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!!!!!

Ovechkin Tossed for Boarding Patrick Kaleta

Click here to view the embedded video.

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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Go Caps!!!!!

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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Go Caps!!!!!

- 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

Cody Eakin is the Capitals 3rd round selection from the 2009 draft in Montreal.

Capitals Sign Center Cody Eakin

ARLINGTON, Va., – The Washington Capitals have signed center Cody Eakin, their third-round choice in the 2009 Entry Draft, to a three-year entry-level contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Eakin, 19, is a 5’11”, 180-pound native of Winnepeg, Manitoba, who is in his fourth season with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He has 12 points (nine goals, three assists) in nine games this season, and is Swift Current’s leading goal scorer. He is tied for first in the WHL with five power-play goals and tied for second in the league in overall goals scored.

Eakin recorded 48 points (24 goals, 24 assists) in 54 games for the Broncos last season. He participated in the Capitals’ development camp this summer as well as the team’s rookie and training camps in September.

Steven Hindle

stevenhindle@hotmail.com

The Capitals have scored 26 goals in 7 games while the Nashville Predators have failed to hit the 10 goal mark through 6 games, with only 8. 

Considering that the Predators are barely averaging over 1 goal per game thus far, it’s safe to say that Nashville has some serious offensive issues to solve.

The worst part for Nashville is that they won’t be getting reinforcements tonight. J.P. Dumont has been skating, but is still suffering from post-concussion symptoms and is doubtful for tonight. Dan Hamhuis will also be absent from action tonight at the Verizon Center as he is listed as ‘day to day’ with an ‘upper body’ injury. Cody Franson will replace Hamhuis on the Preds blue line.

The Capitals, on the other hand, are relatively healthy. Washington has some minor injuries to players like Boyd Gordon and John Erskine, both of whom will not be playing tonight but should be ready for Thursday.

Jose Theodore, as most know by now, is ‘day to day’ with back spasms, but according to the coach, is healing nicely and should be good to go by mid-week. Of course back spasms are not the sort of injury that you want to force to heal, so the team will be allowing Jose all the time he needs to get back to 100%. In the meantime, the Caps have called up Braden Holtby from their ECHL affiliate to backup Semyon Varlamov. Varly is going to get whatever starts Jose will miss, likely not giving much ice-time to the Holtby, but I must say that I admire Washington’s plan of bringing up the Caps most recently drafted goaltender to get him more comfortable with the team’s system as well as to give him a taste of how things operate at the NHL level.

Washington, fresh off of laying a 4-1 beating on the reigning President’s Cup winners on Thursday, should have an interesting time with the Predators tonight. Nashville is not a team of big names and headliners, but rather a group of hard-working quality hockey players. They do not have the same flash and dash as the Sharks or the Blackhawks, but are successful due to their work ethic. It would be easy for the Caps to take their foot of the gas pedal tonight against a less intimidating opponent like the Preds, but if they do not follow the same game-plan which saw them handle the Sharks, Nashville could seriously surprise this high-flying Washington squad.

The major factor that will be holding the Preds back tonight has been their lack of offense. Missing Arnott and Dumont will seriously downgrade Nashville’s offense, but don’t expect that to make them any less of a trying opponent tonight.

Although I am unsure as to whether the Caps will be facing Dan Ellis or Pekka Rinne(check out Brandon Felder or Paul McCann’s blogs for updates to Nashville’s lineup), it should pose no problem to the Caps top 6, 3 of which are currently in the top 5 scorers in the league.

One thing to watch out for is Nashville’s stingy defense. Led by Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, the Capitals top line will be facing two of the very best young defenders in the game. Nashville’s saving grace against the Caps tonight may very well be that top pairing as both Weber and Suter will be extremely excited to shutdown Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin.

Despite having scored 26 goals through 7 games, the Capitals have also allowed 22 goals against. This has been Washington’s main issue as they have had trouble shutting down other teams once they gain the lead. With two rookies between the pipes(Varly starting, Holtby backing him up), the Caps should be more enthused to keep the Preds scorers to the outside and will likely play a stronger defensive game.

It is imperative for the Caps to start playing smarter with the lead so expect Boudreau to switch his game-plan up once the team has the lead. Considering offense isn’t something the Capitals worry about, expect the entire team to focus on their defensive systems tonight.

Lineups

Washington Capitals

 Ovechkin-Morrison-Knuble

Laich-Backstrom-Semin

Fehr-Steckel-Clark

Laing-Aucoin-Bradley

*Boyd Gordon did not skate at practice and should not be considered ready to play tonight.

Green-Morrisonn

Poti-Jurcina

Pothier-Sloan

*Erskine participated in practice and may be ready, but will likely sit one more game, just in case.

*Varlamov

Holtby

*Starter

*Holtby won’t see much ice-time as Theo is healing nicely and should be back by mid-week, but I really like how the Caps have handled this situation in bringing up the rookie to give him some exposure at the NHL level. Holtby has a lot going for him and could likely end up as the Caps backup in a season or two as it’s likely that Washington will one day have to make a decision between Varly and Neuvo.

Nashville Predators

Sullivan-Arnott-Hornqvist

Jones-Legwand-Santorelli/Dumont(?)

Erat-Wilson-Ward

Smithson-Goc-Belak

*Dumont remains sidelined with headaches and Jordin Tootoo is out with a Hip Flexor.

*Update: It appears that Ben Guite has been returned to the Preds AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. I am unsure who will replace Guite, but according to <a href= http://www.ontheforecheck.com/>Dirk Hoag of ontheforecheck.com</a>, there is a chance that Cal O’Reilly may get the call.

Weber-Suter

Franson-Klein

Bouillon-Laakso

*Ellis

Rinne

*Starter

To check out more of my breakdown on tonight’s Capitals game versus the Predators, including game notes and more, Click Here.  

Steven Hindle

StevenHindle@hotmail.com

Washignton Capitals Convention

NHL Network Recap of Capitals Convention

stevenhindle@hotmail.com

Where: The Gaylord Convention Center at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md.

Who: Current and former Capitals, including ownership and management

Current and former players highlight this daylong interactive experience

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals will hold their first Capitals Convention on Saturday, Sept. 26 at the Gaylord Convention Center at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. The all-day event will feature the entire 2009-10 Capitals team as well as Capitals alumni, who along with radio and TV personalities, coaches, and team executives will participate in a variety of breakout sessions and panel discussions that will give fans a first-time look at behind-the-scenes operations as well as an insight into the lives of NHL players. There also will be interactive activities for adults and children, a display containing many of the NHL’s most prominent trophies, a locker-room store featuring game-used authentic memorabilia and the team’s annual equipment sale.

“This is a unique opportunity for our organization to engage our fans on a variety of levels,” said Capitals majority owner Ted Leonsis. “It’s an opportunity for our players, coaches, alumni and front office to provide insights as well as the intricacies of our organization and our great sport.”

This will be the first chance for fans to meet the 2009-10 Capitals players as a group. The Sept. 26 festivities begin at 9 a.m. for season-ticket holders and 10 a.m. for the general public and will conclude at 8 p.m. Tickets, priced at $40 for adults and $25 for children 14 and younger, go on sale July 9 to season-ticket holders and July 14 to the general public. There are a limited number of “Golden Tickets” available for $350, which guarantees all player autographs with access to a special fast-pass autograph line and priority seating for panel discussions. Tickets will be available at WashingtonCaps.com.

Panel discussions will feature Leonsis, general manager George McPhee and head coach Bruce Boudreau and will focus on the behind-the-scenes, day-to-day responsibilities of operating a professional hockey club. Additionally, current and former Capitals players will participate in discussions that provide a glimpse of a professional athlete’s life and what they experience during the season.

There will be more than a dozen panel discussions at the convention, and in the near future fans also will be given an opportunity to vote at WashingtonCaps.com on other panels that they would like to see. Current panel discussions, which are subject to change, include:

• Ask the Coaches – Sit down with members of the coaching staff and pick their brains. See what differentiates their roles and responsibilities and how that impacts the team.

 

• Covering the Caps – Ever wondered what it was like to be a reporter covering the Capitals? This session will let fans see what it is like to be a member of the media. Learn what transpires before, during and after games.

 

• Managing the Salary Cap – Negotiating player contracts and managing the nuances of the NHL’s salary cap have profound impacts on every team. Get a look into how assistant general manager Don Fishman deals with these issues.

 

• Caps on the Rise – The Washington Capitals swiftly have ascended to one of the elite teams in the NHL and the architect is general manager George McPhee. Hear the firsthand account from the GM on how the plan came together and what is on the horizon.

  

• Kids-Only Press Conference – Players have to deal with media every day during the season, but this time the Caps are shaking things up and turning the mics over to the kids. In this press-conference atmosphere, kids have free reign to ask Caps players today’s burning questions.

 

• Work in Sports – Panelists from the area’s sports teams will discuss their career paths and advice for those looking to break into the sports business.

 

The day will include player autographs and photos with fans. Breakout sessions will be conducted throughout the day and will demonstrate a variety of hockey skills. The site will feature four interactive rinks, an interactive shooting game, two junior interactive rinks, a convention photo booth where fans can take pictures in a Caps-specific cutout and a penalty box game zone where fans can enjoy bubble hockey, air hockey and hockey video games. Highlights and feature videos will be shown on screens throughout the convention. A silent auction featuring jerseys, pucks and sticks also will be conducted. This will be fans’ first opportunity to purchase 2009-10 merchandise and special Capitals Convention merchandise. Comcast SportsNet is an official media partner of the Capitals Convention.

 

The convention will also include five hockey-related displays for fans to enjoy: a history of the Capitals timeline, a salute to the Original Six clubs, an NHL dressing room, prominent NHL trophies and a timeline of the evolution of hockey equipment.

The Chicago Cubs and later the Blackhawks introduced the convention concept to professional sports and they were met with overwhelming success as fans enjoyed a new and exciting way to interact with the players and organizations. Now the Capitals will provide their unique twist and give fans a full day to immerse themselves in a variety of topics and interactive exhibits.

This highly anticipated event will take place tomorrow and, in what is a clear indication that Caps Nation is certainly growing, the Convention has already been sold out.

stevenhindle@hotmail.com

As of today’s updated roster, I can imagine that the Caps lineup will look something like this:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble
Semin-Morrison-Laich/Flash
Laich/Flash -Steckel-Clark
Bradley-Gordon-Fehr

Extra: Nylander

With Aucoin, Bourque, Giroux, Laing, and Sugden left as the remaining forwards at camp, it’s safe to say that only one of these players will make the Caps.

Keith Aucoin has the ability to be an excellent two-way player who can contribute offensively yet be relied on for his defensive attributes and has likely had the strongest camp out of all the remaining forwards.

Chris Bourque has all the tools to be an NHL’er and may likely be the ultimate candidate to stay. He is injured at the moment and that is hurting his cause, but he is a highly touted Caps prospect on the cusp of earning a full time job. If he cannot make it out of camp it will most likely be due to his injury. If that is the case, Chris will be the 1st call up and likely a player who will play his way onto the team if and when he is called up.

Alex Giroux, he of the golden stick and 75 goals scored in the AHL last season, is ultimately a scoring weapon. Unfortunately for him, this team is beyond stacked with those. Nerves seem to get the better of Giroux when he plays at the NHL level but his touch with the puck cannot be denied. If he can manage to find a way to settle himself down and reach the level of focus that saw him set a scoring record last season in Hershey, there is no reason why he cannot play himself into a top 6 spot. Of course it’s a giant IF for Alex due to his age and his mild performance anxiety, but with a little vigor and some success in the immediate future, he may entice Boudreau to keep him.

Quintan Laing may be the only one of the group who has pre-existing chemistry with his team-mates as well as a soft spot in most Caps fans hearts as the “Human Shot Blocking Machine”. Laing, who has served brief spells with the Caps over the last two seasons has managed to go from an AHL journeyman to a Hershey main-stay and a supreme Washington reservist. This may be the season for him to stick out of training camp as the coaches are more likely to stick with a player who is known to sacrifice his everything for his team and is a defensively focused player. Keeping Laing with the Caps may allow Clark to abandon full-time 3rd role duties and sneak up into the top 6 occasionally, a role that Chris has succeeded in before.

Brandon Sugden is, as oh-so-many have suggested, the Capitals answer to Donald Brashear. Or at least that is what it seemed like tonight in the Capitals pre-season tilt. Sugden took on Brashear twice during the game and demonstrated a pretty solid presence by getting the decision in both bouts. I speculated earlier in the summer that the Caps were in the midst of acquiring an enforcer, yet, despite some not-so-serious conversations having taken place, GMGM held a firm grip on his draft picks. If Sugden makes the team it will not be because of anything other than his presence as an enforcer. After his performance tonight the coaches may very well be considering keeping him to start the season as there does not appear to be another “enforcer-like” player on the team. If they do not keep Sugden, it will be because the staff feels that they are tough enough without him.

As you can tell, the Capitals coaching staff has a rather difficult decision to make when it comes to choosing who will fill out the 13th and final forward position on the Capitals. Of course, many, if not all of the players, will see ice-time as call-ups for the Caps this season, yet it will be the player who sticks out of camp who will likely stay with the team for the year.

It’s a simple decision for the coaches, depending on which direction they want to go.

1. Offense: If they choose this option this likely means that Nylander will absolutely not play and that Flash and Fehr are nowhere near ready to participate fully with the team. The offensive options would be Giroux and Perreault, with an outside shot to Chris Bourque and Keith Aucoin.

2. Defense: Were the coaches to decide that it is help on the bottom 6 that they are seeking, this likely will mean that someone like Jay Beagle or Quintan Laing will get kept.

3. Enforcement: There is clearly only one option here, and that is Brandon Sugden. The much-maligned enforcer has worked extremely hard to get back to where he is today, if he proves that he can make a difference on the ice with his intimidation and afforded protection, than Washington may keep a Tough Guy as their 13th forward.

4. Two-way: The strongest option for the Caps would be the two-way player. That would ultimately leave the Capitals with the choice of Keith Aucoin, who has had a very strong camp, Chris Bourque, who was in the midst of impressing when he was injured, and Alex Giroux, who can score in buckets and is capable defensively.

To find out who I believe will be the last man standing, read more HERE.

stevenhindle@hotmail.com

I would like to introduce all Capital fans, young and old, to a great organization of Caps supporters, the CRC.

The Caps Road Crew is a growing group of die-hard Washington Capital fans that venture out onto the road with the team, providing the Caps with a cheering section wherever they go. Founded by the fans and for the fans, this group welcomes anyone who cares to hit the road and ‘Rock the Red’.

Here is a brief description about the crew, as per their website www.capsroadcrew.com

“The CapsRoadCrew was started in December 2000 by co-founders Jay Brooke and Glenn MacDiarmid. With a love of hockey and the open road, Brooke and MacDiarmid began the Crew with the intention of expanding the base of Caps fans worldwide. Tired of attending games at MCI Center where thousands of fans for teams like the Flyers, Rangers and Penguins crowded the stands, the Crew attempts to fight fire with fire by leading the ever expanding base of Caps fans on adventures near and far. By plane, train, bus or automobile, the CapsRoadCrew will be coming to an arena near you soon!”

With another looming season of high hopes and lots of road trips, I highly recommend any and all Capital fans to jump on board. Here are a couple of the most recent newsletters from the CRC, including their upcoming activities at this weekend’s Capitals Convention as well as the list of their trips for the 2009-10 season:

It’s gonna be a busy week

I apologize for the extra newsletter this month but some urgent last minute business has arisen that could not wait for October. This will be brief, I promise.

On Saturday, the Caps have hooked us up with a vendor table at the Convention! It is a great opportunity to mingle with our fellow fans so please, stop by if you are attending the event. If you need to discuss trip business with me, make a check or cash payment for your trip reservation, or just want to check out our seats for the games, make sure to catch me at Booth #44.

On Sunday, we will have our first table of the season at the home game at Verizon Center. It is awesome to have a presence at the Booth again. We will be located outside Section 400 and again, whether you have trip business to see me about or just want to visit, please stop by.

On Thursday night (10/1), we are still planning to get together at the Greene Turtle on 7th St. While Direct TV and Versus have been fighting it out, the good people at the Turtle have been working around the problem and it seems hopeful that we will have a feed for the game. However, if we cannot get the game, the party will have to be rescheduled. We will know by Wednesday night at the lastest so check our site then if you want to be sure whether the party is still on. CRC

For those of you who missed the details in the last newsletter, here they are again. To kick off the season, we are having a party at the Greene Turtle on F St on October 1st to watch the Caps start the season against the Bruins. We have reserved the private room downstairs with some nice snacks and a cash bar. The first 35 fans to arrive get included in the drawing for the door prizes during the second intermission. Doors open at 5 pm and the game begins at 7. FYI-I will ask you a question at the door. All who answer with, “The Rangers Suck!” get extra tickets for the door prize drawing.

Trip info

Just to give you the latest on the trips, Columbus, St Louis, and Chicago have all sold out and we are taking names for the waitlists. Given that these games are not for some time, I encourage you to get on the waitlist as guests’ plans often change thereby opening up spots for others. Signing up for the waitlist is not a commitment that you’ll attend, just a request to be informed if a space opens up.

Hershey and NJ have space remaining but spots are going very quickly and I expect these trips will sell out soon. We can get as many tickets as we want for Philly so there is plenty of room available but I am hoping to settle on our final count by Halloween so please email me if you are interested. The October newsletter will have news about the tailgate party we’re planning for 11/7 so be sure to check it out. I hope to see you all this week.

GO CAPS!!

Sherri

This season’s trips are ready!

I just wanted to take a moment and give you the skinny on what we’ve got going for the upcoming season. Most of the trips we were hoping to arrange have come together very nicely. All of the details are available on the Trips section of the website but I’ll give you an overview here to get you started.

To begin, we are going to NJ on Sat, November 14th and it will be great getting back to the Rock. We had such a great time last season and it is a beautiful arena. We have nice lower bowl seats again and are expecting to take two buses and 100+ fans. One bus is already half filled and this trip is close at hand so contact me asap to get on board.

Then on Sat, December 5th, we are making our 3rd annual bus trip to Philadelphia for the game vs. the Flyers. We have club seats in Sweet Suite 16 again with the open bar and buffet and are working to get two buses along on this one as well. If you are interested, I encourage you to get in touch with me asap at info@capsroadcrew.com.

It has been discussed for years but we finally decided to put together a bus trip to Hershey this season. We’re heading up to Chocolate Town on Sat, January 16th to see the Bears whomp the Baby Pens at Giant Center. Many Caps fans have requested this trip as the game experience in Hershey is AWESOME and it would be fun to catch it together. The Bears have assured me that our lower bowl tickets are good but there really is not a bad seat in their whole barn.

President’s Day weekend in February has the Caps taking on St. Louis on Sat, February 13th. We have lower bowl seats for this game and the local Caps fans there assure me they are excellent. We have yet to make a visit to the Gateway to the West so this should be exciting. Half of our tickets for this game have already been claimed so please contact me asap if you are interested.

Our last visit to Chicago was far too many years ago so I am really happy to be able to get back there. Their team is good again, their fans are coming out in droves, and the United Center is loud and proud. The game on Sun, March 14th sold out in two hours so getting good lower bowl tickets was a real coup. With this game as well, half of our tickets have already been claimed so please contact me asap to be included.

To wrap up the regular season, we are making a return trek to Columbus for the game on Sat, April 3rd. As usual, we have lower bowl tickets and they are sure to go quickly. The Jackets did not have the cannon for our last visit and I really want to check it out. Now if we can just find a way to get them to fire it when Ovie scores.

I am very happy with the value of our bus trips this season and a large part of that is due to the tremendous efforts of our bus company, Morgan’s Bus Tours. They have been able to keep our costs down and we can’t thank them enough for their assistance and loyalty. They arrange their own trips as well and if the service they provide on their trips is anything like that they have provided to us for 10 years, sign me up now. Take a look at their trip schedule and please consider joining them for any of their exciting “hot trips”. Be sure to mention that we sent you.

GO CAPS!!

We also would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the invaluable assistance we have received from the Caps in preparing for this season. Jim Van Stone, the VP of ticket sales, was instrumental in helping us with contacts for several of our trips out west. If you see him around the Booth, I hope you take the opportunity to thank him. The Caps have also reinstated our tables at the home games this season. We may be upstairs for many games but it is great to have a “home office” at the Booth again. The VW next to the big TV left a little to be desired as a desk.

Party Time!

To kick off the season, we are having a party at the Greene Turtle on F St on October 1st to watch the Caps start the season against the Bruins. We have reserved the private room downstairs with some nice snacks and a cash bar. The first 35 fans to arrive get included in the drawing for the door prizes during the second intermission. Doors open at 5 pm and the game begins at 7. This will be the first of several get-togethers planned for this season including a few pregame cookouts and I hope to see many of our regulars and rookies there.

Take a look at the trip pages at www.capsroadcrew.com for the details on all of our plans this season.

Enjoy the rest of the offseason and I can’t wait to see all of you at the ‘Booth soon.

Sherri

For more information or to become a member of the Caps Road Crew or to subscribe to their newsletter, check out their website: www.capsroadcrew.com

stevenhindle@hotmail.com

Considering the lineup tonight, again no Nylander, one has to wonder when the veteran Swede will get to show if the still has what it takes?

Despite the clarifications by both Boudreau and Nylander that “no bad blood exists,” I still find it hard to believe.

From Nylander’s stand point, he has all the power in this situation. His right to veto any type of move proposed by the Capitals gives him ‘Dany Heatley-esque’ bargaining power. Of course, Nyls isn’t exactly a 50 goal scorer in his prime, but you get what I mean, Nylander is the one who will ultimately decide where Nylander plays.

Except in Washington.

In DC, that honor falls to coach Bruce Boudreau. And from the looks of things, no matter how much leverage Michael may have in deciding where he <i><b>can</b></i> play, as far as the Capitals go, it certainly seems like there isn’t much Nylander can do to get into the lineup.

Now, how long will it take until Nylander cracks and decides he wants to see ice-time? What will it take for him to get a shot on the Caps roster?

Apparently not any time soon.

That leaves Nylander with the option of working out a trade to a destination of his choice.

Ultimately, GM George McPhee, is going to have to settle for a reasonably cheap package of picks or prospects for the veteran play-making center. It is highly unlikely that he will get much more than that.

In my estimation, given the ugly course this situation has taken, there are not many suitors out there for Nylander who will offer up more than a 2^nd rounder or a 3^rd. The 2^nd rounder being on the higher end of what Nylander might fetch, of course.

And that is a brutally honest truth, for both the player and the team.

The cap hit will keep teams away, but eventually someone in Washington is going to give and, with the way that Boudreau continues to shun Nylander from the lineup, it’s likely going to be Michael…

Read more @hockeybuzz.com
 

steven.hindle@hotmail.com

The Caps trimmed their training camp roster by 15 players on Sunday, they were:

• Boyd Kane
• Michael Dubuc
• Joel Broda
• Patrick Wellar
• Zach Miskovic
• Joe Finley
• Anton Gustafsson
• Trevor Bruess
• Jake Hauswirth
• Dylan Yeo
• Vladimir Denisov
• Josh Godfrey
• Ryan Jasinsky
• Todd Ford
• Braden Holtby

Following the 15 cuts, the Caps are now down to 42 skaters at camp. Here is the updated roster:

FORWARDS      

• 20   AUCOIN, Keith                
• 19   BACKSTROM, Nicklas   
• 83   BEAGLE, Jay                   
• 36   BOUCHARD, Francois  
• 56   BOURQUE, Chris           
• 10   BRADLEY, Matt               
• 17   CLARK, Chris                  
• 16   FEHR, Eric                       
• 14   FLEISCHMANN, Tomas           
• 33   GIROUX, Alexandre       
• 63   GORDON, Andrew         
• 15   GORDON, Boyd              
• 61   JOUDREY, Andrew        
• 22   KNUBLE, Mike                
• 21   LAICH, Brooks                
• 53   LAING, Quintin                
• 9      MORRISON, Brendan    
• 92   NYLANDER, Michael     
• 48   OSALA, Oskar                 
• 8      OVECHKIN, Alex            
• 85   PERREAULT, Mathieu   
• 90   PINIZZOTTO, Steve        
• 28   SEMIN, Alexander          
• 39   STECKEL, David            
• 25   SUGDEN, Brandon        
• 57   WILSON, Kyle                 

DEFENSEMEN

• 27   ALZNER, Karl                  
• 74   CARLSON, John             
• 62   COLLINS, Sean              
• 4      ERSKINE, John
• 52   GREEN, Mike                  
• 23   JURCINA, Milan              
• 46   McNEILL, Patrick            
• 26   MORRISONN, Shaone  
• 2      POTHIER, Brian              
• 3      POTI, Tom                        
• 55   SCHULTZ, Jeff               
• 89   SLOAN, Tyler                  

GOALTENDERS

• 31   BACASHIHUA, Jason    
• 30   NEUVIRTH, Michal         
• 60   THEODORE, Jose          
• 40   VARLAMOV, Semyon

Of the 42 remaining in camp, only slightly more than half will get to suit up for tonight’s rematch against the Sabres tonight.

Here is Washington’s lineup for tonight’s game at the Verizon Centeras per Tarik El-Bashir(http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/tonights-lineup-sabres-at-caps-1.html#comments)

Forwards

• Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble
• Giroux-Aucoin-Semin
• Bourque-Beagle-Bradley
• Joudrey-Steckel-A. Gordon

Defense

• Schultz, Erskine, Alzner, Carlson, Green, Collins

Goalies

• Theodore, Bacashihua

stevenhindle@hotmail.com

 All you have to do to earn a spot on defense is out-play John Carlson.

If you can’t do that, he just might steal your spot.

Born in Natick, Massachusetts, but raised in New Jersey, John Carlson is making it very hard for Bruce Boudreau to send him back to the Hershey Bears.

Carlson, the Washington Capitals 1^st Round choice(27^th Overall) in 2008 and the OHL’s second leading scorer among defenseman in 2008-09, has continued to impress the Capitals coaching staff through rookie and into training camp. So much so, that he has been continuously singled out by the coach for his hard work and consistently strong efforts.

John, a 6’3”, 208lb. left handed shooter, spent the majority of the 2008-09 year under the guidance of former Cap legend, Dale Hunter, head coach of the London Knights.

Improving by leaps and bounds, Carlson exploded into an offensive dynamo thanks to Hunter’s systems in London, scoring 16 goals and 60 assists in 59 games for the Knights.

Spending time on the power play with skilled players like John Tavares(Islanders-1^st Overall ‘09) and Nazim Kadri(Leafs-7^th Overall ‘09) helped Carlson develop a skilful transition game and an excellent vision on the ice. John won numerous team awards<b><i>*(see list at bottom)</b></i> with the Knights for his regular season performance and followed it up with another 22 points(7g-15a) in 14 playoff games before being eliminated. Following the Knights elimination from the OHL playoffs in 2009, Carlson was immediately called up to the Bears where he joined Hershey on their way to their 10^th Calder Cup title. John played in 16 playoff games for the Bears, registering a goal and 2 assists in his first taste of professional action.

To say the least, everyone has been impressed by Carlson’s progression over the last season and many in Washington believe they have a top 2 defender in the making.

Considering his continued growth and progress, one has to wonder how long it will take before John breaks onto the Capitals blue line.

For the time being the idea is that Carlson is likely to be the last cut from the Capitals training camp and as a result will start the season as one of the top 2 defenseman in Hershey. Considering he only has one season of OHL experience and but 16 games played at the AHL level, it’s safe to say that he could use some more seasoning in the A before making the jump to NHL.

But what if Carlson continues to out-play some of the other defenseman in camp this September? Is it possible that Carlson could displace someone on the Caps blue line?

Read more @ www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=23095

stevenhindle@hotmail.com

Here is the Capitals pre-sesason schedule:

                            Date | Time | Opponent | Location

• Thurs, Sept. 17 | 7pm | Buffalo Sabres | HSBC Arena, Buffalo
• Sat, Sept. 19 | 8:30pm | Chicago Blackhawks | United Center, Chicago
• Mon, Sept. 21 | 7pm | Buffalo Sabres | Verizon Center, Washington
• Wed, Sept. 23 | 7pm | Chicago Blackhawks | Verizon Center, Washington
• Thurs, Sept. 24 | 7pm | New York Rangers | Madison Square Garden, NY
• Sun, Sept. 27 | 7pm | New York Rangers | Verizon Center, Washington

stevenhindle@hotmail.com