The Caps Deserve a Better Fate!
By Rodger M. WoodThe Caps deserve a better fate than losing the seventh game of the semi-finals to the New York Rangers in overtime last night 2-1 and losing their opportunity to be the winners of the 2015 Stanley Cup.I always thought the winners of the Washington Capitols/New York Rangers series would go onto win the Cup, although I hope now that the Chicago Black Hawks will win the West, prove a worthy opponent for New York, and hopefully pin their ears back.The Caps got the shaft in the 5th game when the referees disallowed Joel Ward’s goal. Lundquist was out of the net, Ward was bumped into him, and I think the referees were unduly influenced by the Broadway attraction of a New York national Stanley Cup series. It is the first time and probably the only time the Caps lost a playoff game 2-2 in overtime and a resulting opportunity to move onto the Conference finals against Tampa well rested.I don’t buy NBC Keith Jones’ argument after the game that the refs disallowing the goal was fair play, allowing the Rangers to settle the series on the field of honor next game.Washington played hard with a lot of heart, made plays I never saw a Capitals team make before in the 41 years I have been following them, e.g. winning goal with 1.5 seconds to go, Ovie great goal splitting two HOF defensemen and scoring on a HOF goaltender, Holtby stopping shots like Islanders great goalie Billy Smith in the 1980s, and the Caps forwards and defensemen blocking shots in droves like never before.It was a pleasure to see the Caps play tough and hard like never before, they have a good coaching staff in Barry Trotz and his assistants, and Tom Wilson, Michael Latta, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Andre Burakovsky are all youngsters who developed in the playoffs and are coming back to rejuvenate the Caps veterans next season.Hopefully, Mike Green will be re-signed and the rest of the hard core Caps defensive corp, John Carlson, Brooks Orpik, Karl Alzner, Matt Niskanen, and Tim Gleason, backed up by a healthy Dmitri Orlov and a seasoned Nate Schmidt will be ready to provide an even tougher defense than they did this season.Ovie is Ovie, a true superstar with lots of heart in the prime of his career and he will stay great. Backstrom will provide the creativity, Ward the brawn and clutch goals, the killer B-line, Jay Beagle, Troy Brouwer, and Andre Burakovsky will continue to buzz around opposing players, and Marcus Johansen, and Jason Chimera will continue to fly down the ice.I hope the 2016 Washington Capitals will be like my 1967 Detroit Tigers, who lost the American League pennant on the last Sunday of the season to the Boston Red Sox, but learned from the experience, got fired up to go on in 1968 to win the American League pennant by eleven games, and then come back to beat HOFer RHP Bob Gibson twice and the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games to win the 1968 World Series.Keep your chin up our Ovie and the Caps, use this year’s experience to build in advance for next year.when I think the Caps rough experience will drive us to win the Stanley Cup.
Caps Batter Islanders 2-1 in Game 7 Win
by Rodger WoodTied 3 games to 3 games, the Washington Capitals came into Game 7 of the 2015 quarterfinal playoff series ready to batter and bruise a physically smaller, 13 players depleted (including veteran defensemen Travis Harmonic, Calvin deHaan, and Lubomir Visnovsky) tired New York Islanders hockey team.While the Islanders hung in the game for 60 minutes, actually fighting back with lots of heart, 54 hits to the Capitals 46, they just couldn’t stand off a Capitals team whose rookies and veterans, with only Eric Fehr an exception, were on the bench ready to play another tough hockey game.Caps first year players, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Andre Burakovsky, Michael Latta and Tom Wilson played critical roles throughout the series – Kuznetsov played 17:45 minutes and scored the 7th game winner at 7:18 point of 3rd Period, while scoring two other tallies in the Caps Game 5 5-1 win.Tom Wilson’s hit on Lubomir Visnovsky in Game 4 took the Islanders veteran defenseman out of commission for the remainder of the series and with Calvin de Haan injured in Game 6 depleted the Islanders down to four healthy defensemen requiring them to suit up a couple rookies, Scott Mayfield and Matt Donovan in Game 6 at Nassau Coliseum and the final Game 7 at the Verizon Center.The Caps defense stifled the Islanders limiting them to just ten shots and Orpik and Ovie were awesome hitting any one who dared to come on their turf 7 times each.The Caps matched the Islanders blocked shot for blocked shot, both teams blocking a total of 20 shots each.Enough can’t be said about the Caps coaching and team play in this series. Barry Trotz and coaching staff had the team prepared, changed tactics game by game, and kept their cool on the bench stabilizing a team during some tough moments, like the loss 15 seconds into overtime 2-1 Game 4 and the late 3rd Period goal winning Game 6. It was a world of difference having a veteran coaching staff behind the bench this series.The playoffs are far from over, but this is a new Capitals’ team who can play the game. And at least for now, those fans who were at the old Capital Centre on April 18-19, 1987 can get some satisfaction having seen their team show the obnoxious Islanders’ fans the exit gate at old Nassau Coliseum for the last time, and revenging that terrible, terrible loss on that date in the fourth overtime period of another Game 7.I’ll never forgive Larry Murphy for making that bad pass out from the corner of Caps defensive zone right onto the stick of the opposing Islanders Pat Lafontaine.who scored the winning goal at the 8:42 mark of the fourth overtime period but what goes around, comes around. At least now I can get my proper sleep at night having seen the Caps overcome that loss.
TJ's Shutout at Verizon Center
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Grandson TJ Wood made his debut in the nets at the Verizon Center January 24, 2013 between the second and third periods of the Montreal Canadiens/Washington Capitals game.
Representing the State of Virginia in the 8 - year division, young TJ shut out the opposing Maryland shooter in three shootout attempts while the Virginia shooter rallied to beat the Maryland goaltender three times for a 3-0 win.
Good job, TJ!
Destiny Deals Caps Fan A Cruel Fate!
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By Rodger M. WoodWhile many believe the Caps overachieved in the 2012 playoffs, if the truth was better recognized, destiny dealt the Caps and their fans a cruel fate. Like Ulysses, their ship was lured into a shipwreck on the rocks by beautiful beckoning Sirens.Fate mistreated us when we came within 6 seconds of beating the Rangers 2-1 at Madison Square Gardens in the 5th game and stopped us from going home to the Verizon Center with a 3 games to 2 advantage.A matter of inches beat the Caps in Game 5 when Joel Ward’s stick drew Hagelin’s blood and a double minor penalty, in the last faceoff , when Brooks Laich’s stick missed winning the face-off , and on Rangers Brad Richards tying goal, when John Carlson’s left arm didn’ block the shot.Fate teased us again when the Caps took control of the 6th game when Ovie scored in the first two minutes of the game, and Chimera at the 10:59 mark of the second period. In this game and Rangers Marian Gaborik’s goal in the last minute didn’t tie and force them into overtime like in the 5th game.Had fate gone differently, the harder working Caps would have won the series 4-2 in six games with the home win in Game 6, and gone onto play the New Jersey Devils in the Conference Finals.The tone was set for a well deserved Caps series win in the 7th game at New York, but fate dealt us another cruel blow when Brad Richards scored a goal at 1:32 of the first period to set the tone for a Rangers 2-1 win.It was a one goal game until 10:05 of the third period when Del Zotto knocked Ovie off the puck to score the Rangers’ winning goal.Thirty-seven seconds later the Caps were teased again when Caps defenseman Roman Hamrlik scored to make it 2-1 at the 10:43 mark of the third period.They were taunted with a man advantage at the 11:19 mark, when Rangers Fedotenko was waved off the ice for a two minute delay of the game penalty, but couldn’t organize their power play to even off the score..It was a series of inches, and the Caps deserved better. They may not get a better chance fto win the Cup for several seasons.When they look back on this year’s series, they’ll have to remember fate manifested on the sneering faces of Rangers coach John Tortorella, who probably sold his soul for another Cup win, and the celebrating Rangers fans who had last won a Stanley Cup in 1994.Another long hot summer awaits Caps fans. It may take a life time for destiny to reward our long loyalty with a Stanley Cup, but all will feel right again when we do.Lets hope our road to triumph includes a series win over Torotella and the Rangers so we can once and for all wipe clean those sneering faces of fate.
Win A Couple For The Gipper!
By Rodger M. WoodThe Caps loss of Game 5 in overtime 3-2 may just be unjustly blamed on our hard working hero of the Bruins quarter finals, right winger Joel Ward for a high stick penalty on Rangers forward Carl Hagelin with 22 seconds remaining in the game and the Caps ahead 2-1.Ward drew a double two minute penalty for high sticking, the Rangers pulled their goalie for a 6-4 man advantage, and Brad Richards scored to tie the game 2-2 with 8 seconds remaining. Marc Staal scores the winner on the same penalty at the 1:35 mark of the first overtime period.Some folks are faulting a player deserves better treatment. There were horrible racist Tweets leveled at him when he beat the Bruins and yet he ignored them. We should also be loyal to him, especially when he may have been duped into the penalty.I urge the referees, fans and teammates to look at a replay of the penalty high stick play. You may see how Hagelin brought his stick under Ward’s and up into his own face deliberately, maybe a predesigned play to draw a high stick penalty and minuscule blood. If injured, it is amazing how fast Hagelin got across the ice to show the referee the blood.It all looks suspicious to a hockey fan like me, but I’m told this is becoming an increasing tactic in the NHL, especially late in the game to draw a high stick when behind or in overtime.The referee and linemen ignored Ward’s lack of intent and gave the game to the Rangers by their oversight.In any event, the Caps are behind in the series three games to two and needing to win the 6th game at home Wednesday and 7th at New York Friday. It would be great if the Caps could rock the Rangers at the Verizon Center and then go on to stick it to them in their arena.Maybe, the Caps could dedicate their efforts in beating the Rangers to their much aligned teammate and win a couple games for the Gipper.
Caps Split Home Series With Rangers
By Rodger M. Wood
If the Caps/Rangers keeping playing the classically tough hockey they played in Games 3 and 4 of the semi final Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Verizon Center last week for the rest of the series, the fans watching are going to have to keep an aspirin bottle by their sides to save them from heart failure from the lucky bounces that decide the game.In the third game, Rangers Marian Gaborik’s goal beat the Caps at the 14:41 mark of triple overtime.In the fourth game, Caps defenseman Mike Green scored the game winning 3-2 goal from the point with 5:48 to go in regulation to even their semi–finals series at two games a piece.The overtime game reminded me a lot of the New York Islanders/Capitals triple overtime game my son Thom and I saw at the Old Capital Center on April 18, 1987, except in the Wednesday game, Caps defenseman Larry Murphy wasn’t on the ice to pass toe puck out from behind the net to Islanders Pat Lafontaine to cost the Caps the game and their 1987 season.Playing all out offensively in overtime, Caps’ Ovie had two opportunities, Troy Brouwer, Jason Chimera, Mike Green, Matt Hendriks, and several other Caps players had great scoring opportunities, only to hit the post, bounce the puck off Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist and not bury the pill to make the Caps victorious.Getting two and a half days of rest before the fourth game, the Caps bounced back with a furious first period vengeance, outshooting the Rangers 14-3, with Ovie scoring his fourth goal of the playoffs to put the Caps ahead by a goal 1-0.The Rangers came out in the second period loaded for bear. After getting a chewing out from Coach Tortorella for his lethargic play, Rangers forward Artem Anisimov scored the first goal, and Marian Gaborik got another big goal to tie the Caps at 2-2 at the end of the second period. Niklaus Backstrom had scored the go ahead go at the 11;54 mark.The two teams battled in the third period until the 4:12 mark , when Green buried the winning goal to give three of the Caps “young gunners,” Ovie, Backstrom, and Green a goal each and the Caps encouragement that their top shooters were awakening offensively in the series.Playing mostly with only four defensemen, who did double duty in the overtime game, Caps forwards Matt Hendrick, Troy Brouver, Jason Chimera, Jay Beagle, Mike Knuble, Joel Ward, and Brooks Laich may be wearing the Rangers down.Hendricks had 11 hits in the overtime game, one of which almost put 6-1, 218 Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh up in the stands.The Caps also beat the Rangers at their own game in the regulation game, blocking 24 shots to the Rangers 7. While most of the Caps players stopped their share, defenseman Jeff Schultz stood out with 9 blocked shots.Goalies Braden Holtby and Henrik Lundvquist are having a classic battle between the pipes. In the overtime game, Lundvquist stopped 47/48 shots and the regulation game, 25/28 shots while young Holtby stopped 47/49 shots in overtime, and 18/20 in the regulation game. Holtby has allowed 9 goals in the four games, Lundvquist 8. While he is a goal better than the Caps 22-year old goaltender, the 30-year old Lundvquist may be showing signs of wear and tear as the series goes on.Both teams are playing good old time hockey. The teams are close alike in their “clogging the neutral zone play,” blocking shots, making big hits, and battling to win the battles in the corners. Coming back from a possibly devastating loss in overtime to win, Caps veterans and youngsters showed a lot of mental toughness, which they have been criticized as not having in recent past years.Neither team will be going down easy this playoffs, so Caps fans get your aspirin bottles out. Win or lose, you’ll need them to keep heart.
Coach Hunter Leads the Caps Home
By Rodger M. Wood
Caps Beat Bruins in Overtime
By Rodger M. Wood
Fourth liner Joel Ward, assisted by Mike Knuble, scored the dramatic winning goal in overtime to beat Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins 2-1 in the seventh game of their quarterfinal playoffs series.Capitals third and fourth lines dominated much of play with hard forechecking and backchecking all over the ice, with third liner Matt Hendricks scoring the first period goal to put the Caps ahead 1-0.22- year old goalie Braden Holtby had another unbelievable 1-goal game, allowing only Tyler Seguin’s tying goal in the second period. Nose to nose against last year’s Stanley Cup playoff MVP Tim Thomas, Holtby allowed only14 goals in 7 games for a 2.00 goals against average, while stopping a phenomenal .967 percent of all shots.It was a team effort throughout the series. The Caps bought into Coach Hunter’s defensive system and stopped a Bruins offense which had six players scoring 20 goals or more during the regular season, and monster defensemen, Zdeno Charra and Dennis Seidenberg manning the blue line.Capital players blocked shots with abandon, hard checked the opposition and held their ground against a very tough Milan Lucic led team.While forward Matt Hendrick, Mike Knuble, and Jay Beagle’s all out play sparked the team, 14 Capitals players scored at one goal, with Alexander Semin scoring three goals and Ovie two.Defenseman John Carlson and Karl Alzner played outstanding hockey against the Bruins top scoring lines, and, with center Brook Laich killing penalties, including one at 2 minute mark of the third period which almost killed the Caps.The Caps have to wait for the Rangers/Senators and Panthers/Devils 7th game outcomes before they know their opponents in the semi-final series which starts this Saturday.
Caps/Bruins, Awesome Hockey!
By Rodger M. WoodThe first two games of the Caps/Bruin Playoff Series were both nail biting games, which you couldn’t leave for a beer or potty break for fear of missing the winning goal.The first game Thursday was a 0-0 tie until the 1:18 mark of the first overtime period when Bruins forward Chris Kelly put a slap shot in the upper right hand corner of the net to beat goalie Braden Holtby and the Caps 1-0.In the second game Saturday, the Caps evened up the series at one game each at the 2:56 mark of the second overtime period when Marcus Johanssen from behind the Bruins goal fed Nicklas Backstrom the puck which he immediately propelled past the paralysed Bruins goalie Tim Thomas for the winning goal.
Defensemen John Carlson, Karl Alzner, Jeff Schultz, Mike Green, Roman Hamlik, and Dennis Wideman played tough, errorless defense, blocking shots, clearing opponents from the front of the net, and steering Bruins passes to the outside.High scoring Bruins forwards Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Milan Lucic, and Tyler Sequin are gnawing at the bit trying to score on this defense.It is particularly pleasing to see veteran defenseman Jeff Schultz play the kind of hockey he’s always been capable of.In the second game, while goaltender Holtby was knocked out of the net, defenseman Mike Green held the ground to make a hand save that saved the day for the Caps.Caps forwards played tough two way hockey. Alexander Semin made a fall down, reach out, puck swipe to stop a Bruins scoring chance in the third period of the second game. Ovie blocked a shot. Poor Marcus Johannssen stopped two pucks with his head. Troy Brouwer made his net presence a factor when he scored the first goal in the second game, assisted by Ovie.
Twenty – two year Bradean Holtby matched Bruins’ super star goalie Tim Thomas stop for stop, allowing only two goals on 74 shots in both games. He has ferociously attacked several Bruins to clear out his goal mouth but in contrast to his opposing goaltender, he has not choke collared Bruins forwards while a defenseman clobbered him from the front, like Thomas did Backstrom in the second game. It was ironical Backstrom paid Thomas back with the winning goal.Bush league play does not pay, Mr. Thomas. You should have paid Mr. Obama a visit to the White House with the other Bruins last Fall.The Caps seem to have finally managed to execute Coach Hunter’s “good defense and opportunistic offensive system” to a tee and the dividends are paying off. Hunter has also outcoached Bruins coach Claude Julien on a couple occasions when he double shifted Ovie on the ice when Charra and Seidenberg were sitting, and getting Johanssen on the ice to assist Backstrom on the winning goal.All in all, the Bruins/Capitals playoff games have been hard fought, hard checking, good clean hockey. They have been a pleasure to watch, regardless of which team wins and should make Bruins and Caps fans proud of their teams. It is the best hockey I have seen our Capitals play in my 38 years of watching them. When playing like this, I don’t blame the Caps or the Bruins for cutting down on my beer consumption. You need a clear head anyhow to watch this good hockey.
Caps Fight Into The Playoffs
By Rodger M. WoodAfter a 5-1 dubbing by the Sabres with four games to go in the regular season, the Caps playoff future looked bleak. Led by the whitewash goaltending of Ryan Miller, the Sabres looked like a team of destiny headed for a late season playoff position comeback win and Caps fans would be looking to join the Caps players for an early summer golf outing foursome.But then the Caps players came out of their slumber to decide to go down fighting rather than resign themselves to a long hot summer. Led by captain Alex Ovechin, who scored 11 goals in the last 16 games of the season, they beat the 2011 Stanley Cup winning Boston Bruins and last place Montreal Canadiens in overtime 3-2 shootouts, SE Division leading Florida Panthers 4-2, and President Trophy runners ups New York Rangers, 4-1, in the last game of the regular season.In the home stretch, Ovie was a big force on both ends of the ice. His hard checks motivated teammates to follow suit. He got back on defense to save the game against the Panthers, and Canadiens. In the Rangers game, he rocked monster man Dan Giardi with a check so hard the big guy had to open his glove hand to see if he spit any teeth out.Raising their play a couple octaves, other Caps players took charge of their season’s final destiny too.Brooks Laich refused to concede and predicted a playoff berth for the Caps in an interview the last week of the season. He crunched opponents with abandon game in and game out, scored critical goals against the Rangers and Florida, and netted five goals in the last 16 games of the regular season.With his animated play, forward Jay Beagle became a game winning factor, scoring 4 goals in March/April and hard forechecking each and every game.Forward Matt Hendricks played his heart out every game and delivered critical shootout goals in successive games against the Canadiens and Bruins.In the home stretch, forward Alexander Semin played hard two way hockey, delivering four critical goals and hard checks during the March stretch.Forwards Keith Aucoin, Mike Knuble, Jay Chimera, Mathieu Perreault were factors, giving the Caps four balanced lines who could score a goal when needed.A big spark to Caps playoff fortunes came when center Niklaus Backstrom returned to the ice against the Canadiens, and showed signs of recovery from his concussion with a big goal and an assist against the Rangers in the last game of the season.After losing Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth to injuries, Caps’ goaltending hopes were buoyed by 22-year old Braden Holtby 35-stopped shots and one goal performance against the mighty Rangers in Madison Square Gardens.While lopsided underdogs against the defending champion Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs starting Thursday in Boston, the Caps have some hope.Mike Green and Niklaus Backstrom are on the ice again and getting their games back.They have four balanced lines, who can all put the puck in the net. Their captain is playing hard and providing them the inspiration needed to be winner.John Carlson, Karl Alzner, Dennis Wideman, and Roman Hamlik and four other talented defensemen are ready to suit up, block shots, check hard and play mistake free hockey blocking shots and score an occasional goal..Veteran goalies Thomas Vokoun and Michael Neuvirth are back on the ice, but questionable for play yet. It looks like young Holtby will be in the nets, but don’t sell this kid short. Coach Dale Hunter and the Caps players say they like his aggressiveness in the nets and he did a spectacular job against the Rangers last game. Although 15 years younger, he reminds me of a young Bruins goalie Tim Thomas who he’ll face Thursday.All in all, the Caps may be peaking just in time for the playoffs. They’ve had to fight hard to get there, and maybe they’ve found a team identity. Maybe it’s a team who won’t give up until they win. That’s a whole better than what they were mid season, and now as underdogs, we have some hope our guys will play hard the whole game and maybe, just maybe, they’ll come out winners against the Bruins.
Wait Til Next Season
By Rodger M. WoodThe Caps choked last night losing a vital playoff race game to 9th place Buffalo 5-1.They were in a prime position to take charge of the pennant race but fell on their faces against the hard skating, tough forechecking and outstanding goaltending of the rival Sabres.In other important road challenges to Caps playoff hopes the past week and a half, they lost to the Black Hawks 5-2, beat an injury depleted Red Wings team 5-3, lost to the Flyers 2-1 in overtime, lost to Winnipeg 4-3, and at home, beat Minnesota 3-0.Before the Buffalo game they were in 8th and the last Eastern Conference playoff position in control of their destiny with 6 games to go, one each against Buffalo, and Southeast Division leader Florida, who was only three points ahead of them in the standings.It’s sad the 2011-2012 Caps didn’t measure up to the “good team” GM McPhee said they’d be at the trade deadline when he made no player acquisitions to help the Caps limp offensive attack.It’s too bad the team didn’t measure up to the Stanley Cup winner, the Hockey News predicted at the beginning of the season.With or without Niklaus Backstrom, it doesn’t appear the Caps will win a playoff position or should a miracle happen and they win a playoff berth, make any significant playoff mark.Our only hope is for Caps management during the off season to make the necessary changes to the team’s toughness chemistry, let some of the talented non producers go, and look in the mirror themselves to see if they should follow the losers out on the road..If those necessary changes occur, maybe Caps fans have something to look forward and pay big bucks to see. As those changes are made, they can wait and look forward more enthusiastically to next season.
Are the Caps The Good Team GM McPhee Predicted?
By Rodger M. Wood
While the Caps were coming off a three game losing streak with consecutive wins over the Canadiens and Maple Leafs, there was a lot of doubt GM McPhee was right when he predicted the Caps were a “good” team” that could beat any team in the league after he didn’t make any additions to the team by the February 27th trade deadline.Currently on a four game win streak against Tampa, the defending Stanley Cup winning Boston, Toronto, and New York Islanders and since the trade deadline with an overall 5-2-1 W-L record, good for 11 vital points of 16 possible in a tight Stanley Cup Playoff position race, the Caps are surging toward a playoff berth again.They are a point behind Florida for first place in the Southeast Division and an automatic 3rd seed berth in the Eastern Conference playoffs and 3 points ahead of Buffalo and 4 points ahead of Winnipeg in the race for the 8th and last seed in the Eastern Conference.While they are still missing potent offensive center Niklaus Backstrom (he was back on the ice skating at the Kettler Center yesterday before the Caps practice), and defensemen Mike Green, who will return to the lineup at Winnipeg Friday after serving a three game suspension, they are playing enough fired up hockey to win their last four games against the Lightning, Bruins, Maple Leafs, and Islanders.
One of the spark plug for the Capitals winning ways is again Alex Ovechkin. Skating hard like only “Alex the Great” can when he is on his game, Ovie led the Caps back from a 4-1 deficit to the beat the Islanders 5-4 with his 28th and 29th goals of the season in regulation and a shootout goal in overtime, and in the first game of the winning streak against the Lightning with a dramatic 27th goal in overtime.Center Brooks Laich is also hot, scoring the winning goals against Toronto and Boston and playing good two way hockey in regular and special team shifts. (I often wonder why the Caps don’t take the captain pressure away from Ovie and bestow it upon Laich, who I think may handle the pressure better)LW Alexander Semin, C Marcus Johansson, C Mathieu Perreault, RW Jay Beagle and Hershey call up RW Keith Aucoin are making strong offensive contributions, each scoring a goal in the past four wins.LW Jason Chimera, C Matt Hendricks, and RW Troy Brouwer are keeping the opposing first line forwards honest with their tough play. While Chimera and Brouwer have been shut out, Henricks chipped in a goal in the Bruins game and a shootout goal to beat the Islanders in the overtime shootout.While Caps defensemen have been adjusting to Coach Hunter’s defensive schemes and playing better defense, rookie defenseman Dmitri Orlov has been getting better and better each game he’s played. When Mike Green was available, Caps coach Hunter sat out veteran defensemen John Erskine and Roman Hamrlik in deference to the 20-year rookie, who has repaid his coach’s confidence with hard hip checks on opposing forwards and savvy offensive play, scoring a goal against the Islanders, and assisting on Ovie’s winning goal in the Islanders games and two goals in the Bruins game.The improved Caps will be sorely tested in tough road games next week against the Black Hawks, Red Wings, and Flyers, however, if they win a couple games, they may just be on their way to proving they are indeed the good team McPhee predicted.
Vintage Ovi and Three in a Row
Let’s Change The Capitals Losing Formula
By Rodger M. Wood
The Caps looked like they wanted to beat the Panthers last Tuesday at the Verizon Center. They dominated the opponent with outstanding forechecking, goal tending, power play, penalty kill, hard play, demonstrating all of the elements necessary for a NHL team to win the big games. With the 4-0 win, they regained the division lead and looked like they were on their way to the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a chance to win.But then two nights later, the roof caved in. They were beaten at home in an overtime shootout with the Winnipeg Jets 3-2, lost to the Rangers 3-2 in a 12:30 Sunday matinee in the Big Apple on national television, and were outmuscled at home Monday by Western Conference San Jose 5-3..The Caps are now sadly back in ninth place out of playoff Eastern Conference playoff berth contention, trailing four points behind Florida for first place in the Southeast Division, Toronto Maple Leaf by a point for the last Eastern Conference playoff position with the Jets a mere three points behind them for even that lowly position. If they keep waiting to play and win like the Caps of old during the regular season, they might have to wait until next season.With or without center Niklaus Backstrom and defenseman Mike Green, this year’s version of the Washington Capitals is inconsistent in their play and don’t seem to have a complete roster of players, who want to be winners, especially when their star player Alex Ovechkin takes most of the game off like Versus commentator Mike Milbury said he did in the New York game.The chemistry is just not there every game. Maybe, it’s because the large number of European players do not blend in with the Canadiens or Americans on the team, or the rough and tumble hockey style that is typically played by good NHL teams on the smaller North American ice surfaces. Maybe it is the lack of leadership from the captain or the veterans. There are a number of possibilities, but the bottom line is the Caps star players are not working hard every game, especially away from home.The team’s play may get better if Backstrom and Green come back. Maybe they’ll win a playoff berth, but they’ll still not win in the playoffs playing like they are. Rather than hope they do, team management needs to make some major dramatic personnel changes now, if they want to be winners, especially in the playoffs. To win in the NHL consistently, a team needs mental toughness and top effort from their stars and top paid hockey players every game. Maybe GM McPhee, Dale Hunter, and the coaching staff need to go back to the drawing board, and acquire some star players who will put out the effort to play their coach’s demanding system every game.Friday, the Caps go on a four game road trip against Florida, Tampa, Carolina, and Ottawa, which could determine their 2012 playoff fortune. Let’s hope the head chemist changes the Capitals losing formula.
Should the Caps Be Buyers or Sellers
By Rodger M. Wood
After losing to Tampa in overtime and Florida in regulation last Tuesday and Wednesday, and falling out of first place in the Southeast Division into 9th place in Eastern Conference playoff hunt, Caps management faces the dilemma of should they become buyers or sellers before the NHL February 28th trade deadline.At the end of the first half, Caps’ balanced play was getting playoff worthy. Before the losses in Florida, they won 5 of their last eight games with one loss in overtime against Pittsburgh. In their last game of the first half, they beat last season’s champ Boston in a dramatic 5-3 win. Centering a line of wingers Alexander Semin and Marcus Johansen, Caps second year center Mathieu Perreault scored a hat trick and started making the fans forget they were missing three of their four top scorers on the ice.The bottom line is Niklaus Backstrom is still out with concussion symptoms, which if as bad as Sydney Crosby’s condition, could keep him out the rest of this season. His blatant elbow in the head nemesis Rene Bourque should have been suspended for as many games as Backstrom was hurt, but the Brandon Shanahan system does not consider injury to a player in its award of punishment as his 3 game suspension of Ovie for a non-injury check demonstrated.Until banished for three games for his hit on Penguins’ defenseman Zbynek Michalek , Ovie was scoring and hitting like the “Great One” of olden days. While not penalized in the game by the referees, he was cited by NHL disciplinarian, Brandon Shanahan for rising up on his skates and targeting Micalek’s head with a hit. The three game suspension is negligible as long as the punishment does not make Ovie a pansy on the ice again.After Ovie returns against Montreal Saturday, the Caps will still be missing Backstrom and defenseman Mike Green’s potent offense. While Green is starting to skate again after his operation, hope is eternal, and fans should remember Caps Tom Poti, who has been out the better part of three seasons with a groin injury.In the next week or so, Caps Vice President General Manager will have has to bite the bullet to decide whether Perreault will do the offensive job long term or should he buy another center and defenseman to replace the injured players before the 2012 playoffs or just chalk everything off and sell off some core players for prospects, who they believe can help win all the marbles next season.If you’re into fantasy hockey, maybe the lowly Islanders would be interested in giving up center John Tavares for defenseman Jeff Schultz, forwards, Alexander Semin, Joel Ward, and a prospect or draft pick, or fighting for a playoff position, maybe Western Conference Nashville Predators would be willing to give up All Star defenseman Ryan Suter, who is a free agent this summer, for a package of players, which gives them more offensive punch in the playoffs.With a tough schedule coming up in the home stretch, the Caps need to do something. They can’t rely on Backstrom and Green coming back to get them out of trouble.They face off against Montreal away Saturday and come back home to face Boston in a matinee game Sunday at the Verizon Center..
Caps Lose Two On West Coast
By Rodger M. Wood
Looking good after starting the New Year off with a four game winning streak against the Rangers, Sabres, Blue Jackets, and Flames, the Caps couldn’t continue their winning ways on the road against tough Western Conference competition, losing back to back games 5-2 to San Jose and Los Angeles.With 44 points overall, the team has fallen to 10th place, out of playoffs in Eastern Conference.standings.Although Marcus Johannsen tried to fill the void with his 8th and 9th goals against the Kings Monday night, with Niklaus Backstrom and Mike Green out of the lineup again, the Caps couldn’t muster enough offensive power to do the job.While Calgary’s Rene Bourque serves only a five game suspension for his elbow to Backstrom’s head, it seems unjust that Backstrom’s injury was not avenged in like by another Cap taking out the offender. I’d hate to be Bourque if I had hurt a Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins player or even a Capitals player during the day of Coach Hunter or defensemen Rod Langway and Scott Stevens.With the exception of Jason Chimera and Matt Hendricks, the Caps continued to lay down against the tough Kings competitors. Hendricks took Kings tough guy Colin Fraser down in the first period and Chimera defenseman Willie Mitchell in the 3rd for cheap shots on him and teammate Joel Ward in the 3rd period.Caps defensemen also laid down in the defensive zone both games, exposing Caps goalies, Vokoun and Neuwirth to 39 shots in the Sharks game and 35 in the Kings.Until the Caps learn to stand up and be counted on the road as they do at home, they will continue to lose dismally and look down to the ground.The Caps return to the ice against Pittsburgh away 7:30 Wednesday.
Is Hunter Making The Right Moves!
By Rodger M. WoodEven though they’re only a modest 3 – 3 W- L under his tenure, Coach Hunter has pushed the right buttons to jump start the Caps onto a winning streak the past two games at Ottawa 5-3 and home with Toronto 4-2.Midway through the second period of the Ottawa game, Caps down 3-1, he started triple - shifting Alex Ovechkin, effectively communicating to the super star he could bring the team back to the victory circle.Skating fast and hitting hard the past two games, using different moves and shots to break a dry spell by scoring a goal, becoming a playmaker on offense with three assists, and getting back to help the defense with back checking, Ovie may have been restored to the “great one” again.Whether the reason was injury, poor play, or a combination of both, Hunter kept Alexander Semin and Roman Hamrlik out a couple games, with the results being a rejuvenated forward and defensemen when both returned to the ice last game against Toronto.When Semin returned, Hunter put him back on his old line with Niklaus Backstrom and Ovechkin and the resulting high powered line scored a goal and three assists their first game back together.Hunter has kept Brooks Laich, Jason Chimera, and Joel Ward on the same line, and the trio has rewarded him by shutting down the opposition’s top line and racking up the points.In the six games under Hunter, Laich has scored three goals and three assists, Ward, two assists, and Chimera, two goals and an assist and Chimera has become the Caps top goal scorer with 11.With Mike Green still out of the lineup, Hunter has given Dmitry Orloff and John Carlson more playing time. In the last four games against Toronto, Ottawa, Florida, and Ottawa, Orloff has assisted on two goals, and Carlson has scored a goal and seven assists.Until last game, the Caps power play hadn’t produce a goal in the last 17 power play opportunities, but looking like Bobby Orr against Toronto, defenseman Dennis Wideman scored two power play goals, and forwards Nicklaus Backstrom and Brooks Laich one each to improve that statistic quickly.Hunter was rewarded for giving John Erskine a regular shift on defense when Erskine punished Aaron Asham with three hard rights to the head for taking Jay Beagle out of the lineup the past 16 games with a knockout punch in the first Pittsburgh game, and ridiculing him in the battle scene afterwards.It looks promising that Hunter has the Caps on the right road with some good coaching moves and effective few words motivational talents, but the Caps aren’t in the playoffs yet.They have another big test coming up Tuesday when they face the Broad Street Bullies at the Verizon Center.
Get Rid of the Real Problem
By Rodger M. Wood
Maybe Boudreau Should Sit Down Ovechkin or Semin!
By Rodger M. Wood
Although the Caps are 1-4-1 in the past six games, not all is bleak with the Capitals nowadays.They started the season off with 7 straight wins, have won 10 games of 17 for the season, and are tied with the lowly Florida Panthers for the Southeast Division lead with 21 points.Forwards Mike Knuble, Troy Brouwer, Matt Hendricks, Brooks Laich, Jason Chimera, Joel Ward, defenseman John Erskine plus goalie Tomas Vokoun are playing hockey and earning their keep.But at the game last night, I could hear the lowly 6-9-3 W-L –OL Winnipeg fans sarcastically jeering Ovie and Coach Boudreau after the home team Jets took a 4-1 lead at 10:54 of the second period.Indeed, the Caps looked like a joke. Coach Boudreau wasn’ t getting 100% effort from his stars, they weren’t forechecking, chasing down the puck, or crashing the net, were taking more foolish penalties, and getting weak goaltending, while Jets goalie Ondrej Pavalec did acobats, stopped shot after shot at the other end of the ice and Jets second year pro Evander Kane, scoring two goals, almost had a hat trick.Awhile back In the Pittsburgh game, which the Caps won 3-2 in OT, it was embarrassing when Penguins tough guy Arron Asham, former Capitals forward Dale Hunter’s lookalike, mocked the Capitals manliness after he decked Caps forward Jay Beagle, effectively putting him out of the lineup with a concussion the last nine games, and in return, was not pummeled by a single Caps teammate’s blows.Except for fluky wins against the Red Wings away and the Ducks at home, the Caps have also been embarrassed in successive losses to the Oilers, Canucks, Predators, Stars, and the other physically tough Western Conference foes they have faced this season.If the stars are not scoring goals, and shying away from the toughness of the game, what would be the loss in keeping one of them off the ice watching the game from the stands?After the Jets loss, the Caps were tied with the rejuvenated Florida Panthers for the Southeast Division lead and 6th place in the Eastern Conference playoff race, only a point ahead of defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins and division rival Tampa Bay Lightning. If they don’t start winning again soon, the Caps will fall out of the 8-team conference Stanley Cup playoff contention.Resting Ovechkin and Semin during game critical situations, Boudreau is desperately trying to awaken his fading star power. So far unsuccessful, maybe instead, he needs to sit one of his super stars down in the stands for a game or two, while other Capitals restore Capitals’ self - respect.