An Eye On Standings

The Washington Capitals enter the new year in pretty good shape. Just five points from the lead in the division and a point out from the 8th place spot in the Eastern Conference. They are also riding a three game win streak. It is not the worst position the Caps could be in. It's not the best spot for the Capitals either as the All Star Game looms in the distance at month's end.

The Capitals are making a move on the standings, but it doesn't seem like any of the teams ahead of them in the East are at all interested in helping the struggling club make it into the top eight. In the last week, the Caps have only been able to leap frog the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs. With Ottawa and New Jersey getting points last night with a OT win by the Senators, the Caps can not afford a slump in the month of January. Teams with a playoff spots are fighting hard to stay there as the All Star weekend creeps upon the Caps.

Many general managers warn their clubs of falling out of playoff spots before the All Star break as a near impossibility getting back into the top 8 by season's end. Part of that reason is the resolve of teams in playoff spots to stay there by the time post season arrives and the trade deadline when GMs have to make the decision of whether to fish or cut bait.

Last year, seven of the eight teams in playoff positions before the All Star break made it into the post season. Atlanta was the only team to drop out of the top 8 (was in 8th on 1/26/11 and fell to eleventh by season's end). Being in playoff contention at the mid way point of the All Star game makes the rest of the season easier to negotiate.

By the time the All Star break arrives, the Capitals should be within a game (2 points) of division leading Florida, and inside the top eight in the conference to have a comfortable seat for the post season. If not the Caps will have their work cut out for them.

It is not outside the realm for the Caps to be on the outside looking in, they did it in 2008. They won 15 of their last 19 games of the season to overtake the Carolina Hurricanes as divisional leaders and took the only spot in the playoffs from a Southeastern division team that year. A feat which was accomplished on the last three games as they won their last 3 home games against division rivals Carolina, Tampa and Florida to end the 2008 regular season campaign. The Caps would eventually lose in seven games to Philadelphia in the pursuing playoffs.

Caps Notes:

• Alex Ovechkin named NHL's second star for the last week of the December. 
• Cody Eakin's short time with the Caps ended as he was recalled to Hershey. A sign that either Mathieu Perreault is feeling better, or someone else is.
• Capitals play the Calgary Flames tonight and have a chance to try to move up the standings past division foe Winnipeg for 8th spot in the Conference.

Flames Doused

Capitals 7, Flames 2
Game Summary

You would have to go back four years to recall the Caps last win in the Saddledome. Even with a poor start, the Capitals would break it open in the second period scoring 6 goals to water down the Calgary Flames 7-2. The Caps finish their three game road trip taking four of six possible points and earn their first win in Calgary in four years.

Alex Ovechkin would score a pair of goals within a minute (:12 seconds apart to be exact) both on the power play. It would cap a three point night for the Great 8 (2g, 1a) and earn him tonight's number one star. Nick Backstrom, Mike Green, Alex Semin, Matt Bradley and David Steckel would all add goals of their own in the rout. 

It would be the Capitals' struggling power play that would spark the sudden offensive explosion by the Capitals. After falling behind to 2-0, the Caps had a chance on the power play to try to get on the board before the first period ends. Green would set up Backstrom on a beautiful cross ice pass to get the power play goal. Backstrom would finish tonight with the game's third star and four points (1g, 3a)

In the second period, the Flames would take some bad penalties leading to a Caps five on three power play. Green would set up Ovechkin's game tying goal with the two man advantage. Then :12 seconds later Ovechkin would score the game winning goal on the ensuing five on four power play. He scored almost from the same place, left of Miikka Kiprusoff inside the face off circle about fifteen to twenty feet out.

It seemed after that, the Flames' wheels started to come loose. Green would score his first goal of the season after Calgary turned the puck over at their own blue line. Jeff Schultz kept the puck in finding Jason Chimera. Chimera would pass it cross ice to an open Semin while Green made a b-line to the Calgary net. Semin fed it to Green and he made no mistake going high glove on Kiprusoff. It would be Chimera's first point in four games as he was credited with the secondary assist.

Just over twenty seconds later, Flames' Cory Sarich would knock down a soft shot from the point and was pressured by Bradley. Sarich would chip it to try to get it clear of the forechecking player but instead beat Kiprusoff with the shot. Bradley would take the credit for the goal.

The Capitals' power play was on a roll and the penalty kill was pretty good tonight too. The Caps killed all six Calgary power play opportunities. They even contributed a goal as David Steckel blocked a shot and had a break away in the other direction. Mark Giordano hooked Steckel from behind and it led to a penalty shot for the Ohio State Buckeye. Steckel beat Flame back up Henrik Karlsson top shelf. It was Steckel's first career penalty shot/goal.

It had been a point of contention that the Caps just were not scoring enough. Ovechkin had only one goal in his last 4 games. Bruce Boudreau would put Alex Semin up on the top line. The result would lead to the early second period penalties and 2 of the three even strength goals.

Michal Neuvirth again was strong in net. His saves in the first period, even with the Caps down by two goals, made the second period outburst possible. After the Caps had scored to make it 2-1 on Backstrom's power play goal, the Flames had a great follow-up shift pressuring to score again. Neuvirth came up with a big pad save and what could have been a 3-1 lead for Calgary the Caps only found themselves down by one when breaking for the first intermission. Neuvirth would turn away 27 shots tonight.

Caps return home to face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night and then the very hot Bruins on Friday.

Caps Post A Stinker At Home, Clinch East Anyway

Capitals 3, Flames 5
Game Summary

It wasn't pretty. The Capitals came out with little energy as the Calgary Flames pretty much wrapped up this game all in the first period off of four goals in just eleven shots. From there the Caps could do little else to salvage a poor start, even with Alex Ovechkin scoring his 46th goal of the season. Some thoughts on the game.

• Mathieu Perreault was recalled after Brendon Morrison left practice with a lower body injury. He rewarded the coaches decision by scoring a goal in the third in an attempt at a comeback. It wouldn't go any where as the Flames sucked what ever energy was in the building. Perreault's goal may have not have sparked the big time comeback the Caps were wishing for, but it's nice to know even with the injuries that are plaguing the team late, someone from Hershey can step in.
  
• Alex Ovechkin held the scoring title briefly. Before Sidney Crosby scored a pair against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It is good to see Ovi start to score again and hopefully this will spark a strong end of the season for the reigning MVP.
• Jose Theodore for the first time since January looked human. No fault of his own mind you. Theo was a victim of some unfortunate bounces from extreme angles. He allowed 3 goals in nine shots prompting his exit just over half way through the first period. Semyon Varlamov came in relief and allowed a late period goal that for the most part did the Caps in.
  
• The Capitals defense was downright terrible. Players were badly out of position and a step behind the play. It just wasn't a good night for them. End of story, move on.
• I think this was more of a team that got reamed the night before against a team that is destined to bigger things. The Flames got a stern talking to last night by the GM. As a result, they came out with a bit of vinegar in their veins. The Caps just didn't match that intensity. End result, a 5-3 drubbing by the team that needed the win more.
• The crowd was a restless one. Several times they were on the home team with some jeers and boos when things weren't going their way. I think as a paid ticket holder, you can boo all they want if you think the team deserves it. Do you think they deserved it?
  

If anyone has been reading this blog for a while knows my philosophy on blow out losses. The Caps could feel bad for themselves and shake their confidence. Or they can learn from it. Use it to their advantage and come out the next came with a commitment to fixing their mistakes.

Even with the loss, the Caps wrap up the Eastern Conference as teams below them just couldn't keep up the pace. No team in the east will be able to over come the Capitals 109 points and 49 wins. It is comforting to know that the Eastern Conference title will have to go through Verizon Center. The Caps still hold a 5 point lead overall in the NHL as they look to secure the franchises first President's Cup.

Go West, Young Man, Go West

Players in the Western Conference can breath easy knowing that they have dominated the Stanley Cup Finals in over a decade. The West have beaten the east 8 of the last thirteen finals. Those odds are pretty good and are only getting better as many of those teams have youth maturing.

Ranking the Western Conference is no easy task with teams on the rise and other teams in such turmoil. But there will be a lot of familiar faces back in the playoffs when the 82 games schedule comes to a close. Let's start with the bottom and work our way up.

15. Phoenix Coyotes: Three words, off ice drama. That is what keeps this team from moving forward. As far as player personnel are concerned, the 'Yotes had a busy off season. The signed goaltender Jason LaBarbera, forward Vernon Fiddler and defenseman Adrian Aucoin in free agency. They resigned Scottie Upshall to a one year deal and worked the trade route to acquire Lauri Korpikoski and Radim Vrbata. They seem like the right moves, but with ownership in question and a new coach to boot, there is a lot of chemistry questions to deal with. A team with this much turmoil up top is going to hinder this group through out the season.

14. Colorado Avalanche: Things in Denver are not good. With the departure of Joe Sakic over the summer, the team has lost its prolific leader and fallen from the elite grace they enjoyed just a few seasons ago. With a slew of veterans on their last year of their contracts, this looks more like a shopper's paradise for teams looking to beef up their line-ups come the trade deadline. Players afraid of being traded through out the season very rarely play their best. It is rebuilding time in Colorado.

13. Edmonton Oilers: They made a play for Danny Heatley, but in the end they couldn't pull the forward their way. The Oilers did however get a good goaltender in Nikolai Khabibulin. It is pretty much the only positive to come out of the off season for the beleaguered Oilers. They spent too much time on trying to get a deal done with Ottawa, there is not much improvement on this team from a season ago. They are going to have to rely on the players that gave marginal performances last year. It's a tough spot to be in.

12. Los Angeles Kings: Every time the Kings get some good news, something happens that dissolves it. But they may have some hope after signing Rob Scuderi in the off season and trading for Ryan Smyth to give them some leadership. What gives this team hope and heartache is youth. Jack Johnson, Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown make up the core of the Kings youth movement. If they can show some more mustard early in the season they could finish higher than 12th. But their goaltending is still marginal and they still need a super-star to make the big plays when they need it most.

11. Minnesota Wild: With the departure of some good talent late last season, the Wild replaced it by signing Martin Havlat, Greg Zanon and Shane Hnidy in the off season. The Wild are under new management though, getting a new GM and coach to lead the team in a new direction. It may take a season or two for the organization to get out of some old habits. They do have the pieces to possibly make the playoffs, but it remains to be seen if the Wild can pull it all together this season.

10. Nashville Predators: Nashville let a few players walk in the off season. They were able to keep Steve Sullivan and Joel Ward, but it may not be enough to make the playoffs. Part of Nashville's problem is the small amount of fans and money to work with. The management have failed to pull a team in around Sullivan and team captain Jason Arnott. The Preds still have a good core of defensemen and the combo of Dan Ellis and Pekka Rinne should steal a few games this season.

9. Dallas Stars: This team made some smart moves in the off season, and it should show in the standings. Will they make the playoffs? They could, but it will depend on how well the changes at management and coaching affect the team. The big D signed some good defense in Karlis Skrastins and Jeff Woywitka. Jere Lehtinen resigned for another year and the Stars have a better back up in Alex Auld who was acquired in the off season. Low expectations may hinder the Stars this year, but if they grow in the right direction, they could knock off someone on the next list.

Playoff Bound

8. St. Louis Blues: On the verge of something good, the Blues have to build on their experiences from a season ago. But they have to be careful, they are also in a division that highly competitive. One bad stretch could be doom for this young team on the rise. Veterans Keith Tkachuk, Jay McClement, Mike Weaver and Brad Winchester were all resigned and goaltender Ty Conklin should be a capable back up. Head coach Andy Murry has to get the youth of his team to start to believe in themselves. Once the kids start to buy in to the system, the Blues will have a good team on their hands.

7. Anaheim Ducks: The Ducks are a shell of their former selves. Chris Pronger, Rob Niedermayer, Francois Beauchemin and Brett Hedican all left for greener pastures. What saves the team from total breakdown is what they got in return. Saku Koivu, Nick Boynton, Steve McCarthy were signed in the off season and Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa and Ryan Dingle were acquired in the Pronger trade. The Ducks should make the playoffs again.

6. Columbus Blue Jackets: After making the playoffs for the first time in their franchise history, it is understandable that they might have a bit of hangover when teams start taking them more seriously. Lucky for the fans, the Jacks resigned Rick Nash. They also added Sammy Pahlsson to add some punch at center depth. But the BJ's need consistency in the division they are in. If they can build on what they started last year, this team should find a comfortable spot in the post season and will look for their first playoff win.

5. Vancouver Canucks: The Canucks shed some big contracts in the off season. Some of that shedding will hinder them, and maybe they won't win their division. But with Roberto Luongo in net and the Sedin Twins signed on for another go, there is no reason this team should miss the playoffs. They took advantage of San Jose's roster shedding by getting Christian Erhoff and Brad Lukowich in exchange for some prospects. They also pulled Mikael Samuelsson from the Red Wings pool. The Canucks should have a good year, but they have to grow some tougher skin to get further in the playoffs.

4. Detroit Red Wings: How can the Red Wings not win their division but still get home ice advantage? Because they are the Red Wings. Whether fans show up to the games or not, the Wings is a hard team to beat night in and night out. A few support players found spots on other teams, but the core of Johan Franzen, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, the Wings will be okay. Their hold on goaltending greatness in Chris Osgood may prove their downfall if Osgood is not playing his best.

3. Calgary Flames, Northwest Division Champion: Theo Flurey certainly created a lot of buzz in camp this off season, but his comeback was dealt a huge blow when he was released a week before opening night. It was a distraction for Flames' fans, but the real excitement will be the arrival of Jay Bouwmeester. Acquired in the off season, Bouwmeester's arrival bolsters Calgary's defensive squad that is already beefed up with Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr. If the Flames can score, their defense should hold up fine, and they will win their division.

2. Chicago Blackhawks, Central Division Champion: This team is riding a good vibe right now and it should carry through to another playoff run. There are few messy ends for the Hawks, the change in GM after Marion Hossa was signed to a ridiculous contract and the release of Martin Havlat and the NHLPA filing grievances with the team after they resigned a bunch of their young talent. The core of Chicago's youth is really is what is exciting about this team. Patrick Kane and Johnathan Toews make this team an offensive juggernaut. Solid defense led by Brian Campbell and good goaltending by Cristobal Huet can make this team a dangerous Conference foe.

1. San Jose Sharks, Western Conference Champion: The Sharks have been a tough team to play in the West for quite some time. But getting over that first playoff series seems to give the Sharks fits. San Jose did change up their look a little bit by shipping off Jonathon Cheechoo and Milan Michalek to Ottawa for Danny Heatley. The Sharks are looking for that certain something to push them over the edge. They should win the West again, but it still remains to be seen if they can do any real damage in the playoffs.

The Sharks have the talent to top the West again, but they need to show their stuff in the post season to really get any respect. I like the Blackhawks despite their off season shenanigans. They have now the experience and the coaching to help them win games, it will be hard to count them out come spring. The Coyotes are in trouble, which is sad since hockey did take root in the desert for a few years. I just don't see them coming out with a whole lot of get up and go when their coach was forced out and the league is fighting with a billionaire over their future.

Tomorrow, the Eastern Conference preview.

Bring On The Cup '09 - Fearless Predictions Pt. 1

Can you believe it? It's playoff time, which means it is time to make some predictions. This will be the fourth straight year for PHT's fearless predictions and it's the most exciting due to the Capitals ranked second in the East and they wrapped up a playoff position two weeks before the end of the season.

There are a few newbies to the Playoffs from a year ago which makes this an exciting playoff season. Two Southeast Division teams find their way to the post season, the Blue Jackets get to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, the Blues not only sneak in but get get a good ranking on their last game and the Blackhawks look tough to beat. So much going on!

Let's start in the West where it was a wild finish. Eastern predictions to follow tomorrow morning.

Round 1

#1 San Jose Sharks vs. #8 Anaheim Ducks - It is an interesting matchup to say the least. The Ducks and Sharks do not really like each other, and going into playoff series with one another is not going to help the situation much. The Sharks however might be a tad too powerful for the Ducks this year, considering goaltending has been the Ducks weak point this season. J.S. Giguere could be the back up. The Ducks will play some tough defense and it should be a good test for the number one team in the league. But the Shark's solid goaltending should win out the day in Evgeni Nabokov.

Sharks win in 7 games.

#2 Detroit Red Wings vs. #7 Columbus Blue Jackets - Central Division rivals meet up for the first time in the playoffs. Actually every thing the Blue Jackets do will be for the first time, since this is their first trip to the post season in franchise history. The BJ's have a tough hill to climb if they are thinking of surpassing the Red Wings who hold the season series over them. The Red Wings are at the top, if not the first, in every category in the league. The Jackets are just trying to do well and they will behind phenom rookie goaltender Steve Mason. If Chris Osgood can keep it together that is.

Red Wings win in 5 games.

#3 Vancouver Canucks vs. #6 St. Louis Blues - Look who just crashed the playoff party, the St. Louis Blues. Hard work and determination do pay off. But it is going to be a short playoff series if the Blues can't stop the offensive juggernaut of the Vancouver Canucks while at the same time solving the arguably the league's best goaltender in Roberto Luongo. No easy task. I am afraid that the Blues venture into the post season might be short lived, Vancouver is just on too much of a roll these days to be stopped by a Blues team that has to keep up their intensity and strong forecheck if they want to be successful.

Canucks take it in 6 games.

#4 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #5 Calgary Flames - Proven leadership. That is what this series is going to be about. Jerome Iginla is the poster boy for leadership and he has lead this team to a finals already. Calgary's first test however will start on the road against a young and budding team that is not short on talent. The Blackhawks will have to depend on their goaltending here, Nikolai Khabibulin gets the edge in that department. His experience and tenacious play of late will help the Blackhawks do well. But I just think Calgary's leadership will help them through. Experience over youth.

Flames win in 7 games.

Round 2 (probable matchups based on Round 1 predictions)

San Jose Sharks vs. Calagary Flames - The Sharks offense will be just too much for Calgary unless Miikka Kiprusoff can put together a consistent effort. The Flames will need much more than leadership if they want to continue on. But these two are not strangers in the post season. It should be a dirty, down out fight. But with solid goaltending and an offense that is confident in themselves, San Jose just has an edge.

Sharks win in 6 games.

Detroit Red Wings vs. Vancouver Canucks - This should be a good match up. I imagine Luongo will be at his best against the best. The Red Wings must rely heavily on Osgood in this one and I am just not sure if he is up for that challenge. The Canucks' offense has found a groove. If they keep it up, the Red Wings will have their hands full.

Canucks squeak by in 7 close games.

Western Conference Final

San Jose Sharks vs. Vancouver Canucks - Ooo, a Pacific Division final. Who would have thunk it? Two of the best offensive teams in the west gear up for a show down. Travel shouldn't be an issue with both teams in the Pacific time zone. Goaltending will be the big show down, Luongo and Nabokov will go head to head for their teams. What will be the factor is how fresh the Canucks will be after their tangle with the Red Wings. Both teams seem to be evenly matched in offense, defense and of course in net, but I don't think the Canucks have the experience to take it the distance. Should be one heck of a series.

Sharks win in 6 games.

I really like San Jose coming out of the west. I have predicted it now two years in a row. The Sharks seem to have things going for them as well as the Canucks, but every time I count out the Red Wings, they end up in the finals, again. I don't think the newcomers are in a position to overtake the top teams, but how I have been wrong before.

Eastern Conference predictions and my prediction of the Stanley Cup winner will come tomorrow morning. Then it is game on, bring on the playoffs and bring on the Stanley Cup. We are more than ready.

Just One More Win

With one more win and two points...

• The Washington Capitals can clinch the Southeast Division crown (two years in a row).


• The Boston Bruins can clinch the Eastern Conference crown (seems inevitable).


• The Vancouver Canucks can surpass the Calgary Flames for lead in the Northwest Division (that is if the Flames lose their next game).


• The Florida Panthers can tie the 8th place New York Rangers with a game in hand (Rangers drop from first to worst).


• The Tampa Bay Lightning still won't make the playoffs (oh snap!).


• The Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks can solidify a playoff spot.

The middle section of the Eastern Conference standings looks to be a dog fight for fourth place and home ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. Carolina, with their win over the Rangers, takes the coveted spot leap-frogging the Flyers and Penguins.

The most points the 'Canes can acquire are 101 points with their four games remaining. If the Caps win tonight that means they take the divisional crown and at least solidify home ice advantage.

Florida can still make the playoffs if they can catch the New York Rangers. That seems more plausible now with the way the Rangers seem to be going backwards. Plus the Panthers have a game at hand on the Rangers, so they must better their pace against the Broadway Blues.

The Buffalo Sabres are not mathematically out of the running. They have two games on hand against the Rangers. But they will need at least 8 points in their remaining games in order to do it. That is assuming the Rangers lose their remaining four games, which is possible since they play Boston, Montreal and a home and home with the Flyers to close out their schedule. Currently, the Sabres stand 6 points from 8th place.

Speaking of Buffalo, the Sabres and the Capitals duel this evening at the phone booth. One will be playing for their post season lives, the other will be fighting for a divisional crown. Both teams are looking for two points, the Caps are the only ones that can afford a single point.

Awful

Capitals 1, Flames 2
Scoresheet - Wash Post - Cal Herald

The Capitals fail to convert on a first period 9 minute power play, and their penalty kill can't stop the struggling Flames. The Caps start their road trip with just a horrible game as they fall to the Flames 2-1.

The game actually started off great for the Capitals. Sergei Fedorov redirected a Jeff Schultz pass to start the scoring off. Calgary native Tyler Sloan who was called up for his first ever NHL game laid a monster hit on Daymond Langkow that drew the 9 minute penalty in the first period. Sloan's hit was a clean one, but the Flames took exception to the hit and Rene Bourque came to the rescue of his fallen Flame. Bourque was called for 5 minute major for fighting, 2 minutes for instigating, 2 minutes unsportsmanlike. 5+2+2=9 minute penalty.

But the Capitals power play (if you want to call it that) failed to convert. Micheal Nylander even took a penalty in the middle of the large penalty in the first and the Caps couldn't even get shots on net. The Flames' penalty kill deserves some of the credit, they forced the Caps to pass before they were set which led to turnovers. Once the 9 minute power play ended, the Caps never recovered.

Calgary went on the attack and the Capitals were guilty of getting too stick happy. Eight consecutive penalties on the Capitals did them in. For a stretch from the end of the first period and the start of the second the Caps just could not stay out of the sin bin. Nine different Capitals were called for penlaties. Mike Green for two of them.

Shaone Morrisonn played one of his worse games, one I think he would like to forget. He failed to clear the puck on the first goal, and he took the wrong player on the second. When the game did settle down into 5 on 5, it looked the Caps had lost off it's gas killing off penalties. The third period the Flames were able to frustrate the Capitals offense. The game slowed down to Calgary's advantage. When the Caps did have pressure, Mikka Kiprusoff was there to clean the rest up.

The power play needs help. Special teams continue to be a liability for the Capitals. When they had the chance to go up and really put the Flames on the ropes, they couldn't. This team was not the same team that found ways to win and played their game. The Caps usually bear down and attack the offensive zone. Instead they were all over the place, sloppy with their passes and out of sync.

Fedorov ties Alexander Mogilny for most goals by a Russian in the NHL. He was reinserted as a forward in this game. Eric Fehr sat out as a healthy scratch as Donald Brashear returned to the line up. Both Tom Poti and Viktor Kozlov did skate this morning, but did take part of the whole morning skate. Jose Theodore played very solid, the two goals against him were really his fault. But for the first time, he seemed much more comfortable in net as a Capital.

Let's hope its a better effort in Phoenix on Thursday.

Replay courtesy of NHL.com:

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.

Bring On The Cup '08 - Fearless Predictions Pt. 1

Welcome to the third annual Bring On The Cup predictions on P.H.T. I just have to say that I am more than excited to get this ball rolling with the Caps securing a playoff spot of their own. Unfortunately, Gary Bettman isn't just going to hand the Stanley Cup to the Capitals, there are 16 other teams in contention for this silver bowl (hard to believe, I know).

Just some administrative duties to attend to first. The Capitals playoff schedule is now in stone and can be found here on the right column >>> under the Pic of the Week. The Caps get Philly instead of Ottawa in the first round after the Flyers beat the Penguins on Sunday 2-0.

Okay, back to the predictions. There are some surprises and some new faces, especially in the Eastern Conference. But as always, I will start in the wild, wild West.

Round 1

#8 Nashville Predators at #1 Detroit Red Wings - I think it's easy to pick Detroit here, and I think that's also a mistake. Nashville definitely didn't look like a team that was going to make it, especially after a loss to the Capitals a few weeks ago. But with the Northwest Division being a battle, the Preds sneak in the back door and get some playoff life. It's just that they have to face down big bad Detroit in the first round. Just how healthy the Wings are could determine if it's a one and done for the President's Trophy winners. I can see the Predators giving the Red Wings more than they can handle. But we are talking about Hockeytown.

Detroit wins in 6 games.

#7 Calgary Flames at #2 San Jose Sharks - Oh lord, let's hope that the San Jose fans mind their manners and not boo at the Canadian Anthem. Besides that, I am expecting a very physical affair between these two. San Jose has finally started hitting on all cylinders, after a ho hum start to nearly going undefeated in March. For the Flames, Jerome Iginla probably would have won the Hart for MVP if it weren't for that Ovechkin guy, he has basically carried this team into the playoffs himself. But he needs some help if they want to solve Evgeni Nabokov. Both teams are relatively healthy so this should be a hard fought series. If only the Flames goaltending was as solid as the Sharks this year.

San Jose wins in 5 games.

#6 Colorado Avalanche at #3 Minnesota Wild - Ah, my seven game series match up. The Wild have had a quiet but effective season while the Avalanche have struggled to make the playoffs. Minnesota has the skill, but their state of emotion will be the deciding factor. Sure the Wild has bulked up with the addition of Chris Simon, but the rule of thumb playing the Wild is be physical and they will lay down. The Aves are just looking for some old time magic to spark their once proud playoff tradition by bringing back Adam Foote and Peter Forsberg. It should be a great goaltending duel with Jose Theodore and Niklas Backstrom both manning the net for their teams. Will the Avalanche's experience be enough to out battle Wild's speed and talent? Short answer, no.

Minnesota wins in 7 games.

#5 Dallas Stars at #4 Anaheim Ducks - The Stars are coming off a relatively successfully season. I say relative, because their record since the trade deadline is nothing to write home about. Since acquiring Brad Richards their once winning record in February became a losing one in March. They will also be with out Sergei Zubov on the blue line as he is out with foot surgery. While the Ducks found some late legs with Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer back in the fold, they still need some dependable goaltending and good secondary scoring. One could draw a conclusion that the Ducks have an easy opponent in the Stars, but often when one overlooks any team, that is when they are the most dangerous. The Stars might be limping, but they still have some fight.

Dallas upsets the Stanley Cup Champs in 6 games.

Round 2 - probable match ups based on 1st round predictions.

Dallas Stars at Detroit Red Wings - This is stirring up to be an all out shoot out, two very talented teams. The Stars have to be pretty beat up walking through the Ducks, so I don't expect they have very much fight left in them. Thankfully, Detroit is known more for their puck possession rather than the Ducks' beat-you-down method. If the Stars still have the legs, they could take Detroit to the brink. If.

Detroit wins in 5 games.

Minnesota Wild at San Jose Sharks - If the Wild's first series wasn't a battle royale it better be against the Sharks. It should be another great goaltender head to head with Backstrom and Nabokov with the waffle irons and mitts on. This is were Minnesota's toughness will have a chance to prove it's worth and San Jose should be wary of this quiet unassuming team.

San Jose wins in 6 games.

Western Conference Championship

San Jose Sharks at Detroit Red Wings - I actually predicted this two season ago, and it seems this might be the year we see these two giants settle it out in the conference championship. Detroit has come this far pretty unscathed, but this will be no cake walk for them. If there was ever a time to question the Red Wings' goaltending, it would be here and now in the Conference finals. The Sharks come into this contest battle tested and hungry. When these two teams face each other, I wouldn't be surprised to feel the ground quake and the skies quiver. Can Hasek/Osgood keep this Wings in it?

San Jose wins in 7 games.

The Sharks, I think, have learned their lesson from playoff series past. The previous two post seasons they faced Nashville and beat them 4 games to one, only to lose the next series 2-4 to both Edmonton and Detroit. But if the linage runs much as I have laid out here, they have had wonderful success against Northwest Division teams. Facing them in the first and second rounds is a good indicator that leads me to believe they are a Conference bound team. Since losing last year to the Red Wings I would expect Ron Wilson to use that as some inspiration in the Shark locker room.

As for the Red Wings, I think they will enjoy the spoils of winning the President's Trophy and will make quick work of their first two opponents. But if the goaltending is tested by a playoff veteran team like the Sharks, it may crack. The only bright spot may be home ice advantage.

Stay tuned for some Eastern knowledge I will be throwing your way next as I will start in on the Eastern Conference tomorrow. Feel free to comment. I will also have my prediction on who will be taking home the hardware, hockey's top prize: the Stanley Cup.

Flamed Out

Capitals 3, Flames 2
Scoresheet - Wash Post

It was exactly what the Capitals needed. A solid win against a team desperate for points too. The Calgary Flames are in the hunt to win their division, which has three teams tied for the top position. The Caps came out of nightmarish weekend and needed some points of their own to keep the playoff hopes alive. The Caps jumped out early, lost the lead then took it back. The only team with an even strength tally won.

Alex Ovechkin got his 55th and 56th goals on the power play. Nick Backstrom had a huge assist early, :53 seconds in. Viktor Kozlov scored his 15th goal snapping his 4 game goalless streak. Olie Kolzig was the big news of the night though, notching his 300th career win. It was very deserved as well.

Tonight was also the OvechKam night. Just as I suspected, it wasn't really that cool to watch when I came home and watched the tape. Seeing Ovie sit through Caps penalties got a little boring, and there wasn't much I was missing there, not to say that I was to begin with. One thing that did annoy me was the constant promotion of it on the regular channel. It seems Joe B and Laucher couldn't stop talking about it. It waned a bit as the game went on, but it was a tad annoying to hear it ever 2 minutes or so.

There were a few collapses tonight by the Caps. Even if the calls were a bit phantom, the Caps did give up two 5 on 3 chances to the Flames. The Caps need to be more disciplined down the stretch. Thankfully the penalties happened early enough for the Caps to rectify the situation.

The crowd was fun and a bit rambunctious. A few chants of "Ref you suck!" substituted the "Let's go Caps!" cheer. I can't remember a time when it has been this fun to be in the stands at a game. To see the building loud and full was pretty fun to be a part of.

Caps face division foe Atlanta at home then they see Boston again. Catching Carolina maybe a much harder route for the Washington squad, but catching Buffalo and Boston is doable. With Buffalo and Philadelphia losing tonight and Boston struggling, the Caps could sneak in 8th. They will have to just keep winning because Florida and Toronto are hot on the Caps heels.

Caps Finish Road Swing With Win

Capitals 4, Flames 2
Scoresheet – Wash Post – Calgary Herald

Olaf Kolzig is on top of his game. The Capital net minder stopped 37 shots from a goal starved Calgary Flames. But the Flames just couldn’t figure him out. Kolzig ties Ken Dryden on the all time wins list with 258 games.

The Caps did a much better job of playing stand-up hockey. Every time the Flames had a rush, the Caps were in their face and stood them up at the neutral zone. It was a great way to end the 4 game western swing. The opened with 2 points and they ended it with 2 points.

Special teams actually worked out how they are supposed to for the Caps. They were able to score a power play goal, and their penalty kill was perfect. The Capitals also were able to get the match-ups they wanted from time to time, which is hard to do on the road; a tribute to the coaches behind the bench running the lines.

Richard Zednik finally got out of his scoring funk scoring 2 goals, one a stuffer and another on a break away (where he ran head long into Miikka Kiprusoff knocking him backward into the net). Dainius Zubrus also scored 2 goals.

Although Alex Ovechkin didn’t score, his presence was felt with some pretty big hits. It hurt just watching some of the hits he gave out in this game. He had two assists on the night.

Overall Grade: B+

The Caps rebound from a couple of soft games versus good teams in Edmonton and Vancouver. It’s nice to see this team roar back and play a solid road game. Caps do need to be careful however not to sit back in the new NHL, where scoring comes in bunches.

The overall road trip is mixed however, the Caps started so well. The middle is something they should forget, and winning in Calgary helps that. The Caps did well getting 5 points out of a possible 8.

I can’t really complain much about their penalty kill either which has showed so much improvement from a year ago. The Caps were able to score a power play goal too in 6 of their last 7 games.

The Capitals come back home to face the Thrashers at the phone booth and return to a new practice facility that opens Wednesday in Ballston, VA. Caps must play well against the Thrashers who will be looking to avenge their recent loss in Toronto.