I say this some level of hesitation.  Not because Perreault won’t be playing opening night, but because the question remains as to how long his stint in D.C. will last.  Perreault has developed a rather lengthy history of being an incredible spark to the lineup, at least initially.  The question revolving around Perreault is whether or not he can sustain that energy for more then a three to five game stretch.  One thing that may actually be working in Perreault’s favor is the level of talent that was just sent packing back to Hershey in his place.  Cody Eakin is a sure fire NHLer.  It is just a matter of time before he makes his NHL debut.  In fact, you can expect that this year.  The same holds true for Mattias Sjogren, who has impressive size and faceoff ability.  Sjogren also has pro experience playing in the Swedish Elite League; something Eakin does not have.  All of this talent nipping at Perreault’s heels should be the motivation he needs to perform.  Perreault must bring some level of consistency this season, otherwise Boudreau has two options for his replacement.  My gut tells me we will see a good bit of action from all three guys.

But ultimately I believe Perreault was the right call, at least to start the season.  I’d like to see Eakin get some seasoning at the AHL level before throwing him into an NHL game.  This will give him the opportunity to play against bigger faster players.  Most of Eakin’s hockey experience to this point has been at the junior level. 

The same holds true for Mattias Sjogren, who isn’t viewed as the greatest skater.  Sjogren also has the task of adjusting to the NHL rink size which is smaller then the international sized rink used in the Swedish Elite League.  Again using the AHL as a place to develop his skills and adjust to the rink size is a benefit to Sjogren, and ultimately the Capitals organization. 

My feeling is that these three players will inhabit somewhat of a revolving door this season; all three likely to see time in the NHL.  The competition certainly isn’t ending when training camp concludes.  The competition these three players are in will continue throughout the season.

Dmitry Orlov was also among the final cuts and will begin the season in Hershey.  Orlov is an absolute stud of prospect and will find himself in an NHL uniform very soon.  But there is no need to rush his development unnecessarily.  Orlov is still developing his skills as a shutdown defenseman.  The Capitals already have an ample supply of puck moving defenseman as well now that Dennis Wideman is healthy.  In combination with John Carlson and Mike Green, the Capitals have plenty of puck movers.  All that said, Orlov’s stint in Hershey could be short lived if John Erskine is not ready by Saturday.  If Erksine is unable to go, perhaps Orlov could likely be the seventh defenseman.  Just like Eakin and Sjogren, Orlov may start the season in Hershey, but he will take to the ice in a Capitals’ sweater at some point this season.

The opening night roster will be the following:

Forwards: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Troy Brouwer, Joel Ward, Jeff Halpern, Brooks Laich, Mike Knuble, Mathieu Perreault, DJ King, Jason Chimera, Matt Hendricks, Jay Beagle, Alex Semin, and Marcus Johansson

Defenseman: Mike Green, John Carlson, Karl Alzner, Roman Hamrlik, Dennis Wideman, John Erskine, and Jeff Schultz

Goaltenders: Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth

Tom Poti is currently on the roster but will begin the season on the Long-Term Injured Reserve list.

The skill on the roster of year’s past has never been questioned.  Despite a few hiccups a season ago, the Caps have been a scoring juggernaut for the past four seasons.  But the Boston Bruins proved to us what we already knew; it takes more then a cluster of fancy plays and jaw-dropping offensive skill to win it all.  It takes a total team effort on both ends of the ice, in net, and most importantly in the Caps’ case – in the dressing room.  This is where McPhee’s offseason acquisitions are going to bear their fruits. 

The thorn in the side of Capitals’ fans has been the consistent lack of accountibility and discipline in the dressing room.  This mostly has to do with the youth of the roster.  I don’t intend to discount the role of veterans like Mike Knuble and Jason Chimera, but last year’s inconsistent play is a direct reflection of the team’s leadership void – topped off with yet another early playoff exit. 

It starts with Alex Ovechkin.  All reports are that the captain is in better shape then ever before.  Ted Leonsis is on record as saying Ovechkin came into last season with the intent of peaking during the playoffs.  Is that the reason for his lowest performance totals of his career?  Regardless, last year’s season was a wakeup call for Ovechkin, now entering his sixth season with the Capitals.  Ovechkin has the unenviable task of delivering the team’s first Stanley Cup.  It is a considerable burden, but he has accepted that responsibility with open arms.  It was all to obvious that Ovechkin was not in the best of shape last season.  He had to make changes to his training routine this offseason, and reports are that he in the best shape of his career.  As the Captain he must set the proper example for the rest of his teammates.  If the reports are true, then Ovechkin is on the right track in that regard.

But McPhee knew the leadership role should be spread out amongst more then just the Captain.  The acquisitions of Troy Brouwer, Roman Hamrlik, and Jeff Halpern should help take some of the pressure off Ovechkin.  Jeff Halpern is a former Captain (with the Capitals), Troy Brouwer is a Stanley Cup Champion, and Roman Hamrlik is a 20 year veteran.  Throw in Brooks Laich and the Capitals have solid group of veterans who, along with Ovechkin, who should be able to steer this team to the promised land.

As I mentioned before, the Capitals’ offensive prowess has never been questioned.  They did run into some trouble a season ago while transitioning to a more defensive style of play.  The team’s ability to shutdown teams in the defensive zone has always been an area of concern.  This extends to the play of the goaltenders as well.  For the most part, Michal Neuvirth had a breakout season last year.  He is likely the goaltender of the future.  But if you get the chance to sign a goaltender like Tomas Vokoun for just $1.5 million, you take it.  In addition to the quality of play he will give the Capitals, he is also a countryman and childhood idol of Michal Neuvirth’s.  Neuvirth will have the opportunity to learn from Vokoun who is an NHL veteran.  On the flip side, Neuvirth certainly played well enough a season ago to be the Caps’ starting goaltender, so Vokoun will have be sure his play is sharp as Neuvirth will be pressuring him for playing time as the team’s backup.  The Capitals now have elite level goaltending, something they haven’t had since Olie Kolzig mined the crease.  The doubters have always pointed to the play of the goaltenders as the reason to cast suspicion on the Capitals’ Cup hopes.  McPhee has done his part to silence those critics.  Now the ball is in Vokoun and Neuvirth’s court.

For the goaltenders to have any shot at doing their job, they must have solid play in front of them.  The Capitals made huge strides a season ago to improve their defensive play.  They instituted a trapping style of play with emphasis on checking, and clearing the puck quickly out of the defensive zone to the sticks of the skilled forwards.  Then they ran into Tampa Bay.  The likes of Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, and Sean Bergenheim were to much to handle.  The main reason being lack of execution and Guy Boucher’s coaching genius.  But the Capitals needed more grit and grind then they had.  McPhee realized that and traded for Troy Brouwer at the draft, and signed former Predator Joel Ward.  Brouwer and Ward are guys that will punish the opposition on the forecheck, build their homes in the crease, and bring havoc to anyone unsuspected of their presence on the ice.  They will contribute offensively as well.  These were moves to add some depth to the lineup and make the Capitals even more difficult to play.  The idea is not only to scare the opposition with the scoring potential of Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin, and Green; but also to be a nightmare physically for the opposition.  Brouwer and Ward certainly help that cause.

The additions of Ward, Brouwer, Halpern, Hamrlik, and Vokoun make the Capitals an even more formidable foe because they addressed the team’s glaring needs; a grittier meaner roster, additional defensive depth, and a world class goaltender.

With camp opening today, the roster is all but set.  The only issues to hash out are finding the best line combinations and one additional forward to fill the one vacant slot on the roster.  The main questions Boudreau will search for answers for involve who will fill the role as the second line center and who will the extra forward.  Marcus Johansson will likely be penciled into the second line center spot on opening night, but Brooks Laich will get some looks in that spot as well.  Laich is arguably the team’s most versatile player.  Likely to start on the left wing, don’t be surprised to see Laich centering Alex Semin and Troy Brouwer at some point this year.  If there was one thing the Capitals’ did not address this offseason, it was the second line center spot.  The question remains as to whether Marcus Johansson is ready to carry the load for a second season.  As a rookie, Johansson faired well as the season progressed.  As expected he started slow, but looked more and more comfortable as the season progressed.  The undeniable trait of Johansson’s game is his incredible speed, but he struggled with the often bigger opposition a season ago.  He had trouble being pushed off the puck and loosing battles in the corners due to his smaller stature.  With one season under his belt and an offseason of training, my feeling is he will be even better this year then last.  He will be looking to lock down the second line center role.  One thing we know is that Stanley Cup champions typically have two solid centers on the first two lines.  On paper, the Capitals don’t have that, so it may be center by committee to start the year until someone proves they are the man for the job full time.  If nobody stands out, expect a move for a center at the trade deadline.

The last forward spot will be a battle between Mattias Sjogren, Cody Eakin, Jay Beagle, Chris Bourque, and Matheiu Perreault.  Eakin was the last man cut a season ago so one would think he is in the driver seat.  That was until the Capitals signed Sjogren over the summer.  Sjogren is a bigger body who already has professional hockey experience having played in the Swedish Elite League.  Sjogren will still have to prove he can compete with NHL caliber players and be effective on the smaller ice surface.  Eakin came off a disappointing development camp in July.  Having played the the long Junior season, as well as in the World Juniors, Eakin was admittedly not in the best shape.  His play suffered.  But all accounts point to him being in the proper shape entering camp.  Whether he makes the opening night roster or not, expect to see Eakin in a Capitals uniform at some point this season.

It is hard to put into words the expectations entering this season.  This is the best team the Caps have ever had entering camp.  Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Semin all have chips on their shoulder.  All had down years a season ago and will be looking to regain their status as one of the best trios in the NHL.  Semin will be playing for a contract as well.  Mike Green is finally healthy and will once again be the best offensive defenseman in the NHL.  In addition, a full season with Dennis Wideman, a healthy Mike Green, and the addition of Roman Hamrlik will only help the power play which failed the Capitals a season ago.  The Capitals will enter their second season with the combo of John Carlson and Karl Alzner.  During the latter half of last season, they were the Caps best defensive pair.  They were arguably as good as any pair in the NHL.  Finally, the questions in net have been answered with Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth.

The Capitals are running out of excuses.  The pressure is only going to mount as we get closer to opening night.  You can expect the Capitals to win the conference this season, and possibly win their second President’s Trophy.  But that is irrelevant.  It boils down to performing in the playoffs.  Anything short of the Eastern Conference finals will be a failure.  But this team has sights on the Finals and the Stanley Cup.  It appears they have all the pieces in place to finally reach a place they haven’t been since 1998 – the Finals and a chance to win the Cup. 

The mission begins October 8.

 My belief is this team’s got a better chance to win than Detroit does and they showed a lot more interest. 

 They’re comparable teams, but Detroit has won the Stanley Cup three times and Washington has never won it.  I think that’s a lot better challenge for me and for the teamto do something special.

File that under things you’d be lying about if you ever thought those words would be uttered….well the first part at least.  The Capitals certainly were justified to show as much interest as they wanted considering the pressure that continues to fall on them each and every season.  But to say the Capitals have a better chance to win the Cup then the mighty Detroit Red Wings?  I’ll certainly take it.  The funny part is it may actually be true; at least on paper.  The Capitals added a bit of sandpaper to their lineup; something they so desperately have missed in previous years.  But without question, the most important move of the offseason was locking up an elite NHL goaltender for what amounts to pennies; a paltry $1.5 million for one season.

The Detroit Red Wings have been an elite NHL team for the better part of the last 15 years.  The Capitals have choked and gagged their way out of the playoffs the past four years despite winning their division in each of those years and the Eastern Conference the last two.  It is my guess that the majority of hockey fans and the media that cover the NHL will likely disagree with Vokoun; not because the Caps don’t have the better personnel (they arguably do), but because of the team’s history under Boudreau.  It’s one of those situations where you won’t believe it until you see it. 

You also have to be intrigued by Vokoun’s apparent willingness to except the challenge of being the first goalie to possibly win a Cup for the Capitals.  However the quotes appear to contradict each other saying its a bigger challenge for him to win the Cup in D.C. despite the Caps having the better chance to win the Cup.  But I won’t split hairs.  It is clear the guy has one thing on his mind and that is Stanley Cup.  The 35 year old netminder is certainly on the back side of his career, however his performance on the ice certainly doesn’t indicate that.  In addition, he will act a mentor to fellow Czech netminder Michal Neuvirth who still remains the Caps’ future number one goalie. 

But of course there is the flip side.  Vokoun certainly appears to be ready to take this team to the promised land.  But joining a team embattled with history of disappointment, additional pressure will be placed on Vokoun.  Only time will tell as the whether he will be able to deliver.  But clearly the consensus in DC is that Caps fans will happily wager their team’s chances on Vokoun.

It should also be noted that Vokoun’s decision to join the Capitals extended beyond the ice.  Vokoun made it known that his family would not be joining him in Washington DC permanently.  With the deal just being a one year contract, this makes some sense.  However being away from one’s family over the course of an NHL season is no situation to envy.  It will certainly be tough for Vokoun.  Vokoun went on to cite Detroit’s travel schedule as influencing his decision as it would be more difficult for his family to visit him in Detroit.  That’s interesting due to Detroit’s desire to be in the Eastern Conference citing the fact that they have the worst travel schedule in the NHL.

Whatever the reason or reason may be, Caps fans are certainly happy V0koun picked Washington.

When asked about the postseason troubles that have been plaguing the Capitals over the last few years, Bradley spoke about a number of different players “not showing up”, however he refrained from naming any players specifically.  When pressed further about the issue Bradley stated “Our locker room was maybe a little too nonchalant, and guys weren’t disciplined the way they should have been.”  Bradley didn’t stop there.  He also called into question some of the habits of his former teammates, more specifically about their practice habits and their overall work ethic stating that certain guys weren’t ready for practice due to “questionable injuries”.

For the entirety of last season and the majority of the season before, I’ve been pretty candid about the lack of leadership on the Capitals team, and it starts with the Captain Alex Ovechkin.  Obviously any news regarding an injury or any other reason why a player missed practice we have to take at face value.  Anyone outside of the locker room should do that.  But the frequency of hearing news that players like Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Semin are “taking their option” and missing practice or a morning skate is a growing concern for me.  So Bradley’s comments come as no surprise to me.  But what does this boil down to?  The message is pretty clear to me that there are guys on the roster who’s commitment and work ethnic need improvement, or it points straight to the top with Bruce Boudreau.  Head coaches have a lot on their plate.  They have to be role models, leaders, and without question they have to create an environment of discipline.  Perhaps that is lacking right now in the locker room.  To be fair to Ovechkin, Bradley did go on to say that he never questioned Ovechkin and went on to say that he’s “an all-in guy”.  But still, there is a perception.  The question would not have been asked if there wasn’t one.

Matt Bradley did have something special saved up for Alex Semin.  The story has been written on Alex Semin numerous times.  The secret is out.  Semin is an all world talent that dangle through anybody, but his enigmatic nature has always been his major flaw.  Semin can go on torrid streaks, scoring goals seemingly at will, and other times will disappear and do more damage to the team then good.  He at times appear lazy on the ice and his work ethic has in the past been criticized.  Whether justified or not, one thing everyone agrees on is that for the Capitals to have any success, Semin has to be a contributor.  Apparently Matt Bradley agrees saying “could easily be the best player in the league but for whatever reason just doesn’t care”.  When it comes to perception, this is spot on.  But let’s be fair to Semin, you don’t become an elite player in the NHL by not caring.  Semin has never been criticized for being out of shape or being a bad teammate.  It’s just that his performances on the ice and perhaps his “questionable injuries” Bradley was possible referring to has cast a bit of a shadow on Semin.

As this story gains a bit of steam in the blogosphere, it will be interesting to see if any other former Capitals share Bradley’s feelings about his old teammates.  Oh…and that first game against the Panthers just got a bit spicier.

What’s your take?  Is there a culture problem in the Caps’ locker room?

The action actually started prior to the free agency period if you include the trade for Troy Brouwer at last week’s draft, plus the re-signing of Brooks Laich to a six year contract.  After last season’s early playoff exit, the discussion was to whom the blame should fall on.  Many felt that Bruce Boudreau was out-coached by Guy Boucher in the series against the Lightning – coupled with his tenure being marked with consistent underachievement.  Those in that camp felt that the team needed a new head boss, and called Boudreau to lose his job.  The other camp consisted of those who felt the players were at fault, and changes to the roster were necessary.  It was a down year for the entire team offensively, injuries plagued the team down the stretch, and the team was transitioning from a run-and-gun style, to a shutdown trap team.  The events of the past week, and more importantly the last 24 hours is a clear indication of whom McPhee felt was responsible for the disappointing season.  The Caps needed some serious re-tooling, and McPhee has delivered.

The addition of Joel Ward is an important addition because he is a big physical winger.  Ward comes from a defense first team in Nashville and should fit in quite nicely with the Capitals who will continue their transition into a defensive juggernaut.  Joel Ward isn’t one to light up the score sheet, but don’t let his career stats fool you.  He was a breakout player in the playoffs last year scoring seven goals in 12 games.  He chipped in six assists and was a plus 4 in those 12 games.  At just 30 years of age, Ward has plenty of gas left in the tank.  He will be a Capital for the next four years - his contact totaling $12 million.  Make no mistake, Ward was brought in to help change the Capitals identity from a high scoring “soft” team, to a tough defensive team.  The Capitals need to be a physical force in the Eastern Conference, and Joel Ward helps that cause.

With the departure of Boyd Gordon to the Phoenix Coyotes, the Capitals were in need a fourth line center.  They got that with a familiar face in Jeff Halpern.  The Potomac, MD native will be coming home to the Capitals, the team he began his NHL career with.  This is another attempt by McPhee to become a more veteran and experienced team.  Halpern and Gordon are similar players in that both are faceoff specialists who also kill penalties.  But Halpern brings with him experience and a voice in the locker room.  A season ago, the Capitals were starved for a voices in the locker room.  Halpern brings this.  Halpern also contributed on the scoresheet a season ago with the Canadiens.  If the Capitals can get 11 goals from Halpern like the Habs did a season ago – for under $1 million – it’s a steal.

Another area the Capitals wanted to improve on was the blue line – enter Roman Hamrlik.  Hamrlik was signed to a 2-year contract worth $7 million.  Hamrlik is yet another puck moving defensmen who can move the puck and play the power play.  What I really like about this deal in that Hamrlik is a left-handed shot who can play the power play.  Mike Green, Dennis Wideman, and John Carlson are all right-handed shots which provides some limitation on how the puck is moved on the power play.  Hamrlik now provides a different option and a different look on the power play.  With this addition, the blue line does become a bit crowded for the Capitals.  More on that in a bit.

And finally, a bombshell was dropped today when it was announced that the Capitals signed Tomas Vokoun.  Vokoun played with the Panthers a season ago, and was widely considered to be one of the most sought after goalies in the free agent class.  The signing of Vokoun was made possible when McPhee traded Semyon Varlamov to the Avalanche for a 1st round pick and a 2nd round pick in either 2012 or 2013.  This was an absolute steal of a trade for the Capitals.  The 1st round pick acquired from the Avalanche is not lottery protected, so if the Avalanche fail to make the playoffs this upcoming season, they could end up in the lottery.  If everything works in the Capitals favor, it is feasable that Varlamov was traded for a top five pick.  But it doesn’t end there.  The deal for Vokoun is a one year contract for $1.5 million.  The avalanche were able to sign Varlamov for three years at $2.8 million per season.  This means the Capitals were able to sign Vokoun, a franchise goaltender, for less money then what Varlamov was asking for, AND pick up a 1st and 2nd round pick from the Avalanche.  McPhee turned into an absolute magician with this deal.  I was in the group that felt the Capitals were okay in net with Michal Neuvirth coming off a break out season.  But Vokoun is a game changer.  The Caps now have an all Czech goaltending tandem that rivals any pair in the NHL.

The Capitals still have some unfinished business to attend to.  Both Karl Alzner and Troy Brouwer remained unsigned.  With all free agent acquisitions the Capital made, cap space is at a premium.  The Caps find themselves with just $500K of cap room remaining with both Alzner and Brouwer needing to be signed.  The Capitals will be signing both of these players.  What this means in that the Capitals will have to make a trade to free up space to fit both contracts under the cap.  The acquisitions of Brouwer and Ward leave the Caps with plenty of options on the wing.  This means guys like Alex Semin and Eric Fehr may be on the move.  Semin is entering first and final year of his one year deal and will earn $6.7 million this season.  His contract alone would make room for both Alzner and Brouwer.  A season ago I would have told you it would extremely difficult to move a contract of that size (in dollars).  But that was before the NHL raised the salary cap to $64 million.  In tandem with the increase to the cap, the cap floor also increased.  This means that team still needing to reach the cap floor may have room for Semin’s $6.7 million cap hit.  Semin has been enigmatic for the entirety of his career.  But his talent and skill is world class, and most teams would love to have a 35 goal scorer on their roster.  The Capitals also have some spare pieces on the blue line that could become expendable as well.  Dare I say Mike Green?  It is unlikely that Green will be moving before the start of the season, but the Capitals have enough puck moving defenseman for two teams let alone themselves.  If the market is any indication, re-signing Mike Green next year will be an expensive proposition.  With Christin Erhoff getting $4 million per season from the Sabres, perhaps you think about moving Green in an attempt to dump some salary.  Again…..it is not likely, but it is something should at least be talked about.

So all these moves may just be the beginning of something even bigger.  One thing we know for sure is that the Caps must make some trades in order to sign two important pieces to the puzzle.  It is just a waiting game to see when those moves are made. 

All salary figures courtesy of CapGeek.

Since joining the Capitals via trade in the 2003-2004 season, Laich has reached core status with the Capitals.  He is a legitimate member of the core group of guys that will either carry this team to glory, or be ridiculed for failing to get the Capitals over the hump.  Laich may not put up the offensive numbers that are expected from Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Semin, but his contributions are just as important and ultimately help the Capitals win games.  Laich is the team’s best two-way forward, he is a major reason why the team’s penalty kill had its resurgence last season, he makes his home in the high traffic areas – especially on the power play, and he provides a powerful voice in the locker room.

But lets not sell Laich short.  The guy can score goals as well.  He’s scored over 20 goals in three of the past four season, including his 100th NHL goal this past season.  His year offensively in 2010 was down from year’s past, but so was every other player on the Caps roster.  There is no reason why Laich can’t produce 20-30 goals, barring injury, for each of the next six seasons.  Speaking of injuries, Laich is one of the most durable guys in the league.  Laich has missed just four games in the last four seasons.  Despite the physical style that Laich brings to the rink each night, he remains durable and show no signs of slowing down.

The talk of the town and twitterverse will be the contract itself.  Nobody denies that Laich was a coveted commodity in today’s NHL.  He has consistently produced offensively, and become an elite two-way forward in the NHL, he can play either wing or Center, and has leadership qualities most player’s lack – all this while just now entering the prime of his career.  Make no mistake, this contract is significant.  But with the salary cap increasing to $64.3 million, the hit won’t be as difficult to swallow as it would have been a year ago.  But regardless, it is a lot to live up to.  Brooks Laich now has that additional pressure of proving to the franchise that his roughly $2.5 million raise over the course of the next six seasons is justified.

As if there isn’t enough pressure in Washington.  Year in and year out the Capitals are on the short list of contenders, and to this point they have bowed out each and every year.  Eyes will really be fixed on Laich when you look at other players he is not payed comparably to.  Those players included Ryan Kesler and Jordan Staal.  Kesler is widely considered THE best two-way player in the NHL and scored 41 a season ago all while leading the Canucks to the Cup finals.

But let’s look at the reality of the situation.  This contract is all about end results for the team.  The Capitals are set to be contenders for the next decade, if the Capitals cash in on a Stanley Cup in the next six years, there is no way this contract is deemed a failure.  If the Capitals don’t, then they will have a hard time justifying this contract, especially if Laich production falters.  The six year deal they’ve just handed to Laich is all the indication necessary to make official the claim that Laich is now an integral piece to the Capitals long term success.  At least this is how George McPhee feels about the situation.  And to that point I agree completely.  Laich may not be a 30 goal scorer (something I feel he is capable of reaching), but his contributions to the team go far beyond that.  He is a vocal leader, something the Capitals need so desperately.  He isn’t scared to take a beating on the ice, in fact he relishes that.  He sets a great example for the younger guys on the team – guys like Marcus Johansson, John Carlson, and Karl Alzner who are still growing into their roles as NHL players.

Locking up Brooks Laich will also take some of the pressure off Troy Brouwer who was acquired during the NHL draft.  Although we now know that the contract talks with Laich ended about a week ago, many thought (including myself) that the acquisition of Brouwer was a contingency plan in case the Capitals and Laich couldn’t agree on a deal.  Brouwer and Laich play a similar style of game.  Both play a physical game.  But if Laich were to leave the organization, additional pressure would have been placed on Brouwer as he automatically would’ve been thought of as Laich’s replacement.  Laich is one of the most beloved players on the roster.  Any player would have a hard time filling his shoes.  Now, the Capitals have effectively gained what Brouwer brings to the table without losing the services Laich provides – albeit with a higher price tag.  But that was to be expected.  With such a highly skilled team, the Capitals were in dire need of complimentary players to surround the skilled guys like Ovechkin and Backstrom.  A balanced team in important because it allows you to compete against all types of NHL teams.

Ultimately the jury is out on the whether this size of a contract is justified.  The jury will be out for awhile.  But the Capitals know what they are getting in Laich – a guy who competes every night, is an elite tw0-way forward, and is a great leader.  And it is clear that Laich has come unfinished business in Washington to tend to.

In 2010, Brouwer scored 17 goals and collected 19 assists in 79 games with the Blackhawks.  Brouwer brings energy and grit to the Capitals lineup. 

But his acquisition may have other ramifications.  This move could potential be thought of as a replacement for Brooks Laich, who remains unsigned.  Laich will hit the free agent market on July 1.  It all depends on the Laich’s asking price.  The good news for the Capitals is that Brouwer’s cap hit a season ago was $1.025 million.  Brouwer will likely be looking for a slight bump in pay for his services, but the offer the Caps hand to Brouwer shouldn’t affect the team’s viability is re-signing Brooks Laich.

Trading the 26th pick was the right move for the Capitals.  Taking a look at the prospects the Caps currently have in the pipeline, it is clear the Caps are in great shape for years to come.  After multiple playoff disappoints, despite being contenders for the previous three years, the Capitals need to put themselves in the best position to win now.  With such a strong farm system already in place, Brouwer is an instant addition that makes the Capitals better next season.  The Capitals are currently heavy on the right side with Knuble, Semin, Fehr, and Beagle currently under contract.  With Ovechkin mining the left side of the ice on the top line, the Capitals are thin on the left side when looking at players currently under contract.  Jason Chimera is an energy guy who contributes physically and on the forecheck, but realistically he is not a top six forward.  He is the most effective on the third line.  Brouwer can fill the void on the left side effectively.

The Capitals still have picks in the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th round picks.  This is where they will look to find a few diamonds in the rough to improve the farm system even more.  All in all, acquiring Troy Brouwer in exchange for the 26th pick in the first round will make the the Capitals a better team in the more immediate future.

But this is great news for Olie Kolzig and the Capitals organization as a whole.  Kolzig, who belongs on this franchise’s Mount Rushmore,  played 711 games – amassing 301 wins, 35 shutouts, a GAA of 2.70 (all franchise records), and a career save percentage of .906.  Kolzig in unquestionably the franchise’s best goalie and with his NHL experience and success, McPhee and Boudreau are hoping he helps develop the team’s next Olie Kolzig.

Currently the Capitals have a three headed monster in Michal Neuvirth, Semyon Varlamov, and Braden Holtby.  With Neuvirth and Varlamov already NHL tested, Kolzig’s focus should be in the development of Holtby, who many feel is the future number one for the Capitals.  With Varlamov’s status still up in the air for next season, Holtby may find himself in the back up role once October comes around.  With just 14 games of NHL experience under his belt, he will be good hands under the tutelage of Prior and Kolzig.  Kolzig has always been known to bring an amazing amount of passion and competitive fire to the rink each and every night.  He knows the ins-and-outs of goaltending in the NHL having endured both hardship in Washington and success having taken the Caps to the Stanley Finals in 1998.

Coming off another disappointing season, Caps fans now have something to be excited about.  Kolzig has given a ton back to the Washington D.C. area over the course of his career and the time since his retirement.  His time as a Cap didn’t end on the best of terms, and it would’ve been a shame to see it end the way it did.  It is good to see the Capitals giving back to Kolzig and showing their appreciation for what he meant to this team and the D.C. area.  Kolzig has officially come full circle.

If you are Varlamov, you certainly don’t have much to lean on in terms of performance this past season.  It was down year for Varlamov health-wise as he once again fought injuries for most of the season.  Varlamov has been plagued by injuries for most of his tenure with the Capitals.  This year was no different as he appeared in just 27 games, posting a .924 save percentage and a 2.23 GAA.  Varly’s save percentage and GAA were actually better the Michal Neuvirth’s over the course of the season.  But the problem for Varly is that if he can’t remain healthy, he isn’t going to get the offer he wants from either the Capitals or another club in the NHL.

The issue the Capitals are facing is whether they are ready to part ways with a goaltender who has proven he can win in the NHL, as well as in the playoffs.  We all know the faults plaguing the Capitals in the post season.  They are now notorious for choking in the playoffs, however none of their playoff shortcomings can be attributed to their goaltending.  Each and every year, the goaltending has lived up to the expectations set.  And Varly was a big reason for that.  The situation is a tricky one for the Capitals because parting ways with Varlamov means Holtby will be the likely back up for Neuvirth next season.  Despite Holtby’s success this season, his action was limited to just 14 games.  His record in those games was a mind-numbing 10-2-2 with a 1.79 GAA.  Is this a large enough sample size to justify parting ways with a guy who was top-5 in the NHL in both GAA and save percentage?  The answer to that is obviously yes, if you can get something in return for Varlamov’s services.  Then it is a risk worth taking.  There is no chance the Capitals will let a guy this talented walk away to another NHL club the way the Blackhawks let Niemi walk.  If the Capitals can trade away the rights to Varly and get some much needed help at the Center of Defense positions, I say the Capitals should talk with any and all interested parties.  But as is the case with life in general, this is easier said then done because NHL clubs interested in Varly’s services wouldn’t have the guarantee that Varly wouldn’t jump to the KHL.

Also not working in the Capitals favor will be the dollars required to keep him in D.C.  With Neuvirth already having signed an extension a season ago, Varly will likely be coveting similar dollars.  The list of restricted free agents the Capitals must sign is lengthy, none more important then Karl Alzner.  In addition, unrestricted free agents like Brooks Laich will be looking for raises this offseason, further putting pressure on McPhee to do his math with regard to the Cap.  Then there is the need to improve the team from the outside via free agency.  The Capitals are far to young down the middle and need to add a defenseman, preferably with some speed, if they wish to contend again next year.  With Neuvirth in place as the teams starting goalie next season, and Holtby proving he’s an NHL ready goalie, Varly just may be the odd man out.

So do you feel the Caps should retain Varlamov next season, trade his rights away, or let him walk to the KHL?

 Prior to the acquisition of Arnott, the Caps placed their bets on dynamo Nick Backstrom, a rookie playing his first season North America in Marcus Johansson, and an undersized and not yet proven pivot Mathieu Perreault.  Throw in David Steckel, prior to his trade to New Jersey, and you have yourself a mediocre quartet of centers in terms of experience and playmaking potential.  George McPhee knew something had to be done about this if hopes of winning the Cup were ever to become a reality.  He did what he had to do, and the acquisition of Arnott was praised.  Hindsight is 20/20 so we now know the move didn’t work in the Caps favor after another ghastly playoff performance.

 Bringing in Arnott was for all intents and purposes a temporary fix to the problems the Caps had down the middle.  Despite Arnott announcing that he would gladly return to the Capitals in 2011-2012, most agree that unless a significant pay cut is agreed upon, Arnott will be wearing different colors next year.  The lesson here is that unless the Capitals create a splash in the free agent market come July 1, they will be in exactly the same position they were in a year ago.  Who knows, if Backstrom fails to rebound off his disappointing year, the Capitals may be in a worse position.  Good news is that Johansson’s game really picked up in the last quarter of the season and into the playoffs, but he still has to prove that he is ready to be a reliable second line center in the NHL.  In my estimation, he is still one year away from staking that claim.

 There are still other issues at the center position.  George McPhee will have to decide whether or not the Caps best faceoff man, Boyd Gordon, is worthy of a contract extension.  Gordon is a restricted free agent starting July 1.  I don’t anticipate an offer sheet for Gordon’s services, so I would expect Gordon to back in D.C. next year. 

 The same holds true for Mathieu Perreault who will also be a restricted free agent this summer.  In 35 games with the Caps last season, Perreault managed just 7 goals and 7 assists.  He was largely inconsistent for most of the season.  Perreault has built a reputation for himself as being a great spark in the lineup for short periods of time.  Often he contributed substantially early in his call-ups to the big club, but was unable to sustain that level of production and energy as he played more and more games.  Another glaring weakness is his play in the defensive zone, which many feel was the reason Johansson beat out Perreault for the final roster spot.  Johansson proved to be the superior defensive player.  That ultimately catapulted Johansson into the lineup.  With Johansson’s improved play late in the season, Perreault’s status and future with the Capitals has become someone cloudy.  So the question McPhee has to answer is whether he re-signs Perreault to a contract extension.  With serious questions at center remaining regardless of whether Perreault is re-signed, I would explore trading away the rights to signing Perreault, especially if the return helps the team down the middle.

 The wild card in all of this is Evgeny Kuznetsov.  Kuznetsov was drafted with the 26^th pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.  Kuznetsov excelled this past season in the KHL and was arguably Russia’s best player in their gold medal winning run at the 2010 World Juniors.  Kuznetsov has said publically that he intends to remain in the KHL next season.  Many feel he could be swayed into joining the Capitals next season; however he is still not even under contract with the team. 

 But again, even if Kuznetsov were to come to the NHL next season, the problem still remains.  The Capitals will remain far too young and inexperienced at the center position.  Problem number two is that they will not have much cap space to work with as they must sign Karl Alzner, Semyon Varlamov and numerous prospects to extensions – many of which are restricted free agents.  Despite the rumors going around the Varly could be traded away due to the emergence of Michal Neuvirth and Braden Holtby, I exepct Varly to be back with the team.

 The Capitals will have to live with their playoff demons for as long as they continue to fail in the postseason.  But McPhee can deal with items he has control over, and that is the roster.  True Cup contenders have depth and experience at the center position.  With the exception of Nick Backstrom, who will be entering his fifth year in the NHL, the Capitals have neither.  It should be a busy summer for Mr. McPhee.

The odds of a player saying they want to return to their team the next year, following a multitude of ghastly playoff performances and exits are just about as high as the Capitals not winning the Stanley Cup.  So in other words, the odds are pretty high.  Can you tell I’m still bitter at this season’s outcome?  But seriously, after a team’s season ends - a team with such promise; typically the players want to return the following season to finish off what should have been.  The Capitals were the number one seed in the Eastern Conference for the second consecutive season, and once again failed miserably.  So fresh off defeat, Brooks Laich wants to return…or so he says.

Brooks had this to say regarding his future with the Washington Capitals.

“It certainly to me doesn’t feel like this is my last day at Kettler or that I have played my last game as a Washington Capital.”

Nothing super surprising about his response.  Brooks has been a member of the Capitals since 2005 when he was acquired for Caps legend Peter Bondra.  Laich is one of the longest tenured Caps still on the roster.  From day one of Laich’s tenure in D.C. he has been one of the most liked (or should I say Laiched) and respected guys to wear a Caps’ sweater.  He is without question the most versatile player on the team.  He can play all three forward positions, play a scoring role if needed on the top line, plays the power play, kills penalties, and has even dropped back to the blue line when called upon.  He can play every position on the ice, and he can play it well.  In addition to his on-ice abilities, he has a presence in the locker room that every team needs.  He has grown into a vocal leader; something the Capitals are in dire need of.  Losing Brooks Laich to free agency would be a two-fold loss for the Caps.  Laich’s ability to play in all situations on the ice at a high level makes him very difficult to replace with one player.  His departure would also lead to an even larger leadership void in the locker room – a void that growing to epic proportions.  There are at least a dozen teams in the NHL who would take Laich’s services at the blink of eye.  There will be no shortage of offers come July 1, should Laich not re-sign with the Capitals prior.

Statistically it was a down year for Laich.  But when you examine the season even further you would soon realize that it was a down year offensively for the entire team.  It was a tumultuous year for the Capitals offensively as they were bogged down by the constuction of a defensive first system.  The run and gun days of the last few season were brought to an end, thus the decline in offensive production for the team as a whole.  A dreadful power play didn’t help the cause at all either.  What potential suitors will look to are Laich’s previous four seasons (2006-2010) where he increased his point production, goal production, an assist production in succession.  His power play goal totals also increased in three of the four seasons prior to last season.  He finished the 2010 campaign with 12 power play goals.

Brooks Laich is certainly a player the Capitals would like to have back next season.  His versatility on the ice and growing leadership potential make him a valuable commodity.  But as is always the case in the salary cap era the NHL operates in, it will be an issue of the dollars necessary to retain his services.  Laich’s salary last season was $2.06 million.  With the potential to be a 25-30 goal scorer in the NHL, coupled with being just 27 years old, Laich will be looking for a raise in 2011 with potential market value reaching $4 million per season.  The Capitals already have questions about other pending free agents such as Scott Hannan, Boyd Gordon, Matt Bradley, and Jason Arnott.  There are still restricted free agents that need to be signed as well, most importantly Karl Alzner and Semyon Varlamov.  So cap space will be at a premium entering the free agency period.  This likely means that Brooks Laich will have to take the home town discount should he want to remain a Capital.  Considerning the failings of the last few seasons, one has to wonder if Brooksie will be willing to do that, especially if he can return to his home country of Canada donning a Maple Leaf jersey.  The always proactive Brian Burke is alleged to be interested in Laich’s services.  Detroit is also rumored to be in the mix as they certainly will make attempts in inject some youth into their aging club.

The Maple Leafs certainly have the cap space to sign Laich.  His leadership off the ice would be a valuable asset for a young team many people think is on the precipice of being consistent playoff contenders for seasons to come.  And let’s be frank, what Canadian boy would pass on an opportunity to play in a hockey market the size of Toronto?

If a team like Detroit were to come calling on July 1, Laich would be crazy not to entertain that offer.  The winning tradition that Detroit has built is second to none in today’s NHL.  They are a Stanley Cup or bust organization every year.  Well you might say that the Capitals are Cup contenders as well.  On paper they are, but as we have seen each of the last four seasons, the team chokes when it matters.  If I’m Brooks Laich I’m taking the chance at winning the Cup in Detroit over Washington 10 times out of 10.

But then there is loyalty.  The Capitals gave Laich his chance to be an every day NHL player.  He took advantage of that opportunity and will now be one of the most coveted players come July 1.  We saw a similiar situation unfold with Rick Nash and the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Nash could have maxed out his income by going to another team, but he chose to remain with Columbus out of “loyalty”.  Those are his words.  Caps fans should hope Brooksie uses that same logic when he decides where he will play next season.  He is and would remain an integral part of this organizations goal of winning a Stanley Cup.  That said, Laich has done everything to earn the pay day he will get when he signs his next contract.  Here’s to hoping that contract leaves him in D.C.

But there is a culture brewing here in DC that goes beyond the team’s most recent early playoff exit.  The lackluster showings in the playoffs under the current regime now go back four years.  The common theme being the lack of a substantial leadership presence.  And I’m not talking about one guy in the dressing room.  The recent teams fielded by the Capitals have lacked depth at the leadership position, often relying on one guy or two guys to be the on ice motivators and locker room voices that are essential to a team’s success.

There is a disturbing trend going on seemingly each and every season.  When the season begins, the initial discussion of the lack of leadership is as automatic as the sun rising in the east.  The idea that a team can play 65 regular season games,  reach the trade deadline, then put together a last minute deal for an aging 35 year old is a losing proposition.  Do we need more proof then the last few seasons? Guys like Sergei Fedorov, Eric Belanger, and Jason Arnott were all perceived to be solid acquisitions for the Caps.  None of them led to any measurable playoff success.  The point here is, leadership is not something that can be pieced together late in a season.  Throwing a 35 year old veteran into an already tight nit dressing room with 15 games remaining on the schedule is not the answer to filling the leadership void.  The Capitals have consistently lacked a group of leaders who captivate and motivate the rest of the team starting in early October.  The NHL season is more then just a sprint to the finish line starting in late February.  The NHL season is grueling and requires focus and hard work for its entirety so a given team can discover its identity and establish itself as a formidable foe.  It’s no coincidence that team’s with great leaders tend to find themselves atop the standings.

I shall confess, I applauded the acquisition of Jason Arnott, not only for his Cup winning pedigree, but ultimately I thought he would be a great addition to a team starved at the center position.  Arnott did find ways to contribute down the stretch and in the first round series against the Rangers.  But you could tell that his durability would be a question mark, and it ultimately was.  If we could re-visit the trade deadline, I still would have advocated the move to land Arnott, but it is clear that despite his ability to garner the attention of the rest of his teammates, it still wasn’t enough.  But it was the acquisition of Arnott that opened my eyes to a far bigger problem the Capitals are facing.

We’ve heard it straight from the player’s mouths, and from hockey pundits among us – Arnott wasted no time in pointing out some obvious flaws in the Capitals’ play.  He captivated each and every player in that locker room because they all knew he had already achieved what each and every player on the roster was dreaming to achieve – a Stanley Cup.  When someone has walked the walk, he or she demands instant attention and respect.  But hearing the news of how well the guys took to Arnott’s arrival – and more specifically his message –  left me worried about what was clearly missing prior.  I can only deduce that there was already a major leadership void in the locker room and this is a not so pleasant critique of Alex Ovechkin’s captaincy.

Alex Ovechkin was given the “C” on his sweater midway through last year’s season.  The departure of Chris Clark to the Blue Jackets created the vacancy.  As the face of the franchise and the savior of hockey in Washington DC, it was all but certain that Ovechkin would be named the team’s new Captain.  Ovechkin remained humble and diplomatic about the selection process.  Upon management asking him if he would accept the captaincy, Ovechkin made sure that that was the will of  his teammates.  There was never any doubt.  But being the captain of an NHL franchise is more then just about popularity in the locker room or on ice performance – although they certainly don’t hurt.  The captaincy brings with it additional responsibility both on and off the ice; the captain is the team’s spokesman and often demands to most attention from the media.  Ovechkin has performed admirably during his tenure as captain.  He has sacrificed individual stats in order to implement a system that preaches accountability in the defensive and neutral zones.  Ovechkin’s captaincy is still in it’s infancy.  It is too early to pass judgement on his ability to lead a team.  But two consecutive post season flame-outs, the pressure on Ovechkin is certainly building.  Ovechkin will always be compared to other young NHL captains like Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews – both of whom have Stanley Cups to their name.

But back to the point of filling the leadership void with late season acquisitions, George McPhee can do Ovechkin a huge favor by filling the few vacant rosters spots the team has with already proven leaders.  Mike Knuble is a great example of a player who was brought in not only to be a menace in front of the net, but also to provide guidance to a young Capitals team.  Knuble is now thought of as one of the team’s most vocal leaders.  More acquisitions of this nature would go a long way in getting the Caps to the next level.  A new culture needs to be implemented in DC next season.  The Capitals  have the talent to win a championship – that is indisputable.  But they lack the urgency and the hunger necessary to win.  Perhaps this reflects poorly on Boudreau and Ovechkin, but regardless, McPhee has an opportunity this offseason to bring in guys who have this hunger.  And it needs to happen prior next season beginning, not in late February.

With a history of being a perennial playoff pretender, the Capitals revamped their system in an effort to be a more formidable foe in the post season.  Despite the hardships this system produced during its genesis, the Caps overcame the adjustment period and elevated themselves to the top seed in the Eastern Conference.  They did so by squashing team’s goal scoring ventures with tight checking and a clogged neutral zone.  They worked hard in the defensive zone – creating turnovers and producing an elite penalty kill unit.  All things looked fine and dandy – that is until the games really counted.  For the fourth consecutive year the Caps laid down when it counted.  The Capitals fooled us again.

Make no mistake about it – there is ample blame to be passed around the Capitals organization.  Whether it is George McPhee handing out contracts to unproven players, Bruce Boudreau not being able to get this team over the hump, or the disappearing act the team’s stars perform each post season; something must be done to correct this.  Nobody will dispute the talent the Capitals possess.  With the talent they have, they just can’t keep doing this each and every spring.  It must stop.  The team’s credibility depends on it.

Looking back at the team’s most recent playoff meltdown, the series against the Lightning was nowhere near as close as the scores indicated.  Boudreau was thoroughly out-coached by his counterpart, Guy Boucher; and the star players from Tampa were far and away better then the star players in D.C.   The Caps showed no ability to adjust to the Lightning.  The 1-3-1 was played to perfection and the Capitals didn’t have the competence or the motivation to break it ( or so it appeared).  If the Capitals were not given the appropriate plan on how to break the 1-3-1, that falls on the coach.  If the Capitals were given the game plan, and based on their performance on the ice chose not to adhere to the plan provided, that too falls on the coach.  Either Boudreau didn’t have the strategy necessary to break the trap, or his players weren’t listening to him.

What really stood out to me was Boudreau’s comments after the Caps lost game 3.  Holding a 3-2 lead entering the third period, the Capitals imploded by allowing the Lightning to score two goals in 24 seconds.  The Caps ultimately lost the game.  Instead of calling out his players for falling asleep on the ice, Boudreau resorted to excuses.  Boudreau went on the blame the officiating for allowing Ryan Malone’s goal to stand despite possible interference with Michal Neuvirth.  That particular play did not lose this series for the Capitals.  For a coach to sit in front of the press after his team implodes in the third period and blame officiating was a complete head-scratcher.  Boudreau has a long history of this.  How many time have we seen Guy Boucher or Dan Bylsma blaming the officiating while their team is struggling to perform.  Boudreau is unquestionably a player’s coach, but their are times when the coach must light a fire under his players.  Boudreau appears to not know anything about this phenomenon.

I have tried my best to give Boudreau the benefit of the doubt.  I have supported him year after year.  When cries of replacing him grew more and more audible in mid December, I remained defiant and talked about his incredible record as the Caps’ bench boss, his stature as the leader among active coaches in number of wins during his tenure, the fact that he took the Caps job mid-season when the Caps had a record of 4-14-1 and ultimately won the division.  The fact is, all of this is meaningless if the team continues to falter in the playoffs.  Is Boudreau a good hockey coach? Yes.  Is he the guy who will get the Caps over the hump and achieve the goal of winning a Stanley Cup?  There is nothing to suggest anything other the no.

But let me clear about something, this goes far beyond Bruce Boudreau.

Boudreau can only do so much from the bench.  His players have to perform.  There was a stark difference between how Tampa’s best players played in comparison to how the Caps’ best players played.  Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis, and Vinny Lecavalier elevated their game when the stakes were high, and it paid dividends.  For the second consecutive year, the Capitals star players were passengers in the car driven by Alex Ovechkin.  Make no mistake, Ovechkin came to play in this series.  He opened every game with a solid hit that theoretically injects some energy into the game.  Game after game he sets the tone for his teammates, and in return he gets nothing more then lack luster effort.  I fully expect to see Nick Backstrom’s name on milk cartons throughout the DC metro area.  Backstrom did a disappearing act similar to that of Alex Semin’s a year ago and is still missing.  How can a team expect to win a series when the number one pivot has just one point in the series?  Going further back to the series against the Rangers, Backstrom had just two points in the playoffs and skated a -2.  The Capitals were handed a gift in the Rangers as their first round opponent.  If they had any offense to speak of, the outcome of that series may have been different.  With Tampa’s offense, Backstrom’s absence from the series was magnified.  The same can be said for Alex Semin, who despite a goal in the first game of the series, remained essentially anonymous throughout.  What about Mike Green?  Green appeared to be the soft defenseman his reputation has become.  Mike Green was not 100%, that much I can admit.  But he is not excluded from criticism.  He scored just one goal this post season and quarterbacked a power play that scored just five times in 35 attempts.  Green finished the series a -3.  Hardly gaudy numbers for a team’s theoretical number one defenseman.

The “young guns” as a whole, with the exception of Ovechkin underperformed when it counted.  This is not an anomaly, this is a trend.  With Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin, and Green now entering the prime of their careers, it is safe to say that they are no longer “young guns”.  They are NHL veterans who have accomplished absolutely nothing together.  The question must be asked if this is a viable group that should remain together.  George McPhee made the terrible mistake of signing Alex Semin to a contract extension prior to Semin proving he can perform in the playoffs.  What sense did that make?  The knock against Semin was his absence in the post season, yet he was rewarded with a $6.7 million dollar contract extension for next season without having to shake off that reputation.  Now, Semin is almost untradeable with that bulky cap hit.  The one move I commend McPhee on was his acquisition of Dennis Wideman.  Unfortunately Wideman missed the entire post season, not that it would have changed the outcome.  But with Wideman under contract next year, Mike Green is certainly easier to move.  Wideman is better defensively, better on the power play, and has similar offensive traits to Green’s.  Mike Green would certainly be on the short list of most NHL franchises, so moving Green should be entertained if the return is top pair defenseman or a solid scoring winger.  This reality must be faced – the Caps core has been together now for four full seasons.  They have shown flashes of brilliance, and have been causes of extreme heartache.  The time has come to bring a new identity to Washington.  This comes in the form of new personnel and a new coaching staff.

To me there are only a few untouchables on the roster.  Ovechkin, Backstrom, Johansson, Neuvirth, Alzner, Carlson, and Wideman are they.  Everybody else should be considered.  The Capitals, as we have known them for the past few season have proven to us over and over again that they do not have what it take to get to the next level.  There is no argument against that.  Year after year they win the Eastern Conference, and in no shortage of time find themselves on the first tee by early May.

The Capitals need a coaching staff that will not tolerate lazy play.  A coach that will not tolerate the Captain taking EVERY optional skate off.  A coach that will not tolerate the partying and clubbing that goes on after home games.  A coach that will not make excuses and resort to blaming officiating when the team is isn’t meeting expectations.

There is no accountability in the Capitals locker room.  Until there is, this team will fail again and again, year after year.

This series was about casting out demons that have plagued this team for the last three years.  Since Bruce Boudreau took the helm, the Caps have been nothing but a source of anguish and disappointment in the post season.  They consistently failed in the post season, leading many to question whether this team was in the right hands.  They were the team that strolled through the regular season – crushing the opposition with speed and skill, but ultimately would be defeated in the post season due to the inability to change their identity.  The NHL season is a tale of two seasons.  The Capitals proved they were unable to make the necessary adjustments.  But that was then, and this is now.

Midway through the season, that realization came to fruition.  The regular season would be a long and tumultuous road as the Caps made the transition from a team of thoroughbreds, to a team of component parts determined on making the opposition’s experience on the ice a living hell.  The days of tick-tack-toe passing, brazen speed through the neutral zone, and relentless offensive attack were gone.  In exchange, the game slowed down.  The neutral zone was clogged, the checking was ramped up, and bodies were sacrificed.  The hockey community witnessed this system in its infancy, and is now seeing the benefits of a fully matured defensive juggernaut that are the Washington Capitals.

Eliminating the Rangers in five games will pay huge dividends on the team’s psyche.   A season ago they were in the same situation against the Canadiens.  The Caps went belly up and let the Canadiens back into the series by losing game five.  With game six being back at MSG, it was imperative to finish off the Rangers at the first opportunity.  If they hadn’t, it is safe to say that the ghosts of the past would have infiltrated the Caps dressing room.  The media would have swarmed the team with questions about last season.  It would have been a major distraction.  Now, instead of constantly being reminded about the events that happened in prior years, the Caps can use this as a building block of confidence as they trek forward toward their ultimate goal.

Another major benefit of winning this series in five games will be the rest they will be rewarded with.  With the other series in the Eastern Conference all going at least six games, the Capitals will have the coveted opportunity to rest up before they face their second round opponent.  Mike Knuble, who has missed the previous two games, will use this time to heal his ailing hand.  Other veterans like Jason Arnott will benefit from this time off as well.  What really makes this time off  a positive will be whether or not Dennis Wideman is ready for the second round.  Wideman has been skating regularly on his own, but is yet to practice with the team.

So now the Capitals wait.  Their second round opponent is yet to be determined, but we know it will be the Penguins, Sabres, Canadiens, or Lightning.  The Capitals have had great success against each of these teams this season.  Here is rundown of the success against each of the four possible second round opponents, courtesy of J.P. of Japersrink:

1. Since February 1, the Caps are 8-0-0 against the possible second round opponents.
2. In 18 games this season, the Capitals have a GAA of 1.50
3. Michal Neuvirth is 5-0-1, with a 1.86 GAA, and a .942 save percentage against possible second round opponents.

On paper things look good for the Capitals, but we all know the games aren’t played on paper.  With each passing round in the playoffs, the rounds get harder.  Teams become more and more desperate; the games are checked tighter, and pressure goes up with each passing minute.  We can only wait and see if the Capitals come out victorious in rounds to come.  But one thing I can say with absolute certainty is that whichever team is able to defeat the Caps will not have an easy time doing it.  The new and improved Capitals will be an extremely difficult out.  It took them half a season to master the style they now play.  With Neuvirth leading the NHL is GAA and save percentage this post season, the best young defensive tandem in John Carlson and Karl Alzner, the incredible depth down the middle with Arnott, Backstrom, and Johansson, and a nearly perfect PK; goals are incredibly hard to come by.  Just because the Caps have authored a new defensive system doesn’t mean they can’t score goals.  They still have the offensive firepower in their lineup.  Alex Semin is scoring and Mike Green appears to be healthy.  This spells trouble for Eastern Conference.

Twitter: @JCScriven

The consensus coming into the first round series was that the only way the Rangers were going to be able to beat the Capitals was through a brutal forecheck and continuous grind below the circles.  The Rangers have made the beds of their opponents via this game plan, and have done so in remarkable fashion.  However not all things are rosy with this particular approach.  Goals certainly come at a premium as this method isn’t the most productive way to approach scoring goals.  With this approach you are essentially spotting your self two goals per game and relying on great defensive play and solid goaltending.  The Rangers aren’t using this method by choice, but instead are forced into this style due to the personnel they have on their roster.  John Tortorella has repeatedly said that the weapons on the Capitals roster are superior to his.  It speaks to the coaching staff and the work ethic of his men who have accepted this style of play and put it to practice each game.

To combat this, Boudreau’s lineup has plenty of grit and grind as well.  Guys like Jason Chimera, Matt Bradley, and Matt Hendricks.  All three were mainstays in the Capitals lineup for the entire season.  With the defensive style implemented by the Rangers, Boudreau knows it will take hard work below the circles to break the Rangers down.  So far the results have been mixed.  Neither Bradley nor Hendricks has recorded in point thus far in the series.  Jason Chimera has contributed with the game winning goal in game two.  All three bring important attributes to a playoff series, but with scoring at a premium, it may be time for Boudreau to look at a different option; an option with a little more offensive, quick strike ability.  That option is Eric Fehr.

It was as down year for Fehr who missed 30 games with an assortment of injuries.  Scoring 21 goals a season ago is proof that Fehr can be a scorer in this league.  Fehr has the potential to be a great power forward in this league if he can stay healthy.  He brings the scoring ability that Chimera, Hendricks, and Bradley lack.  With this series as tightly checked as it is it would be smart for Boudreau to insert that extra bit of scoring potential into the lineup.  Fehr is a big body that can find its way to the crease area and cause big problems for Lundqvist and the Rangers defense.  Even better is the fact that Fehr’s size doesn’t negate his knack for creating offense.  He creates on the cycle, and can give you power play minutes as well.  So the obvious question is who sits in Fehr’s place?

The case for keeping Chimera in the lineup is his speed.  The Rangers love to clog up the neutral zone, so any speed you can put in the lineup should be in the lineup.  Chimera will rarely create offensive scoring chances for himself, but his speed through the neutral zone and especially on the forecheck causes major problems for Ranger blue liners.  His ability to forecheck and force the opposition into defensive miscues often creates scoring opportunities for his linemates.  Additionally, his line with Brooks Laich and Marcus Johansson has arguably been the Caps’ most consistent line this series.  As the third line, they are often seeing the Rangers’ third defensive pairing as Ovechkin and Semin get the bulk of the attention.  The speed the third line brings is a real problem for the Rangers.  I would not want to see that clear advantage be taken away.

Matt Hendricks and Matt Bradley take on a very similar role for the Capitals.  They work  as hard on the ice as anyone.  They bring grit, grind, and a bit of policing to the lineup.  With Sean Avery back in the mix, taking either of these guys out of the lineup might not be the smartest move.  Nevertheless, the insertion of Avery back hasn’t brought the results the Rangers were hoping for.  Avery has largely been ignored; his antics on the ice proving ineffective.  If the Caps can avoid falling into Avery’s trap, that will be considered a victory.  This brings the role of Bradley and Hendricks into question.  This isn’t to suggest they aren’t important in other facets of the game; they are.  But the need for vigilante justice in the playoffs is less then in the regular season.  And after all, only one would be taken from the lineup, not both.

With two of the three games being decided by one goal, and one game going to overtime, offense is at a premium.  Eric Fehr could inject some offense into a series that has been remarkably tight.  The Capitals have the superior weapons.  There is no point in holding anything back.

It wasn’t until the third period that either team got on the board.  The Rangers were fortunate to get to the third period scoreless as both Alex Semin and Jason Arnott rang the crossbar late in the first period.  The Capitals controlled the play and Henrik Lundqvist kept the Rangers in the game.  Despite losing game one, if the Rangers can get performances from Lundqvist like the one they got in game one, they still have a real chance of winning this series.

Lundqvist also had great play defensively in front of him; most notably the shot blocking prowess of Dan Girardi.  Girardi finished the regular season as the NHL’s leading shot blocker, and lived up to that reputation in game one.  The Rangers totaled 28 blocked shots on the night.  If the Capitals are to win this series, it will be the greasy goals in the crease that propel the Caps to the second round.  The combination of the Rangers ability to block shots, and Lundqvist in net will prove quite the challenge for the Capitals.

The scoring began in the third period on a great showcase of hustle and determination by Brandon Prust.  Prust was able to win a battle against Caps’ defenseman John Erskine.  Coupled with a missed assignment in front of the net, Wojtek Wolski was able to find Matt Gilroy pinching from the blueline for a one-time snapshot that beat Michal Neuvirth blocker side.  The Verizon Center, which was as raucous as ever, fell completely silent.  Suddenly thoughts of the Montreal Canadiens were revived among the Capitals’ faithful.

It wasn’t until late in the third period that Alex Ovechkin was able to tie the game on exactly the type of goal this team will have to score regularly.  Both Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin crashed the net, and Ovechkin was able to stuff home a rebound from underneath Lundqvist’s pad just prior to the goal becoming dislodged.  The play was reviewed, and the goal was upheld.  With the crowd back in the game, the prospect of the Rangers being victorious began to slide.

In another bit of déjà vu, game one needed overtime.  Game one against the Canadiens a season ago also required extra time, but this time the result would be different.

On a botched clearing attempt by Marc Staal, Jason Arnott again made his presence felt in a big way.  Arnott was able to keep the clearing attempt in the zone, find Semin in the slot, and deliver a tape-to-tape pass directly to Semin’s wheelhouse.  It was in Arnott’s first game with the Capitals that he was able to deliver a primary assist to Brooks Laich in the waning minutes of a game against the Islanders.  He also scored the game winning goal against the Blues in just his second game with the team late in the third period.  Arnott continues to make huge plays at pivotal points in games.

The Rangers had their chances as well through the course of the game.  Michal Neuvirth stone walled the Rangers allowing just one goal on 25 shots.  Lundqvist had the more spectacular saves, but Neuvy’s were just as timely.  He made the key saves late in the third period and in overtime when he had to.  It is clear that Boudreau had Neuvy pegged as his game one starter for some time.  Neuvy has arguably been the Caps most consistent player since the season began.  Also working in Neuvirth’s favor is his past experience is pressure situations.  Despite this being his first NHL playoff game, his consecutive Calder Cups certainly have their benefits.  His experiences in the AHL appear to have transferred over to the NHL.  He was calm, focused, and appeared unfazed at the environment he was in.  This is great news for the Capitals.

Mike Green appeared in his first game since late February.  Green played solidly for the most part, but was on the ice for the Rangers only goal of the night.  There was a miscommunication with John Erskine on the play.  One can hope it was just a bit of rust due to his absence from live action for six weeks.  But you could instantly see the difference Green is when on the ice.  He had a number of impressive break out passes from deep in the defensive zone.  One should expect a bit of rust for Green, but with each passing minute Green appeared to get better.  Surely the Capitals didn’t want Green playing over 26 minutes in his first game back – but that’s the consequence you face with overtime playoff hockey.

Game two of the series will be this Friday.  The Capitals have to be on guard as the Rangers, despite losing, gained a lot of confidence after game one.  The Rangers know they can hang with the Caps at the Verizon Center.  I expect much of the same in game 2, and for all the remaining games in this series.  This series will be about a race to two goals.  Whichever team reaches the two goal mark in each game will have a great chance of winning the game, and ultimately the series.

Follow me on Twitter: @JCScriven

The New York Rangers will invade the Verizon Center on Wednesday in what amounts to a rematch of the first round series in 2009.  The Rangers were able to steal the first two games of that series.  The Capitals ultimately battled back to win the series in seven games, but that is scenario not worth repeating.

The Rangers were one of the few teams to dominate the Capitals this season.  In the four games this season, the Rangers outscored the Caps 18-6, including two wins in which the Rangers outscored the Caps 13-0.  This certainly will play into the psyche of the Rangers who will use those wins as a vote of confidence.

But the not-so-secret weapon arming the Rangers is Henrik Lundqvist.  If the Rangers are to have any chance of winning this series, it must be on the shoulders of the King.  The Rangers will go only as far as Lundqvist takes them.  He is the straw that stirs the drink on Broadway.  In the first round series in 2009, Lundqvist just about won the series for the Rangers if not for the third period heroics by Sergei Fedorov.  But the fact that the Rangers were able to stretch that series to seven games was due to the play of Lundqvist.  Over the course of his career, Lundqvist’s numbers in the playoffs are far from spectacular.  A .907 save percentage and 2.66 GAA are good, but not great.  Lundqvist will have to improve these numbers if the Rangers are to have a chance at stopping the likes of Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Semin.  If history is any indication, we know the Capitals are going to rack up a ton of shots.  But will they be quality shots?  No team blocks shots better then the Rangers, so a combination of Lundqvist playing at an elite level and solid defensive play in front could spell trouble for the Capitals.  The Capitals must make Lundqvist work.  He played the final 26 games for the Rangers so fatigue could become an issue if this turns into a long series.  The Caps need to get to Lundqvist early.  Allowing the Rangers to get on top could spell trouble as the Rangers were a perfect 29-0-0 when leading after the second period.

The Capitals have seen this before.  The style the Rangers play is eerily similar to the style the Canadiens implemented against the Caps last season.  The Habs were able to stymie the Capitals attack by keeping everything to the outside and from the blue line.  They clogged up the neutral zone, had sticks in the lanes, and sacrificed their bodies whenever possible.  Now that the Caps have experienced it, will they make the appropriate adjustments to combat this?

Capitals three keys to victory

Goaltending: The biggest question surrounding the Capitals is who will be the starting goalie in game one.  All indications point to Michal Neuvirth getting the start in game one.  If history is any indicator, any early struggles by Neuvirth will be answered in the form of Semyon Varlamov.  The last two trips to the post season saw Boudreau pull his game one starter after the first game.  In both instances, Jose Theodore was tasked with game one duties and on both occasions he was relieved by Semyon Varlamov.  Neuvirth was the more consistent of the two this season, racking up 27 wins to just 12 regulation losses.  The Rangers are far from an offensive juggernaut, but are amongst the stingiest of teams defensively at even strength.  You can expect all games in this series to be low scoring, which means solid goaltending will be paramount.  Neuvirth likely will not face an inordinate amount of shots, but he must make the saves he is supposed to make.  Any soft goals or ill-timed goals could spell doomsday for the Capitals as scoring on the Rangers will be no easy task.  Granted Neuvirth has no NHL playoff experience, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t performed in pressure packed situations.  In four seasons in North America, in the OHL and AHL, Neuvirth is yet to lose a playoff series.  Neuvirth has two Calder Cups under his belt, so one can infer that he has what it takes to win.  But again, nothing in his experience compares to the fire he is about to be thrown into; the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Special Teams: This series will likely be determined by the special teams.  Neither team’s power play is particularly dangerous at this point.  That has to change if the Capitals are going to win this series.  A season ago, the Capitals managed just one power play goal against the Canadiens.  That ultimately cost the Caps the series.  The Rangers finished 5^th in the NHL is total goals against, and 10^th on the penalty kill.  The Rangers have allowed just one power play goal against in their last 10 games.  On the flip side, a Capitals power play that has been asleep for most of the season now have five goals in their last four games.  This trend must continue for the Caps.  This will be a difficult task now that we know Dennis Wideman will be inactive for the first round series.  A leg hematoma landed Wideman in the hospital and reports suggest the Wideman won’t be ready until the second round at the earliest.  This is bad news for the Capitals power play that ideally would have a one-two punch of Wideman and Mike Green on the points.  Mike Green should be back from a concussion he ironically suffered against the New York Rangers.  Nevertheless, the return of Mike Green will be huge for the Capitals power play; most importantly will allow Ovechkin to move down either the left circle of the high slot.   Brooks Laich, who has been getting time on the point, has done a magnificent job.  It just so happens that the recent power play success the Caps have enjoyed coincides perfectly with Brooks Laich being moved to the point.  He has simplified the duty of the point person by putting hard shots on net.  Jason Arnott has also shown the ability to play the point as well.  The good news for the Caps power play is that they have a plethora of options.  Hopefully the power play struggles are a thing of the past.

Mental Toughness: Possibly the biggest question is whether or not the Capitals are thinking about the debacle they endured last season.  Will they enter this series thinking about what happened to them last season?  This will not be an easy series.  The Capitals will certainly have some adversity to face as this series progresses.  The two teams are just too similar for there not to be.  So when things aren’t going the Caps’ way, how will they react?  One can only wait to find out, but surely they must handle the adversity better than they did a season ago.  This is where the acquisition of Jason Arnott and Marco Sturm really pay dividends.  Arnott for one is a Cup winner.  He entered the Caps locker room after being acquired at the trade deadline and instantly had the attention of every member on the team.  He said the things that needed to be said and the team has responded.  The Caps went on a nine game winning streak soon after the Arnott’s injection into the lineup.  The same goes for Marco Sturm.  Sturm isn’t as vocal of a leader as Arnott, but he demands respect just the same.  A major indicator of the Caps’ new found mental toughness has been the success they have had in one goal games this season.  The Capitals finished 26-9-11 in one goal games this season.  The Capitals faced an exorbitant amount of adversity this season, none greater then the eight game losing streak they endured in December.  I can’t stress the importance of enduring that adversity then, as opposed to now.  Theoretically they have learned from that experience and will be able to handle any forthcoming adversity.

Prediction

When scanning the potential opponents the Capitals could face in round one of the playoffs, the Rangers were the team that scared me most.  The reasons for this were Henrik Lundqvist and the defensive scheme they implement.  I was reminded of how Lundqvist almost single-handedly beat the Caps two seasons ago.  Additionally, the Capitals are not the offensive juggernaut they were a season ago.  They have struggled to score goals for most of the season, and don’t have the power play they had a season ago either.  But in comes Jason Arnott and this team has been completely different.  The Rangers may have humbled the Caps in their season series, but they haven’t faced the Caps since the trade deadline acquisitions.  The loss of Ryan Callahan will be huge for the Rangers.  He is the heart and soul of their team; a guy who plays in every situation.  With the defensive style the Capitals have implemented, it will difficult for the Rangers to put goals on the board.  Assuming they Capitals remain disciplined and refrain from taking dumb penalties, they should be in good shape.  The Capitals are far and away better offensively.  And last but not least, I just can’t see the Caps losing to an eight seed two years in a row. 

Capitals in 6

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Regardless of the outcome of the game against the Leafs, the Caps had the Southeast Division won courtesy of the Buffalo Sabres, who beat the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The Caps magic number entering Tuesday’s tilt was two; meaning any combination of gaining two points or the Lightning losing two points would give the Caps the division crown.  Everything fell into place appropriately, and now the Capitals are looking back at the Philadelphia Flyers.  With just two games remaining, the Capitals hold a two point advantage over the Flyers for first overall in the Eastern Conference.

The first overall seed in the conference is a familiar place for the Caps.  A season ago the Capitals ran away with the conference, totaling 121 points.  After the infamous first round exit against Montreal, many folks are wondering if the Capitals should go down that road again.  Should they settle for the second seed overall?

The first seed certainly brings with it an additional pressure that the other seven teams who make the playoffs in the east don’t have to deal with.  As the number one seed you are expected to reach the finals.  The Capitals certainly succumbed to this pressure a season ago.  But as is true with all experiences a team or individual goes through, experience is gained.  And with experience comes the ability to make changes to your approach and how you face adversity.

The Capitals are completely different team than a season ago, and we can give credit to the Montreal Canadiens for that.  The first round exit a season ago was the proverbial light bulb going off in Boudreau’s head that drastic changes had to be made.  Boudreau has now corralled his uber-skilled scoring machines, and implemented a defense first style of play; a style of play far more conducive to playoff success.

This transition wasn’t a smooth joyride.  There were bumps in the road to say the least.  An eight game losing streak with HBO cameras rolling was the low point of this season.  The highest scoring team from a season ago has been merely pedestrian this year.  The level of entertainment during Caps games this year could be argued has gone down from a season ago.  Last year, four goals a game were just about automatic.  This year, you will lucky to see three goals, more likely two goals, tight checking, and a clogged up neutral zone.  But over the last month of the season, the Capitals have been firing on all cylinders.  In there last 23 games, the Capital are 18-4-1, collecting 37 of a possible 46 points.  They have vaulted from 6^th in the conference to 1^st in the conference.

It is clear that the patience required and the necessary work to implement a new playoff style system is paying off.  And it couldn’t be happening at a better time.  The Capitals are entering the playoffs playing their best hockey and at the best time of year.

So I’ll ask again whether we should want the Capitals to win the conference.  The answer is yes.

It appears the Capitals will finish in the top two in the conference, so they are guaranteed home ice at least until the conference finals.  If the hockey gods were to bless the Capitals and they were to find themselves in the conference finals against the Flyers, don’t you want four of the seven games in D.C.?  Despite the Caps’ putrid record in home ice game 7’s over the last four years, do you still want to risk playing a game 7 in Philly, one of the toughest buildings in the NHL?

What about the Flyers Capitals rivalry?  I am of the opinion that any opportunity to finish ahead of the Flyers should be capitalized on.  The Flyers have been atop the Eastern Conference for most of the season.  How delightful would it be to overcome them in the final week of the season and have supremacy over the conference?  That is a storyline I am hoping come to fruition.

But of course, none of this means playoff success.  The Caps still have to perform on the ice and be the team they have been over the last month.  Winning is not guaranteed, the least we should hope for is that the Capitals place themselves in the best position possible to have success.  So here’s to hoping the Capitals never open a playoff series in the opponents barn…..at least not until the Finals.

But that is where the good news ended.  News that Dennis Wideman was in the hospital hit the waves last night, courtesy of TSN’s Bob McKenzie.  If you recall, Wideman was injured Tuesday night against Carolina.  The injury occurred on a hit by Tuomo Ruutu that left Wideman in a heap on the ice.  He was able to skate off under his own power, and the team called it a lower body injury.  The diagnosis is a hematoma in his leg.  Hematomas can be tricky because recovery time depends on the severity of the injury.

On Wednesday, Wideman was listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury.  On Thursday that was down graded to week-to-week.  If there is anything to be optimistic about it is the fact that Wideman remains week-to-week.  At this point, all Caps fan can hope for is a speedy recovery, and that Wideman is ready for the playoffs.  He has been the team’s ice time leader since Mike Green’s injury.  He has been thrown into all situations on the ice and answered the call; whether it be on the power play, the penalty kill, or even strength.

But this wasn’t the only loss on the Capitals blue line last night.  John Erskine missed most of the game after a fight with Columbus’ Jared Boll.  John Erskine has voluntarily taken on the role of resident tough guy, and has fulfilled that role admirably.  But I couldn’t help but wonder if that fight was ill-timed.  The Caps had just four games remaining after the Columbus game until the playoffs.  With other defenseman already on the shelf, and the risk of injury, should Erskine have been fighting in the first place?  It is certainly easier to cast stones from my living room couch.  Erskine was playing the game as he plays, which I love, but with the playoffs just around the corner, I would advise all guys on the roster to pick their spots before putting themselves in situations that could result in injury.

Erskine is currently listed as day-to-day, and hasn’t been ruled out of the lineup for tomorrow’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.

The long line of injured defenseman also included Mike Green and Tom Poti.  Both are practicing with the team; however there is still no time table for either’s return.  Mike Green is hoping to get a game or two in before the playoffs.  So all we can do is wait.

The most important thing for the Capitals heading into the post season is health.  With a playoff spot already locked up, all we can do is hope the Caps dodge a bullet and don’t sustain any further injuries in the last four games of the regular season.

Up next is Buffalo on Saturday night; a possible first round playoff series preview.  Buffalo will be bringing everything they have.  It will surely be a playoff environment.  This is a great test for the Capitals as they prepare for the playoffs.

Follow me on Twitter: @JCScriven 

If you are looking at this dilemma from outside the organization, you certainly have reason to envy the position the Capitals are in.  Not many teams have the luxury of picking between three goaltenders, all of which have played fantastic hockey this season.  The fact of the matter is there are teams in the league who are struggling to find confidence in one goalie, let alone three.  The quandary the Caps are in is a testament to the organization’s ability to develop through the draft and build players from within the organization.  Others teams should take notice.

In case you are a newbie to the in’s and out’s of the Capitals’ goaltenders, here are the things you need to know.  First, all three goalies 23 years of age or younger.  Two of them are technically rookies.  Secondly, all three goalies have a completely different approach to the game.  Michal Neuvirth is probably the best of the three in terms of positioning and goalie fundamentals.  He is great post to post, in the butterfly, and plays the angles great.  Semyon Varlamov is the most athletic of the three.  He is the flashiest of the three.  If there is any comparison to Dominik Hasek to be made with either of the three, Varlamov is the guy.  He will make the saves that just leave you with your mouth wide open.  This isn’t to suggest he doesn’t have the fundamentals down, he does, but he is able to improvise in net as well as anybody in the NHL.  Last but not least is Braden Holtby.  Holtby plays the game as if he has been programmed; an almost machine-like approach.  His “Holtbyisms” are well known to his followers.  He is unflappable in net and never appears to be suffering from the nerves associated with being a rookie in the NHL.  Holtby loves to play the puck, and I should add, he does it quite well.  I would also give a bit of advice to opposing players; don’t try going upstairs on Holtby.  His glove is second to none.

So now that we know what each of the three brings to the table every night, the decision at hand is which one of the three will carry the brunt of the load in the playoffs?  Will the Caps go with a goaltending by committee approach?  If the last two years are any indication, the answer to that question is yes.  In 2009, the Capitals began their first round series against the Rangers with Jose Theodore in net.  A rough first game led to Semyon Varlamov being the man the rest of the way.  Last year, Theodore was again in net to begin the series against the Canadiens.  He didn’t last long, and once again Varlamov was called upon.  So with all three goalies playing particularly well, don’t be surprised at all to see Boudreau go with one to start, but have a particularly short leash on whomever he picks.

So who does he pick to begin the playoffs?  Here is the case for each of the three.

First there is Michal Neuvirth.  Neuvirth has arguably been the Capitals’ team MVP this season.  He has been the most consistent player on the team from the beginning of the season.  In 44 games this season, Neuvirth is 24-11-4 with a .915 save percentage and a 2.46 GAA.  He has the second most wins of any rookie goaltender this season.  What is even more impressive are the four shutouts he has this season.  None more impressive than the 39 save gem he posted against the Penguins on February 21, in Pittsburgh.  That game certainly would have qualified as having a playoff feel to it.  Neuvirth didn’t buckle under the pressure of the Capitals/Penguins rivalry.  But what really sets Neuvirth apart from the other three is his play in the post season.  Granted, he hasn’t played in an NHL postseason game, but he has shown his ability to play in high-pressure situations, and there is no reason to think that wouldn’t translate over to the NHL level.  Neuvirth has now been playing in North America for four seasons.  In those four seasons, he has never lost a playoff series (14 series total). That includes an OHL championship with Plymouth, and two Calder Cups with the Hershey Bears in the AHL.  His lowest save percentage in any of those postseason appearances is .920.  He also won the Jack Butterfield trophy in 2009 as the Calder Cup MVP.  The 23 year old has proven he can play in pressure situations.

Semyon Varlamov also has quality credentials and would certainly give the Capitals a great chance of success this post season.  Right off the bat, one must look at the NHL playoff experience Varlamov has.  Varlamov was the man in net for each of the last two post seasons for the Caps.  Before you say “well look what happened to the Caps each of the last two seasons”, take a moment to remember how well Varlamov played.  Varlamov was not responsible for any of the previous playoff disappointments.  Despite being just 10-9 in his career in the playoffs, he boasts a solid .915 save percentage and 2.49 goals against.  Varlamov’s numbers this season are especially impressive despite missing lots of time with injuries.   Varlamov is currently 6^th in the NHL in save percentage (.923) and goals against average (2.26).  If not for the injuries, Varlamov probably would have been the team’s number one goalie this season.  Varlamov appears to be healthy now, and will see plenty of action in the final two weeks of the season.  Varlamov also has another bit more motivation than the other two.  Varlamov will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.  His play in the postseason could potentially have an impact on the dollars the Caps are willing to give Varlamov.  Neuvirth has been re-signed, so we know he will be in a Caps sweater for years to come.  I anticipate Varlamov will as well, but if he sputters in the post season, and can’t remain healthy, Varlamov’s future in D.C. could become a bit cloudier.  All the more reason to play well.

Braden Holtby is certainly making his case to be the goalie chose by Bruce Boudreau.  Holtby has taken the NHL by storm, winning player of the week honors last week.  The Lloydminster, Saskatchewan native is now 10-2-2 this season with a .934 save percentage and a paltry 1.79 goals against average.  He has two shutouts in the 14 games he’s played this season.  What is even more impressive is Holtby’s play against teams currently in a playoff position.  He is 5-0-2 against teams that would qualify for the playoffs if they started today.  Holtby’s GAA is more than a goal better than Neuvrith’s GAA against playoff teams.  Holtby takes his game to another level against good team in the NHL.  That is worth considering and should play a role in whether Holtby’s number is called in the postseason.

All three goalies are playing well enough to get the nod in the post season.  But to me, Michal Neuvirth is the guy the Caps should go with.  His consistency throughout the course of the season puts him atop the list in my view.  He has been the guy called upon by Boudreau throughout the year, and he has delivered in almost every situation.  If Neuvirth falters, Varlamov is more than ready to pick up pieces and put them back together for the Caps.

I love Braden Holtby.  He has been fantastic in his 14 games this season.  But I am not yet ready to place him in the pressure cooker that is the Stanley Cup playoffs.  Both Neuvrith and Varlamov served their apprenticeships in Hershey and had post season success.  Holtby needs to do the same.  Holtby’s time will come sooner rather than later.  There is a real possibility that Holtby is the Caps’ goalie of the future.  He has proven that he can be.  But with just 14 games of NHL experience, I don’t feel he is the best option yet for the Stanley Cup playoffs.  The playoffs are as pressure packed as anything, but playing for the Capitals in the playoffs is different.  The Capitals have a huge monkey to get off their chest this spring.  This will be most anticipated playoffs in the organization’s history.  Their reputation is on the line; that reputation being that the Caps can’t win in the post season.  I’m not ready to throw that additional pressure onto the shoulders of Braden Holtby.

Who do you think the Capitals goalie should be this post season?

Follow me on Twitter: @JCScriven

 Let me emphatically say that there is no reason for Mike Green to return to the lineup tomorrow against the Philadelphia Flyers.  Yes, the Capitals will have an opportunity to tie the Flyers for the Eastern Conference lead, but the goal set forth at the beginning of the season was to win more than the Eastern Conference.  The overall health of Mike Green entering the post season is more important than the two points tomorrow night.

 Mike Green suffered what everyone outside of the Capitals organization knows to be a concussion.  Seems these days teams are coming up with all kinds of different names to use in an effort to avoid using the dreaded word “concussion”.  Can you blame them?  No other type of injury is receiving as much publicity as concussions, and for good reason.  Whether it’s referred to as “upper body injury”, “vertigo, or “inner-ear trauma”; the bottom line is that head injuries are the number threat facing NHL hockey players these days.  Just look to Marc Savard and Sidney Crosby as examples.  In both situations, months were needed for recovery, and in Crosby’s case, his season may still be hanging in the balance.  The situations facing Crosby and Savard are exactly what the Capitals must avoid with Mike Green. 

 Look to Marc Savard for further evidence into the danger associated with concussions.  With the playoffs looming a season ago, Marc Savard attempted to make a return to the Bruins lineup after the blind-side hit he took from Matt Cooke.  Certainly I wouldn’t fault Savard for wanting to return to the game he loves on the game’s biggest stage.  But it was obvious he wasn’t ready.  When guys healing from concussions return to quickly, there is an increased likelihood of having another concussion.  Fast forward to this season, and there is serious doubt that Marc Savard will ever play in the NHL again. This is the reality of concussions and Mike Green is no exception.

 Thankfully the Caps have the personnel on the roster to survive without Mike Green’s services.  The addition of Dennis Wideman to the lineup at the trade deadline is paying dividends.  Since Wideman’s addition, which coincidentally coincides almost exactly with the hit Green took from Derek Stepan, the Capitals are 9-1-0.  The Capitals are 10-1-0 since Green’s injury and have surged from 6th in the Eastern Conference to 2nd in the conference.  The reason for this is the similarity in style between Wideman and Green’s game.  Both earn their paychecks moving the puck and being power play specialists (granted, it’s a hard sell to call anyone on the Caps a power play specialist this season).  Both are dependable in their own zone.

 Dennis Wideman is also logging big time minutes with the Capitals.  Wideman is now averaging 23.14 minutes per game.  Included in that is 2.33 minutes of ice time on the penalty kill.  Wideman’s relative Corsi rating is third best among defenseman, trailing only Green and John Carlson.  Since coming over from the Florida Panthers at the trade deadline, Wideman is +7 in his 10 games with the Capitals.  He has been a minus in just one game – a game the Capitals won.  Wideman is without question filling the void left in Mike Green’s absence.  What is an even scarier proposition for Eastern Conference foes is the depth the Caps will have when Green does return.  All three defensive pairings will have dynamic puck moving defenseman in Green, Wideman, and Carlson.  The power play, in theory, should get a boost as well.

The Capitals are in good shape despite not having Mike Green in the lineup.  The best thing is not to rush Green back into the lineup.  His health is the most important thing.  The team has proven that they can fill Green’s void and win games in his absence.  Mike Green should return no earlier than March 29, the Capitals next home game against the Carolina Hurricanes.  There is just no reason to do otherwise.

The timing of this eight game winning streak should not surprise anybody. The Capitals were very active at the trade deadline and have not lost since the acquisitions of Jason Arnott and Dennis Wideman. Arnott now has five points in the seven games since joining the Capitals, and is yet to be a minus player. Both Arnott and Wideman are making significant contributions to the Capitals’ anemic power play. The Caps now have power play goals in three straight games. With Arnott playing the point on the power play, Ovechkin can park himself in front of the net or on the left circle. He is much more effective in those areas.

But Arnott’s biggest mark on the team is in the locker room. He is a veteran that demands the attention of the team’s younger stars – not because Arnott himself demands that attention, but because he is a Cup winner. Arnott has achieved what the other guys in the locker room hope to achieve this season. Arnott knows what it takes to win in the NHL. The Capitals are reaping the benefits of Arnott’s leadership – no more apparent then the play of Alex Semin. Semin has been a completely different play since Arnott’s arrival in the district. He appears to be focused and determined in a way in which Caps fans have not seen. Since Arnott’s arrival to both the team and more specifically to Semin’s second line, Semin has points in all but one game. Six of those points are in the form of goals, most notably a late third period goal in Tampa to even the score and send the game to overtime. The Caps ultimately won the game in a shootout, and have increased their lead in the Southeast division to five points. Perhaps all the Caps have been missing is a veteran center for Alex Semin. Since the departure of Sergei Fedorov two years ago, the Caps have been searching for a legitimate NHL center iceman for the second line. They have found it in Jason Arnott.

Let’s not forget the play of Braden Holtby. If not for Holtby, the circumstances may be quite different. Semyon Varlamov continues to be his normal self – injured. Michal Neuvirth, who has arguably been the team’s MVP this season, took a puck to the mask in the early moments in Tampa last Monday. Down 1-0, Holtby entered the game and stopped all 21 shots he saw. Holtby hasn’t looked back. The Edmonton Oilers were victim to Holtby on Wednesday night.  Holtby recorded his first NHL shutout to the tune of a 5-0 defeat. Holtby is now 8-2-2 on the season with a minuscule 1.95 GAA and a save percentage of .931. These numbers should place Holtby on the short list for NHL player of the week. More importantly, from an organization’s standpoint, the Caps now have three goaltenders under the age of 22 who can enter a game and delivery a win. For the first time in NHL history, a team has three goalies under the age of 22 with a least seven wins in the same season. Things may get interesting with Varlamov becoming a restricted free agent at season’s end? Do the Caps re-sign him long term, despite the injury woes?

The Capitals are now faced with their toughest test of the season to date. Beginning tomorrow night in Montreal, the Capitals will begin a six game road trip. This trip will include two trips to Montreal, a date with the Red Wings, the Flyers, and the hottest team in the NHL, the New Jersey Devils. This trip will likely result in either the Capitals gaining sole possession of the Easter conference, or they could fall back to the Lightning in the race for the Southeast division. There is a lot riding on this road trip. A mediocre showing and the Caps would fall back into the dreaded four-vs.-five matchup in the playoff standings. This means a likely date with the Penguins in the first round; a matchup no team wants. On the flip side, if the Caps can get seven or eight of the possible 12 points on this trip, they would likely find themselves atop the Eastern Conference, especially with a head-to-head win over the Flyers, who currently lead the conference. This road trip will be a great test for the Caps. They will know exactly how they stack up against some of the top teams in the NHL. In addition, most teams are playing at their best this time of the year, so the Capitals can expect to get everyone’s best performance. A solid road trip, and the Caps just may be the legitimate contenders we all thought they would be before the season began.

Follow me on Twitter: @JCScriven

Mike Green will likely be out another two weeks.  If I am Bruce Boudreau or George McPhee,  Green doesn’t play until the last week of the regular season.  There is no need to play him and risk further injury, especially since it is a head injury Green is dealing with.  Green initially took a Brooks Orpik slapshot to the side of the head, and then was on the receiving end of an elbow from Rangers forward Derek Stepan.  Again, if I’m Boudreau I shut down Green until the last week of the regular season.  This will negate further injury to Green and give him a few games to get back into form for the playoffs.  Mike Green will play a key role in how successful the Caps are in the playoffs.

 Tom Poti is also on the shelf battling brittle groin syndrome.  Poti has been nursing a groin injury for the past month.  Poti is skating and is hoping to get back into the lineup in the near future.  Poti has been key piece of the puzzle on the penalty kill, and is always noted for his puck moving ability.  For an offense that has struggled for the past two months of the season, Poti’s ability to outlet the puck to the forwards has been missed. 

 So with the injuries to Green and Poti, George McPhee went out at the deadline and picked up Florida Panthers defenseman, Dennis Wideman.  Wideman is a puck moving power play specialist.  This is just what the Capitals needed to offset the loss of their two best puck movers, one of which was the power play quarterback.  Wideman has been strong in each of first three games with the Caps.  He led the team in total ice time in his first game, and has been eating up minutes in the other two.  He has averaged 23.67 minutes and is a +3 in those games.  Wideman is also signed through the 2012 season, so he is not a rental.

 But what this does is create quite the log jam on the blueline once Green and Poti return to action.  As previously mentioned, the Capitals will have nine defensemen on the roster. 

 The Caps will likely play six defensemen.  So who will sit?

 In order to answer this question, it’s easier to point out who is going to play.  We all know Mike Green will be in the lineup.  He is part of the core, and an elite puck moving defenseman in the NHL.  He brings the offensive upside that has defined the Caps over the past three seasons.  We also know that Scott Hannan will have a spot.  McPhee traded for Hannan for this purpose; his leadership and veteran experience.  He brings playoff experience as well.  Karl Alzner and John Carlson will have spots in the lineup.  They have arguably been the Caps’ best defensive pair all season long.  John Carlson moves the puck well and has the heavy shot from the point, while Alzner has really taken form as a legitimate shutdown defenseman in the NHL.  Both are in their first full season with the Capitals, but neither has succumbed to the pressures of the NHL.  Dennis Wideman will also have a spot.  He was brought here to rescue the Capitals’ power play which has plummeted to 25^th in the NHL.  What a difference a year makes as the Capitals finished last season with the best power play in the league.  Wideman’s presence on the power play will hopefully allow Ovechkin to move down on the power play.  I feel Ovechkin is more effective on the left circle or down low, as opposed to on the point.

 So this leaves us with Jeff Shultz, Tom Poti, John Erskine, and Tyler Sloan.

 The Tyler Sloan issue should be dealt with rather easily.  Sloan should be in the AHL with the Hershey Bears.  He has the second worst relative plus-minus (-1.46) of any of the nine defensemen…by a long shot.  Sloan also has the worst Corsi rating on the team.  He also has the worst on-ice +/- of any of the nine defensemen.  Sloan is a borderline NHLer who will finally be squeezed from the lineup due the new found depth the Capitals have at defense.

 So the battle for the sixth spot on the blueline will be between Jeff Schultz, Tom Poti, and John Erksine.

 A case could be made for any of the three remaining.  John Erskine certainly brings playoff mentality to the lineup.  He brings blue collar work ethic to the lineup, along with shut down qualities.  He will always stick up for his teammates, he’ll drop the gloves whenever necessary, and he will make opposing forwards pay the price in the crease.  He has been one of the team’s most improved defenseman from a season ago.  He is just the type of defenseman a team wants in the playoffs.  But Erskine has some liabilities as well.  He certainly isn’t the team’s best defenseman in his own zone, and when a team is struggling offensively like the Caps are, that poses a significant risk.

 Jeff Schultz isn’t having the year he had last year, but who on the Capitals is?  It’s been a down year for just about everyone on the roster.  Statistically, Schultz is a middle-of-the-road defenseman.  He isn’t making the egregious errors in his own zone, but every so often he’ll make a play that leaves you scratching your head.  One thing Schultz does well though is the breakout pass out of the defensive zone.  He has a knack for this and its benefits the team tremendously.  Schultz is a big body, which you can’t have too much of.  He also has the best chemistry with Mike Green, who will be back in a couple of weeks.  That alone may be reason enough to keep him in the lineup.  The play of Mike Green holds incredible weight on the Caps success.

 And last but not least you have Tom Poti.  Poti hasn’t played since January 12.  The big question mark here is whether Poti will ever be 100% this season.  His season has been injury plagued.  With so much riding on what happens in the post season, it certainly wouldn’t be prudent to add a player to the lineup who isn’t 100%.  There is too much depth on this team to risk that.  The only way Poti gets back into the lineup is if he is completely healthy.  Poti earns his stripes on the penalty kill.  He is behind only Hannan and Schultz for penalty kill minutes per 60, and has been on the ice for just three goals against on the PK.  Granted, he has missed a lot of time this season – but in all his time in DC he has been a solid penalty killer.  Poti also brings an element to the power play.  He’s great passer and puck mover.  But the addition of Wideman may leave Poti as the odd man out.

 It will be interesting to see how Boudreau plays his hand.  He has more than enough options to choose from.  Perhaps he goes with a rotation between Schultz, Poti, and Erskine.  One thing for sure though is that continuity will be a key when the playoffs start.  I’m not sold that rotating these guys in and out of the lineup is a means to achieving that continuity. 

Follow me on Twitter: @JCScriven

Email: cordmeister1@gmail.com

The acquisition of Jason Arnott is truly the headliner though.  The lack of a quality second line center on the Capitals roster goes back two years when McPhee acquired Sergei Fedorov at the deadline.  When Fedorov left for the KHL, the giant hole re-appeared and hasn’t been filled by an experienced NHL regular since.  Arnott’s acquisition helps the Capitals in two ways.  First, he brings Stanley Cup experience, he is a big body, and has a cannon of shot from anywhere on the ice.  Finally Alex Semin may have the center iceman he has needed for all these years.  With Semin scoring 40 goals a season without a bonified center iceman, Caps fans are licking their chops at the production we may see from him with a guy like Arnott as his pivot.  Secondly, Arnott is will be a godsend to the power play which has been absolutely dreadful this season.  I see him being a good fit either on the left half-wall, or using his size in front of the net to pound home rebounds.  Although Arnott is having his worst season statistically, keep in mind that he was playing for the New Jersey Devils, who up until the firing of John McLean was the worst team in the NHL.  With the star power on the Caps roster, you can expect Arnott’s productivity to jump as well.

If there is any concern to be had with this deal, it has to do with Arnott’s speed.  Will Arnott be able to keep up with Semin and the newly acquired Marco Sturm?  This is yet to be determined, and only game action will give us any clues to whether this concern is legitimate.

So what did Jason Arnott cost the Capitals?  David Steckel and a 2^nd round pick will be headed the other way.  David Steckel was a great role player for the Capitals, but for the money he was being paid, was probably on the short list of players to be traded.  At a $1 million per season, that was lot for a player whose primary contribution was winning faceoffs.  Those types of players can be found at much cheaper rates.  Steckel was buried on the 4^th line and wasn’t much of a contributor offensively.  That said, Steckel is a very serviceable NHL player.  He will thrive in the Devils system which is dedicated his style of play; solid defensively and great on the forecheck.  He’s also the NHL’s top ranked faceoff man.  Despite this move likely being a rental move, this will clear the $1 million in salary off Capitals’ salary cap.

George McPhee was already in on the trade deadline action before the Arnott trade.  The Capitals were able to acquire Dennis Wideman for prospect Jake Hauswirth and a 3^rd round pick.  With injuries to Mike Green and Tom Poti, a move for another defenseman was smart.  There is no real time frame for Poti’s return, so the acquiring a puck moving defenseman was smart.  Additionally, Mike Green is expected to be out of the lineup for the next three weeks.  But the primary reason this move was made was to provide a spark to the anemic power play.  Wideman was previously the quarterback of the Panthers power play.  He has a heavy shot from the point, which is something the Caps could use should they now place Ovechkin on the left circle, which is something I’ve been preaching all season.  Wideman success on the power play speaks for itself.  He is averaging 3.31 points per 60 minutes on the power play.  That is almost a full point better than any current Capitals’ defenseman, including Mike Green.  And remember, those stats were for a Florida Panthers power play whose effective rate on the road was in the single digits at one point this season.

Wideman also brings playoff experience which no team can have to much of.  Marco Sturm is quoted as saying Wideman was the Bruin’s best defenseman two seasons ago when they went to the Eastern Conference Finals.  But as we know all roster moves have repercussions.  Wideman is signed through next season at $4 million.  With the two year extension Poti signed earlier this season, it appears pending UFA Scott Hannan may be the odd man out.  Hannan has been solid in his 35 games since being traded for Tomas Fleischmann in late November.  He is a solid veteran presence in the locker room.  It will interesting to see what McPhee does with Hannan’s contract.  My guess is Hannan will be the casualty.

Not only has this been a successful trade deadline day for the Capitals and George McPhee, if you include trades made earlier in the season it’s been a great few months for the Capitals organization.  The Caps have added Jason Arnott, Dennis Wideman, Scott Hannan, and Marco Sturm in exchange for David Steckel, Tomas Fleischman, Jake Hauswirth, a 2^nd round pick, and a 3^rd round pick.  The Caps have picked up skill, depth, and veteran leadership for what hopes to be a long post season.  I’ll severely question anyone who thinks the Capitals are worse off today than they were a week ago.

It was no secret what additions the Capitals had to make in order to be considered a legit contender.  George McPhee addressed each of those issues without having to part ways with a top 6 forward, a defenseman, or any of the three prized goaltenders in the organization.  The Capitals won today’s unofficial trade deadline contest.  Now let’s just see if they can carry that momentum into the last 20 games of the season, the post season, and eventually a Stanley Cup.

Congratulations to Matt Hendricks who has been nothing short of fabulous this season.  Hendricks isn’t the type of player to put on an offensive show, but his contributions are just as important in the overall scheme of things.  He brings a ton of energy to the rink every night, he plays solidly in the defensive zone, and most importantly he always sticks up for his teammates.  One could easily argue that he has been the Capitals’ most consistent forward this season.  If you’ve watched the Capitals this season, or have watched Hendricks in the past, you know his game.  Most importantly he brings it every night. 

If you look at the Stanley Cup champions of the past, every team has a player like Matt Hendricks.  You don’t win in the NHL playoffs with skill alone.  The playoffs are a different beast.  All teams have a gritty energy guy that can play solidly in their own zone and occasionally chip in offensively.  Kris Draper of the Red Wings instantly comes to mind.  Draper is great on the penalty kill, is never afraid to go to the high traffic areas in front of the net, and will drop the gloves when needed.  This is the type of player Matt Hendricks is.

How this season started for Matt Hendricks is another testament to the type of player he is.  He was invited to Capitals training camp unsigned.  He was a long shot to make the team.  But his hard work, leadership, and love for the game landed him a roster spot.  Now he will call Washington D.C. his home for the next two seasons.  And I couldn’t be happier.

Twitter.com/JCScriven