A Bigger Win Than You Thought

How many times have we seen the Washington Capitals unravel in close games? A million, gazillion. What happened last night against the Minnesota Wild was a huge step in the right direction by the Capitals. Their head coach, Adam Oates, told his team to be prepared to play a tight game. One goal games have never been the Caps forte.

In the past we have often seen this team lose it when the game is tight. More often it was amplified when it would happen in a play off game. The game would be tight and the Caps would be trailing a goal, when things would just fall apart. Instead of keeping it a close game to the end 1-0 or 2-1, the Caps would make simple mistakes for the sake of making the perfect play to tie the game. Suddenly they would be down 3-1, 4-1 and spiral down to a loss.

Or the team would go away from what had worked for them before, a bunch of individual efforts in order to bring the game back to fold. Only to once again have those efforts fail because one against 5 very rarely yields goals. How many games have fans seen that and pulled their hair out? Remember us looking nervously at the play clock to see time tick away from another win in a grind it out game the Caps couldn't stick with.

The Caps took the early lead with a power play goal by Alex Ovechkin. Then the Wild just sort of played the perfect road game after that. They slowed the game down, took the fans out of the equation. They answered Ovi's goal with a late power play goal of their own. Then took the lead after some relentless forechecking. It was an all too familiar scene Caps fans have endured before. And we all waited for the onslaught of Zach Parise shots and Wild clogging defense keeping the Caps at bay. But, something last night was different.

The Capitals never got away with their game plan. They stuck with it and with some spectacular saves from the goaltender Braden Holtby, they put themselves in the position to win a close methodical game. There was plenty of bending, but no breaking as the Caps remained tough in their own zone, gobbling up second chances and wearing on the Wild defense on the other end.

It just sort of happened, a long sustained forecheck by a mix of lines, Marcus Johansson, Brooks Laich and forth-liner Tom Wilson who was out there late from the previous shift. A tired Wild group, their first line couldn't clear the zone after a few line keeps from Alexander Urbom. The puck worked low, Wilson made a smart pick to open it up for Johansson and Laich pressuring the front of the net as the puck ricochet off a Wild defender and past Josh Harding to tie the game.

"What I like about the tying goal is it took a lot of hard work," Oates said of the late game tally. "We fought through a lot of frustration because they were giving you nothing. It was hard to get shots to the net. You’re going into territory that’s really difficult."

The Capitals moved their feet, worked hard in their zone and were rewarded with a lucky bounce and a game tying goal. There was no panic in the team when they went down 2-1 in the second period. They stuck to their game plan. They executed to play as a team to get the tying goal. And in the end it becomes a maturity moment for a team that has so many times lost those types of opportunities to selfish play or let minor mistakes become compounded through out the game to get them behind the eight ball.

"They [Wild] are playing good," Nick Backstrom said of their foe last night. "Good system, they are backing off, and they are being very patient. Obviously for us, we’ve got to be patient as well. We’ve got to play our system and try to be aggressive on them." 

They didn't need to pull the goalie, or rely on the power play to gain them the goal. It came from sticking with the system, working hard, executing and reaping the rewards for all of those cultivating together to make the game 2-2. It was unfortunate Martin Erat took that penalty late in the game because it took the wind out of the Caps' sails. But the penalty kill once again did a great job when they needed it most.  

Last night was a growing moment for the Capitals. To find a way to win in a tight game was gigantic in so many ways. While the game itself seemed often boring and slow at times, I had to watch again to realize exactly what was going on. The Caps were growing up. They took a gigantic step forward. Even if they had lost the game in the shoot out, there was a lot of good to take away from that game.

Now it remains to be seen if the Capitals can sustain that way of playing. As teams that are much better at trapping and grinding than the Caps, it's important they show they can win games like that. It happened against a very good Western Conference team (which the West has dominated the East early on this season) and if the Capitals can do this consistently, things in the post season will get all that much more interesting in DC.

Drafted

The Washington Capitals finished their seven rounds of pick heaven picking up two centermen, a center and left winger, 3 wingers, 3 defensemen and one goaltender. Among the picks are three Canadians, two Swedish players, a Russian goaltender and 4 from the US National Team Development Program. They picked up a prospect that was slated to go around 7th in many mock drafts and picked up a little muscle along the way. In all, it was a quiet but good draft for the Capitals.

In the first round the Caps picked 11th overall and they choose Filip Forsberg. A natural play maker, Forsberg was slated to go much earlier in many mock drafts, so consider him a steal for the Caps. They also picked some muscle in Thomas Wilson, a kid that can play and throw the punches.

"You can find guys that are tough, but if they can't play, what good are they?" said General Manager George McPhee of their 16th overall pick in Wilson. "This kid seems to be that rare combination these days of a big kid who's tough that can play. Worst-case scenario he can play on the fourth line. But we think if he develops properly he can be a third-line, second-line player."

The Caps did not have a pick in the second round after trading it to Dallas for Mike Ribeiro. The gave up a prospect in Cody Eakin for a skilled center man to fill out the middle for the Capitals.

"It seemed like when I was watching the playoffs we had some big, gritty forwards and I just wanted to get another skill guy in the middle of it," McPhee said of acquiring Ribeiro. "I think him makes us immediately better."

In the third round the Caps picked up Chandler Stephenson (77th overall). A left winger and a centerman, Stephenson played for the Regina Pats last season and was able to accumulate 42 points in 55 games despite missing 14 games with injury. He was named the Pats' 'Most Sportsmanlike Player'.

Thomas Di Pauli (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

The next four picks for the Capitals featured all American players, all from the U-18 US National Team Development Program. The Caps had two picks in round four and took Thomas Di Pauli (100 overall) and Austin Wuthrich (107 overall) who played last year with Notre Dame. The fifth and sixth rounds, the Caps only had one pick which they took Conner Carrick (137 overall) and Riley Barber (167 overall) respectfully.

Barber's father, Don, was selected 120th overall in 1983 by Edmonton and went on to play in the NHL for Minnesota, Winnipeg, Quebec and San Jose between 1988-89 and 1991-92.

Finally, the Caps had three picks in the seventh round.  They chose Christian Djoos (195 overall), Jaynen Rissling (197 overall) and goaltender Sergei Kostenko (203 overall). Rissling comes from an NHL family. Per his Draft card:

His uncle, Gary, signed with Washington in 1978 before being traded to Pittsburgh in 1981 -- he played 221 games in the NHL, amassing 1,008 penalty minutes. His dad, Kelly, played in the Western Hockey League (Portland, Lethbridge) and International Hockey League.

Ross Mahoney, Caps' director of amateur scouting answered why the Capitals took so many players in the middle rounds from the USNTDP per NHL.com:

Ross Mahoney, the Caps' director of amateur scouting, had a simple reason for why the club targeted so many players from the USNTDP.

"They're winners," he said. "They won again [World Under-18 Championship gold medal]. Talking to the people in that program, they said it was the best group of kids they've ever had, and they've had some pretty good young men come through that program. … We think they're all good athletes and good players and they're winners."

For those drafted, the next step is developmental camp in August. The Caps will get a close look at those they drafted as well as see other prospect's progress over a year's time.

Pick Two

They may not have a coach, but the Washington Capitals have two picks in the first round of the NHL Draft. Picks and 11 and 16 were Caps to choose and they picked up more offense and some size.

Picked 11th overall, Filip Forsberg, is a natural play maker. NHL director of European scouting describes Forsberg this way:

“A leader who shows by example -- I would compare him to Anaheim's Corey Perry a little bit. Has a nose for the net, and often scores the big goals. He's a creative playmaker, good skater with fine straight-ahead speed. He's a right-handed forward with an excellent shot and an effective two-way player with a great winning attitude. Filip's a solid puck carrier with very good puck-handling skills; mature, good size and physically strong. On top of that, he'll sacrifice himself to make the play.”

Don't get to excited, he is not related to NHL great Peter Forsberg, but Filip does model his game after him.

Pick 16 the Caps picked up a player that was rumored to be picked up by the Flyers. Thomas Wilson was selected for his toughness, size and his ability to put the puck in the net too. TSN analysts believe he will be the next Milan Lucic, but better looking. He is a gold medal winner with Team Canada in 2011 in Helsinki and he was voted "Best Body-Checker" in the OHL's 2012 coaches poll. He loves to hit, fight and help his team win. In 49 games played he registered 27 points and was a plus 17.

Consistent with class, the Pittsburgh fans in attendance freely booed the Capitals picks. The boos were not as loud as they were for the Flyers.