Heading into the draft on June 25th, there was speculation over what the Caps might do. Would they trade their first round pick? Would they trade Semin? Would they bring in a top d-man? In the end, they did nothing but make the 26th selection. The Capitals selected Evgeny Kuznetov, an exciting forward from Russia. GM George McPhee in fact said he was looking to trade up as many as ten places to get their man, but in the end there was no need. The center played 35 games in the KHL last season, but really impressed in the World Under-18 Championships, captaining Russia and finishing with twelve points in seven games. With the 86th overall pick, the Caps then selected Stanislav Galiev. I for one was excited before the draft about the prospect of drafting Galiev in the first round, as he seemed like a perfect fit for the Caps – a young Russian winger who is familiar with the Western style of play. So to see him selected in the third round was a welcome surprise. Galiev managed sixty-two points in sixty-seven games in the QJMHL last season. In the rest of the draft, the Caps traded their fourth and fifth round picks to Toronto to move up four places and select German goaltender Philipp Grubauer of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires. Center Caleb Herbert and defenseman Samuel Carrier rounded off the Caps picks in an overall successful draft.

With no players traded in or out at the draft, moves on July 1st seemed even more likely, especially given the high number of potentially top-line d-men available. But the big-name defensemen all found their new teams without as much as a whisper of the Caps’ involvement. On July 2nd though, George McPhee signed veteran goalie Dany Sabourin to a one-year, two-way deal worth five-hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. Sabourin will spend the vast majority of the season in Hershey, though, only stepping into the Capitals roster if either Varlamov or Neuvirth is injured, after McPhee has asserted that the two youngsters will be the Caps’ number one and number two this year. As exciting as these prospects are, the lack of an experienced goalie to step in if there is an injury, a definite possibility given Varly’s injury problems, is worrying. However Sabourin is a capable backup if needed.

A big reason for the lack of activity in Washington is the team’s RFAs. With Eric Fehr, Tomas Fleischmann, Jeff Schultz and Boyd Gordon all restricted free agents, the organisation were wise not to spend much (or any) of their roughly 15 million dollars in cap space. But now all but Fleischmann have been signed to extensions. First Gordon signed a one-year contract worth $800,000, a good deal for both sides. Schultz then signed a four-year deal at $2.75million per year; fantastic news for Caps fans as the team gets a key member of their young defensive core locked up for the next few years. And Eric Fehr signed a two-year extension worth $4.4million. Fehr still has something to prove, after not quite living up to his potential just yet, despite impressing with limited ice time. Now with only Fleischmann, who has filed for arbitration, left to try to work out a contract with the Caps, the organisation may start looking into trade options, to bring in the necessary parts to complete the team. The main areas of speculation will be a second-line center and a top line d-man. And although McPhee has assured fans that there are the players in the organisation to fill both roles, with a fair bit of cap space, there could be a trade in store for the Capitals.

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One who will see very little, if any, time in Washington in future years; confined to providing experience and leadership to the Hershey Bears. Grade: D

Mike Knuble – 69 Games, 29 Goals-24 Assists-53 Points, +23 Rating

A fantastic signing in the offseason and fully deserves the one-year extension he signed earlier this year. Knuble started on the second line and played pretty well there, but he struggled to make a proper impact, as Brooks Laich was already fulfilling the role he aimed to take up. But after a stroke of genius from Bruce Boudreau, Mike Knuble ignited the top line and showed immediate chemistry with Ovechkin and Backstrom. He gave Backstrom time to pass and Ovechkin space to shoot, and he often found himself with the opportunity to put the puck in the net, which he regularly took. The biggest question concerning Knuble is whether or not he will be able to keep up with the pace of the Caps top line, but he has earned a chance to further prove himself with an excellent season. Grade: A+

Quintin Laing – 36 Games, 2 Goals-2 Assists-4 Points, +2 Rating

A good role player for the Caps, Laing was thrown into the line-up unexpectedly due to injuries, but managed to hold his place there bringing more speed and grit to the fourth line, but more notably repeatedly sacrificing his body to block shots. It was this, however that resulted in Laing losing his place in the team, as he broke his jaw blocking a shot, leaving him out for several weeks, by which time the Caps managed to replace him. Still, he showed his value to the team and will be a good reserve on the fourth line again next season. Grade: C+

Brooks Laich – 78 Games, 25 Goals-34 Assists-59 Points, +16 Rating

It was another solid season for Brooks Laich, doing what he does best, playing hard for the team, hustling in front of the net to create chances for his teammates and himself. Laich was really the only Cap to hold down his place on the second line, and did extremely well to maintain his point-production with a variety of linemates. Brooksy is an integral part of this club and will remain a good second-line winger for a good few years. Grade: A-

Brendan Morrison – 74 Games, 12 Goals-30 Assists-42 Points, +23 Rating

It was a season of two halves for Brendan Morrison. In the first, he was scoring plenty of points, fully earning his role as second-line center, the position the Caps needed him to fill when they brought him in to the team. However in December, B-Mo suffered a sudden slump. He went months without a goal and received much less ice-time as a result, eventually losing his place down the stretch. Morrison won’t be returning to Washington next year, as the organisation looks for a more consistent second line centerman. Grade: B-

Alex Ovechkin – 72 Games, 50 Goals-59 Assists-109 Points, +45 Rating

Another stunning season of speed, skill and plenty of goals for Alex Ovechkin led to yet another Hart Trophy nomination. Many Caps fans argued that it was Ovechkin’s best season to date, as he managed more than 1.5 points per game; missing ten games of the season due to injury and suspension. However, Ovechkin seemed to cross over the edge with his hits too much, being ejected from the game on three occasions. His game is so successful because of his physical firepower, but this year he took it too far a couple of times, and whilst he continued to produce offensively, he needed to contain his aggression, or passion, for the good of the team. He deserved to be made captain of this team, as he often leads the team by example, and is clearly the most passionate member of the club. Obviously already a Capitals legend, a Capitals captain for years to come, but Ovie may need to just put a lid on his aggression at times to lead his team. Grade: A+

Mathieu Perreault – 21 Games, 4 Goals-5 Assists-9 Points, +4 Rating

Although he didn’t produce to the extent many fans would have hoped, Perreault looked an exciting prospect during his time in Washington, playing with a lot of flair and surprising grit and determination for a smaller player. Perrault looks set to battle for the second line center position next year, most likely with fellow prospects Anton Gustafsson and Marcus Johansson, as the Caps look to promote from within the organisation. If, as many fans expect, he gets the job, he may take some time to get into his stride, but has shown he can produce skilful hockey at NHL level. Grade: B-

Alex Semin – 73 Games, 40 Goals-44 Assists-84 Points, +36 Rating

Going into the offseason, Alex Semin is the most likely Capitals player to move. Although he has been excellent in Washington, he was not as impressive as he has been last year, and has gone missing during the playoffs during his career. With plenty of depth and ability on the wings, the Caps may well consider trading Semin to bring in a top line defenseman, or possibly a goaltender. Semin did have a great season for Washington on both the first and the second line, but he hasn’t always fitted on the top line, and is too good to be playing on the second line, so could be more valuable to the club in a trade. Grade: A-

Dave Steckel – 79 Games, 5 Goals-11 Assists-16 Points, +4 Rating

Although his stats aren’t too impressive, Dave Steckel had a great season this year, spending a lot of time killing penalties, excelling especially in the faceoff circle. He showed his value to the team at fourth line center, earning him a 3 year, $3.3million, contract extension. Steckel will continue to provide size and skill next year. Grade: B

Scott Walker – 9 Games, 2 Goals-1 Assist- 3 Points, +1 Rating

Brought in at the trade deadline to bring experience down the stretch, Walker failed to break into the team, despite an impressive 2-goal debut. Walker didn’t have much time in Washington and won’t be back next season. Grade: C-

Kyle Wilson – 2 Games, 0 Goals-2 Assists-2 Points, +1 Rating

Wilson is unfortunate to play in a position where the Caps have a lot of depth; however the centerman could be useful to the team as a depth forward in the future. Grade: C-

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I was sceptical about the trade that brought Chimera to the Caps, as we were losing captain Chris Clark, but he slotted into the line up quite nicely at third line left wing, and gradually increased the line’s production. His speedy game contributed to the Capitals’ success later in the season and he has justified the move that brought him to Washington. Grade: B

Eric Fehr – 69 Games, 21 Goals-18 Assists-39 Points, +18 Rating

It was a bit of break-out season for Eric Fehr this year. When he started getting himself to the net, a tactic that brought him success in the junior leagues, he found the net more often, and he became a troublesome force for opponents to deal with. However, when he was put onto the second line, a promotion which he had deserved, he struggled to produce as he had on the third line, despite the extra ice time. Perhaps Fehr is not yet ready to step up, but his play suggests he is close. Grade: B+

Tomas Fleischmann – 69 Games, 23 Goals-28 Assists-51 Points, +9 Rating

Highs and lows was the theme of Tomas Fleischmann’s season. He started the season late due to injury, but was on fire for the first few months. However he then found himself in a dry spell after the Olympic break, and although he picked his game up a little later in the year, he went missing in the last few games of the regular season. The trouble the coaching staff have with Flash is where to play him. He is good enough, when he’s on form, to play on the second line, but the two wingers, Laich and Semin, are too good not to play on the second line. And Fleischmann is inconsistent at center, struggling especially in the face-off circle. However he isn’t suited to playing on the third line, as he produces his best hockey with more skilful linemates. He is now an RFA and has earned a raise in salary, however according to reports a deal is not close, which is worrying for Caps fans, as Flash is a talented, versatile forward whose game suits this team. Grade: A-

Alex Giroux – 9 Games, 1 Goal-2 Assists-3 Points, +3 Rating

A disappointingly short spell in Washington highlighted Giroux’s lack of sufficient quality to step into the NHL, despite another fantastic season with the Hershey Bears. In the AHL, Giroux is a top performer, but with limited ice time failed to perform at the higher level. His game suits the Caps system, but he has never been able to show the flair and skill he shows for the Bears, when he’s in the NHL. He’s another player who will remain a depth forward in the organisation, spending the majority of his time in Hershey. Grade: C-

Andrew Gordon – 2 Games, 0 Goals-0 Assists-0 Points, -2 Rating

This young right winger has shown a lot of potential, and will most likely be in the Caps line-up in the next couple of years, but still needs to develop his game to become NHL-ready. But the signs are promising; Gordon finished the year third in points amongst Bears skaters, so he looks like he is well on the way to joining the Capitals roster. Grade: C

Boyd Gordon – 36 Games, 4 Goals-6 Assists-10 Points, +4 Rating

Injury and bad form kept Boyd Gordon from really breaking into the Capitals line-up, and these struggles may continue next season. Other players, such as Steckel and Laing, have shown more development in the Capitals line up, and with players from Hershey set to step up next year, Gordon may find himself spending much more time in the AHL. Grade: C

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His brief spell in the NHL was a successful one, however the aging Aucoin has never really seemed to possess the quality to play regularly for the Capitals, despite leading the AHL in regular season scoring with 106 points. Aucoin will remain in the Capitals organisation next season, but will rarely see time in the NHL; he is disadvantaged by being too similar to the younger, more exciting Mathieu Perreault, but he could do a job for the team if called upon. Grade: C

Nicklas Backstrom – 82 Games, 33 Goals-68 Assists-101 Points, +37 Rating

The stats say most of it really. A fantastic season for Nick, setting career highs in goals, assists and points. The increase in goals was the main improvement in Backstrom’s game. He started shooting more when he had the chance to, and developed a great chemistry with Ovechkin and Knuble on the top line. He earned the 10-year, $6.7 million per year, contract extension this summer. The Swede is one of the best passers in the league, playing alongside the best goalscorer in the league, perfectly fulfilling the role he was brought to Washington to do. He is central to the Capitals’ future and at just 22, could still get better. Grade: A+

Jay Beagle – 7 Games, 1 Goal-1 Assist-2 Points, -1 Rating

It was only a brief spell with the Caps for Jay Beagle, who impressed in Hershey, but he will struggle to make the Caps roster in future years, with a number of centers having shown more quality in the NHL. Beagle seems to be a player who could be impressive in the AHL but only used when needed for the Capitals. Grade: C

Eric Belanger – 17 Games, 2 Goals-4 Assists-6 Points, +3 Rating

Belanger provided some experience down the stretch and, and although his stats were average, he filled the gap at third line center and quickly developed a good relationship with the team. Belanger should be back with the Caps next year, but with depth and some young talent potentially coming up from the Hershey Bears in his position next year, he may not be re-signed. Grade: B-

Chris Bourque – 1 Game, 0 Goals-0 Assists-0 Points, 0 Rating

Bourque is another who fails to perform at NHL level, no matter how good he is in the AHL. It was fantastic season for Hershey for Bourque, despite only being picked up off waivers from the Penguins about 20 games into the season, so he may remain in the organisation for a few years, but will only be used by the Caps as a depth player. Grade: C-

Matt Bradley – 77 Games, 10 Goals-14 Assists-24 Points, +6 Rating

Another solid season for Bradley, doing what he does best; defending his teammates and chipping away at the opposition. With a young team, veterans like Bradley will become essential to the Caps’ success. Grade: B+

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It was a stand-out season for Tom Poti this year. Although he didn’t shine through the first half of the season he was consistently solid, and he really improved his offensive play particularly later in the season, often stepping up to provide more attacking options for the puck-carrier. Poti brought a wealth of experience to a young defense later in the season and was excellent when playing with John Carlson later in the year, willing to step back and allow Carlson the freedom to go forward effectively. After he was made alternate captain in January, we really saw the best of Poti and he will be a quietly essential part of the team next season. Grade: A-

Jeff Schultz – 73 Games, 3 Goals-20 Assists-23 Points, +50 Rating

Another player who had an incredible season. Amidst worries that the Capitals were missing a top line d-man who could compliment Mike Green, Schultz produced consistently excellent performances, ending the season with the league lead in +/- and guaranteeing himself a place on the Caps roster next year. Sadly for Jeff, with Alzner and Carlson coming up from Hershey and GM George McPhee reportedly looking to bring in another top four defenseman, Schultz could find himself demoted to the third line next season. However, whatever role he takes, fans can be sure Schultz will impress again. Grade: A

Tyler Sloan – 40 Games, 2 Goals-4 Assists-6 Points, -1 Rating

Like many other d-men, young Sloan was in and out of the line-up, however didn’t see much ice time in the season and failed to show much quality. However, he will probably remain on the roster next year, as he can play both forward and defense – which he did this season – to provide some versatility. But he won’t receive much ice time and may find himself back with the Bears for a large part of the season. Grade: C-

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In and out of the line-up for the majority of the season, Erskine was a consistent performer and always did what he does best – played hard, physical hockey and stood up for his teammates. He has never been expected to contribute offensively, but he’s brought some grit and strength to the blue line. However he has been guilty of some costly errors in the defensive zone. At times he doesn’t seem to fit the Capitals free-flowing attacking style of play, but he does add some balance to the roster. Grade: B-

Mike Green – 75 Games, 19 Goals-57 Assists-76 Points, +39 Rating

Another superb season for Green resulted in a second Norris Trophy nomination, and this year he has more chance of winning the award. He massively improved defensively, whilst maintaining his offensive play to a high standard. Averaging more than a point per game is an amazing achievement and he hasn’t been as unreliable in his own zone as he used to be. Greeny was unlucky not to be part of the Canadian Olympic team and was clearly affected by being left off the roster, but he went on playing his own game, not changing his style after further scrutiny of his defensive ability, and that was what this explosive team needed from him, as he continued to provide more offense and excitement. Grade: A+

Milan Jurcina – 27 Games, 0 Goals-4 Assists-4 Points, 0 Rating

A less than impressive season for Jurcina, as he failed to impress in the first few months, resulting in him being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He played to his strengths; throwing some solid hits and blocking shots, but although he wasn’t particularly bad, he didn’t warrant selection ahead of the other Caps’ d-men waiting in the wings and could easily be covered when lost. Although he was brought back on the trade deadline, he didn’t play again in the season due to injury and most likely won’t be in Washington next season, with the Caps depth on the blue line starting to add up. Grade: C+

Shaone Morrisonn – 68 Games, 1 Goal-11 Assists-12 Points, +8 Rating

Another quiet but consistent season for Morrisonn who in the lack of other physical threats in the line up seemed to improve the physical side of his game and started to step in to defend teammates later in the season; which the team needed him to do. Morrisonn has been a good role player on the second and third defensive lines for the Capitals and has warranted a place on the roster next year to provide some grit and hard-work and more experience compared to what looks like it will be a young Caps’ defense. Grade: B

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Alzner spent much of the season moving back and forth from Hershey and Washington, but when he was with the Capitals, he was consistently solid on the blue line. Similar to Jeff Schultz in style, Alzner isn’t as attacking as other Caps d-men, but he did bring some balance to the team. However he seemed nervous and at times out of place in the NHL, hence his less-than-expected playing time for the Capitals, after showing plenty of promise in the AHL. Once he becomes more confident in himself, we should see less mistakes and more ability. Definitely one for the future, but for now, not quite ready for the NHL. Grade: B-

John Carlson – 22 Games, 1 Goal-5 Assists-6 Points, +11 Rating

Carlson became a prominent part of the team late in the regular season, having shown some promise when called up earlier in the year. At first, he seemed cautious to venture forward into the offensive zone, but as he became more comfortable in the NHL, he showed more of his attacking ability, as he displayed in the World Junior Championships for the USA. This youngster seems to be of the Mike Green mould, making his potential partnership with Karl Alzner very exciting for Caps fans, given the success of the Green-Schultz pairing. He still has some work to do, but has shown a whole load of natural ability and seems to work well with his teammates. Carlson has shown a lot of flair late in the season, and is a very exciting prospect, who will most likely be with the Capitals come the start of next season. Grade: B+

Joe Corvo – 18 Games, 2 Goals-4 Assists-6 Points, -4 Rating

Coming to Washington on trade deadline day, Corvo cost the Capitals quite a lot, and sadly didn’t really justify the trade. He wasn’t exactly what Caps fans wanted – a big-name, crease-clearing defenseman – but he brought some experience to the blue line down the stretch. Corvo wasn’t a good fit for the Caps, and failed to develop a solid partnership, and probably had a negative effect on Tom Poti, whose season somewhat trailed off towards the end. Corvo was neither solid defensively, nor very creative offensively. In his short time in Washington, Corvo failed to make any real impact; his future probably lies elsewhere. Grade: B-

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Semyon Varlamov – 26 games played in, 23 starts, 15-4-6, 2 shutouts, 2.55 GAA, .909 SV%

After his success in the 09 playoffs, many fans were excited about the prospect of Varly as the starting goalie for seasons to come. And at the start of the year, he quickly got the starter’s job. He was 12-1-2 with GAA 2.12 and SV% .924 before he picked up a groin injury in mid-december. Although it seemed a minor injury, it kept the young Russian out until just before the Olympic break. After he returned, he didn’t really look the same; he was rusty and seemed pretty awkward in net to begin with. He began to regain his form later in the season, but was firmly behind Jose Theodore in the race for the number one spot at the end of the regular season. Overall, a good season that was somewhat spoilt by a niggling injury. Grade: A minus

Jose Theodore – 47 games played in, 43 starts, 30-7-7, 1 shutout, 2.81 GAA, .911 SV%

A nomination for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy really shows the kind of year Jose Theodore has had. On August 20 2009, it was reported that Theodore’s son Chace had died due to complications stemming from a premature birth. But Theodore still somehow managed to focus himself on his game at the start of the season, in spite of such a devastating loss. However, he still quickly became cemented backup to Semyon Varlamov. His performances on the ice just weren’t quite good enough. And then Varlamov injured his groin. With Varlamov out for a few months, Theodore had a chance to regain the starter’s job. But it was Michal Neuvirth, called up from the Hershey Bears, who was playing the better hockey. That was until back-to-back midweek games in Florida against both the Lightning and the Panthers in early January. Neuvirth was pulled after conceding four goals in the first period, as the Caps lost 7-4 to the Lightning. But Neuvirth still got the start a day later against the Panthers, and was once again replaced by Theodore after conceding four goals in two periods. This was the point which turned the Caps’ season from good to great. The Capitals rallied to beat the Panthers 5-4 in a shootout and, with some of the best goaltending this team has seen in several years from Theodore, a 14-game winning streak followed. Even after the streak ended, and Varlamov returned, Theodore continued to produce at times stunning goaltending to firmly take his place as the Capitals’ number one. After a tragic loss, Theodore had his best season since 01/02, fully earning his Masterton nomination. Grade: A

Michal Neuvirth – 17 games played in, 16 starts, 9-4-0, 0 shutouts, 2.75 GAA, .914 SV%

Only coming into the team as a backup when Varlamov was injured, nobody expected too much from Neuvirth. But he soon started to surprise fans, playing consistently and confidently, and even after being pulled twice in two days, he managed to come back in his next start ten days later to produce a solid performance to maintain the team’s winning streak. Neuvy played a reasonably small role in the team’s season, but showed some class and a lot of potential. Certainly a young talent with a great future, who will have benefited from a good spell in the NHL. Grade: B+

The organisation has some interesting decisions to make about goaltending. Theodore’s rather expensive contract expires this year, but Varlamov’s injury problems will remain worrying. However, Neuvirth has proved he is ready to step into the NHL if needed. I hope the Caps sign a veteran goalie, like Marty Turco for one year, to share the load, and bring a bit of experience amongst the youth.

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Firstly, though, the most immediately obvious question, why did the Capitals lose? As with most failures I think it was a mix of things, but contrary to what some people might suggest, I think it was not the extremely attacking philosophy employed by the organisation. I think the problem was that the offense wasn’t good enough. The power play finished a woeful 1-for-33, Alex Semin finished with no goals, one assist, and only really Alex Ovechkin performed to a standard near to what he had managed in the regular season. And I think the reason behind this was the attitude with which the team finished out the regular season. The President’s Trophy was wrapped up with games still to play, so the players had nothing to play for in the last few games of the regular season. And in the first couple games of the playoffs, the intensity just wasn’t really there. Only in the 2nd period of Game 2 did we see the Caps’ show their flair, after a poor first game and a half. The offensive machine took it’s time to get going, and although they showed their ability in a couple of games, they struggled when facing a defense play top class playoff-hockey, as the Habs did in Games 5, 6 and 7.

Secondly, the question facing the organisation in the coming longer-than-expected offseason, should the Washington Capitals rethink their strategy? Thomas Boswell raises this question in his column for the Washington Post, asking if the Caps’ offensive philosophy is, although very effective in the regular season, not capable of winning a Stanley Cup. If so, a whole turn-around is required, with a number of big players being traded. However, what I think we need to remember is that the Capitals are still a young team. Looking at the top line players, with the exception of the 38-year-old Knuble: Ovechkin, 24, Backstrom, 22, Green, 24, Schultz, 24, Varlamov, 22. And with more prospects like John Carlson, 20, Karl Alzner, 21 and Michal Neuvirth, 22 already proving their potential in the NHL, the future is bright in Washington. Specifically, the Capitals have great potential on the blue line, the problem many see with the current Caps roster. So I am not unduly worried, as there is plenty of time. I have said many times this season that I thought next year would be our year.

Thirdly, what off-season moves need to be made? First in goal; Jose Theodore is a UFA and despite his good record, especially during the long mid-season winning streak, I don’t see him being missed. Since he broke into the team in last year’s playoffs, most fans have seen Varlamov as the future of Capitals goaltending, and Neuvirth has proven he can be a very good backup to Varly. Second on defense; although many expected a solid, stay-at-home d-man to be acquired at the trade deadline, none were. I think the Caps need one - an experienced, consistent 2nd line defenseman to help integrate the younger players into the team. A big name is not needed – Jeff Schultz has showed with his +50 rating that he can play on the top line with Mike Green, but more defensive experience is needed. Third on offense: Alex Semin brings the biggest speculation. He was signed to a one-year contract extension, so is a UFA at the end of next year, but after his poor playoffs, and the value he would bring, I suspect he may be traded, although possibly not until the trade deadline, when George McPhee has more idea of what he wants. A second line center is needed – the departing Brendan Morrison didn’t really do it, but other than that, the roster will most likely remain intact. So, big change isn’t really needed, unlike this poor showing in the playoffs might indicate. Just some fine-tuning, and patience.

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Over the past three seasons, including this one, Green has 67 goals, 135 assists in 222 games. That includes over a point a game this season and last. Now you say, “Isn’t the Norris for the best “Defense” man in the league?” Yes. He plays in all situations, including the penalty kill. And a major stat to back up this claim. He was +24 last season and is +35 this season. That is among the best, especially on a run and gun team. People say, the team scores so many goals, it is easy to rack up the plus, but with such an offense, your defense has even more pressure to perform. To put up those numbers once could be a lucky season, but to have gotten better each year in the league and continue to put up the same numbers is impressive, and that doesn’t take into account the intangibles he brings to the team.

The point is, people always claim he is a liability on the defensive side of things, but if someone has over a point a game from a position that should not result in such stats, and if someone has one of the best plus/minus in the league, and plays shy of 30 minutes each game in all situations. It is time for the “experts” to stop calling out his “defensive liability” and look at the facts… facts that should warrant some hardware on his mantle.

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Facing a fellow challenger for the President’s Trophy, the Caps found themselves down 3-0, without captain Alex Ovechkin, and looking like lost little kids, with just one period to try to turn things around. Cue Nick Backstrom to take centre stage. Backstrom and the Caps awesome power play quickly got one back for the Capitals, and then scored just a second after the end of a 5-on-3 chance. Eric Fehr’s great run of form continued with the game-tying goal, and finally, Backstrom rounded off the comeback. Once again the Caps showed their mettle without Ovechkin, but the most important thing was a victory against the very good Blackhawks. Theodore was solid in goal; he couldn’t really do anything about the Hawks’ goals, although the defense once again looked shaky before yet another offensive bail-out.

After Ovechkin was given a two-game suspension (the more I think about it the more I agree with the decision), it was the Florida Panthers to feel the wrath of the Capitals, led by…Brendan Morrison? Yes, that’s right. Goalless in 16 games, and only one in the past 31, stuck in a prolonged slump, B-Mo notched a goal and two assists in the kind of performance that will have given him a real chance of cementing a spot in the line-up for the run-in. Before the game Coach Boudreau said he was starting to decide on the line-up he would stick with down the stretch, and after being a healthy scratch for the Blackhawks game, Morrison was definitely on the outside looking in. The Caps put 7 past the Panthers, Eric Fehr once again finding the net with the game-winner, and Brooks Laich also shone with a two-goal, three-point night. And in the race for the number one goalie spot, Jose Theodore chalked up his 25th win of the season.

In the second of the two Ovechkinless games, the Capitals offense looked good once again against the Hurricanes. This time, Joe Corvo was the star, netting two goals against his former teammates. The problem was defense. Chad Larose was allowed a breakaway goal after both Green and Corvo pinched in from the point, leaving the Caps 3-2 down late in the third. Fortunately, Eric Fehr just keeps scoring at the moment and his quick shot from Brendan Morrison’s set up found the corner of the goal with 10 seconds on the clock. But another defensive lapse, this time from Green and Schultz, gave Ray Whitney too much time to net the game-winner. Varlamov had another average game in net, still looking below his pre-injury standard, further strengthening Theodore’s case for the number one spot.

A lot has been found from these three games. First, the Caps again showed they are just fine without Ovechkin. Second, Brendan Morrison brought himself storming back into the coaches’ plans for the playoffs. Third, the Caps defense once again showed they need a lot of work to be a Cup-winning defense. And finally, Jose Theodore seems to be just one good game away from firmly cementing his place as the starting goalie for the playoffs.

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A couple of my dad’s business associates were at Verizon Center for the electrifying Dallas game and they were kind enough to share some of their views on the experience. “Loud. The entire arena in red”, they write, “Backstrom’s assists are phenomenal. Caps fell asleep in the second half but Ovie saved another one with an amazing juke. Not a pretty shootout. Stars win. Verizon Center deadly quiet.”

It was certainly an exciting game to watch and Ovechkin did save the Caps with a classic Ovechkin goal after the Stars had rallied in the third to lead 3-2. Ovechkin’s excellent performance, after he’d been in a bit of a slump recently, was outdone, though, by Marty Turco. The Dallas goaltender stopped 49 of 52 shots from the Caps to give the Stars a chance of coming back from the 2-0 deficit they face going into the third period; a chance they gladly took. Once again the Caps’ penalty killing let them down and if it weren’t for the great play of Backstrom and Ovechkin, they wouldn’t have picked up even one point.

After sitting out the Dallas game as line-up changes continued, Thomas Fleischmann was the difference-maker in the Canes game, hitting the winner with 1:40 left in OT. Mike Green showed why the Caps have the number one power play in the league with two PP goals. Alex Ovechkin also notched assists numbers 49 and 50, taking him to 94 points from 59 games this season. But I think the key to the Caps’ increased success this season has been Nick Backstrom. The young Swedish center has already reached 80 points again, but he also has 26 goals from 67 games this season, compared with 36 from 164 in the previous two seasons. Now that Ovechkin is getting more help in the goals department, with not only he and Alex Semin, but the likes of Backstrom, Knuble, Laich and Fleischmann reaching the 20 goal mark (okay Flash is still one goal off but he’ll get there soon), is the reason why Ovie now has 50 assists, and why the Caps have managed 264 goals. That’s an average of 3.94 per game.

The Capitals have now secured the South-East division for the third straight year with an incredible thirty-three point lead over the Thrashers, and have a healthy fourteen-point lead over the Penguins in second in the Eastern Conference. The challenge now is the President’s Trophy. With the Sharks just four points behind on 95, and the Blackhawks two points further back, and both those teams having played one less than Washington, the race for the overall NHL lead is heating up. This Sunday’s game with the Hawks looks to be a wild encounter.

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First: The Capitals acquired Scott Walker from the Carolina Hurricanes for a 7th round pick in 2010. For me this is a great trade. Walker is a great character player, bringing a bit of depth on the right wing which was lost with the departure of Chris Clark. To only give up a 7th rounder here to me is an excellent bit of business getting the day going.

Second: Eric Belanger was acquired from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a 2nd round pick in 2010. I wasn’t too sure about this trade. Obviously, George McPhee is looking for depth and role players for the playoff stretch, however I thought a 2nd rounder might be a bit too much for Belanger. I haven’t seen much of the Wild this year, but Belanger doesn’t seem to be a definite second line center (which is what the Capitals have needed with Brendan Morrison and Thomas Fleischmann failing to fill the role well enough).

Third: Interestingly, the Caps re-acquired defenseman Milan Jurcina, who was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets in December in the deal that brought Jason Chimera to Washington. The Jackets got the Caps’ 6th round pick in 2010. I highly rate Jurcina and was sad to see him depart in December, so I’m glad he’s back and a 6th rounder is a very good price in my opinion. Jurcina brings more strength and big shooting back to the blue line.

Fourth: Finally, in their biggest trade of the day, the Capitals traded Brian Pothier, prospect Oskar Osala and a 2nd round pick in 2011 to the Hurricanes for d-man Joe Corvo. The price was high – Pothier has been a solid blue-liner for a good few years in Washington, Osala has shown good potential in Hershey with pretty decent scoring in the past couple of years, and a 2nd rounder is a 2nd rounder – but Joe Corvo represents something the Capitals needed; a solid, experienced defenseman who could compliment Mike Green’s extremely offensive style.

Overall: The Caps give up two 2nd rounder, one 6th rounder, and one 7th rounder in draft picks, Brian Pothier and Oskar Osala; and gain Scott Walker, Eric Belanger, Milan Jurcina and Joe Corvo. Giving up draft picks over the next couple of years is not actually that bad. The Caps have a lot of good youngsters like Neuvirth, Alzner and Carlson almost ready to fully step up to NHL level. Brian Pothier is not a big loss, especially with the acquisitions of both Corvo and Jurcina, and Osala is just one of many prospects in the organisation. Walker and Belanger bring experience and depth, and Jurcina and Corvo sure up the defense.

So it’s been a day of a lot of slight improvements, to ensure the team has the depth and character to make a deep run into the playoffs and a great shot at the Stanley Cup. Tonight’s game against Buffalo is the first back after the disappointing Olympic break, but the next few games will be testing for the new-look Capitals. We’ll see how these trades affect them.

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As far as cap space goes, the Caps have some space with about 3 million to work with. George McPhee’s policy of not handing out big, lengthy contracts seems to be paying off.

Given that the team is on form, and showing real potential for a shot at the cup, I doubt there will be much change. Especially in offense. I stated before that I was not happy with the Chimera trade, and although I still miss Chris Clark, and Jurcina to some extent, it’s hard to argue with a 14-game winning streak (and counting) whilst he’s been here. I can see that Chimera has slotted in well to fill the left wing position on the third line, and this is the top offense in the league, so the forward combos seem set for the year (barring injury).

Defensively there have been frailties. The Pittsburgh game highlighted the poor defense, with a lot of giveaways and poor positioning. The Caps cannot always rely on the offense, or the goalie, to bail them out. So what’s missing? A big top line d-man. Jeff Schultz is turning into a great shut-down defenseman alongside Mike Green, but I don’t think he is good enough to be playing top line deep in the playoffs yet. Sheldon Souray’s name was being mentioned, but his injury seems to have quietened those rumours somewhat. I would have loved Dion Phaneuf in Washington, but the Leafs got him. But that move may open up the possibility of Tomas Kaberle being traded. Although, Kaberle is not the biggest, he could partner Mike Green well on the blue-line. Scott Niedermayer was a suggestion as well, although those rumours seem to be fizzling out as it looks more likely he’ll stay in Anaheim. Someone like Niedermayer, though, would be almost perfect for the Caps. Lots of playoff experience and very stable defensively to help partner Green’s offensive prowess.

Goaltending was an area that I had previously thought was going to be a real problem down the stretch unless a trade was made. I got very excited when Turco’s name was being mentioned concerning being traded, as I thought the Capitals needed a consistent experienced goalie to help Varlamov, as Theodore just wasn’t doing it. But as I said in my last post, goaltending is no longer a problem. Jose Theodore has been outstanding throughout this streak and Neuvirth has shown he can be a good backup if one of the top two is injured.

If a trade were to be made, what would the Caps give up? Well, after making the Chimera trade, McPhee said that the team had excess defenseman. So it would seem that at least one defenseman would most likely be involved in any trade, especially if Washington is acquiring a defenseman. I suspect the Capitals may well look to move at least one of Brian Pothier and Shaone Morrisonn, who are both UFAs at the end of the season. However neither’s salary is small and neither is having a great year. So to meet any value, the Caps may need to give up a prospect, such as Karl Alzner or John Carlson. I would not be disappointed with this, though, as we have a real chance at winning the Stanley Cup this year, and the Caps have plenty of promising prospects.

It will be an interesting couple of days, and then an interesting couple of weeks, before the trade deadlines. But even if there are no trades in Washington, this team is going to challenge for the cup.

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It started with the return to the net of Jose Theodore. Theo was publicly frustrated with a lack of playing time as Michal Neuvirth was being given the vast majority of starts in Semyon Varlamov’s absence, but after Neuvy was pulled after conceding four against Tampa Bay, it seemed like Jose would get the start against the Panthers. However, Bruce Boudreau went with the rookie again. After giving up four goals in a period and a half, Neuvirth was once again relieved by Theodore, who backstopped the Caps’ fight back with 15 saves. Since then, Theodore seems to have been on a mission to prove he can still produce some class goaltending, and with the team winning was given the chance to do so. On January 19th, he did just that. With the always-difficult Detroit Redwings visiting Verizon Center, Theodore produced a fantastic display of goaltending, stopping 44 of 46 shots faced as the Caps won 3-2. He was afterwards congratulated by owner Ted Leonsis, as all in attendance were amazed by one of the best goaltending performances by a Capitals’ goalie in recent years. Theodore also recorded an assist on Nick Backstrom’s game-tying goal. With Theo performing excellently, all was good – and Neuvirth returned to winning ways with a solid performance against the Phoenix Coyotes to keep the streak alive – but on Wednesday night, there were fears over Theodore’s health. With the Caps already up 6-2, Theodore was relieved by Neuvirth, as it seemed Boudreau was resting him for Thursday’s clash with the Anaheim Ducks. However it soon became clear that the veteran had picked up an injury. After the game, the team revealed he had picked up a lower-body injury (it turned out to be a hip flexor injury), and was not going to be available for the Ducks game. With Varly already out, this left Neuvirth to start, with 20 year-old Braden Holtby called up from Hershey as backup. After Neuvirth’s previous performances, I was worried he would be lacking confidence, especially against a very good Anaheim side. As it turned out, my fears of the streak ending were unnecessary, as the Caps won 5-1, with Neuvy stopping 30 of 31 shots.

Earlier in the season, I was worried about the Capital’s goaltending situation, with Theodore seeming inconsistent as a backup for young Varlamov. When Varly got injured my fears kicked up a gear. Neuvirth settled my nerves a bit with some good performances to almost take over the number two spot from Theodore. I was ready to start considering potential trades to get rid of Theodore. But then, almost out of nowhere, Theo showed the kind of play he is capable of. I’m not completely sold; I would still accept trading him, and bringing in a veteran goalie to share time with Varlamov (I hear Turco might be available soon), but if Theodore consistently plays the way he has during this streak, we don’t need to change anything in net.

Neuvirth’s performances, ignoring the short but deep dip in form in Florida, also give great hope for the future. Varlamov is still young too, and, if he stays healthy, can be a great goalie. I haven’t seen anything of Holtby really, but his stats in the AHL are incredible – he’s 15-2-1 with a GAA of 1.82 and SV% of .935 – so he looks like he could be ready for the NHL sooner rather than later. So not only the present, but the future of the Caps’ goaltending, is looking very bright indeed.

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Just to outline what happened, with about 7 minutes remaining in the third period and the Caps already down 7-4, a frustrated Ovechkin felt he was slashed by Downie, but no call came, so after getting a new stick from the Washington bench, Ovie came down the ice headed straight for Downie and threw a big hit on him. The Lightning forward took exception to this and gave the Ovechkin a couple of punches before the linesmen came between the two, and both got two for roughing. Two minutes later, the pair leave the penalty box and Downie gives Ovechkin a bit of a hook. Ovechkin then decided enough was enough and threw his gloves and stick aside, took off his helmet and readied himself for battle. Of course, Downie was a willing combatant, but he was distracted by Matt Bradley coming storming down the ice and flying in to take the fight. It was a pretty even fight, and Downie continued to chirp at Ovechkin on his way to the penalty box. Bradley got two minutes for instigating, five for fighting and a ten minute misconduct, Downie got two for hooking, five for fighting and a ten minute misconduct, and Ovechkin got two for unsportsmanlike.

Since the incident, a lot of people - players, staff and fans - have praised Bradley for stepping in for Ovechkin. I am not one of these people. I have always firmly been of the opinion that a captain should be willing to drop the gloves to protect, or in this case encourage, his teammates. Clearly, Ovechkin was more than willing; the problem was Bradley got in the way. I saw a few quotes saying along the lines of ‘we don’t want Alex fighting’. My issue with this is that he is captain and clearly wants to fight. It’s a sad state of affairs in my opinion, when a player is jumping in to a fight in place of his captain. Ovechkin was justified in fighting because the Caps needed something to spark them into action. And for those who say ‘the team would need Ovechkin on the ice to stand any chance of getting three goals’; the two scenarios were – Ovechkin fights, meaning we are even-strength for five minutes, but without Ovie, OR, Bradley steps in for Ovechkin, and we are shorthanded for two minutes and even-strength for three with Ovechkin. The second (the true course of events) leaves the Caps with five minutes to score three goals (with only two shorties all season it is doubtful they will get one when down a man). Even without Ovechkin, the team has plenty of firepower to have a chance of getting back into the game, especially if spurred on by Ovechkin’s first proper fight in the NHL - the Russian superstar has only been assessed one fighting major since entering the league, after a scrap with Paul Gaustad in 2007, in which Ovechkin didn’t even get his gloves off, but was pelted with punches by Gaustad.

I am very pleased that the Caps are stepping up the rough stuff – three fights in two games this week after none since mid-december, but now that he is captain, Ovechkin should be allowed to get in scraps to spark a reaction, and not always kept in the shadows by the likes of Matt Bradley. I have long been calling for a proper enforcer to be brought into the team to protect the better players like Ovechkin, but if he is willing, Ovie should be permitted to protect himself. Judging by this debacle, it certainly looks like he wants it, and he knows what he is doing.

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Second, the Caps halted their three-game losing streak, with a good overall performance in a 4-2 win over Montreal. Alex Ovechkin was actually held pointless by the Habs, but the new captain still mustered an excellent performance, maintaining great physicality and energy throughout the game, and was unlucky at times to be kept off the score sheet. Rookie goalie Michal Neuvirth also had a very good night, saving twenty-four of twenty-six shots including thirteen in the third period and some excellent saves, justifying his place in the team over veteran Jose Theodore. Although the Canadiens were allowed a lot of shots in the third period, the Caps’ defense was stella through the first two stanzas, allowing a season low three shots in the first, with as massive improvement in positioning, focus and organisation – issues which had troubled the defense during the short skid. Alex Ovechkin’s tenure as captain has got off to a very good start.

Thirdly, news came out that Dave Steckel had signed a contract extension, although details are still unknown. Although he is by no means a big name on the roster, Steckel has been very consistent this year, playing in all forty-two of Washington’s games. His most notable contribution is in the faceoff circle. Steckel currently leads the league in faceoff win percentage, with 61.9%, and this has made him a vital part of the Caps team, with excellent play in the penalty kill and good forechecking ability, making this good news for the Caps.

Finally, more good news came from the World Junior Championships. GM George McPhee had already stated his pleasure with the Capitals’ four prospects participating in the tournament (Marcus Johansson for Sweden, Dmitri Orlov for Russia, Stefan Della Rovere for Canada and John Carlson for USA), but in the Canada-USA gold medal match, Carlson recorded two goals, including the overtime game-winner, to complete a great tournament for him. The Caps prospects have looked very promising in this competition, promising a successful future for the team.

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The Washington Capitals today announced a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets that sees the Caps acquire Jason Chimera in exchange for Chris Clark and Milan Jurcina. Now I think George McPhee is an excellent GM. He has made some excellent trades and negotiated very good contracts – I’ll soon come to the Semin contract – but this is a trade I am disappointed with. Now I’ll admit I haven’t seen too much of Jason Chimera this year, but from what I have seen this season and in previous years, he seems to be a decent checking line winger. His numbers over the past couple of seasons are solid, but I would say that the only ways in which he can really improve the team is that he will be much better suited to playing left wing on the third line with Brooks Laich and Eric Fehr, the position which Chris Clark has been filling recently, and better speed than Clark. Jurcina is an understandable loss, as the Caps have a lot of defenseman, with Karl Alzner coming up from Hershey and the likes of Tom Poti and Shaone Morrisonn back from injury. So it is not the loss of Jurcina that bothers me, it is that of Chris Clark, compared with the gain of Jason Chimera. If there was a draft pick in it for Washington then I would be more accepting, but this is a team that leads the Eastern Conference, so there is little need for a change in line up, least of all offense, with the team leading the NHL in goals scored. The Caps have been a very tightly-knit team this year and this trade could affect the family feel built up in the dressing room. So I for one don’t feel that the Capitals have done well from this trade.

A side note from this deal is who will be the Caps next captain? Many fans feel Brooks Laich is a suitable candidate, and of course Alex Ovechkin’s name has to be put forward. Personally I think Matt Bradley would be very suited for the job. This year he has reminded us of just what he can do, chipping in with some vital points, and in a number of games spurring the team on. He has been a catalyst and is respected by his teammates for the effort he puts in for the team.

The other big recent story in Washington has been the contract extension signed by Alex Semin. There has been plenty of speculation recently that Semin would be traded near the trade deadline, as he is too similar to Ovechkin and the Caps would look to bring in more experience and ability in defense. But any rumours were settled by the Russian signing a one year contract extension worth six million dollars. The organisation had opened up some cap space by offloading Michael Nylander, another good move by McPhee, and this is, in my opinion, a very good bit of business. McPhee’s policy of not handing out lots of long term contracts is something most Caps fans appreciate as it is a practice which is reportedly bringing other teams into trouble. But speculation is that only one of Semin and Backstrom will be offered a longer, six or seven year deal. Most fans, including myself, sided with Backstrom in this argument. However, like I said earlier, this team is going strong and I don’t think it needs much, if any, change. So another year with the talented Semin on the roster is definitely a bonus, and I feel this is good work by the management.

We’ll see how Jason Chimera does in a Caps jersey, and the question of captaincy may continue for a while with the coaching staff relying on team-wide leadership, but these moves should not deeply affect the Capital’s Stanley Cup bid.

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Any doubts over Semin’s wrist injury were soon put to bed as he scored the Caps’ first goal with a wicked wrist shot that sped over the shoulder of Scott Clemmensen. The second goal was similar to the first, as Thomas Fleischmann capped off an excellent passing play between line-mates Brendan Morrison and Eric Fehr to once again beat the Panther’s goalie high on the glove side. Clemmensen was then replaced for the Panthers by youngster Alexander Salak. The Czech held out for the remainder of the first period, but there was no let up from the Capitals in the second, as even with a man in the penalty box, Matt Bradley found the net with a lucky deflected wrist shot that beat Salak relatively easily. Penalties then became an issue for the visitors, and the Caps were given plenty of chances to improve their recently cold power play – which had managed just one goal in the past eighteen attempts prior to this game. The top line delivered in style, as Semin found Nick Backstrom with a great pass, after the Swede was given plenty of room by the strength of Brooks Laich in front of the net. The Capitals extended the lead in the third period with a couple of power play goals from Brendan Morrison and Semin.

The Caps last two goals came on a long power play opportunity after young Panther Mike Duco was ejected for jumping Alex Giroux early in the period, as he objected to a clean hit by Giroux on defenseman Dmitri Kulikov. Although the incident gave Washington seven minutes of power play time, it highlighted a problem that has been evident throughout the season – the lack of an enforcer. Duco managed to get a few punches in on a helpless Giroux before being bundled into the boards by Caps captain Chris Clark and co. Surely, though if Donald Brashear was still on the team’s roster, or someone similar to him brought in, then Duco wouldn’t have gone after Giroux in the knowledge that he would face the wrath of the big guy. Chris Clark can do an adequate job of protecting his teammates, but does not bring the same effect that a player like Brashear does. The Capitals have recorded seven fighting majors in twenty eight games this season, and barring Matt Bradley monster fight against Aaron Voros, none of them have had much effect on the game – spurring the team on or sending a message to the opposition. An incident that immediately springs to mind is Ovechkin’s injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets, in which the Russian winger was heavily targeted throughout the game. It was clear evidence for the need of a distinguished tough guy on the roster to protect the Capitals’ stars.

Although they will be disappointed to have given up two late goals to Florida, ruining Varlamov’s bid for his second shutout in just over a week, the Caps will be very pleased with both the result and the performance, and looking forward to Saturday – I know I am.

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First I learned that the hockey pre-season isn’t like other sports’ pre-seasons. Hockey players have said that the pre-season is really where you just find out who is making the team. It’s the beginning of the real season where you actually start learning how to play together. That’s why many teams have to find their footing when the season starts. By (US) Thanksgiving, they’ve usually been playing as a team for a solid month.

The second thing I learned is that Canada has their own Thanksgiving.

So here we are at (US) Thanksgiving and I wanted to see how The .Net’s teams are doing compared to this time last year.

The San Jose Sharks are just 1 point behind their point total from this time last year, and like last year they sit atop the NHL. Although there is nothing to be derived from this when it comes to the state of the team or their playoff prospects, all I will say is it’s nice to have a winning franchise to watch every few nights. The regular season is always fun in Sharkland.

rockandrollnobody’s Detroit Red Wings are 6 points behind where they were last year. While 34 points was worth 2nd place in the West last year, this year’s 28 points are only worth 10th. Given the goals the Red Wings lost when Hossa and Hudler left, and given the number of injuries they’ve suffered, a 6 point drop doesn’t sound too bad. However the increased strength of the rest of the West has them way down in the standings.

That strength is coming from hackett’s Chicago Blackhawks, who are surprising no one with their 9 point improvement over last season. With Marion Hossa finally joining the team the Blackhawks look to be the team to watch in the NHL. The only concern about this team is what to do next year. The Blackhawks could have serious cap issues so maybe it’s got to be this year.

The strength in the West is also coming from an unlikely source. That source is puckgal’s Phoenix Coyotes who are surprisingly occupying the 8th spot in the West. Perhaps the best thing that could have happened to the Coyotes was the loss of Wayne Gretzky. It makes complete sense that the Coyotes, under an experienced head coach like Dave Tippett, would be a better team. Could the Coyotes make the playoffs? By the way, to show just how little respect this team gets, wikipedia is still reporting Gretzky as the team’s head coach.

Where the West seems to have lost ground is with duxrox’s Anaheim Ducks. Unfortunately it looks like Brian Burke left town leaving behind two things: 1) a Stanley Cup Title (yay!) and 2) a salary cap strapped team in free agency hell (boo!). My question to duxrox: is it worth it? Is it worth a title if it means enduring a ‘rebuilding’ year, possible signaling a window of a few rebuilding years? It’s always been that philosophical question - do you want to win all just at least just once, or do you want a perennial winner?

Despite all of the woes of massive injuries, pittpen’s Pittsburgh Pengiuns are tied for second in the NHL with their 36 points. The fact that they’re 5 points better than the were last season doesn’t really mean much when you consider that they made a coaching change later in the season to go from 10th in the East to Stanley Cup Champions. The Penguins seem to be skating along nicely despite having the longest hockey seasons two years in a row.

Tied with those Penguins are colonelbagpuss’ Washington Capitals. Here’s my beef - the marketing gurus at the NHL have been promoting Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin as the face of hockey. I understand that they’re both stars, but the ‘beef’ part is that they get more attention because, I think, they’re in the East. The Sharks have Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley - but the Sharks are in the West. This is one of the reasons why I started The .Net - not only does the NHL lack good nation media coverage compared to other sports (hence the idea that we’re always playing short handed), but the West gets even less coverage (hence the idea that the West is always playing short 5-on-3). Back to the topic at hand. The Capitals are being talked up as the next team to take it, giving Ovechkin center stage to sell the game. We’ll have to wait and see about that.

And last but not least, the Vancouver Canucks. Interestingly enough here at The .Net, the most blogged about team is the Canucks - I guess they just have way too many fans! Because of canucklehead, theoldtimer and hist, I know a lot more about this team than pretty much any team out there. Unfortunately I’m not sure where this team is going, they seem to be sliding sideways. Although only two points off last season’s pace, they’re sitting in 11th place in the west. I feel like of all the teams represented on The .Net, this is the one team that should be better than their record.

If they’re right and (US) Thanksgiving is truly the first benchmark of the season to come, it looks like most of the teams represented on The .Net are in a good position to make it a long, exciting season. The next typical measuring stick milestone is the month after the All-Star break, but since there is no All-Star game this year we’ll use the month after the Olympic break. It’s at that time where you start to see who has the mental fortitude to keep it up for 82 games. Teams that have been running away with things can get lazy around that time, while teams hungry to make a change usually ramp things up. But until then I’m sure there will be lots of continuing conversation so please - stay tuned!

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Mathieu Perreault: In his seven games for the Caps, Perreault has been extremely impressive, with two goals and three assists. At 5’10 and 174lb, there were fears that the 21-year old center would have trouble dealing with the physical demands of top-level hockey. But the 6th round 2006 draft pick proved the doubters wrong in his first game managing two assists in his first NHL game, and continuing the great player against the Panther when his goal spurred the Caps on to a 7-4 victory. The fact that he has been chosen ahead of Michael Nylander is a testament to his achievements. Expect Perreault to feature heavily in the next few games and probably record a fair few points.

John Carlson: Carlson was another player who Bruce Boudreau admitted was a tough cut after a good pre-season and it is easy to see why. The 1st round 2008 pick had an excellent season with London Knights last year, managing 76 points in just 59 games in the regular season and 22 in 14 in the playoffs. The step up to the AHL in the playoffs decreased Carlson’s point production, but not his level of defensive play as he continued to shut down opposition offenses. He will partner, at least for tonight’s game against the Habs, Tom Poti, from whom he could learn a great deal as Poti doesn’t often get on the score sheet, but is consistently solid. Bruce Boudreau has tried to keep the Carlson situation calm with the assurance that it is a learning curve and that no matter how the youngster plays the organization will not think any more or less of him.

Michal Neuvirth: With Theodore out due to personal reasons, Neuvirth will expect a couple of games over the next few days. The 2nd round 2006 draft pick turned some heads in Washington after first impressing in his first NHL game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, recording thirty-one saves in a 5-1 win. The Czech goalie finished his five-appearance stint for the Capitals with a 3.00 goals against average and two wins under his belt, but really impressed after returning to Hershey, as he led the Bears to the 2009 Calder Cup. Neuvirth was 16-6 in the team’s playoff run and set a new AHL record with a 1.92 GAA in the postseason. When Olaf Kolzig left Washington, many fans were worried about the future of goaltending in the Caps team. Semyon Varlamov went some way to restoring hope with his fantastic playoff performance last year, and Neuvirth should put any more fears to bed. A naturally gifted goalie, Neuvirth has shown excellent composure and consistency at the top-level, so should fare well if called upon any time soon.

Matt Bradley was a catalyst in the Rangers win and will no doubt get a lot of ice time as he looks to play with high energy to spark the weakened Capitals. If the games without Ovechkin are anything to go by, the Caps should deal with the numerous injuries very well, and hopefully the younger players will perform well and learn a lot from the experience.

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One of the key questions was whether Alex Semin would step up in the absence of Ovie, as he seemed to be the natural replacement. However the Russian was poor through the first three games, recording no points and was criticised for taking three silly penalties in the Devils game. And although he showed great improvement in Wednesday night’s shootout win over the Islanders, with two goals, one after just eight seconds, Semin did not played as well as was hoped.

With Ovechkin out, the Capitals’ defense was expected to tighten up, but the team continued in their offensive mentality, and it worked, emphatically highlighted by the 7-4 win over the Panthers at Verizon Center. The games without Ovechkin have also shown team’s point-scoring depth when needed. Rookie Mathieu Perreault who was called up from Hershey managed a goal and two assists, and Thomas Fleischmann has provided a few goals having only recently returned from injury.

It has really been more a case of the more fringe players stepping up in Ovechkin’s absence, than any of the Caps’ other stars, as they see a chance to, like Perreault did, grab the headlines. So the signs are good in Washington as we top the conference despite playing four games without our top player, and even if he is not back for the weekend games, I will still be confident of the Capitals pulling another couple of wins out of the bag.

Technorati Tags: hockey, nhl, Washington Capitals

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So far this season there have been only 3 games in which Alex Ovechkin has been kept to no points – the 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers in early October, the 5-4 win over the Atlanta Thrashers in late October, and Sunday’s loss to the Blue Jackets, in which he only managed 7 minutes 43 seconds of ice time before he was injured. The Caps are heavily reliant on Ovechkin, but are insistent that they are not a one-man team. Line-mate Nick Backstrom was quoted as saying “we have to show we can play without him”, and the Swedish centre will be key if the Capitals are to come through the period, however long it is, without too much damage done.

Ovie’s absence will presumably pave the way for Mike Knuble to join Semin and Backstrom on the top line, and Semin will no doubt be expected to at least partially fill Ovechkin’s boots. A big question being raised after the targeting of the Caps’ star player during the Jackets game, is whether or not Washington needs an enforcer on the roster? After the loss of Donald Brashear in the off-season, this was one of my biggest fears. The Caps have only picked up 3 fighting majors this season, and the lack of any really enforcer in the line-up may be leading the way for opposing teams to go after the superstars with little or no opposition.

However the more pressing issue is how will the Capitals fair without the great 8? Of course the team will be weakened, and defense may become a more important aspect of the game with Ovechkin’s goals taken out of the equation, but with players like Semin and Backstrom still around, expect the Caps to show they are not a one-man team.

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So, although the majority of the big-name players are still healthy, the Caps’ depth on the lower lines will be put to the test. This is an opportunity for the likes of Eric Fehr and David Steckel to shine. Really, the only player from lines three and four on offense to have turned some heads at the beginning of this season is Matt Bradley who has contributed with a couple of decent goals. Bradley leads the third and fourth lines with four points, whilst on defense, other than the always impressive Mike Green, Tom Poti and Milan Jurcina lead on defense with two points apiece.

Many teams, such as the Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Bay Lightning in recent years, have been criticised for being too dependent on the top line. Is this true of the Capitals? Is the team too reliant on Ovechkin, Semin and Backstrom? With the signings of Knuble and Morrison, there are more consistent point-scorers on the second line, but tonight will be a good indication of the Caps’ depth. Tonight there is still the safety-net of the big top line, but we will see more of the Caps fringe players and hopefully there will be good potential on show.

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Change was the theme of the night for Washington; not only was Knuble on the top line, but so was center Brendan Morrison, leaving both Semin and Backstrom on the second line with Brooks Laich. However the trio of Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin were together for the first goal, as the Swedish center found Semin in space with a great pass on a two-man power play. But it was the new top line that stood out in the game. Although many will feel the Caps will have lost something if Bruce Boudreau continues to separate Backstrom, Semin and Ovechkin, the fact is that it just wasn’t working and this combination has brought success. Knuble’s presence around the front of the net opens up space for Ovechkin, which he can easily take advantage. More minor changes were Boyd Gordon’s replacement due to injury by Keith Aucoin, who was called up from Hershey, and injured defenseman’s replacement by Jeff Schultz.

The more worrying change was in the goaltenders, as Jose Theodore was forced to leave the ice in the first period due to back spasms. The good news is that the injury is not too serious and he should only miss one or two games. Looking on the bright side, Varlamov made fifteen saves and played well to keep the Caps on course for victory. Theodore’s injury may well mean the call-up of rookie Michael Neuvirth who has recently recovered from a hip injury.

After this good win, Coach Boudreau will be inclined to continue with this new-look team for the next game against the Predators, and hope that the good work by the team is continued. If last night is anything to go on, the Caps are out of the worst.

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Discipline has been a severe problem during the slump, including nine minor penalties against the Flyers. After a great start to the season, winning 4-1 in Boston and 6-4 in the home opener against the Maple Leafs, things were looking good for the Caps; however the signs were starting to show. In the Leafs game, Semyon Varlamov conceded three third period goals – something he had done twice previously in pre-season – which gave Toronto a glimmer of hope and left the Caps looking shaky in the remainder of the game. I’m not blaming Varlamov, but this highlighted the Caps poor defensive play, and this issue became obvious in the games against Detroit and New Jersey as Jose Theodore, who took over from Varlamov after the Russian conceded four against Philadelphia, actually played fantastically well, but still conceded as he was put in trouble by the players in front of him.

This begs the question, is the Caps policy of simply trying to score more goals than the opposition going to work this season? So much is said of the offensive capabilities of Mike Green and Co, but the story of the season so far has been Washington’s defensive frailties. With so many young defensive prospects, though, trading in d-men would be impractical, so it may just be a case of being patient and waiting for the likes of Alzner and Carlson to come through. Looking at the current defensive record, though, the sooner they are NHL-ready the better.

Against the Sharks tonight, the Capitals will certainly have to come up with something new, as the Sharks have started well and seem to be as good as they were last season, with Dany Heatley slotting in nicely for them. The Caps have never won against Evgeni Nabokov, but if they can stay out of the penalty box and give Theodore some help in front of the net, then tonight could be the night.

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I would have liked to see an upgrade in goal, but I think Niklas Backstrom in Minnesota was the only goalie on the market and he was signed yesterday, and again, I’m sure we would have had to shuck out a huge amount of prospects.

Hopefully, Theodore will find himself, or Varlamov can channel some Dryden or Roy. More importantly, hopefully the Caps will remember how to play hockey and stop giving the South East division easy wins on our home ice.

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Of course for Green to actually be “worthy” of being grouped with those names he’ll have to keep the red-light on.

I’m skeptical if Green actually deserves the Norris Trophy this year, because while his defensive game is pretty good and improving, I’m not convinced that it’s deserving of the Norris.

To another year of Ovechkin and Green leading in goals.

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1.Wayne Gretzky (242)
2. Mike Bossy (255)
3. Mario Lemieux (277)
4. Brett Hull (280)

And how many did they end up with?

1. Gretzky 894 in 1487 games.
2. Bossy 573 in 752 games.
3. Lemieux 690 in 915 games.
4. Hull 741 in 1269 games.

Even Teemu Selanne, who is the only other current player to hit 200 goals in under 350 games (322), has scored 567 goals in 1105 games.

Knock on wood he stays healthier than Bossy and Lemieux.

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The game started quickly and both teams were playing “run and gun” hockey of sorts. I was impressed to see that even though Detroit was controlling the puck as much as one would expect a “puck-possession” team would, the Caps didn’t have to change their game plan and still got to play their brand of hockey. Though they did get in trouble with their outlet passes at times and Detroit’s defenseman held the line very well.

They traded goals late in the first period. Leino taking a pass from Datsyuk, driving the net, doing a half spin-o-rama and then pushing the puck past Theodore from the top of the crease while looking at Conklin. Then just a minute later Nylander, who has not been playing particularly well of late, fed the puck up to Jurcina who slapped one on net into a press of bodies, Kozlov managed to get a piece of it and deflected it past Conklin.

Green notched another after a good falling assist from Backstrom, and then Franzen put away a rebound on the powerplay shortly after, while Semin was in the box for another bad hooking penalty.
After having a so-so game for the first 45 minutes or so, Ovechkin had a beautiful highlight reel goal, passing to himself between the legs and then firing one past Conklin. And then he picked up another on the powerplay from the edge of the crease.

With less than two minutes to go, the Caps get a hooking penalty and two consecutive delay of game penalties for shooting the puck out of play. Even though the Caps were up two, I was holding my breath for the last 1:30 while it was 6 on 3, but the Caps penalty killers kept it out.
It was a good victory for the Caps, but in all fairness the Wings have been a little handcuffed by injuries recently.

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Even though there were so many hits, they were all pretty clean. There was, however, one scary moment when with about five minutes to go in the second, Ovechkin was driving down the right side of the ice, Chara gave him a slight hook, and Ovechkin missed a step and fell awkwardly into the boards. From all the angles I saw, the hook was a penalty, but really not much of a hook, Chara barely gets his stick into Ovechkin. Luckily, Ovechkin managed to turn away from the boards and avoid an actual head on collision but I was holding my breath until he stepped back onto the ice in the third.

Even though the box score says that the Caps outshot Boston, I was impressed with how much zone time Boston actually had. The Bruins would get the puck into the zone and then establish their cycle, or when that failed their defenders would pinch in time to keep the zone.

Overtime was about as suspenseful as one possibly could be. Alternating rushes down the ice, resulting in ten-bell-saves from Theodore and Thomas. I groaned when I saw we were going to the PK just a few moments in.

And the rest is in the ESPN highlight.
Krejci goes for the cross crease pass.
Morrison goes down to one knee to block.
Puck caroms past Theodore.
Game over.

I can’t help but think the Caps should have won this game. They had six power plays and plenty of scoring chances but couldn’t put the Bruins away when they needed to.

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