Gameday Thread: Capitals vs. Flyers

You couldn’t ask for a better start to the new season then how the Caps have started.  With the exception of three third period goals by the Maple Leafs on Saturday, the Cap’s first two games have been nearly flawless efforts.  The Caps have scored 10 goals in their first two games, are perfect on the penalty kill, and have had solid goaltending from both Jose Theodore and Semyon Varlamov.  The Cap also boast the leagues top four overall scorers.  Yes, I know we are only two games into the season, but it is still something to point out.  Alex Ovechkin is expected to be at the top.  Backstrom and Semin too.  Brooks Laich?  Not so much.  Brooksy is once again showing why he is one of the most underrated two-way players in the NHL having already collected three goals and doing the dirty work on the PK as well.  The Caps PK is 8 for 8.  The Capitals coaching staff are really taking notice as well.  Despite 3 points by Ovechkin and Semin on Saturday night, Laich was awarded the hard hat given to the team’s most valuable player in the eyes of the coaching staff.  The hard hat is a replica construction hard hat awarded after each game to the player deemed the team’s most valuable in that particular game.  Brooks Laich’s hard work is paying off for him and catapulting him to the top of the team’s future captain list.

Now to the task facing the Caps tonight at Wachovia Center.  The Caps are entering one of their toughest stretch they will face all year.  Their next six games are against opponents who were in the playoffs last year including games against Western Conference powerhouses Detroit and San Jose.  Tonight they face the Flyers who have flown out out of the gate as well starting the season 2-0.  Most surprising is the resurgence of Ray Emery, who two years fell off the NHL map landing in Europe.  He’s back in the NHL and playing like he played when he took the Senators to the Cup finals.  Emery has allowed just one goal in his first two games and has a save percentage of .963 including a shutout.

Also added to the mix is arguably the best defenseman in the game, Chris Pronger.  Pronger was added to an already solid defensive core.  Pronger will bring the broadstreet bully mentality back to Philadelphia.  A big reason why Pronger was brought in was to stymie the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Alex Ovechkin as the Flyers will almost suredly have to cross those player’s paths if they wish to make a run at the Cup.  This will solidify them as a serious threat to win the east.  Add a healthy Simon Gagne and Daniel Briere, the best young captain in the league in Mike Richards, 40 goal man Jeff Carter, and rookie sensation James Van Riemsdyk, you have yourself a perennial contender.

Tonight also marks the return of Mike Knuble to Philadelphia.  It will be Knuble’s first game against his former mates since signing with the Caps over the offseason.  Knuble lead the team in preseason goals (yes, i know preseason means nothing), and chipped in a vintage Knuble goal in the Caps home opener Saturday night against the Leafs.  Facing your former team always adds little extra motivation to perform well so I expect Knuble to see power play time and maybe even a shift or two with Ovechkin and Backstrom.  However, Knuble seems to be clicking well with Brooks Laich and Brendan Morrison on the second line.

Everybody knows how relentless the Flyers faithful can be toward opposing players not to mention their own players.  Will Knuble get booed tonight?  Not at all out of the realm of possibility.

The key to a Caps victory tonight is to remained disciplined and solid play in the defensive zone.  The Flyers are absolutely loaded this year offensively and are a threat to score whether even strength, on the power play, and even short handed.  Flyers lead the league last year with 16 short handed goals.  So although, the Caps hope to shine on the power play, they can’t get cute and too creative.  Keep it simple and they should have success.

The Caps must  stay out of the box.  Even though they are batting a thousand on the PK, slipping behind due to power play goals will make a tough situation even tougher.  Facing the tough defensive corps of the Flyers will make scoring goals even more of premium.

If the Caps remained disciplined and play a physical defensive game they should win.