Difference Makers, Hiding in the Shadows

Here is a quick look at ten players who may wind up making the difference for their respective teams this season.

RW. Nikita Filatov, Columbus Blue Jackets

Jackets hope Filatov can help them crack the playoffs this year

Although his rookie season was eventually marred by a disagreement with then-head coach Ken Hitchcock, ultimately resulting in Filatov returning to Russia in order to get more ice-time, the Blue Jackets 1st round pick(6th overall) from the 2008 Draft is back in Columbus, ready to make an impact. With new coach Scott Howson in place and the franchise welcoming Nikita back with open arms, the 20 year old is already earning top minutes on the team’s 2nd line and top power play unit. Skating alongside fellow Jacket 1st round picks, Jacob Varocuk and Derrick Brassard, Filatov will be counted upon to bolster the offense in order to get Columbus back into the playoff picture. Gifted hands and great vision, he is going to be granted all the time and space he needs to grow his game. If his mature attitude can carry over to the ice, Columbus may not be as tame as many believe them to be.

Nikita Filatov HockeyDB.com

RW. Jiri Hudler, Detroit Red Wings

Hudler's return will only further boost a deep and dangerous Wings lineup

A regular for the Wings from ‘06-07 to ‘08-09, Jiri Hudler was on his way to becoming a fixture on the Red Wings top 6, missing only 7 games during that 3 year span and collecting 51 goals and 124 points. Unfortunately for Jiri and the Red Wings salary cap restrictions compromised the team’s ability to resign the winger in the summer of 2009 and eventually led to Hudler spending a year in Russia, with Detroit’s blessing, of course. Although there were fears his game could regress in the KHL, Hudler racked up 54 points in 54 games for Moscow Dynamo, apparently not missing a beat. A year layer and still on Detroit’s radar, a contract was quietly ironed out and the Wings 58th overall pick from the 2002 Draft was brought back into the fold. Not only is Hudler back with the Wings, but of all the players returning from Europe, he has the best chemistry with his current team-mates and as a member of such a deep team, will have a great shot of having a career year. With Detroit having restocked for another shot at the Cup, Hudler is going to be one of the key difference makers who will benefit from the Wings depth and talent. With the opportunity to skate with a Datsyuk, Filppula or Modano, Mike Babcock appears poised to get the most out of his lineup once again, especially a friendly face like Hudler.

Jiri Hudler HockeyDB.com

D. Ladislav Smid, Edmonton Oilers

Youth movement may serve Smid quite well

Smid is set to enter his 6th season in the NHL and 6th as an Oiler, but this will actually be his first as the team’s lead defenseman. With Sheldon Souray out of the picture and Lubomir Visnovsky no longer bolstering the blue line in Edmonton, it would appear that Smid is set to become the direct recipient of the new-look Oilers offense. Although the Oilers are still a work in progress, the addition of blue chip prospects Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and Magnus Parjaavi to their lineup is already having a direct impact on the team. With a renewed ability to score goals and a foundation to build from, all signs are pointing towards the Oilers placing an awful lot of responsibility on Smid’s shoulders. Management believes that Ladislav has a lot more to offer the team and are banking on the 23 year old finding chemistry with the new additions and blossoming into the player that made him the 9th overall selection of the 2004 NHL Draft.

Ladislav Smid HockeyDB.com

LW. Cal Clutterbuck, Minnesota Wild

Clutterbuck can provide Wild with added offensive punch

Primarily known for his rough and tumble style of hockey, a lot of people tend to forget that Clutterbuck’s got a pretty solid offensive upside. With a desperate need for Minnesota to find a way to get goal support this season, it may be the perfect opportunity for Clutterbuck to steal a roster spot. Guillaume Latendresse is a player that may find his spot in jeopardy if Cal can continue to take advantage of his minutes while on the second trio. And it’s looking more and more likely that he is going to see more time along talented winger Martin Havlat as the Wild head coach Todd Richards continues to seek out reliable goal scoring. He was a point a game player who compiled over 300 penalty minutes during his Junior days with the Oshawa Generals so it wouldn’t be a far stretch to see him find some chemistry alongside some of Minnesota’s more talented players. He may boast as much upside as some of the other sleepers on this list, but if there is anyone on the Wild who stands a chance of having a breakout year, Cal Clutterbuck would be the ideal candidate.

Cal Clutterbuck HockeyDB.com

C. Jarret Stoll, LA Kings

LA's counting on big things from Stoll, including a healthy season

Interestingly enough, Stoll has twice been drafted in the second round of the NHL entry draft. First by the Flames in 2000 as the 46th overall pick, then by the Oilers in 2002 as the 36th overall pick. Aside from being twice drafted by a team from Alberta, the Saskatoon native is now a member of the Los Angeles Kings. As the team’s second line center, Stoll is often overlooked due to the fact that he plays with guys like Anze Kopitar and Ryan Smyth, yet he has still quietly managed an average of 40 points a season over the last 4 years. Although 40 points is not all that impressive, Stoll is a talented, hard-working center who has not had not been able to play a full season thanks to injuries since 2005-06 when he posted a career high 68 points in 82 games with the Oilers. Now, with the Kings expectations on the rise, Stoll will be be a lynch pin in providing the more talented individuals on LA the room they need to be successful. If Jarret can avoid injury and provide the Kings with a full season, he will have an excellent chance to return to his career highs if not surpass them.

Jarret Stoll HockeyDB.com
RW. Radim Vrbata, Phoenix Coyotes

At home in the desert, Coyotes expect big things from Vrbata

A product of the Quebec Major Junior system, Vrbata has tenured with various clubs throughout his professional career. He spent 2 years with the Hershey Bears in the AHL, 2 different seasons in the Czech Elite League, 2 years with the Colorado Avalanche, 3 years with the Hurricanes, 2 years with the Blackhawks and half a season with the Lightning sandwiched between stints with the Coyotes. Now, finally back where he is most comfortable, once again in the desert as a member of the ‘Yotes, Vrbata is ready to build on a solid 82 game campaign that saw him net 24 goals and 43 points. Entering his 4th year in Phoenix, it will be up to guys like Vrbata to help Phoenix return to the playoffs. Although not an elite winger, Radim has shown potential, as he did 4 seasons ago when he netted 27 goals and 56 points during his first tour of duty in Arizona. He will need to prove his value to the team by out-producing some of the younger, up and coming prospects, but that can only serve as motivation for the 29 year old . He’s come close to the 30 goal barrier before so if he can skate another 82 games this season, there’s reason to believe he can‘t come close, especially if the team plays like they did last year.

Radim Vrbata HockeyDB.com

G. Sergei Bobrovsky, Philadelphia Flyers

New blood between the pipes gives Philly renewed hope

A rookie goaltender in Philadelphia? One that may actually stick with the team? Although it may sound farfetched, considering the team plowed through nearly an entire roster of netminders on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, and with Leighton and Boucher still on the roster for this season, there’s reason to believe that “Bob” may be what this franchise has long been waiting for. Not since the days of Ron Hextall have the Flyers been able to say they have a true no.1 goaltender, and although he’s only played 2 games in the NHL, it’s safe to say that management is very high on what the 22 year old Russian goalie can do for Philadelphia. There is still a long way to go before the rookie fully gets his bearings, the North American style is not always the easiest thing for a goaltender to adjust to. But with a power house of a team in front of him, strong leadership and backup support in both Leighton and Boucher, Philly can take their time breaking him in, basically allowing the rookie goaltender every opportunity to seize the Flyers crease. He may not last, but if the team plays their cards right, there is a good chance they will be able to mold him into the starter they have spent years trying to draft of pay for.

Sergei Bobrovsky HockeyDB.com

C. Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks

Thrust into a role on San Jose's top 6, Couture isn't just another weapon in Sharks arsenal

The Sharks may have lost out on the veteran leadership and offense from the blue line that Rob Blake had provided them over the last couple of seasons, but in his wake is the arrival of yet another San Jose sniper. Logan Couture was the 9th overall pick in the 2007 draft and after debuting with the team last season, scoring 9 points in his first 25 career games, he now finds himself as the team’s alternate top center, sharing time with Joe Thornton between Dany Heatley Patrick Marleau, Ryan Clowe and Devon Setoguchi. Including Joe Pavelski and Torrey Mitchell, the San Jose lineup is certainly not lacking from offensive punch, and considering who his linemates will be, Couture may wind up making the biggest impact out of anyone on this list. He is one of the more gifted youngsters to enter the league this year, and although he is not technically a rookie due to the 25 games he played last season, he has been a point a game player all throughout his career. Given that he is set to skate with 3 top ten scorers in Heatley, Marleau and Thornton, there is a good chance that Logan may come close to that kind out of output this year.

Logan Couture HockeyDB.com

D. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

Bolts big man will benefit from rejuvenated and offensive oriented coaching system

The former #2 overall pick in the 2009 draft had a relatively mild-mannered first year in the NHL as he posted 20 points in 74 games for the Lightning last season. This year, with a revamped lineup and coaching staff, the hulking defender will be sure to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump. He’s no stranger to physical play, as his 79 penalty minutes can attest to, so as the Lightning transition to their new game style under Guy Boucher, there’s going to be a lot more opportunity for Hedman to improve on his rookie totals. With a whole new mentality sweeping through the franchise as Steve Yzerman begins his tenure as Lightning general manager, expect Victor to be front and center as he and former Bolt Pavel Kubina, who returned this summer, will be charged with leading Tampa’s blue line. He’s likely going to get the most ice-time out of any player on this list, so expect him to thrive in a better managed Lightning lineup.

Victor Hedman HockeyDB.com

RW. Eric Fehr, Washington Capitals

Fresh off a contract extension, Fehr is on verge of having his breakout year

Chosen as the Capitals 1st round pick in 2003, Eric Fehr joined Washington as they were on the verge of their youth movement. The timing couldn’t have been better as the right winger ripped his way through the WHL, posting back-to-back 50 goal seasons in his final two years with the Brandon Wheat Kings before earning 53 points in 70 games during his professional debut with the Hershey Bears. Although this will be his 5th season in the NHL, it will actually only be his 3rd true campaign with the Capitals. That said, it goes even further as this will be the first year that Fehr starts the season healthy with the opportunity to show Washington what he’s truly capable of. Hampered by injuries and a very deep roster, the team is very aware of what his potential is, and with Mike Knuble in the final year of his deal, there’s a very strong chance that Eric will wind up as Knuble’s successor and the offensive beneficiary of playing with Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. He needs to win more puck battles and emphasize the physical aspect of his game, but with a proven track record as an offensive stalwart, this should be the year Fehr breaks out for the Capitals.

Eric Fehr HockeyDB.com

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First things first.

Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks and their 1st Stanley Cup championship since 1961. There is nothing sweeter than for a franchise to claw their way back to the promised land after such an excruciating drought.

The fact that the Stanley Cup curse was quietly approaching the half-century mark next season spoke volumes of how desperate the Hawks were to hoist a fresh banner to the rafters.

But with the Hawks Cup victory comes a great burden.

You see, when building a winner in the post-lockout NHL, there are always a few catches. Namely, the cost of building a winner.

The true championship formula is a balance of spending almost all the way to cap ceiling while taking advantage of talented young players playing at pre-UFA rates. This has been proven in recent years as the Hurricanes, Ducks, Red Wings and Penguins have all earned Cups yet have seen their championship teams become compromised due to cap constraints.

Although the Red Wings and Penguins held onto a two year stretch where it seemed that either club could have turned into a dynasty team, both succumbed to the Stanley Cup cold, forced into parting ways with key members while struggling through the crippling affects of fatigue from 2 extended seasons.

Of course fatigue may be the most tell-tale sign of how difficult it is for one single team to dominate the league anymore as the Wings and Pens both proved that 2 straight trips to the Cup Finals eventually catch up to you, but in the end, it is the cost of talent that eventually forces a team out of its window for success.

In the beginning of the salary cap era, the Carolina Hurricanes took advantage of two young superstars dominance and rode Cam Ward and Eric Staal to their first Cup championship in team history, but their long-term success was not to be as the Cup victory ultimately proved too costly. Eventually, the ‘Canes were forced to part with talents such as Erik Cole and became hampered by the cost of retaining their young and talented players.

The same story repeated itself the following year as the Anaheim Ducks fought their way to their first Cup victory on the strengths of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Along with a superb mix of uber-talented veterans in Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Teemu Selanne and JS Giguere, the Ducks out-classed everyone on their way to the Cup. That victory endowed Brian Burke with plenty of success and praise as everyone touted the new “Brian Burke way to build a team.” Yet again though, the magic formula for success cost the Ducks as they were forced to part ways with Dustin Penner and Joffrey Lupul among others. That eventual cost of winning also pushed the Ducks out of their window of opportunity and they have been rebuilding ever since.

Next came the Red Wings and their 4th Stanley Cup victory since 1996-97.

At the time, the Wings were the closest thing to a dynasty team that the NHL had seen since the 1980’s, yet even the well-built Wings couldn’t withstand the forces of the cap era. And, although they may be strongest perennial contenders thanks to the strength of their management and development system, they too have been victims of the cap/Cup crunch.

The long-term deals that Detroit provided its stars may serve as the best example of what a “home-town discount” truly is, especially Johan Franzen’s contract, but even those ‘discounts’ were not enough to leave the Wings lee-way in maintaining their hopes for a Cup. Their losses have been rather insignificant in comparison to other Cup winners in recent seasons, but the cap constraint under which Detroit placed themselves eventually led to the departure of Jiri Hudler and the forced trade of Flyers’ rookie playoff sensation, Ville Leino. Although Hudler will return next season, the loss of Leino is one that will clearly sting.

Although the Red Wings do happen to be a relatively rare exception as, out of the last 5 teams to win the Cup, Detroit is the only one to have made the playoffs every year since the lockout, they still manage to demonstrate that the Stanley Cup cold still has an affect on its winners.

The Penguins Stanley Cup victory was the first glimpse of a new breed of team under the new CBA regime.

Pittsburgh’s Cup came after a few years of rebuilding. A formula that now trumps all other methods of winning since the lockout.

By balancing the team with its 3 great centers, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal, as well as young netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, the Pens took advantage of their youthful players while balancing the team by being able to maximize their cap space either on UFA’s or through trades.

This new balance of the Cup formula, which saw the Penguins succeed while balancing paying their young stars top dollars(for the most part) and their UFA’s at fair rates.

Yet, despite having taken the best advantage of the Cup formula to date, the inevitable X-factor of fatigue wound up catching the Penguins, just as it did to the Red Wings, and so Pittsburgh became the next casualty of the Stanley Cup cold.

The one difference that the Penguins bring to the formula is that their young and signed talent still have many years ahead of them. Although the same can be said for most of the other Cup winners in recent years, for the most part, the truth is that even with a balanced core like that on the Penguins, there still might not be room enough for all of their important pieces in the future. This timely dilemma of contract values versus the rise and fall of the salary cap truly hand-cuffs GM’s who have seen their teams succeed and win the Cup only to be stifled by the inability to reward all of their talent appropriately.

Since this is an open market system, where players can eventually earn the right to pick and choose where they want to go, not one single Cup winner since the lock-out has been able to withstand the perils of victory.

It can be construed as the irony of success, but with the Chicago Blackhawks having laid claim to Lord Stanley’s Cup only just last evening, the questions have already begun.

Will the Hawks catch the same Stanley Cup cold that has weakened all recent champions and inhibited them from repeating?

Or is there more magic to be found in the treasure chest of talent that is the Blackhawks farm system?

The truth is that, as Lyle Richardson has pointed out(aka “Spector”), even if the salary cap does go up to $58.8 million for the 2010-11 season, the Chicago Blackhawks stand no chance of retaining all of the talented players that combined for the team’s first Stanley Cup in 49 years.

The reality is that they too will fall prey to the cost of being the owners of successful players. Talent dictates a players value, but success is what makes a player enticing.

Now that the young Hawks can (eventually) wear their Cup rings with pride, you have to wonder how many of them will still be able to call the Windy city home for next season?

Although I am no odds-maker, I wouldn’t hesitate to bet against the reigning Cup champions repeating next Spring. Despite the strength of this young Blackhawks team, built in a similar fashion to last season’s Cup champion Penguins, it stands to reason that with the cash-calls that their RFA’s and UFA’s will demand, plus the likely on-set of the X-factor, fatigue, these Hawks just won’t be the same team.

Another level of irony lies in the fact that the Hawks franchise won’t have long to bask in the glory of their victory. The truth is that with the Draft only a couple weeks away, and the opening of Unrestricted Free Agency shortly there-after, Chicago’s management will barely have time to catch their breathe before deciding who to keep and who they must part ways with.

It will be an excruciating process and something that will likely shock fans in Chicago, but the same can be said for the Flyers as the reigning runner-ups will also have cap issues to deal with and roster spots to address.

It is becoming painfully clear that it’s getting harder and harder to build and maintain a winner in today’s NHL, yet despite the costs and possible negatives, one thing remains infinitely clear, no one team will ever stop trying and whenever a franchise sees the opportunity to win it all, they will do everything in their power-damned of the consequences- to bring home Lord Stanley’s Cup.

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17 Year Drought in Effect, when will it end?

Canada has been waiting for the return of Lord Stanley’s Cup to their hallowed land for quite a long time. For a country which lays claim to the birth of the game, the 17 year drought since the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup back in 1993 is all too real for every club nation-wide.

This seasons Cup hopefuls, the Habs, Sens and Canucks are not the strongest contingency of Cup hopefuls, but they are what they are; the only teams in Canada vying for the chance to win it all.

That said, it looks like the Canadiens and Senators, long-shot hopefuls at best, will be packing it in the near future as both clubs sit down 3-1 in their respective series.

The one true legitimate hope for the return of the Cup to Canada lies with the Vancouver Canucks, but they are in tough against the Los Angeles Kings and the rest of their possible opponents in the Western Conference.

The remnants of Montreal’s historic Cup run in ’93, dominated by 11 overtime victories, is all that lingers of the memories of a Stanley Cup in Canada for this current generation of hockey fan.

But when will that all change?

The reality is that the great nation of Canada is simply aching to add a few more clubs to their chances.

Cities across country have been pushing to re-equilibrate the league’s balance between Canadian and American franchises for awhile, but the worry surrounding past failures and the future of the economy, have kept the NHL from acquiescing to potential new owners demands.

It’s definitely tough to get a franchise in the NHL. Let alone one in Canada.

But the movement is happening and with the Canadian dollar reaching parity for the first time in a long while, and projections that it’s not going down any time soon, now might be a better time than ever to increase Canada’s odds of winning a Stanley Cup by adding a few more teams north of the border.

With 24 teams in the United States and only 6 in Canada, there is a lot of untapped potential waiting to be exposed in Canada.

Hamilton, Quebec City and Winnipeg are all dying to get teams in their cities. They all have large and loyal fan bases and yearn for he incredible infusion into their economy that an NHL franchise would bring.

It’s tough to say which city will get their wish granted first, but with the pressure on for Canada to bring the Cup back home north of the border, and with all the economic factors pointing to the NHL missing out on a great and timely opportunity if they don’t pounce on it, chances are that the talk of Canada getting a new team will only get louder as the summer wares on.

It’s time for a reality check for the NHL and their ideals for growing the game. They know their best option is Canada and with the nation ready and eager to help grow the sport again, it only makes sense.

A Stanley Cup victory by any team in Canada would not only instantly boost the economy of that particular city, but also of the entire nation. The NHL is more connected to fans in Canada than any other sport in the country and all 6 teams have fans spread across the land. A win for any original 6 team would boost revenues no matter what(Montreal/Toronto), but even a first time win for the Canucks or a win for the renewed version of the Senators would help Canada’s economy.

Adding a few more teams that have a realistic shot at selling out nearly every game as well being able to advertise and showcase the product in a market that is known to love the sport, well…it only makes sense.

Timing is the major issue. There are obviously many potential buyers/owners and cities and local goverments that must be considered, but with the Canadian dollar striking parity and, as I mentioned above, not in danger of falling anytime soon, the NHL must take another serious look at re-expanding back into Canada.

This nation thrives on the game. That is reinforced by the millions of viewers for each playoff game televised in Canada, not to mention the enormous online presence for each of the 6 Canadian teams currently in the NHL

The NHL would see elevated profits and increased attention with the addition of one or more NHL franchises in Quebec, Ontario or Manitoba. The question is, who will finally make the case to the NHL to bring the game, and more teams, back to Canada?

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stevenhindle@hockeybuzz.com

 Subban, Kristo and Leblanc Making Gainey Proud

Finally, Bob Gainey’s outlook from the summer of 2009 is starting to shine through the clouds in Montreal.

Yes, Bob removed himself from his perch atop the Habs organization in January, yet his imprint on this Canadiens team will be felt for years to come.

Handing the reigns over to Pierre Gauthier wasn’t the popular option, but it was the easiest in terms of transition. Gauthier, along with Trevor Timmins and Julien Brisebois form the core of the Canadiens management team and are truly the men with which Gainey conferred on a regular basis while rebuilding this franchise from practically the ground up.

Since Gainey’s takeover, and the employment of Timmins and Brisebois, the Habs have become a sharp and focused team. Their management unit is used to the pressure of being able to come up with solutions without seeing their team slide to the bottom of the standings and, despite Bob no longer being with the team, his systems, structures and draft picks will mold the Habs over the course of the next 10 years.

To make a long story short, the Habs are a pretty good team this year because of what Bob did last summer, but they will be an ever better team for years to come for the work that he and his staff completed during his tenure as GM.

Gainey and Timmins brought us Carey Price and Jaro Halak. They have also brought us the Kostitsyn’s(works in progress), Ryan O’Byrne, Tomas Plekanec and Maxim Lapierre, among those currently playing on the Habs roster. Yet, it will not be for another couple of years that we will truly get to see what Gainey and Timmins had envisioned when building the Canadiens into what they are today.

Three examples of why the future is getting brighter and brighter in beautiful Montreal are PK Subban, Danny Kristo and Louis Leblanc.

The Habs have numerous other prospects which are earning their stripes as well, yet it is clear with these 3 players that the Canadiens have a base to build from.

Here is a quick brief on each player and what they have in store for the Canadiens.

PK Subban

Drafted:  2^nd Round, 43^rd overall in 2007

                                        — Regular Season —  —- Playoffs —-
Season   Team                        Lge    GP    G    A  Pts  PIM  GP   G   A Pts PIM
————————————————————————————–
2005-06  Belleville Bulls            OHL    52    5    7   12   70   3   0   0   0   2
2006-07  Belleville Bulls            OHL    68   15   41   56   89  15   5   8  13  26
2007-08  Belleville Bulls            OHL    58    8   38   46  100  21   8  15  23  28
2008-09  Belleville Bulls            OHL    56   14   62   76   94  17   3  12  15  22
2009-10  Montreal Canadiens*         NHL     2    0    2    2    2
2009-10  Hamilton Bulldogs           AHL    66   17   34   51   76
————————————————————————————–
         NHL Totals                          2    0    2    2    2

Clearly PK is an offensive force. His presence on the Bulldogs has elevated to the top spot in their conference and, despite other plausible candidates for the Rookie of the Year award in the AHL, such as Tyler Ennis, PK has to be far and away the leading candidate.

His point totals place him 2^nd overall among Defensemen and 3^rd overall among Rookies. His +/- total, a tidy +39 in 66 games, places him 2^nd overall in the AHL.

Subban started off a little rough around the edges at the start of the year. Although it’s not the NHL, the AHL is still quite a step up from the Junior levels and PK needed a brief time to adjust. That said, that adjustment period was certainly brief as PK has been on fire since the start of 2010.

Despite having yet to release the nominees for the AHL Rookie of the Year, I can almost guarantee you that PK Subban is the leading candidate.

His development this season has allowed Habs management the opportunity to clear some room this summer on the blue line as it’s clear that Subban is ready to play in the NHL and most certainly will be come 2010-11.

Danny Kristo

Drafted: 2^nd round, 56^th overall in 2008

                                     — Regular Season —  —- Playoffs —-
Season   Team                        Lge    GP    G    A  Pts  PIM  GP   G   A Pts PIM
————————————————————————————–
2006-07  U.S. National Under-18 Te   NAHL   39    8   10   18   34
2007-08  U.S. National Under-18 Te   NAHL   14    4    4    8    6
2008-09  Omaha Lancers               USHL   50   22   36   58   18   3   3   0   3   2
2009-10  U. of North Dakota          NCAA   39   14   21   35    8
————————————————————————————–

Yet again, another Habs pick who is tearing up his respective league.
This time though, there is no questioning if Danny is a Rookie of the Year candidate because he has already been declared the winner of the ROY award in the WCHA.

 Kristo named WCHA Rookie of the Year

Danny has impressed at all levels and was recognized as one of Team USA’s dominant forces during their recent WJC victory. He may not be as close to the big show as PK Subban, but so long as the Habs continue their recent concept of letting their prospects develop at the proper level, Kristo should likely wind up in Hamilton within a year or two, depending on his choices regarding school. Currently at North Dakota, Kristo is only a rookie at the NCAA level, so he has some time before he needs to make the jump. Yet, once again, if he continues to sky-rocket through his development, expect Kristo to be knocking on the door at Montreal’s training camp sooner than later.

Louis Leblanc

Drafted: 1^st round, 16^th overall in 2009

    — Regular Season —  —- Playoffs —-
Season   Team                        Lge    GP    G    A  Pts  PIM  GP   G   A Pts PIM
————————————————————————————–
2008-09  Omaha Lancers               USHL   60   28   31   59   78   3   2   1   3   2
2009-10  Harvard University          NCAA   31   11   12   23   50
————————————————————————————–

Louis, the youngest of this trifecta of Habs hopefuls, is also enjoying his first year of hockey at the University level. Although playing for Harvard does not exactly allow Leblanc to play as many games as the Canadiens organization would to see him play, he has nonetheless demonstrated continual development and progression.

Much like Subban, Leblanc started off quietly at Harvard, yet as the season has worn on, Louis has shown more and more that he is capable of being an immediate threat. He has done it at every level of play so it seems only natural that he hasn’t had that much difficulty adjusting.

The results of Leblanc’s quick tranisition has earned him a nomination as Rookie of the Year in the ECAC.

Leblanc Among Finalists for Rookie of the Year Award

Leblanc, the youngest of these Habs picks, is also the highest ranked of them all. Louis, drafted in a dream-like state by his home-town team in their home-town arena in front of friends, family and all of the Habs fans, is a smart man. Hence the choice to attend Harvard. Yet his astuteness and intelligence are not merely for the classroom. His on-ice vision is impeccable as his former team-mate and current blue chip Habs prospect Danny Kristo can attest to. The two Habs prospects played together in Omaha and displayed incredible chemistry, something that is sure to be a bonus for the Canadiens once these two reach the NHL.

There are other notables who are on their way up to the big club, but in terms of what Bob Gainey truly did to make this Canadiens team better in the future, that question will likely be answered by the 3 gentlemen listed above.

With the chance to boast 3 Rookie of Year players at 3 different levels, it definitely seems like the management/scouting staff that Bob Gainey put in place, that is now Pierre Gauthier’s to manage, is in excellent shape.

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Go Habs!!!!!

Canadiens/BGL Split Indicates Habs Have an Idea 

As I wrote yesterday, the Montreal Canadiens were sitting in a precarious position, perched between a run for the playoffs or a dip into the deep end full of high level draft picks, and while the announcement of their parting ways with Georges Laraque may seem significant, it simply highlights what has been an undertone to evaluating the eventual direction this remolded club will take.

Beginning with the deployment of Kyle Chipchura to the sun and fun of Anaheim for a 4^th round draft pick and then followed by the intelligent decision to move Guillaume Latendresse to Minnesota, the Canadiens appear to be addressing a need to clear out the slower footed individuals on the team and, although it may appear to be happening one player at a time, the Habs are actually doing it.

This recent move of rescinding Georges Laraque’s privilege to don the #17 in Blue, Blanc et Rouge may seem a bit harsh considering Big Georges ties to Haiti and the Montreal community and vice versa, as the Habs have been heavy supporters of the ongoing relief effort taking place in Haiti, but the actual specs of this particular move speak not only to the business aspect of clearing cap space, but also follows suit with the trend of opening spots for younger, faster players. In this case, the removal of Laraque is more addition by subtraction as it opens up spots for younger, faster players who are itching to get a shot in the NHL such as Tom Pyatt and Ryan White.

And, in response to whether the Habs were doing this at a bad time, the reality is that this decision had been made ‘weeks ago’ as Bob Gainey stated this morning. The reason for waiting this long to go through with the move was out of respect for Georges and the difficult situation surrounding his ties to Haiti.

So, in response to my question yesterday, it does indeed appear that the Montreal Canadiens are indeed picking a new direction in which to take the club.

Although the fans in Montreal are rabid, intelligent puck-heads who demand immediate results, they are also smart enough to realize that this season hasn’t offered much in the way of answering questions about how the team actually plays together. Injuries have piled up and have forced Bob Gainey’s hands at times, as he had to do when Andrei Markov went down at the beginning of the season and he picked up MA-Bergeron.

Gainey and Martin thought things would shake out by mid to late January, but that hasn’t quite been the case. Here we are, January 21^st and  the Habs sit with 51 points in 51 games and have done nothing but move laterally for the last few weeks.

The reality is that it has been hard to evaluate this club because of the injuries and the inability to find chemistry and create consistency.

If anything, it seems that Martin has been beyond his challenge level in trying to figure out how to get this team performing at a consistent level. It’s hard to blame the guys who go out and give everything they have every night, but with so much lineup juggling, how do you actually get a read on what this team is capable of?

I believe that Gainey is trying as hard as he can to build up the Canadiens draft depth as well as their farm rosters while trying to pare down cap space for the team moving forward. And he’s done a decent job of doing so with the moves he has pulled off thus far, but the truth is that this team has far more potential than they are showing.

Perhaps that’s the coaches fault, but I still cannot find a way to truly lay fault on the players as they have had a tough enough time matching up against their opponents night after night.

Bob Gainey is passing on the fools gold and holding out for the real thing. Fans are impatient and wish to see this team take a positive step forward in their progress. Yet it seems that fans are going to have remain ever so patient as this is not a quick fix situation.

Perhaps, as my buddy Praxy suggests, the Canadiens will go a different direction with management in summer and move into the post-Gainey era, but I’m not there yet. I believe that the Canadiens coaching and management are in a tough spot as the season hasn’t yielded the results they have wanted, and because of this, they haven’t been able to pick a definite path.

Despite the tumultuous course the Canadiens season has taken, they are still in the mix and will continue to vie for a berth in the post-season while making changes one piece at a time.

Things aren’t that peachy in Habs land and it’s going to remain a rough ride for a little while longer, but with each minor tweak that has occurred this season, the Canadiens have gotten quietly better and deeper.

Health is always the hope for the New Year, so hopefully that resolution will come to pass sooner rather later for the Canadiens.

In the meantime, as Montreal struggles to get the rest of their season pointed in the right direction, management is doing its best to give the team little shoves in the right direction whenever they can.

Just remember what Gainey has done thus far; he moved out the slow-footed Kyle Chipchura, removed the slow-footed Guillaume Latendresse and, finally, removed the slow-footed Georges Laraque.

In their place, Bob brough in a 4^th round draft pick, Benoit Pouliot and cap space. All 3 of these moves have positively benefited Montreal and, despite the inability to take large strides in a short period of time, the Canadiens have chosen their direction.

This team is going to continue to get younger, faster and deeper. That’s the bottom line.

Any proposal to Gainey in which he is offered something other than those 3 variables will be met with a straight forward No.

Hang in there Hab fans, it’s not going to be an easy ride, but it definitely appears that the team will stay the course in trying to get younger and faster.

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Dwindling Playoff Hopes Beg the Question, What Direction is this Team Headed in?

With the Montreal Canadiens set to skate in their 51^st game of the regular season tonight at the Bell Centre versus the St.Louis Blues, there are some very serious decisions on the table, waiting to be made.

The Canadiens have 50 points through 50 games and sit slightly outside of the playoff mix at the moment. Nothing too surprising for most of the pundits who pegged the Habs off-season remake as a ‘shot in the dark’ or as “Gainey’s last shot”, but the truth of the matter is that no matter how perfect the Habs season could have gone, the process of re-making, ahem, rebuilding, a franchise is one that takes a lot of time, patience and above all, research.

Andrei Markov

Now, that brings us to the Habs current situation.

The Habs are just as close to the playoffs as they are to being in contention for the June Draft Lottery.

Realistically, that statement hits a lot of Habs fans “squa’ in tha’ noots”, as Eric Cartman likes to say.

A tough pill to swallow, but a realistic one.

Do the Habs have enough in the tank to make a playoff push?

It’s a tough call, but the roster, when healthy that is, could be said to be a qualified playoff capable team, yet, with all of the injuries and mixing of matching of the teams lines, it has not been an easy year for Montreal and the fact remains that they have yet to truly find any legitimate chemistry.

The flashes of brilliance, the occasional winning streaks and the astoundingly successful power play are put small windows onto what is actually capable with this Montreal club.

The Canadiens aren’t winning an NHL or franchise record 25^th Cup this year, but that does not mean there’s no hope. That just means that the Habs are going to have to decide on a direction.

No, not a new direction, not another twist to the mangled corps of what was once a beautiful bombshell blonde of a team, but a decisive direction. One that will bring this team back to an elite level of compete that will see this organization return to a spot atop the NHL.

And that may be the most difficult decision of all.

That may be why we have seen the Canadiens pass on waiving players like Georges Laraque(despite his NMC, something could have been arranged…had the enforcer even been approached), refute trade talks and balk at free pickups such as the recently waived, Petr Sykora.

So, what are they waiting for?

Good question.

We all know that Bob Gainey is likely the most patient General Manager in the NHL, and that is a good thing, but how do we really know where this team is heading?

The Habs have 32 games remaining on the schedule and an ever narrowing window of opportunity to make the post-season. Considering the franchises current state, the Habs are in no place to be trading draft picks or picking up large salaries, but does that mean they can’t be proactive about their immediate future.

The Habs sit in 24^th overall in the NHL.

Do they go for it, and attempt to make a run for the playoffs?

Of course they will.

But should they really be thinking about finding a way to better their chances of landing a top 5 pick?

Absolutely.

The Canadiens sit on the cusp of a very difficult time during their 2009-2010 campaign.

They can mix and mingle at the deadline if they are still involved in the chase, but in my humble opinion, if the Canadiens cannot manage to keep pace with some of the other healthier and deeper clubs involved in the playoff race, I won’t fault them for looking towards the 2010-2011 season and what they might be able to accomplish this summer at the Draft and through free agency.

There are many directions that the team and management can take, but what will be best for the team is still apparently one thing no one within the organization seems to have a clear answer to.

The run into the Olympics may offer a clearer picture of what is happening with the Montreal Canadiens, but for now, we will all have to grip the edges of our seats real tight and watch, night after night and game after game, as the Habs continue to drag their fans on the roller coaster ride that this season has become in the great city of Montreal.

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The last couple days have been a blur, if you did your holidays right that is.

Most everyone I know is currently suffering from an overdose on Turkey and mash potatoes as well as near liver failure, but then again, none of my close family and friends are currently paid millions to play the game we all love, so, considering that our minds are all foggy and filled with thoughts of overweight sugar plum fairies toppling on top of one another in a drunken stupor, I think it’s ok for us regular folk to enjoy our time with our family and kick back.

But if I was a member of a professional hockey team and was paid a very large sum of money to play hard 82 games a year, I think I would postpone my Holiday follies until July. That’s if I want to win a Stanley Cup that is.

Considering that, it’s easy to note that the coach of the Washington Capitals was not pleased with his team’s recent efforts to close out the 2009 calendar year.

The Capitals have surrendered 11 goals in their last two games en route to being blown out by the worst team in the league, the Carolina Hurricanes, and perhaps the best team in the league, the San Jose Sharks. So what gives?

The Caps, perhaps the best team in the NHL themselves, have endured a post Christmas malaise and do not seem to have recovered quite yet from the recent trade of their former Captain, Chris Clark, and defenseman Milan Jurcina for veteran two-way power forward Jason Chimera.

The trade may have been hard on the locker room, but it was certainly no reason for the team to hit the bottle and wash away a couple of opportunities to earn points on their rivals in the standings.

Nonetheless, the Caps can’t erase their recent past, but with a brand new year upon is, it’s as good a time as any to make a resolution to be apart of every game they play. No more nights off. If this team wants a Stanley Cup that everyone thinks they are oh-so capable of winning, they are going to have to take it upon themselves and not leave up to their reputation to get them through to the promised land. There is a lot of hard work left and if there is anything that the trade of Chris Clark will prove to the members of the Washington Capitals it’s that this team is willing to make whatever moves necessary to give this team a better shot at the Cup. Your job is only safe so long as you play up to your expected standards, once you slip below an acceptable level, management will seek to find an upgrade. A warning, a message, whatever you want to call it, it’s clear that Clark’s trade is a signal that this team is ready to move forward with a new generation of players leading the way and that they are hell-bent on becoming strong enough to fight all the way until the end of June for the Stanley Cup.

Captain, my Captain

So you might be wondering who will be the next captain of the Washington Capitals?

The logical choice would be to simply hand it over to the Face of the NHL, Alex Ovechkin, yet is it really necessary to lump more pressure on this Russian phenom’s shoulders?

Nicklas Lidstrom became the first player to captain a team to a Stanley Cup who was not from the US or Canada.

If the Caps are on their way to raising a Cup, it would certainly be a nice vision to behold the GR8 Eight hoisting the Stanley Cup for the fans at the Verizon Center with “C” elegantly emblazoned on his chest.

But is he ready for that much more of a challenge?

In my opinion, the Capitals may be better served by either rotating the C around the room or to go with 3 alternates for the time being.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the Capitals may hold off on naming a permanent captain in the near future as there is a chance that they could be trading for someone who would be best suited to wear the C.

It would make sense if the Caps did acquire someone with veteran leadership and who is known as a leader to step in and handle the role of Captain for the remainder of the year.

Of course a trade would have to take place first for that to happen, but let’s not rule that out just yet.

The Caps have many options when it comes to selecting a leader for the future and Ovechkin is at the top of that list for many reasons, but there are others on the team who would be well suited to leading this team. And so, because this is not an easy decision to come upon, I am certain that the team and coaching staff will wait to see what management decides to do before the deadline. Unless the players decide upon a future leader in the near future, expect the team to make the captaincy a non-issue as they re-focus on their game.

Quick question, just for fun: Would Mike Green have made Team Canada if Scott Neidermayer was a Washington Capital? Would being partnered with another Team Canada candidate have helped his cause(a la Keith & Seabrook)?

Caps @ Kings

The Capitals will usher in the New Year with an Olympic oriented matchup versus the LA Kings in sunny Los Angeles this afternoon. Not a bad way to ring in the New Year, considering most of us on the lovely snow-laden East Coast won’t be seeing a palm tree anytime soon!

Anyways, there are two factors in this afternoon’s matchup with the Kings that will help determine how the Capitals perform.

1. Their recent play has been a sign of mental fatigue and with the shock of a trade mixed in there, it seems that the team has been shell-shocked as of late. Hoping that the extra Vitamin C the team is soaking in on the West Coast will help, Washington is in need of rejuvenated play. Granted the team hasn’t really been terrible on too many nights this season, but the reality is that two consecutive poor performances is unacceptable and if this team is aspiring to greatness, they will need better consecutive performances. No matter the circumstance.

2. Olympic Love & Hate. Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, Fleischmann, Varlamov and the recently departed Milan Jurcina were all selected to their respective Olympic Teams while the Kings saw youngsters Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Jack Johnson, Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick land gigs with their respective countries. These players will all be riding highs tonight as it will be the first Olympic Games for most of them and will ignite a sense of confidence that will likely build in each and every one of these players over the next 6 weeks leading up to the Games. Countering all of the brimming happiness and confidence that all of the recently selected Olympians will be enjoying, each team has similarly disappointed members who were snubbed from being chosen for the Olympics. The most notable snub of all is that of Washington’s Mike Green. Greener has done everything he can to make himself the best possible candidate for Team Canada, yet somehow finds himself on the outside looking in. All I have to say is that every other country involved in the Men’s Ice Hockey competition in Vancouver would DIE to have him on their roster. ‘Nuff said. Also snubbed were the Kings one-time locks, former captain Canada, Ryan Smyth, and Russian sniper Alex Frolov, both of whom were neglected when it came to selecting the Canadian and Russian rosters. As happy as those who were chosen for the Games are, those were snubbed will have to dig even deeper to prove everyone wrong and to elevate their play. It will be the only way, otherwise the expected drop in confidence, and then performance, can only be expected. It will be up to their respective team-mates and coaches to keep these players on their game and to remind them that the Stanley Cup is their goal and not to let anything dissuade them.

Although I could get into an ever further and deeper review of this afternoon’s tilt between these two exciting and young squads, the game is less than 3 hours away, so I will leave you with this; these are two extremely talented and speedy clubs who are raring to prove their worth. The Caps have rocketed themselves to the top of the pack of contenders while the Kings are just starting to make noise. Both teams play a puck moving style of hockey and rely on special teams to provide the advantage, so it should be interesting to see who remains the more disciplined squad.

Alex Ovechkin and company need to step up and remind the Kings that they aren’t quite where these Capitals are today, but if they do not remind themselves to focus and play a hard game, this dynamic and exciting Los Angeles team will be ever too happy to steal two points from the Capitals and to hand them their 3rd consecutive loss.

I expect it to be a battle between Jose Theodore and Jon Quick.

Here are tonight’s probable lineups;

Washington Capitals

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin
Fleischmann-Morrison-Bradley

Chimera-Laich-Knuble
Laing-/GordonSteckel-Fehr

Schultz-Green
Morrisonn-Poti
Erskine-Alzner

Theodore

Neuvirth

LA Kings

Smyth-Kopitar-Brown

Frolov-Handzus-Segal

Parse-Richardson-Simmonds

Purcell-Moller-Harrold

Scuderi-Doughty

Johnson-O’Donnell

Greene-Drewiske

Quick

Ersberg

For more on tonight’s game, including more analysis as well as Game Notes and starters, click here to view the original as posted on Hockeybuzz.com.

Puck drop is @ 4pm EST, DON’T FORGET!

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Go Caps!!!!!

Forwards

Patrice Bergeron, L’Ancienne-Lorette, Que. (Boston Bruins)
Sidney Crosby, Cole Harbour, N.S. (Pittsburgh Penguins) Alternate captain
Ryan Getzlaf, Regina, Sask. (Anaheim Ducks)
Dany Heatley, Calgary, Alta. (San Jose Sharks)
Jarome Iginla, St. Albert, Alta. (Calgary Flames) Alternate captain
Patrick Marleau, Aneroid Sask. (San Jose Sharks)
Brenden Morrow, Carlyle, Sask. (Dallas Stars)
Rick Nash, Brampton, Ont. (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Mike Richards, Kenora, Ont. (Philadelphia Flyers)
Corey Perry, Peterborough, Ont. (Anaheim Ducks)
Eric Staal, Thunder Bay, Ont. (Carolina Hurricanes)
Joe Thornton, St. Thomas, Ont. (San Jose Sharks)
Jonathan Toews, Winnipeg, Man. (Chicago Blackhawks)

Defence

Dan Boyle, Ottawa, Ont. (San Jose Sharks)
Drew Doughty, Ottawa, Ont. (LA Kings)
Duncan Keith, Penticton, B.C. (Chicago Blackhawks)
Scott Niedermayer, Cranbrook, B.C. (Anaheim Ducks) – Captain
Chris Pronger, Dryden, Ont. (Philadelphia Flyers) – Alternate captain
Brent Seabrook, Tsawwassen, B.C. (Chicago Blackhawks)
Shea Weber, Sicamous, B.C. (Nashville Predators)

Goalies

Roberto Luongo, Montreal, Que. (Vancouver Canucks)
Martin Brodeur, Montreal, Que. (New Jersey Devils)
Marc-Andre Fleury, Sorel, Que. (Pittsburgh Penguins)

- official roster posted HERE

While there were a few surprises when Steve Yzerman announced Team Canada’s 2010 entry into the Vancouver Olympics yesterday, the reality was that every single player selected to the roster was a viable candidate to represent Canada and while we can squabble over who was left off of the team, there’s no turning back now so we might as well get used to this lineup over the next 6 weeks as we get ready for the most anticipated Winter Games in history.

The deliberations were long and thought out and the group of men in charge of creating a winning team did their best to bring us, what they think, will be the best Hockey team in the world. Amen to that.

Canada is the money tree when it comes to hockey players and, although we lay claim to many records and winning teams, Canada always wins due to the strong work ethic that is instilled in young Canuck hockey players at the age of 3. Every single member of this Team Canada squad would hands down make any other roster submitted for the upcoming Olympic competition.

The reality is that Canada could very well have two elite squads participating in the Olympics. But that’s not how it works.

But if it did, this is how Pierre Lebrun of ESPN would have chosen Team Canada’s “B” Squad:

Forwards

Brad Richards
Ryan Smyth
Marc Savard
Vincent Lecavalier
Jeff Carter
Mike Cammalleri
Steven Stamkos
Martin St. Louis
Derek Roy
Jordan Staal
Dustin Penner
Mike Fisher
Patrick Sharp

Defensemen

Jay Bouwmeester
Mike Green
Dion Phaneuf
Stephane Robidas
Robyn Regehr
Dan Hamhuis
Francois Beauchemin

Goaltending

Cam Ward
Marty Turco
Carey Price

- For more of Pierre’s breakdown of Canada’s “Shadow Squad”, click here.

As interesting as it would be to see Mr. Lebrun’s team participate in the Games in Vancouver, that is obviously not a possibility.

What is certain is that with little to no practice time available for Team Canada, it is going to be up to the coaches and management to decipher which combinations will yield the greatest results.

So, with that in mind, let’s play the job of Mike Babcock and Steve Yzerman.

Below are my line combo’s as well as special team units, feel free to counter my lineup with one of your own.

Line 1:

Nash-Crosby-Iginla

- Crosby and Iginla…just seems right. Adding Rick Nash to Sid’s other wing could make this the most ferocious line in the tournament.

Line 2:

Staal-Getzlaf-Perry

- Eric Staal is a center, but he is also a left-handed shot and will provide an incredible compliment to one of the most solid duo’s in the NHL since the lockout. Staal will also compliment Getzlaf as a backup option at center, shoring up the line’s ability to win key face-offs. Oh yeah, and there’s all that offense…although Eric has had a slow start with a rocky Hurricanes team, his play of late has been nothing short of Olympian and it was clear to see why Stevie Y & co. chose the Thunder Bay native.

Line 3:

Marleau-Thornton-Heatley

- Yes, yes. This could very well be your first line, second line or the absolute best line in the tournament. They are, after all, the best line in the NHL this season. The versatility of this line will be in its ability to set the tone for Team Canada as well as provide them with 3 legitimate lines that could double as some of the strongest power play units ever assembled. Place this line wherever you want, the reality is that this is one combo that the coaches won’t have to worry about when it comes to chemistry.

Line 4:

Morrow-Richards-Bergeron/Toews

- Your ultimate checking line. Morrow is a solid two-way forward and may be the grittiest player on Team Canada. He will guide the trio of youngsters in Richards, Bergeron and Toews as they will combine to make Team Canada’s 4th line. With 3 centers on this line, it is plain to see that management focused on bringing in capable defensive minded forwards who can win key draws. Canada will not make the mistake of leaving their team vulnerable on the draw, so this 4th line will provide Coach Babcock with a tremendous arsenal of centermen.

Defense

1st Pairing:

Pronger-Boyle

- I personally would have loved to have seen a pairing of Pronger and Mike Green, but since Boyle proved the better offensive candidate to compliment Pronger(mainly because of his defensive awareness), it will be Danny boy skating with the nastiest defenseman in all of the tournament. The dynamic of the hard-hitting Pronger and smooth skating Boyle will force opponents to second guess their approach into Canada’s zone and will also force the opposition’s D-men to stay on their toes due to both Pronger and Boyle’s incredible ability to make brilliant stretch passes.

2nd Pairing:

Weber-Niedermayer

- Again, 1st or 2nd pairing, this combination of Shea Weber and Canada’s captain only makes sense. Weber is a younger version of Chris Pronger and given Chris and Scotty’s former chemistry with the Ducks, it’s a safe bet that if Neidermayer and Pronger do not end up as a regular combo that it will be Scott playing with Shea. Weber is an explosive hitter who possesses an incredible shot. Neidermayer, of course, is the ultimate defenseman, capable of performing every on-ice task that could be demanded from a premiere defender. Avoiding pairing Pronger and Neids together for awhile will help Canada have better balanced and quicker defensive pairings.

3rd Pairing:

Seabrook-Keith

- Although many people suggest that Seabrook got to ride Duncan Keith’s coat-tails onto Team Canada’s blue line, the truth is that the Tsawwasen, B.C. native is exactly what Babcock is looking for in a stable but dynamic 3rd pairing. Seabrook may lack in a few areas, but that can be made up by inserting Drew Doughty into the lineup occasionally.

Alternate:

Doughty

- Drew is the youngest member of Team Canada, but plays like a veteran. He, along with Patrice Bergeron and Jonathan Toews will not necessarily be regular fixtures in Team Canada’s lineup in February, but they will play their fair share and will be relied upon to provide their team-mates with excellent play when they do get their shot. Doughty is phenomenal shooter and one of the most defensively aware D-men in the NHL. The scary part is that this is only Doughty’s second year as a Pro and yet, his play has not suffered one iota from a “sophomore slump”, but rather only improved. His selection basically to this team basically denotes how much the play of guys like Jay Bouwmeester and Dion Phaneuf has fallen off in the last 2 seasons. Both are still tremendously capable and would have made fine additions to Canada’s roster, but not compared to Doughty. Drew is likely being groomed to take on a “Scotty Neidermayer-like” role in the future for Team Canada which also makes his selection a logical move. He will learn and mature in leaps and bounds this February so LA Kings should be very grateful for what Steve Yzerman has done for their hope for the future!

Power Play:

Unit 1:

Nash-Getzlaf-Heatley

Pronger-Neidermayer

- This trio has been a lightning rod for success for Team Canada in the World Championships in the past and should/will scare the hell out of the opposition.

- As for your top PP duo, the logical choice would be to play it safe and go with the greatest chemistry offensive chemistry on your blue line.

Unit 2:

Staal-Crosby-Perry

Keith-Boyle

- Smooth skating and quick, this power play unit is chalked full of slick passing and sniper shooting. Many people may suggest that Corey Perry isn’t much of a sniper, but I beg to differ. Pairing Crosby with Perry will confuse opposing coaches as this unit will not be able to contained through physical play. Eric Staal is a sniper and a play-maker and would be the ultimate ‘front of the net’ player. Using his size and hands, Staal is magical in close and blocks a lot of the goaltender’s view. With Keith and Boyle manning the points, I expect the tic-tac-toes to fly.

Unit 3:

Marleau-Thornton-Iginla

Doughty-Weber

- Marleau and Thornton have a strong connection on the power play and Jarome Iginla is the most dominant power-forward on the roster. Capitalizing on Thornton’s incredible passing and Marleau’s pin point accuracy, it only makes sense to have someone like Jarome Iginla manning the high slot or causing absolute havoc in the crease. Doughty and Weber may be a bit ‘green’ for an Olympic power-play unit, but Weber is a rock on defense and Doughty’s blasts from the point make him an obvious candidate to see some power play time.

Ok, so the I mixed and matched a lot of the top lines to create some new(and old) PP combinations. One thing I tried to do was to stay away from repeating the same combinations as the regular lines. In order for Canada to keep their opposition on their toes at all times, I feel that it would only make sense to move players around based on their specialties.

Of course it is easy to start with this types of combinations because with so many dynamic pairings on the team already, the coaches can always revert back to the safety of some predetermined power play units. For example, playing the Marleau-Thornton-Heatley trio together would make tons of sense, if it didn’t already make a lot of sense to use them together as a regular line combination.

The same can be said for keeping Perry and Getzlaf together as well as using Nash-Crosby-Iginla as a power play unit, but, in the end, if my proposed mixed power play units didn’t work, they could always revert to that.

As for the D pairings, I feel that it would be wise to use Neidermayer and Pronger together on the top unit. They have the chemistry, leadership and responsibility to handle the load of playing on the top PP unit. Team Canada also boasts a secret weapon in terms of chemistry if they want to pair Getzlaf and Perry together with Neidermayer and Pronger as they won a Stanley Cup together.

Boyle and Keith offer a near complete contrast of what Pronger and Neidermayer bring to the table as they are all about puck control and management. Both are adept stick-handlers who boast a bag full of tricks. Both are spectacularly quick on their feet and can win almost any foot-race you could think of. They are accurate shooters, but most of all, they have incredible vision on the power play and will compliment a Power Play General like Sidney Crosby, perfectly.

Finally, pairing Doughty and Weber together is a way of including these two into the offensive mix. As I mentioned, Doughty is an up and coming offensive juggernaut. He has the shooting and passing instinct to make him a dangerous addition to a power play unit while Weber’s shot is even more powerful and frightening than Doughty’s. Both play large and do a great job of stepping up at their own line to shut a play down, something that is very condusive to helping the Team capitalize on turn-overs and their ability to create odd-man rushes.

Penalty Kill

Unit 1:

Morrow-Richards

Pronger-Neidermayer

- Morrow and Richards are perhaps the two best shutdown-power forwards in the game and will create an incredibly antagonistic combination. Richards and Pronger have chemistry playing in Philly together, while Neidermayer is just as impressive on the penalty kill as he is on the power play.

Unit 2:

Crosby-Bergeron

Keith-Seabrook

- Yes, Sidney is all about the offense, but he and Bergeron share a chemistry from back in their days of Gold Medals with Canada’s World Junior squad. Bergeron is a fierce defender and excellent face-off man so by playing two centermen together who boast prior chemistry simply shores up the PK. Keith and Seabrook share chemistry from their time in Chicago and, although Seabrook doesn’t necessarily figure into the power play plans, he will be key in helping keep the puck out of Canada’s net when they are down a man.

Unit 3:

Staal-Toews

Neidermayer-Weber

- These three youngsters all boast excellent defensive skills, so it would not surprise me to see Babcock give them the occasional chance to kill off penalties together under the careful watch of Team Canada captain Scott Neidermayer.

Expecting chemistry on the penalty kill is always the hardest thing to do as a coach and it always takes a fair bit of time to put together succinct units that can be relied upon, but with so much defensive aggression in the bottom half of the lineup, Canada will likely have no problem mixing and matching combinations as the tournament progresses.

Oh yeah! My goaltenders rank in this order:

1. Brodeur
2. Luongo
3. Fleury

That’s it.

Those are my proposed line combinations for Team Canada as we bid adieu to 2009.

Of course, many things can change between now and mid-February, so we will re-visit this issue as we sit and watch these recently named members of Team Canada battle it out in the NHL.

Have at it folks!

Create your Team Canada combo’s and we’ll see who makes the right call.

Have a very Happy New Year everyone! Be safe and enjoy yourselves.

I will be back with full Capitals coverage over the next couple of days. There is beyond plenty to talk about so we will be sure to dig deep into a bunch of issues that have reared their head over the last 2 weeks.

This article was originally posted on Hockeybuzz.com and can be found HERE.

Go Canada!!!!!
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Chris Clark was absolutely confounded when confronted with the reality that he is now a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets. I am sure that Milan Jurcina being traded came as less of a surprise to the young defender.

In return for the two able-bodied Capital regulars, Washington will receive power-defensive forward, Jason Chimera. Chimera, who has 17 points in 37 games this season, will bring a younger, quicker version of Clark and will compliment David Steckel as one of the league’s premiere shutdown forwards.

Also, following George McPhee’s logical signing of Alex Semin to a one-year contract extension and this trade, one would have to conclude that McPhee is setting the table for an imminent Nicklas Backstrom long-term deal as well as clearing cap-space to ensure the ability to pursue a quality veteran blueliner to bolster Washington for their playoff run.

What must also be considered is the fact that this 2 for 1 deal also liberates the Capitals of one professional contract, creating further room and maneuverability for McPhee in the near future.

Clark has a remaining cap hit of $1,432,642.00 for this season.

Jurcina has a remaining cap hit of $748,057.00 for this season.

That is $2,180,699.00 out the door.

Jason Chimera has a remaining cap hit of $$1,020,078.00.

That is a salary cap savings of $1,160,621.00.

Add that to the recently removed contact of Michael Nylander, which removed $3,031,088.00 from the Capitals 2009-10 cap hit and the Caps now have earned themselves a whopping $4,055,166.00 in the last 3 weeks.

Subtract player bonuses and buyouts and, according to Capgeek.com, the Washington Capitals currently have a pro-rated $4,269,670.00(They have yet to include today’s deal, but I have calculated the adjustments).

Obviously George McPhee realized the danger in signing both Backstrom and Semin to long-term contracts and by getting Alex to extend for 1 year, with a nice little $1 million raise, the Caps can now lock down Backstrom as well as pursue one or two big name players at the deadline.

The Capitals are already one of, if not the most, dangerous team in the NHL. By moving out Jurcina and Clark, the Caps will have gotten younger and lighter. Washington now has room and maneuverability to make sure that players like Karl Alzner now have a rightful full-time spot on the team. It also frees up room to call up other young players like John Carlson.

Chimera brings speed and experience to the Capitals as well toughens them up a bit for games against some of the more physical clubs in the NHL.

Capitals Acquire Jason Chimera from Columbus for Chris Clark, Milan JurcinaARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have acquired left wing Jason Chimera from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for right wing Chris Clark and defenseman Milan Jurcina, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Chimera (chih-MAIR-uh), 30, is an 11-year pro who has played 461 NHL games between Columbus and Edmonton. He has recorded eight goals and nine assists (17 points) while playing all 39 games this season. A 6’2”, 216-pound left-hand shot, he stood tied for sixth on the Blue Jackets in goals and tied for eighth in points.

In his career Chimera has scored at least 14 goals four times, posted at least 30 points three times and topped 90 penalty minutes three times. He has played all but 36 games since the start of the 2005-06 season. A native of Edmonton, Alberta, he was drafted by the Oilers in the fifth round of the 1997 NHL Draft and joined the Blue Jackets via trade from Phoenix (which held his rights during the 2004-05 work stoppage). He will wear No. 25 in Washington, as he did in Columbus.

Clark, 33, was in his fifth year with the Capitals, his fourth as team captain. He totaled 60 goals and 63 assists (123 points) in 240 games with Washington. Jurcina, 26, played four seasons with the Capitals and had six goals and 30 assists (36 points) in 211 games.

Original Post can be found HERE.

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Merry Christmas Hab Fans, Your King Has Returned!

Tempted by the Hockey Gods to have given up all hope and faith in a team that has seen more struggles than success this season, fans of the Montreal Canadiens have been lilting towards insanity as their beloved Habs continued to cause heart-ache on a regular basis.

That all changed last night.

Hab hearts world-wide fluttered with anticipation as word spread only hours before Montreal was to depart from the snow-globe that has become the greater New York area, especially Long Island, that Andrei Markov was going to be making a surprise and earlier than anticipated return to action on Saturday, at least a month ahead of schedule.

A Christmas Miracle! Or a Festivus Miracle as my friend EE likes to say. 

Markov’s return immediately rekindled the Holiday spirit across Habs Nation and the Montreal Canadiens breathed a communal sigh of relief.

Andrei’s return immediately changes the dynamic of what has been a struggling-at-best Montreal Canadiens club thus far this season. Montreal has shown moments of brilliance, but not often enough to classify them as a dangerous opponent. With Markov manning the point, guarding the Habs blue line and commanding the Canadiens power play, Montreal instantly becomes a new team.

This is now a team that no one is prepared to face.

Considering all of the changes and injuries the Habs have endured since July 1^st until today, I highly doubt there is a legitimate game-plan when it comes to facing the Habs. It’s one thing to prepare to play Montreal when they are an injury depleted squad, but with the addition of Andrei Markov to the roster, the Habs become an entirely different beast.

• Markov instantly adds 5 shots for per game.
• Markov’s presence will decrease the shots against per game by at least 4 per game.
• Markov will skate anywhere between 24 and 30 minutes and relieve the pressure on, what will now be considered, a very deep blue line.
• Markov’s return will allow players like Roman Hamrlik and Jaro Spacek to feel less pressure and play less minutes, in return making them much more effective.
• Markov’s return will take a Canadiens power play, that was ranked 12^th heading into the game, into the top 10 – if not, eventually the top 5.
• Markov’s return will better the Habs PK% by at least 1.5 to 2 % points, which will vault them from 8^th spot, into the top 5.
• Markov’s return will allow Jacques Martin to finally use a player like Marc Andre Bergeron to the Canadiens advantage as a power play specialist. Bergeron has been a great plus to the Habs offense from the blue line and will continue to thrive on the power play paired with Markov, much like Mark Streit during his days with the Habs.
• Finally, Andrei Markov’s return will allow the Montreal Canadiens as a whole to take their collective team game to all new heights.

As I mentioned earlier, no one really knew what to expect from the Habs entering this Centennial transitioning year. A completely remade squad mixed with UFA’s and drafted players, the Canadiens management themselves weren’t sure what to expect.

What we have gotten has been an erratic pattern of both possible extremes.

Montreal can play like one of the best teams in the NHL at times, yet for the most part have struggled to find chemistry and develop under new head coach Jacques Martin’s on-ice systems.

The team is coming around though and a major reason why the Habs will enjoy any success this season will be thanks to Andrei Markov’s timely and miraculous Christmas return.

He may be too shy to be captain of these Montreal Canadiens, but there is no doubt in my mind that he is the King.

All hail the return of the great #79 and may the Montreal Canadiens thrive under his on-ice leadership!

Welcome Back Andrei!

Click here to view the embedded video.

With Markov’s return, the Canadiens will now be faced with the fact that they have a surplus of NHL defensemen.

Including Andrei, the Habs now have Gill, Gorges, Hamrlik, Spacek, Mara, Bergeron, and Ryan O’Byrne.

Martin will obviously use MAB on the 4^th line occasionally, but with Brian Gionta and Benoit Pouliot nearing returns, Montreal’s head coach is going to have some tough decisions to make.

Is it possible that any of Mara, O’Byrne of Bergeron could be on the trading block?

I would think that if the Habs are indeed serious about moving Jaroslav Halak, whose value rose once again last night with his 40 save shutout over the Islanders, then Bob Gainey would likely be interested in including one of his depth defenders to clear room on the blue line.

One thing that is always key is for the players on a team to identify their role and sometimes, when there are too many cooks in the kitchen as they say, it becomes difficult for guys to figure that out.

For example, Ryan O’Byrne is young a developing and the Habs would be hard pressed to let him go if they weren’t receiving a decent return for him. MAB, on the other hand, has proven to be a defensive liability at times but has earned value as a point producer on the Power Play. 

It’s tough to decide if the Habs could part with either of those D-men, but the fact that Montreal has 8 NHL D-men, once Hamrlik returns from his knee injury, is likely weighing on Bob Gainey’s mind. Especially considering the fact that they Montreal Canadiens are undoubtedly looking for a top 6 forward.

Questions, questions, questions. Oh, the tough choices to make.

At least one thing is certain, a healthy Andrei Markov makes all of these decisions a whole lot easier for Montreal’s former #23.

His performance last night was a signal to the NHL, and to the Habs management and new ownership, that all is not lost in the Montreal. Andrei Markov will make sure to help these Habs salvage this season, if not make it count.

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Go Habs!!!!!

The Montreal Canadiens are about to get a gigantic boost in the form of an early Christmas present on Saturday evening when the best player in a Montreal Canadiens uniform over the last 5 years, Andrei Markov, makes his return to the ice.

Markov, who has been out since the very first game of the season due to sliced tendons in his right ankle, has been skating for about the last 3 weeks and has made an absolutely incredible comeback considering when he sustained the injury, reports were calling for him to miss upwards of 4 months, if not be out through the Olympic break.

Well, Team Russia and the Montreal Canadiens can breathe a sigh of relief as the big #79 has made a miraculous and speedy recovery. One that is actually well over a month ahead of schedule.

Will this be enough for the Montreal Canadiens to pull themselves out of the basement of the NHL?

Tough question, but the fact that the Habs will have Markov’s body back on the blue line has instantly improved this team tenfold.

There are lots of other questions surrounding the Canadiens, such as when will Gionta return? When will Pouliot make his debut? How hurt is Roman Hamrlik? How banged up is Jaro Spacek? When will the Habs trade Halak?

Interestingly enough, with the return of Markov to the Habs lineup this upcoming Saturday against the Islanders, most of those other questions and worries begin to fade away. Andrei’s presence is beyond under-rated. Markov is a perennial Norris candidate, regardless of what the blind judges care to see.

Whatever happens moving forward, at least Canadiens fans can breathe a sigh of relief and revel in the fact that the Canadiens will become a much better team as of this Saturday.

As for the rest of those issues…well, my colleauges here @HockeyIndie have done a great job of making sure you all know what is up with the Canadiens, so make sure that you read up on what Fred Poulin and George Prax have to say as well.

I will be back with much, much more, including a very sensitive question that none too many people are willing to answer!

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Go Habs!!!!!!

Capitals goaltending coach had distinguished international career

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Washington Capitals goaltending coach Arturs Irbe – perhaps the most famous Latvian-born ice hockey player of all time – has been selected as a member of the class of 2010 for the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Fame, the Federation announced today. The Class of 2010 will be honored as part of the festivities at the 74th IIHF World Championship, to be held in Cologne, Germany, from May 7-23, 2010. The induction ceremony will take place on May 21.

 

Irbe’s distinguished international career began as a teenager at the 1985 IIHF European Junior Championship. He was named the tournament’s top goaltender, leading a Soviet Union squad that won the silver medal. Not long after, Irbe burst onto the professional stage with Dinamo Riga in the then-Soviet national league, winning Rookie-of-the-Year honors.

 

While Irbe starred for Dinamo Riga for four full seasons, he also played in two consecutive IIHF World and European Championships for the gold-medal-winning Soviet Union – claiming the IIHF Directorate Award for Top Goaltender during the 1990 event. In 1991, when Latvia achieved its long sought-after independence, Irbe began what would become a stellar 12-year NHL career. He appeared in two NHL All-Star contests and backstopped his Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2002.

 

Irbe dressed for his native Latvia in eight more IIHF World Championships and two Olympic Winter Games, including the 2006 competition when he was selected Latvia’s flag-bearer for the opening ceremonies.

 

Joining Irbe in the IIHF Hall of Fame class of 2010, as chosen by the IIHF Hall of Fame committee, are Dieter Hegen (Germany), Vladimir Krutov (Russia) and Riikka Niemenin (Finland) in the players’ category. Rickard Fagerlund (Sweden) will be inducted in the builders’ category and Lou Vairo (U.S.) earned the Paul Loicq Award for outstanding contributions to international hockey.

 

The IIHF Hall of Fame, which was introduced in 1997, now boasts 160 hockey greats from 22 countries.

 

 

 

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Go Caps!!!!!

The Caps ended their second 6 game winning streak of the season against the Sabres on Wednesday and will be looking to begin a winning streak anew against divisional foes, the Carolina Hurricanes.

Washington, entering tonight’s game at the Verizon Center as the top ranked club in the NHL, have cruised through the first 30 games of the season without much difficulty despite enduring an endless run to the infirmary. In keeping with that trend, the Caps will welcome back Mike Knuble to the lineup tonight after a month long absence due to a broken finger. Knuble’s presence will further insulate what is already the most potent offense in the NHL and will give the Caps that big body presence in front of the opposition’s net since Knuble went down with his injury. Also returning to the lineup will be Mathieu Perreault, Milan Jurcina, and (likely) brand new papa, Matt Bradley.

The Hurricanes have also welcomed back a big part of their franchise as Cam Ward returned to the Carolina net against the Devils on Wednesday. Ward, who has basically missed the last five weeks with a laceration to his leg will finally provide the Canes with a stable presence on the back-end and, very likely, a renewed sense of confidence.

That said, the Canes are currently the worst team in the NHL, boasting a mere 19 points and are 8 points behind the 29th ranked team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Washington will bring an astounding, and league-leading, 111 goals in 31 games to the ice tonight, while the Hurricanes arrive in DC with the second-worst goals for total with only 72 goals scored in 30 games. The Hurricanes have also allowed the second most goals against so far this year, having allowed 109 goals against. Cam Ward’s return should likely help stem the amount of goals the Carolina has let in, but with so many injuries(Cole, Samsanov, Corvo, Larose and Wallin), the ‘Canes will be hard-pressed against a fully loaded Capitals offense tonight.

Speaking of the fully-loaded offense, Washington now has 8 top six forwards in the lineup and Bruce Boudreau will be in tough to give everyone the ice-time they all want, but with so many dangerous weapons in the lineup, the Caps should have no problem throwing wave after wave of offense at the ‘Canes.

Brian Pothier is out of the lineup tonight with a rib injury so Milan Jurcina will skate in his place.

Mathieu Perreault will also return after sitting out due to food poisoning.

Semyon Varlamov is now on the IR and will not return until, most likely, the end of the Caps upcoming road trip. In the meantime, Jose Theodore will start tonight, so expect Michal Neuvirth to get another shot in nets tomorrow night when the Caps head off to Toronto to face the Leafs.

With a perfect record of 7-0-0 against the Southeast Division, Washington will want to keep up their perfect pace and make up for their weak performance against the Sabres. Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin have been on and off since their respective returns from injury, but with more diversions in the lineup, expect these two to start piling up the points.

Finally, one thing to keep an eye on tonight will be how Hurricanes defenseman Tim Gleason and Alex Ovechkin play against one another. The last time these two teams met, Ovechkin ended up with a 2 game suspension for kneeing Gleason and a media circus of focus then ensued as OV was bombarded with questions of whether he would change his style of play or not. Obviously Ovechkin isn’t switching up his style for anyone, so expect OV to leave everything on the ice tonight against Gleason and the Hurricanes. I wouldn’t count on there being any fireworks, but, for what it’s worth, it’s definitely something to keep an eye on.

Game Notes

Welcome back Mike – Forward Mike Knuble is expected to return to the Washington lineup tonight after missing the last 12 games with a broken finger. Knuble has five goals and 10 assists in 19 games this season and was in a groove before his injury. In his last four games before the injury he had two goals and four assists. If he plays tonight, Knuble will add a big body to an already potent offense. The Caps lead the NHL in goals (111) and power play (24.2%).

Southeastern breeze –The Capitals enter tonight’s game with a 7-0-0 record against the Southeast Division, the only team in the NHL with a perfect divisional record. Washington only plays two Southeast Division games between now and Jan. 9 – both at home against Carolina.
 

Odd man out –Wednesday night’s shutout loss to Buffalo, in Washington’s 31st game, was the first time the Capitals have been shut out this season and the first time they did not have a lead at some point in a game. It was just the third time they trailed after the first period and the first of those three games that they did not come back to win.

 Top of the world –The Capitals enter Friday’s game with an NHL-leading 44 points through 31 games, just the second time they have led the NHL standings this late in a season (also 1991-92). They posted their best record through 30 games in franchise history and lead the league in goals (108), power play (24.2%) and fewest regulation losses (6).

 Roll halted –Washington had a six-game winning streak snapped Wednesday night, its second such streak of the season. The Capitals are the only team in the NHL with two winning streaks of six games or more this season. The Capitals have had a seven-game winning streak in each of Bruce Boudreau’s first two seasons behind the bench.

 Kill joy –Washington ranks just 20th in the NHL on the penalty kill (79.2%) but the Capitals have been solid while shorthanded at home. They have the third-best home penalty kill (86.5%) and have killed off 16-of-18 shorthanded situations (88.9%) in the last six home games. In their last five games overall the Caps have killed off 17-of-19 shorthanded situations (89.5%).
Strangers in a strange land –Friday night marks Washington’s only home game in an eight-game, 19-day span. Washington is 9-2-3 at home, 10-4-3 on the road. Once the Capitals return from next week’s Western Conference road trip they will play 12 of their next 19 games at home.

 

For more on tonight’s matchup, including lineups, click here.

Enjoy the game! Puck drop is @ 7pm.

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Go Caps!!!!!

With only minutes to spare, I briskly rushed down the wind-streaked corridor known as Dummond street, bee-lining it straight for the main entrance of the Bell Centre on the axis of Montreal Canadiens Boulevard(formerly de la Gauchetiere) and Drummond.

It was an automatic walk, something I have done hundreds of times over the last 13 years since the Canadiens moved from the incomparable Forum de Montreal into their industrialized mega-barn that is the now the Bell Centre, but it felt like a walk I had never taken before.

There was a spectacular presence of anticipation in the air as the crowds swarmed the main gate. Habs jerseys from every decade over the last 100 years could be seen popping in and out of the throngs of Montreal Canadiens fans. It was a glorious site.

The best part was the knowing look in all of my Bell Centre compatriots eyes. Everyone knew that whatever happened in the hockey game tonight, nothing would take away from the magic and history we were all about to witness.

My brother was late for the early ceremonies, stuck in work no less, so I called down my fellow Hab guru, Eric Engels from hockeybuzz.com, to come join me from the press box for a close up view of the ceremonies and a chance to enjoy it as a fan.

And enjoy it we did! Memories I won’t soon forget.

I have been fortunate enough to have seen over 500 Canadiens games over the last 20 years and have witnessed marvelous and incredible sites at the two homes of the Montreal Canadiens and, I have to say, last night’s ceremonies hit right to core of the Hab in me.

I witnessed and shared tears with Maurice Richard as the Canadiens faithful paid tribute to him and his career during the final closing ceremonies of the Forum.

I was there when we opened the doors and touched torch to the new ice of, what was then, the Molson Centre.

I stood and roared for the return of Canadiens legend Saku Koivu when he returned from defeating cancer. 

I have cheered many a jersey to the rafters and I have seen Canada Cup and World Cup games, but last night was something special.

The price of admission ballooned out of control with word of $5000 tickets floating around the city all day, but the reality was that, when all was said and done, it was worth every penny.

The Montreal Canadiens may get villified for drawn out ceremonies and for sometimes focusing too much on the past, but when you’ve got 100 years of glorious history and rank among the greatest sports franchises of alltime, take your time, soak it in and bask in the glow of 24 Stanley Cups, 768 pioneering players, hundreds of staff, scouts, coaches, managers, owners and, most of all, 100 years of success.

I applaud the Canadiens for their ability to create a one of a kind memory for any and all who witnessed and got to take part in the Centennial celebration.

For those who missed out, don’t fret!

After a quick search of youtube, I was pleasantly surprised to find an excellent compilation of last night’s ceremonies.

So, without further adieu, please sit back and enjoy these very special ceremonies!

Part 1

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 2

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 3

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 4

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 5

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 6

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 7

Click here to view the embedded video.

- All of the youtube videos were graciously provided to the world by BuffaloChoppers.

Oh ya, and there was a hockey game last night too!

Without going into too much detail, the current Habs did a magnificent job of paying homage to the many heroes and legends in the building last night as they man-handled the Bruins 5-1. Micheal Cammelleri’s hat-trick brought a flood of hats to the ice and a glorious ovation that simply wreaked of pure Habs enjoyment. Cammy couldn’t have helped himself as the camera focused in on him, post 3rd goal, catching the Canadiens sniper beaming with joy as he and his team-mates enjoyed their strongest game of the season. To top it all off, Carey Price turned in a 37 save performance with ease.

Kudos the Habs for their important win over the Bruins last night and to the Montreal Canadiens franchise for bringing millions of fans over the last century such great memories.

Here’s to another 100!

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Go Habs!!!!!

Injuries are one thing, but when your team just can’t find a way to buy a goal, literally, there is a problem.

Here’s how the Habs offense is stacking up against the rest of the NHL:

• - Goals For: 62 – 25th in the NHL
• - Goals per Game: 2.30 – 27th in the NHL
• - Shots per Game: 28.1 – 25th in the NHL
• - Power Play %: 17.1 – 24th in the NHL

Considering that the Canadiens spend $34 million dollars on their offense, that is a pretty poor return.

Obviously the Habs have had their fair share of injuries and that has severely affected their chemistry and offensive abilities, but with only Tomas Plekanec and Michael Cammalleri living up to expectations, that leaves a lot of money on table not contributing.

Scott Gomez has all but disappeared since his first 10 games, being hampered by a groin injury hasn’t helped, but the Habs need a lot more out of the 2-time Stanley Cup winner if they are going to justify taking on his contract.

Brian Gionta was an offensive lightning rod for the Habs and is being sorely missed at the moment. Perhaps the true, unofficial, captain of this new Canadiens squad, Gionta has been a sparkplug on the bench and in the room while helping out in more ways than one when on the ice. Gio is the spark that Gomez needs and it is clear to see how much Scotty misses him. With his broken foot on the mend, and a return slowly nearing, Habs fans can take solace in the fact that at least some form of offensive help is on its way.

Andrei Kostitsyn has been the bane of most Habs fans ire through the early part of this season as he has failed to come close to any of the expectations set before him. With a meagre 2 goals in 24 games, the former first rounder is starting to look juicier and juicier as trade bait. In his defense, he was playing some mildly inspired hockey in the 5 games prior to his current injury, but with his return expected on Thursday, and with his little brother Sergei back with the team(presumably to give Andrei some comfort and confidence), those grand expectations that befall the gifted scoring left winger are going to be right back at the forefront. Andrei needs to produce now, or he might face the same fate as recent former top Habs picks, Guillaume Latendresse(2nd rounder) and Kyle Chipchura(1st rounder).
Speaking of Sergei, now that he has returned to the team, he seems to be playing as if he has gotten the message. His demotion to Hamilton was not a quick stint but rather a prolonged immersion in refocusing the promising young play-maker. The younger Kostitsyn is going to be leaned on heavily as a spark for the team, especially in the absence of Gionta, but also to help his older brother regain his poise and passion for the game. Sergei may literally be the Montreal Canadiens make or break player. If he plays up to the expectation of his former linemates in Junior(Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner), the Habs could find renewed hope for the season.

The role players have more or less lived up to their expectations, primarily Travis Moen and Glen Metropolit, while Max Lapierre has been given a second chance in the wake of the Latendresse trade.

The rest of the forwards battling it out for roles on the team on a nightly basis have seemingly secured roles on the Canadiens. Tom Pyatt, the “throw-in” in the Higgins/Gomez trade has proven he can skate at the NHL level. Perhaps not so much as his Bulldog counterpart, Ryan White, but considering the fact that Bob Gainey has chosen to move Latendresse and Chipchura, both hopefuls for roles on the 3rd and 4th lines, while they were in town, one has to consider the fact that, perhaps, White and Pyatt forced Gainey’s hand in moving the other 2 forwards. Add recently recovered Matt D’Agostini and Greg Stewart to the mix, and that seems to be the group of youngsters that will spend the rest of the year helping the Habs out on the bottom two trios.

That pretty much leaves Habs power-forward prospect, Max Pacioretty, and newly acquired power-forward prospect, Benoit Pouliot.

Pacioretty and Pouliot are both former first rounders, with Pouliot being a former #4 overall pick, ironically selected one spot ahead of current Habs netminder, Carey Price.

Patches is slowly starting to come around under the grooming of head coach Jacques Martin and honestly seems to be making progress with each passing game. Many people have waffled over Pacioretty during his young career as a Hab, but considering the talent set he possesses and the sizeable frame he still has to grow into, it appears that it won’t be long until Pacioretty is ready to take on his projected role of a top six power forward. His progression and development coupled with Andrei Kostitsyn’s lack thereof since the beginning of the season, may prove to be the final nail in the coffin for Kostitsyn. That is, unless the pressure of Pacioretty stealing his spot combined with the recall of his brother Sergei, spurs him on to becoming the player he can be.

As for Benoit Pouliot, general manager Bob Gainey may have pulled off his greatest coup as GM of the Canadiens. Granted Pouliot arrives in Quebec as a troubled young man who had a rough go learning the ropes with the Wild in Minnesota, but if anyone would have told you at the draft in 2005 that, in 4 years time, as a Habs fan, you would have the #4 AND the #5 pick from the draft to build your team with, would you have believed them? If the Habs had gotten Price and Pouliot at the time of the draft, no one would have ever cared that they were only 4 slots away from landing the coveted top pick and Carey Price.

So why should it be any different now?

Well, the obvious answer is that both Price and Pouliot have struggled at various times in their careers, but both have the immense potential to great. And that is the challenge bestowed upon Montreal’s new head coach Jacques Martin.

A challenge that, quite frankly, was the specific reason for his hiring in Montreal.

Martin’s main goal is to turn the Habs into a winner, but his secondary purpose is to develop the perhaps, sometimes, maligned Montreal prospects into true-blood NHL’ers.

The Habs are in need of having their prospects live up to their potential because they have wagered a great deal of their future expenses on veteran offense and leadership.

With the removal of #84 and #28 from the Canadiens lineup, Montreal seems to be moving towards a larger move of some sort.

With approximately a little over $3.5 million dollars available against the salary cap, the Canadiens are in a place where they can make a major trade, should they choose to do so. But that is a question for another day.

For now, the Canadiens have to realize that their current production does not cut it and that the Habs are going to need a greater output from their forwards if they can expect to make it into the playoffs.

Montreal has the opportunity to be a completely different team by January, but with 16 games left in December, this make or break month, it might be too late by the team Andrei Markov makes a return.

In order to avoid that, the vets will need to return and start making a difference(Gomez, Gionta, AKost) and Jacques Martin will need to bring out the best in Benoit Pouliot, Max Pacioretty and Sergei Kostitsyn.

A lot will have to go right for the Habs to make the playoffs, but with new ownership finally in place and healthy players returning to the lineup every day, the Canadiens are going to have make their own luck and take advantage of their opportunities now.

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Go Habs!!!!!

Ovechkin Tossed for Boarding Patrick Kaleta

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OV Gets 5 and a Game, but is the hit suspension worthy?

It’s a tough call, but many people are calling for Ovechkin to finally receive some sort of disciplinary action from the NHL and Colin Campbell, yet I find it hard to believe that any action will be taken. The hit was tough, and hind-sight is always 20-20, but is it as bad as some of the other unpunished hits we have seen this season?

Ovechkin leaves his feet, barely, but just enough to exert the force needed to knock Kaleta’s poorly positioned body into the glass. It’s clear(from other angles) that Ovechkin actually hits Kaleta on his shoulder, but given the odd position the Sabres forward was in, it made for a much worse looking crash. The hit, which resulted in Kaleta slamming his face and body into the boards, leaving him with a bloodied nose, was immediately ruled a penalty, but, it appeared, only as a minor infraction, The refs threw OV into the box and gathered their heads together to make a final decision. I cannot help but wonder if the immediate replay which followed on the scoreboard played into any of the refs decisions, but after tossing OV into the box, the refs decided that, after their mini pow-wow, Ovechkin was gone. The penalty became a major for boarding including a game misconduct.

Was it the right call? I would have to say that they got it right in assessing OV with the 5 minute call, but I would have likely given him a double-minor for roughing. Call me old school, but I have seen alot of those kinds of physical plays from past highlight reels and I don’t think guys like Gordie Howe would disagree with me in saying, it’s just part of the game.

With all of the special attention being paid to head shots and dirty hits in today’s game, it’s as if the landscape of what is and what is not allowed has become but a blurry melange of rules and guidelines. With no definite structure set in place to govern what happens with these illegal hits and shots to the head, it’s become a sort of a trial by error process.

I agree that it is difficult to separate physical play with dirty play on certain occassions, but if there was a better mandate in place that with set punishments and fines, you would have to figure that the players would be persuaded into avoiding these types of incidents, primarily head shots, but also these awkward calls like the one regarding Ovechkin’s hit on Kaleta.

There is no fine line, but there needs to be. Until the league and players can agree on the consequences of these types of actions, the injuries will continue to pile up and the ambiguity between right and wrong will continue to grow.

I still think Ovechkin’s hit was wrong and that penalizing him was right, but as to whether it was as dirty as it seemed, I think Kaleta’s decisions on the play also helped in the result. If the Sabre forward had turned toward Ovechkin, which is apparently what Alex thought was going to happen, it wouldn’t have appeared so dirty. That said, had Kaleta’s body twisted in another way, we could be talking about far worse of an injury and a much more serious situation. Thankfully it did not end that way and in all likelihood the league will not hand down any punishment.

Apart from the likely no-decision from the NHL disciplinary committee, one issue still remains, that of cleaning up the game and siphoning out the head shots and the injuries that result from those plays.

If anything, some sort of measures need to be taken at the NHL level in order to clean up the game and set the right example for the young kids playing the game. Incidents like that which occured in the OHL last month are serious signs that the NHL is sending the message that these types of plays are ok. That’s not right and younger players shouldn’t be learning or thinking that this type of play is acceptable.

Hopefully the NHL and the Players Association can get on this issue and finally address it seriously. Until then, we all get to sit and wait, holding our breathe in anticipation of another scary situation.

*****************************************************

On another note, the Caps snapped their 3 game losing streak by beating the Buffalo Sabres 2-0 and helping Semyon Varlamov earn his first career NHL shutout.

Varly’s shutout was his 9th win of the season and the 13th of his young career. It should also be noted that Varlamov’s 1st shutout came before he had even played his 20th career regular season game. With a record of 13-1-4 in 19 NHL regular season starts, this kid is truly proving to be the Capitals franchise goalie of the future.

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Go Caps!!!!!

Following a grueling mini road trip to the play the Eastern Canadian teams which included 3 road games in 4 nights, the injury plagued Washington Capitals are back in DC, at home within the comforts of the Verizon Center to take on a Sabres club lost in a slump of their own.

The Caps are in need of snapping their current 3 game rut, but so are the Sabres as Buffalo waltzes into DC having lost consecutive games to Panthers, Bruins, and Senators while being outscored by a margin of 13-6.

While Buffalo was only able to grab 1 point in their last 3 games, the Caps have managed to snag 2 during that span.

Regardless of the struggles, the bottom line tonight is that someone is going to snap their losing streak.

Considering the Capitals are at home where they boast a record of 7-2-3, Washington should have the upper hand, but the Caps have had a brutal tendency of underestimating their opponents lately and Buffalo, which has a road record of 5-3-0, always plays the Caps hard.

In order to help the team out, the Capitals decided to return Andrew Gordon and John Carlson to the Hershey Bears and to finally make the long-awaited decision of bringing up Karl Alzner.

Here are the releases as per the Washington Capitals:

Capitals Assign John Carlson, Andrew Gordon to Hershey

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have assigned defenseman John Carlson and right wing Andrew Gordon to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.
Carlson, 19, is a first-year pro who played three games for Washington, including his NHL debut Friday against Montreak. The Natick, Mass., native has played 17 games for Hershey and has one goal, nine assists and zero penalty minutes. His 10 points lead all Hershey blueliners and rank tied for third among AHL rookie defensemen and his +14 rating is tied for the league lead with teammates Karl Alzner and Alexandre Giroux.
Gordon, 23, played two games for Washington, the second and third of his NHL career, since being recalled on Saturday. He ranks second on the Bears in goals (8, tied), assists (12) and points (20) through 18 games. He is tied for sixth in the league in points.

Capitals Recall Karl Alzner

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have recalled defenseman Karl Alzner from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.
Alzner, 21, is a second-year pro who stands 6’3”, 206 pounds. The Burnaby, British Columbia, native has played 19 games for Hershey this season and has one goal, three assists and only four penalty minutes. His +14 rating is tied for the AHL lead with teammates John Carlson and Alexandre Giroux.
Alzner played in 30 games with Washington last season, recording one goal, four assists and only two penalty minutes. He was the only NHL defenseman with more than 25 games played who had fewer than eight penalty minutes. He played in 48 games for Hershey last season and had four goals, 16 assists and 10 penalty minutes. Alzner shared the lead among AHL rookies with a +23 rating, and he had two assists in 10 playoff games as Hershey won the Calder Cup.
The Capitals selected Alzner in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft with the fifth overall pick. Alzner, who is No. 27 with Washington, is eligible to make his season debut tonight at Verizon Center when the Caps host Buffalo.

There is a lot at stake tonight.

With a win tonight, the Capitals can return to 1st overall in the Eastern Conference(depending on how the Pens fare versus the streaking Habs).

With a win tonight, the Sabres can leapfrog the Ottawa Senators into 1st place in the Northeast Division and take hold of 3rd overall in the Eastern Conference.

The goaltending on both sides is stellar. Miller is the leading candidate to start for Team USA while Varlamov is making an impressive case to be on Team Russia this February and Jose Theodore is enjoying a resurgence in his play.

As neither team is all that worried about their goaltending, it will be the ailing offenses which will prove the difference tonight.

Considering how meager the Caps D has been of lately, the addition of Karl Alzner and return of Milan Jurcina should shore up the Caps blue line tremendously.

The Sabres D runs a tight ship and with a complete roster of healthy players, Buffalo has all of their weapons ready, willing and able. The Sabres have allowed the 3rd least amount of goals against in the NHL, giving up a mere 50 goals in only 20 games so far, so the Capitals are going to need to show some intense emotion, character and effort tonight in order to breakthrough Buffalo’s stellar defense.

It’s all about the slump busters and with both teams possessing some quick and talented forwards, tonight is going to be a real dog-fight.

Game Notes

-         Theodore is ready to get back in nets, but Varly has played so well lately that it’s hard for Boudreau to not give the rookie another chance to get a win. Regardless of who starts, the Caps will need to put on a better performance for their netminder.

-         According to http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/, Semyon Varlamov was the first goalie off the ice this morning, so that likely indicates that he will be getting the start.

-         Tom Poti is suffering from a deep chest bruise, so if he cannot skate tonight, expect John Erskine to play.

-         It was Nicklas Backstrom’s birthday on Monday, happy belated Nicky!

-         Ovechkin and Backstrom are cruising right now. They need to step up and start dominating the play. Their ability to generate scoring chances over the last few games has not been the problem, it’s their finish. The Caps dynamic duo need to lead this team and not wait around for someone else to step up.

-         The secondary scoring has chipped in, albeit not as much as hoped lately.

-         The Caps are tied with the San Jose Sharks for the most goals in the NHL with 85(the Caps have a game in hand on SJ). The Hawks and Avs are tied for 2^nd with 74.

-         Despite losing 3 straight on their Canadian crossing, the Caps are tied with the Sharks, the Hawks and the Lightning(!!!) for the least amount of regulation losses in the NHL with 5.

-         The Penalty Kill and defense has been brutal lately. The return of Karl Alzner will hopefully add a much needed dynamic to the Capitals blue line.

-         Alzner, who is not known for his scoring, will probably be paired with a veteran, yet when he played in Washington for an extended stretch last season, he skated with Milan Jurcina and formed an excellent shutdown pair. Alzner’s partnership with Jurcina made Milan a better defenseman, so expect Boudreau to unite this pairing at some point.

-         With injuries still plaguing the team, Tyler Sloan will likely return to the offense to skate on the 4^th line. Sloan has become the ultimate player for Washington in these tough times and does not get nearly enough credit for the job he is doing.

-         It appears that Adam Mair, Andrej Sekera and Nathan Paetsch will be the healthy scratches for the Sabres tonight.

For more on tonight’s game, including more Game Notes and the full lineup’s for tonight, please check out my extended Game Preview.

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Go Caps!!!!!

Washington Can Snap Mini Slump versus Senators Backup

It will be Brain Elliot starting in nets for the Ottawa Senators tonight as the Capitals pay a visit to the National Capital of their neighbours to the North. Washington, currently mired in a mini slump since they crossed the border, will be seeking to re-ignite their extremely potent offense tonight after having scored but a mere 3 goals in their prior 2 games, both losses.

After dropping back-to-back games to the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Capitals are starting to look rather mundane. Struggling with a plethora of injuries is no excuse, but if the Caps felt the need to play that card, they certainly have that right. Like many other teams in the NHL, the Capitals have been annihilated with man-games lost and currently boast an IR stocked with 4 injured forwards and 2 defensemen.

A bright spot for the Capitals could be the possible return of Shaone Morrisonn tonight. ShaMo missed the last two games but has travelled to Ottawa and, if all goes well, will likely be inserted in favour of either John Carlson or John Erskine.

As mentioned, the Caps seem to be gun-shy without the presences of Alex Semin and Mike Knuble boosting the team’s top six, but that is still no excuse when you have Alex Ovechkin in your lineup. Although Alex has a history of man-handling the teams from the North, through two games on this road-trip Ovechkin has only managed to tally 1 goal and as a result, his team has dropped two straight.

The team is not pleased with their recent play. There has been no desire in their game and their lack of consistency is frustrating everyone. The coach can only do so much when it comes to motivation, the rest is up to the players. In this particular instance, Bruce Boudreau has done his part, but his players have not lived up to their end of the bargain.

Varlamov played superb hockey against the Leafs on Saturday and was the only reason why Washington was able to walk away with a point. Despite that fact, it’s uncertain whether it will be Varly or Theodore in nets tonight at Scotia Bank Place. My money would be on sticking with the hot hand in Varlamov who made 38 saves on 39 shots on Saturday, but the Caps can’t afford to keep Theodore out of game action too long, so there is also a good chance that the veteran netminder will return to the blue paint.

The Sens will be without Pascal Leclaire in nets tonight as he will sit to rest a slightly injured left leg. In his place, the Capitals will get to face rookie back-up Brian Elliot. Ottawa will also be without Alex Kovalev and Anton Volchenkov as Kovy is in Russia on personal matters and Volchenkov has yet to be cleared to play in a game(but he is skating).

Injuries aside, the Caps are in 1^st place in the Eastern Conference while the Sens sit in 6^th overall, yet the teams are only separated by 6 points and the Senators have 3 games in hand so the Capitals are going to have be very careful tonight. A win will be a four-point cushion and will add further separation between the Caps and Sens. A loss would draw Ottawa within 2 wins while they would still have 3 games in hand.

What better way to break a Canadian mini slump than in the Great Nation’s capital.

Facing a rookie backup goaltender only sweetens the Caps odds.

Projections aside, the Capitals will need to shed their inconsistency and play a spirited game tonight in order to preserve the top seed in the East. If Washington does not kick it into gear, expect the questions to start mounting.

On another note, I am just getting ready to take off for Ottawa to take in the game, so be sure to check back later tonight for a nice, detailed game report.

For more Game Notes and Lineups, please check out my extended game preview.

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The Washington Capitals have had a lot of success against the Canadian teams over the last two seasons, but, as last night’s lacklustre pointed out, perhaps the Caps are getting soft on their opponents from North of the Border.

The Montreal Canadiens out-hustled and out-worked a much more talented Caps squad last night en route to handing Washington a rare home loss, something that has become less and less frequent at the Verizon Center over the last two years.

The Habs got stellar goaltending from Carey Price and were able to hold off Washington by a final score of 3-2, despite the Capitals intense last minute efforts to put the equalizer past Price.

In response to the Capitals poor display in front of their home fans last night, they have sent Michal Neuvirth back to the Hershey Bears. Obviously Neuvo wanted to have a much better season debut than his nerve-racked solo against the Habs, but his team-mates failed to pay the Canadiens the little respect they needed to and played catchup all night long to a Habs team that chose to outwork Washington from the first puck drop.

The Caps are rarely held to 2 goals, let alone having Alex Ovechkin fail to hit the score sheet. Ovechkin, who was playing in only his 2nd game of November, looked rather flat last night and was continuously pinned to the perimeter of the offensive zone by Montreal defenders Roman Hamrlik and Jaroslav Spacek.

Overall it was just a disappointing effort from the most powerful offense in the league.

Bright spots included John Carlson and Mathieu Perreault, two rookies who played inspired, heart-filled hockey. Both of the youngsters are seeking to make the most of their opportunity in DC as neither can be sure just how long they will stay in town.

A casualty of last night’s defeat to the Habs was defenseman Tom Poti. Poti did not travel with the team, remaining behind in Washington to get treatment for his undisclosed injury. Also missing out on the trip to Toronto are Boyd Gordon, Alex Semin, Mike Knuble, Milan Jurcina and Quintin Laing. Injuries are hitting this team hard so far, but unfortunately for the NHL this season, it is not uniquely a Capitals situation. Washington’s opponents last, the Montreal Canadiens, have also been utterly decimated by injuries to their most valuable players, beating the Capitals without Brian Gionta or Andrei Markov while in the process losing Scott Gomez and Travis Moen.

The AHL is getting used more than ever this year and one has to wonder if there won’t be some sort of waiver wire record set at some point.

Semyon Varlamov will get the nod in nets tonight. It was expected that Varly was going to start last night, but with the last minute decision to play Neuvo and his subsequent demotion to Hershey this morning, it’s clear to see that Jose Theodore is back with the team. Theo will be backing up Varly tonight at the ACC and will likely make his return between the pipes next week.

Leaf-less Ordinaries

The Caps are in Toronto tonight and will be facing the worst team in the NHL. The Brian Burke/Ron Wilson club has had minor ups and tremendous downs this season.

In actuality, the Leafs season can be summed up by their most recent loss on Thursday versus the Hurricanes. The Canes who have won but 2 of their last 16 games, wound up coming back from a 3-0 first period deficit to hand the Leafs their 11th loss of the year with a 6-5 shootout win.

Toronto opened against the Hurricanes with force and aggression, but then obviously fell back into familiar habits as they tried to hold onto a lead. The Leafs are not exactly an all-star team, but because they are not known for the exponential talent, they must be feared for their aggression and tenacity. Toronto’s wins this year come as a result of their hound-dogedness. They hunt down other teams and stay on them as long as they can. Their energy levels are perhaps some of the highest in the NHL, but it’s a two-way street as the Leafs overall lack of talent often costs them. Every Leaf works hard, but not every Leaf has the tools to get it done at the NHL level.

Toronto, which only has 12 points through 20 games, have truly struggled to find an identity, but with newly acquired/signed sniper Phil Kessel in the lineup, Toronto has the makings of a solid foundation. Kessel, along with Tomas Kaberle, are the driving force behind whatever Maple Leafs offense there is, so in order to shut down Toronto, the Capitals are going to have to key in on these two.

With Mike Komisarek out due to an injury and Luke Schenn enduring through his sophomore jinx, Washington will need to take advantage and expose Toronto’s defense and goaltending. I am not sure if it will be ‘The Monster’, Jonas Gustavsson or Vesa Toskala, but seeing as neither Leafs goaltender has shown much consistency as of yet this season, the Caps should not be phased by who is between the pipes.

The Capitals have had their way with Toronto over the last couple of seasons, especially Alex Ovechkin.

This is Washington’s first trip up North on the year, so hopefully a change of scenery can help clear their heads and get them back to playing a full 60 minutes of hockey.

With Tom Poti remaining behind with the rest of the injured Caps, expect Tyler Sloan to slide back onto D tonight and for Andrew Gordon to make his debut on the 4th line with David Steckel and Matt Bradley.

For more, including game notes and lineups, click here to read my extended game preview.

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- In case you missed it, please check out my Washington Capitals Quarter-Season Review.

Carlson Makes his NHL Debut – Varlamov to Start

The Capitals will welcome the Montreal Canadiens to the Verizon Center tonight at 7pm. This will be the first of 2 games in 8 days between these teams as the Capitals will pay the Canadiens a visit next Saturday.

Washington enters tonight’s game in 1st place in the Eastern Conference while the Canadiens currently sit mired in the bubble groups with 20 points in 21 games. Although they sit in 12th place at the moment, the Habs are only 5 points out of 1st place in the Northeast division, so they must not be counted out.

Montreal has been one of the most heavily criticized teams this season, and with good reason. The summer overhaul by Bob Gainey, the switch in ownership and the makeover of the coaching staff are clearly the largest wholesale changes in the entire league. It’s difficult to expect instant success when cooking without a recipe and that is exactly what it seems like Gainey has done. A little bit of this, a little bit of that, et voila! An expansion team!

I mean no disrespect to the Capitals opponents this evening as the Canadiens do boast some considerable weaponery, but without the services of Brian Gionta and Andrei Markov, the Habs are no better than a first year team trying to find its place in a new league.

Now, obviously the Canadiens are not an expansion team, but the point behind the assessment is that, if there is any team in the NHL that will be the hardest to read, it will be the Montreal Canadiens.

No one can really predict where they will finish because no one can truly gauge the chemistry of the team. It’s hard to focus on specific players when you don’t know who the most dangerous threat is.

And this in direct contrast to the Capitals.

Washington has a buffet of dangerous scoring weapons and everyone knows it.

The Habs are supposed to led by Cammalleri and Gomez, but at the moment are clearly being pulled along by Tomas Plekanec and some serious goaltending from Carey Price.

People can criticize Montreal all they want, but I will shy away from it.

I say they are an expansion team for the simple fact that with so many new faces in and around the team, it’s hard not to think of the Habs as the new kids on the block.

That said, they are in need of their respect or the Capitals will get their just dues.

The Capitals are without top guns Mike Knuble and Alex Semin as well as defensive studs Quintin Laing and Boyd Gordon. In their place, expect to see Tyler Sloan move up to forward while Flash should see time on the top unit and expect Fehr to skate on the 2nd line with Laich and Morrison. Jay Beagle and Mathieu Perreault will be the Caps wildcards tonight as they will likely skate together on the 3rd line with captain Chris Clark.

Jose Theodore will not suit up for the Capitals tonight as the team has recalled Michal Neuvrith and will likely insert him as the backup behind Semyon Varlamov tonight.

Varly made his NHL debut against the Habs last season and played an extremely strong game, so expect more of the same tonight as Semyon enters the game with a 8-1 record this season.

John Carlson makes his NHL debut and I could not be more excited for the 19 year old former London Knight. Carlson is an incredibly dynamic defender who can put up serious points. He is still young, but has already impressed everyone by putting up 14 points with the Bears and a commanding +14. John will skate in his NHL debut alongside Tom Poti and will be given every opportunity to succeed. He has a booming shot and quick feet. His addition to the Capitals blue line makes them a much stronger team.

Game Notes

Welcome to the show – Defenseman John Carlson is expected to make his NHL debut tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. Carlson will be the 10th Capitals drafted player to suit up for Washington this season – Mathieu Perreault became the ninth player after making his NHL debut on Nov. 4 at New Jersey. Carlson was drafted in the first round, 27th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. At 19 years old Carlson will be the Caps youngest player to make his NHL debut since Alexander Semin made his debut in 2003-04 season. The Natick, Mass. native has 10 points (one goal, nine assists) and is a +14 in 17 games for the Hershey Bears this season. Last season the Capitals had six players make their NHL debut – Karl Alzner, Jay Beagle, Sean Collins, Andrew Gordon, Oskar Osala and Tyler Sloan.

Balanced attack –Washington and San Jose are the only teams in the league with more than two players with at least 20 points; they each have four (Ovechkin, Backstrom, Laich and Green are Washington’s). Entering Thursday’s games 12 teams don’t have a single 20-point scorer.
Home run –Washington has won three home games in a row and is 6-0-3 in its last nine at Verizon Center. Its 7-1-3 home record on the year is tied with Philadelphia for the best in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals are 57-18-9 at home under head coach Bruce Boudreau (.732). Washington has just four home games in the next 33 days.
Flash flood –Tomas Fleischmann’s nine-game point-scoring streak is tied for the fourth-longest in the NHL this season; only Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom have had longer streaks for the Capitals since the 2004-05 work stoppage. Fleischmann ranks first in the league in shooting percentage (33.3%) and fifth in goals per game (0.70) and already has seven goals and 11 points despite missing more than half the season recovering from a blood clot in his leg.
Happy return –Alex Ovechkin scored just 15:16 into his return from injury Tuesday night and –despite missing six games and 15 days –still holds a share of the NHL lead in goals with 15. Ovechkin also leads in shots (87) and ranks tied for fourth in points (a team-high 24). Ovechkin has scored in four of the last five games he has played, the lone exception coming in the game when he was hurt.
Powerful stuff –The Capitals have scored a power-play goal in 10 of their last 11 games and are 14-for-38 (36.8%) in that time. They are 8-for-17 in the last six games (47.1%) with at least one PPG in each of those games.
Hitting 100 –Head coach Bruce Boudreau is the fourth-fastest NHL coach to reach 100 wins in his career and the fastest among coaches who made their debuts during the season. Boudreau won No. 100 in his 164th game (100-45-19), and did it after inheriting a team that had 70 points the year before he arrived. The coaches who reached 100 wins faster inherited teams that posted 99 points (Tom Johnson, 138 games), 98 points (Mike Keenan, 152 games) and 95 points (Terry Crisp, 158 games).

Lineups

Washington Capitals

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Fleischmann
Laich-Morrison-Fehr
Beagle-Perreault-Clark
Sloan-Steckel-Bradley

- With Semin, Knuble, Laing and Gordon out, expectations for Eric Fehr, Tomas Fleischmann and Mathieu Perreault will rise.

- I am completely uncertain what line combinations that Boudreau will use tonight against the Canadiens, but if I had to guess, Flash will be on the top line and Fehr will skate on the 2nd.

Green-Schultz
Poti-Carlson
Pothier-Erskine

- Jurcina and Morrisonn are nursing minor injuries and won’t make it into the lineup tonight.

- John Carlson will make his NHL debut as a 19 year old versus the Canadiens, Semyon Varlamov did the same thing last year, so hopefully the Russian netminder has some good advice for the first round pick.

*Varlamov
Neuvrith

- Varly will get the start and Neuvo will back him up.

- Theo has been practicing with the team all week, but since Neuvrith was called up, the Caps are going to at least give him a chance to backup Varly. It is uncertain as to whether or not Jose will be good to rejoin the lineup tomorrow. If he is not, then expect Neuvrith to get the nod.

Montreal Canadiens

Cammalleri-Gomez-Moen
Kostitsyn-Plekanec-Pacioretty
Latendresse-Lapierre-Pyatt
White-Metropolit-Laraque

- According to habsinside.out, Travis Moen will be skating on the 1st line tonight while Georges Laraque will be patrolling the 4th.
- The Habs have also been decimated by injuries, perhaps as bad as anyone else in the NHL this season, having now lost Brian Gionta for an undetermined amount of time thanks to a broken foot.

Hamrlik-Spacek
Mara-Gorges
O’Byrne-Bergeron

- Things get a little better for the Habs tonight as they will get a boost from the return of Ryan O’Byrne.
- Of course, Andrei Markov, the Canadiens best player, remains out recovering from surgery to repair a sliced tendon.

*Price
Halak

- Carey Price seems likely to get the nod versus the Caps tonight. Price has been phenomenal over the last little stretch, so if the Canadiens expect to get the better of the Capitals tonight, it will likely be because of their goaltender.

For the Habs perspective on tonight’s game, I highly suggest you check out Eric Engels’ coverage.

I will be back with more as I get it.

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Go Caps!!!!!

Tops in the East through 21 Games

As the Washington Capitals prepare for their 22nd contest of this 2009-10 NHL season against the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow night at the Verizon Center, I thought it would be a great time to review how this team has fared through the first quarter of play.

Games 1 – 10

October 1 – October 24

* Accumulated totals will be in brackets

Record: 6-2-2
Points: 14
GF: 37
GA: 29
Winning Percentage: .700

Following their strong finish to the 2008-09 season, the Capitals picked up right where they left off. Although there are new faces in the mix this season, the core of this Capitals squad has remained intact and has developed and gained tremendous maturity over the last 2 years.

The Caps are the toast of the Southeast division and they made sure to stake their claim early, vaulting into 1st place by the 5th game mark of the season and they haven’t looked back.

Goal scoring seems to be coming more easily than in seasons past and that may be due to the significant contributions from the team’s secondary and tertiary scoring.

As usual though, goaltending and the defensive awareness on the blue line has caused constant consternation, but with the ability to lead with their offensive foot forward, Washington has the opportunity to work out the kinks on defense while not compromising their winning ways.

Games 11-20

October 27 – November 14

Record: 6-2-2(12-4-4)
Points: 14(28)
GF: 38(75)
GA: 29(58)
Winning Percentage: .700(.700)

The Capitals mirrored their first 10 game stretch with virtually the same results through their second 10 game stretch. With nearly identical offensive and defensive totals, the Capitals ran their record up to 14-4-4 through 20 games and boast a .700 winning %, the best winning margin in Capitals history through the first 20 games of play.

Injuries and defensive miscues continued to play a role during this stretch, but as mentioned about the first 10 game segment, the secondary and tertiary scoring stepped up heavily, especially in the absence of both Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin. Standout plays at one time or another, from virtually every player on the team, have propelled the Caps night in and night out.

During this stretch of games, the Capitals were also able to pass Michael Nylander through the waiver wire, thus enabling Washington to get one more step closer to freeing up over $3.5 million in cap space. With room opening up on the cap, the Capitals should be able to make some impact moves moving forward through the season.

The Washington Capitals officially reached the first quarter mark of the 2009-10 NHL season with a 4-2 victory over the Flyers on Tuesday night. Having played 21 of the 82 games in the 2009-10 calendar, the Caps are right on track, if not slightly exceeding pre-season expectations.

- 1st in the Eastern Conference with 30 points(2 ahead of New Jersey, but the Devils have 2 games in hand)

- 1st in the SouthEast Division(8 points ahead of Tampa Bay)

- 2nd in Overall NHL standings(13-4-4)

- 1st in the NHL in Goals For(3.67 goals per game/79 goals in 21 games)

- 23rd in Goals Against(3.00 goals per game/60 goals in 21 games)

- 3rd on the Power Play(25.6%)

- 23rd on the Penalty Kill(78.2%)

Judging from the statistical analysis, it’s easy to see that the Capitals are clearly dominating the NHL in scoring. Their offense has seemingly gotten better with the additions of Mike Knuble and Brendan Morrison as both of the newcomers have enjoyed immediate success under Bruce Boudreau. Others, like Brooks Laich and Tomas Fleischmann have totally surpassed expectations thus far and are giving the top line guys, OV, Semin and Backstrom, plenty of opportunity to find their games.

Defense, on the other hand, has been harder to come by. The goaltending has actually been quite solid, but it has been the team effort of collapsing the play in their own zone to protect against the oppositions scoring. Outside of the need for better concentration in their own end though, this team has earned top marks through the first quarter of play.

With that in mind, here are my quarter-Season grades for all the players who have donned a Capitals uniform this season.

Capitals Forwards:

#8 | Alexander Ovechkin | LW

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
15 15 9 24 +9 87 17.2%

Grade: A+

- The two-time reigning MVP of the NHL, Alex burst out of the gate once again this year. Ironically, for the first time in his young NHL career, Ovechkin sustained an injury that has actually kept him out of action for more than 1 game. Suffering a left-shoulder strain at the beginning of November, Ovechkin would go on to miss 6 straight games. Thankfully though, the team picked up the slack and managed to enjoy a winning record of 4-2 while he was out of action.
- Outside of the shoulder injury, Alex has been flying. He is currently 5th in NHL scoring, having only played 15 games, but is tied for 1st in goal scoring as he is scoring at an incredible goal a game pace.
- Offense aside, Alex seems to be growing his defensive game as well. He is not becoming a penalty killer, but it is clear that OV has expanded his hockey awareness to include his defensive zone. He is playing strong and inspired hockey at both ends of the ice and, so long as he can remain healthy, Ovechkin will once again challenge for the scoring title as well as dominate goaltenders league-wide.

#19 | Nicklas Backstrom | C

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
21 4 18 22 +1 52 7.7%

Grade:B+

- Backstrom’s reputation as one of the finest set-up men in the game is continuing to grow as he is currently tied for 3rd in the NHL in assists with 18. Backstrom missed out on having Ovechkin on his wing for a short period of time, but managed to play strong hockey without his left wing lock.
- Nick is quietly maturing into a leader and has played strong hockey so far this year, but more will be expected. He is not known for extremely hot starts, at least not yet as this is only his 3rd season, but his play definitely picks up as the season grinds on, so expect more from Nicklas as the Caps move into the heart of the schedule.

#28 | Alexander Semin | LW

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
18 9 8 17 +1 67 13.4%

Grade:B

- The player of the month for the month of October in 2008, Alex Semin looked like he was on his way to repeating the feat this year until a wrist injury slowed him down. Following #28’s hot start to the season, nagging issues with his wrist and a bout with illness slowed him down. Currently one of the injured Capitals, Semin’s main priority must be getting back to 100%. He is still scoring at nearly a point per game pace, but considering that everyone knows he can be better, much more will be expected out of Alex #2 as the season wares on.

#22 | Mike Knuble| RW

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
19 5 10 15 +10 42 11.9%

Grade:A-

- Knuble, who was signed away from the rival Philadelphia Flyers last season, has become an instant favourite in DC, especially among the fans. Knuble’s presence in from of the net has added an element to the Capitals offense that has been seriously absent over the last 2 seasons. Of course Mike is counted on to battle in front of the net and in the corners, and that is exactly what he has done. Unfortunately, Mike’s battling nature is also what led him to a broken finger against the Blue Jackets. Knuble will miss at least the next 2-3 weeks with the broken finger, but hopefully he can return sooner. His 15 points in 19 games have been impressive, but it’s his +10 that makes the statement. Mike has been a constant positive for the Capitals when he is in the lineup and is making the departure of Viktor Kozlov for Russia nothing but an after-thought.

#21 | Brooks Laich | C

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
21 9 11 20 +1 63 14.3%

Grade:A-

- Speaking of making statements, Brooks Laich currently boasts 2 less points than he had through 41 games last year. Laich is off to his strongest start in the NHL and does not appear to be slowing down. Laich is the Capitals yeo-man, capable of handling anything that is thrown at him while remaining a true leader. What is even more impressive is the fact that, for a grinder and someone who spends a lot of time banging in the corners and in front of the net, the clean-cut Laich has only earned 6 penalty minutes. Laich is blossoming into an excellent 2-way power forward and has been an essential player in the Capitals success so far this season.

#14 | Tomas Fleischmann | LW

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
10 7 4 11 -1 21 33.3%

Grade:B+

- Tomas Fleischmann, otherwise known as ‘Flash’, has been anything but a flash since his return to the lineup. Tomas missed out on training camp as well as his entire summer due to a deep vein thrombosis which prohibited him from training. After finally getting clearance after the start of the season, Tomas has made an instant impact since returning to the Capitals lineup. We are finally getting to see the potential that Bruce Boudreau has always seen in Fleischmann, and to say the least, it is nothing short of impressive. The real question surrounding Flash will be if he can keep up the pace or if this is just another ‘Flash’. With injuries constantly befalling the Caps, it is likely that Tomas will continue to get quality minutes in a scoring role, so, as long as he keeps putting pucks in the net, expect Fleischmann to remain a key part of Washington’s offense.

#92 | Michael Nylander | C

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Grade:NA

- Not much to report here as Michael has not seen any action as a member of the Capitals this season. Having currently been waived through to the AHL level, Michael is working on a deal that would loan him out to Europe or Russia. The bottom line is basically that Michael Nylander is no longer a playing member of the Washington Capitals, just a payed member. A decision is expected soon as to where Michael will be loaned to, and once that decision is made, the Capitals will be regain approximately $3.5 million in additional cap space.

#9 | Brendan Morrison | C

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
21 6 10 16 +8 31 19.4%

Grade:B+

- Brought in to replace Sergei Fedorov, and essentially, Michael Nylander, BMo has rediscovered his game. Following a couple years of injury plagued hockey as he bounced around from team to team, Morrison’s stock as a valuable NHL’er had all but disappeared. Fortunately for him, he was given a shot by the Caps and has been able to return to 100% health after taking the time needed to recover from the injuries that kept him from being an effective player over the last couple seasons. Morrison’s 16 points in 21 games have been very impressive and his +8, much like Mike Knuble’s impressive +/- stat, has been a welcomed addition. Morrison has lived up to expectations, if not completely surpassed them. The fact that the Caps are as deep as they are offensively is obviously a huge boost, but it has been Brendan’s work ethic and on-ice contributions which have validated George McPhee’s risk taking this summer.

#15 | Boyd Gordon | C

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
7 0 1 1 -2 2 0%

Grade:C-

- It’s kind of hard to give Boyd a “C”, but he receives that mark because he has not been able to make much of a contribution. Gordon has missed 14 games already this season due to ever-worsening back issues and, after re-injuring his back over the weekend, appears to be headed towards being shutdown. Hopefully time away from the game can help relieve Boyd’s back spasms, but it is likely that it will be an issue that requires medical attention.

#39 | Dave Steckel | C

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
21 0 2 2 -1 31 0.0%

Grade:B

- After enjoying a break-out season last year with the Capitals, Steckel has gotten off to a rather quiet start this year. Although he is the team’s 3rd/4th line center, Dave has yet to provide much offense, although his 31 shots on goal suggests that Steckel is trying harder to think about putting the puck on the net. Offense aside, Stecks is the Capitals top face-off man and one of the best, if not THE best, face-off man in the NHL. Steckel currently sits 2nd overall with a winning % of 62.3. The offense will come over time, but it is quite obvious how important Dave is to this team.

#16 | Eric Fehr | RW

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
11 2 2 4 +2 15 13.3%

Grade:C-

- A former 1st round pick of the Capitals, Eric Fehr just doesn’t seem to be living up to his billing. A big body and a former two-time 50 goal scorer in the WHL, Fehr brings a lot of intangibles to the ice. Unfortunately for Eric, injuries have seriously set back his progress over the last couple of years and, sadly, they still do. The fact that Eric has only suited up for 11 games this year has a lot to do with his health, but also has to do with his level of contribution. It’s hard for a guy to put up big numbers when he can’t play his into that opportunity. Considering all of the other draft picks that keep rising through the ranks, it would appear that Eric Fehr’s time as a Capital may be drawing to a close if he cannot step up his game and start providing the offense expected from him.

#10 | Matt Bradley | RW

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
21 4 5 9 +4 27 14.8%

Grade:A-

- With the departure of Donald Brashear over the summer, a lot of pressure was placed on Matt heading into this season and he has not disappointed. Bradley has been the Capitals bruiser and fighter, but has also played extremely effective two-way hockey while chipping in some very timely offense, including the game winner that he scored in the Caps last game. Matt has always been a workman’s kind of hockey player, yet this year the increased pressure has had some very positive effects.

#85 | Mathieu Perreault | C

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
7 2 3 5 +5 19 20.0%

Grade:B+

- Called up to cover for some of the injured Capitals, Mathieu Perreault has been quite impressive. He has received nothing but kind words from the coach and his team-mates as he steps into the lineup as the 5th member of Washington’s 2006 draft class. Perreault looks to be sticking around for the immediate future and if he can keep up the strong play, there is a good chance that he could stick with the team for the remainder of the season.

#17 | Chris Clark | RW

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
21 1 7 8 -5 28 3.6%

Grade:C+

- The Captain is back! Can you imagine that for the first time in 3 years ,Chris Clark has played in all 21 Capitals games so far this season. That alone earns the captain a “C.” Now, beyond the fact that he has stayed healthy and been able to stay in the lineup, Clark’s play has been lacking a little something. A team worst -5, Clark needs to improve his defensive coverage. Fortunately, Chris is no longer counted on for his offensive contributions, so now that he is healthy and back with the team full-time, we should expect his play to get better and better(we can’t forget that he has missed 111 games in the last 2 seasons).

#33 | Alexandre Giroux | C

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
3 1 0 1 +1 2 50.0#

Grade:B

- The reigning AHL MVP, Giroux just doesn’t seem to have the same success at the NHL level. Although he only got 3 games with the Caps before being sent down, Giroux’s play wasn’t what the team expected. He is a lot more tame when he plays with the Capitals than when he plays with the Bears, so one has to wonder if he will ever find his way into the NHL. For the meantime, the Bears love him and the Caps will keep him on their short-list of call-ups.

#53 | Quintin Laing | LW

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
18 2 0 2 +3 22 9.1%

Grade:B+

- Quintin can’t buy a break. He finally made the Capitals out of training camp this year and, following a strong start to the season, has found himself back on the IR. Quintin suffered a broken jaw in the Capitals last game versus the Rangers and, with plates being freshly inserted into his jaw, will be out of action for the next 4-6 weeks. After having multiple injuries over the last season, including a torn spleen during the playoffs last spring, it just seems like the Capitals “shot blocking machine” just can’t catch a break. Laing is an impressive team-mate and one of the hardest working defensive players in Washington, so it will be a huge boost when he does return.

#20 | Keith Aucoin | C

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
8 1 4 5 -1 3 33.35

Grade:C

- Much like Alex Giroux, Keith Aucoin is an incredible player at the AHL level. Unfortunaly for both of them, they just can’t seem to get it right at the NHL level. Giroux played a quiet role for the Caps while he was here but did not demonstrate enough positives to remain with the big club.

#83 | Jay Beagle | RW

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
1 0 1 1 0 1 0.0%

Grade: B

- Jay was only recently called up so it is pretty hard to grade the guy on only 1 game played. Beagle is a good two-way player and has the ability to contribute offensively when he needs to. Expect Jay to hang around for awhile while the team attempts to figure out how to replace Quintin Laing.

Defense:

52| Mike Green| D|

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
20 3 17 20 +3 62 4.8%

Grade:B+

- A Norris Trophy finalist last season, Green has picked up right where he left off. Mike is 2nd in the NHL among defensemen in scoring and is among the league leaders in assists. Obviously the criticism over Mike’s defensive game, which spilled over from the Norris Trophy considerations of last year, has not changed much. Green is often lamented for being a strictly offence-only defender, but with all of the pressure placed on his shoulders as the lynch pin on Washington’s blue line, I would say he is doing just fine at living up to expectations. It’s hard to say that Mike has really taken off as it does not appear that he has reached top gear yet.

#23 | Milan Jurcina | D

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
17 0 2 2 +2 19 0.0%

Grade:B+

- Jurcina saw a remarkable improvement in his play during the playoffs last season and has continued to do so this season. Milan has not grown at the rate that Caps management expected, but he is now slowly emerging as a steady defender. He still has a long way to go, but with a much improved physical game, the hope is that Jurcina will be able to become a strong shutdown guy. While paired with Karl Alzner last season, Milan grew in leaps and bounds, so it should be interesting to see if and when Karl gets called up, and whether or not he gets re-paired with Jurcina.

#3 | Tom Poti | D

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
21 0 4 4 +6 16 0.0%

Grade:B-

- Tom has already played 21 games this year. At the half-way mark of last season he had only played in 23 games. This is great news for the Caps as having a healthy Poti in the lineup is key to the strength of Washington’s defensive depth. Positives aside, Poti’s play thus far hasn’t been all that inspiring. He has played a fairly competent game, but with more offense expected from the veteran blue liner, there is room to improve. If Poti is foregoing his former offensive abilities to better his D, hopefully it starts to show sooner than later.

#55 | Jeff Schultz | D

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
14 1 4 5 +6 9 11.1%

Grade:B

- Like almost everyone else on the Caps so far this season, Jeff has had to deal with his fair share of injuries. Unfortunately for Cap fans, it has come at a time when Schultz was just beginning to show us flashes of the promise that Boudreau constantly reminds us of. With a need to remain healthy, this could be a very important season for Schultz. He has the large frame to be an imposing defender and the ability to chip in on offense when he needs to, hopefully with some more seasoning Schultz will begin to show off why he was taken in the 1st round ahead of fellow Cap blueliner, Mike Green.

#26 | Shaone Morrisonn | D

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
20 0 3 3 -3 9 0.0%

Grade:C

- ShaMo continues to quietly do his job as Mike Green’s defensive counterpart, but hasn’t really grown all that much over the last 2 seasons. He is a competent and capable defenseman, but his ability to go unnoticed can sometimes be a problem. He has tried to step up his physical play, and has done a decent job, but with a need to be a stronger partner for Mike Green, more is expected out of Morrisonn.

#89 | Tyler Sloan | D

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
11 2 1 3 -1 11 18.2%

Grade:B+

- Sloan, who made the Capitals out of training camp over 1st rounder Karl Alzner, has impressed as a versatile player. He has become the Capitals utility player, pitching in on offense and defense when needed and doing whatever has been asked of him by the coaches. It is never an easy thing to switch back and forth between the two positions, but Tyler has done a great job at it and has been a big help as the Caps get swamped with injuries.

#2 | Brian Pothier | D

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
19 3 4 7 +8 23 13.0%

Grade:A-

- Following 2 years of concussion problems, Brian Pothier has returned to the Capitals blue line with a force. Although he came back late during last season, it has not really been until the start of this year that Capitals fans have been able to get a look at what Pothier is capable of. Not known for his physicality, Potsy is a great skater and puck mover as his point totals from this year suggest. He has already collected one game winner and is a very impressive +8 already. With a healthy Pothier in the lineup, Mike Green gets to enjoy a little relief from the constant pressure to score. If both Green and Pothier continue to put up strong offensive numbers, Washington may actually be able to say that they have 2 quality offensive defensemen.

#4 | John Erskine | D

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
10 0 1 1 +4 16 0.0%

Grade:B

- Called upon to be another one of Brashear’s physical replacements, John has been hesitant to drop the gloves as often as the Donald. And who can blame him? With concussion problems looming over the big defenders head, he has to continue to be very careful with when and where he picks his spots. Erskine’s physical play has been missed over the last month as John has dealt with an injured hand, but now that he is healthy, and with apparent injuries to both Juricna and Morrisoon, John will be counted on by his coach and team-mates to intimidate the opposition’s offense. If Erskine can avoid injury, he will grow into a very important role on this team as the year progresses.

_______________________________________

Scoring Totals:

GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | S | S%
Total | 21 | 79 | 122 | 201 | +60 | 671 | 11.8%

With 79 goals on 671 shots, the Caps are scoring at a 11.8% rate.

At +60 as a team, through 21 games, the Capitals have clearly become a better team. The Caps used to struggle with their team +/- only as recently as mid way through last season when they even through 41 games.

Overall, the Caps are just ripping it up. They are far better than the competition they have faced in their divison and for all of those who believe that the Capitals are only as good as they because of the division they play in, they should realize that the Caps are 4-3-3 vs the Atlantic Division, 2-0-0 vs the NorthEast Division and an impressive 4-0-0 against divisional opponents in the SouthEast.

The Capitals are 7-1-3 at home and 6-3-1 on the road. 10-3-3 vs the Eastern Conference and 3-1 vs the Western Conference.

______________________________________

Goaltending

#60| Jose Theodore| G|

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
14 0 0 0 0 0 0

GP| GS| S| GA| GAA| SVS| SV%| SO|
14 13 364 39 3.24 325 .893 0

MINS| W| L| OT|
722 5 3 3

Grade:B

- Theo has actually gotten off to a good start this year, although his numbers do not necessarily reflect that. Jose is in the midst of a very difficult season as he had a very difficult summer as the Theodore family lost their youngest child. Jose has been given a lot support and room to handle this difficult situation and given what is on his mind, has played solid hockey for the Caps. Jose’s numbers will come around, but it’s his focus and passion that have me giving him a B. We know Theo can be better, and will be, but for now, compliments to Washington’s veteran netminder for playing such solid hockey during such a difficult time.

#40| Simeon Varlamov| G|

GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
10 0 1 1 0 0 0

GP| GS| S| GA| GAA| SVS| SV%| SO|
10 8 270 24 2.59 246 .911 0

MINS| W| L| OT|
555 8 1 0

Grade:A

- The goaltender of the future for the Caps is slowly becoming the goaltender of today. Varly, who made the team straight out of camp as former backup Brent Johnson moved onto Pittsburgh, has been very impressive. With one of the best winning records in the NHL, Varly has got to be in the running for rookie of the year honors. The guidance and leadership that is being provided by Theo, especially through work-ethic, has been a true bonus and is starting to pay off as Varly starts to show more poise and confidence between the blue paint. Bigger and better things are still expected from the young Russian, including a hopeful spot on Team Russia in February.

Coaching and Management

B+

- Bruce Boudreau has become one of the best coaches in the NHL over the last 2 seasons and continues to impress with his ability to propel Washington to greater and greater success. Coupled with General Manager George McPhee, Gabby has done a great job at raising the youngsters from Hershey as well as adding key UFA components. This team is headed into the best years in franchise history thanks to these two, but questions still linger.

The successful aspects of this team have been based around strong coaching, excellent drafting and impeccable development of prospects. The negative side remains the dissenting situation between McPhee and Nylander. This alone has brought a shade of gloom onto an otherwise unprecedented rise to the top.

The key in addressing this situation, and whether or not McPhee and Boudreau can improve their current grade, will lie in how they handle this situation and if they can recoup valuable cap dollars that can be used this season. Time will tell, but the bottom line is that this situation has cast a dark shadow on an otherwise incredible run so far this year.

This article was originally posted on <a href= “http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Steven-Hindle/Washington-Capitals-Quarterly-Player-by-Player-Review/98/24411“>hockeybuzz.com</a>

I will return with a quarterly review of the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow as well as a preview for the first matchup of the year between the Habs and the Caps.

www.twitter.com/StevenHindle
stevenhindle@hotmail.com

As I was consulting Habs Insideout for my morning update on the Motreal Canadiens, I came upon an interesting story by Dave Stubbs concerning a scene which took place last night across the internet between the CBC and the agent for the Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jaroslav Halak, Allan Walsh.

At some point last evening Mr. Walsh decided to emit a ‘tweet’ that captured the attention of a great majority of the hockey masses.

Walsh ‘tweeted,’ “Interesting stat of the night…Price is 10W, 32L in his last 42 games. Hmm.”

Quite a bold statement from someone who should be working very hard to promote his own client as opposed to slandering someone elses.

Stubbs then very kindly pointed out a great link to a piece posted by Rocket @ All Habs. Rocket penned an exceptional piece describing how he and Walsh went on to exchange some ‘tweets’ of their own discussing the motives behind it all.

The funny thing is that Walsh’s statement made it all the way to the live broadcast of the Flames-Rangers game on CBC. Furthering the situation, Jeff Marek and Kelly Hrudey tore into Walsh for his words and turned this into a bigger story than it needed to be.

It was a statement better left alone.

No one wants to create something out of nothing and this is exactly what Mr. Walsh appears to be doing.

Hrudey was adamant that it was in poor taste, and I can’t help but agree.

Stubbs, Rocket and many more folks are joining in on this debate and I am not sure that will help solve this problem.

Carey Price is an exceptional goaltender with one of the highest ceilings for goaltender potential in the league. Rushed? Perhaps, but at his age there is no reason for the franchise to throw in the towel. Why give up so soon on someone who could be the next savior?

Jaroslav Halak is no slouch himself, which is why you can see why Walsh is trying to push how valuable the young Slovak netminder is. Halak, who is in the running for a post as a goaltender with the Slovakian Olympic squad, perhaps even the starter, has had a terrific start to the season and has the better numbers of the two Canadiens goaltenders. But what goalie wants an agent that is going to cast him in a negative light?

There is no reason for his agent to start a feud between the two uber-competitive young men that isn’t already there.

I highly recommend you read up on what Dave Stubbs @ Habs Insideout and Rocket from All Habs have to say.

Although I feel that this is a situation that no single team should have to go through, it does highlight an interesting dilemma that the NHL now faces, how do they monitor their league and prevent these sort of things from happening when mass and instant communication is given precedence over relevance?

Whatever the real story and motives behind all of this truly are, it doesn’t seem to matter anymore as it would appear that the Canadiens are now headed into another media spun ‘goaltender controversy.’

It’s certain that Bob Gainey doesn’t need another headache in the form of an issue between his netminders, but at the same time, with the Canadiens battling to stay at .500, maybe the team could benefit from extra pressure on Halak and Price to be push them to better?

It’s just too bad this discussion is a result of personal motives. Price’s record of 10-32 in his last 42 is quite astonishing and definitely a conversation starter, but Walsh is not making things any better by singling him out.

Bon chance Mr. Gainey…just a little more fuel to the Canadiens fire.

Steven Hindle

stevenhindle@hotmail.com

Originally posted on Hockeybuzz. To read original, CLICK HERE.

Michael Nylander is currently in the 3^rd year of a 4 year deal that pays him just a touch under $20 million dollars.

This season Michael is earning $5.5 million dollars, with a cap hit of $4.875 million. Next season, Nyls will cost only $3 milllion dollars, but still maintains a cap hit of $4.875 million.

At the moment, Michael possesses a No Movement Clause which allows him to have final say over any moves. Having this NMC has allowed Nylander to veto any movements to the minors as he has a 1 way deal, thus preventing the Capitals from demoting Nylander to the Hershey Bears in order to remove his cap hit from the team’s salary total.

Nylander’s recent conditioning stint was based on an agreement between the Capitals and Grand Rapid Griffins. Conditioning stints can only last two weeks and do not require players to pass through waiver wires, therefore the cap hit remains with the original team, but for the allowable two week period, the player can play without ramifications.
During Michael’s 4 game sojourn in Grand Rapids, he helped guide the Griffins to 4 straight victories while playing large minutes and collecting 1 goal and 5 power play assists and a +3.

Now that Nyls’ two week stint in Grand Rapids has ended, he must return to the Washington Capitals.

This now brings us to a crucial point in this situation.

Showcasing that he still has what it takes to play at a professional level is the exact reason why Nylander accepted the conditioning stint with the Griffins. His hope was to impress someone at the NHL level enough to take a chance on him. Having performed quite admirably in his 4 games, there is reason to believe that there is indeed still interest in Nylander in North America.

Another key to Nylander possessing his NMC is the fact that he controls when, or if, he will depart for Europe or Russia. Many people have suggested that Michael’s conditioning stint in the AHL was to showcase him for Russian teams, yet I do know for a fact that Nylander’s main goal is to play in the NHL – the best league in the world.

This has been the main sticking point in facilitating a move across the Atlantic.

Given that Nylander’s play last season left alot to be desired, it’s easy to understand why George McPhee has had a tough time moving the Swede. The fact that his cap hit is as high as it is does not help Nylander’s ability to be moved, but with players dropping like flies across the NHL due to some pretty serious injuries, a window of opportunity may be starting to emerge.

Although it would not have been considered to be possible over a month ago, there is now talk of teams being interested in Nylander.

The Detroit Red Wings are interested. Apparently so are(were?) the Avs and Coyotes.

In terms of the Wings, their interest is not public or official by any means, but there is interest beneath the surface. Having spent time with the Red Wings AHL affiliate for the last 2 weeks, the Wings have had the best opportunity to scout the Swedish centerman and there is reason to believe that they could be interested given their recent rash of injuries. Without Franzen and Filppula for an extended period of time, Detroit could use the reinforcements, but, once again, salary cap implications and questions about endurance and ability are the main sticking points. Nylander would have no problem fitting in on a Swedish oriented team like the Wings and would likely become a key element, but that is just speculation.

It would seem like making a deal wouldn’t be as difficult as it seems, were it not for the fact that George McPhee is not willing to accept salary in return for Nylander. If he was, a move would have likely been made already. But, since GMGM does not want to take back anything for him, trade talks hit a wall.

There is also the scenario of passing Michael through re-entry waivers in which the Caps would then be on the hook for half of Nylander’s salary for the rest of this year and next. Obviously this option would make Nyls more attractive to the rest of the NHL, but it is not a pretty option for Washington as it would continue to handcuff them moving forward.

Deals have been floated by the Isles and Avalanche, but at too much of a cost to McPhee. The Caps GM is in tough spot given that he does not want to take back salary. Especially if it is a player that has a deal that runs through next season.

Phoenix’s interest is merely a pipe dream as that club is bleeding money and the thought of them acquiring a player with Nylander’s salary is quite absurd. That said, the Coyotes could use Nylander’s services, but playing in the desert is most likely the last possible option, mainly due to the cash.

This situation has prolonged itself to a very uncomfortable point for both parties, but with Nylander unwilling to compromise on his NMC and Washington’s GM unwilling to accept salary in return, it’s looking like the Capitals are going to continue to eat Nyls’ salary.

The only possible solution for this will be for either Michael to finally accept a move to Europe or Russia, which I would put at 90% no at the moment, or for McPhee to find a way to accept some sort of salary in return for Michael.

The positives at the moment lie in the fact that there are numerous injuries causing major problems with alot of teams. If one of those teams can get desperate enough, the waiting may end up being worth it.

No one will send McPhee draft picks or prospects for Nylander so you can see how limited the options are.

That said, Michael and his agent are working diligently to promote the fact that the Swede can still play. Teams have been looking, but it’s more like window shopping at the moment. But with that glass starting to crack, hope for an end to this madness may be drawing near. 

For more on Nylander and the Caps, Click Here.

Steven Hindle

stevenhindle@hotmail.com

Although he had to leave early in the 2nd period last night, the general consensus is that it is a not a severe injury but a perhaps a muscle strain in the left shoulder/chest area, the talk has already begun.
Despite getting injured against the Blue Jackets, Alex Ovechkin is off to the hottest start of his young career. Having been held pointless only 3 times in the Capitals first 14 games(including last night’s period and a quarter), Alex has been scoring in bunches. Of his 14 goals so far, OV has only had 2 one goal games, while he has scored twice in a game 6 times already.

Given that it seems that Alex has picked up right where he left off at the end of last season, it would not be a far stretch that the ceiling for Ovechkin’s potential totals has gotten even higher.

Elevated to the point where one has to wonder if it’s possible for the Capitals left wing sniper to achieve the very elusive “50 in 50”?

In reality, scoring 50 goals in 50 games is one of the most daunting tasks in all of pro sports.

Only 5 players have accomplished the feat in the 92 years of the NHL’s existence.

They are;

- Maurice Richard: 1944-45 – 50 in 50
- Mike Bossy: 1980-81 – 50 in 50
- Mario Lemieux: 1988-89: 50 in 46
- Brett Hull: 1990-91 – 50 in 49

And of course…

Wayne Gretzky:

 1981-82 – 50 in 39
1983-84 – 50 in 42
1984-85 – 50 in 49

It must be noted that the standard for this record is actually scoring 50 goals in the team’s first 50 games.

Jari Kurri, Alex Mogilny, Lemieux and Cam Neely have all accomplished the feat of scoring 50 goals in or before their 50th game of the year, but not their teams.

Kurri scored his 50th goal in his 50th game in 1984-85, but it was the Oilers 53rd game of the season.

Mogilny notched his 50th in his 46th game of the season, but it was also the Sabres 53rd game of the year.

Mario Lemieux, who had already accomplished the task of 50 in 50, also repeated the feat in 92-93 and 95-96. In 92-93, Mario scored his 50th in his 48th game of the year, but it was the Pens 72nd regular season game. The last time Lemieux was able to accomplish the task was in 95-96 when he scored his 50th goal in his 50th game, but it was the Pens 53rd game of the year.

Brett Hull, whose father is on the short list of players who almost achieved this milestone, did it twice. Hull scored 50 in 49 games in 90-91 and repeated the feat by scoring 50 in 50 in 91-92.

Cam Neely also accomplished the task, scoring his 50th goal in his 44th game of the year in 93-94, but it was the Bruins 66th game.

Essentially, the only way to accomplish the task of scoring 50 goals in 50 games is keep the goal per game ratio over 1.00 through 50 games. Obviously, only 5 players have been able to maintain that ratio through their team’s 50 game mark of the regular season, but a few have come close.

Bobby Hull, Charlie Simmer, Bernie Nicholls and, yup, you guessed it, Mario Lemieux are all on a short list of NHL’ers who scored their 50th goal of the year in the 51st or 52nd game of the season. Close, but no cigar.

So that brings us to today.

Not since Mario pulled it off in 95-96 has a player toyed with the achievement, but since Alex Ovechkin’s arrival in the NHL, the idea has resurfaced.

Can OV do it? Can anyone in this post-lockout NHL do it?
It must be noted that all of the players who have achieved this milestone maintained goal per game ratios above or at 1 goal per game through their team’s first 50 games.

Richard – 1.00,
Mike Bossy – 1.00,
Jari Kurri – 1.00
Alex Mogilny – 1.04
Cam Neely – 1.14
Brett Hull – 1.00, 1.02
Gretzky – 1.28, 1.19, 1.02
Lemieux – 1.09,1.04, 1.00

As you can tell, it’s near impossible to do it once, so when you consider that Gretzky and Lemieux managed it 3 times(with a bunch of near misses), you then get an idea of how seriously talented and spectacular these two really were.

But can it, will it, ever happen again?

Alex Ovechkin is on pace to pull off an attempt. It’s hard to say if OV will be able to do it given how different the game is today, not to mention his recent injury questions, but if anyone is going to do it, I would have to believe that #8 is the guy for the job.
Here’s how Alex stands up against the group above.

Alex Ovechkin’s Career Totals

| Season | GP | Goals | Points | Goal Per Game | Points Per Game |
| 05/06 | 81 | 52 | 106 | 0.64 | 1.31 |
| 06/07 | 82 | 46 | 92 | 0.56 | 1.12 |
| 07/08 | 82 | 65 | 112 | 0.79 | 1.37 |
| 08/09 | 79 | 56 | 110 | 0.71 | 1.39 |
| 09/10 | 14 | 14 | 23 | 1.00 | 1.64 |
| Totals | 338 | 233 | 443 | 0.69 | 1.31 |

As you can see, it is rather difficult to keep up the goal per game pace of a 50 goal in 50 game campaign. It’s not impossible, just maybe a tad improbable.

He will need to be healthy and get a little lucky, but even then, can the GR8 one do what the Great One did?

To read more on my take on Ovechkin and other ramblings, click here.

 Steven Hindle

stevenhindle@hotmail.com

Just in case you had missed this little bit of information from the summer, Bruce Boudreau has penned an autobiography about his life-long journey through the world of Hockey, entitled “Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer.”

Boudreau hasn't has it easy, but as one of the "nice guys" in Hockey, it's great to see him succeed.

Over the summer, Japers’ has released various excerpts from Boudreau’s book, which was co-written by Tim Leone. Be sure to check Japers’archives for all of Gabby’s excerpts.

Today, another excerpt of Boudreau’s book was released, this time by Corey Masisak over at the Washington Times, and it’s a doozy.

This time the excerpt concerns Boudreau’s encounters with NHL rabble-rouser Sean Avery.

According to the excerpt:

“Boudreau coached Avery for the Monarchs, and the experience ended up being a negative one. But that was tame compared with what Boudreau recalled Avery saying during Game 7 in the first round of the last year’s playoffs against the New York Rangers.
“He told me I was the biggest, fattest bleeping pig he had ever seen,” Boudreau said in the book. “He told me I was fatter than bleeping Ken Hitchcock. He told me I was going to die because I was such a fat bleep.”

Talk about adding fuel to the Sean Avery fire! He obviously just doesn’t know how to contain himself!

Personally, I love it. Boudreau’s openess, that is. It’s amazing that Boudreau is so up front with what he has encountered along the way.

And how about that Sean Avery guy!? Talk about a real sweetheart! Wonder what Gabby’s players must think of this guy and I wonder how many other coaches have incurred the colorful wrath of Vogue summer-time intern?

Greg Wyshinski, editor-in-chief of the famed Puck Daddy blog on Yahoo, offers up a delightful take on Avery’s thoughts on Boudreau, HERE.

He has a point when he puns that Avery would be great trainer. He is certainly mouthy enough to be a drill sargeant, but how long would anyone last under his “encouragement”?

Every little piece of Bruce’s book that has been released has been very intriguing and has shed a lot of light on one of the most enjoyable characters in all of Hockey. Gabby has been through a lot but is only now reaching the prime of his life in Hockey so it should be interesting to see how the sequel looks a few years down the road.

For details on when and where to get your copy of “Gabby:Confessions of Hockey Lifer”, CLICK HERE.

Stevenhindle@hotmail.com