray to help out his teammate. Mo denied biting the Ranger forward.
Chris Clark could be available for Game 7. If Brash is sitting out, Clark could be a good replacement. Micheal Nylander could also come into the line up as well.
Update: Brash is set for a disciplinary hearing at 1pm today to decide if any suspension should be given for the pre-game altercation and/or the late hit on Blair Betts. Betts suffered a broken orbital bone and is finished for the rest of the playoffs.
As for the Shaone Morrisonn's alleged biting incident, I looked at the replay and at no time is Mo's mouth anywhere near Brandon Dubinsky's arm so much as the NBC broadcast showed. Assistant coach Jim Schoenfeld made the comment late in his press conference about Dubinsky getting a tetanus shot after being bitten by Mo. But reporters couldn't confirm the attack with players as most of them had already left.
Instead, Dubinsky's arm does look to get pinched between Mo and Ryan Callahan as he jumped into the fray to help out his teammate. Mo denied biting the Ranger forward.
Chris Clark could be available for Game 7. If Brash is sitting out, Clark could be a good replacement. Micheal Nylander could also come into the line up as well.
Update: Brash is set for a disciplinary hearing at 1pm today to decide if any suspension should be given for the pre-game altercation and/or the late hit on Blair Betts. Betts suffered a broken orbital bone and is finished for the rest of the playoffs.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Atlanta Part Duex
Well, part six actually. The Capitals finish a home and home with the Atlanta Thrashers tonight finishing their six game series in what has to be the most interesting, if not perplexing, rivalry the Cap have had to date. The Thrashers have had a quiet confidence against Washington and it has taken an extraordinary effort for the boys in red, white and blue to turn things around.
Atlanta and Washington have both opened their seasons facing one another. Atlanta surprised the Caps with a 7-4 beat down that humbled the Caps and had us scratching our heads about Jose Theodore's standard of play. In the second game, it took an Alex Ovechkin four point night to secure the win, he had a hat trick and an assist.
It would be nearly three months before either team saw each other again. But when they did it was a rough and tumble affair and the Capitals' potent power play went 3 for 7 giving Michal Neuvirth his second straight win. The game was a bit closer than the Capitals might have liked, but it seemed the Caps had finally figured out their Georgia rivals.
Then Atlanta broke out the ugly jerseys and Kari Lehtenon broke out a picture perfect game, except maybe for one goal. They handed the struggling Caps a 5-1 loss and had us scratching our heads once more. Eric Fehr was the lone goal scorer, breaking the shut-out bid with only 1:15 left in the game.
On Sunday afternoon It looked as if Thrashers had the answer at the Verizon Center. The Caps looked sluggish and uninterested through the first two periods. Atlanta was beating them to the puck, winning battles, and just out working them. But the Caps made sure they won their final home game with a 4 goal third period. Again putting another twist in this divisional rivalry. I know, weird.
The season series has been anything but boring. Their games have been high scoring affairs, in fact the season series has shelled out 42 goals in all. It begs the question, which Capital team will show up tonight at Philips Arena? The determined talented one or the just-going-through-the-motions one?
Tonight should also be a night of answers for the Eastern Conference. New Jersey plays Toronto, a probable win for the Devils and the Caps have to keep pace to retain second place. Florida faces Philly, will the Panthers get to go to the dance? The Flyers haven't clinched yet because they have fewer wins than Florida (and if Florida wins their remaining 3 games and if Philly loses theirs they would be tied with the tiebreaker going the Panthers way). Montreal has an opportunity to give the Rangers a hard time tonight and Carolina is hoping to hold on to that number 4 spot and keep home ice advantage away from Pittsburgh and Philly. All in all, should be a great night for hockey.
Caps Notes:
Atlanta and Washington have both opened their seasons facing one another. Atlanta surprised the Caps with a 7-4 beat down that humbled the Caps and had us scratching our heads about Jose Theodore's standard of play. In the second game, it took an Alex Ovechkin four point night to secure the win, he had a hat trick and an assist.
It would be nearly three months before either team saw each other again. But when they did it was a rough and tumble affair and the Capitals' potent power play went 3 for 7 giving Michal Neuvirth his second straight win. The game was a bit closer than the Capitals might have liked, but it seemed the Caps had finally figured out their Georgia rivals.
Then Atlanta broke out the ugly jerseys and Kari Lehtenon broke out a picture perfect game, except maybe for one goal. They handed the struggling Caps a 5-1 loss and had us scratching our heads once more. Eric Fehr was the lone goal scorer, breaking the shut-out bid with only 1:15 left in the game.
On Sunday afternoon It looked as if Thrashers had the answer at the Verizon Center. The Caps looked sluggish and uninterested through the first two periods. Atlanta was beating them to the puck, winning battles, and just out working them. But the Caps made sure they won their final home game with a 4 goal third period. Again putting another twist in this divisional rivalry. I know, weird.
The season series has been anything but boring. Their games have been high scoring affairs, in fact the season series has shelled out 42 goals in all. It begs the question, which Capital team will show up tonight at Philips Arena? The determined talented one or the just-going-through-the-motions one?
Tonight should also be a night of answers for the Eastern Conference. New Jersey plays Toronto, a probable win for the Devils and the Caps have to keep pace to retain second place. Florida faces Philly, will the Panthers get to go to the dance? The Flyers haven't clinched yet because they have fewer wins than Florida (and if Florida wins their remaining 3 games and if Philly loses theirs they would be tied with the tiebreaker going the Panthers way). Montreal has an opportunity to give the Rangers a hard time tonight and Carolina is hoping to hold on to that number 4 spot and keep home ice advantage away from Pittsburgh and Philly. All in all, should be a great night for hockey.
Caps Notes:
- Only eleven players and two goaltenders took the ice at Kettler for the Capitals optional practice. Brent Johnson and Simeon Varlamov got the most work in this light work out. The players were pretty loose and jawing at one another as Johnny rehabs and Varly got a workout. Brooks Laich joined the fun early, but only in his shorts and t-shirt. He would stand on the ice and take pot shots at the net with his cross trainers on and gloves.
- Chris Clark and Boyd Gordon also were on the ice early trying to keep their legs conditioned. They didn't join the rest of the crew when practice did start yesterday, but they did share a few passes as their rehab ended just as the practice began. Donald Brashear also took the ice late in practice and his knee looked just fine. Although he was not really skating at full force and it looked as if he just wanted to get a few shots in without having to really do any drills.
- WJFK, 106.7 FM will be broadcasting every one of the playoff games. The Caps did this last season too. The FM signal will be a better and stronger signal than the 1500 AM signal on Federal radio.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
More On The Win At The Rock
Some further thoughts on the game last night.
Viktor Kozlov left the game after the first nursing what a team official called a groin tweak. Kozlov did leave without a limp and Bruce Boudreau kept him out of the last two periods as a precaution.
The Caps power play was good and bad at the same time. The Devils did an excellent job of frustrating the Capitals with the extra man. They had possession problems as the Devils were able to keep the puck for long stretches during the power play. While the problems seemed shadowed by the three goals on the power play. It seemed when the Caps are more pressured to score, they do.
Eric Fehr is making the most of his new found ice time. With Chris Clark out for the remainder of the season, Fehr has no choice but to pick up his game. But he has to start burying his chances and turn shots into goals. From the Detroit game to now, Fehr has scored in the past three games, but his chances far outnumber his goals. I am hoping that changes with time and more ice time under his belt.
Alex Ovechkin recorded only one shot on the net, a season low. The Devils seemed to do a good job of isolating him and clamping down on his explosive speed and his quick shot. But they couldn't contain Ovi entirely as the left winger had two helpers. Ovechkin also seemed to play a better defensive game against the Devils, back checking to break up odd man rushes.
When the star players for the Washington Capitals get suffocated by a good defense, shots seemed to come from unlikely sources. Ovechkin and Alex Semin were held to only 3 shots, one for Ovi, 2 for Semin. Brooks Laich, however, was bathing in shots getting 6. He had a goal and an assist on the night.
The last time Micheal Nylander had a multiple goal outing for the Capitals was December 29th, 2007. Nylander's play seemed to improve since he was a healthy scratch. He did seemed to be uncomfortable with the snub, but his offensive production has picked up including the two goals last night.
Micheal Neuvirth sat on the bench backing up Jose Theodore. He was recalled after Brent Johnson aggravated an injury. Johnsons's injury woes and Theo's solid play had made Jose the number one goaltender for the Capitals. Theo's play in this game was pretty good. Many of his saves seemed routine, even though a lot of them were not. It is a good sign to see a goaltender not allowing many rebounds. Right now it looks like JT60 is swallowing up shots and is looking more focused and more comfortable in net.
The Capitals canceled practice today, they just need the rest. The Caps go through a tough February with virtually a game every other day. Rest is something this team has to cherish. With a big win over the Devils, they earned the day off.
Tonight, Donny Brashear, Nick Backstrom and NHL diversity director Willie O'Ree will be at Fort Dupont Ice Rink in DC. Also Los Angeles King Wayne Simmonds will be in attendance as they visit the oldest minority hockey program in the United States.
Viktor Kozlov left the game after the first nursing what a team official called a groin tweak. Kozlov did leave without a limp and Bruce Boudreau kept him out of the last two periods as a precaution.
The Caps power play was good and bad at the same time. The Devils did an excellent job of frustrating the Capitals with the extra man. They had possession problems as the Devils were able to keep the puck for long stretches during the power play. While the problems seemed shadowed by the three goals on the power play. It seemed when the Caps are more pressured to score, they do.
Eric Fehr is making the most of his new found ice time. With Chris Clark out for the remainder of the season, Fehr has no choice but to pick up his game. But he has to start burying his chances and turn shots into goals. From the Detroit game to now, Fehr has scored in the past three games, but his chances far outnumber his goals. I am hoping that changes with time and more ice time under his belt.
Alex Ovechkin recorded only one shot on the net, a season low. The Devils seemed to do a good job of isolating him and clamping down on his explosive speed and his quick shot. But they couldn't contain Ovi entirely as the left winger had two helpers. Ovechkin also seemed to play a better defensive game against the Devils, back checking to break up odd man rushes.
When the star players for the Washington Capitals get suffocated by a good defense, shots seemed to come from unlikely sources. Ovechkin and Alex Semin were held to only 3 shots, one for Ovi, 2 for Semin. Brooks Laich, however, was bathing in shots getting 6. He had a goal and an assist on the night.
The last time Micheal Nylander had a multiple goal outing for the Capitals was December 29th, 2007. Nylander's play seemed to improve since he was a healthy scratch. He did seemed to be uncomfortable with the snub, but his offensive production has picked up including the two goals last night.
Micheal Neuvirth sat on the bench backing up Jose Theodore. He was recalled after Brent Johnson aggravated an injury. Johnsons's injury woes and Theo's solid play had made Jose the number one goaltender for the Capitals. Theo's play in this game was pretty good. Many of his saves seemed routine, even though a lot of them were not. It is a good sign to see a goaltender not allowing many rebounds. Right now it looks like JT60 is swallowing up shots and is looking more focused and more comfortable in net.
The Capitals canceled practice today, they just need the rest. The Caps go through a tough February with virtually a game every other day. Rest is something this team has to cherish. With a big win over the Devils, they earned the day off.
Tonight, Donny Brashear, Nick Backstrom and NHL diversity director Willie O'Ree will be at Fort Dupont Ice Rink in DC. Also Los Angeles King Wayne Simmonds will be in attendance as they visit the oldest minority hockey program in the United States.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Clark Could Be Gone For The Year
George McPhee confirmed that Chris Clark could be done for the year. Clark has had a nagging wrist injury he has had since training camp. The injury will likely require surgery which will take some significant time to recover from. That would mean Clarkie is done for the year.
Clark had to finish last season early with a groin strain that took a majority of the off season to heal. His return to the lineup some how made the Capitals whole, now there is just a hole where the Capitals' captain should be.
"Clark is our captain," Bruce Boudreau said as he fielded questions after practice at Kettler. "There's no controversy there. When he gets healthy, he'll come back and be our captain."
McPhee hasn't committed to making any moves as of yet according to Tarik via the Capital Insider blog. There is room to bring up Karl Alzner if they wanted if Clark goes on the LTIR (long term injured reserve), but it looks as if McPhee might just wait. The likely-hood of another forward will be more likely.
Clark had to finish last season early with a groin strain that took a majority of the off season to heal. His return to the lineup some how made the Capitals whole, now there is just a hole where the Capitals' captain should be.
"Clark is our captain," Bruce Boudreau said as he fielded questions after practice at Kettler. "There's no controversy there. When he gets healthy, he'll come back and be our captain."
McPhee hasn't committed to making any moves as of yet according to Tarik via the Capital Insider blog. There is room to bring up Karl Alzner if they wanted if Clark goes on the LTIR (long term injured reserve), but it looks as if McPhee might just wait. The likely-hood of another forward will be more likely.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wee, Wee, Wee All The Way Home
It's been 12 days since the Caps have dropped the puck at the Verizon Center. They have been on a 5 game road trip that did not treat them too well. One win in the last five, they have been outscored 26 to 18 and lost now seven players due to injury (I am sure we will find out how severe those injuries are today).
The Capitals' goals against are just about even with their goals for (67-68). Which puts the Caps in interesting territory. They are 27th in the league in terms of goals against, a stat I am sure they would like to see changed. Meanwhile, they are also 5th in the league goals for, a stat I am sure they would like to keep.
Venturing away from the phone booth, the team has been mortal. They are badly outscored 52 to 40 when they don the white sweaters. At home? They have outscore their opponents 28 to 15. Good not great.
This all sets up the Capitals to face a team that suddenly has found its scoring touch. The Atlanta Thrashers will be rolling into town after playing a physical high scoring game against Toronto. They put up 6 goals and Johan Hedberg stopped 33 including a couple of ten-bell saves to shut down the Leafs. This is also the team that scored a 7 spot against the Caps back on October 10th, the last time these two teams faced each other.
Injuries aside, the Caps will have to find a way to keep the puck from behind their own net.
Caps notes:
With Jeff Schultz now out 4 to 6 weeks with a broken finger (no word on which finger and if he can still give the bird) the Caps most likely will put him on the IR. Making room for Sami Lepisto to join the club, who costs less that Karl Alzner. They also need a puck moving defensemen in the absence of Mike Green in the line up.
The Caps are hurting big time. Sergei Fedorov is listed day-to-day (ankle), Mike Green is listed day-to-day (may return this weekend), Boyd Gordon is listed day-to-day (back spasms), John Erskine is listed day-to-day (unknown), Alex Semin is listed day-to-day (may return tonight), Schultz is out 4 to 6 weeks (broken digit), and now Chris Clark may be out with inuries (status to be updated, retweak of the groin?).
The Capitals' goals against are just about even with their goals for (67-68). Which puts the Caps in interesting territory. They are 27th in the league in terms of goals against, a stat I am sure they would like to see changed. Meanwhile, they are also 5th in the league goals for, a stat I am sure they would like to keep.
Venturing away from the phone booth, the team has been mortal. They are badly outscored 52 to 40 when they don the white sweaters. At home? They have outscore their opponents 28 to 15. Good not great.
This all sets up the Capitals to face a team that suddenly has found its scoring touch. The Atlanta Thrashers will be rolling into town after playing a physical high scoring game against Toronto. They put up 6 goals and Johan Hedberg stopped 33 including a couple of ten-bell saves to shut down the Leafs. This is also the team that scored a 7 spot against the Caps back on October 10th, the last time these two teams faced each other.
Injuries aside, the Caps will have to find a way to keep the puck from behind their own net.
Caps notes:
With Jeff Schultz now out 4 to 6 weeks with a broken finger (no word on which finger and if he can still give the bird) the Caps most likely will put him on the IR. Making room for Sami Lepisto to join the club, who costs less that Karl Alzner. They also need a puck moving defensemen in the absence of Mike Green in the line up.
The Caps are hurting big time. Sergei Fedorov is listed day-to-day (ankle), Mike Green is listed day-to-day (may return this weekend), Boyd Gordon is listed day-to-day (back spasms), John Erskine is listed day-to-day (unknown), Alex Semin is listed day-to-day (may return tonight), Schultz is out 4 to 6 weeks (broken digit), and now Chris Clark may be out with inuries (status to be updated, retweak of the groin?).
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
A Home Coming Of Sorts
The Washington Capitals embark on their first significant road trip that will take them from Calgary to Dallas in less than a week. Their first stop however will be a special occasion for a few Caps who call Calgary their home.
Mike Green has rented out a suite at the Pengrowth Saddledome for friends and family attending tonight's game. The Calgary native played with the junior team here, the Hitman. Jeff Schultz is another native who has friends and family that will be in attendance as well.
Tyler Sloan, who was called up for the first time his career to the NHL is also a Calgary boy (or Calgarian, as they liked to be called). Sloan's father, who made the trip to Hershey to see his son play, has to jump on a plane and head back to Calgary to witness his boy's first NHL start. Racking up those miles.
There some are other connections to the Calgary area that has some Capitals feeling at home. Chris Clark was apart of the Flames amazing run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2004 only to lose in game 7 to Tampa Bay. Micheal Nylander has also donned the Flames sweater for parts of 5 seasons. And assistant coach Dean Evason is a former coach of the Calgary Hitman.
While the Caps may feel comfortable in the Stampede City, they are still there to win a game and getting off on the right foot on this road trip is important. The Carolina Hurricanes and the Caps tied in points (7), the race for first is starting in the Southeast Division.
The Caps will face a dangerous, but struggling, Calgary Flames squad. Since the Flames haven't gotten the start they were hoping for, one could surmise that they will be playing the Capitals pretty tough. I expected a physical game as Jerome Iginla will never back down from a fight (both literally and metaphorically). It should be a good game.
Capital Notes:
The Caps signed goaltender Braden Holtby to an entry level contract. It doesn't mean much as Holtby will stay with his team. He made quite an impression in development camp and beyond. Congrats on becomeing a Cap!
Tom Poti, Viktor Kozlov and Donald Brashear are all making the western swing road trip. All have been nursing injuries, but the possibility of them returning to the line up during the trip west has them on the plane with the rest of the team.
It looks like Nick Backstrom has been demoted (if you want to call it that) to the second line with Alex Semin. That pushes up Sergei Fedorov to the first line, where he was for the playoffs. Backstrom and Semin both found a chemistry together last April as the series with the Flyers dragged on. With Semin's hot hand, this might spark Backstrom's performance after a slow start. Also Matt Bradley has moved up to a scoring line. His hard work has him adding some toughness to the Caps second line. He is a guy to also get into the corners and dig out some pucks from scrums. Hopefully a few of those pucks go to an open Semin.
Mike Green has rented out a suite at the Pengrowth Saddledome for friends and family attending tonight's game. The Calgary native played with the junior team here, the Hitman. Jeff Schultz is another native who has friends and family that will be in attendance as well.
Tyler Sloan, who was called up for the first time his career to the NHL is also a Calgary boy (or Calgarian, as they liked to be called). Sloan's father, who made the trip to Hershey to see his son play, has to jump on a plane and head back to Calgary to witness his boy's first NHL start. Racking up those miles.
There some are other connections to the Calgary area that has some Capitals feeling at home. Chris Clark was apart of the Flames amazing run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2004 only to lose in game 7 to Tampa Bay. Micheal Nylander has also donned the Flames sweater for parts of 5 seasons. And assistant coach Dean Evason is a former coach of the Calgary Hitman.
While the Caps may feel comfortable in the Stampede City, they are still there to win a game and getting off on the right foot on this road trip is important. The Carolina Hurricanes and the Caps tied in points (7), the race for first is starting in the Southeast Division.
The Caps will face a dangerous, but struggling, Calgary Flames squad. Since the Flames haven't gotten the start they were hoping for, one could surmise that they will be playing the Capitals pretty tough. I expected a physical game as Jerome Iginla will never back down from a fight (both literally and metaphorically). It should be a good game.
Capital Notes:
The Caps signed goaltender Braden Holtby to an entry level contract. It doesn't mean much as Holtby will stay with his team. He made quite an impression in development camp and beyond. Congrats on becomeing a Cap!
Tom Poti, Viktor Kozlov and Donald Brashear are all making the western swing road trip. All have been nursing injuries, but the possibility of them returning to the line up during the trip west has them on the plane with the rest of the team.
It looks like Nick Backstrom has been demoted (if you want to call it that) to the second line with Alex Semin. That pushes up Sergei Fedorov to the first line, where he was for the playoffs. Backstrom and Semin both found a chemistry together last April as the series with the Flyers dragged on. With Semin's hot hand, this might spark Backstrom's performance after a slow start. Also Matt Bradley has moved up to a scoring line. His hard work has him adding some toughness to the Caps second line. He is a guy to also get into the corners and dig out some pucks from scrums. Hopefully a few of those pucks go to an open Semin.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Caps Finish Preseason With Loss
Capitals 4, Bruins 5 OT/SO (1-2)
Preseason - Scoresheet
The Washington Capitals faced their first overtime of the preseason and their first shootout. But the result wasn't what they wanted as Alex Ovechkin was the only player with a shoot out goal and the Bruins drop the Caps 5-4.
The Caps finish 5-1-1 with 11 points. They finish second in the Eastern Conference followed only by Montreal that played two extra games. They of course finish first in the Southeast Division in the preseason play. The Caps finish with 26 goals for, only 16 against. For a defensive squad that is believed soft, that's not to shabby.
Ovi scored his first goal of the preseason at even strength. Also on the score sheet with a goal were Chris Clark, Mike Green and Chris Bourque. The Caps did not score on the powerplay, but Boston only gave the Caps two chances with the man advantage. Their penalty gave up a goal.
Even though this game was down as loss, the Caps were able to over come several lead changes to tie the game in the first place. Both Green and Bourque were able to get big goals to keep the game with in reach. Jose Theodore seemed more human in this game. However there was a lapse in defense as the Bruins were able to get 44 shots on the Caps' netminder. The Caps could only get 24 shots on Bruins' goaltender Manny Fernandez.
There were times the Caps got a little too cute with the puck. The Caps are still struggling, it seems, on the shoot out. Micheal Nylander and Alex Semin were the other shooters, both were stopped by Fernandez. Caps get a work week to finalize their roster (Oct. 7th is the deadline for rosters), get some more practice in and start the season on Friday in Atlanta.
Preseason - Scoresheet
The Washington Capitals faced their first overtime of the preseason and their first shootout. But the result wasn't what they wanted as Alex Ovechkin was the only player with a shoot out goal and the Bruins drop the Caps 5-4.
The Caps finish 5-1-1 with 11 points. They finish second in the Eastern Conference followed only by Montreal that played two extra games. They of course finish first in the Southeast Division in the preseason play. The Caps finish with 26 goals for, only 16 against. For a defensive squad that is believed soft, that's not to shabby.
Ovi scored his first goal of the preseason at even strength. Also on the score sheet with a goal were Chris Clark, Mike Green and Chris Bourque. The Caps did not score on the powerplay, but Boston only gave the Caps two chances with the man advantage. Their penalty gave up a goal.
Even though this game was down as loss, the Caps were able to over come several lead changes to tie the game in the first place. Both Green and Bourque were able to get big goals to keep the game with in reach. Jose Theodore seemed more human in this game. However there was a lapse in defense as the Bruins were able to get 44 shots on the Caps' netminder. The Caps could only get 24 shots on Bruins' goaltender Manny Fernandez.
There were times the Caps got a little too cute with the puck. The Caps are still struggling, it seems, on the shoot out. Micheal Nylander and Alex Semin were the other shooters, both were stopped by Fernandez. Caps get a work week to finalize their roster (Oct. 7th is the deadline for rosters), get some more practice in and start the season on Friday in Atlanta.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Caps Fry Flyers
Capitals 5, Flyers 1
Preseason - Scoresheet
It's a preseason game, so any thoughts of the Caps getting vengeance for the 2-1 loss up in Philly or the early post season exit by the Flyers should stop. Vengeance will come when the Caps knock them out of the playoffs, not by a meaningless game a week before the start of the season. This by no means was "getting back" at the Flyers, so all that talk is just stupid.
Sorry, back to the game.
Alex Ovechkin had a goal and two assists. Ovi has yet to score an even strength goal in the preseason, his goal tonight was on the penalty kill (which by the looks of it, he will see some time there since this is his second shorty of the preseason). Again, as the story line was with the rookie game, it was the Caps high powered talent and speed versus the Flyers slow hard hitting game that led to a Caps victory 5 - 1.
The Caps didn't let the Flyers get their defensive play slow down their offense, even if they were on the penalty kill. The Caps power play was back to sufficient as the Caps went 1 for 7 and the penalty kill did okay too killing off 5 of 6 chances for the Flyers and scoring a shorty.
While the Caps lead increased, as expected, the Flyers started to get chippy. I guess that is this team's motto; "Win, and if you don't win, slash the crap out of the good guy on the other team." Nice to see that Scott Hartnell took that to heart. But in the preseason? C'mon Harts, the Caps aren't even in your division. Let it go. It was pretty clear to see that both teams lost no love for one another in the off season. In order to keep the peace, the refs ended up throwing both Donald Brashear and Ryan Cote out at the end of the game. When they were both tossed, neither one had been fighting, just chirping. 2 minutes unsportsmanlike and a 10 minute game.
All of Ovechkin's points came on the first three goals. Also scoring goals were Chris Clark, Nick Backstom, Eric Fehr and Tomas Fleischmann. Sergei Fedorov, who was experimenting being a defenseman this game, came away with a couple of assists. And Chris Bourque may not be sent down the way he is playing, he had an assist tonight. He also saw time on the power play and about 12 minutes of game time. In all, 10 Capitals made the scoresheet.
Jose Theodore played all 60 minutes, and he didn't look bad. The only goal scored on him was a rebound shot from the point that went right to Daniel Briere's stick on a Flyers power play, he had no chance to save it. One thing I have noticed about Theodore is he is aggressive on the primary shot, and if a rebound goes where he doesn't want it, he is very out of position. Although tonight he had a stellar defensive squad in front of him only allowing the Flyers 18 shots. In fact in the first period, the Flyers could only muster 3 shots on Theodore. I was afraid Jose might fall asleep. When he did have to make a save, Theodore made some pretty good ones.
Next preseason game is Sunday against Boston. After that the Caps will have finished their preseason and open on the road Friday, October 11th in Atlanta. The NHL season actually begins tomorrow (Saturday) with the New York Rangers taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning in Prague.
Preseason - Scoresheet
It's a preseason game, so any thoughts of the Caps getting vengeance for the 2-1 loss up in Philly or the early post season exit by the Flyers should stop. Vengeance will come when the Caps knock them out of the playoffs, not by a meaningless game a week before the start of the season. This by no means was "getting back" at the Flyers, so all that talk is just stupid.
Sorry, back to the game.
Alex Ovechkin had a goal and two assists. Ovi has yet to score an even strength goal in the preseason, his goal tonight was on the penalty kill (which by the looks of it, he will see some time there since this is his second shorty of the preseason). Again, as the story line was with the rookie game, it was the Caps high powered talent and speed versus the Flyers slow hard hitting game that led to a Caps victory 5 - 1.
The Caps didn't let the Flyers get their defensive play slow down their offense, even if they were on the penalty kill. The Caps power play was back to sufficient as the Caps went 1 for 7 and the penalty kill did okay too killing off 5 of 6 chances for the Flyers and scoring a shorty.
While the Caps lead increased, as expected, the Flyers started to get chippy. I guess that is this team's motto; "Win, and if you don't win, slash the crap out of the good guy on the other team." Nice to see that Scott Hartnell took that to heart. But in the preseason? C'mon Harts, the Caps aren't even in your division. Let it go. It was pretty clear to see that both teams lost no love for one another in the off season. In order to keep the peace, the refs ended up throwing both Donald Brashear and Ryan Cote out at the end of the game. When they were both tossed, neither one had been fighting, just chirping. 2 minutes unsportsmanlike and a 10 minute game.
All of Ovechkin's points came on the first three goals. Also scoring goals were Chris Clark, Nick Backstom, Eric Fehr and Tomas Fleischmann. Sergei Fedorov, who was experimenting being a defenseman this game, came away with a couple of assists. And Chris Bourque may not be sent down the way he is playing, he had an assist tonight. He also saw time on the power play and about 12 minutes of game time. In all, 10 Capitals made the scoresheet.
Jose Theodore played all 60 minutes, and he didn't look bad. The only goal scored on him was a rebound shot from the point that went right to Daniel Briere's stick on a Flyers power play, he had no chance to save it. One thing I have noticed about Theodore is he is aggressive on the primary shot, and if a rebound goes where he doesn't want it, he is very out of position. Although tonight he had a stellar defensive squad in front of him only allowing the Flyers 18 shots. In fact in the first period, the Flyers could only muster 3 shots on Theodore. I was afraid Jose might fall asleep. When he did have to make a save, Theodore made some pretty good ones.
Next preseason game is Sunday against Boston. After that the Caps will have finished their preseason and open on the road Friday, October 11th in Atlanta. The NHL season actually begins tomorrow (Saturday) with the New York Rangers taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning in Prague.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
That Looked Awfully Good
Seeing Alex Ovechkin wear the "C" on his chest didn't look too out of place Monday night as the Capitals took on the New Jersey Devils. At some point it's possible for that to be a permanent stay. While Chris Clark is still is captain of the Caps, it's still Ovechkin's team.
Ovi has declined the captaincy before. "I'm not ready because my English isn't good enough," Ovechkin told the Canadian Press in 2006. "If I need to say something to the team . . . it's hard. The captain is very important, you must be a leader all the time."
Clark's leadership (and the fact that he is the nicest guy ever off the ice) has helped this team even when he wasn't on the ice. Having to sit out the majority of the season with a strained groin injury, Clark didn't stop being a leader. He was present at every team meeting, in the locker room at every intermission and encouraging youger players along as they made the impossible happen last spring. No one is saying Clark shouldn't be captain, in fact he is the perfect captain for the Caps.
Undoubtedly though, Alex Ovechkin is the face of the Washington Capitals. And Ovi is the quentesential team guy. He would never think of taking that "C" away. While individual awards and accomplishments endear him to hockey fans everywhere, it's not really what he wants. If you told him that he could have could be captain but not have the Cup, he would avoid it like the black plague.
Ovechkin has clearly stated what award he would rather have. "I'm happy I take these cups (the Ross and Richard trophies)," Ovi told reporters at the 2008 NHL awards ceremony, "but the biggest cup is not in my hands. Soon, probably."
While I have been critical of another player becoming captain too soon, Ovechkin is quickly becoming a leader by his actions both on and off the ice as we understand him much more. Ovi has come a long way in just four years. From his broken english in the first year that beloved him to Caps' fans who chuckled with every quote to a young man that has his own clothing line, the league's most valuable player, and the new face of Washington Capitals hockey.
It was still nice to see him wear the "C" even if it were for a night in a meaningless game.
I have a feeling it will be back there. Soon, probably.
Ovi has declined the captaincy before. "I'm not ready because my English isn't good enough," Ovechkin told the Canadian Press in 2006. "If I need to say something to the team . . . it's hard. The captain is very important, you must be a leader all the time."
Clark's leadership (and the fact that he is the nicest guy ever off the ice) has helped this team even when he wasn't on the ice. Having to sit out the majority of the season with a strained groin injury, Clark didn't stop being a leader. He was present at every team meeting, in the locker room at every intermission and encouraging youger players along as they made the impossible happen last spring. No one is saying Clark shouldn't be captain, in fact he is the perfect captain for the Caps.
Undoubtedly though, Alex Ovechkin is the face of the Washington Capitals. And Ovi is the quentesential team guy. He would never think of taking that "C" away. While individual awards and accomplishments endear him to hockey fans everywhere, it's not really what he wants. If you told him that he could have could be captain but not have the Cup, he would avoid it like the black plague.
Ovechkin has clearly stated what award he would rather have. "I'm happy I take these cups (the Ross and Richard trophies)," Ovi told reporters at the 2008 NHL awards ceremony, "but the biggest cup is not in my hands. Soon, probably."
While I have been critical of another player becoming captain too soon, Ovechkin is quickly becoming a leader by his actions both on and off the ice as we understand him much more. Ovi has come a long way in just four years. From his broken english in the first year that beloved him to Caps' fans who chuckled with every quote to a young man that has his own clothing line, the league's most valuable player, and the new face of Washington Capitals hockey.
It was still nice to see him wear the "C" even if it were for a night in a meaningless game.
I have a feeling it will be back there. Soon, probably.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Caps Win A Tough One
Capitals 4, Bruins 3
Preseason - Scoresheet
Chris Bourque continues to shine in the preseason games, making another strong argument to be this year's dark horse to make the big squad. Bourque scored the game winner with under 3 minutes left in the third on the power play and added an assist as the Capitals remain undefeated in preseason play.
I didn't get to see or hear the game unfortunatly, most of my analysis will have to be off the scoresheets and the play-by-play. Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Nick Backstrom, Micheal Nylander and Mike Green all sat this one out. Boston's tough guy Milan Lucic and the Caps' enforcer Donald Brashear were both in the line up, but apparently behaved as there was no fighting penalties assessed.
Chris Clark, Tomas Fleischmann and Boyd Gordon where your other scorers. Keith Acoin had two assists and prospect John Carlson added another assist to his first stint in the preseason. Bourque has past Ovechkin and Nylander in points for the preseason with 4.
The Caps got the early goal on a Clark power play tally, but the B's answered back with a couple of goals to take the lead halfway through the first. Gordon's goal evened things out before the first intermission. The Caps took the lead back scoring the only goal in the second frame, but the Bruins answered right back at the start of the third. Bourque banged home the game winner on a Marco Strum penalty with assists from Sergei Fedorov and Brooks Laich.
The Caps penalty kill took center stage this afternoon as they were able to kill off all 6 penalties including two 5 on 3's. The power play was pretty potent as well working toward an efficient 2 for 3 which included Bourque's game winner with 2:15 left in the game. Jakub Cutta, Jeff Schultz and Fedorov were the only players on either team to have a -2 rating on the night.
Jose Theodore played the first 2 periods and turned away 13 shots allowing two goals. Brent Johnson got his first look at the preseason and saved 15 only allowing a single tally.
Caps are back at Kettler on Sunday then it's the Devils for a Monday night matchup at the rock.
Preseason - Scoresheet
Chris Bourque continues to shine in the preseason games, making another strong argument to be this year's dark horse to make the big squad. Bourque scored the game winner with under 3 minutes left in the third on the power play and added an assist as the Capitals remain undefeated in preseason play.
I didn't get to see or hear the game unfortunatly, most of my analysis will have to be off the scoresheets and the play-by-play. Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Nick Backstrom, Micheal Nylander and Mike Green all sat this one out. Boston's tough guy Milan Lucic and the Caps' enforcer Donald Brashear were both in the line up, but apparently behaved as there was no fighting penalties assessed.
Chris Clark, Tomas Fleischmann and Boyd Gordon where your other scorers. Keith Acoin had two assists and prospect John Carlson added another assist to his first stint in the preseason. Bourque has past Ovechkin and Nylander in points for the preseason with 4.
The Caps got the early goal on a Clark power play tally, but the B's answered back with a couple of goals to take the lead halfway through the first. Gordon's goal evened things out before the first intermission. The Caps took the lead back scoring the only goal in the second frame, but the Bruins answered right back at the start of the third. Bourque banged home the game winner on a Marco Strum penalty with assists from Sergei Fedorov and Brooks Laich.
The Caps penalty kill took center stage this afternoon as they were able to kill off all 6 penalties including two 5 on 3's. The power play was pretty potent as well working toward an efficient 2 for 3 which included Bourque's game winner with 2:15 left in the game. Jakub Cutta, Jeff Schultz and Fedorov were the only players on either team to have a -2 rating on the night.
Jose Theodore played the first 2 periods and turned away 13 shots allowing two goals. Brent Johnson got his first look at the preseason and saved 15 only allowing a single tally.
Caps are back at Kettler on Sunday then it's the Devils for a Monday night matchup at the rock.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Caps Photoshoot: Clark Wears Makeup
ESPN the Magazine posted a video of the shoot with Alex Ovechkin as President, Bruce Boudreau as VP, Jose Theodore as Press Secretary and Nick Backstrom, Brooks Laich and Chris Clark as Secret Service.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Spending Some Quality Time With The Boys
I got a brief chance to check out the goings on at training camp this morning. I got there just as the morning practice for the B squad finished, and stuck around for most but not all of the scrimmage between groups A and C.
Just some observations.
Nick Backstrom, to me, looks fine. Except for the fact that he has tacked on a few pounds since last year. In the skating drills, it just looked to me that it wasn't the ankle that was holding him back, rather he seemed to be a little winded.
Boyd Gordon is one focused dude. This is an important camp for him because the roster is tight and there are several youngsters gunning for his spot. While guys might be joking around him, Gordon has a very serious look on his face through out practice.
Joe Beninati stood next to me at the glass for a few minutes as we watched the warm ups for the scrimmage. I told him what a difference it was going from rookie camp to training camp. Throw a few veterans and everyone is that much bigger. He agreed and added how much faster the action was. Then we sort of stood there in awkward silence. Man, he's short.
The scrimmage was fun to watch, looks like Micheal Nylander's shoulder is just fine. He is interesting to watch with the puck in and out of traffic. He is a master with his stick. Alex Ovechkin looked like he was going half speed, until the defender was Mike Green. Then it was all out for the fiesty left winger. Green had his hands full, but I must say held his own.
Speaking of Green, he is beaming with confidence. He looks a little heavier than last season, and he completes the 4-1 offense often. He carried the puck deep in the zone and stayed apart of the play for long periods of time in the scrimmage. While it's fun to watch Green do his offensive thing, sometimes he would leave his defensive partner high and dry. Only Shaone Morrisonn and Karl Alzner were able to cover defensively when ever Green shot up ice on his own.
Don't tell Quintin Laing that it's only a scrimmage. He jumped in front of an Ovie bomb from the point on the penalty kill, continuing to show he has the puck blocking skills that endeared him to the team last season. And it's so good to see Chris Clark back in action. He looks like he wants to do well every time he is on the ice, and he is doing well. His gritty determination and leadership was sorely missed last year on the ice.
It's hard to believe, but tomorrow is the last practice before preseason starts in Carolina. It will be the rookies chance to shine and I expect that most of the veterans will sit this one out. Caps play the Carolina Hurricanes at 7 pm, Wednesday. Not sure if it will be televised, maybe on the internet. Find out more soon.
Just some observations.
Nick Backstrom, to me, looks fine. Except for the fact that he has tacked on a few pounds since last year. In the skating drills, it just looked to me that it wasn't the ankle that was holding him back, rather he seemed to be a little winded.
Boyd Gordon is one focused dude. This is an important camp for him because the roster is tight and there are several youngsters gunning for his spot. While guys might be joking around him, Gordon has a very serious look on his face through out practice.
Joe Beninati stood next to me at the glass for a few minutes as we watched the warm ups for the scrimmage. I told him what a difference it was going from rookie camp to training camp. Throw a few veterans and everyone is that much bigger. He agreed and added how much faster the action was. Then we sort of stood there in awkward silence. Man, he's short.
The scrimmage was fun to watch, looks like Micheal Nylander's shoulder is just fine. He is interesting to watch with the puck in and out of traffic. He is a master with his stick. Alex Ovechkin looked like he was going half speed, until the defender was Mike Green. Then it was all out for the fiesty left winger. Green had his hands full, but I must say held his own.
Speaking of Green, he is beaming with confidence. He looks a little heavier than last season, and he completes the 4-1 offense often. He carried the puck deep in the zone and stayed apart of the play for long periods of time in the scrimmage. While it's fun to watch Green do his offensive thing, sometimes he would leave his defensive partner high and dry. Only Shaone Morrisonn and Karl Alzner were able to cover defensively when ever Green shot up ice on his own.
Don't tell Quintin Laing that it's only a scrimmage. He jumped in front of an Ovie bomb from the point on the penalty kill, continuing to show he has the puck blocking skills that endeared him to the team last season. And it's so good to see Chris Clark back in action. He looks like he wants to do well every time he is on the ice, and he is doing well. His gritty determination and leadership was sorely missed last year on the ice.
It's hard to believe, but tomorrow is the last practice before preseason starts in Carolina. It will be the rookies chance to shine and I expect that most of the veterans will sit this one out. Caps play the Carolina Hurricanes at 7 pm, Wednesday. Not sure if it will be televised, maybe on the internet. Find out more soon.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Green Schmeen!
So just about everyone has their eyes set on Mike Green's and in some little part Cris Huet's possible signings with the Capitals before (or at) the deadline, noon Tuesday. Well not everyone.
Tarik takes a look at Chris Clark's progress, which still looks like he has a ways to go if he is still feeling pain when he skates. He's got a couple of months before camp so I guess we will see.
The Flyers didn't waste much time to get former Cap Steve Eminger under contract. Emmy signed a one year contract and seems happy with the change of scenery.
Else where around the league, Ryan Malone will not be a Penguin anymore. He just agreed to a pretty nice deal in Tampa Bay so we will be seeing a lot more of the kid in at the phone booth. Malone will get seven years, $31.5 million. Nice chunk of change from a player that was considered a must get this off season.
John-Micheal Liles and Adam Foote signed on the dotted line with Colorado. Liles might be a good example to look at in terms of Mike Green's contract. He resigned with the Avelanche for four years and slightly over $4 million for each one of those years. Foote's contract is 2 years and $12 million.
Of course if you do want to keep up to date with all the talk on Green, feel free to check out these links:
How much Green for Green? - Corey Masisak
Green's Green - Japers' Rink
Capitals, Green continue to talk - TFP
Tarik takes a look at Chris Clark's progress, which still looks like he has a ways to go if he is still feeling pain when he skates. He's got a couple of months before camp so I guess we will see.
The Flyers didn't waste much time to get former Cap Steve Eminger under contract. Emmy signed a one year contract and seems happy with the change of scenery.
Else where around the league, Ryan Malone will not be a Penguin anymore. He just agreed to a pretty nice deal in Tampa Bay so we will be seeing a lot more of the kid in at the phone booth. Malone will get seven years, $31.5 million. Nice chunk of change from a player that was considered a must get this off season.
John-Micheal Liles and Adam Foote signed on the dotted line with Colorado. Liles might be a good example to look at in terms of Mike Green's contract. He resigned with the Avelanche for four years and slightly over $4 million for each one of those years. Foote's contract is 2 years and $12 million.
Of course if you do want to keep up to date with all the talk on Green, feel free to check out these links:
How much Green for Green? - Corey Masisak
Green's Green - Japers' Rink
Capitals, Green continue to talk - TFP
Friday, December 07, 2007
Night of Nights
Tonight is the an important night for the Capitals. After the Caps get nearly a week off to work on Bruce Boudreau's new system, they get to show what they have learned tonight at the Devil's new flat, dubbed "The Rock." Sounds cooler than the phone booth.
The Capitals are now under command of a new coach and how this new system - that was successful in the AHL - will work at the NHL level is in question tonight. Boudreau's new system is much more offensive minded, which is nearly a 180 from what Glen Hanlon had been preaching. This should be more of an exciting team, if they can get on a roll.
This league has been such a roller coaster ride for teams so far. Ottawa getting off to a fast start to fade of late. While the Maple Leafs started slow and have begun to pick it up. This has been the year of streaks for teams, so maybe the Capitals can ride one of those streaks - a winning one hopefully.
They will have to do it though with out the help of Micheal Nylander (undisclosed), Boyd Gordon (broken hand) and Chris Clark (groin). Even though Alex Ovechkin did not practice much over the past week, he will be present and accounted for. Joe Motzko will be recalled for some help against the Devils. Tonight is an important night for the Capitals.
In other news, Scott Niedermayer is coming back. What does that mean for the Capitals? We could pick up a solid defenseman. Sean O'Donnell could be possible trade fodder since the Ducks will have to dump about a million dollars for cap space. Since Brian Burke is no longer on friendly terms with Edmonton (reporters asked him if he had been talking to the other 29 teams about a trade, Burke responded, "28 teams, we don't talk to Edmonton"), the Caps have a 1 in 28 chance maybe of picking up another defenseman. Burke also may not move a defenseman, but instead a forward. Either way, it may be a way for the Caps to dump some problems to southern California in return for some proven talent.
Also there has been talk of how bad the ice is at the Verizon Center. An ideal ice condition for hockey is hard, cold ice. The game is faster and the ice holds together so there is less ruts (less chance for the puck to bounce/players getting hurt). Instead the ice at the phone booth is soft and wet (wet means the ice is not cold enough and is refusing to freeze). I am surprised the league hasn't led the charge for every building to have quality control for ice conditions. Since I have been playing out at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex, I can tell you the ice there is in good condition. At the very least, the ice condition at the practice facility should match that of the Verizon Center. Maybe we should just have the games at the Kettler, since we can't seem to fill the phone booth anyway.
The Capitals are now under command of a new coach and how this new system - that was successful in the AHL - will work at the NHL level is in question tonight. Boudreau's new system is much more offensive minded, which is nearly a 180 from what Glen Hanlon had been preaching. This should be more of an exciting team, if they can get on a roll.
This league has been such a roller coaster ride for teams so far. Ottawa getting off to a fast start to fade of late. While the Maple Leafs started slow and have begun to pick it up. This has been the year of streaks for teams, so maybe the Capitals can ride one of those streaks - a winning one hopefully.
They will have to do it though with out the help of Micheal Nylander (undisclosed), Boyd Gordon (broken hand) and Chris Clark (groin). Even though Alex Ovechkin did not practice much over the past week, he will be present and accounted for. Joe Motzko will be recalled for some help against the Devils. Tonight is an important night for the Capitals.
In other news, Scott Niedermayer is coming back. What does that mean for the Capitals? We could pick up a solid defenseman. Sean O'Donnell could be possible trade fodder since the Ducks will have to dump about a million dollars for cap space. Since Brian Burke is no longer on friendly terms with Edmonton (reporters asked him if he had been talking to the other 29 teams about a trade, Burke responded, "28 teams, we don't talk to Edmonton"), the Caps have a 1 in 28 chance maybe of picking up another defenseman. Burke also may not move a defenseman, but instead a forward. Either way, it may be a way for the Caps to dump some problems to southern California in return for some proven talent.
Also there has been talk of how bad the ice is at the Verizon Center. An ideal ice condition for hockey is hard, cold ice. The game is faster and the ice holds together so there is less ruts (less chance for the puck to bounce/players getting hurt). Instead the ice at the phone booth is soft and wet (wet means the ice is not cold enough and is refusing to freeze). I am surprised the league hasn't led the charge for every building to have quality control for ice conditions. Since I have been playing out at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex, I can tell you the ice there is in good condition. At the very least, the ice condition at the practice facility should match that of the Verizon Center. Maybe we should just have the games at the Kettler, since we can't seem to fill the phone booth anyway.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Caps Manage A Point
Capitals 1, Panthers 2 OT/SO (3-4)
Scoresheet - Wash Post
The Caps faced their first shootout of the season. While they hung in there, they couldn't keep up with the Panthers after 11 rounds. Flashes of the 15 round debacle came to mind against the Rangers, and it was basically the same result. The Caps did not improve on their record and drop a very important game against the surging Florida Panthers.
Chris Clark got the only goal for the Capitals to tie the game at one in the second period. David Steckel had more than one opportunity to bury the puck, but was stoned each time by Tomas Vokoun. Olie Kolzig had a solid game too. It was the story that has plagued the Capitals all season long, the Caps just couldn't score.
Richard Zednik was again a thorn in the side of the Capitals. After sniffing out a rebound, the former Capital had no trouble finding the back of the net against his former team. After that though, I thought the Capitals did a good job of keeping him in check.
Unfortunately the Capitals lost a couple of guys during the course of the game. Both Alex Semin and Chris Clark left early with injuries. Semin reaggrivated his ankle injury and I am not sure what happened to Clark. Although Tarik was told it wasn't serious.
The Capitals have to find some way to get their offense back on track. It's already a long season.
Scoresheet - Wash Post
The Caps faced their first shootout of the season. While they hung in there, they couldn't keep up with the Panthers after 11 rounds. Flashes of the 15 round debacle came to mind against the Rangers, and it was basically the same result. The Caps did not improve on their record and drop a very important game against the surging Florida Panthers.
Chris Clark got the only goal for the Capitals to tie the game at one in the second period. David Steckel had more than one opportunity to bury the puck, but was stoned each time by Tomas Vokoun. Olie Kolzig had a solid game too. It was the story that has plagued the Capitals all season long, the Caps just couldn't score.
Richard Zednik was again a thorn in the side of the Capitals. After sniffing out a rebound, the former Capital had no trouble finding the back of the net against his former team. After that though, I thought the Capitals did a good job of keeping him in check.
Unfortunately the Capitals lost a couple of guys during the course of the game. Both Alex Semin and Chris Clark left early with injuries. Semin reaggrivated his ankle injury and I am not sure what happened to Clark. Although Tarik was told it wasn't serious.
The Capitals have to find some way to get their offense back on track. It's already a long season.
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