With only 48 games to play this season, it's going to be a time crunch for any coaching staff to scout another team's system. For the Capitals, that could give them the element of surprise. Head coach Adam Oates will have only a week to implement his system to his group of players. But as far as opposing teams scouting that system, it could take them 10 to 15 games to recognize it and to play effectively against Oates' system. In a shortened season such as this one, those first few games could be key for the Caps to find success.
A couple of factors go into the surprise element for the Capitals. The first will be Oates has never been a head coach in the NHL. While he probably has had say in how the New Jersey Devils played in some areas, Pete DeBoer was the head coach and had final say in what went on the ice. That leaves the elements that Oates would have like to implement if he were head coach. If opposing teams want to study the tape of the Devils to gauge how the Capitals might look this season will have to concede that it's DeBoer's system and not Oates'.
Along those same lines, if the opposing teams want to study tape of how the Devil's power play preformed under Oates' supervision they won't see Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green or Nick Backstrom on that tape. With a different personnel group (and a much better talented one in my opinion) infused in that same system, there are going to be differences. From who sets up the play to who shoots the open shot, the Caps' system under Oates will look strikingly different.
Most, not all, teams in the NHL when faced with a new system often fall back and play that team conservatively. With some teams dropping back to play the Caps defensively minded, the boys in red, white and blue might be able to steal a few extra games early. That is key to setting up for a run to the playoffs with only 48 games on the schedule.
Showing posts with label Training Camp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Training Camp. Show all posts
Sunday, January 13, 2013
3 Critical Areas
Okay, warm fuzzy feelings are over. The Capitals are back to work today and they only have a week to get in game time condition. Learning Adam Oates new system and jumping into a shortened season brings two new challenges to the Capitals this season. They will begin their season Saturday, January 19th against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Oates admitted as much that today won't really be an opening for a training camp. Rather, it is the start of practice with a game in less than a week. It means the roster they have on paper is most likely the roster that will be on the ice on Sunday and starting just six days later.
There are three areas, which I believe, to be of the utmost importance for the Caps to get under grasps as the season begins. Learning these with in the framework of Oates' new system might help them get off the blocks quickly.
Power Play
The power play is the Capitals' most powerful weapon. Bringing in a power play specialist like head coach Adam Oates, this special team concept is a top priority for this team if they want to get out of the gates quickly.
A consistent and formidable power play does a lot for the offense of any team in the NHL. If a team can consistently and successfully convert power play opportunities it will soft the play of the opposition, leading to more chances 5 on 5. The Caps' bread and butter lies with a solid power play. Under Bruce Boudreau, as long as the power play was working, opposition teams couldn't play tight and physical with the Capitals for fear of getting a penalty.
With more open ice 5 on 5 the capitals will see their offensive production start to soar. That would make this team a very tough opponent when the post season arrives.
Goaltending
It will be key to a short season for sure. Guaranteed, the Capitals will utilize their two still young and budding goaltenders in Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth. With a condensed schedule, the Capitals have seven back to back nights in which both netminders most likely sharing duties opposite nights. Both will have to be on top of their game, then find something extra for the playoffs if the Caps should get there (knock on wood).
That pretty much means a number one goaltender is a shared position this season. That should build up to some competition once the playoffs rears its ugly head. Holtby has shown some signs of solid goal keeping in Hershey. While Neuvirth has been playing the the Czech Republic with the HC Sparta Praha. Both had some success in both leagues.
Offensive Consistency
The Capitals struggled with producing goals last season. Part of that struggle came from a power play that was stifled. Part of it was team defenses did a better job of containing Alex Ovechkin by double teaming him. As that production suffered, so did the Caps hopes of doing much offensively. The Capitals made the switch from an all out offensive assault, to a controlled neutral zone play, to flat out defense first system under Dale Hunter.
Oates has said in the past that his system will be a balanced approach to playing both on the offensive and defensive ends of the ice. But the offensive numbers has to improve for the Capitals to gain much success this season. It will have to be a team priority too, as no player can be on an island the way opposing teams have been playing the Capitals.
Of course it will be up to the coaching staff on how to best do this. But some solutions could include getting the defense into play in the offensive zone. With a healthy and rested Mike Green should help with that. This requires more covering by wings and centermen when the blue liners do make a dash to the net. Another solution is for the Capitals to set up more in the offensive zone with cycles down low. If they can work the puck around and passing is crisp, the Caps could find the open guy for a few goals running the opposition around.
Capitals first day of camp starts today at 10:30 am, at Kettler Iceplex. They are open and free to the public. The Caps will hold camp all week before their first game against the Lightning on Saturday January 19th.
Oates admitted as much that today won't really be an opening for a training camp. Rather, it is the start of practice with a game in less than a week. It means the roster they have on paper is most likely the roster that will be on the ice on Sunday and starting just six days later.
There are three areas, which I believe, to be of the utmost importance for the Caps to get under grasps as the season begins. Learning these with in the framework of Oates' new system might help them get off the blocks quickly.
Power Play
The power play is the Capitals' most powerful weapon. Bringing in a power play specialist like head coach Adam Oates, this special team concept is a top priority for this team if they want to get out of the gates quickly.
A consistent and formidable power play does a lot for the offense of any team in the NHL. If a team can consistently and successfully convert power play opportunities it will soft the play of the opposition, leading to more chances 5 on 5. The Caps' bread and butter lies with a solid power play. Under Bruce Boudreau, as long as the power play was working, opposition teams couldn't play tight and physical with the Capitals for fear of getting a penalty.
With more open ice 5 on 5 the capitals will see their offensive production start to soar. That would make this team a very tough opponent when the post season arrives.
Goaltending
It will be key to a short season for sure. Guaranteed, the Capitals will utilize their two still young and budding goaltenders in Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth. With a condensed schedule, the Capitals have seven back to back nights in which both netminders most likely sharing duties opposite nights. Both will have to be on top of their game, then find something extra for the playoffs if the Caps should get there (knock on wood).
That pretty much means a number one goaltender is a shared position this season. That should build up to some competition once the playoffs rears its ugly head. Holtby has shown some signs of solid goal keeping in Hershey. While Neuvirth has been playing the the Czech Republic with the HC Sparta Praha. Both had some success in both leagues.
Offensive Consistency
The Capitals struggled with producing goals last season. Part of that struggle came from a power play that was stifled. Part of it was team defenses did a better job of containing Alex Ovechkin by double teaming him. As that production suffered, so did the Caps hopes of doing much offensively. The Capitals made the switch from an all out offensive assault, to a controlled neutral zone play, to flat out defense first system under Dale Hunter.
Oates has said in the past that his system will be a balanced approach to playing both on the offensive and defensive ends of the ice. But the offensive numbers has to improve for the Capitals to gain much success this season. It will have to be a team priority too, as no player can be on an island the way opposing teams have been playing the Capitals.
Of course it will be up to the coaching staff on how to best do this. But some solutions could include getting the defense into play in the offensive zone. With a healthy and rested Mike Green should help with that. This requires more covering by wings and centermen when the blue liners do make a dash to the net. Another solution is for the Capitals to set up more in the offensive zone with cycles down low. If they can work the puck around and passing is crisp, the Caps could find the open guy for a few goals running the opposition around.
Capitals first day of camp starts today at 10:30 am, at Kettler Iceplex. They are open and free to the public. The Caps will hold camp all week before their first game against the Lightning on Saturday January 19th.
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
One Big Happy Family
It was more for the benefit of the media than it was for the general manager George McPhee and head coach Adam Oates to address the press. The "oh so fluffy" feelings of a hockey season returning saw both media moguls and Capitals' players and staff wearing wide smiles and patting each other on the back in a hearty "Welcome back!"
Alex Ovechkin was the marquee guy that the press had asked for since seeing his return at Dulles Airport being greeted by Mike Vogel. It looked like that was not going to happen, but in the end, classic Ovechkin strolls out, wide grin wearing a t-shirt that said in Russian "Am I really the prettiest one here, again?" To a Caps fan, yes, yes he was.
From Braden Holtby, to McPhee, to Oates and then Ovi finishing up the impromptu media day at Kettler, the mood was light, cheerful even. A sense of relief was on the faces of both players and coaches and the people that interview them. Even a spotting of Joe Beninati, who regaled his rough time finding work during the stoppage with fellow reporters, made it seem that hockey was right where it was supposed to be in DC.
While it is all smiles and cheerfulness, the seriousness of a sprint of a 48 game season is weighing on management and coaches. Anxious to get back to work, Oates told reporters of running line combos almost daily. Even McPhee is getting calls from other GMs around the league looking to trade once the CBA is ratified. It looks to be a confusing and fast start to the season, and the team most ready for it might be the one fighting for a chance in the Finals for Lord Stanley's Cup.
So the smiles are fine for now. The real work begins when "camp" starts most likely on Sunday.
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| Ovi walks in all smiles. |
From Braden Holtby, to McPhee, to Oates and then Ovi finishing up the impromptu media day at Kettler, the mood was light, cheerful even. A sense of relief was on the faces of both players and coaches and the people that interview them. Even a spotting of Joe Beninati, who regaled his rough time finding work during the stoppage with fellow reporters, made it seem that hockey was right where it was supposed to be in DC.
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| Oates addresses the media. |
So the smiles are fine for now. The real work begins when "camp" starts most likely on Sunday.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Bad Ice In B-More
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| (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) |
It should have been about the amazing skill of the players on the ice inside the 1st Mariner Arena at the 2011 Baltimore Hockey Classic. Or how great it was to see a Caps' sweater in Baltimore for a preseason match up with the Nashville Predators. But instead, the poor ice conditions overshadowed what should have been a great start to an annual event for the Washington Capitals. Add a 2-0 loss to the Preds and the Caps preseason begins with a disappointing start.
It certainly was not a good game to really gauge the players trying for positions on tight rosters. Stand outs for the Capitals would have to be Garrett Mitchell, Cody Eakin, Chris Bourque, and Jay Beagle. But early attempts at some pressure just was droned out by bad ice conditions.
Alex Ovechkin would have a solid game, but a late slashing call with under 4 minutes left sealed the deal for the Caps who were held scoreless since facing Carolina to start the '05-'06 season where they lost 6-0. He did have a big hit when Ryan Ellis tried to take a run at the All-Star foward, but Ovi was able to thwart the hit away sending Ellis flying as a result.
The power play lacked any substance, again. The Caps special teams again suffered with the extra man. It did look like they scored in waning seconds of the game, but the whistle had blown leaving the Preds to hold the Caps off for their first preseason win.
DJ King was the overall stand out player for the Capitals. King, who is in roster limbo with the team since signing here a year ago, played a tough physical game, but also added some offensive pressure with Beagle on his line.
Caps don't have time to wallow in there sadness (or grab a sock). Some of the team will head off to Columbus tonight to face a preseason game against the Blue Jackets tomorrow night.
Thursday, September 09, 2010
5 Rookies To Watch
Before every season starts, there is first a preseason. Then before that is fall camp. Before that is rookie camp, and that is what starts soon for the Capitals as they look to once again chase a championship.
With the kiddies going back to school and the weather returning to a tolerable temperature, so comes the Capitals' rookies to catch a glimpse at what a NHL camp is all about. These kids will fly in, be subjected to some hard work both on and off the ice, then cap it all off with a rookie game against the Philadelphia Flyers on September 16th.
After that, fall camp progresses fairly quickly as some rooks will be sent back to their junior teams (or back to Europe) and the big boys come back to town to get their work in before the first preseason game on September 22.
Here are a five rookies to keep an eye out for at rookie camp.
#87, David de Kastrozza, Forward - The University of Maine stand out signed with the South Carolina Stingrays after his senior year with the Black Bears. The Toms River, New Jersey native amassed 2 assists in three games played late in the season and only saw four games in the post season and no points. One thing de Kastrozza has going for him is size at 6'3", 205 lbs. It will be his first camp with the Capitals and maybe looked at as a defensive forward. He scored a goal and assists when the Maine Black Bears beat Boston University in the Hockey East semifinal.
#49, Stanislav Galiev, Forward - Another talented puck handler from Russia, Galiev spent last year in Juniors with the St. John Sea Dogs. He was selected 86th overall in the 2010 draft and is not expected to make the team, but he can set up a play or two. In 67 games he set up his team mates with 45 assists, 60 points total. Galiev likes to pattern his play after Alex Semin, but he needs to work on his strength and physical play. Pretty good video on him.
#76, Garrett Mitchell, Forward - A tough kid who returns to his second camp with the Capitals. We caught up with him last year at development camp. He took what he learned and doubled his points when he went back with his hometown Regina Pats. He improved his point production from 15 to 31 in a year. He also got some love in Hershey playing one game for the Bears. While he is on the short side, Mitchell is definitely a sand paper type player. Amassing 110 PIMs last year he hasn't been shy about picking a fight or two.
#45, Zach Miskovic, Defense - While not really considered a rookie (he played a full year with Hershey), this is an important camp for the 6'1", 185 lbs. defenseman. If John Carlson and Karl Alzner stick with the big club, Miskovic could be the go to defenseman at Hershey if the Caps run into injuries. On the blue line, he has actually been productive on the back end helping out with 20 assists and 26 points in 59 games played. His hard work ethic will turn heads on the coaching staff.
#31, Philipp Grubauer, Goaltender - Born in Rosenheim Germany, this big calm goaltender has the chops to make it to the NHL. That might be a tough road to travel in the Capitals organization that is full of young talented goaltending. He led the Windsor Spitfires to a second Memorial Cup championship despite being pulled in the third game. He is a quick goaltender that uses his reflexes to swallow up pucks. Technically sound, he could find a spot in Hershey if Michal Neuvirth and Semyon Varlamov impress with the big club. However, he will be fighting a few more really good, young goaltenders looking to do the same thing. He is the third German goaltender the Caps have taken in the draft (Robert Meuller and Olaf Kolzig are the others). He was the Caps' 112th overall pick (4th round). Here is a gallery of some pics of him during the 2010 Mastercard Memorial Cup run.
First practice for the rookies is on Sunday September 12th at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. The 10:30 am practice is open to the public. They will scrimmage Wednesday at 11:45 am. Rookie camp will end with a game against the Philadelphia Flyers rookies on Thursday at 3 pm.
With the kiddies going back to school and the weather returning to a tolerable temperature, so comes the Capitals' rookies to catch a glimpse at what a NHL camp is all about. These kids will fly in, be subjected to some hard work both on and off the ice, then cap it all off with a rookie game against the Philadelphia Flyers on September 16th.
After that, fall camp progresses fairly quickly as some rooks will be sent back to their junior teams (or back to Europe) and the big boys come back to town to get their work in before the first preseason game on September 22.
Here are a five rookies to keep an eye out for at rookie camp.
#87, David de Kastrozza, Forward - The University of Maine stand out signed with the South Carolina Stingrays after his senior year with the Black Bears. The Toms River, New Jersey native amassed 2 assists in three games played late in the season and only saw four games in the post season and no points. One thing de Kastrozza has going for him is size at 6'3", 205 lbs. It will be his first camp with the Capitals and maybe looked at as a defensive forward. He scored a goal and assists when the Maine Black Bears beat Boston University in the Hockey East semifinal.
#49, Stanislav Galiev, Forward - Another talented puck handler from Russia, Galiev spent last year in Juniors with the St. John Sea Dogs. He was selected 86th overall in the 2010 draft and is not expected to make the team, but he can set up a play or two. In 67 games he set up his team mates with 45 assists, 60 points total. Galiev likes to pattern his play after Alex Semin, but he needs to work on his strength and physical play. Pretty good video on him.
#76, Garrett Mitchell, Forward - A tough kid who returns to his second camp with the Capitals. We caught up with him last year at development camp. He took what he learned and doubled his points when he went back with his hometown Regina Pats. He improved his point production from 15 to 31 in a year. He also got some love in Hershey playing one game for the Bears. While he is on the short side, Mitchell is definitely a sand paper type player. Amassing 110 PIMs last year he hasn't been shy about picking a fight or two.
#45, Zach Miskovic, Defense - While not really considered a rookie (he played a full year with Hershey), this is an important camp for the 6'1", 185 lbs. defenseman. If John Carlson and Karl Alzner stick with the big club, Miskovic could be the go to defenseman at Hershey if the Caps run into injuries. On the blue line, he has actually been productive on the back end helping out with 20 assists and 26 points in 59 games played. His hard work ethic will turn heads on the coaching staff.
#31, Philipp Grubauer, Goaltender - Born in Rosenheim Germany, this big calm goaltender has the chops to make it to the NHL. That might be a tough road to travel in the Capitals organization that is full of young talented goaltending. He led the Windsor Spitfires to a second Memorial Cup championship despite being pulled in the third game. He is a quick goaltender that uses his reflexes to swallow up pucks. Technically sound, he could find a spot in Hershey if Michal Neuvirth and Semyon Varlamov impress with the big club. However, he will be fighting a few more really good, young goaltenders looking to do the same thing. He is the third German goaltender the Caps have taken in the draft (Robert Meuller and Olaf Kolzig are the others). He was the Caps' 112th overall pick (4th round). Here is a gallery of some pics of him during the 2010 Mastercard Memorial Cup run.
First practice for the rookies is on Sunday September 12th at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. The 10:30 am practice is open to the public. They will scrimmage Wednesday at 11:45 am. Rookie camp will end with a game against the Philadelphia Flyers rookies on Thursday at 3 pm.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
3 Interesting Things To Watch For At Camp
The Washington Capitals technically started their camp today with veterans reporting to Kettler Iceplex for physicals and information. They also had a chance to meet up with the press. Questions about last year's disappointment to the outlook for this upcoming season were zinged left and right at players who just got into town. When the players do hit the ice tomorrow, they will just be four days from their first preseason game against Buffalo.
Just about every player has his own story and what they will try to accomplish in this year's camp. There are three that are interesting to watch as you gaze upon the practices at KCI.
Battle Between The Pipes
Bruce Boudreau is pretty big on seniority. That was made clear when he told reporters over the summer who was the number one goaltender for the Capitals. It was Jose Theodore.
Theo was benched in favor of the up and coming Semyon Varlamov in the playoffs and was returned only when the Caps trailed badly in game seven against the Penguins. But Theo has always claimed (and rightly so) that he was the whole reason for the Caps second place finish in the Eastern Conference to begin with.
But who is number two (bad bathroom humor aside). That is a battle to watch. Varlamov seems to be the obvious choice, but Micheal Neuvirth was in net when the Hershey Bears won their championship. It should be the battle to watch between the two. While Varlamov had some success in the NHL and in the playoffs, Neuvirth jumped from the ECHL to the AHL and going on to backstop for a championship. The battle should be one to watch and the Caps could gain from some outstanding goaltending throughout the preseason.
Knuble's Chemistry
Mike Knuble was the biggest off season acquisition the Capitals made. He comes in to replace the leaving Viktor Kozlov(who choose to go home and play in the KHL), which means they are most likely going to use Knuble on the Alex Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom line as a grinder. It's not a guaranteed spot for Knuble, but his signing in the off season is meant to add some sandpaper to the Caps forward lines.
If Knuble can dig in the corners and win battles on the boards, that could mean some open ice for Ovi and his wicked shot. The two are expected to work off of each other if they are paired on the top line, and it will be interested to see if the two really have some chemistry together. The two may not be paired until late in the preseason, but I would expect Knuble to share some time up on the top line during practices and scrimmages.
De - De - Defense
If there is one position the Caps have a log jam of good talent, it is on the blue line. Here is the list of defensemen who have a good shot at one of the six to seven positions available on the Caps roster: Karl Alzner, Sean Collins, John Erksine, Mike Green, Milan Jurcina, Shaone Morrison, Brian Pothier, Tom Poti, Jeff Schultz, Tyler Sloan and an outside chance for John Carlson. That is eleven players for only six spots.
I don't think there is doubt that Green, Poti, Pothier, Morrisonn and Jurcina will make the opening night roster. That really only leaves one or two spots open for the rest. That battle for those final spots should make any mistake by a defensive player a huge deal. The competition should make for some great defensive efforts on the Capitals' blue line.
NHL Notes:
Just about every player has his own story and what they will try to accomplish in this year's camp. There are three that are interesting to watch as you gaze upon the practices at KCI.
Battle Between The Pipes
Bruce Boudreau is pretty big on seniority. That was made clear when he told reporters over the summer who was the number one goaltender for the Capitals. It was Jose Theodore.
Theo was benched in favor of the up and coming Semyon Varlamov in the playoffs and was returned only when the Caps trailed badly in game seven against the Penguins. But Theo has always claimed (and rightly so) that he was the whole reason for the Caps second place finish in the Eastern Conference to begin with.
But who is number two (bad bathroom humor aside). That is a battle to watch. Varlamov seems to be the obvious choice, but Micheal Neuvirth was in net when the Hershey Bears won their championship. It should be the battle to watch between the two. While Varlamov had some success in the NHL and in the playoffs, Neuvirth jumped from the ECHL to the AHL and going on to backstop for a championship. The battle should be one to watch and the Caps could gain from some outstanding goaltending throughout the preseason.
Knuble's Chemistry
Mike Knuble was the biggest off season acquisition the Capitals made. He comes in to replace the leaving Viktor Kozlov(who choose to go home and play in the KHL), which means they are most likely going to use Knuble on the Alex Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom line as a grinder. It's not a guaranteed spot for Knuble, but his signing in the off season is meant to add some sandpaper to the Caps forward lines.
If Knuble can dig in the corners and win battles on the boards, that could mean some open ice for Ovi and his wicked shot. The two are expected to work off of each other if they are paired on the top line, and it will be interested to see if the two really have some chemistry together. The two may not be paired until late in the preseason, but I would expect Knuble to share some time up on the top line during practices and scrimmages.
De - De - Defense
If there is one position the Caps have a log jam of good talent, it is on the blue line. Here is the list of defensemen who have a good shot at one of the six to seven positions available on the Caps roster: Karl Alzner, Sean Collins, John Erksine, Mike Green, Milan Jurcina, Shaone Morrison, Brian Pothier, Tom Poti, Jeff Schultz, Tyler Sloan and an outside chance for John Carlson. That is eleven players for only six spots.
I don't think there is doubt that Green, Poti, Pothier, Morrisonn and Jurcina will make the opening night roster. That really only leaves one or two spots open for the rest. That battle for those final spots should make any mistake by a defensive player a huge deal. The competition should make for some great defensive efforts on the Capitals' blue line.
NHL Notes:
- Dany Heatley is a Shark according to TSN.ca. A trade that took long enough. Heatley and a 5th round pick to San Jose for Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and a second round pick. I think Ottawa won in this trade to be honest. I don't think that Heatley will boost the Sharks offense anymore than Cheechoo could.
- If the Coyotes weren't confused enough about their owner, they are really confused now that Wayne Gretzky was a no show for the first day of camp. No owner, no coach, what is going on in Phoenix? Ulf Samuelsson is filling in as head coach. This organization just went from sad to pitiful.
- On a totally non-hockey subject, things will be changing big time for the Puckhead family. We found out in July that my wife is expecting our first child. It is the reason I have not been updating the blog as often as I would like. So as my life changes on the home front, I am sure it will be more difficult to keep the blog up to standard at all times (considering I do this for the love of it and don't get paid at all). We are super excited and before the season is out, there will be a new little Caps fan that Uncle Ted will want to sell a season ticket to.
Monday, September 07, 2009
The Quest For The Cup Starts Here
71 players, two practice rinks, rookie and regular training camps, and six preseason games. It's the dawn of a new season. One that finds the Washington Capitals' expectations far exceed just getting to the next round.
Their hope is not only to battle for first in both their division and in their conference, but a team that can and will make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. This is a team that felt if they had different fortunes in a certain game seven, they would be the ones lifting a special banner this October. This is the Cup or bust season for the Capitals.
Not that any player would say such a thing, but read between the lines and you will notice this team finds its exit from the post season last spring a bit unsettling. They plan to fix that bad heartburn they had just 4 months ago.
And it all starts here, at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. 71 players will take to these two rinks atop the Ballston Commons parking garage to take on another grueling NHL season. Rookies will take the stage first, then veterans wander in a week later. And just ten days from now, the Caps will be playing in their first preseason game in Buffalo N.Y.
Here are a few interesting things you will see and want to keep an eye on this week at KCI.
Semyon Varlamov changed the spelling of his first name and has some new pads. He will also be on the ice for the rookie camp. Along with Braden Holtby and Micheal Neuvirth, the goaltenders will be battling for spots in Hershey and for the Capitals. Don't think that Varly the number one position in the bag. Jose Theodore is in the final year of his contract and I would expect that he will be playing top notch goaltending throughout camp and the preseason to retain his formally number one spot.
At this point the battle really comes down all three goaltenders, Theodore, Neuvirth and Varlamov for spots one and two on the Caps roster. And the competition looks fierce.
There will be some new goaltending faces at camp, like Jason Bacashihua. He was originally drafted by Dallas in '01, and played a game or two for the St. Louis Blues. He was signed as a UFA by Hershey/Capitals in July. Also Todd Ford, a tall goaltender at 6'4", who was originally a Toronto draft pick in '02. Ford has struggled being sent back and forth from the one minor team to the next, but found a nitch in the ECHL with Victoria where he had a .915 save percentage and 2.64 GAA.
Joe Finley is listed on the forwards side of the roster instead of defense. It is not that big of a surprise as the coaches made the switch at developing camp in July. It a lot of ways I can see what they are trying to get out of Finley, a big gritty forward that has size and isn't afraid to hit wearing down opposing defenders and playing a good two way game. Think of it as a David Steckel clone perhaps. Finley's move to the forward position has been one he has been told to work on all summer. Per Tarik on his blog:
Micheal Dubuc returns. He easily impressed the coaches in development camp and could fight for a spot on the squad. It will be easier to gain a grasp of what he is capable of when he is mixed in with the veterans, but he should be the one to watch for the rookie game and in intrasquad scrimmages. He just has a nose for finding the back of the net.
Some noticeable misses in the rookie camp roster are defenseman Patrick Wey, forward Greg Burke, center Phil DeSimone, goalie Dan Dunn, forward Andrew Glass, and defenseman Dmitri Orlov (all were at the summer development camp, but according to the list generated by the Caps media relations none of these names appear on the rookie or training camp rosters).
Battles for defense should be a good one. Black horse and underdog Karl Alzner could crack the opening night roster. So could Tyler Sloan, a popular choice of the coaches when the blue line was hurt last season, and also rookie John Carlson, who has done nothing but improve every time we see him. It will be a tough nut to crack because the Capitals did not lose a single starting defensemen in the off season. All will return and all will be looking to keep their spots with the big club.
The Capitals training camp practices are open to the public and start today at 10:30 am. Rookie Camp is first and ends on Friday with the rookie game against Philadelphia in Vorhees N.J. Then the Veterans report on Saturday, September 12th and training camp begins on Sunday with the first squad hitting the ice at 10 am, the second at 11:45 am and the third group at 2:15 pm. Times are subject to change. Schedule of all the caps training camp practices and schedules can be found on the Caps' website.
Hockey is back!
Their hope is not only to battle for first in both their division and in their conference, but a team that can and will make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. This is a team that felt if they had different fortunes in a certain game seven, they would be the ones lifting a special banner this October. This is the Cup or bust season for the Capitals.
Not that any player would say such a thing, but read between the lines and you will notice this team finds its exit from the post season last spring a bit unsettling. They plan to fix that bad heartburn they had just 4 months ago.
And it all starts here, at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. 71 players will take to these two rinks atop the Ballston Commons parking garage to take on another grueling NHL season. Rookies will take the stage first, then veterans wander in a week later. And just ten days from now, the Caps will be playing in their first preseason game in Buffalo N.Y.
Here are a few interesting things you will see and want to keep an eye on this week at KCI.
Semyon Varlamov changed the spelling of his first name and has some new pads. He will also be on the ice for the rookie camp. Along with Braden Holtby and Micheal Neuvirth, the goaltenders will be battling for spots in Hershey and for the Capitals. Don't think that Varly the number one position in the bag. Jose Theodore is in the final year of his contract and I would expect that he will be playing top notch goaltending throughout camp and the preseason to retain his formally number one spot.
At this point the battle really comes down all three goaltenders, Theodore, Neuvirth and Varlamov for spots one and two on the Caps roster. And the competition looks fierce.
There will be some new goaltending faces at camp, like Jason Bacashihua. He was originally drafted by Dallas in '01, and played a game or two for the St. Louis Blues. He was signed as a UFA by Hershey/Capitals in July. Also Todd Ford, a tall goaltender at 6'4", who was originally a Toronto draft pick in '02. Ford has struggled being sent back and forth from the one minor team to the next, but found a nitch in the ECHL with Victoria where he had a .915 save percentage and 2.64 GAA.
Joe Finley is listed on the forwards side of the roster instead of defense. It is not that big of a surprise as the coaches made the switch at developing camp in July. It a lot of ways I can see what they are trying to get out of Finley, a big gritty forward that has size and isn't afraid to hit wearing down opposing defenders and playing a good two way game. Think of it as a David Steckel clone perhaps. Finley's move to the forward position has been one he has been told to work on all summer. Per Tarik on his blog:
"We told [Finley] we wanted to try him at forward and we wanted him to go back to North Dakota to practice as a forward," [Bruce] Boudreau said. "We want to see how much that has improved because I asked him on the last day [of development camp]. Now he's had a couple of months."We will see how that little experiment goes.
Micheal Dubuc returns. He easily impressed the coaches in development camp and could fight for a spot on the squad. It will be easier to gain a grasp of what he is capable of when he is mixed in with the veterans, but he should be the one to watch for the rookie game and in intrasquad scrimmages. He just has a nose for finding the back of the net.
Some noticeable misses in the rookie camp roster are defenseman Patrick Wey, forward Greg Burke, center Phil DeSimone, goalie Dan Dunn, forward Andrew Glass, and defenseman Dmitri Orlov (all were at the summer development camp, but according to the list generated by the Caps media relations none of these names appear on the rookie or training camp rosters).
Battles for defense should be a good one. Black horse and underdog Karl Alzner could crack the opening night roster. So could Tyler Sloan, a popular choice of the coaches when the blue line was hurt last season, and also rookie John Carlson, who has done nothing but improve every time we see him. It will be a tough nut to crack because the Capitals did not lose a single starting defensemen in the off season. All will return and all will be looking to keep their spots with the big club.
The Capitals training camp practices are open to the public and start today at 10:30 am. Rookie Camp is first and ends on Friday with the rookie game against Philadelphia in Vorhees N.J. Then the Veterans report on Saturday, September 12th and training camp begins on Sunday with the first squad hitting the ice at 10 am, the second at 11:45 am and the third group at 2:15 pm. Times are subject to change. Schedule of all the caps training camp practices and schedules can be found on the Caps' website.
Hockey is back!
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