Here Come The Capitals

Capitals 3, Hurricanes 0
Game Summary - Event Summary

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Watch out Southeast Division. Here come the Washington Capitals. The Capitals' defense played the biggest role in Alexander Semin's return by keeping him and his team mates off the scoring sheet while added a pair of big goals to boot. The Capitals chase the division leading Carolina Hurricanes out of Verizon Center with a convincing 3-0 win giving Braden Holtby his second shutout of the season.

Nick Backstrom scored his second goal of the year on the power play. It was a tip-in right in front of the net. He would add an assist on John Erskine's goal, his second of the year as well that made it 2-0 in the second period. Add a John Carlson goal off of a big Cam Ward rebound and the Caps win their second in a row.

The story of the game was all about the Caps defense. After signing a two year contract, John Erskine looked like he would reward his team for the opportunity to stay a Cap. He scored a big goal in the second period as Nick Backstrom pulled up to hit the trailing defensemen. He got all of the puck on his one time slapper and Erskine gave the Caps their two goal cushion. Erskine finished the game with a goal, three blocked shots, and he absorbed a boarding check to give his team the power play in the third period. A pretty solid game from the big blonde.

Of the Capitals 40 shots on net, 10 came from the Caps' defensemen. It would take a team defensive effort to keep Semin from the getting on the score sheet in his return to the Verizon Center since signing with the 'Canes in the off season. Troy Brouwer did a phenomenal job keeping him at bay. Mike Ribeiro contributed not only with an assist, but had five blocked shots. The forwards pitched in where they could, the defense held their ground and Holtby was there to clean up the rest.

Braden Holtby was there with some solid stops, even stoning Semin streaking in on a break away. Holtby would face down all 33 shots that came his way for his 5th career shutout. His calming demeanor meant he was seeing the puck well, squaring up to the shooters, and that glove of his was lightning quick when it needed to be.

Holtby's save on Semin was pretty awesome, but Cam Ward came away with the steal of the night. Ward left a sloppy rebound in the slot off of a Wotjek Wolski. Joel Ward streaked in and shot it at the open net, but Cam Ward pushed his glove out at the last second to steal a would be goal from Joel Ward. It fooled the horn guy and the lights guy. Could be the save of the year by Ward who was on top of his game. It was a shame none of the other 'Canes showed up.

There were long stretches in the first and second periods were the Caps were just dominating the Hurricanes. A ten minute stretch in the second was the best net minder Holtby had seen since joining the team. They worked as a five man unit moving the puck and creating scoring chances. The Caps played probably their best 60 minute game of the season.

They will need a repeat performance when they travel up to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers tomorrow night.

Caps Notes:

• This marks the first time this season the Capitals have had 40 shots on net. Alex Ovechkin had zero. He had a shot ring off the post and missed on another shot. It is the first time this season he has been held to no shots on net.
• Losses tonight by Tampa Bay and Carolina, the Capitals move to within four points of the lead in the division. 
• Head coach Adam Oates was tight lipped about who would be in net tomorrow night against the Flyers.

Caps Re-Sign Erskine And Holtby

The Washington Capitals locked up a couple of players today. Defenseman John Erskine and goaltender Braden Holtby get two year contracts. First Erskine per Caps' PR:

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have re-signed defenseman John Erskine to a two-year, $3.925 million contract extension, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. Erskine will earn $1.925 million in 2013-14 and $2 million in 2014-15.

Erskine, 32, currently ranks sixth on Washington in average ice time per game (19:30), the highest total in Erskine’s 11-season career. His previous high came in 2006-07, Erskine’s first year with Washington, when he finished the season with an average ice time total of 18:03 per game. He has tallied one goal and one assist this season and ranks fourth on Washington in hits (31) and tied for third in blocked shots (19).

The Kingston, Ontario, native has recorded nine goals and 32 assists along with 452 penalty minutes in 294 career games with the Capitals. Washington is 9-0-0 in games that Erskine tallies a goal and he currently ranks 17th all-time in games played among Washington defensemen. Just five other players remain on the current Washington roster from Erskine’s first season with the club in 2006-07.

The 6’4”, 220-pound blueliner has compiled 46 points (12 goals, 34 assists) and 788 penalty minutes in 435 career NHL games with Washington, the New York Islanders and Dallas. He currently ranks 16th among all active defensemen in penalty minutes. Erskine has appeared in 32 career playoff games, all with Washington, and ranks eighth among active players in career playoff games played with the Capitals.

Erskine was originally drafted by Dallas in the second round (39th overall) of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

And Holtby per Caps' PR:

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have re-signed goaltender Braden Holtby to a two-year, $3.7 million contract extension, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. Holtby will earn $1.7 million in 2013-14 and $2 million in 2014-15. He was set to become a restricted free agent following this season.

“We are pleased to sign Braden to a contract extension,” said McPhee. “Braden is a young and talented goaltender who has performed very well in both the regular season and the playoffs during his NHL career. We are fortunate to have two excellent young goaltenders on our roster in Washington.”

Holtby, 23, leads his 2008 draft class in playoff appearances (14) and wins (7) and ranks second among all goaltenders drafted in 2008 in career games played (32) and wins (19). He has registered a 19-10-3 record with a 2.51 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage and four shutouts in his 32 career NHL appearances. Holtby has compiled a 5-6-0 record this season with a 3.37 goals-against average, an .896 save percentage and one shutout. He has started Washington’s last six contests, going 4-2-0 with a 2.35 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in that span.

The Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, native became just the third goaltender to own a .920 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average or better (in a minimum of 13 games played) in the playoffs at age 22 or younger (Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy) in the 2012 playoffs. He went all 14 postseason games without suffering back-to-back losses and set a Capitals rookie record with 14 playoff games played and tied a rookie record with seven wins in a single postseason.

Holtby became the third rookie goaltender to defeat the defending Stanley Cup champions in a playoff series (Montreal’s Ken Dryden and Calgary’s Mike Vernon), defeating Boston in seven games in the 2012 Eastern Conference quarterfinals. He became the seventh rookie goaltender to post an overtime win in Game 7 of a playoff series with his win over Boston. His 44 saves in Game 4 against Boston were the second-most in the expansion era in a regulation playoff win for a rookie goaltender since Ken Dryden made 46 stops for Montreal in a 4-2 win against Boston on April 16, 1971.

The 6’2”, 205-pound goaltender was named to the 2011 AHL All-Star Game as well as the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game and was a member of the 2009 WHL First All-Star Team prior to his time in Washington. Holtby was originally drafted by Washington in the fourth round (93rd overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

"It Was Better"

Capitals 3, Sabres 2
Game Summary - Event Summary

AP

A game of firsts. Alex Ovechkin's first goal of the season, head coach Adam Oates' first win as Caps' bench boss, John Erskine's first goal since May 4, 2011 (in came in the playoffs against Tampa), and it was the Washington Capitals first win of the 2012-2013 season. The Caps improve to 1-3-1 with a 3-2 regulation win over the Buffalo Sabres.

"Today I thought we played a pretty complete game," said Jason Chimera of the win.  "Neuvy played really well for us; he made some big saves for us. The power play got us one, which is huge"

The Buffalo Sabres would start the scoring off with a neutral zone turnover that made the Verizon Center faithful cringe. John Carlson, who has had a rough start to his season, coughed the puck up in just on the other side of the Caps defensive blue line. Drew Stafford picked up the loose puck, found a break Steve Ott on the wing who found the trailing Tyler Ennis breaking down the middle. A juke move that put Michal Neuvirth on his heals and the Sabres had the 1-0 lead.

But the Capitals didn't fold, or look exasperated following the Sabres goal. They stuck to their guns and rifled away three straight goals over three periods. Joel Ward scored his third of the season when Jason Chimera took a sharp angle shot at the goal line, the puck hit the net and skittered to the front to a waiting Ward. Big Erskine scored his goal by making a nice move on the blue line to avoid the shot blocker, his wrister skipped off of a Sabres defender and slipped past the Sabres' net minder Ryan Miller. Ovechkin scored on the power play. His first of the year was a pretty one timer from a Mike Green feed.

"He obviously could have had a couple in the first, and had a chance in the second," Oates said of Ovechkin's scoring chances. "He scored a big goal for us, and then could have had an empty netter. So I hope he would look at it like 'yeah, I had a lot of good chances.'"

It was a much better overall game for the Capitals this season. Some signs the new Oates system is starting to take shape are becoming more apparent. Players are better recognizing where their teammates are and the players seem to be finding their legs. It also helped that the Sabres were with out there top scorer Thomas Vanek who did not play.

The Capitals special teams turned the corner this afternoon. On the penalty kill, the Caps did a much better job picking up the right assignments. They also helped their cause by not taking penalties. The Sabres were 0-2 with the extra man.

"It was better," Oates said of the PK.  "I think we’ve had a couple of tough bounces, 5-on-3 goals are different. Our rebounds [were] bouncing over guys’ sticks whereas today they hit our guys’ sticks and we got a clear out of it."

While on the power play, the Capitals finally found a way to get Ovechkin the puck. After going 0-2 themselves, they had a chance on the power play in the third to find that off wing one timer. Green found him, and Ovi put it away. A big goal which would become the game winner.

Neuvirth is playing like he wants that number one job. And at the moment, there is no sign of him relinquishing that spot. Neuvy was dynamite today, making some solid saves, cutting down on rebounds and picking shots off with this glove. He made probably the save of the game early in the third period. The Caps were clinging to a 2-1 lead when a turn over led to a series of break downs in the defensive zone. Tyler Myers made a nifty pass from behind the net to an open Mikhail Grigorenko. The rookie tried to pull it around Neuvirth, but the goaltender flashed his right pad out in time and made the spectacular save.

While this is a great win for the Capitals, they now hit the road for Tuesday and Thursday night games. There are still some problem areas to clean up, like the sometime sloppy play in the neutral zone and better overal passing needs to improve.

Caps Notes:

• The Capitals are 9-0-0 when Erskine scores in regular season play. 
• Marcus Johansson, Tom Poti and Roman Hamrlik were the healthy scratches for this afternoon's game. Poti and Hamrlik are sitting out their second straight game.
• It was the 56th career game winning goal for Ovechkin.

Talkn' About... Practice

The earliest training camp would start is Wednesday. But to get players in and the coaching staff primed, the likely start of camp would be Friday. But this won't be like training camps of the past. With only a week (or less) to prepare for a sprint of a 50 game season, Adam Oates will be in cut down mode from the get go.

What would a shortened camp look like? More like a practice during the regular season. A small contingent of players form the AHL will make an appearance, but most likely it will be the contract players the Caps signed and have under contract. Formal rosters will be submitted in the next day or so, but for now we can speculate who will be at Kettler in the next week.

In the way of goaltenders, the possibility of bringing up three for camp seems likely, but the coaching staff might stick to two. Braden Holtby and Micheal Neuvirth most likely will be the team's one and two netminders, although not necessarily in that order. If Oates decides to make it a competition for the top spot, the Caps could see some young goaltenders duke it out over this 50 game stretch. To round out camp, the Capitals could bring up Danny Sabourin. It is more likely that the organization wouldn't leave the Bears with out a goaltender, so we may only see Holtby and Neuvirth at camp.

Your standards at defense will return. Karl Alzner and John Carlson most likely will be the top two blue liners. Rounding out Dmitry Orlov, Mike Green, Roman Hamrlik, John Erskine and Jeff Schultz will all report to camp. Jack Hillen will be the new face on the back line. Patrick McNiell might get a call up for a look.

Washington's forwards will have some new faces with the acquisitions of Wojtek Wolski and Mike Ribeiro. (Rumor has it Ribeiro has been playing in the DC area for the last couple of months with some men's leagues) They will be in fused with the return of Alex Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom returning from Russia where they played with Moscow Dynamo. Troy Brouwer, Jason Chimera, Matt Hendricks, Brooks Laich, Mathieu Perreault, Joel Ward and Marcus Johansson will be the regulars for camp.

Joey Crabb, Mattias Sjogren, Filip Forsberg and Stanislav Galiev might make an appearance to see if they need to call up anymore talent from Hershey or beyond. For them to crack the line up, they most likely would have to fill in for an injury (Laich ended his brief stint overseas after sustaining a groin injury) or if someone's game went downhill.

In any event, and who ever does show for camp, the Capitals' coaching staff will have to quickly evaluate, cut and mold their team for a short season. Oates priorities will to be bring a flowing chemistry to the team in a short amount of time, make the power play work at a consistent level and shore up the defensive end of the ice for the Caps to make a run at the playoffs and beyond.

Semin's Laser Ties Series

Capitals 2, Bruins 1 Series Tied 2-2
Game Summary - Event Summary

AP

The only thing that has been consistent about the play of Alexander Semin is his inconsistent play in the post season. From being a game changer in one series to completely falling off the map in the next, fans and experts have criticized the Capitals winger of having all this pure raw talent but wasting it. It certainly wasn't wasted tonight as Semin's laser beat Zdeno Chara and Tim Thomas for the only power play goal of the night and helped the Capitals tie up the series with the Boston Bruins at two games apiece with a 2-1 win.

"There was a good shot there by Semin," Bruins bench boss Claude Julien told reporters. "Couldn’t have asked for a better shot."

The Caps could not have. With both teams aching to stay penalty free, the Bruins were called for three in fractions to the Capitals' one. Washington had their chances in the first two, but when Semin circled to the side board from behind the Boston net on the third powerplay, just about everyone stopped and hesitated. Semin pulled the puck back and placed the perfect wrist shot through the legs of Chara (who didn't know whether to advance to block the shot or stand pat) and beat Thomas through the crook of his left elbow to hit the top corner of the net. It happened with just 1:17 left in the second period.

Marcus Johansson also found the net, just 1:22 after the opening face off. After some puck mismanagement by the Bruins in the neutral zone, Ovi took out one defender with a hit and it opened a two on one with Brooks Laich with the puck and Johansson streaking down the right side. A pretty pass through the defender by Laich set up the first goal of the game for the Caps as MoJo shot high over a sprawling Thomas.

It would be the only shot for the Capitals until the dying moments of the first. The Bruins jumped all over the Capitals. They out shot the Caps 14-3 and would get the equalizer over a turnover. Rich Peverley found himself on a two on one of his own, but faked the pass which froze Caps' net minder Braden Holtby and he found room on the short side.

(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Holtby, who at times has shown bouts of goaltending genius, was once again a solid back end for the Capitals when things broke down defensively. Holtby would stop 44 of 45 shots for a .978 save percentage for the game.

"[The Bruins] came out real hard tonight," Caps coach Dale Hunter said.  "[Their] forecheck was hard and we turned the puck over a few times. Holtby was very good. He stood tall and kicked out a lot of rubber tonight."

Again it came down to two goaltenders matching each other save for save as Thomas and Holtby stood tall when they needed to be. Earning the game's first star, Holtby has been the difference maker for the Capitals this post season. Even in the last second of the game, the puck found his glove and he jabbed it skyward as the horn sounded.

He had some help. Holtby's stats are impressive, but the Capitals were committed to blocking shots in front of him including the last minute of play where players were sprawling in front of heavy point shots to preserve the win. Jay Beagle seemed to be everywhere to stop a puck, stopping five himself to lead his team in blocked shots. Even Alex Ovechkin sacrificed the body to stop three shots. When shots did get through, the Capitals seemed to be there to gobble up any rebounds and keep the Bruins from getting to loose pucks in front of Holtby.

The Capitals were using the body more effectively this game as well. Matt Hendricks came with the body leading his team in hits with seven. They out hit the Bruins 44 to 34. John Erskine played his first game in nearly two months and his physical presence was felt, nullifying the Bruins big forwards in front of the net.

"It’s unbelievable," Erskine said of returning to the line up. "I was watching last game here. Just to jump on the ice with those guys and have the fans going nuts. It’s playoff hockey so it’s a lot of fun."

While the hitting was high, the Caps stayed disciplined. Taking only one peanlty, a hooking call to Mike Knuble, the Caps kept the special teams in their favor. Their PP scored, their PK kept it out.

Giveaways were a sour point with the Caps in game 4. They turned the puck over 14 times with 12 players guilty of losing the puck at one point or another. On one turnover, just moments before Alex Semin's game winner, led to a odd man rush up the ice for the Bruins. The hustle of Johansson saved a goal as he reached for the cross ice pass to Milan Lucic and tipped the puck harmlessly to the corner. It is an area the Caps will need to tighten up.

The Capitals were badly outshot all game as well. They only really sustained enough pressure for 15 shots in the second period, but only three shots in the first and third periods of play.

"Giving up that first goal and playing catch-up hockey," Bruins coach Julien said. "We tied the game. We were right back where we wanted to be. But at the end of the night the results weren’t the ones we wanted. When you shoot 40 shots on net you would expect your team to get more than one goal so there’s obviously some areas that we’re not happy with."

The series now becomes a best of three games and it shifts back to Boston for a back to back afternoon tilts on Saturday and back to the phone booth Sunday. That is three games in four nights. The Caps are sitting pretty right now with the series tied up at two and if they continue to do the same as tonight, albeit with less turnovers, the Caps could take the series lead on Boston ice.

"I think we just [have] to carry that momentum into Boston and get a good start there too," said Erskine.

"I always said after the first game, it’s going to be [a] long series and you never know what’s going to happen," the Capitals' captain said of the back to back games on the horizon. "Again, step-by-step, game-by-game we going to take it and we are going to try to win the series."

Caps Notes:

• The Capitals have the only two power play goals in the series and it is their second straight game with a PP tally.
• Keith Aucoin received his first career playoff point with an assist on Semin's goal.
• Mike Knuble replaced the suspended Nick Backstrom for game 4.
• Per Caps PR: Marcus Johansson scored his first goal of the playoffs. He now has collected eight points (3g-5a) in 13 career playoff games. Johansson has tallied more playoff points than any other player from his 2009 draft class.

Swept

Capitals 3, Lightning 5 (Tampa wins 4-0)
Game Summary

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

And just like that the season ends for the Washington Capitals. It wasn't even a question whether the Caps could make a dramatic comeback. The Tampa Bay Lightning were just too good. The Caps showed signs of a comeback but again failed to score first. They would be swept in just four games by a score of 5-3.

Just like a broken record, game 4 was little to no different than the previous three. The Lightning got the early lead and although the Caps make an effort to tie up the game and play outside their comfort zone. Add a few break downs in special teams and an outstanding effort by the Lightning's role players, and the Caps make an unexpected quick exit from the playoffs.

Ryan Malone put the Bolts up early after Alex Ovechkin took a questionable charging call on a heavy hit. The Caps would answer with a power play goal of their own when Marco Sturm scored his first goal of the playoffs. They would survive the first period with the score tied 1-1. But Sean Bergenheim, the new Cap killer, scored a pair in the second period and the Lightning took their first two goal lead since netting an empty netter in game one.

Bruce Boudreau called a time out to settle his team down, and John Erskine scored his first goal of the playoffs on a sharp angle shot that fooled Dwayne Roloson. But early in the third period, Marc-Andre Bergeron scored on the power play to regain the two goal lead. Sturm took a goaltending interference penalty call, even though he never touched Roloson who embellished the non-contact. The Caps were unable to produce much in the way of offense after that as the Lightning shut down the neutral zone. Martin St. Louis put the icing on the cake scoring to make it 5-2.

AP

John Carlson scored late to make it 5-3, but the damage was done. What was left was the handshakes and quick exit for a top seeded team defeated in four games. The Lightning did it with some key role players scoring some big goals.

Michal Neuvirth played as well as can be expected. I don't think he played any better or worse than his counter part Roloson. While he was screened by his own man Carlson on the Bergeron goal, Neuvirth did come up with some big saves through out the series. He had a few big saves in game four as well, but it was the team in front of him that let him down.

The Caps now have more questions than answers. While it hasn't been the best season for them, they were able to gain top seed in the east only to be ousted by a division rival they had beaten 5 times in six regular season games. It is an off season that has come to soon for a team that has set the bar too high apparently. Now it's a decision to find players, personnel or both to make changes too.

Caps notes:

• Mike Green was a scratch in game four after sustaining an injury in game three. Sean Collins replaced him in his first NHL post season appearance. 
• The Lightning are on a roll, winning seven straight in these playoffs. But the Lightning have done this to the Capitals before. They won against the 2003 Capitals with Olie Kolzig in net and some loser named Jaromir Jagr four games to two. That would eight straight post season wins for Tampa against the Caps.
• This marks the fourth straight exit in the post season for the Washington Capitals. All three in differing fashions. An editor's note: The New York Islanders lost four consecutive times in the conference finals before they won four straight Stanley Cups. Silver lining. 

Keep It Simple

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The Washington Capitals learned their lesson; simplicity is the best weapon in the face of adversity. The Caps utilized that in the NHL's Winter Classic to win against their bitter rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

December started as a tough month for the Caps. They had suffered through a eight game losing streak. It was two weeks with out a win and earning only two standings points during that stretch and they would come into NHL's Winter Classic as a team just turning things around. They were unbeaten in regulation in 5 games with a shoot-out loss against the Penguins looming above them coming into Heinz Field on New Year's Day.

When the weather turned on the league's premiere outdoor event the Capitals did not use poor ice as an excuse nor did they try to force the game to suit their high skill style. Instead they went back to basics.

"We thought it was going to be just a grind it out game," Bruce Boudreau said about his thoughts before the game concerning the situation. "After we were on the ice yesterday, it didn't look like the ice conditions would be great. We knew the fancy tic-tac-toe stuff wasn't going to work. So we knew we had to dump it in and we had to win the game below the circles. I thought we did a real good job of that."

The Caps first goal to tie the game at one was anything but fancy or tic-tac-toe. On the power play, the Caps crashed the net creating confusion in front of the Pittsburgh net. Mike Knuble would jab the puck into the net. Their first goal would be the definition of a garbage goal.

With ice conditions as tough as they were, the Caps could not play their high risk/high reward skill game in the neutral zone. So, they kept it simple. They dumped the puck in deep and let their forechecking game take over. It would lead to several Penguin turn overs including Marc-Andre Fleury's flub behind the net that allowed Marcus Johansson find Eric Fehr in front of a wide open net.

"When you play with a lead on ice like that, it's the simple things that are going to win you games," David Steckel said of their strategy. "So we got it out and got it in and tried to play well defensively. It was a great effort tonight."

As the Penguins pressed, the Caps relied on simple outs to keep the puck moving out of their zone. When the situation presented itself in the third period, it would be a simple give and go that would open up the Pens' defense and Fehr would score his second goal of the night to add some insurance.

"We had a good lead going into the third," Fehr said of his second goal. "We just wanted to play defense and fortunately I was able to get that second one. We weren't trying to go for offense right then."

For a team that has blushed away from sandpaper-like play when the going got tough, the Caps used it effectively on the road in front of 68,111 fans. It wasn't perfect, but when the defense faltered Semyon Varlamov came up with the save they needed.

"It was pretty tough to keep concentrated with the water [on the ice]," Varlamov said of his trials with the ice.

Getting the lead was important for the Capitals. It was hard to even make simple out passes out of the zone. But protecting the lead through a period and half of the game, it took everyone to keep their play simple.

"Our skill guys like Ovi and Semin, they were dumping the puck in and getting deep rather than try to tangle and it worked out," Caps' tough guy John Erskine said. "We got it deep and went after them and kept the lead."

Since making passes was a near impossibility, the Penguins tried to play catch up on terrible ice. They were flubbing the puck in the neutral zone as the Caps stood tall on their blue line to keep the them from even entering the zone. The Penguins tried to rely on their skill to get back into the game, but the conditions would not let them.

"Certainly tonight, given the situation, they were content to get pucks out and get them deep," Penguins' head coach Dan Bylsma said after the game. "It made it tough on us to try and mount something to get some offense in the third period. It made it difficult on us."

It is a hard lesson to learn, but a long losing streak sometimes prepares a team for adversity that is not apart the norm, like, for instance, the Winter Classic. The Caps seemed to have learned their lesson and players have risen to the occasion. Now it is time to work that experience into the post season.

Wild, Wild Night

Capitals 5, Rangers 3
Game Summary

It was not pretty, but it was a hard fought, good two points for the Capitals. The New York Rangers came out to play a rough, physical game to knock the Caps off their skill game. While the top line was held in check, the Caps' grinders came through for them as they down the Rangers 5-3.

The Caps would, once again, have to come from behind to win the game. After letting the first goal in by Ranger Brian Boyle, Brooks Laich would answer for the Capitals on the power play. He tipped in a Semin shot-pass and it beat Ranger's goaltender Henrick Lundqvist five-hole. Laich would add a empty netter to seal the deal.

After that, the Caps' grinders and tough guys had their night. John Erskine scored a wicked shot high stick side on Lunqvist. Mike Knuble finally gets on the board for the season, burying a pass from an Alex Ovechkin. Matt Hendricks scored the game winner after some hard work by the grinding line keeping the puck deep. Matt Bradley found Hendricks in front and the Caps would go on to win.

A Chippy Affair.

Every crash at the net, every tussle along the boards led to a scrum as both teams got a little chippy with one another. While a fight was due to break out, it was a bit of a shock to see Mike Green take on Brandon Dubinsky in a dust up. The scrums would become less and less prevalent as the game wore on, but there were plenty of sore feelings between the two.

Goons On Ice.

John Erskine is not really known for his sniper abilities, but he scored on a blast of a shot from the point that beat Lundqvist high stick side. It would snap a 31 game goal-less streak for Erksine but the Rangers topped that just :41 seconds later when Ranger goon Derek Boogaard scored his first since his rookie season. Boograad shot it in the exact same spot where Erskine scored. It would snap a 234 game stretch where he did not score a goal.

I Laich It.

Brooks Laich may have been left off the three stars of the game list, but he had himself a pretty good game. He scored a pair of goals, was a +3 with three points. He drew a boarding call after hustling, negating a Ranger power play. Laich also was perfect on the face off dot (100%), but only took one draw. At the time this post was written, Laich now leads the league in =/- with a +13.

Streaks

Alex Semin snapped a 4 game goal streak, but keeps his point streak alive. It now stretches to 5 games. Ovechkin stretches his point streak to seven games and his assist streak to 5 games. The Capitals stretch their winning streak to 5 games. Neuvirth now leads the league with wins (9) and has won 3 of his last 4 starts in net.

Why It Was A Goal

Last night, the Washington Capitals game winning goal was also the game's most controversial play. It left the Hurricane coach mad, Carolina's defensemen confused and Matt Hendricks and the Capitals very happy. But what preceded Hendricks chipping the puck into an virtually open net was a run in with Hurricane goaltender Cam Ward and Caps centerman David Steckel.

The Hurricane's cried foul, mainly goaltender interference on Steckel, and that the goal should be disallowed. At first glance it does look like Steckel interfered Ward from making the save. But all is not what it seems at first glance. Here is the play, video courtesy of NHL.com:



So by the commentary, you are probably wondering why this is a goal, right? Steckel obviously took out the 'Canes goaltender.

Okay let's break down the play. First the play starts from a point shot by John Erskine. That is him down there:

Steckel is coming from the corner to the front of the net. The first of the two pictures is a bit fuzzy because the camera is moving with the shot from Erskine but notice the path both Ward and Steckel take from the first photo to the second. Steckel is skating from board to board (or east/west or up screen to down). He is well away from the blue crease area while Ward is challenging the shot and moving into Steckel's skating path.

Actually Ward could be called for tripping as he interferes with Steckel who is falling in the second shot. Also notice the referee #38 Francois St. Laurent in perfect position to see the entire play. Next Steckel, who has at this time fallen to the ground because of Ward's aggressive play, corals the puck and throws it back to the slot.

Notice the official St. Laurent is signaling that Ward had initiated the contact, before the goal was scored, before Steckel is even able to pass the puck back to Hendricks. At this point Ward is out of position, but he is not being interferred from going back to make the save. Ward probably doesn't think Steckel is going to pass this to a wide open Hendricks who isn't on the screen yet. Also notice the two 'Canes players just standing and watching this all go down.

Last photo is Hendricks working his tail off to get to the slot, Steckel is no longer part of the play and the 'Cane defenders are badly out of position as is Ward. Hendricks will score and the goal will count. All of this happens well outside of the blue crease which is scared ground for goalies in the NHL.

If Steckel initiated the contact with Ward, it is a different story. The goal would be washed out and possibly even a penalty called on the play. But Ward's aggressive play put himself out of position, not the other way around. The goal is good, Caps win.

The Hurricanes can argue about the call all game long, but this did happen halfway through the first period. There were plenty of opportunities for them to get back into the game.

Then again, maybe not.

5 Thoughts About The Capitals

It's five questions that many might have about this organization going into the '10-'11 season.

1. Will the Capitals resign/trade Alexander Semin?

My thoughts are that the Capitals will make an attempt to move the talented forward closer to the trade deadline. It would make sense since Semin has proven regular season success, but seems to disappear come the playoffs. But I have been wrong before on what General Manager George McPhee has in store for his club.

Semin is a really talented player, Alex Ovechkin loves to talk about the forward's golden hands. But the Caps are right up there against the salary cap and keeping the forward might prove an expensive exercise for them. If McPhee does try to resign him, look for a short contract around the $6 million dollar a season price tag. If Semin wants more, it might be advantageous to stock up the club with solid depth and proven prospects at the trade deadline.

I would love to keep Semin, but I am not sure if the Caps can afford him after this year.

2. Does the Caps' defense need to improve?

Yes and no. I don't think any team in the NHL would say they are completely happy with their defense (or offense either). I do think the Caps defense needs to be more abrasive. Right now the Caps bolster a back line of puck moving D-men and a couple sandpaper types (John Erskine and Tyler Sloan). With the subtraction of Milan Jurcina and Shaone Morrisonn, the Caps do lose some veteran size on the back end.

They will have to rely on some up and comers in John Carlson and Karl Alzner. The pair showed some promise late in the Caps series against the Canadiens. But neither are bruising defensemen, nor are they stay-at-home type players. I have a feeling though that the Caps are out looking for some sandpaper on the back end, mostly likely by trade before camp.

3. Can the Caps win with two virtual rookie goaltenders?

Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth have both some big game experience coming into this season. Varlamov has been the go-to goaltender for the Caps in the past three playoff series they have played in. Neuvirth has been Hershey's main backstop through two championship runs. The battle for number one should be pretty engaging.

But both goalies will have to prove their worth this season by surviving a grueling NHL regular season. That means staying healthy and focused for 82 games then deal with the playoffs. The Caps do have some back up in veteran back up Dany Sabourin, just in case.

4. Do the Capitals have to win the Cup for their season to be a success?

The Caps have already had a successful season by breaking a slew of franchise records. Just because they fell short and were unexpectedly ousted in the first round of the playoffs. You could not have asked for a better season for the Capitals last year. But it is difficult to call it a disappointing season after the team won a franchise first President's Trophy as well as breaking club records for wins and points.

If the Caps do repeat the kind of season they had last year and go further into the playoffs, I think you can call it a success.

5. Can the Capitals win the Stanley Cup?

Certainly. So can 15 other teams that make the post season. The parity in the league right now makes it very tough, even if you are the number one seed, to get to the finals. There is no certain winner any given year.

I do think they are a favorite to get into the finals, but it is a long season.

1,000th Post

It seems the right time to do a season preview on my 1,000 post. It has taken me 4 years, some bad grammar, a few hate comments and nearly 100,000 hits a year in that time to get to this point. It seems apropos that it will be on the verge of what could be the year for the Capitals.

But Commissioner Gary Bettman isn't just going to hand the Capitals the Stanley Cup (unlike some other teams he would). That means the Caps will have to meander through another 82 game schedule to reach just a chance at that prize. It seems a bit cliche to make it "movie" themed, but this year's season preview will look at The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

The Good

If the Capitals even want a chance at the Cup, they will need another great year from the anointed next great one. Alex Ovechkin may get some much needed help in that regard and hopefully he will not have to carry that load alone. After the departure of Viktor Kozlov and Sergei Fedorov, the Caps needed to fulfill those veteran skates. Instead of just getting the best free agent on the market, they looked at what they needed. They needed some grit to accompany the skill.

Mike Knuble was brought in to add some sandpaper to the silky smooth play of the top line. One of the frustrating problems for the Caps a season ago was the amount of rebounds and loose pucks that were gobbled up by the opposition. Knuble should fix that problem. We have already seen that in the preseason. The Caps also pulled in some solid second line talent in Brendan Morrison to fill those two way center shoes.

The Caps also will benefit from a competitive goaltending battle. Jose Theodore was donned the number one crown by head coach Bruce Boudreau over the summer. That meant Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth would have to fight for the back up position. Don't think of it as a headache, it is a nice problem to have.

A healthy defensive core should also be a plus for the Capitals this season. The returning group will have new comer Tyler Sloan in tow for the '09 - '10 season. With players ready to expect how each of them plays their position, it should make for a stronger defensive core. Mike Green will add some offensive punch to the blue line, while John Erskine will make a few opposition forwards keep their heads up through the neutral zone.

Another positive for the Capitals is their penalty kill. With returning defensive specialists Dave Steckel, Boyd Gordon and new comer (and shot blocking machine) Quintin Laing, when the Caps do take a penalty they will be in good hands. The PK was flawless through the first three games of the preseason. But too many penalties can tax the players and throw off line combinations. It is best for this skill to be used as little as possible through the course of a game.

The Bad

Bad habits haunt the Capitals. Whether it is taking lazy penalties or not finishing their games, the Caps have a slew of bad habits they have to kick. They need to beat the teams that they need to beat as well as have good games against the teams that will challenge them through the year.

One aspect may help the Caps in that regard. Their schedule is a little tougher at the beginning and end of this season. They should be good barometers to gauge where this team falls in the league. Starting their season against some elite teams on the road in Boston and Detroit will hopefully show how good this team really is or what they have to work on early in the season.

Penalties are a sore spot for the Capitals. When they stop moving their feet, they start swinging with their sticks and that leads to a plethora of 2 minute infractions. The Caps can ill afford to allow good teams to play their best players with a man advantage. In many ways, it should be the other way around, the skill on the Caps should be drawing more penalties. For what ever the reason is, the Caps just can not stay out of the sin bin.

The Capitals also have to improve on their power play. While they showed some success late last season, they tend to get cute with the extra man. That has lead to shorthanded chances for their opponents. Not exactly how that is suppose to work. Coaches will have to shore up the special teams and get it back to basics (shots on net). The Caps most likely will put the puck onto the stick of Alex Semin, but don't be surprised to see Nick Backstrom quarterback for a few power plays either.

The Ugly

Micheal Nylander has been a "non-problem" problem for the Capitals. A forward with amazing skill that just doesn't fit the Boudreau mold and that has created problems for the Caps. Even before they have played their first game. In order to fit under the salary cap, management had to put Chris Bourque on waivers after telling him he had made the team.

It is clear that Boudreau and GM George McPhee aren't keen on having Nylander in the fold. But with little options left, he will be on the opening night roster since they do not want to buy him out of his contract. Nylander was signed when the team had a more defensive feel under Glen Hanlon, but the whole philosophy of the team has changed and Nylander has been left in the cold. He has not suited up for a single preseason game, and it is likely that he will not see ice time when the Caps open their season in Boston.

What the Caps will do with Nylander remains a mystery. What McPhee has been working on is pawning the forward off to Europe, but it's not likely that will happen anytime soon. What ever rift that lays between management and Nylander will most likely start to be a distraction as the season wears on. An elite player that earns just under $5 million is going to be making appearances in the press box more than the ice. That just doesn't sit well.

The other ugly thing about the Capitals season will be the condition of the ice at Verizon Center. An issue as the league's MVP will most likely playing on a surface of deep ruts and cold puddles on the Chinatown floor. I am sure that the phone booth staff is doing the best job with what they have. But having poor ice conditions that can possible endanger $56.8 million in player asset, the Caps should be looking into ways to improve the frozen stuff.

The Intangibles

February in Vancouver, the world will rear it's ugly head at a very beautiful city for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The Caps will have possibly 7 to 8 players that will compete. It will be 7 to 8 of the most irreplaceable and very expensive players that will play very competitively for a gold medal. McPhee, as well as the other 29 general managers, will be holding their breaths between February 15 and March 1.

The Prediction

There will be a lot of ups and downs for the Capitals this season. But their goal is closer now than it ever has been. There is a chip on the shoulders of the players, one can feel it just by being in the locker room. This is more than the game seven loss to Philadelphia two seasons ago, it's something much deeper, much more profound. They have learned some very hard lessons as they finished their season months ago. Those lessons should propel them through the tough times they will face as a team this season.

The Caps shouldn't have a problem within their division. Carolina and Florida are serious threats, but the Capitals have shown they can play with them and win. In the Eastern Conference there is more for the Caps to worry about. A strong team in Boston and New Jersey, a rivalry with the Penguins and Sidney Crosby, tough squads in Toronto and Philly and tough goaltenders in Tomas Vokoun, Henrik Lundqvist, Marc-Andre Fluery and more. They have the skill to beat any of those teams on any given night, and should.

I do predict the Capitals will make it to the number one spot in the East and should go far into the post season. I do predict that this team will make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Whatever happens beyond that, I don't want to jinx it. Hey, I am a Caps fan after all.

3 Interesting Things To Watch For At Camp

The Washington Capitals technically started their camp today with veterans reporting to Kettler Iceplex for physicals and information. They also had a chance to meet up with the press. Questions about last year's disappointment to the outlook for this upcoming season were zinged left and right at players who just got into town. When the players do hit the ice tomorrow, they will just be four days from their first preseason game against Buffalo.

Just about every player has his own story and what they will try to accomplish in this year's camp. There are three that are interesting to watch as you gaze upon the practices at KCI.

Battle Between The Pipes

Bruce Boudreau is pretty big on seniority. That was made clear when he told reporters over the summer who was the number one goaltender for the Capitals. It was Jose Theodore.

Theo was benched in favor of the up and coming Semyon Varlamov in the playoffs and was returned only when the Caps trailed badly in game seven against the Penguins. But Theo has always claimed (and rightly so) that he was the whole reason for the Caps second place finish in the Eastern Conference to begin with.

But who is number two (bad bathroom humor aside). That is a battle to watch. Varlamov seems to be the obvious choice, but Micheal Neuvirth was in net when the Hershey Bears won their championship. It should be the battle to watch between the two. While Varlamov had some success in the NHL and in the playoffs, Neuvirth jumped from the ECHL to the AHL and going on to backstop for a championship. The battle should be one to watch and the Caps could gain from some outstanding goaltending throughout the preseason.

Knuble's Chemistry

Mike Knuble was the biggest off season acquisition the Capitals made. He comes in to replace the leaving Viktor Kozlov(who choose to go home and play in the KHL), which means they are most likely going to use Knuble on the Alex Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom line as a grinder. It's not a guaranteed spot for Knuble, but his signing in the off season is meant to add some sandpaper to the Caps forward lines.

If Knuble can dig in the corners and win battles on the boards, that could mean some open ice for Ovi and his wicked shot. The two are expected to work off of each other if they are paired on the top line, and it will be interested to see if the two really have some chemistry together. The two may not be paired until late in the preseason, but I would expect Knuble to share some time up on the top line during practices and scrimmages.

De - De - Defense

If there is one position the Caps have a log jam of good talent, it is on the blue line. Here is the list of defensemen who have a good shot at one of the six to seven positions available on the Caps roster: Karl Alzner, Sean Collins, John Erksine, Mike Green, Milan Jurcina, Shaone Morrison, Brian Pothier, Tom Poti, Jeff Schultz, Tyler Sloan and an outside chance for John Carlson. That is eleven players for only six spots.

I don't think there is doubt that Green, Poti, Pothier, Morrisonn and Jurcina will make the opening night roster. That really only leaves one or two spots open for the rest. That battle for those final spots should make any mistake by a defensive player a huge deal. The competition should make for some great defensive efforts on the Capitals' blue line.

NHL Notes:

• Dany Heatley is a Shark according to TSN.ca. A trade that took long enough. Heatley and a 5th round pick to San Jose for Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and a second round pick. I think Ottawa won in this trade to be honest. I don't think that Heatley will boost the Sharks offense anymore than Cheechoo could.
• If the Coyotes weren't confused enough about their owner, they are really confused now that Wayne Gretzky was a no show for the first day of camp. No owner, no coach, what is going on in Phoenix? Ulf Samuelsson is filling in as head coach. This organization just went from sad to pitiful.
  
• On a totally non-hockey subject, things will be changing big time for the Puckhead family. We found out in July that my wife is expecting our first child. It is the reason I have not been updating the blog as often as I would like. So as my life changes on the home front, I am sure it will be more difficult to keep the blog up to standard at all times (considering I do this for the love of it and don't get paid at all). We are super excited and before the season is out, there will be a new little Caps fan that Uncle Ted will want to sell a season ticket to.

Thank goodness hockey is back!

Players Trickle In, Camp Dates Set

Players are starting to converge in Arlington for the Capitals training camp. Already players like Anton Gustafsson, Matt Bradley, Boyd Gordon and John Erskine are already getting some morning ice time at Kettler Iceplex for individual workouts.

Other pro players have been working out with a few Caps like Jeff Halpern, goaltender Brent Johnson and minor-leaguer local Russell Smith. Those extra players have been told that Friday would be the last day they can work out with other Caps in the area as there will be enough players back in town to help with workouts.

Training camp dates have been released by the team. Rookie camp starts on Monday September 7. Veterans will report to camp officially on Saturday September 12.

What is starting to become a tradition, the rookie game against the Flyers will be on Friday September 11th in Voorhees New Jersey.

You can taste the hockey coming back.

More Questions Than Answers

The Washington Capitals complete collapse in game seven was a story of injury and fatigue. The Capitals insist that injuries were not the reason for the series break down with the Penguins. But now that the reports become more clear on who was hurt and how many were hurt. It raises more questions.

Based on several reports, as many as seven Capitals were playing with injuries. Included in that list are Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Mike Green, Tom Poti, and John Erskine, to name a few. If they are not going to use injuries as an excuse, than why play those players when they were clearly not effective against a high powered offense like the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Green, who did not score a goal in this series, has been less than stellar since his run-in with the boards in game five in the Rangers series. But his ice time increased since his injury and his ineffectiveness. When the Caps have been the deepest they have been in years, especially in defense, why not give Karl Alzner a look. Or play Tyler Sloan who had two good games against these Penguins. Sloan sat out the last three games for injured John Erskine.

I can understand why Ovechkin has to be in the line up, and to some extent Semin. But for seven players to limp through the a series against a very good team is almost selfish. Which makes sense the way the Caps were playing through the 2 and a half periods, they were disconnected, not feeding off of one another and passes were less than crisp.

The Penguins took full advantage of a team that was struggling just to show up to the rink. Why was there not a decision to bring up more players from Hershey to replace injured souls? When a hockey player is hurting, they don't do the right things for the full 60 minutes. They cut corners to save energy, they misread plays, lose focus and get routed in an all important game seven.

If you have a two game series lead and blow the next three games, why not use your depth?

The Capitals took today off and will address the media tomorrow, hopefully to answer that and many more questions.

Beagle In, Alzner Out, And Other Loose Ends

The Capitals recalled Jay Beagle from Hershey to replace an injured Eric Fehr and a healthy Micheal Nylander. Beagle will bring a better effort along the boards. A gritty forward that never quits and should add some energy to the Caps. Fehr did take part in the morning skate.

Instead of keeping Karl Alzner on the sidelines, the Caps have sent him back down to Hershey. That most likely means Tom Poti is feeling just fine. John Erskine is still questionable for game 4. That is why Tyler Sloan is still around. Erskine also took part in the morning skate.

Alex Semin did not take part in the morning skate, but several sources have reported that he is not injured, just resting. Since there was no practice for the Capitals yesterday, Semin will be taking the ice with two days off. His teammate and friend Alex Ovechkin wasn't too worried as he told reporters he expected Semin in the lineup.

As far as the death threat is concerned, the Caps aren't really worried about it. They have not increased any security or made any changes to their schedules. Ovi did know about the threat before game 3, but was not concerned about it. It just seems another distraction along the path that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Bruce Boudreau has finished "whining" about the penalties in this morning's press conference.

"I'm usually not a whiner," Boudreau said. "I think I've exhausted my bad officiating comments. Let's just let it go."

Both George McPhee and Boudreau complained after game 3 about the discrepancy in the penalty calls in the series thus far. The Penguins have had 17 power play opportunities to the Capitals' 9.

Finally, the game tonight is back on good ol' Comcast Sportsnet in the DC area. That means that the Versus broadcast will be blacked out in favor of the local broadcast team. Comcast Sportsnet will finish the series off with broadcasts of games four, five, six and seven as needed.

Let's Go Caps!

Three Concerns Before Game 3

These are the three concerns I have about the Capitals for game 3.

1. The injured ones. John Erskine is still out and most likely will be replaced by Tyler Sloan who played well in the last game. Eric Fehr is a game time decision. He missed nearly all of game two after taking a bit hit in the corner. The Caps have not recalled any players from Hershey. If Fehr can't play, Micheal Nylander will be his replacement. Karl Alzner made the trip to Pittsburgh which means there could be another defenseman on the fence.

2. Evgeni Malkin. You could say that Malkin has been invisible for this series thus far. Or you could say that the Matt Bradley, Dave Steckel and Brooks Laich line played fantastic against Malkin's line. Still, you can't keep good talent down for too long.

And finally...
3. The Penguins' home ice. The Penguins play well at home, and that hasn't changed in the post season. If the Caps can score first and get the crowd out of it, they have a very good chance to win the game. If the Caps get behind by two or more goals, it will be a very tough road for a comeback.

Let's Go Caps!

Series Breakdown

The Washington Capitals are used to doing things no one has done before. This time they came back from a 3 games to one deficit to beat the New York Rangers. The Rangers have never lost a series when they have that kind of lead, until last night. They are now 12 and 1.

While things started shaky for the Capitals it turns out a rookie goaltender was there to save the day. Simeon Varlamov came in to relieve Jose Theodore who got beat for 4 goals in game one. Theo's play did not go over well with Bruce Boudreau. He considered pulling Theodore after he let in a couple of shots he needed to save, but Boudreau said he didn't want it to look like they "panicking."

"There's times when you sit there, you need the save, and he didn't make the save when we needed it," Boudreau said.

Enter Varlamov who had only started a total of 5 times for the Capitals in the regular season. Even though the Caps would lose the next game, Varly had a better save percentage than his counterpart Henrik Lundqvist. The Capitals seemed to feed off Varlamov's good play by winning game 3.

The cool and calm Varlamov would finish the series with a .952 save percentage and only allowed seven goals in six starts including two shut-outs. An amazing start for a young goaltender who just turned 21 on April 27. His save percentage ranks him third among all goaltenders in the playoffs.

With the drama in net solved, the Caps needed goals against the league's stingiest defenses. When the Caps needed the goals the most, they came from unlikely sources. In game five, a must win game, Matt Bradley was the hero scoring two quick goals in the first period. In game six, three Capitals' defensemen scored the first three goals. In game seven it was Sergei Fedorov who scored his biggest goal as a Capital.

The Rangers did not make it easy. After stealing away games one and two, New York pushed the Caps to the brink of elimination with three chances to put the series away. They even had the Caps on the ropes early in game seven scoring the first goal. But their failure to support their goaltender with the scoring ending up costing them the series.

Credit the Capitals' defensive core who showed up just in time. John Erskine had a great series run. He was tough and smart. He took a swipe from Sean Avery and made a couple of key defensive stops through out the series. While Erskine played a great series, Milan Jurcina had a fantastic game seven. Jurcina battled with the Rangers best line of the night and was able to make some outstanding plays on the blue line.

Other Capitals that had a great series were Dave Steckel and Boyd Gordon. Both were solid in the face off circle and helped the Caps PK. Viktor Kozlov picked up his game for the playoffs scoring his first ever playoff goal. He finished the series with two tallies. Alex Ovechkin had the highlight reel goal of the series in game five. MVP of this series has to go to Varlamov, he backstopped the Caps to a series win.

Varlamov, The Magician

The Circus was just in town at Madison Square Garden. They forgot their magician. Simeon Varlamov was spectacular in only his second playoff start getting both the win and a shutout. He did it with a bit of slight of hand, misdirection, and pure quickness. No smoke, no mirrors. Now you see an open net, now you don't.

"We had great goaltending by Varly, it starts there," Caps' defenseman John Erskine said. "(It) gives us confidence, our forwards are coming back and helping us out. We're getting the breaks."

The two early goals also helped out. The Rangers had the lead or tie for nearly 5 periods of play before last night's tilt. By scoring a pair in the first period, the Capitals finally put the pressure on the Rangers in Game 3.

"(Varlamov) played well last game, we just didn't score any goals for him," Caps' forward Brooks Laich said. "We get the first goal, which was nice; but then we get the second one, which now makes them press a little bit more. Then we play sound defensively."

Sounds simple. Everyone seemed to enjoy Varlamov's show, except the New York Rangers and their fans. That frustration boiled over to the scoresheet as the Rangers took eight minor penalties and Sean Avery received a game misconduct and escorted off the ice. The Rangers had a hard time keeping their composure, but with shots disappearing into Varlamov's glove, it was easy to see why.

"I'm not going to whine about penalties," Torts replied. "We stunk. Simple."

While the Rangers were not composed, Varlamov was. Just like a magician setting up the act; he was calm, cool and collect between the pipes for the Capitals. The Caps rallied around their young goaltender who has the Caps' farm team on one half of his mask and the Caps logo on the other. With the type of composure the young goaltender showed, maybe it is time to lose the bear.

"I was more nervous starting in Montreal," Varlamov said through an interpreter when he was asked if he was nervous about starting at MSG. "Today was not as bad."

The rookie goaltender stopped all 33 shots his way. Varlamov made some dynamite saves, a few of them at point blank range. When Nik Zherdev seemed to have an open net when a arrant pass landed on his stick, there was Varlamov in position. He tried to deke around him and Varly shot out his left pad to make the save. Now you see a goal, now you don't.

Varlamov also got a lot of help from his lovely assistants (eh-em, teammates). Alex Ovechkin had to hot foot it back to swipe away a break away chance by the Rangers. Besides a rebound that came to an open Ryan Callahan who hit the post (some sort of telekinetic power to keep the puck out), most rebounds came right to a Capitals' stick, magically. That usually means that the team is playing well in front of their goaltender.

"I thought they played very well defensively, and I thought we stunk defensively. That was the key to the game," Tortorella said. "They defended really well in front of their net. We were chasing our tail all night long, spinning and watching the puck."

Varly's act drew plenty of attention from the Rangers' heckler (agitator) in Game 3. Avery, doing what he does best, tried to get into Varly's grill and chirp. It is kind of hard when the goaltender does not know English all that well. But when asked about the encounter after the game, Varlamov just shook it off.

"My main job is to catch the puck," Varly replied. "I was trying to focus on the game."

"I have no idea," a coy Erskine replied when asked what Avery was saying to Varlamov before he cheap shot him. "He was just yipping and being Sean Avery." Erskine was also asked about the punch Avery gave him early in the second period. "It wasn't the hardest punch by Sean Avery," Erskine deadpanned.

Varlamov earned the red hard hat following the game and the game's number one star. We can't wait to see the second show, Varlamov the Magnificent.

Some Perspective, Bam!

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

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

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

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

Caps Notes:

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


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


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


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

Caps End Rollercoaster November On Sour Note

Over the past month, we have seen the good, the bad and most definitely the ugly. This rocky road the Caps seem to find them on this season has them stuck trying to figure out if they are really good or not. The Caps started the month of November much how they ended it, underachieving.

The Capitals first game where they failed to score was on November 1st. Buffalo shut 'em down 5-0. Follow that up with a narrow overtime loss to Ottawa, both losses on the road. But a three game home stint was just what the Caps needed to get back on track. They knocked off the 'Canes, Rangers and Lightning in impressive fashion.

Alex Ovechkin broke his scoring drought with a redirect past his pal Olie Kolzig and the Caps seemed to fix what was ailing them. For another two games anyway. The Caps started a long western road trip with a home and home with the Devils. The Caps won their game at the phone booth, but lost to the Devils at the rock.

It looked like the Caps got over what ever kind of funk they were in as they beat Anaheim in their building on the second game of the western swing. But then it didn't go well after that. The Caps dropped the next three games and players dropped like flies due to injuries. They were manhandled in the next three, dropping to Los Angeles, San Jose and Minnesota.

In the process Jeff Schultz broke a finger, Mike Green hurt his shoulder, Tom Poti tweaked his groin and John Erskine got a few cobwebs up in the ol' noggin. Not to mention players like Sergei Fedorov and Alex Semin found themselves watching from the sky boxes nursing ailments.

When the Caps got back into friendlier confines, it seemed that a few call-ups was all the Caps needed to win the next two home games in pretty impressive fashion. They won the next two with a Hershey heavy roster that included call ups Graham Mink, Chris Bourque, Sami Lepisto, Karl Alzner, Tyler Sloan and Bryan Helmer.

The ship had been righted, well for two games at least, until the Capitals were embarrassed in Columbus being shutout 3-0. The Caps started November posting a goose egg, and they finished posting a second goose egg.

During the month of November we saw Tomas Fleischmann continue his pace for a 30 goal season. Ovi's point streak stretched to 10 games. Jose Theodore had a 4-2-1 record and had his frist shut out as a Capital. Nick Backstrom went on a 9 game point streak in which he posted a career high of 5 points against Devils.

What the Capitals need to work on for the month of December is consistency. Let's hope for consistenly good, and not consistenly bad. It seems when the Capitals have something rolling, it can be gone in a blink of an eye. And maybe this shut out in Columbus is a wake up call for the Caps that they have to be ready to play every night, home or away.