To Know One's Enemy

Under the new division format, the league has found a formula to create better rivalries, better competition, and overall a more compelling game to watch come the post season. Simply, if one team wants to reach the post season and go further into the playoffs, they must win against their division. For the Washington Capitals, that means their most important foes of the upcoming campaign will be their division rivals.

The Caps wagered a 12-15-3 record against their own division. That stat needs to improve if they have aspirations of making another postseason run. They would missed out on the playoffs last season by missing the wild card spot by both Detroit and Columbus (both with 93 points, Caps finished with 90). The secret for the Caps this season will to put up better numbers against their divisional foes.

The Metropolitan Division is a tough one to crack. Maybe not as hard nosed as the Pacific Division out west, but to beat teams in the Metro a team has to be both physical and extremely skilled. Let's break down the division by team and go by order of the bottom to top based on last year's standings.

New York Islanders (8th)

'13-'14 Caps vs. Isles: 3-1

Significant additions: Mikhail Grabovski (F), Jaroslav Halak (G), Nikolai Kulemin (F), Johnny Boychuck (D), Nick Leddy (D)

Injuries and a less than stellar defensive squad did the Islanders in last season. But some last minute tinkering and a healthy line up expected, the Islanders seem on the brink of a break out season (although I said the same last year). The Capitals posted a winning record against the Islanders, but two of the three wins where in overtime and via the shoot out. The Isles only win was a 1-0 affair. Tight hockey.

John Tavares is back and healthy after blowing out his knee in last year's Olympics. The Isles also boosted their goaltending by snatching Halak from free agency. They also made a last minute trade to acquire defensemen Boychuk and Leddy to bolster the blue line that lack serious depth in previous seasons. These moves should make the Islanders a much tougher team to compete against. The have some serious speed which they use well to their advantage, especially against the Capitals.

The Caps will have to contend with a team that never seems to fear them. The Islanders seem to bring their "A" game against the Caps every year. The boys in red will have to contain some serious talent in Tavares, Kyle Okposo, and Grabovski. All players that play fast and have a ton of skill. While the Islanders finished last in the Metro last season, I don't expect them to do the same this time around

Carolina Hurricanes (7th)

'13-'14 Caps vs. 'Canes: 2-2-1

Significant additions: Ron Hainsey (D), Tim Gleason (D), J. McClement (F), Bill Peters (Head Coach)

A foe the Capitals know all too well from the Southeast Division days. Carolina plays a pretty rugged fast game, and not much has changed for the most southern team in the division. For the most part, the top three lines of the 'Canes have not changed at all from last season. But they have a new bench boss in Peters who plans on putting some work ethic into his team.

Overall the 'Canes posted a respectable .500 record against the Metro Division including three wins against the Capitals. Carolina never seems daunted by the home crowd at Verizon either as all three of the 'Canes win came amongst the Rockin' Red. If the Caps can keep the big guns in Alex Semin and Eric Staal off the score sheet, they will do well against a long time foe.

Carolina added a little bit of grit on the back end with the addition of Tim Gleason, but they still lack depth if the likes of Jeff Skinner keeps getting injured (took a concussion from a shoulder check in a preseason game against the Caps). Good goaltending and mediocre defense can only get them so far if their offense sputters.

New Jersey Devils (6th)

'13-'14 Caps vs. Devils: 1-2-1

Significant additions: Mike Cammalleri (F), Martin Havlat (F), Scott Clemmensen (G)

The Devils are not a big fan of the Shootout. In fact, New Jersey lost all 13 of their regular season shootouts last season and that kept them from getting a playoff spot. They return with most of their line up intact. But some may need walkers and wheelchairs (I kid).

New Jersey has 6 roster players that were born in the seventies. That is in the nineteen hundreds for you millennials out there. Patrik Elias, Jaromir Jagr, Dainius Zubrus, captain Bryce Salvador, Marek Zidlicky, and back up goaltender Clemmensen are all part of an aging Devil squad that share that distinction (nice to see old guys like me can still play in the NHL being born amongst corduroy an disco). While they are an aging group, they no longer have the anchor in Martin Brodeur in net anymore. They have Cory Schneider. Now that there isn't a question on who the number one goaltender will be this season, the Devils look to be playoff bound this season.

The Capitals played terrible against Adam Oates' old team. Things should change under Barry Trotz as the Caps should play the Devils better at even strength. New Jersey should jump out to a good lead early in the season but look for the those tired old legs to give out as the season comes to the long stretch of January and February. Good thing Prudential center has accessible parking.

Columbus Blue Jackets (4th)

'13-'14 Caps vs. BJs: 2-2

Significant additions: Scott Hartnell (F) S. Hjalmarsson (F)

Coming off the organizations first taste of post season wins (and nearly knocking off the top team Pittsburgh), the Columbus Blue Jackets are brimmed with confidence and a taste for some more. Up and coming young stud Ryan Johansen resigned with the Blue Jackets and looks to again to put up career numbers as a new star center takes the NHL stage for his second season. With the support of Harnell, Bradon Dubinsky and Nathan Horton, the Jackets look poised to do great things with stellar goaltending in Sergei Bobrovsky.

The Caps and BJs split the season series as both won at home, although the Jackets mustered an extra point in an overtime loss at the phone booth. The Caps seem to do okay with Columbus' speed, but when it comes to hard work and some physicality, the Jackets always seem to have the upper hand.

If the Capitals wish to make the post season, I believe that they will have to muscle the points away from their Ohio neighbors. The Caps were three points shy of making the wild card and Columbus took the spot away from them. That should leave a chip on the shoulders of the boys in red when facing this division foe. If it doesn't, then too many people have too short of memories.

Philadelphia Flyers (3rd)

'13-'14 Caps vs. Flyers: 2-2-1

Significant additions: R.J. Umberger (F), Blair Jones (F), Michael Del Zotto (D), Nick Schultz (D)

It was a weird affair between the Capitals and Flyers in last season's tilt. The Caps seemed to dominate early with impressive wins including a 7-0 shellacking of the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center that saw Ray Emery sucker fight Braden Holtby. There is little love between these teams even in the preseason this September as the two raked in the penalty minutes in a game that didn't really matter.

The Flyers seemed to get their season going late however, and the Caps had a hard time beating them in the later stages of the campaign. This year, it looks that the Flyers defense will sorely miss Kimmo Timonen who was treated this summer in Finland with blood clots in his leg and lungs (ouch, get well soon Kimmo). Philly's D won't improve much besides the acquisitions of Del Zotto and Schultz who really only played marginal hockey with their former teams last year. 

The Caps should open up more offensively against weaker defensive teams and it seems the only way the Flyers could compete is if they open up play and try to make it a shell shocker game. If Trotz's system holds the Flyer offense in check, the Caps have the guns to compete.

New York Rangers (2nd)

'13-'14 Caps vs. Rags: 2-2

Significant additions: Tanner Glass (F), Ryan Malone (F), Lee Stempniak (F), Dan Boyle (D), Matt Hunwick (D)

The Rangers said good-bye to some size when Brian Boyle and Benoit Pouliot left for greener pastures. But they replaced one Boyle for another, Dan Boyle who brings significant experience to a pretty good blue line to begin with. The Rags were able to flourish under the direction of Alain Vigneault that saw the team catapult to the Stanley Cup finals just to come up short of the grand prize.

Henrik Lundqvist again will be a tough challenge for the Capitals this season (as he is every season). The match up between these two teams should lead to some low scoring affairs. Many experts have picked the Rangers to top the Eastern Conference challenging Pittsburgh and Boston for the honors.

New York however has not replaced much of it's outgoing youth with youth. Much like the Devils, the top names of the Rangers are entering the twilight of their careers. If the Rangers look to stay strong all season they will miss that size that kept teams honest. Malone and Glass add grit, but neither one add much by way of offense to offset the toughness factor. For the Capitals, they have to pepper Lundqvist with shots and play a puck possession game against the fast and talented Rangers.

Pittsburgh Penguins (1st)

'13-'14 Caps vs. Pens: 0-4

Significant additions: Blake Comeau (F), Steve Downie (F), Christian Ehrhoff (D)

The Capitals did not muster a single point against their long time rivals. The Penguins had their way with them. Sure the games were competitive but the Penguins didn't seem to have a problem with Washington whether it was on the road or not.

The Penguins start the season a bit injury laden. Both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin missed practice and some preseason game time due to injury. With a new GM and coach, the pressure is on the Pens once again to make the playoffs and bring another championship back to Pittsburgh. While they will miss the likes of Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen (Caps have them now), they replaced that hole with Christain Ehrhoff. They added Steve Downie for some toughness (or at least a agitator at very least).

Pittsburgh does lose some grit on the back end that Rob Scuderi will have to fill. They won't be a team that will be very stingy on defense with the crew they have, and offense (much like in Philly) will have to overcome failings on the blue line.

The Division Overall

The Capitals have a tough task in front of them. Win their division, play the Winter Classic, make the playoffs. Pretty full schedule on their hands. New head coach Barry Trotz is looking to toughen the team up a bit and will preach a possession game that should help them in this division.

Under the new format of the playoffs in the NHL, the Capitals have to play better against their division if they will to get anywhere. Sadly last year, they were a dismal .400 in division points and it cost them a valuable spot in the post season.

Playoff Picks 2013

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

Western Conference Quarterfinals

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

Blackhawks defeat Wild in 5 games

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

Red Wings defeat Ducks in 7 games

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

Sharks defeat Canucks in 7 games

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

Kings defeat Blues in 6 games.

Western Conference Champs

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

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

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

Penguins defeat Islanders in 6 games

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

Canadiens defeat Senators in 6 games

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

Capitals defeat Rangers in 7 games

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

Bruins defeat Leafs in 5 games

Eastern Conference Champions

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

Stanley Cup Champs

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Chicago Blackhawks

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

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

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

Collapse In The Second

Capitals 2, Penguins 5
Game Summary - Event Summary

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Second periods just are not the Washington Capitals' thing. They have been out scored 19-6. After playing a text book opening frame on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Caps collapse under a series of bad penalty kills and the Penguins took full advantage. Allowing three power play goals for the Penguins in the second period the Capitals drop their third straight losing 5-2.

Mike Ribeiro took advantage of a bad rebound from a point shot. Marc-Andre Fleury shot backwards like he had been hit by a shotgun, but wasn't touched by Wotjek Wolski who was standing still in front of him. Ribeiro had an open shot to the net to make it one nothing. The Caps would take the lead into the first intermission playing the best period they have played yet this season. Ignoring the second period where the Pens scored 5 straight goals, Alex Ovechkin netted his second goal of the season on the power play. It would make the Caps a perfect 1 for 1 with the extra man advantage.

After holding the big names off the score sheet on Sunday, the Caps couldn't contain the Pens' top players off the scoresheet. Evgeni Malkin, James Neal and Sidney Crosby all found the back of the net. All three were scored on the power play.

Michal Neuvirth started the game well enough. He made some good saves in the first period, even shutting the door on Matt Cooke who broke in alone. But after the second goal in the second period, head coach Adam Oates took a chance at switching goaltenders putting in Braden Holtby. It didn't have the desired affect.

The Penguins would expand their lead with a power play tally that Holtby admitted he should have saved. When Cooke scored just 11 seconds later, the team was deflated and never really recovered. Even with a third period goal on the power play, the best the Capitals could do was hold even for the rest of the game.

The Capitals could not afford to take the penalties they did, but they did. The Penguins made them pay for it. When a team is in the middle of a game winning streak such as the Pens were, it was difficult for the Caps to match the confidence that Pittsburgh had. When it got bad, it got worse for the Capitals.

What ever fragile psyche these Caps are in, when something negative happens against them they have not been able to recover.  That mental aspect of the game has the Caps playing head games with themselves.

Caps Notes:

• Capitals will go back to play their division Saturday when they face the Florida Panthers.
• The Caps out shot the Penguins 19-10 in the first and third periods. The Pens out shot the Caps in the second period 18-6.
• Alex Ovechkin has yet to score a goal at even strength, all three of his goals have been on the power play.

Pens Stay Hot, Caps Stay Cool

Capitals 3, Penguins 6
Game Summary - Event Summary

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Two teams in different directions. The Pittsburgh Penguins competing and battling for a first place spot in the Eastern Conference. The Washington Capitals a team that is transitioning to a new system, with a new coaching staff. As far apart as both teams were, the game had a playoff feel to it. But the bounces and the luck fell with the team with the higher compete level. The Penguins double up the Capitals 6-3 for the Superbowl Sunday win.

Mike Green found his way on to the score sheet for his second goal of the season. It came just over a minute and a half after the Penguins opened the scoring early in the first period. John Carlson had possibly the strangest goal of the short year thus far. His dump in careened off the boards and glass and caught Pens' goaltender Tomas Vokoun off guard as he tried to play the puck behind the net. The puck hit the glass and trickled into the abandoned net. It would tie the game in the second period. Mike Ribeiro scored on the power play in the third period after Pittsburgh's penalty kill broke down and some nice passing.

The Penguins took advantage of young goaltender Braden Holtby playing the steel city team for the first time. The tie breaker goal by Kris Letang and the eventual game winner by Chris Kunitz were considered soft goals as they exploited Holtby's glove on both goals. It would tarnish a spectacular afternoon for number 70. The Capitals' net minder had some fantastic saves both before and after the two goal blitz by the Penguins in the second period.

The Capitals' power play showed more signs of improving. While only scoring once with the man advantage, the power play is doing a better job at moving the opposition and controlling puck possession. Given time and more opportunities, the Capitals' power play will start to capitalize on those chances.

For most the afternoon, the penalty kill did well. They allowed two goals late, the eventual game winner and then a late 5 on 3 when Alex Ovechkin took a roughing call after a late hit by a Penguin.

There are some positives the Caps can take from this lopsided loss. For periods of the first and third periods, they controlled the play. They had some great scoring chances but just failed to convert them into goals. Ovechkin seems to have found a bit of chemistry with Mike Ribeiro on his line and Wotjek Wolski. The line of Matt Hendricks, Joey Crabb and Eric Fehr seemed to be a key energy line that helped through out the game. Building on those positives could help this team here on out.

Caps Notes:

• The Washington Capitals have played 23 times on Superbowl Sunday. Their record is now 14-7-2-0.
• Ribeiro's power play goal and his assist give him 22 career points against the Penguins. It is the fourth time this season he has a two point game. 
• Nick Backstrom continues his point streak to four games with his assist on Carlson's goal.

The Year Of The Back-up Goaltender

Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth sharing duties.

One week training camp, zero preseason games and a forty-eight game schedule makes for a tough challenge for any team to have a successful season and make the playoffs. Of the key factors teams will face this shortened season will be the net minders. With the many schedules that are cramped into this 48 game span, a large number of teams will be faced with 7 to 8 back to back games. It will be key for the back up goaltender to steal a few points here and there for his team.

Rather than looking at it as a number one and number two, the Washington Capitals seem content to share the duties of goaltender on their young talents Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth. Both have been capable number one goaltenders for the Capitals in the past. This season, the Caps have seven back to back night games and head coach Adam Oates seems ready to have the goaltending duties shared by both net minders.

"In my mind I think both guys are going to play a lot," Oates said of his goaltending pair. "There is going to be a lot of back to backs, it is going to be a different schedule, so I'd imagine both guys would get a lot of hockey."

"The way the season is going to come it is going to call for both of us to be playing well," Holtby said of the shared duties the tandem will see this season.  "I have no idea if there will be a number one or a number two."

The sentiment of both goaltenders being used seems to be radiating around the league. Teams might have an advantage if they can get their goaltending duties split and get consistent results doing that, especially if their back up can steal a game or two in that capacity. It has even lead to some early strategy by teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins who plan on having their tandem work for them in special circumstances.

''You're going to see the goalies be used more not so much based on who we play,'' head coach of the Penguins Dan Bylsma told reporters. ''Each goalie will get his share of games, his number of games.''

A good one two goalie punch can be looked upon as an advantage over other teams that might tend to lean on just one goaltender as they have in the past. Although some have suggested that since it is a shortened season, maybe teams will want to favor their number one goaltender. 

"I don't think anybody has a perfect formula," Oates said of the teams' strategies going into a shortened, condensed season. "Everyone is going to try and create one and we're no different. We are going to try to think of everything we can to try to make it right and make sure the guys play their best in a short amount of time."

Points will be at a premium and it is in the best interest for teams around the league to take a point or two with their back up goaltender in net. That would make the tandem of a team's goaltending unit seem more important with this schedule. 

"The one thing that is certain," Holtby added, "is that we will both be needed and be needed to win games in order to make the playoffs and put ourselves in a good position."

Stanley Cup Fearless Predictions: Eastern Conference

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

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

Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 New York Rangers

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

Washington sneaks by New York Rangers in 6 games

#2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #7 Buffalo Sabres

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

Philadelphia defeats Buffalo in 5 games

#3 Boston Bruins vs. #6 Montreal Canadiens

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

Boston takes out Montreal in 7 games

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Tampa Bay Lightning

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

Penguins knock out Tampa in 5 games.

Eastern Champion: Boston Bruins

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

Stanley Cup Winner: San Jose Sharks

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

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

Ovi Blasts One Over Pens

Capitals 1, Penguins 0
Game Summary

AP

Some would call it boring, others would call it old time hockey. The Washington Capitals call it two points. Even though the Penguins were with out superstars Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and were half way through a trade sending a solid defensemen to Dallas, the Caps didn't take many chances and played their tough defensive style to clip the Pens 1-0.

Alex Ovechkin scored the only goal of the game on a blaster that blew past everyone, including Penguin goaltender Marc-Andre Fluery as the Caps power play now has goals in the last two straight. Both power play tallies would end up game winners.

While there was only one goal scorer, the Penguins and Capitals played a spirited game that saw some good physical play. It was a shaky start for the Caps as they started the first having to deal with three penalty kills after some sloppy play. But a hit in the early stages of the game by Matt Cooke seemed to energize the Caps.

Matt Bradley took it upon himself to hit Cooke a few times and eventually was called for charging on a what looked to be a clean hit. Bradley would also fight a bit later in the period, not with Cooke but with a call up in Ryan Craig. The Caps rallied around that fight and eventually they would draw a tripping call late in the second period.

It looked as if the Caps' power play would once again struggle against one of the league's best penalty kills. But a break down in Penguins' coverage left an open Ovechkin at the point and his slapper was a laser over Fleury's shoulder for the game's only goal.

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

While it's never smart to sit back on a lead, the Caps' defense came through blocking a slew of shots to help Michal Neuvirth with his second straight shut-out against the Penguins. He would stop all 39 shots his way. Including 18 shots in the first and 14 shots in the third.

This is a big win for the Caps as they take a two point step closer to the lead in the Southeast Division. Now just a point behind the Lightning, the Caps still have to make up ground as Tampa has the games advantage. They also put some distance between them and Montreal, now five points ahead of them.

Caps end their 5 game road stretch with 6 points to show for it. All three wins the Caps secured were by just one goal. The two they lost were also by just a goal. The Caps will get some rest this week as they return home to face the Rangers on Friday night at the phone booth.

Super Sunday

Capitals 3, Penguins 0
Game Summary

(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

On Super Bowl Sunday, the Caps stole the early thunder from Pittsburgh. Green Bay would finish the job later in the day. The Capitals follow up their perfect game on Friday against Tampa Bay with a 3-0 stone wall of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Brooks Laich scores for the second straight game. His first period goal would stand as the game winner. Marcus Johansson had a beauty of a back hand that fluttered past Marc-Andre Fleury. Mike Knuble would put the icing on the cake with the empty netter.

Two players that did not score a goal stood out as the best players in the game. Matt Hendricks and Alex Ovechkin. Hendricks continues to impress as a Capital. This guy does a little bit of everything, add an offensive threat, play solid defensively as he dives to block shots, and is not shy of dropping the gloves. He would even defer on the empty net shot to pass it to the Caps' elder Knuble. Respect your elders.

Ovechkin was a monster and did everything in this game except get on the scoresheet. His outside threat seemed to keep the Penguins off kilter and it sparked the later lines to match the intensity he had. He brought his hitting machine, often taking the physical route against the Pens' defense. Ovi had three shots, three hits, one blocked shot and a take away.

It would be the Capitals defense that would shine in the shut out of the Penguins. With out Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins looked to use their speed to try and catch the Caps' defense flat footed. But the Capitals kept the play to the outside, stepped into shooting lanes (blocking 18 shots), and moving the puck effectively out of the zone.

On the other end, the Caps funneled shots to the net and it payed off. The first goal of the game started with a keep in by John Erskine, then some good sustained pressure in the Pens' zone. Mathieu Perreault would have a sneaky take away and find Erskine who shot it on net. The puck got through to Fleury and the rebound was swept under the Pens' goaltender by a charging Laich.

It looked like it was going to be a physical game, but not a dirty one. But the Caps would get into a little penalty trouble later in the second period when Matt Hendricks was shoved into Fleury and the officials called him for goaltender interference. The penalty would wash out a Johansson goal, but he would make it up later.

(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

A testament to the Caps' penalty kill, they have not been allowed a power play goal by the Pittsburgh Penguins this season. When the Caps turned the puck up ice with David Steckel and Johansson cutting into the zone short-handed, it looked as if the play would fizzle as Johansson drew in two defenders when he crossed the blue line. But a nifty backhander caught the far post over Fluery's right blocker.

The Capitals did not seem satisfied with that score. They kept the offensive pressure up while keeping the shots down for Neuvirth. The Penguins could only manage 7 shots in the final period.

The win did not come with out cost. Mike Green took a high slapper from Brooks Orpik in the right ear in the fading seconds of the first period. He was cut badly and would leave the game. Knuble would be cut from an errant high stick. He would finish the rest of the game with a nasty gash on his cheek and nose. Even though he was a bloody mess, he did manage the goal on the empty net from the red line.

Ovechkin was caught with a knee on knee hit by Matt Cooke. Cooke argued that Ovi made the move to avoid the hit, but it looked like he was going to hit Ovechkin with whatever body part he could on him.

The Capitals' power play did not convert. They played with some familiar swagger and they did get their chances. Playing one of the league's best penalty kills, the power play did its job which was gain some momentum and keep the other team on their heels. They often found chances after the power play had ended, a sign they were keeping the pressure on Pittsburgh.

Now the Caps face a slew of Western Conference teams as their next two foes at the phone booth will be San Jose on Tuesday and Los Angeles on Saturday. Then they head out on their western swing playing their first three games of a five game road trip against Phoenix, Anaheim and see the Sharks again. Their five game road trip will end with a back to back game with Buffalo and Pittsburgh.

Caps Notes:

• The Capitals will stay three points behind Tampa Bay in the Southeast Division as they beat the St. Louis Blues today in overtime. 
• Alex Semin was rumored to be in the line up on Friday against the Lightning but he didn't make the trip to Florida. He would not dress for the game against Pittsburgh.
• Neuvirth was given the game's first star followed by Laich with the second and Johansson with the third star.

Keep It Simple

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Caps Win The Winter Classic

Capitals 3, Penguins 1
Game Summary

(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Even with a light drizzle falling down and poor ice conditions, the Washington Capitals proved they could deal with a different kind of adversity. In what had to be the most hyped game with an HBO documentary crew following both teams, the league and networks revving up the rhetoric of the rivalry of the teams and both captains Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, the Capitals play the perfect road game defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1.

Eric Fehr scored a pair of goals after coming into this game with only 5 goals to his credit. Mike Knuble would get a great garbage goal to tie up the game in the second period. The weather kept the skilled players from playing their style of play.

The game turned out to be a grinders paradise and Jay Beagle, a hard working grinder for the Caps, had the first two chances by getting his nose in front of the Pens net. It would be a muckers goal by Mike Knuble to get the Caps on the board after giving up the lead on a Evgeni Malkin break away goal. Nick Backstrom just kept the puck in front after a point shot, with the traffic in front of Marc-Andre Fleury. Knuble found the banged in the loose puck past the Penguin goaltender.

(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

The goal energized the Capitals forechecking and they kept the pressure on. When Fleury mishandled the puck, speedy forward Marcus Johansson was able to pick up the loose puck behind the net and find Fehr in front with a wide open net.

Fehr would add a second goal and some insurance in the third after John Erskine made a solid break out pass to Jason Chimera. Chim played a give and go with Fehr and it broke the winger open. Fehr would beat Fleury high glove side to give the Caps a two goal lead.

The Penguins would make a last ditch effort to try and tie it up, but the Caps stood tall on defense. At one point they stood at the blue line prompting play by play man Doc Emrick called them the white picket fence. It would lead to some rough play with just .6 seconds left as the rivalry went to another level as both teams gave a few face washes and end up leaving the ice with out shaking hands.

(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

The title bout was in the first period. John Erskine took on Michael Rupp in a heavyweight bout that saw both players landing some haymakers. Erskine did stumble after Rupp connected, but he got right back up and landed a few of his own before Rupp had to call it quits due to a contact lens problem. 

With all the hype on both Ovechkin and Crosby, neither found their way onto the scoring sheet. Ovechkin did have a goal that was waved off after he made contact before that with Fleury. But both players were kept in check for the most part of the game.

Crosby was hit as the second period ended by David Steckel. Sid was caught not paying attention to where he was going and when the play shifted, he was looking behind and Steckel was charging up the ice. The Pens' coaching staff called it incidental contact.

AP

The best Capitals player had to be Semyon Varlamov. Faced with a bouncing puck and some serious rubber from the Penguins stood tall in net. He played his rebounds as best as he could considering the conditions. Shots from the outside he was able to see, a credit to the defensive core in front for boxing out crashing Penguins. Varly would turn away 32 shots as his teammates helped by blocking 16 shots. While Fleury went a wandering from his net from time to time, Varly stayed in his net and didn't turn over the puck that lead to any scoring chances for the Penguins.

In the end, it's just two points. It is a huge confidence boost for the Capitals as they shake free from a bad stretch of games to get their third straight win. They now are unbeaten in regulation in their last six games. They also creep up the Eastern Conference ladder as they are just one game behind the leading Penguins but remain behind Tampa in the division in a tie (Caps have played 2 more games than the Bolts which is the tiebreaker to this point).

Penguins Take Round One

Capitals 2, Penguins 3 OT/SO (1-2) 7th round
Game Summary

It seemed only fitting that two rivals, soon to be Winter Classic participants and new stars of HBO's 24/7 sports documentary would fight tooth and nail to the very end.  It would take seven rounds of the shoot out as these two teams take the rivalry to a whole new level as the NHL Winter Classic draws near. Pascal Dupuis would score the winning goal in a shootout as the Pittsburgh Penguins win the first of four games against the Washington Capitals 3-2.

Mike Green would finally get power play goal, his first tally since November 14 and the first goal by the any of the young guns since Alex Ovechkin's goal against Toronto. Mike Knuble would score the game tying goal to force over time. Michal Neuvirth played one of his best games stopping 25 shots, including surviving 7 rounds of the shootout until Dupuis' goal.

The Caps would come out like a bullet as Alex Ovechkin set the tone by laying out fellow countryman Evgeni Malkin with a hard hit. It led to a Penguin penalty and a power play chance for the Caps. But the Pens would get the first goal as Malkin exited the penalty box and drew three Capitals' defenders leaving an open Sidney Crosby who tipped the puck past Neuvirth.

Even though the Caps out shot the Penguins in the first period 12 to 6, the Penguins would take the 1-0 lead into the first intermission. The Caps looked to step it up a notch in the second period. But a break away pass to Malkin meant Green had to take a penalty that would lead to a penalty shot. Neuvirth turned aside Malkin's bid to put his team up 2-0.

Then the Pens would get into penalty trouble in the second period. Mike Rupp was called for a hooking call and Matt Cooke would be called for a delay of game call after clearing the puck all the way down the ice and over the glass. The resulting power play would struggle until some good passing opened a shoot lane for Green to shoot it high glove side to tie the game at one.

But a lazy start to the third period would haunt the Caps as the Penguins outworked their rival to regain the lead just :17 seconds in to the period. The Capitals struggled again to find some offense due to the spectacular play of Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury made stop after stop on the frustrated Caps. When Matt Perreault took a penalty with six and half to play in the third, it looked as if the Caps rally would be stifled.

When Brooks Laich streaked down the wing to get the puck to the front of the net, Knuble was there to make a stick move to get the puck past Fleury. It would once again tie the game and the Caps seem to gain some of their mojo back. They pressured the play keeping the Penguins from chances late in the third. But they weathered the storm and both teams would find themselves in overtime.

It looked like Green had won the game when he juked out of the corner and nearly had it past Fleury only to have Fleury reach back and snatched the puck from going past the goal line. It would go to video review, but it was inconclusive as Fleury's glove blocked any view of the puck crossing the goal line. It would go to a shootout.

Ovechkin would score on his attempt, but every Capital afterwards would struggle to beat Fleury. Neuvirth would allow the first shot by Kris Letang then get beat by Dupuis in round seven after turning away Crosby, Malkin, Letestu, Knuitz and Kennedy. Semin, Backstrom, Knuble, Laich, Perreault and Green would miss for the Caps.

The Capitals' power play is still not where it needs to be. The Caps were able to score on a 5 on 3 but where 0 for 5 with the extra man. At times the power play seemed too predictable as the Caps shot right into Penguin defenders as they clogged up shooting lanes. But as the top players struggle to score, so goes the power play for the Caps. It is an area they need to work on.

Jay Beagle did not show up on the scoresheet, but he played a great energy game. Often out working Penguins along the boards and creating chances for his teammates. Michal Neuvirth was also great tonight, keeping his team in it. He would come up with big save after save even when he did not face shots for long stretches of the game.

It was not a great game for Nick Backstrom. While at times he looked good, he has failed to produce much this season. At times he looked invisible, even though this is the type of game he often accelerates at, the big games. His lack of production seems to be hindering the Caps.

The bottom line was this was one heck of a game by both teams. Both teams earned their point by taking the game to overtime and the Penguins win the coin toss shootout to take home the extra point. It sets up more drama for the up coming Winter Classic. That is where Caps can exact some revenge. If it is anything like this game, we are in for a treat.

Caps' 24/7 Debut Tough To Watch

HBO's award winning series 24/7 premiered tonight that featured teams the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals as they face off in this year's NHL Winter Classic. The premiere was a fantastic look at the sport and the trials and tribulations of a NHL season. An inside look at team meetings, practices and the lives of NHL players was an awesome behind the scenes access.

While it was good for drama, watching what goes behind a six game losing streak is a tough thing to watch for Caps fans. The Capitals' aspect of the show was that of a rough stretch of games testing the team's fortitude. Hearing some of the intermission speeches and listening to the frustration levels of both players and coaches is both hard to listen to and fascinating to watch. The series followed the Caps through losses against Florida, Colorado and the pounding at MSG against the New York Rangers.

In stark contrast, the Penguins were on a winning streak. Players were more loose, joking around and playing a more laid back style. While the meetings in the Caps' locker room were intense and very frustrated, the Pens' locker room was pumped, ready and looking for more.

It was exciting to watch the two teams go through different stretches in the season. It has me begging for more and it's just the beginning.

Watch a preview of the series from HBO's website:

Preview to 24/7 Pens/Caps: Road to the NHL Winter Classic

The Buzz

HBO's The Buzz takes a look at the new series of 27/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic:

The Buzz

Also ask a question and get it answered by a Cap or Pen.

Are You Excited Yet?

HBO's 24/7 Winter Classic Promo:



Sorry for the poor audio. Sneak peak will premiere on Saturday following boxing on HBO.

A Little Spooky

It's my annual look at the league as Halloween comes around. Can't skip on tradition, so here is a quick look around the league to take a look at some of the scary things that are afoot in the NHL.

Penguins' Horrifying Home Record: 2-4-0 in their brand new building, including two losses to heated rival Philadelphia. One thing they have going for them, the Winter Classic will not be played at CONSOL Energy Center. The only teams they have beaten at home have been Ottawa and an overtime win against the NY Islanders. Still it is not as bad as Phoenix that has only won once in Glendale Arena.

Devils' Decapitated Cap: After signing a whopper of a contract with Ilya Kovalchuk, the Devils have run into salary cap troubles. They started the season with only twenty players on their roster, leaving little room for injuries or bad play. They have dressed as little as 17 players for a game. Lucky for them, some injuries have helped to alleviate the pressure. But unless a trade is looming, they will have to make tougher choices further down the road like letting a veteran player go.

Tim "Trick or Treat" Thomas: What a great and scary start for the Boston goaltender. He has won every start this season for the Bruins (5), but what is really blood curdling is his goals against average at this point in the season, .50. Yup, that is half a goal allowed per game. Credit a great Bruins defense and Thomas' recent spooky-good play.

Steven "Slimy and Scary" Stamkos: 18 points through nine games. He is averaging 2 points a game. Not a bad start kid.

Alex "The Invisible Man" Ovechkin: Usually a man in the lead of the scoring race or close to the top, it is hard to find Ovechkin's name in the top twenty of either the goals column or points. It is still early, but his scoring production has dropped sharply, including three games where he failed to score a single point. He started the season with five straight games with at least a point. Not good news for you fantasy players out there.

Carolina's House of Horrors: Zero goals on home ice. That is it for the Hurricanes. Shut out in their last 2 games by both Washington and Pittsburgh, the 'Canes are looking for answers on to their home ice woes. They did score a goal while in Europe when they were considered a home team. But since returning to RBC Center, the 'Canes offense has sputtered.

Eve of Halloween Routs: These games weren't even fair in some cases. Philly routs NY Islanders 6-1, Pittsburgh embarrasses the Hurricanes 3-0, Boston veto the Senators 4-0, Detroit dismantle the Predators 5-2, Dallas shoots down the Sabres 4-0, Colorado unravels the Blue Jackets 5-1,  and Capitals douse Flames 7-2. In all the winning teams scored a combined 56 goals while the losing end only mustered 14 goals.

Stanley Cup Fearless Predictions - Eastern Conference

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

Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens

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

Washington defeats Montreal in 5 games.

#2 New Jersey Devils vs. #7 Philadelphia Flyers

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

New Jersey defeats Philadelphia in 7 games.

#3 Buffalo Sabres vs. #6 Boston Bruins

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

Boston defeats Buffalo in 7 games.

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Ottawa Senators

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

Pittsburgh defeats Ottawa in 5 games.

Eastern Conference Semi-Finals

Washington Capitals vs. Boston Bruins

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

Washington defeats Boston in 6 games.

New Jersey Devils vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

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

Pittsburgh upsets New Jersey in 7 games.

Eastern Conference Finals

Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

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

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

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

A Clean Sweep

Capitals 6, Penguins 3
Game Summary

The Washington Capitals have never had a regular season clean sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins. They have also never won 24 road games, finished first in the Eastern Conference or won the President's Trophy either. Clearly it is a season of firsts for the Washington Capitals and it shouldn't be surprising that they would be able to keep an Eastern Conference foe and defending Stanley Cup Champions at bay in a 6-3 win at Mellon Arena.

Alex Ovechkin broke a four game goal drought to score a pair of goals. He pulls even with Sidney Crosby (who also had a goal tonight) for the Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals at 48. The Caps also got some goal production from some other lines as well as Alex Semin, Tomas Fleischmann, Mike Knuble and Matt Bradley all made the scoresheet.

"We got a team that is built as an offensive team," Bruce Boudreau said. "You've got other lines that [besides the top line] can come in. You've got Steckel's line, I thought Beagle's line played good and Flash's line. I mean they all chipped in."

It was a physical affair as the Penguins tried to out muscle the Capitals in the first period. John Erskine left the first period with a lower body injury, the Capitals ended up playing with only five defenseman for the last two periods.

"Pittsburgh was pretty physical against us," Boudreau said of his defense core taking a beating. "I thought all five [remaining defensemen] came to play."

"It's tough when you get down to 5 guys," Tyler Sloan said to reporters, wearing the Caps' hard hat as the players' choice for the game's MVP. "But the group of five back there did a heck of a job, I thought. We just banded together and grind it out."

It would be a miss step by Alex Goligoski who stumbled with Semin bearing down on him to get the Caps going. Semin took the open ice and waited out Penguins' goaltender Marc-Andre Fluery before top shelfing it over the netminder's left shoulder for his 39th goal of the season.

The Capitals got an early jump in the second period when Mike Knuble shot a harmless looking slapper towards Fluery. The shot had eyes as it squeezed under Fluery's right goal pad and giving the Caps the 2-0 lead.

The Penguins fought to get back into the game and would eventually draw a penalty out of Knuble who was sent to the box for holding. Crosby took advantage of Dave Steckel floating high to cover Sergei Gonchar and skated into the open ice and shooting it past Semyon Varlamov to get the Pens on the board.

The Capitals would respond just 21 seconds later when Semin beat out an icing call centering the puck off the half boards to Fleischmann. Semin would take an elbow to the side of the head from Maxim Talbot in the process. Flash took the pass and shot it over Fluery's right shoulder to give the Caps the two goal lead back. That goal would end the night for Fluery. Brent Johnson would come in relief.

The Pens were not finished there. Jordan Leopold took advantage of Caps' defenseman Shaone Morrisonn for a pair of goals. The first was a point shot where Mo lost his stick and tried to block the shot with his skate. The result was the puck deflecting in on Varly and through his pads into the net.

"When you see a lot of bodies in front sometimes you look for sticks and skates what ever it may be," Leopold said of his deflection goal. "That is how I ended up scoring my first one and I was looking for that again."

But the Caps scored again to regain their two goal lead. Bradley would score his 10th of the season with two minutes left in the second period as he deflected a Quintin Laing shot past Johnson.

"It's not a big milestone," Bradley said with a smirk. "But it felt good to get to ten and get a big win."

Leopold wasn't done with Morrisonn, early in the third Leopold lined up a shot on net. Morrisonn may have screened his goaltender going down for the block and the puck sailed past Varly. The Penguins would pull into one goal for the third time in the game.

"We were trying to get the momentum back," Penguins' coach Dan Bylsma said. "When we did ... numerous times tonight [the Caps] were able to come back and get a goal immediately, in that type of fashion. And we kept having to restart."

"We fought back a couple of times," Crosby said. "They took that momentum away pretty quick."

The Penguins took their first and only penalty of the game not long after clawing back into the game. Bill Guerin got his stick a bit high on Morrisonn, knocking the defender's lid off. It would only take Alex Ovechkin 4 seconds to score on the ensuing power play. Right off the draw, Ovechkin took in the loose puck and buried it past Johnson's left arm.

"I had a few chances to score [in the last few games] but it didn't go in," Ovechkin said of his recent scoring drought. "Finally it goes in and I feel pretty good."

Ovechkin would complete the series series sweep with an empty net goal that drew him even with Crosby for most goals in a season. While the Caps have swept the regular season series, the Caps know the playoffs are a different story and they may be back here again.

"It's nice to win all our games [against Pittsburgh] in the regular season," Bradley said. "But the regular season doesn't mean anything when it comes to playoffs. And everyone knows that they are a playoff team."

"It was a tough one to lose," Crosby opined after the game. "I thought we did a lot of good things and any little space they had they made it count."

The Caps will finish their road campaign with a 24-10-7 record. No team in the NHL can match Washington's 10 road regulation loss record for the '09-'10 season. Ovechkin pulled up into a tie with Henrik Sedin for points, but Sedin had an assist in their game against Colorado. The Penguins loss drops them down to fourth in the Eastern Conference as the New Jersey Devils won their game tonight against Atlanta.

The Capitals' top line got some much needed goal support with goals from the second and fourth lines. Besides a few miscues by the Caps defense, the Penguins were stifled on the offensive side. Special teams was also a bright spot as the Penguins were 1 for 4 power play chances spending 6:46 with the extra man. In contrast the Caps were 1 for 1 on the power play and only had 4 seconds of extra man time.

Caps Notes:

• Just before the game, Capitals recalled Jay Beagle and Karl Alzner. Beagle had a good game filling in for Eric Belanger who was one of the banged up players Boudreau sat. Beagle was the best Capital in the face off dot winning 7 of ten draws (70%). Alzner did not play.
• Mike Green was sat for a second game in a row to "rest." The Capitals may choose to rest more players in the last two games of the season.
• This may be the last time the Capitals will play in Mellon Arena. They finish up their stay at the "Igloo" with a regular season record of 34-51-7-1 and 8-16 in the playoffs. I highly doubt it will be the last time these two meet at Mellon, but it would be nice if was the last time.

Epic Game Marks Caps 14th Straight Win

Capitals 5, Penguins 4 OT
Game Summary

The story could have been about the Penguins' journey to Washington DC after two and half feet of snow that fell in a blizzard the day before. Or it could have been about Sidney Crosby's dominance over the Washington Capitals with two goals in the first period. Or it could have been about Jordan Staal's late in the second period goals nearly putting the Caps away for good and going up 4-1. Instead, this story is about a winning streak that 14 and got some help from #8.

Alex Ovechkin would be the first Capital of the year to net a hattrick, Eric Fehr got a timely goal late in the second period and Mike Knuble scored the game winner in overtime. And the winning streak continues.

The game had a playoff feel to it as both teams came out flying. It had a little bit of everything. "It's what people paid to see," said Caps' bench boss Bruce Boudreau. "When the superstars shine and there is tension and excitment and there is physical play and you can see the passion on both sides. That is what hockey is all about."

It was all the NBC analysts could talk about as the Penguins jumped to a quick 2-0 lead in the first period. The Penguins were sending a message. The Caps were turning the puck over in the neutral zone and the Penguins were quick to jump on the play. Crosby benefited of a turnover scoring unassisted. Then he scored on the power play moments later as the Caps missed played collapsing on Evgeni Malkin and leaving #87 wide open. Just like that, the Pens were up 2-0.

Ovi would open the scoring in for the Capitals mid-way through the second period. He took a pass from Jeff Schultz up the middle and shot the puck so hard, it shattered the camera box in the back of the net. There would be a delay after the goal as they replaced the shattered shield.

But the Penguins would not let up on their attack. Staal, brother to Marc (Rangers) and Eric ('Canes), scored a pair of goals to stretch the lead to 4-1. It seemed that Eric Fehr's goal later in the period wouldn't matter much as the Caps got into penalty trouble. Late in the period they found themselves down two men as the period finished.

The Caps would kill the penalty and then turn on the offense in the 3rd period.

"The crowd kept pushing us in the third period," Ovechkin said. "We just kept going and kept going. It was pretty sick."

Ovechkin took over the game netting a goal after Tom Poti's shot was knocked down in front. Ovi's quick hands propelled the puck past Marc Andre Fluery's pads. Then he buried an off speed shot from the face off to beat the Penguins' goaltender to tie the game. Just like that, the Penguins watched a three goal advantage slip away.

The Penguins would not quit, pressuring the Caps late. Even with the travel difficulties the Penguins endured, they seemed to keep the Caps on their heels late in the game. "I felt our team had plenty of jump," Penguins' coach, Dan Bylsma said about using the tough travel into Washington. "I think our guys looked good, it didn't have anything to do with [the travel]." But they couldn't convert and the game would go into overtime.

In overtime, both teams had their chances. Brooks Orpik would take a high sticking call 2:26 into overtime. Orpik caught Alex Semin high after Semin got rid of the puck. "He’s a baby," Orpik told reporters after the game. "I don’t know [if it was a high stick] but he does that all game long. I got zero respect for the kid."

But a penalty was called and it would only take 13 seconds later when Ovechkin rang a shot off the post and the puck trickled back into the blue paint under Fluery. Mike Knuble wins the game as he slides the rebound in under the Penguins' goaltender. It capped a 3 goal deficit and keeps the Capitals' win streak alive.

The game had it's share of chippiness and some cheap plays. Craig Adams pushed Ovechkin into the boards in the first, the All Star fell awkwardly into the dasher. Adams would not be called for the penalty, but Mike Knuble came to the rescue. Knuble would receive two minutes for instigating as well as a 5 for fighting, 10 misconduct.

The Caps will get a day off tomorrow before facing Montreal and Ottawa on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. They are have just three games before the Olympic break. If they win against the Habs and Sens, they have a chance to tie the NHL's record for longest win streak at 17.

Caps Notes

• In a weird coincidence, the Capitals farm team Hershey Bears found themselves down by three goals to come back and win it against Pittsburgh's farm team Wilkes/Barre Penguins on a hattrick by Mathieu Perreault to win 5-4.
• Nick Backstrom and Mike Knuble both had a pair of points (Backstrom 2a, Knuble 1g, 1a).
  
• Crosby tied Ovechkin for the goals lead in the NHL with his two goals, just to see Ovechkin score three goals and lead by as much.
• Ovechkin is the first player with 40 goals every season since the lockout (only Ilya Kovalchuk can join him) via @washcaps.

Sluggish Start?

There is no real need to panic. So why is everyone acting like there is? Could this team have real problems with finishing games? Could it be the Redskin effect (great talent, marginal effort)? Could it be we are just too Cup fixated just 8 games into the season?

In the first eight games of the Capitals' season they have faced teams that have averaged 113 points last season, and six of those teams made the playoffs (four of those were division champions). It's easy to say that the Caps faced some of the league's toughest teams and the result was above .500. Also, they have yet to be blown out of a game (lost with a margin of two goals or more).

Compare that to someone who has a 7 and 1 record like, um... let's say the defending Stanley Cup Pittsburgh Penguins. In their first eight games, they have faced teams that had an average of 82 points last season and only three of those teams were in the post season last spring (none of which were division champs). Talk about a team easing into a schedule.

Part of the problem to this whole panic thing is we know how good the Washington Capitals can be. With convincing wins against teams like Boston and San Jose, fans have seen the best and want that result every time. But we haven't seen the Caps lose a game in total disaster. There haven't been 6-2 losses and the Caps have yet to be shut-out this season. All their games where they have fallen have been one goal games.

Small mental mistakes mostly do the Capitals in. Whether it is a bad penalty here, a must-stop save that isn't or a break down in defensive structure, the Caps do have the propensity for being human. These small errors in judgment are frustrating to witness because they end up resulting in a goal for the bad guys.

I am pretty confident that the Caps will be able to shore up those problems as the season progresses. The power play will show their bite against teams that don't have a great penalty kill unit. Mike Green will take advantage of those teams that can't handle the fourth man into the zone and Alex Ovechkin will feed on goaltenders that are destined to be back ups. That is why the Caps and a few level-headed fans are not worried about the sluggish start of the season.

Caps Notes:

• Redskins' Chris Cooley took in a game Thursday night at the Verizon Center and as he was coming out of the locker room he was heard saying, "Isn't this environment so much better than ours? The people are so nice here."
• If you think that the Caps' games are sold out, think again. According to the Washington Times, the Verizon Center can squeeze in about 800 more souls to see Ovi do this.
• Caps finally face a team with in their division (to be honest, I didn't miss it). They play the hot Atlanta Thrashers who are off to their best start in franchise history Thursday night.
  

It's A Beast In The East

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Playoff Bound

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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