The Caps Need Heart To Win The Stanley Cup
By Rodger M. WoodLike the Marines, our theme for the Caps’ 2011-2012 season will be “acta non verba,” or “actions not words.” We’re tired of getting all fired up at the beginning of a season, only to be let down with the team’s early departure from the Stanley Cup playoffs.After the Capitals hockey season started the season off with an overtime 4-3 win over Carolina Saturday night, Caps fans are hearing the same old song and song, “The Caps will win the Stanley Cup this season.”The sage editors of the Hockey News are singing the same song predicting, “This will be the season the Capitals bring home the Stanley Cup.” However, without showing the heart, or mental and physical toughness the Boston Bruins did last spring while winning the prized trophy, I think we’ll be in for another long hot summer, our 36th in a row, since the Caps came into being the 1974/1975 season.We can only hope Caps VP and GM George McPhee watched how the Bruins beat the Montreal Canadiens up in seven games last spring, the Philadelphia Flyers in four, Tampa Bay Lightning in seven, and the Vancouver Canucks in seven.Goalie Tim Thomas, forwards Patrice Bergeron, Nathan Horton, David Krejic, Milan Lucic, Shawn Thornton, defensemen Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg, and Johnny Boychuk and the rest of the Bruins were talented, but more importantly, demonstrated they had the courage, grit, durability, mental and physical toughness to beat tough opponents.Our Caps were more talented than the Bruins, and displayed star power during the regular season, but core stars, captain Alex Ovechkin, Nicklaus Backstrom, Alexander Semin, and Mike Green failed to show the internal fortitude necessary to win in the playoffs.You can’t measure the heart of a hockey player or team until they are in the thick of the playoffs. During the summer, McPhee acquired some free agents, Troy Brouwer, Joel Ward, Roman Hamrlik, Jeff Halpern, and Tomas Vokoun , who look good on paper and may perform well in the regular season, but without Ovie and the core stars setting the example in the playoffs, our Cup efforts will still be futile.Novice Caps fans, I hate to dampen your enthusiasm, but we’ve heard the same old story many times before, and won’t believe it until our Cap stars bring us home the Stanley Cup.Winning the Stanley Cup will speak louder than any words used to drum up season ticket sales or fill up the Verizon Center stands.
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Did The Caps Let Their Guard Down Too!
By Rodger M. WoodIt’ll be another long summer, my family’s 36th straight, without a Stanley Cup winner. Will the Caps ever fulfill our impossible dream? Can we last another year to see what their fortune will be in 2012?Yes! Our poor Capitals let us down again, but not without trying. Four fluky goals, a few bad calls, defensive amnesia and our fate was sealed in Tampa, 5-2. The Lightning foe stuck four straight times to sweep the 2011 Stanley Cup semifinal playoffs four games to none.You can blame the loss on Coach Boudreau for being outfoxed by first year Tampa coach Brian Boucher, or on Caps stars, Alex Ovechkin, Niklaus Backstrom, Alexander Semin, or Mike Green’s lack of mental and physical toughness or for reverting back to “run and gun” hockey again, or to the immaturity of John Carlson and Karl Alzner, or veterans Scott Hannan or Jeff Schutz’ play on the blue line, but the bottom line is Tampa worked harder and wanted to win more than the Caps.There will probably be a scapegoat for the Caps loss this summer, but I remember a boxing match I lost in my youth, which taught me a big lesson in life. My younger opponent asked me that night when we were getting our hands taped before the fight not to hurt him too badly. Shortly afterwards, I walked down the aisle to the ring, cocky confident, waving and performing for my brothers, dad, friends, and a few attractive women in the stands. I had no doubts I was going to win the match, maybe even by a knockout. But after my opponent and I got our instructions and the command “to come out fighting” from the referee, I didn’t put my guard up right away. My “frightened” opponent sucker punched and broke my nose in the first seconds of the match. I held onto him until my head cleared, fought as hard as I could the next four rounds, but still got my butt kicked royally.Did my history repeat itself for the Caps? Did they let their guard down, get sucker punched, and have their royal butts kicked just like I did many years ago!
Lightning Strikes the Caps Again... Caps Fall to Lighting
by Thom
And so it goes... the Caps have been swept in four by the Lightning. Hand it to the Lightning, they came to play. They outperformed the Caps in every aspect of the game including coaching.
Not much else to say. It will be interesting to see what changes occur, if any, this summer. Ted Leonsis seems dead set to stick with the plan, so fans calling for the coaches head or for a "reconstruction" may not get their wish. Should changes be made? I hate to say it, but this team is underachieving in a grand way. This season should have seen no less than a trip to the conference finals.
Regardless, after more than 35 years of cheering for the Caps, we will still look forward to a new season of hope and possibilities. Thanks for visiting the CapitalPowerPlay this season.
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We’ll Still Beat Tampa
by Rodger M. Wood
Lady Luck turned her face on the Caps a couple moments, while one Lightning goal deflected off Caps defenseman Mike Green’s stick in the second period and another came after a pass made good in overtime when defenseman Scott Hannan left the ice for a necessary rest. After Alex Ovechkin had tied the score up 2-2 with a minute to go in regulation, and came out on the ice fired up, the Caps lost 3-2 in overtime.Yes, we’re down 2-0 in the semifinals, but don’t fear. The Caps were dominating the second game too, hitting and playing hard and lucky breaks have a way of evening themselves out in a seven game series. So watch out Tampa fans. We’ll come back to win two games on your ice Tuesday and Wednesday, just like your 2003 Tampa Bay Lightning did against the Caps on their way to the Stanley Cup Championship!
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Caps Beat Themselves!
By Rodger M. Wood
Until they reverted back to their “old run and gun offense” near the end of the second period, the Caps were comfortably beating the Lightning 2-1, but then, looking a gift horse in the mouth, they ended up losing the first game of the semifinal playoffs to Tampa 4-2.On an assist by Marcos Sturm, Alexander Semin tied the score up 1-1 at the 4:08 mark of the first period, and Eric Fehr, assisted by line mates, Jason Chimera and Marcus Johanssen put the Caps ahead 2-1 at 1:51 of the second period.Midway through the second period, Brooks Laich appeared to have slammed the puck past Lightning goalie Dwayne Rolason, which if the goal had not been disallowed, would have the home team ahead3-1Looking like they were on a ten minute power play in the second period in the Lightning’s end, the Caps were dominating. They were hitting hard and blocking shots. Defenseman’s Scott Hannan’s check took Lightning LW Simon Gagne out of the game, and Jason Chimera’s smashing check on Lightning defenseman Pavel Kubina also took him out of the game. Crashing the net, Caps forwards had Lightning’s goalie Dwayne Roloson on the ropes ready to take a 10 – count, and Caps goalie, Michal Neuvirth was stopping everything in sight.It was the Caps game and you couldn’t help thinking it could be a blowout, but then Lady Luck suddenly turned her head on the Caps. On a fluke goal off Caps defenseman Scott Hannan’s stick, Steve Downie scored the tying goal, and on a power play with less than a minute to go in the second period, Steven Stamkos scored the go ahead goal to give Tampa a 3-2 lead.Caps stars resorted to the old routine which failed against the Canadiens in last year’s playoffs. Alex Ovechkin, Niklaus Backstrom, Alexander Semin, and Mike Green, who all played a -1 game, tried carrying the puck up the ice, and winning the game themselves. The Lightning 1-3 -1 scheme, which the Caps were beating earlier in the game, stopped them dead in their tracks. On both power plays in the third period, Ovie and Backstrom were whistled off sides three times. They did not shoot the puck in the Lightning’s end, or work for possession in the corner, which worked the second half of the regular season and against the Rangers in the quarterfinals.And you would have thought they’d be believers in the system by now.Without the home team advantage, the Caps face Tampa in the second at home 7 PM Sunday.
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Caps Have To Play Lightning Even Tougher!
By Rodger M. Wood
The Caps played the Rangers tough in the quarterfinals, but if they want to beat Tampa Bay in the semifinals, they’ll have to turn up their play another notch.Blanking the Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0 at Pittsburgh Wednesday, Tampa goalie Dwayne Roloson helped the Lightning win the quarterfinal series four games to three. During the regular season, the Caps went 4-1-1 against the Lightning, but struggled badly when Roloson shut them out in third and fourth games in early January. After installing a strong defensive system in December/January and Cap forwards started aggravating Roloson, they beat the Lightning decisively in games 5 and 6.Like they did to Lundqvist in the Ranger series, Brooks Laich, Matt Hendricks, Boyd Gordon, Matt Bradley Mike Knuble, Jason Arnott, Niklaus Backstrom and other Caps forwards have to crash the net and disturb Roloson.Sharing the net minding responsibilities with Manny Fernandez in the 2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Roloson led the Minnesota Wild’s come backs from 3-1 game deficits to beat strong Colorado and Vancouver teams in the quarter and semifinals. If the Caps don’t break his concentration early in the series, Roloson could hurt them.Like he did against the Rangers, Captain Alex Ovechkin must come out the first shift hitting every Lightning that moves. He must continue to lead the young Caps by example, pop some goals in andset up his line mates. His goal in the second period of game five against the Rangers was a thing of beauty. Skating down the right wing, with a good defenseman, Marc Stahl, hanging all over him, cuttingleft at the last instance, and putting the puck past Lundqvist was a superstar moment hockey fans should always remember.But Ovie needs to do more against the offensive minded Lightning, maybe block an occasional shot, scramble Lightning forward Steve Downie’s brains with a hard check, if he is stupid enough to get on the ice with him at the same time, and maybe add Mattias Ohlund’s too, while he’s at it, and play more right wing once in a while to make the Lightning defense adjust and teach Roloson his new moves. He has to show the same fire and mental toughness he did the entire Ranger series.Other Caps forwards must continue to contribute goals too. Alexander Semin was flying high in the Rangers series scoring the winning overtime goal in game one, and dramatic goals in games 3 and 4. On a different line than Ovie, he gave the Rangers another force to reckon with. After the Caps dramatic3 -goal comeback in the third period of game 4, Jason Chimera scored the winning goal in second period overtime and also scored the winning goal in game two. Marcus Johanssen has to keep flying down the ice, finding a spot in front of the net and putting three more goals past Roloson.Jason Arnott and Scott Hannan need to keep exerting veteran leadership on the Caps. Their leadership in the dressing room and on the ice was invaluable. Arnott played a big role in getting the young Caps ready to come out to score three goals in the third period comeback win in game four and keeping Semin’s head in the game. Hannan constantly cleared the puck out of harm’s way in the Caps defensive zone and jumped up into the offense to add a little extra pressure on the goalie.Mike Green and hopefully, Dennis Wideman, will be ready to play the point and keep the power play alive. Green’s first period power play goal In game 5 got the Caps rolling, his shot and creativity from the point assisted on another four goals, and his blocked shot showed a lot of courage but little technique.. Both of these players also add a lot to the Caps defense.Jeff Schultz and Karl Alzner led the Caps in the Rangers series with 15 blocked shots each, and the Caps blocked 104 shots in the five games to lead the 16 quarterfinal teams. Blocked shots made Neuvy a better goaltender.The Caps have to keep throwing their impressive depth, 3 defensive pairs and four lines, out on the ice every shift to tire and slow down Lightning skaters. Defensive pair Alzner and John Carlson have to continue their often spectacular defensive play.Against a somewhat anemic Rangers offense, Caps goalie Michal Neuvirth was spectacular with a 1.38 GA and 946 save percentage. Tampa’s offense, which had thirteen different players scoring 23 goals against a pretty good Pittsburgh goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury in a 7 game series, will be a better test. In the Penguin series, Tampa got 4 goals from stars Martin St. Louis, 2 each from Vincent LeCavalier and Steven Stamkos and 3 goals from lesser players Sean Bergeheim, 2 from Simon Gagne, and a goal from Steve Downie, Eric Brewer, Teddy Purcell.The Caps cannot give the Lightning a lot of power plays like they did the Rangers, While Boyd Gordon and the Caps penalty kill unit stopped all but one of the Ranger 18 power plays, it will be hard job stopping the likes of St. Louis, Stamkos, and Lecavalier eight times a game like in the Caps did their only loss in the quarterfinals.Instead, they need to draw Tampa’s bad boys into mistakes. In the Penguins series, Steve Downie spent 16 minutes in the sin bin, LeCavalier 8 PIM. Dominic Moore 16 PIM, and Ryan Malone 12 PIM. The Caps must play tough, but make sure they don’t retaliate to the Avery type play of those players. Hendricks may have to take Downie out again as he has the past four games the two teams have played.Tampa’s defense is playing well. Nate Thompson did it all against the Penguins, and Caps fans rememberthe shots Mattias Ohlund put on Ovie during the regular season. Defensemen Eric Brewer and Pavel Kubina came on strong adding some scoring from the point but Caps fore checking must put pressure on them, particularly their ice time adds up.While the Caps have all the tools to beat Tampa, they have to play even tougher and smarter, get the benefit of the doubt once in a while from the referees and a lucky bounce now and then to beat the Lightning.The Caps start the semifinals off 7 PM Friday at the Verizon Centre.
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Night Storm Produces Lightning for Second Round
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Complete Game Gives the Caps a 3-1 Win! Off To The Second Round.
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Unbelievable Overtime Win!
By Rodger M. Wood
Down 3-0 after two periods in the fourth game of the quarterfinal playoffs at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night, the Caps rallied for three goals in the third period sending the game into double overtime, when Caps forward Jason Chimera’s clutch goal at the 12:46 mark beat the overwhelmed Rangers 4-3.The game’s outcome was truly bleak after Rangers Brandon Dubinsky scored his second goal of the series to make the score 3-0 midway through the second period. During the regular season, New York was a formidable 29-0-0 when leading after the second period.But fate had dealt Coach Boudreau a better hand. Before the game, he replaced an injured Mike Knuble with Chimera on the Backstrom/Ovechkin line and Chimera with Eric Fehr on the Marcus Johanssen/Brooks Laich line.Marcus Johanssen scored two goals in the third period and Chimera was in Knuble’s place on the ice when he scored the winning goal.Alexander Semin started the Caps goal surge at the 2:47 mark of the third period with his second goalof the series.After the game, Chimera said his sudden death winning goal was almost as good as getting married or having a baby. It was also his second winning goal of the series.The first period was scoreless, the fourth in a row in the series in which the two teams did not score in the first period.After a miserable second period, the Caps started knocking the Rangers around again, and getting pucks and forwards Semin, Johanssen, and Chimera on net in front of Rangers goalie, Henrik Lundvquist.In the third period, Rangers young defensemen made mistakes which led to the Caps goals. Semin intercepted rookie Ryan McDonagh errant pass to score, Johanssen was by himself in front of the net for both his goals, and Chimera got behind Lundvquist and Marc Staal to score the game winner.The Caps put 53 shots on the Rangers net, had another 28 blocked and missed 22 while the Rangersput 39 shots on Neuvy, had 21 blocked and missed 12. Brooks Laich took a shot defending a second period power play, which almost disabled him.Keeping the Caps in the game, Neuvy stopped 31/34 shots in regulation, 13/13 in overtime, and 36/39 for the game, while King Lundvquist stopped 49/53 in regulation and 18/19 in overtime.Slumping along with most of the other Caps in the second period, rookie defenseman John Carlson teamed up with defense partner Karl Alzner to play brilliant defense in the third and both overtime periods. He and Jeff Schultz blocked five shots each.By the end of the third period both teams had thrown over 100 hits, the Rangers 61 and the Caps 47. Matt Bradley led the Caps with 7 hits, while 6-7 giant Brian Boyle led the Rangers with 10. Except for Johanssen, every Cap on the ice hit someone.In the first two periods, the Caps had five minor penalties, but settled down for only one minor in the third, and one for too many men on the ice in overtime.The Caps rolled four lines and 3 pairs of defensemen in the game wearing down the opposition. John Carlson played a team high of 34:50, while Rangers leader Joe Girardi played 39:45 minutes.Ahead 3 games to one, the Capitals hope to end the series in a matinee game 3:30 Saturday at the Verizon Centre.
Rangers Outgoon Caps 3-2
By Rodger M. Wood
The Caps retaliated to Rangers goon tactics in a hostile Madison Square Gardens, got caught and gave up too many power plays, forgot how to check and block shots, and lost a Gotham street fight 3-2.While the Rangers scored on only one of them, the young Caps gave up eight power plays, two of which were 5 on 3’s. Boyd Gordon and the penalty kill unit were worn down chasing down the likes of Erik Christensen, Marian Gaborak, Brandon Dubinsky, Bryan McCabe, and Vinny Prospal.In the first period, the Caps penalty kill unit held on to kill a 5 on 3 in the last minute and a half of the period. At the buzzard, the score was still 0-0, and it was the third playoff game in a row between these two teams in which there was no goals scored in the first period.At the 5:30 mark of the second period with Mike Green off in the sin bin for a hook, Erik Christensen broke the Caps long penalty kill streak and the Rangers got their first power play goal in the last thirty – three attempts to go ahead 1-0.The parade to the penalty box continued in the second period with John Carlson (cross check), Alex Ovechkin (hook), and Scott Hannan (hold) going off to the penalty box, effectively killing any momentum the Caps could build up in the period.However, at the 19:00 mark of the second period, Alex Ovechkin, assisted by Jason Arnott and Mike Green, raised our hope, putting the puck past Henrik Lundqvist, to tie the game up at 1-1.As Ovie was scoring the goal, “tough guy” Marc Stahl clobbered the side of the head of Mike Green, who just returned to the lineup from a concussion three games before. In defense of our Capitals, this was not the last time Stahl hit Green in the head in the game and was the type of play they retaliated to because the referees didn’t make the calls.At the 8:01 of the third period, Ranger center Vinny Prospal put the Rangers ahead, but after taking advantage of an “unusual” Ranger mistake on Marian Gaborak’s cross check penalty, Mike Knuble, assisted by Alex Ovechkin and Niklaus Backstrom, tied the score 2-2 at 14:48 mark.The game looked like another overtime contest, until Ranger forward Brandon Dubinsky carried the puck to the Capitals net at the 18:21 mark, cut into the crease, and shot the puck off Caps defenseman Karl Alzner’s shoulder and deflected by Ovie’s stick, into the net behind Caps goalie Michal Neuvirth to give the Rangers a dramatic win in Game 3.The Caps lost the game in the trenches. The Rangers outhit them 41- 29 for the night.While Caps goalie Neuvirth lost the duel to veteran adversary Henrik Lundqvist, he stopped 32 of 35 shots, and didn’t have a chance on the three goals that got past him. Failing to block shots and protect the young goaltender like the first two games, the Caps just allowed too many shots to go through on net.Before next game, the Caps need to regain focus, composure, remember how to check cleanly and block shots and not take so many penalties if they want game 3 to be in their win column. When they have won three games and are ahead 3-1 in a fourth game win with ten seconds to go in this series, Coach Boudreau can put DJ King on the ice across from Stahl. Maybe then we can see how tough Staal is.Playoff hockey is like a chess game. You have to change your moves every game, or the opposition catches up to you. The Rangers changed their moves last game and won. Let’s hope the Coach Boudreau changed the Capitals at practice today.The Caps/Rangers 4th Game is at 7:30 Wednesday at New York.
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Neuvy, Neuvy, Neuvy!
By Rodger M. Wood
Trying to forget an overtime loss in the first game and silence the 20,000+ sea of red at the Verizon Center Friday night, the Rangers came out shooting, failed to get a puck past rookie goalie, Michal Neuvirth, and lost the second game of the quarterfinal playoffs 2-0.23-year old Neuvirth stopped 13 shots in the first period. Stymied by the Caps chokehold defense, the Rangers mustered only 9 shots on the net the second and third periods. Early in the game, a thunderous roar of “Neuvy, Neuvy, Neuvy” started greeting the fans’ new found hero every time he stopped a shot.Skating fast and furious, Caps third line of Brooks Laich, Marcus Johanssen, and Jason Chimera took charge of the ice in the second period. Assisted by line mates, Chimera gave the Caps a 1-0 lead at the 2:11 mark, and barreling into Ranger players the entire game, a psychological lift with 5 hits the rest of the game.Assisted by Mike Green, and Alex Ovechkin, Jason Arnott gave the Caps a power play insurance goal a couple minutes later. Whenever on the ice, it was reassuring to see Arnott and line mate, Marcos Sturm calmly playing veteran hockey.The Caps’ suffocating defense and tough back checking punished the Rangers. Ovie and Chimera set the tone with six and five hard hits each, and each other Capital, except Mike Green, made the Rangers keep their heads up with a hit each.
Doing the little things necessary to win playoff games, John Erskine, Niklaus Backstrom, and Karl Alzner blocked three shots each. Late in the third period, Green blocked a hard shot from Rangers Russian Fedotenko to keep the Rangers from tying the game.Showing frustration In the second period, the Rangers started resorting to Coach Tortorella’s infamous goon tactics. Rangers biggest culprit, Sean Avery was seen bumping Neuvy every time he passed by him, including a couple times when the play was well down ice out of the referee’s sight. LW Brandon Prust kept trying to get things going with Erskine, and defenseman Marc Stahl took cheap shots on Ovie and Johanssen’s backs.But their tactics didn’t work and the Caps kept laying Brian Boyle and the rest of the Rangers out on the ice. They kept their cool preventing the NY goons from changing their winning ways. The result was a 2-0 shutout, a commanding 2 games to 0 lead in the series, and a strong hope to win two games in New York to win the series.The Caps/Rangers play the third game in a 3:00 PM matinee game at New York Sunday.Caps defenseman Dennis Wideman is back on the ice skating. The prognosis is that he could possibly return to play as early as a week.
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Caps Beat Rangers in Overtime!
By Rodger M. Wood
Remembering last year’s first game loss against 8th seeded Montreal, the Caps came out strong, hitting everything in sight, and doing all the little things necessary to beat the New York Rangers 2-1 in overtime of the first game of the 2011 quarterfinals Stanley Cup playoffs.They played good defense, blocked opponent shots and waited for the right opportunity tocome back from a 1-0 deficit late in the third period.Ovie set the tone, crunching Rangers all over the ice, and his teammates soon followed suit with 17 hits in the first period and a total 35 hits for the game.Although the Rangers are notorious for keeping their offensive zone clean, Caps were the better of the two teams, blocking 32 shots to the Rangers’ game total of 28.The game was scoreless until Rangers Matt Gilroy scored on a slap shot from the slot at 1:56 mark of the third period.Sticking to the game plan, Alex Ovechkin crashed the nets to even the score up 1-1 with his first goal against the Rangers this season at the 13.44 mark of the third period.Both teams played cautiously until Alexander Semin broke into the open in front of the Rangers net to take a perfect pass from line mate, Jason Arnott and score the game winner at 18.53 of overtime.Throughout the game, Rangers veteran goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist dueled Capitals rookie goaltender Michal Neuvirth, who in his first NHL playoff game, matched the old pro stopping 24 of 25 shots, many of which were taken from point blank range. The Caps 23-year old net minder made several unbelievable stops.Coming back from a concussion, defenseman Mike Green played 24:45 minutes and assisted on Alex O’s goal in the third period.The Caps take on the Rangers in the second game in 7:30 PM game at the Verizon Center Friday night.See you there!
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Do The Caps Have Enough Heart To Win The Stanley Cup
By Rodger M. Wood
With the playoffs this week, the acid test is about to begin for the Washington Capitals.Embarrassed by a first round loss to the Canadians last season after finishing #1 overall In league standings, they have to win the Cup or face a rough summer.Going 15-3-1 since March 1st, they showed they have the tools.Bruce Boudreau is a good coach who taught them defense and how to win again after a horrendous 8 – game losing streak in December.They have strong goaltending in Michal Neuvirth (2.49 GAA, 27-11-4) and Semyon Varlamov (2.23 GAA, 11-9-5), and a sensational backup in rookie goalie Braden Holtby (1.79, 10-2-2), waiting in reserve at Hershey, if either falters or is injured.They’re blessed with healthy 30 - goal scorer in Alex Ovechkin, who could turn into a 50-goal scorer in the playoffs, 28 –goal scorer Alexander Semin, and a clutch 24 goal scorer in rejuvenated 38-year old Mike Knuble.They have 18-goal scorer Niklaus Backstrom, 16 goal scorer Brooks Laich, 17 goal scorer Jason Arnott, 13 goal scorer Marcus Johanssen, and 10 goal scorers in Jason Chimera, Dennis Widemann, and Eric Fehr.They have a new leader, Jason Arnott, who has won a Stanley Cup.They have two high scoring lines, a speed line that can score, a checking line, and tough guy line in Matt Bradley, Matt Hendricks and Boyd Gordon.While Tom Poti and Dennis Widemann are still on the injured list, they’ll have seven healthy defenseman available for the playoffs when Mike Green returns to the lineup.They’ve learned to play good defense, dump the puck in the opposing offensive zone and won many low scoring games with an late opportunistic goal.Rookie defensemen, Karl Alzner and John Carlson are shutting down opposing scorers, and Scott Hannan is the stay at home defenseman they’ve always needed.The power play scored five goals in the last three games and was working without Mike Green or newly acquired Dennis Wideman, who will be out the first playoff round with a leg injury.Having won eight of nine in overtime in March, including wins against Philadelphia, Tampa, and last year’s cup winning Chicago Black Hawks, they can withstand heavy duty pressure, similar to that experienced in the playoffs.The penalty killers, Boyd Gordon, John Carlson, Scott Hannan, and others have been superb all season.The Caps have the talent, but it takes more to win a Stanley Cup. If we could only inject Matt Hendricks or Matt Bradley or John Erskine’s mental and physical toughness into our star players, we’d have sure winners.All our guys would play tough, block shots, give and take bone crushing checks shots, win the battles in the corners, and do the little thing needed to win hockey games. And then, with a little luck and some dirty goals, we’d be sure winners.The Caps have all the pieces to the puzzle, but need heart to bring home the Stanley Cup.
Holtby or Varlamov?
By Rodger M. Wood
Whether they realize it or not, the Capitals are blessed with an unusual goalie dilemma.They have three good young goalies but still need to decide which, Braden Holtby or Semyon Varlamov, they will keep up with the big club to share goaltending with Michal Neuvirth in the playoffs?Called up to the Bell Centre in emergency last Sunday, rookie goalie Braden Holtby, looking like a pit bull guarding his turf, stopped 18 shots to shutout Montreal 2-0.At the Verizon Center Tuesday, with veteran superstars Alex Ovechkin and Jason Arnott back in the lineup, Semyon Varlamov stopped 24 of 26 shots in regulation and overtime, but missing Hurricanes Jeff Skinner and Tuomu Ruutu’s shots lost 3-2 to Carolina in the overtime shootout.He looked bad on Jeff Skinner’s goal which tied the game 2-2 at the 1:46 mark of the third period.A free agent at the end at the end this season, Varlamov has indicated he is open to both Kontinental League and Caps offers this Summer.In his first 14 NHL games this season, Holtby has a goal against average of 1.79, 10 wins, 2 losses, 2 shutouts, and 934 save %.He was named the NHL First Star of the Week ending March 13th for his 4-0-0 W-L record, 1.05 GAA, 965 SV %, and shutout against Edmonton.In 26 GPI, Varlamov has a GAA of 2.24, 10 wins, 9 losses, 2 shutouts, and a 923 Save %.Injury prone, Varlie missed 15 games between October 21st and November 24th, and 14 games, between February 20 to March 25th.Holtby is durable, playing in 23 games at Hershey and 14 for the Caps, a total of 37 this season.So far the Caps are sticking with Varlamov, having sent Holtby back to Hershey March 27th, but if Varlamov falters, the jury’s still out. Hershey is only about two hours from Washington. DC, and the rookie goaltender can always be called back.
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Knuble’s Playing Like A Youngster
By Rodger M. Wood
Watching the way veteran Mike Knuble has played hockey the past ten games makes you think the 39-year old forward is drinking from the proverbial fountain of youth.With Alex Ovechkin, Jason Arnott, and Mike Green out of the lineup, he’s picked up additional ice time and made a strong mark on offense.Against the Flyers Tuesday at the hostile Wells Fargo Center, he and rookie line mate, Marcus Johanssen engineered two goals and three assists between them.In the fight for Eastern Conference first place, Knuble scored a goal in the first period, set up Dennis Wideman’s power play goal in the second, and Marcus Johanssen’s tying goal late in the third to help the Capitals comeback to tie the Flyers 4-4 and meet their arch enemy in overtime.The goal in the first was his 20th of the season, and his 8th consecutive 20 goalseason.The Caps went ahead 3-0 at the 1:12 mark of the second period, but then forgot how to clear the puck from their zone.Playing great hockey down low, and creating several turnovers, the Flyers scored four unanswered goals to go ahead 4-3 and certainly looked like sure winners in regulation.But then Knuble again saved the day, streaking down the ice to set up line mate Marcus Johanssen for the tying goal at the 16:41 mark of the third period.Both teams played a stalemate in overtime.It came down to a shootout in which Caps shooters, Matt Hendricks, Niklaus Backstrom, and Alexander Semin put three straight shots past goalie Brian Boucher to make the Caps 5-4 winners.The win marked the fourth consecutive season the Caps has clinched a playoff position.Capitals rookie defense pair, Karl Alzner and John Carlson, continued to eatup monstrous 26:15 and 27:19 ice time.
We Want the First Big Prize This Year!
By Rodger M. Wood
Winning two of three road games and ten of eleven games with as many as five injured starters on the sidelines, the Caps proved they were still winners, who could win all the marbles once their whole team is back on the ice in April.They faced Montreal, Detroit, and New Jersey on the road last week without key performers, recently acquired center and new dressing room leader, Jason Arnott, first line center Niklaus Backstrom, forward Eric Fehr, defenseman Mike Green, and goalieSemyon Varlamov.Starting with the Flyers game tonight, they also face the prospect of not having all star forward Alex O in the lineup the next seven – ten days.But so far with the extra ice time, rookies and other veteran players are filling the void.At the Bell Centre against Montreal, rookie center, Marcus Johansson scored two goals, and goalie Braden Holtby stopped 24 of 26 shots as the Caps set a record with their 6th straight road win 4-2.Brooks Laich and Mike Knuble scored the other two goals in the Montreal win.Forward Matt Bradley challenged veteran Habs defenseman Paul Mara to a fight the shift after he bloodied rookie Jay Beagle with an elbow to the face.Holtby was named “NHL First Star of the Week” for a 4-0 record, 1.05 GAA, and stopping 110 of 114 shots (96.5%).The Caps came close to beating Detroit Red Wings with a light lineup Wednesday night. The teams were tied 2-2 midway through the third period on rookie defenseman John Carlson 6th and Alex O’s 29th goals of the season, when Red Wings superstar Henrik Zetterling fine tuned a power play shot past goalie Michal Neuvirth left shoulder for a 3-2 lead which carried on to the final game result.The following Friday, Neuvirth made up for missing Zettlering’s goal, stopping all 33 shots and shutting down the New Jersey Devils 3-0. It was Neuvirth’s 4th shutout and 23rd win of the season.Johansson tallied another goal and Knuble his 18th and 19th goals of the season. Jeff Schultz tallied his first goal of the season to give the Caps a first period lead.It helps that Varlamov, Fehr, Backstrom, and maybe Arnott will return to the ice tonight at Philadelphia. Behind the Flyers by only a point, the extra firepower could help win a tough battle for first place in the Eastern Conference.But the Caps have been there before. They won the Patrick Trophy and every other trophy, except the big one on which they all want their name.So be it then tonight. The rest and rehabilitation of Ovie, Green and the rest of our injured warriors is more important. Healthy, the Caps have the defense, leadership, toughness, and goal scoring offense to win the Big Prize, and that is what we want standing on our mantel at the end of the playoffs this year!
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