Other UFA's and RFA's Of Note

All week we have taken a look at the Caps that are unrestricted free agents. There are a few more of note, but it is likely that they will be resigned or will be dumped. We can take a quick look at all the minor notes for the Capitals that can change this team in the coming summer months.

RFA: Karl Alzner - The Capitals would be stupid not to sign the rookie defenseman to an extension. At this point it would be about finding the right number to keep him in a Capitals uniform. Since he is a restrictive free agent, the Caps do have the right to match any offer made to him by any other team. In 82 games played, Alzner racked up two goals and ten assists. But it is his defensive positioning that is impeccable and often he can read the play and defuse an offensive attack. He was a +12 on the season.

RFA: Andrew Gordon - Averaging just over a point a game in Hershey, Gordon brings some reliability in scoring for the Bears on the farm team. But in 9 games with the big club he only had a goal and an assist. His size is a big negative on his game, but he makes up for it by being an opportunistic goal scorer.

UFA: Dany Sabourin - Brought in as a possible back up at the big club level, he spent all his time down at Hershey and then just disappeared off the map as the Caps would rather call up Braden Holtby.  Sabourin did not play a single regular season game for the Capitals and it is likely he will go to the open market come July.

UFA: Micheal Nylander - Free at last, free at last. This marks the last year the Caps will play the forward since acquiring him in free agency in 2007. When the Caps made a change in coaching, Nylander was the odd man out and he spent most of the last couple of years playing for minor league teams and in Europe as well. He played last season with the Rochester Americans and only played 7 games and had 4 goals and 2 assists.

Odds and Ends

As The Nylander Turns

The Micheal Nylander drama that is starting to turn into the Capitals' "What not to do with a contract you not happy with" took a turn for the weird yesterday when they sent him to the minors for a conditioning stint. Send him to Hershey? Oh no, the Caps don't want to risk the playing time of their young prospects (I mean, they sent a first round pick back to Sweden to play a second tier team because he wasn't cutting it). Instead, they sent Nylander to Grand Rapids, the Detroit Red Wings' AHL affiliate.

This is not a trade, the Caps are still on the line for Nylander's salary and he still takes up a spot on the roster. Think of it as a young girl looking for the right prom dress, she has to put it on in the fitting room to see if she likes it. Nylander has to play so that teams in the KHL or other teams in the NHL have a chance to evaluate him. But why Grand Rapids?

Well if you ask anyone in management, on or off the record, they are pretty tight lipped about the move. A KHL team may have had some interest in taking the 37 year old forward off the Capitals' hands. But that interest waned when Nylander didn't see the line up. Whether George McPhee is keeping him off as to not hurt him, or McPhee and Bruce Boudreau can't stand it when he is in the line-up (or Hershey's line-up either) remains unclear.

If Nylander's presence is such a nuiscence, why are the Caps so hard pressed not to take a pitiful pick in return? Why not place him on waivers (not sure if that is stipulated in his contract)? Why not buy him out of his contract and take the hit (They are still on the hook for buying out Ben Clymer, remember him)? OR, why not just play him if other team's want to see his conditioning? No one really knows the answers to those questions but McPhee, and thus far his moves have been a quandary.

This move to send him to Grand Rapids could be a precursor to him being traded here or sold overseas. But at this point, who really knows.

Nylander's contract drops from $5.5 million down to $3 million next season.

Bank On Aucoin

Due to Alex Semin feeling a bit under the weather (hope it isn't H1N1), the Caps have recalled Keith Aucoin. Aucoin is quickly becoming a favorite of the Caps in call ups (mostly because Chris Bourque is a crutch they can't go to anymore). He shows flashes of brilliance at the NHL level and if given the time to work up some chemistry, I believe he could help the Caps' third line get a little offensive punch.

Back In The Southeast Division

Tonight marks the first time this season the Capitals will play a team from their division. The Caps head to HOT-lanta to face a Thrasher team that is off to one of their better starts. It looks more like a match up between friends rather than divisional foes. Head coaches from both teams shared a friendship in their AHL days (that still continues to this day). Star players from both teams also share an off ice friendship. But when the rink door closes, neither team seems to like each other.

The dislike stems from a Andy Sutton's high hit on Mike Green in 2006, although it could have been brewing way before that. Sutton's dirty antics set off a parade of Thrashers and Capitals to the penalty box with roughing and fighting majors sentences to serve. Ask any player on the Caps' squad and they will tell you that there isn't much love for Blueland.

The Dizzy Birds are 4-1-1 through their first six games of the season, hot on the heels of the Caps in the Southeast Division trailing by only one point (Caps 10, ATL 9). This should be a statement game for the Capitals who look to repeat as Division champs, otherwise the Thrashers could leap frog them for the lead in the division.

Bourque Who?

After years of quietly pulling for the 5'9", 173 lbs. forward to make it the big club, it finally happened and didn't happen, then happened again all at once. Calling him a dark horse to make the Capitals for almost 3 years now, it was exciting to see a spot for him in the lineup. But when the salary cap became an issue, the Caps had no choice but to put some one on waivers to send them back to Hershey. Pittsburgh picked up the crafty forward and in a way, Chris Bourque finally made a NHL roster, just not the Caps roster.

Frankly, I am happy for him. He goes to a team that thinks they can use him after the Penguins themselves lost a player to the waiver wire. Bourque has his shot at the big league and maybe this is for the best in the end. He has the potential to be a sneaky scoring forward. The Penguins will be forced to play the young forward, or place him on waivers yet again if they send him to the W/B Baby Pens.

We all sort of got hypnotized by the last name Bourque. But as I always say, don't hate the player, hate the game. Since I love the game, I have to accept it and know that Bourque will be just fine in a Penguins' sweater. As for the Caps, they just lose out on a player with no compensation for him. A bit frustrating to see the Caps' management got caught with their pants down a bit.

And don't put this on Micheal Nylander, he didn't put Bourque on waivers or force GM George McPhee's hand to do so. McPhee signed Nylander to begin with, now McPhee has to deal with his contract the best he can since Nylander doesn't fit in Bruce Boudreau's system.

Caps Notes:

• Caps are all set for their season opener against Boston. Jose Theodore will likely be in net for the first game. Mike Knuble may not see any first line duties at first according to how they have lined him up on the second line in practices. Of course, this just might be Boudreau holding his hand close to his vest.
• Matt Bradley will be wearing a newly designed helmet to prevent concussions made by Cascade Sports and designed by Mark Messier. I have some first hand knowledge of the helmet, because I have been playing with the Cascade helmet for just over a year now. It may look a little bigger, but if it does what it says then it's worth it.

Let's Go Caps!

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.

Things Get More Serious At Camp

Bruce Boudreau is giving the guys who deserve a shot at making the opening night roster their due. As more cuts are eminent, the competition for any open spots is starting to ramp up in practices and in the preseason games.

"We've got too many guys that deserve a shot," Boudreau addressed reporters at practice today. "We want to get to our team as quick as possible like everyone else does."

With four games in seven nights through the preseason the pressure is on for the management and coaches to settle on a team. For the youngsters, unseating a veteran will be a tough job. They would have to wow the coaches to make any headway.

"If it's a championship fight and it goes down to a decision, usually the champion gets the decision," Boudreau explained. He was equated that analogy to the goaltending job, but it is also his philosophy for filling out the rest of the team as well.

Players look much more focused in practices, working that much harder today at KCI. The fun and work done during the Duchesne Cup games has faded to a much more concentrated group as guys start to peel away at camp. As more leave, the more intense it should be for the remaining players.

"Tomorrow, we will lose 15 to 20 guys," Boudreau said ominously.

Other camp notes:

• Micheal Nylander looks much more stocky to me this year. After seeing him at practice for the first time, Nylander can still stick handle in a phone booth. But he also looks like he is working harder on what the coaches would like to see out of him. He is finding the open man much quicker, he is not shying away from hits in the corner and he is letting his speed and experience show. It remains to be seen if Nylander can continue the trend, but he looks very focused on the ice.
• Nylander and Anton Gustafsson look like that have a healthy relationship on the ice. The two would often talk between drills. It reminds me of a couple of years ago when another young Swedish kid, Nick Backstrom, made his way to Washington for the first time and Nylander took him under the wing. Maybe there is hope for Lil' Gus after all.
• Boudreau ran the first practice while Bob Woods took charge of the second session. Woods gave the second group a hard skate that had many players, veterans and rookies alike, crouched over with their sticks on their knees. It leads me to think that players in the second group weren't going to be making the trip to Chicago.

That is all I have got for today.

Season Of Change

You might not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but Micheal Nylander clearly needs to change his game if he wants to gain favor and playing time from Caps bench boss Bruce Boudreau. Nylander opened up this summer to a Swedish newspaper saying that Boudreau didn't think the forward was "good enough." I don't think anyone doubts Nylander's skills as a player or think he is not good enough for the NHL, but there are somethings he can improve on or get rid of to play the kind of hockey his coach likes to play.

The following is three things Nylander can improve or drop to be a better player in this system. Let me preface this by saying that I am not Bruce Boudreau. These changes are what I have observed watching him play in the new system under Boudreau. In particular is a game early in Boudreau's reign against Florida. That was when Nylander was still a first and or second line center.

Change #1: Stop calling for the puck. I had a coach once tell me that there really is no need to slap your stick to call for the puck if you are in the right position. If you are were you are supposed to be, your linemates will find you. Nylander developed the bad habit somewhere and listening to his stick pounding on the ice is a bit like listening to Morse code. Dit-dit-dit-da-dit translated to "I need more ice time."

No matter where he was on the ice, he was calling for the puck. In Florida, the camera would nestle in on the play, but in the back ground, off screen, one could here the tap-tap-tap of his stick. Instead, Nylander should be jockeying for a position; working as hard off the puck as well much as he is on it.

Change #2: Cough up the puck. This is a two parter. One, Nylander has to head-man the puck. In the game against Florida in December of '08, he had Alex Giroux open in the middle to enter the zone. For some inexplicable reason, Nylander turned and skated back into the neutral zone. What's more astounding than the reset was if he had head manned the puck, Giroux had a breaking winger with him that could have resulted in a two on one inside the zone. Instead, the play was broken up when the Panthers were able to regroup and thwart the play.

Two, Nylander spends way too much time with the puck to begin with. A good skill to have, but he doesn't seem to head to the net or make an aggressive move with it once he has it. In some ways the skill is great to have on the powerplay, but is tough to swallow at even strength. He would clearly miss open players, fail to develop plays or odd man rushes, as well as a plethora of other problems for hanging on to the puck a moment too long.

Change #3: Be more aggressive. Nylander has to be more physical in the offensive zone. Instead of going for the hit, he would try to stick check allowing the player to slip past him. He has to stand up his player and get more physical, much the way Boudreau would like to see all his forwards play. We are not asking Nylander to be like Alex Ovechkin and destroy the other man. Rather, he needs to stand up his man and put pressure on the opposition's defensemen.

Maybe with these glitches fixed, Nylander could once again be an important part of the Capitals' line up. A trade to Edmonton may not be a bad deal either.

NHL Notes:

• The Russians have invited some Capitals' players to it's camp this month. On the list are the obvious Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin and goaltender Semyon Varlamov. And there are a few former Caps like Viktor Kozlov (KHL), Sergei Fedorov (KHL) and defenseman Sergie Gonchar (PIT). While Milan Jurcina has been invited to the Slovakian camp (but will not attend) and former Cap prospect Sami Lepisto will be attending Finland's camp this month.
• Nikola Zherdev is an unrestricted free agent since the New York Rangers walked away from his arbitration result. The Rangers (much like the Caps) are walking a thin line to keep their team under the salary cap. Zherdev was in all 82 games for the Rangers last year, he had 58 points to show for it. He didn't score a point in seven games in the playoffs against the Caps.
• Finally, in the Danny Heatley saga, it looks as if more than one team will be involved in possibly moving Heatley to San Jose. The Montreal Canadiens could facilitate a trade that would see as many as 9 players in new sweaters come October. But just like before, it may just be all talk.
  

Grading The Draft

With their seven picks in seven rounds, the Washington Capitals took three defensemen, two centers and two wingers in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft this weekend. They picked a player each from Sweden, Russia and the United States, and the other four were Canadian. The Caps' picks average in height of 6'0" and have an average weight of 190 lbs. The Caps went after speed and precision according to the available scouting reports of each player.

In the first round, the Caps took a two way centerman in Marcus Johansson from Sweden. I covered him in the last post as being a smart two-way player who some think will be the next Valtteri Filppula or even a Henrik Zetterberg. Johansson is a hard working player that looks to be a year or two away from playing inside the Caps' farm system.

On day two, round two, the Caps took (what some had speculated they would pick in the first round) Dmitri Orlov. This Russian player is a quick, puck-moving defenseman who makes excellent passes. In the third round the Caps took Cody Eakin who has tremendous speed. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native is a dynamite at chasing down loose pucks and works hard at both ends of the ice.

From there the scouting reports get fuzzy for the remaining players chosen in the Entry Draft. The Caps picked Patrick Wey, a Pittsburgh kid, in the fourth round. Wey will be attending and playing for Boston College this fall. In the fifth round, the Caps took Brett Flemming (no relation to Peggy), a defenseman that looks like he needs to gain some bulk (listed as 6'0" and 172 lbs.).

In the sixth and seventh rounds the Capitals picked Garrett Mitchell (yea! another Garrett) and Benjamin Casavant respectively. Both wingers (Mitchell a right winter, Casavant a left winger) and Canadian.

The Caps did not pick a goaltender in this year's draft.

Overall, I think the Caps did a solid job. They stuck to their game plan of building the organization up through youth. And why should it change, the Caps have seen significant changes and are credible threats for a Stanley Cup Championship. Under the direction of George McPhee, the Capitals have built in some deep talent. Just looking at the two farm clubs under the Caps, both have won their respective championships.

McPhee has stayed aggressive on the defensive front as well. While the Caps are bursting at the seams with defensemen, even keeping a few good ones in a Hershey Bears' uniform, they picked three of them in the draft. All of them still have some developing to do and are a year or two from entering the Capitals' system.

The Caps did not trade any of their picks this year, sticking to building a squad rather than looking for short term replacements. McPhee would rather use the free agent market to bring in what he needs now and continue to build the team he wants for the future.

If I had to grade what the Caps did for the '09 Draft, it would be a B+. They did very well with the picks that they had and didn't get involved in the itty bitty trading going on through out the weekend. The Caps filled the holes they had with draft picks and I think they did what they wanted with the selections they had.

Most often than not, the draft can be a crap shoot. Sometimes those players turn out for you, sometimes they are duds. It also has to do with how you develop those players through the minors up into the big club. The Caps have a good group of young players, it will be exciting to see them at the upcoming Development Camp the Caps will hold July 13.

Editor's note: The Capitals did make a minor trade, giving up Sami Lepisto for a pick in next year's draft to the Coyotes. The Caps did try to make a bid for a second line center, but may have to wait for free agency to pick up anything available. Lepisto was rumored to be on the trading block for well over 5 months now. Micheal Nylander is also rumored to be moved "soon" according to an anonymous source (so take it a face value).

Next up for the Caps... Free Agency July 1st.

Bad Contract? Dump It In The KHL

The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) could be a place for NHL teams to dump bad contracts in this new salary cap . That could be the case if the Washington Capitals move Micheal Nylander's contract to Avangard Omsk. General Managers who want to free cap space with bad deals could find a reprieve in the Russian league by dumping those players across the ocean. Since there is no deal between the KHL and the NHL other than each league respecting the contracts of the other.

Nylander hasn't lived up to the hype in Washington and he has spent a majority of the season in the dog house under Bruce Boudreau's aggressive forechecking style. That has left the crafty centerman off the ice but still pulling a hefty pay check of $5.5 million for the 09/10 season. The contract drops however in 10/11 season to $3 million.

Apparently now, there is a deal in the works between the Avangard and the Capitals that could relieve the Caps of Nylander and give the Jaromir Jagr his assist man back. It is a deal that could be a ripple in the water that leads to a hurricane of contracts that are dumped a sea away. NHL teams that have dead weight could cut it away to the KHL instead of flopping around with it in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Both leagues had agreed to respect each others' contracts. That was put to the test earlier in the year when the Nashville Predators lost a defenseman to the KHL and went to court to get Alexander Radulov back in a Preds jersey.

"Trust me, if we are working on it, that means there is a way," Anatoli Bardin told Sovetsky Sports in a recent interview about getting Nylander to play for a KHL team. Bardin is Omsk region govener's hockey advisor and a former President of Omsk. "We are still working on it. When we have some concrete information, [the media] will be the first to know."

The New York Rangers have done something similar, allowing Darius Kasparatis to play for the KHL after they waived him. But the Rangers didn't get anything in return for the defenseman except for freed up salary cap space.

If a deal is brokered between the Capitals and Avangard, could that mean an exchange of players is possible? Could the KHL be the new AHL in a way? This could also be a legal minefield if there is no deal brokered between the two leagues. One thing is for sure, with a salary cap that may be lowered for next season, teams will be more creative in dealing with heavy and mid level contracts.

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!

Caps Taking Game Three Seriously

If you have not seen the last two games between the Capitals and Penguins, you certainly would not know the Caps were up 2 games in the series by the way they acted at Kettler yesterday.

"I hope we're not going to be lulled into a false sense of security because we haven't really played well," Caps' defenseman Brian Pothier said. "We've had timely goals and great goaltending, but as a team I don't think we've played nearly as well as we can."

The Capitals have had their fair share of scary moments in their own zone with the Penguins pressuring. But they have had plenty of help off of Alex Ovechkin's stick and a rookie goaltender. The call to play better can be heard from the head coach Bruce Boudreau down through the ranks. The Caps feel they are capable to play better and have been lucky thus far.

"When you are playing good teams with a lot of character like Pittsburgh it doesn't get any easier." Boudreau cautioned. "If this was a game of tennis, we've held serve."

They have also have had a hard time staying out of the penalty box. The Caps have been whistled for 5 minors in game one, and seven minors in game two. Seven penalties total in the first period in both games.

But the bright spot for the Capitals of late has been their play on the road. Once a concern earlier in the season, they have simplified their game in a different barn and come away with a win. They will have to keep their focus and keep up their winning ways.

But the Caps have to be able to contain the only scorer in game two for the Penguins, Sidney Crosby.

"We can be more cognizant of where he is," Boudreau said. "That's what we can do, but if he wants to go there, short of taking a penalty every time, he's going to go there."

All three of Sid's goals in game two were down low and in tight to the net. A contrast to Ovechkin's tallies that were 10 to 15 feet out and were great shots that beat Marc-Andre Fleury. But the Pens remained frustrated as they have played well, but have nothing really to show for it.

"I'm sure Pittsburgh's a little frustrated by that," Pothier said. "They have been playing pretty well but they haven't been able to score, We cannot think for a second that we've been dominating the series or anything. We need to play a much better game."

Caps Notes:

• According to Tarik on his blog, the league will not suspend Chris Kunitz for his cross check to the neck of Semyon Varlamov late in the third. However, he will be fined. The only quote offered about the hit came from Dan Bylsma:
  

  "Chris is going to the net trying to create a loose puck and jam home a rebound, We have no other intention than that. For me, it was a battle and he was in there tight and making contact with the goalie."

• Fleury was asked if Ovechkin is playing with an illegal stick. "I don't know," he responded. "Haven't really taken a look at it. The puck kind of sticks to it pretty good." When asked if he would be surprised if he was using one Fleury responded with a "No."
• Eric Fehr is questionable for game three as he was hurt in the first period after getting hit by Ruslan Fedotenko. He only played three shifts in game two. No word if they will recall a player or if Micheal Nylander will get a game sweater.
• The Penguins are whining about picks. They claim that the Capitals are making illegal picks and interfering with defenders to get players open. I guess that is better than saying "We blew the coverage."

Updates On Brash And Mo

More than likely Donald Brashear will be suspended and sit out Game 7. Not for his hit during the game, but for his altercation with Colton Orr during warm ups. Ever since Sean Avery mixed things up with Maple Leaf Jason Blake before the game even started, the league has taken a harsher stand against any player that causes a commotion before the game even begins.

As for the Shaone Morrisonn's alleged biting incident, I looked at the replay and at no time is Mo's mouth anywhere near Brandon Dubinsky's arm so much as the NBC broadcast showed. Assistant coach Jim Schoenfeld made the comment late in his press conference about Dubinsky getting a tetanus shot after being bitten by Mo. But reporters couldn't confirm the attack with players as most of them had already left.

Instead, Dubinsky's arm does look to get pinched between Mo and Ryan Callahan as he jumped into the fray to help out his teammate. Mo denied biting the Ranger forward.

Chris Clark could be available for Game 7. If Brash is sitting out, Clark could be a good replacement. Micheal Nylander could also come into the line up as well.

Update: Brash is set for a disciplinary hearing at 1pm today to decide if any suspension should be given for the pre-game altercation and/or the late hit on Blair Betts. Betts suffered a broken orbital bone and is finished for the rest of the playoffs.

Caps Win Final Home Game

Capitals 6, Thrashers 4
Scoresheet - Post - Times - AJC

The Washington Capitals finish their regular season home schedule with a 29-9-3 record, the second most wins at home in franchise history. Not too shabby. They win their final home game with some secondary scoring as the Atlanta Thrashers did all they could to spoil the party. But the Caps prevailed and handed the Thrashers their 39th loss 6 to 4.

The goal scorers were Tomas Fleischmann (breaking a 15 game goalless streak), Eric Fehr (who has scored in every game against the Thrashers this season), Micheal Nylander, Alex Semin, Brooks Laich (had the empty netter) and Keith Aucoin (more on him later). The Caps' five on five play seemed to pick up a notch in the third period after a lethargic first two.

The Caps got the opening goal from Flash who looked to the sky in relief after he scored. But then the Caps seemed to get too cute with the puck and played too cavalier and the Thrashers took advantage. The Thrashers got the lead on a short handed goal when the Alex Ovechkin's pass was picked off in the neutral zone.

Aucoin tied it back up with a power play tally, his first power play goal in the NHL. Bruce Boudreau seemed unhappy with his power play unit and he mixed up the power play unit. After some listless efforts in the previous four man advantages and he threw in Aucoin.

The best player of the night was Keith Aucoin who made a serious attempt at staying in the nation's capital throughout the playoffs. His hard working attitude was creating chances and giving the Thrashers fits. But the Thrashers came back and were clearly out working the Capitals at the end of the second period.

The Caps had a much better effort in the third period and it showed on the scoreboard as they scored four goals in the final frame. Laich had a three point afternoon with a goal and two assists. Ovechkin had some shooting problems all game long and he seemed resigned to setting up his team mates instead. He finished with two assists.

Nylander, who scored the game tying goal in the third, had an outstanding game. He seemed to be in perfect position and has amped up his game. Semin also played well and now has goals in his last two games. His goal came off of Aucoin turnover who passed it to Flash breaking through the slot, Flash dropped it for Semin who was going in the other direction and he backhanded the puck past the Thrahser goaltender.

Jose Theodore played well, but was beat on a couple of softies. One of the goals the Thrasher scored came giftwrapped on a bad clear from Theo. It looked like he wanted to score on the empty net, but he didn't get the puck up and it landed right on the tape of Vyecheslav Kozlov who buried it into the wide open net.

The Caps end their home schedule much better than they have been playing at home. They now have to finish their season on the road, facing the second home and home with Atlanta, then facing Tampa before their season ends in Florida. They have claimed second place in the East Conference for now.

Green Nets Two Goals, Leaves Injured

Capitals 5, Lightning 2
Scoresheet - Times - Post - St. Pete Times

The Tampa Bay Lightning are no where close to a playoff spot, but their play and their intensity was hard to deny. The Capitals had to be patient against a team that had not been beaten in regulation in their last four games. It was a tight checking, push and shove kind of game, but the Caps break it open in the third period scoring three unanswered goals.

Mike Green had a great night, taking home the game's first star with two goals including the game winner in the third period. But Steven Stamkos pulled the defenseman down late in the third and Green seemed to injure his left shoulder. Although he claimed he was fine after the game, Green was down on the ice for some time before skating gingerly to the bench in obvious pain.

Alex Ovechkin scored his 50th goal of the season and following the goal he laid his stick down on the ice and waved his hands at the "hot" stick. Although it might have been funny to see, most of the 16,000 plus crowd, Lightning coach Rick Tocchet and even Ovi's head coach Bruce Boudreau were not very amused.

"I haven't said anything yet," Boudreau told reporters during his post game conference. "It was his 50th, so maybe he was thinking of something special, I don't know. He's never done that with me that I've seen. I personally don't like it as much."

Tocchet weighed in on the celebration. "I grew up in the old days in the Spectrum where in the first period, after that happened, it might have been a three hour first period. It's not something I like. It's hard for me to see that in our building." [Editor's note: What he means by a "three-hour first period" is there would have been a lot of fights]

Ovi tried to get Green and line mate Nick Backstrom in on the act, but both just let Ovechkin do the celebration on his own. "He told me was going to do it," Green said. "He wanted me to join in, but there was no way I would join in on that. I just kind of stood back and let him do what he does. I think it's great. Fifty goals, that's incredible."

Ovechkin finished the night with a goal, two assists and a +2.

Micheal Nylander and Matt Bradley also scored to help solidify the win at St. Pete Times Forum. Viktor Kozlov got the play maker (3 assists). Eric Fehr thought he had a goal and after looking at the replay it did look like the puck had crossed the line. But the Referee's deemed the play dead even though the puck was over the goal line.

Puckhead's player of the game has to be Kozlov with his three assists. He has been ramping up his play of late and the last two games have been his best by far this season.

Boyd Gordon suffered a broken finger in the Florida game and the Caps recalled Quintin Laing. He had to clear waivers to make it to the big club which he did. Laing blocked a shot and was instrumental in Bradley's goal, even though he wasn't on the scoresheet.

John Erskine was a healthy scratch for Brian Pothier who had a better second half of the game rather than the first half. Pothier is going to be just fine, it looks like his thought process needs to speed up some (i.e. what to do with the puck once he gets it).

Simeon Varlamov played well. His biggest save of the night had to have been on Milan Jurcina, his own team mate. Jurcina poked checked the puck from a Lightning forward and then as he was falling to his knees shot a back hander right on net. He was trying to keep the other forward from getting the puck. Varlamov made the save and is owed a steak dinner on behalf of one Jurcina. Three starts and three wins for Varlamov for his NHL resume.

I am not sure if it was the ice surface, but the puck was pretty lively all game long. Plenty of passes did not find their targets and the puck just did not want to settle down for anybody.

Once the Capitals took the lead in the third, they started to look like themselves again. They will stay in Tampa overnight and may practice at the St. Pete Times Forum before they head to Carolina. The Caps are looking to finish the season on a high note, but also healthy. The Green scare may keep him from the lineup on Saturday night, but that is a decision that will happen closer to game time.

Caps Stay Quiet Through Trade Deadline

Last year the Washington Capitals made quite the splash bringing in the the trinity (Fedorov, Huet and the holy Cook). The move helped the team pull off an historic run to make the playoffs. But this year was different.

Whether it was due to their cap hit or the price of aquiring players, general manager George McPhee might have done the smartest thing and not do a thing. It was clear that McPhee wasn't going to give up three prospect players for Derek Morris in Phoenix, he wasn't going to give up the picks they have left and he wasn't going to make the rash move just to free up some space or get someone they don't really need.

The Capitals still have a very good team and this is the team that is going to take them to the playoffs and beyond. Right now, when they put some effort into it, the Caps have a solid first line and pretty good second line. Plus the Caps are deep on defense with prospects spilling over into the ECHL, and they talent they have should be enough to keep the Capitals in the hunt.

Part of the problem may have been the lack of teams to work with in the Western Conference. Only two teams considered themselves sellers at the deadline, the Colorado Avalanche and the Phoenix Coyotes. With the playoff race so tight in the west the Caps had little to work with if they wanted to make deals outside their conference.

It was rumored the Caps were in talks with the Islanders for Bill Guerin but for whatever reason that deal fell through. Guerin instead went to Pittsburgh. Other players the Caps had an interest in were either not for sale or the price was way to high for what McPhee was willing to deal with.

Micheal Nylander was rumored to be traded, but he has a no trade clause and I am sure Nylander shot down any offers from teams he didn't want to play with. Now Nylander plays out this season as a Capital.

Caps need to get this behind them and make the final push to the playoffs. They have a game tomorrow night against Toronto Maple Leafs. The passing of the deadline may cure their ills after they dropped their last two at home. Now it's time to get it going.

What The Caps Seem To Be Looking For

General manager George McPhee has been a busy bee so far this week. Not only his he using up cell phone minutes, but he is looking to improve his squad. The rumors that have circled around the Washington Capitals has two areas of concern that McPhee seems to concentrating on.

One area seems to be leadership. It is rumored that the Capitals are in talks with the Islanders to work out a trade with Bill Guerin. While he is not having a career year, Guerin brings a gritty leadership and playoff savvy to the Capitals. Bruce Boudreau recently called out his team's leadership in their embarrassing loss at home to the Florida Panthers. It is an area the Caps need someone with playoff experience to step in and be a voice in the locker room when things aren't going so great.

The Islanders have not released who they are talking to concerning Guerin, however.

The other area of concentration is on defense. The Caps are rumored to be in talks with several teams about potential trades with blueliners. The list includes Chris Pronger, Tomas Kaberle and even Brendan Witt. The Caps need a shut down guy that isn't afraid to make a game changing big hit and keep opponents honest in front of Jose Theodore. All this and staying out of the penalty box would be nice. The Panther game seemed to be a micro-chasm of problems for the Caps this season.

The Caps are also looking for some secondary scoring, but that just seems like hobby rather than a concentration at the deadline. The Capitals' name has been linked to landing Marian Gaborik who is recovering from hip surgery.

The Caps are not looking for goaltending. Even when it looked like that was going to be the problem earlier this season. Theo has shored up his play and has been more consistent. The Caps believe if they can solve their leadership and defensive shortcomings, then nothing but good things will happen.

Possible players the Capitals could be shopping include, but are not limited to, Micheal Nylander and his heavy contract will free up cap space and teams desperate for some scoring may take a chance. Sami Lepisto may be on that list as he comes up as a RFA and didn't play as well as management thought he would when they recalled him earlier this year. Shaone Morrisonn is also a possible trade. While Morrisonn has been a solid blue liner for the Caps, his contract is up and since he went through arbitration at the beginning of this season, the Caps may not want to go through that again.

As always if I hear of any rumors concerning the Capitals I will pass them on. I will also be around all day Wednesday as the trades come flowing in at the deadline. Last season McPhee pulled some smart trades to improve his team, it will be interesting to see how he performs this year.

Caps Cool Devils

Capitals 5, Devils 2
Scoresheet - Wash Post

Micheal Nylander's second stint in Washington could be something of a enigma. After coming off his successes in New York, Nylander's effort as a Capital has been that of marginal at best. His injury that kept him sidelined for a majority of last season seemed to keep him on the outside looking in. When he did make a return, it still seemed as if he just didn't fit. But you can't deny the skills Nylander has for too long. Maybe facing a former rival in the Devils got his blood boiling as Nylander scores a pair to help the Caps cool down a red hot New Jersey Devils 5-2.

Beside Nylander's tallies, the Caps also got key goals from Mike Green (who now has goals in four straight), Eric Fehr also scored and Brooks Laich got a power play goal. Alex Ovechkin added a pair of assists and Jose Theodore played solid making 32 saves. The Caps had 5 players with two points in tonight's tilt (Nylander 2 goals, Green a goal and an assist, Fehr a goal and an assist, Laich a goal and an assist, Ovi two assists).

A lot could be said about the Devils eight game winning streak and how they may have been ripe for a loss, but the Capitals approached this game as a playoff challenge. The Devils came out a bit sluggish as apparent by trailing early 3-0. When they finally found their grove against the Caps it may have been a bit too little, too late.

Special teams was the story of the game for the Caps as they came away with three power play goals. In fact, the Caps were only stopped once on the powerplay, the very powerplay that the Devils scored shorthanded. While the Caps were deadly with a man advantage, the penalty kill was okay. They did allow a power play goal on a 5 on 3, but were able to kill off everything else.

If the Capitals keep up their power play fortunes, teams will have to watch what they do against the Capitals offence. That should open up the play for them and allow them to be more dominating with the puck. It just makes it that much harder to stop the Capitals' offensive machine.

The Caps get a monster win that they really needed. The win solidifies their second place standing in the East. With Boston playing the way they are, the Caps are going to need every point they can grasp. That means this team needs to flat out win.

Photo by Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

Lucky Bounce Do The Caps In

Capitals 2, Bruins 3 OT
Scoresheet - Wash Post - B Globe

The Capitals held the lead or tie for the entire game, but a bad bounce gave the Boston Bruins the overtime winner 3-2. Shaone Morrisonn, the Capital player in the wrong place at the wrong time, was the defender in front the pass bounced off of and past Jose Theodore. Boston gets the two points, stretching their lead in the East to 11 points over the Caps who only get a single point.

Mike Green scored what really was a power play goal to start the scoring off. Micheal Nylander scored for his fifth goal of the season. Alex Semin extends his point streak to seven games with 4 goals and 4 assists.

Alex Ovechkin had a scare after he was hooked from behind by Zdeno Chara and went hard into the boards. The Bruins were on a mission to hurt the Caps anyway they could by playing physical and sometimes making the hit on a Capital who didn't have the puck.

Nick Backstrom had a quiet night, but was the best skater on the ice for the Caps. It was his hook on Chara in the overtime period that lead to the game winner. The hook was a combination of a tap of the stick by Backstrom and a foot first dive by Chara. Chara crashed into the net and Backstrom got a seat in the sin bin.

Jose Theodore played his best game ever for the Capitals (he continues to impress every game). He made impossible save after impossible save to keep his team in it. I knew he was in the zone when early in the game Theo saw zero shots as the Bruins took a penalty early. The first shot came well after the 16 minute mark and he was swallowing point shots and not allowing rebounds. Theo gave the Bruins only one chance at scoring, not chance after chance by giving up bad rebounds.

Several times during the game the Capitals seemed to be limping or nursing some injury. While the Capitals dominated much of the play, the bruising seemed to tire the Caps out. The Bruins were able to play their system and it finally did the Capitals in. However, this game could have gone either way for most of the third and all of the even strength time in the overtime.

The Caps will get some much needed practice time as their next game is not until a back to back on the weekend. My bet is the first practice back at Kettler will not be fun for the Caps. Bruce Boudreau will be working the boys hard working on the penalty kill and power plays.

AP Photo/Elise Amendola

Oh Merd.

Capitals 4, Canadiens 5
Scoresheet - Wash Post

Lately when a game opens up for the Capitals, they have taken full advantage of their opportunities. Some of the most exciting games the Caps have played they have found a way to come out on top, but not tonight. Montreal seemed to always have an answer for the Capitals and in the end it was a goal that should have been a save that gives the Capitals their second straight loss.

Alex Semin found the scoresheet again netting two goals in this game (although one was off his leg). Micheal Nylander scored his first since scoring his late goal in Montreal (that went off his leg too). Tomas Fleischmann made a steller return scoring a goal for himself and Mike Green had a couple of assists.

The most frustrating part of the night had to be Brent Johnson's netminding. While he did come up with a couple of really big saves, it was two goals he should have had that did the Capitals in. The first one was the Habs shorthanded goal by Tomas Plekanec. Johnny has to make that save. It subsequently killed that offensive push the Caps had on the power play and when the Caps did regain the lead, it should have been 2-0, not 2-1.

The second goal Johnny should have had was the game winner. Milan Jurcina got the puck mixed up in his feet and Sergei Kostitsyn got a shot away as Jurcina was doing the two-step trying to find the puck. The puck never left the ice and slipped right under Johnson's pad. After looking at the replay, it's a tough one to watch. The puck just goes through Johnny's pad, like a bad Chris Angel magic trick. With just 22 seconds left in the game the Caps couldn't mount a comeback and they leave the Bell Centre empty handed.

While the outcome is disappointing, keep in mind that for the Capitals to be an elite team in the Eastern Conference they will have to play many tight games like this with other good teams. Sometimes those games end in a win, sometimes they will end with a foul taste in your mouth. That is part of being the best, you will get the best of every one else too. Overall the game was a pretty darn good one in a playoff-like atmosphere.

The Capitals need some work though if they want to keep on trying to be the best. The Caps power play was only 1 for 4, but every one of their man advantages could have swung momentum the Caps' way if they could have converted. On the PK side, they are still taking dumb penalties and good teams (like the Montreal Canadiens) will make you pay for it. They did by scoring twice out of six chances.

There were also some prime scoring opportunities early in the game that the Capitals should have capitalized on. Sometimes (cha, like all the time) the Caps are too cute for their own good. When a curl and drag should really be a shot on net, they sometimes curl and drag themselves right out of a shot. **News Flash** You can't score if you don't shoot (Wayne Gretzky taught me that).

So where does this leave the Capitals? Well, Bruce Boudreau is now free All-Star weekend and yet another Montreal Canadien will go (although, I really do think Guy Carbonneau is deserving of the honor as much as Gabby is). Florida (with another win) draws closer to the Capitals who are now ten points ahead of Carolina and eleven in front of the Panthers. While the lead looks impressive, if the Caps don't get points it could evaporate.

Photo AP, The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson

The Kid's Alright

Capitals 2, Canadiens 1
Scoresheet - Wash Post

Simeon Varlamov may have has a little bit of jet lag when he was told he was going to start against the Montreal Canadiens, at the Bell Centre. He had just jumped on a plane from San Antonio to join the team last night to back up Brent Johnson, then jumping on a plane for Montreal for the second of back to back games. Wearing an unpainted white mask, the young goaltender did not show that he was bleary from his travels. That is until the last seconds of the third period when he raised his head to the rafters and tried to catch his breath. He had just helped the Washington Capitals defeat the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 in Montreal. He was also the night's number one star. Not bad for your first NHL game.

Nick Backstrom scored just nine seconds into the Capitals' first power play and Micheal Nylander scored just his third goal of the year as the Caps squeaked out of Montreal with a rare road win. But it came at a price as Backstrom, Sergei Fedorov and Tyler Sloan all left the game early with injuries.

With the Capitals' offense smothered, Varlamov had to come up with some big saves. He must have added the goal posts to the pads he wore tonight because it seemed the only things the Canadiens were able to hit, Varlamov or the post. He came up with a fluery of saves late in the third period when the game was tied at 1-1. In all he stopped 32 shots. It wasn't long after that offensive onslaught that the Capitals got their lead off a Nylander chip at the net as he was falling down.

The whole Nylander, Viktor Kozlov and Alexandre Giroux line was pretty impressive tonight getting more than enough chances to score. Giroux was wide open in front of the net a few times but just couldn't bury the puck and Nylander himself was stopped after finding himself in the open. You just had the feeling that this line was due for a big goal and tonight, it happened. Nylander was actually falling away from the net when he just chipped it toward the net. The puck bounced off of Canadien goaltender Jaroslav Halak and into the net. The Caps bench exploded in relief as the late goal was scored by Nylander who has been struggling offensively of late.

The game was pretty physical and a little bit chippy. One thing was clear, the Canadiens and the Capitals are the best of friends. Alex Ovechkin played a good game with two big hits. He seemed to be in the middle of everything and had an assist on the Backstrom goal. He would have had another assist on a beautiful feed that sprung Alex Semin on a breakaway, but Semin couldn't bury the puck.

The Caps have now won three straight while holding their opponents to only one goal in each game. Not too shabby. Their power play has been solid during that stretch scoring 5 goals on thirteen chances. However, the Caps did take a few too many penalties. They gave the Canadiens 8 chances with the extra man, lucky for the Caps Varlamov and the penalty killers kept the Habs' power play in fits all night.

This is also the third game in a row that the number one star has been goaltenders for the Capitals. Johnny in the last two games earned first star honors while Varlamov had the honor tonight. The Caps finally get a day or two to rest before they play the Islanders on Long Island Tuesday.

Highlights by NHL.com:

Not A "Game Recap" Recap

Capitals 5, Islanders 2
Scoresheet - Wash Post

To be honest, I didn't see most of the game. You can blame DC shutting down just about every road during afternoon rush and the small spattering of rain that turns DC drivers into idiot bumper car deviants. Match that with other commitments and I was a bit tied up tonight.

Having said that, the parts I did see showed that Sami Lepisto did not have a good game, Alex Ovechkin did a disappearing and reappearing act (also apparently you can board Andy Sutton, who knew?), Micheal Nylander worked his butt off after being called up for the first line (he might have been working too hard), Tomas Fleischmann would have had a goal if someone just pass the stupid puck, and Donald Brashear got the game winning goal.

Feel free to add your own commentary. Once I see the whole game, maybe I will be more comprehensive (if I am up for it). Until then, enjoy the some highlights from NHL.com: