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 Fans Are Still Rocking The Red
By Rodger M. Wood
A Dream Within A Dream
As if still in a dream, the slowly building tempo of Dick Dale and his Del Tones' Peter Gunn coaxed me into the early hours of the morning. I rose into the darkness and staggered out of bed to begin the day searching through my mind fog when it hit me like Alex Ovechkin on Jaromir Jagr. From above the shower came a glimmer of morning light. The light that signals a new day and all that comes with it, but with this morning came the reminder of the crushing defeat I witnessed last night as our Washington Capitals unceremoniously exited the playoffs.I had planned on penning the "And We Squeaked By" article, but was left speechless as time evaporated and the Habs rose from the bench in jubilation. Instead, I am left with a "Didn't See That One Coming" headline. People will talk about this as an epic failure and choke. For a moment, I even though about the cruel irony of this blog's title, "The Capital Power Play." Before I found my way out of the morning fog, I reluctantly tuned the radio to sports talk and so it began.Fire the coach! The minor league coach will never win a cup! Mark my words!""Trade Ovi, he will never lead this team to a championship!""Green for the Norris, you must be kidding!""Semin is useless!"It went on and on for 15 minutes until I was blessed by a commercial. The multitude of articles were in some ways harsh, but for the most part fair. Hockey blogs from all over the country were making the inevitable Ovechkin - Crosby comparison and a Rangers blog had a single image of Ovi as he left the ice with the word "Elimin8ed" in bold. Opposing team fans will revel in our loss while Caps fans will continue to look for the answers. Some will be back in their seats next season and likely some will not. The fans in this town can be tough and rightfully so in many cases. From all the analysis, anger and discontent, rose one comparison that stood tall. Tracee Hamilton of the Washington Post made the comparison that allows me to keep the faith in this young Capitals team. Yes, this is still a young team and yes, young teams have won the cup, but most teams pay their dues well before the cup comes to town. So the comparison of the Ovi era Caps to the Yzerman era Red Wings may have fruit to bear. Read it here. It is relevant as Detroit was ready to run everyone including Yzerman out of town during that era and yet if they had, they would have lost the opportunity to see themselves in the reflection of the Stanley Cup not once, but three times. Four if you want to count Yzerman's time in the Wings front office and maybe five if they can maintain the momentum from their game seven win against the formidable Desert Dogs.No matter what you think about the Capitals, the Canadians exceeded expectations and played well out of their league. They ran a stifling defense, and had goal tending that would have made Stonewall Jackson proud. Coaching made all the necessary changes and they deserved to move on.Another irony in this saga is also in the fact that I am currently reading "The Business of Happiness" by Capitals owner, Ted Leonsis. It may be tough to be happy with the Capitals business at the moment, but one of Ted's tenets of happiness is gratitude, so I will take a shot at it here with my final season thoughts.*Through over 30 years of Capitals fandom, I have never experienced a more exciting regular season.*The President's Trophy as it hung over the backs of the Caps like and albatross has never been seen in this town before and hey, the Sharks dropped the first series last year and are now moving on a year later.*At least the old media knows that we have a hockey team now.*The fans of this team have grown in epic proportions and though we may lose some, I can now say, most people don't look at me with a blank stare when I mention Capitals hockey.*We had our own Caps TV show!*We have dozens of new media blogs to keep the faith and keep us up to date on the Caps news.*We have ownership that is committed to winning the Cup. We may not have it yet, but there is always hope when people are committed.*My children's preschool had a "Rock the Red" day!*And best of all, my three year old Brendan thinks Brendan Morrison is the greatest hockey player ever! My 5 year old built a Caps shrine of hockey beanie bears and my 7 year old, made posters throughout the season to cheer the team on.Let some time pass, keep the faith and the Cup will come... even if it takes 37 or 38 or 39 years.
Canadiens Outlast Caps 2-1 to Win Quarterfinal Series
By Rodger M. Wood
Hot Canadien Goalie Stops Caps 4-1 in Game 6
By Rodger M. WoodI thought I was dreaming tonight. I saw Montreal greats, Patrick Roy, Ken Dryden, and Jacque Plante, all in goal tonight for the Canadiens stopping the 52 shots the Caps put on net.The Caps went down 2-0 early in the first period at the Bell Center. The Canadiens then weathered three periods of Caps’ horrific offensive pressure, at one point in second period, killing a 1 minute 15 second 5 on 3 penalty.The Canadiens scored midway through the third period to go ahead 3-0, just moments before Eric Fehr scored the lone Caps goal making the score 3-1.Montreal scored an empty net goal in the last seconds of the game to make the final score 4-1 and bring the do or die seventh game back to the Verizon Center Wednesday.On a positive note, the Caps played their hearts out, they were snake bit by a hot goaltender, but scored late, maybe giving them some momentum and a better feeling about their chances in game 7 at home.Only time will tell. I’ve seen all of the great NHL goaltenders play, and tonight, Montreal goalie, Jaroslav Halak looked just as good, but then maybe Alex O. can find out how the Montreal goaltender settled his nerves after Game 3 and change the formula.
Canadiens Hold On To An Early Lead for 2-1 Win Over Caps
By Rodger M. WoodLosing the killer streak they had in Montreal in games 3 and 4, and forgetting to skate in the first ten minutes, the young Caps fell to a 2-0 deficit in Game 5 tonight before 18,000 friendly home team fans at the Verizon Center in the quarterfinals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.Montreal goaltender, Jaroslav Halak, winner of the Game 1 overtime 3-2 win and loser in games 2 and 3 regained his composure to stop forty Caps shots, many of which were good scoring opportunities. Only Alex O. beat the 24-year old Czech goalie in the second period to make the game 2-1.Caps goalie Semyon Varlamov also played spectacularly, and deserved better.The Series is now 3-2 and returns to Montreal for Game 6.If the Caps should win that game, it won’t get any easier. The next series will be against the Broad Street Bullies Philadelphia Flyers, who just beat #2 seeded New Jersey Devils 4 games to 1.To stay alive in that series, I’m afraid the Caps will have to put John Erskine back on the ice, let Matt Bradley play with brass knuckles and bring former Caps Donald Brashear out of the stands.
Varly Stands on Head To Give Caps A 6-3 Win
By Rodger M. Wood
The pressure put on 21 year old Caps goalie Semyon Varlamov the first two periods of Game 4 tonight at Montreal was ferocious, but the young net minder, performing magic in the nets, was up to the test.Alex Ovechkin opened up the scoring with a power play goal midway through the first period, but only a minute later the Canadiens tied the score up 1-1 to end the first period.Montreal opened up the second period scoring and held a 2-1 lead until the last 30 seconds of the period when Boyd Gordon and Mike Knuble teamed up for a short handed goal to tie the score 2-2 at intermission, and seemingly take the starch out of the Canadiens and their 22,000 fans at the Bell Center.Helped by the stellar play of defensemen Tom Poti, Jeff Schulz, John Carlson, Varlamov stopped 31 shots the first two periods to keep the Capitals in the game.
Midway through a nail biting third period, Alex O. put the Caps ahead 3-2 with his second goal of the night and Jason Chimera followed up shortly afterwards to give the Caps a two goal advantage.In the last two and a half minutes of the game, Knuble and Backstrom scored empty netters, while Montreal scored its third goal to make the final score 6-3.It wasn’t a pretty win. The Canadiens were desperate for a win, outplayed our Caps much of the game and deserved better results, but I’ll take the ugly win and hope for a prettier one Friday at home.The series now stands at 3 games to 1 for the Capitals, who can end the best 4 of 7 series Friday with a win.
Boudreau’s Instincts Were Right – Caps Win Game 3, 5-1
By Rodger M. WoodUpdated: Coach Boudreau’s last minute decision to start goalie Semyon Varlamov in the nets, Boyd Gordon on the fourth line and penalty kill, and change the second line to Erich Belanger, Eric Fehr and Tomas Fleishmann at hostile Montreal Bell Center for Game 3 of the playoffs paid huge dividends tonight.
Varlamov stood on his head in the first period stopping several point blank shots, keeping the Caps in and taking 22,000+ rabid Montreal fans out of the game. He had a 26-shot shutout until the Canadiens power play tally late in the third period.Boudreau decision to put 2nd game healthy scratch Boyd Gordon on the penalty kill and fourth line also paid dividends when Gordon opened up the scoring early in the second period with a short handed goal to put the Caps ahead 1-0.
In rapid succession after Gordon’s goal, Brooks Laich, Eric Fehr and Alex O scored, making the score 4-0 at the end of the second period.Matt Bradley finished off the Caps scoring in the third period to give the a Caps a 5-1 win and a 2-1 game advantage going into Game 4 at the Bell Center Wednesday night.First star Game 3, Coach Boudreau, second star, Semyon Varlamov, and third star Boyd Gordon with honorable mention to Eric Fehr and Brooks Laich.
Do The Caps Have A Goalie Controversy?
By ThomJust eight minutes into game, the Capitals found themselves dominating the Canadians, but strangely with a two goal deficit on two Habs shots. Both shots went glove side with nary a reaction from Caps goalie Jose Theodore. Fraught with the risk of losing the teams motivation and confidence, coach Boudreau made the change and in went Semyon Varlamov in a delayed repeat of last season's first round against the New York Rangers. The move last year sparked the Caps and allowed a hard fought series win, but will Boudreau mirror last year's change and keep Varly in the crease for the duration of the playoffs or was yesterday's move only temporary? Are this years circumstances different?
Clearly, something was afoul for Jose Theodore in last nights first eight minutes. In game one, he appeared to be right on with fluid saves and a resilience or groove that had thrilled the Capitals fans throughout the regular season. That is up until the overtime game winner by Tomas Plekanec. Last nights game made it three goals in the last three shots against Theo and arguably three that could have been stoppers. Was it nerves? Who knows, but Theo's season may give him a pass for last night and see him in the nets again tomorrow night. Varley was good last night, but still hasn't blossomed into last seasons playoff form. What do you think? A goalie controversy or a temporary setback for Theo?Capitalpowerplay.com images by PhotoByThom.com are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
This Time Caps Win in Overtime 6-5!
By Rodger M. WoodThe Caps suddenly start playing their kind of hockey after the Canadiens went ahead 4-1 in the third period of Game 2 of the playoffs.They started passing the puck and skating up middle ice, played hyper aggressively in the offensive zone, and put heat on and wore down the elder Habs defensive crew of Hamrlik, Bergeron, Gill, and Spacek.In rapid succession, Backstrom, Ovechkin, and Backstrom again beats Montreal goaltender, Jaroslav Halak on high shot goals to tie the game up 4-4.After the Canadiens went ahead 5- 4 late in the 3rd period, the Caps didn’t let up. 20 – year old Caps defensemen John Carlson scored the equalizer with less than 3 minutes to go in regulation and at 31 seconds of sudden death overtime, Niklaus Backstrom won the game with a hat trick goal, 6-5.Hey Montreal soothsayers! Do you still think you should bring your blooms to the 4th game Wednesday because you’re not going to sweep our young Caps in 4 games like you predicted. And I always thought Montreal writers and fans were the expert hockey folks, but now I am having second thoughts. See ya Monday in Montreal!
Caps Lose Game 1 in Overtime 3-2
By Rodger M. WoodThe Caps ran into the worst of all possible playoff scenarios tonight against the Montreal Canadiens in Game #1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.They faced a hot goalie, Jaroslav Halak who stopped over 50 shots, a couple big tough veteran defensemen, Hal Gill and Roman Hamrlik, who held their top goal scorer, Alex O, to no shots on net, and a forward, Tomas Plekanic, who feasted on them all season and scored the cheap winning goal from near the blue line to win the game in overtime.Caps defenseman Joe Corvo tied the game up 1-1 in the first period, Niklaus Backstrom put the Caps ahead in the third period, only to have savvy vet forward Scott Gomez score the tying goal to force the game to overtime.The game script wasn’t supposed to end this way, but until the Caps forwards figure out how to shoot high on Halak, play better offense between the blue lines, and get faster breakouts from their end, the result will be the same.But the Caps have rebounded from bad games all season so let hope they do it again.
Don’t Take The Montreal Canadiens Lightly! (or Better Yet, Don’t Count Your Chickens Until They Hatch)
By Rodger Wood
I don’t want to jinx our Capitals but they’re heavy favorites going into their first preliminary Stanley Cup playoff series against the eight seeded Montreal Canadiens tomorrow at the Verizon Center.Why not? They won the President’s Trophy with the best overall record in the NHL this season, finishing 33 points ahead of the Canadiens in the final standings.They scored 103 more goals than the Canadiens and lost only 15 games in regulation during the regular season.The Caps had an awesome offense and balanced scoring getting 20-goals from 8 different forwards and a good share more from their defense too.During the regular season series, the Caps beat the Canadiens twice, lost a game in regulation and won one in overtime.
But anything can happen in the Stanley Cups Playoffs. There is always an upset in the first series. Montreal is a hellacious place to try to win a hockey game and the home team has the 2nd best power play (next to Washington) in the league.The Caps cannot take any stupid penalties, need strong goaltending from Jose Theodore and/or Semyon Varlamov, and need to come out of the gate the first period on the run. They must finish their checks and Alex O. must continue to play the game with abandon.While the Washington Post, and USA Today and other hockey soothsayers predict a Capitals series win in 5 or 6 games, I think you have to take one game at a time and think about the next series, only after you have won four games.As an old hockey philosopher once said, “You don’t pack the equipment bag before the game is over and you don’t start celebrating until the buzzer rings and your team is ahead. And as his contemporary, the old farmer said, “You don’t count your chickens until they hatch!