1) The first things I’ve noticed since arriving in Washington is the city’s overall efficiency and convenience for both residents and visitors. With seemingly every popular attraction accessible from one of the many public Metro stations — for those in Boston, think of it as the DC alternative to the MBTA Subway system, yet a lot cleaner and faster — and a bevy of maps and information booths placed carefully throughout the city, it’s easy for any amateur tourist (like myself) to scope out every nook and cranny of the Capital. Also, another small contraption that I found both interesting and highly valuable is the countdown clock that’s found at each and every Metro stop, letting you know exactly how long you’ll have to wait for your train. This, I’m sure comes in handy on many occasions for commuters traveling to and from the workplace on a daily basis.

2) Submerged within the 400 level of the Verizon Center was where I took in Monday’s game three action in one of the oddest locations for a press box that I’ve ever come across. To put it into perspective, if the gentleman immediately in front of me was to stand up (which he did, far more often that I would have liked) it would severely affect my sight-line. Another adverse affect that comes with being so close to the hoards of screaming fans is having to listen to their loud (and often times profane) comments. While I will admit that it’s possible to hear screaming fans from the Boston press box, it’s far easier and more often done in DC. On the other side of the coin, the Capitals do deserve some credit for providing us with a state-of-the-art media lounge and a bevy of in-game snacking options.

3) Throughout Monday’s game, I had to repeatedly glance up at the countless “Division Champions” banners hanging from the Verizon Center rafters just to make sure I was in the right building. Cheering each and every time, without fail, a member of their beloved Capitals fell to the ice and proceeding to rain down with a chorus of boos upon realizing that there would not be a penalty called, the Caps’ fans make the Verizon Center feel a lot like the Centre Bell up in Montreal. Of course things like this happen in arenas across the NHL, it’s a natural part of being a fan and seeing things through bright red-colored glasses (in Washington’s case). However, Capitals’ fans took things to a whole new level of referee trolling on Monday, even breaking into a “Refs, You Suck” chant on multiple occasions. To be completely honest, it was truly an embarrassing display of fan-hood from all that partook in it. The below video is from 2010 but shows, on a small scale, what exactly I am talking about.

Click here to view the embedded video.

4) If you haven’t already heard, Nicklas Backstrom’s cross-check to the face of Rich Peverley has bought  the Caps’ superstar pivot a one-game suspension. The ruling has DC in an uproar and Capitals’ fans demanding answers. While I have not been able to see Brendan Shanahan’s suspension video, the guess here would be that Backstrom’s match-penalty (and automatic suspension) was upheld simply due to the fact that it was his THIRD cross-checking penalty of the game.

5) After an off-day on Tuesday, the Black and Gold will be back on the ice Wednesday at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, VA. I’ll be sure to provide you all with some insight from there via Twitter and will be back with more tomorrow.

Note: If you’d like to check out some professional quality (I kid, of course) photos from my many stops in DC, you can do so, here.

Thanks For Reading!

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Goal celebrations may be on the decline in the NFL, yet the LA Kings sure seem to be getting into the act. Fresh on the heels of Drew Doughty and Jarret Stoll doing the ‘love tap’ celebration a few weeks ago in Chicago, defenseman Jack Johnson posed for a quick ‘Tebow’ after he found the back of the net vs. the Washington Capitals this week.

“Have some fun while you’re scoring,” Johnson said when asked about it. “I was watching the Broncos game with some buddies that flew in from Michigan and they said that if you score, you have to ‘Tebow’. I said, ‘You’re on!’”

He also said that it was a one time thing and don’t look for him to do it again in the future.

To see video of the goal and his Tebow pose on the ice, click here.

As for the overall game, Johnson went on to say “It’s a great feeling to give our goalie some breathing room finally. They’ve been playing out of this world all year. It’s nice to kind of give them a break here finally.”

The game was also filled with plenty of intensity, something Johnson welcomed – “It’s fun, it’s refreshing to play a team like that. Everyone wants to see new teams and I thought it was a fun hockey game.”

What about that Ovechkin guy? “It’s fun to play against guys like that,” said Johnson. “It’s just as much fun for us to play against him as it is for fans to watch him. He’s a great player and it’s fun to play a team we don’t see very much.”

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It is important to note that both Asham and Beagle agreed to engage in combat at this point.  After the Washington centre tried a few right hooks to Asham’s back, the Pens’ winger straightened up and swiftly connected twice in quick succession with Beagle’s left jaw, bringing Beagle to his knees before he fell to the ice unconscious.  As Asham skated to the penalty box, he made an “It’s over!” motion and then a “sleep” gesture with his hands to accentuate his decisive knockout.

Were Asham’s gestures “classless” as he himself confessed after the game?  Yes.

If a fight ends with both men still conscious and able to skate to the box, then there would be nothing wrong if either fighter swings his arms skyward to fire up the crowd and their respective bench.  However, when one combatant has fallen to the ice with an injury, the “code” must prevail and the victor should simply skate away, satisfied with the win without rubbing it in the face of the loser.  Asham may not have immediately known when he turned his back that Beagle was seriously hurt, but the fact that Asham saw his opponent’s knees buckle and then made the mock-sleeping gesture indicates he knew that Beagle was not getting back up anytime soon.

Should Asham have received more than a standard five-minute fighting major penalty?  Yes.

Under Rule 75.2 (i) of the NHL Rule Book, an unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty “shall be assessed … [if] any identifiable player uses obscene, profane or abusive language or gestures directed at any person.”  Taunting and gestures were an issue the NHL explicitly reviewed and condemned in a video on Rule Enforcement prior to 2010-11.  (Note the throat-slashing gesture by a Calgary player seated in the penalty box at 5:23 of the video).  Asham stepped into unsportsmanlike territory with his post-fight conduct and by the book, should have received a penalty.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Asham was not suspended.  Should he have received supplementary discipline?  No.

In a month-long time-frame that has seen Brendan Shanahan turn on a fire hose of suspensions, one may wonder why Asham was not issued supplemental discipline.  If the guiding principle of most of Shanahan’s decisions so far has been to use lengthy suspensions as a deterrent to dissuade players from recklessly or intentionally causing injuries to others, especially when the head is the principal point of contact, then it is more clear why Asham was able to suit up for the Penguins’ next game.

Asham most certainly delivered a shot to the head of Beagle – two hard ones, actually – but it was not a “head shot” in the current vernacular of the NHL as prohibited by Rule 48 – “Illegal Checking to the Head“.  These were shots to the head occurring in a fair, one-on-one fight, not a head shot delivered with a shoulder or elbow to an unsuspecting player.  Asham was responding to Beagle roughing up Letang and invited the Washington player to fight.  Beagle clearly agreed, or in legalese, gave his verbal consent understanding the benefits and risks of the imminent fisticuffs, and the two squared off.

This was a case of Asham, caught up in the moment of emphatically conquering his opponent, demonstrating poor sportsmanship through a taunting gesture as he turned and skated away.  As distasteful as Asham’s actions were, there really is no solid ground for supplemental discipline here.  Moreover, this fight (or any fight) clearly does not fall into the domain of the debate on checking to the head and resulting concussions.  If it is blood and injuries resulting from fighting that critics find reprehensible, then that is a separate but valid issue. However, despite perennial reports of its demise, fighting is here to stay not because it sells tickets and brings spectators to their feet, but simply because it is the single most tangible act players can use to show solidarity with, and to energize their teammates.

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This space always tries to emphasize reason and context when it comes to analyzing hockey.  Both teams will likely regress to a tight-checking, defensive battle tonight; it would be surprising if Saturday’s outlier game is even remotely repeated in Game 6.  Eight goals scored is a rare feat in any era, in any context – regular season or playoffs.

Still not convinced?  Are there Chicken Littles out there who still believe the Penguins will be zapped mercilessly by Lightning again?  Perhaps a trip in the strangely igloo-shaped, strangely steel-plated, dome-shaped playoff time machine will reassure even the most ardent black and gold Cassandras.  We’ll keep the dial at today’s date, April 25, so that our time machine will travel in a safe, straight line.  After all, Cassandras hate risks.

April 25, 1989: Mario Lemieux tied all kinds of playoff records with a 5-goal, 3-assist, 8 point outburst at Civic Arena.  His game for the ages gave the Pens a wild 10-7 win and a 3-2 series lead over Philadelphia.  Lemieux tied post-season records for goals in one game, goals in one period (4 in the 1st period), points in one game and points in one period (4 goals in the 1st period).

April 25, 1991: Four players who either are or will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame scored one goal each as the Penguins defeated the Capitals 4-1 at Civic Arena to clinch the Patrick Division Final, earning a berth in the Wales Conference Final for the first time in the 24-year history of the franchise.  Ron Francis, Joe Mullen, Jaromir Jagr and Mark Recchi hit the back of the net that night as the Pens moved half-way toward their first Stanley Cup title.

April 25, 1992: All seemed lost when the final horn sounded at Civic Arena that night.  Powerful Washington looked like a lock to beat lifeless Pittsburgh in this rematch series as they jumped out to a 3-1 series lead on the strength of a 7-2 romp.  Does that score seem familiar?  Dino Ciccarelli scored four times for the Caps and all-time enforcer Dale Hunter, who racked up more penalty minutes than any other player in NHL playoff history, delivered a flying elbow into the head of Pens’ pest Ulf Samuelsson.  Few Pittsburghers dared hope that the Pens had any chance of repeating as Stanley Cup champions.  But they rallied.  Two nights later they won the first of three straight games to bounce the stunned Caps.  One month later, they were hoisting the Cup again.

April 25, 2008: Coming off of a sweep over Ottawa in the opening round, the Penguins looked flat against the Rangers in the opener of the second round at Mellon Arena.  Pittsburgh trailed 3-0 before the game was at its midpoint but subsequently scored four straight goals with a pair 14 seconds apart in the second period and a pair 20 seconds apart in the third period.  With the game tied 4-4 late in the third period and the Pens on a power play, Sidney Crosby fired a slap shot from the right circle that deflected off the body of Evgeni Malkin for the game-winning goal.

Click here to view the embedded video.

April 25, 2009: The frenzied din of Philadelphia’s unrelenting orange-clad crowd was surely in the ears of every Penguin as the Flyers built a quick 3-0 lead in Game 6 at Wachovia Center with the possibility of a winner-take-all Game 7 looming as a real possibility.  Penguins’ grinder Maxime Talbot must have been angry at himself after he was stripped of the puck by Mike Richards for the game-opening goal and was burning white-hot when Daniel Briere gave the home side their third goal.  Fifteen seconds after the next faceoff, Talbot convinced Daniel Carcillo to fight and though Talbot lost the scrap, his effort woke up his teammates.  Talbot’s iconic “Shhhhh” gesture to the Philadelphia crowd was the turning point of that game, the series and perhaps, the entire post-season.

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As written previously in this space, condemnation against Lemieux was swift, with some calling him a hypocrite for speaking out against violence in hockey while continuing to employ Matt Cooke, a “dirty” player.  Others wondered why Lemieux chose to speak out at all, implying that owners – even those in the Hall of Fame – should be seen but not heard.  The interesting thing about Lemieux is that over the course of his prolific playing career and his 11 1/2 years as team co-owner, he rarely made or makes comments about anything.

When he does speak out, movers and shakers ignore him – to their peril.  Consider these two examples:

In 2007, Lemieux perceived that city and state officials were stalling on approving plans for a desperately needed new arena.  The Penguins played in Mellon Arena, the league’s oldest facility and a new rink was a mandatory condition for the Penguins to stay in Pittsburgh.  In a risky but cunning move to speed up the process of negotiations, Lemieux reluctantly played the bad guy, threatening to move the team out of Pittsburgh and made a visit on March 1 to visit Kansas City’s unoccupied arena to show he was not joking.

“We are meeting with officials in Kansas City today as part of our effort to explore all of our options regarding a new arena,” Lemieux said in a statement on the team’s website. “We have heard many great things about their new building, which is scheduled to open in time for the start of the 2007-08 NHL season.”

Five days later, as recorded in the Reading Eagle, Lemieux added, ”We have made a single-minded effort to bring this new arena to a successful conclusion and keep the team in Pittsburgh.  Our good-faith efforts have not produced a deal, however, and have only added more anxiety to what we thought at best was a risky proposition for us moving forward … We can do no more.”

The sight of Lemieux in Kansas City surely gave Pittsburgh politicians a heart-attack and a settlement was quickly reached.  Less than two weeks later on March 13, Lemieux famously stood on the ice at Mellon Arena and told fans that he had helped to secure an arena deal that would keep “your Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh where they belong” for at least 30 years.

The second and more memorable example of Lemieux speaking out was in 1992 when he observed a disturbing trend: hockey was falling into the hands of “clutch and grab” players.  On Super Bowl Sunday, January 26, the Pens lost at Washington 6-4.  While pressing for the tying goal late in the third period, Lemieux was hauled down by three Capitals with no penalty call.  Several Pittsburgh players including Lemieux and fellow All Stars Kevin Stevens and Jaromir Jagr exploded and were handed game misconducts with less than one minute to play.

Lemieux lashed out at referees and the NHL after the game and made his still-famous disparaging “garage league” statement.

It was a good hockey game until the referee got into it.  It’s just a disgrace for this game, and as long as we’re going to have people like that, the game’s not going to go anywhere.

We’re not making any progress.  Sometimes they wonder why we can’t get a national TV contract.  It’s because of guys like that.  It’s just a disgrace.

The whole game was frustrating for everybody.  There were probably five or six calls that he (21-year veteran referee Ron Hoggarth) didn’t call when we had good chances to score.  The guy just can’t keep up with us.  It’s real bad…

I think the league’s got to go back and do something about that, too.  We can’t go out there and hook and grab all the time.  It’s a skating game, a passing game.  I think that’s what the fans want to see.

The advantage is to the marginal player now.  They can hook and grab, and the good players can’t do what they’re supposed to do.

I think every team does that.  Anybody can get away with it… That’s the way this garage league is run.

Things got even more frustrating for Lemieux once the playoffs began.  In Game 2 of the Patrick Division Final at New York, Adam Graves of the Rangers slashed and broke Lemieux’s left hand sidelining him indefinitely.  Lemieux later revealed that he contemplated retirement after the injury.  Then as now, his critics ripped him, as if to say, “If you can’t take a little whack, then fine, go home.”  But Lemieux was not calling attention to himself, rather noting that the NHL was quickly becoming a less exciting, less skilled league where grinders were able to run wild at the expense of scorers and playmakers.

He was right.  Slowly, the NHL became a cesspool of obstruction as the 1990s progressed.  Speed and skill were replaced by legalized hooking and holding, praised as the work of “blue collar, lunch pail, hard hatted players”.  Finally, after the 2004-05 lockout, substantial rule changes partially served to expunge “clutch and grab” impediments from the sport that had kept goal-scoring down.  In part, excitement, speed and skill returned to hockey - changes Lemieux had advocated nearly a decade and a half before the amendments and rule changes were implemented.

While normally the Kings don’t see the Eastern Conference teams too often, seven-year pro Dustin Brown has actually played the Washington Capitals every year he’s been in the league except one (2007-08).

Of those six games prior, four had been in Los Angeles. So, Saturday’s contest was a rare chance to get an up close look at Alex Ovechkin on his home ice. And the explosive Russian didn’t exactly lay out the welcome mat, scoring in the opening minutes to put the Capitals up 1-0.

Coming into the game though Brown sounded pumped up when he said “As a player, it’s fun playing the Eastern Conference. You just don’t know the players as well. We play Anaheim, San Jose, Dallas and Phoenix – and we know them so well. They’re huge games (too), but you kinda get a different type of an excitement when you’re playing the Eastern Conference teams.”

Kings tough guy Kevin Westgarth added “They’re another team that’s finding their groove again,” and went on to say “I think the game will be another great test. They’re an incredibly dynamic team. They can do nothing for 45, 55 minutes and all the sudden they’re all over you for the rest and sniping goals. It’s always a danger and it’s always something to look out for.”

So, it shouldn’t have come as a big surprise that the Kings put things on lock down after that early goal and played a very strong game – especially defensively and in net. They ended the game as 4-1 winners.

Additional post game notes:

* Anze Kopitar scored his first goal in 11 games and only his second in 21. He was playing with new linemates, flanked by Michal Handzus on the left and Wayne Simmonds on the right. Having Simmonds by his side wasn’t entirely new, they’ve spent time together over the last few seasons – most notably last year when Justin Williams went down with an injury. Together the line produced two goals and six points vs. the Capitals.

* Jonathan Bernier continued his strong play in net. With the one allowed today, he’s now given up just five goals in his last four starts.  Expect him to start again against vs. Columbus on Wednesday.

* A few weeks back, in an interview here on MayorsManor, Andrei Loktionov seemed to indicate he preferred playing center. Around the same time, coach Terry Murray said he had no plans to move him off Kopitar’s wing. When that changed yesterday it was hard not to imagine Loktionov being a little more than excited. And it paid off today when he scored on Kyle Clifford rebound.

* Jarret Stoll, the only non-European player to score in the game, picked up his second goal in as many games.  And it was a beauty on a two-on-one from Justin Williams.

* Kevin Westgarth had a fight for the second game in a row (pretty much a draw with DJ King) and there’s a good chance he’ll find a dance partner tomorrow and/or in New York.

* Drew Doughty led all Kings players with 24:28 of total ice time, just a few seconds shy of Alexander Ovechkin’s 24:35 for tops in the game.

* Washington’s Mike Green was a minus-3 for the day.

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He still experiences headaches although their intensity has lessened over the past few days.  Additionally, he cannot do any physical activity yet and there remains no target date for him to return to play for the Penguins.  Crosby again emphasized that “[nothing] was missed at all” by team medical staff between the Winter Classic and the game four nights later against Tampa Bay when a face-to-glass hit by defenceman Victor Hedman may have aggravated or induced a concussion.  Crosby reminded everyone that accurate diagnosis is a difficult science noting that “when you’re dealing with these symptoms and the things that go on, it’s pretty tough to find out exactly what’s going on,” adding “there’s a lot of communication” between him and team physician Dr. Charles Burke.

With opinions flooding the blogosphere generated by media and fans on the nature and timing of Crosby’s concussion, it is important to separate wheat from chaff.  A simple review of game tape to draw conclusions – looking in slow-motion at what part of Crosby’s head was struck or how glazed his eyes and how shaky his voice seemed - proves inadequate.  Assessing a concussion and helping an athlete recover safely is still one of the most complex processes in sports and the final word rests with the individual player and team physicians.

Dr. Ian Cohen, a sport physician at the University of Toronto David L. MacIntosh Sport Medicine Clinic, agreed to answer some general questions about concussions and treatment by e-mail last week.  He notes that by definition, “a concussion is considered a post-traumatic disturbance in neurological function.  A head injury or trauma may or may not result in a concussion.  A loss of consciousness is not required to make the diagnosis of a concussion.”

What about the tricky issue of identifying the discrete time at which a concussion occurs?  Can a time lag between the acute concussion-inciting event and the time at which symptoms show up exist?  Remember, Crosby stated that he was not sure whether the Steckel hit or the Hedman hit caused his concussion.  Dr. Cohen states that, “in general, there is an acute awareness of symptoms.  However, if the initial contact is mild and the symptoms are mild relative to the intensity of the athletic intensity, the athlete may not appreciate the concussion symptoms until after the competition.”  Again, this fits with Crosby’s case.  The most acute effect he had to deal with after the first hit was “neck soreness”, a common hockey injury.  Four days later however, he started to feel headaches during the game.

In Prague in 2004, a Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) was developed and put to use by Hockey Canada, the International Olympic Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation as a standardized evaluation method.  There are portions that are to be filled out by an athlete to score their symptoms, leaving open the possibility that they downplay symptoms due to pressure from coaches or themselves to “get back out on the ice”.  Interestingly, from his experience, Dr. Cohen reasons that “athletes occasionally downplay their symptoms but not as the result of pressure from the coach.  It is usually based on their observed experience that other players who admit to symptoms are pulled from play.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Just like last March when Penguins’ left wing Matt Cooke levelled Boston Bruin Marc Savard with an elbow to the head, touching off another firestorm of cries for stiffer penalties for head shots, the NHL is at another watershed moment.  After Cooke’s hit, the general managers’ meetings took place and new rules were implemented to penalize certain types of hits to the head.  Now, with the sport’s best player out of action indefinitely, will the NHL seize the moment to take further action to ensure player safety?

In Canada, a generation of kids have grown up playing minor hockey all the way through major junior and the NHL with the “STOP” program (Safety Towards Other Players) in place, where a red STOP sign is stitched on the back portion of the neck of the jersey to discourage players from checking the head and neck.  Yet at all levels, dangerous hitting clearly still occurs, often causing concussions.  To change the culture of hockey in regards to hitting to the head, Dr. Cohen firmly believes “the NHL has to take the lead.  They have recently made rule changes about side and rear head hits but not hits [to] the face.”

If the NHL truly believes in player safety, then it must amend Rule 48 – “Illegal Checking to the Head” to prohibit front-side hits to the head that can be just as dangerous as blind-side hits.  Players must rethink the age-old maxim that an opponent skating with his head down in open ice “deserves” to be hit in the head.  Yes, he should be hit – but get down lower and hit him shoulder-to-chest, not shoulder-to-head.

Dr. Cohen is hopeful ”that some time in the next 5-7 years there will be a ban on hits to the head.  I think that pressure will continue on the NHL to eventually ban all head shots.  However, there are still a lot of coaches that are opposed to an outright ban and there are legions of Don Cherry fans that the NHL does not want to offend.”

The irony of seeing Cherry’s iconic “thumbs-up” image on the front page of the STOP program website probably brings no humour to Crosby nor Savard, who suffered another concussion on Saturday.  Instead, all who have been beset by concussions patiently wait – for a full recovery, and for the NHL to implement stronger safety measures.

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Immediately last night, the Twittersphere exploded with speculation on the severity of Crosby’s concussion, how many games he will miss and of course, debates over when it happened.  Last Saturday evening during the Winter Classic, Crosby was blindsided in the head by the right shoulder of David Steckel just as the second period was winding up.  Irrespective of whether the hit was intentional or incidental – only Steckel knows for sure – the question that sprang up last night was: did Steckel’s hit cause the concussion?

If so, were the Penguins’ medical and coaching staff absolutely sure that three off-days were enough for Crosby to recover to suit up for Wednesday night’s game against Tampa Bay?  Might it be possible that a fierce competitor like Crosby bent the truth about how he was feeling after the Winter Classic, perhaps downplaying symptoms like headaches, drowsiness, vision disturbances, confusion or balance issues, in an effort to get back on the ice?

Alternatively, it is possible that there may have been a lag in when the concussion symptoms manifested.  When asked directly if Steckel’s hit brought on a concussion in Crosby, Bylsma refuted that possibility and said that the injury occurred during the Wednesday game against the Lightning.  With just over a minute left in the second period, Crosby was hit hard, face first, into the end boards by Tampa Bay defenceman Victor Hedman who drew a boarding minor penalty on the play.  Crosby was visibly shaken after the hit.  Was that the play that caused the concussion?

A cursory examination of statistics from the last two games as a means of trying to determine the exact point at which Crosby suffered his concussion proves inconclusive for one main reason: a small sample size.  If we believe that Steckel’s hit caused Crosby’s concussion, then we would expect to see a trend of decreased performance in the third period on Saturday and throughout Wednesday’s game.  Using faceoffs, a skill requiring sharp hand-eye coordination, focus and balance as an arbitrary bellwether, Crosby won 17 of 30 faceoffs (56.6%) after the Steckel hit, better than his season average of 54.2% entering the Winter Classic.  This is hardly meaningful since this is based on a sample size of just 1 1/3 games.

One might point to the fact that Crosby took only two shots in the entire game on Wednesday and none in the third period (after the Hedman hit).  He also skated only six shifts in the final frame for a total game ice time of 19:03 and took only four faceoffs that period.  His season average ice time per game is 21:55.  Does this point to Hedman’s hit as the causative factor?

Again, a small sample size leaves matters inconclusive.  Also, the game was 7-0 in favour of Pittsburgh after two periods and quite likely Bylsma chose to reduce Crosby’s workload whether he had a concussion or not.  In the NHL, injuries tend to be shrouded in secrecy and we may never find out the exact point when Crosby received his concussion.  What matters is that the franchise player of the Penguins is properly, objectively assessed and given adequate time to rehabilitate – for the sake of his own health.

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The anticipated mano a mano between the two star captains, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, never really materialized.  Ovechkin was -1 and recorded 6 shots, half of them on a flurry early in the second period but also literally fell flat on his face, likely on a patch of bad ice just inside the Pittsburgh zone as he wound up to take a shot.  Ovechkin also appeared to score a goal in the third period but it was immediately waved off after it was ruled he impeded goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury behind the Pittsburgh net.

As for Crosby, he was also kept off the scoresheet, -1 and recorded 5 shots.  In a nervous moment for the Penguins, Crosby stayed down on the ice at the conclusion of the second period after he was accidentally hit in the head by the right shoulder of Caps’ centre David Steckel who had turned to skate up ice after the puck left the Pittsburgh zone.  Crosby’s head was turned in the opposite direction a split-second before he was hit.  He came back out and played regular shifts in the third period.

Both clubs were scoreless in the first period, a trend that has now occurred in three of the five outdoor games.  Quite possibly, the two teams are subconsciously spending much of the opening twenty minutes adapting to the unusual game conditions.  The ice surface looked slick after steady rain fell on Pittsburgh for most of Saturday.  Jordan Staal, making his season debut for the Penguins, immediately made an impact early when he was sent over the boards on the Pens’ first line change and registered a solid hit on Mike Knuble.  He was part of the second group of forwards on the team’s first penalty kill and took away the puck in the defensive zone, then raced up ice to create a scoring chance and got off a shorthanded shot.

In the second, Pittsburgh grabbed early momentum.  After Fleury made several sharp saves on Ovechkin, Kris Letang made a quick breakout pass from in front of his own net off the near boards to a streaking Evgeni Malkin.  The centre got a step on John Erskine and without any deking snapped a precise shot through Washington goaltender Semyon Varlamov’s legs to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.  The Pens gained a power play within the next minute but were unable to take advantage.  Then Max Talbot took an unnecessary interference penalty on Ovechkin and the tide of the game turned in Washington’s favour.

On that power play, the Capitals simplified their strategy and drove the puck to the net rather than attempt precise passing plays due to the unpredictability of the ice.  After a wild scramble in front of the net, Nicklas Backstrom backhanded the puck across the crease behind Fleury.  Mike Knuble, in the middle of the scrum, jabbed between Fleury’s pads and poked the puck across the goal line to tie the game.

From that point, Washington wrested control of the game.  Fehr’s first goal came on a gift from Fleury after the Pens’ netminder went behind his net to play the puck only to lose sight of it at the worst possible moment.  Marcus Johansson pounced and chipped a centering feed to Fehr who buried an easy tap-in to put the Caps up 2-1.

A rare defensive mistake by Penguins’ blueliner Paul Martin finished the scoring mid-way through the final period.  On a give-and-go play by Fehr and Jason Chimera, Martin inexplicably skated towards Chimera, already being watched by defence partner Zbynek Michalek.  Chimera sent the puck back to the middle of the ice and  Fehr, skating ahead of the desperately chasing Martin, cruised through the slot and wristed the puck over Fleury to make it 3-1.

The Capitals’ disallowed goal was offset by a similar play that went against Pittsburgh.  With under a minute left in the second period, Crosby wound up for a shot from the left point that ricocheted off the back of Mike Rupp, skating across the Washington goalmouth, and into the net but the apparent marker was immediately waved off for similar goaltender contact.

The peripheral atmosphere surrounding the game unfolded as expected.  There was tailgating outside the stadium including one Pittsburgher who set up several tables of food and beverage, live bands entertaining the crowd during intermissions and pageantry enveloping the player introductions on a scale similar to college football bowl games that also took place on New Year’s Day.  It was a bit surprising seeing pyrotechnics and drummers aligned parallel to the players’ tunnel when the Penguins and Capitals took the ice, side by side.

But take away the bands, the rain, the 68,111 fans and the bottom line is that Washington, 5-0-1 in their last six games, seems to have dug itself out of a late November, early December rut that saw them lose eight straight.  Meanwhile, since the Penguins edged the Caps in Washington two nights before Christmas, Pittsburgh has dropped three of their last four and their lead in the Eastern Conference has shrunk to just two points over Washington.  Pittsburgh’s next game, back inside the Consol Energy Center on Wednesday against Tampa Bay, will be their forty-first of the season, the exact half-point of the campaign.

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The big news of the day was the official announcement by the Penguins that centre Jordan Staal will make his 2010-11 debut tonight after missing the first 39 games of the season.  A Selke Award finalist last year, Staal was originally injured during the playoffs this past spring when a foot tendon was severed by an errant skate blade.  An infection developed when he was recovering from surgery and he had to undergo subsequent procedures on the foot.  Then on the day he was to return to the lineup on November 3, Staal fractured his hand during the game-day skate at Dallas forcing him to miss 27 more games.  While he will see time tonight with different linemates, Pittsburgh will eventually be able to use Staal as a centre on the second line with Evgeni Malkin on his wing, as was the projected plan before the season started.

Tonight, when we all sit down to watch the Winter Classic, we will be bombarded by all kinds of flowery rhetoric from broadcasters waxing rhapsodically about “hockey returning to its roots”, “players remembering playing as kids on frozen ponds”, “Elysian Fields”, “Camelot”, “Valhalla Ice”, on and on and on.  Simply put however, seeing the north shoreline of Pittsburgh lit up by city lights and Heinz field glowing in the darkness will cause this writer to react in the same way that James Earl Jones’ cynical character did in Field of Dreams when he sees the baseball field under the lights for the first time – with grateful appreciation.

Yes, in the end, this is an important regular season game for both clubs but there is still something irregular and special – as I wrote back in the summer, hard to put into words – about seeing a hockey rink under the lights.

Yesterday morning, the Penguins – Capitals Alumni Game brought back a flood of memories.  Seeing Mario Lemieux proudly skate onto Pittsburgh ice for a game was definitely a high point of the year in hockey.  As always, Lemieux played a significant part in the proceedings.  He assisted on the game’s first goal by Rob Brown then assisted on a power play goal that gave the Pens a late 5-4 lead.  It looked like he garnered a third assist shortly after when he dangled with the puck on the left-wing boards before passing to Larry Murphy whose point shot entered the Washington net.  However the goal was called back for goalie interference.  Caps’ alumni captain Peter Bondra rifled a shot from the slot with 45 seconds left to tie the game 5-5.

Unfortunately, the game ended in a tie; no overtime or shootout was staged.  Throughout the Alumni Game, all I could think of was that long ago hockey cards, now collecting dust in my parents’ house, were coming back to life for one day.  There was Dennis Maruk, sans moustache, skating for Washington.  I vividly remember back in fourth grade, holding an O-Pee-Chee hockey card of Maruk sporting a garish Minnesota North Star jersey.  Maruk has the distinction of being the last player to skate in the NHL who was drafted and played for the defunct California Golden Seals.  He also still holds the single-season points record for the Capitals franchise.

There was John Druce of the Caps, forever associated with one magical spring in 1990.  Druce had scored only 16 goals in 93 career games up to that point but in the playoffs, he exploded for 14 goals in 15 games to lead all scorers after only three rounds as Washington made its first ever trip to the Wales Conference Final where they were swept by Boston.  The player who eventually passed Druce with 16 goals, the most scored by one man in the 1990 playoffs was …

… Craig Simpson, also on the Heinz Field ice yesterday for the Alumni Game.  Simpson was the Pens’ first-round draft choice in 1985 and went on to become a 50-goal scorer with Edmonton after he was traded to the Oilers in 1987 for …

… defence great Paul Coffey, also a member of the Penguins’ Alumni yesterday.  Coffey had the distinction of quarterbacking the Edmonton offence during their domination in the mid-1980s, winning three Stanley Cups, then added another championship when he joined the Penguins.  As a fourth-grader, I gave myself a fake tattoo, using a ballpoint pen to write “Paul Coffey #77″ on my left forearm, turning the “y” into a hockey stick motif.

… Michal Pivonka, Don Beaupre, Peter Bondra, Sylvain Cote … all 1990s-era Capitals and guys the Penguins gave nightmares to when Pittsburgh eliminated Washington in the playoffs of 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000 and 2001.

Yet in the end, the Marquee Alumnus was Lemieux.  Most fans know about his well-chronicled on-ice achievements and perseverance, constantly battling back from chronic injuries and of course, cancer.  But his legacy off the ice, especially what he means to the city of Pittsburgh, might be just as significant.  Never mind the hosting of a Winter Classic or an Alumni Game, but having any NHL hockey in the city is directly a result of Lemieux.  He rescued the franchise out of bankruptcy in 1999, returned to the ice in 2000 to revitalize the team, then worked several more years to secure funding for a necessary new arena that prevented the team from leaving town.

His style as an owner, allowing the hockey operations and coaching staff to run the club, avoiding the temptation of using his clout to interfere in daily decisions, in part, allowed the Penguins to add a third Stanley Cup in 2009.  The Consol Energy Center which opened this autumn, is another monument to Lemieux’s work.

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This is not to say that every other Penguin is an aimless “regular black bull” wandering to and fro until buttressed forward by their captain golden bull.  If a half-season team MVP were to be selected right now, strong cases could be made for rejuvenated goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and for the Penguins’ team defence - third-best in the league at even strength and best in the NHL on the penalty kill.

However, like it or not, Crosby has rightfully taken over the headlines with his extraordinary play this season.  In the lead up to the Winter Classic this Saturday, many fans continue to vent their spleen over how much they hate the man.  “Crosby has been jammed down our throats by the NHL for six seasons”, they bray.  Some express dismay that the Penguins will be the first team to play in two outdoor New Year’s Day games since the first one in 2008.  Still others roll their eyes at the supposed “Crosby over-saturation” this month stemming from the HBO 24/7 series that takes a look at the Penguins and Capitals behind the scenes.

Yet in the end, these are criticisms that should be directed towards the marketing department of the NHL and various media.  Crosby does not control how the league markets him nor does he have creative influence over HBO.  Instead, he has simply concentrated on the game, playing the best hockey of his career, willing and carrying his club to the top perch of the league as the calendar gets set to turn over.

On Long Island last night, the Pens lost 2-1 in a shootout to the Islanders and Crosby was held off the scoresheet despite playing 26:16, his second-highest ice time this season, snapping his consecutive point-scoring streak at 25 games.  He was last held without a point in a 5-2 loss in Dallas on November 3, a night that included a scrap with Matt Niskanen.  Two nights later, Crosby scored two goals in Anaheim and started tearing a strip through the NHL, or as retired ex-teammate Bill Guerin called it, an “assault” on the league.  In those 25 games, Crosby scored 26 goals and 24 assists for 50 points – a 2 point per game pace – and he was +21.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Unsurprisingly, he has soared into the lead in goals, points, even-strength goals, goals per game and points per game.  He is second in assists, +/- and power play goals.  More importantly, he has played all 39 of Pittsburgh’s scheduled games this season after constantly battling groin injuries over the past few years.  The middle portion of Crosby’s streak featured a more important streak: Pittsburgh won 12 conseutive games, vaulting back into the top-tier of NHL clubs.

Indeed, none of Crosby’s individual excellence would matter one bit if he did not help to improve the play of his teammates.  Clearly, he has.  An article in Pittsburgh Magazine described how defenceman Kris Letang, likely a first-time All Star this season, is a beneficiary of Crosby’s play and dedication to practice.  Also, viewers who tuned into Episode 3 of HBO 24/7 yesterday will remember two scenes where Crosby verbally gave detailed technical advice to teammates to help them strategize during their game with the Capitals in Washington.

In the dressing room during the first intermission, Crosby patiently and clearly describes where he wants Evgeni Malkin to go on the ice in given situations then later, on the bench during the shootout, Crosby brings the goalie’s tendencies to Chris Kunitz’ attention to help him figure out the best move to make while head coach Dan Bylsma looks on with an approving, avuncular smile.

Crosby, for all the attention – unwanted or wanted – lavished on him, has truly raised his play up into the thin air of the hyperbolesphere and even the media are struggling to catch up and invent new phrases to describe it.  On Tuesday, when Crosby split the Atlanta defence to score the game-tying goal, Penguins Radio broadcaster Mike Lange, as always, struck the right note when he simply said, “Sidney Crosby: doing the magical things that he does …”

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Last evening in Ottawa, with the Senators leading Pittsburgh 3-0 late in the third period and the streak in jeopardy, Crosby scored his 30th goal of the season with 3:22 left to extend his streak to 24 straight games with at least one point but still less than half way to Gretzky’s record set in 1983-84.  “It’s hard to imagine somebody watching Wayne Gretzky play every night and kind of expecting that after 40 games, expecting a 41st, 42nd and so on,” Crosby marvelled during today’s conference call.

“It’s incredible to think he did that over the course of 51 games.  I can’t even imagine it really.  I think people were in for quite a treat when they witnessed that.  The last couple weeks I’ve probably realized or felt a little bit more attention towards it but I can’t imagine what that was like.”

At 23, Crosby already possesses an outstanding CV and his ongoing point-scoring streak is yet another achievement that requires its own line.  One of Crosby’s most memorable achievements was his shootout winning goal during the 2008 Winter Classic in Buffalo when he pushed the puck through a driving mid-afternoon blizzard before going five-hole on Ryan Miller.  Recalling the less-than-ideal weather that day and after considering various forecasts that call for rain and warm temperatures this Saturday in Pittsburgh, Crosby was nonetheless eager and thankful for the opportunity to participate in this season’s Winter Classic at Heinz Field.

“The [potentially poor weather] is something you have to expect to deal with.  To be honest, I think both teams will be the first to tell you that no matter what the conditions or the stoppages, that we’re both happy to be in that game.  That’s something that is a possibility but it’s not something that is unusual for a game like that, so that’s to be expected.  I don’t think you’re going to hear any complaints.  We expect to deal with that,” Crosby reasoned.

“If anything, we just cross our fingers and hope that all the conditions are well just more for the crew that work on the ice too because they’re not going to have an easy job.  I think whatever happens, whatever the forecast is, whatever the weather is, we’re just happy to be in that game so everyone will be fine and I don’t think you’ll hear any complaints.”

Crosby continued to elaborate on his anticipation for participating in a second Winter Classic saying the novelty of playing outdoors a second time is not taken for granted.  “I don’t think the feeling of playing outside – a National Hockey League game against a big rival - that feeling, never wears off.  I think we all feel lucky to be in the game and for some of us who have played in one already, it’s another opportunity to be part of a pretty unique event.  The fact that we have it here in Pittsburgh against a rival and it’s become such a big event, I think we all just feel lucky to be a part of it.”

With Episode 3 of HBO 24/7: Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic set to air this Wednesday, Crosby acknowledged that the first two segments of the documentary have been generally good for the game of hockey.  “I think they’ve done a great job.  People are getting a look at things that they’ve never seen before: close-ups at meetings, on the bench, what’s going on on the ice, travel.  You’re really getting a pretty unique perspective on what it’s like with our teams.  That’s pretty neat.  So I think it’s been really great and people enjoy it.”

He also believes the rivalry between the Pens and Caps has “grown and with good reason.  You look at the playoffs and the games we’ve played the last few years.  It’s pretty easy to build a rivalry: they’re intense, they’re physical and they’ve been really close games.  I think it’s a pretty natural progression as far as the two teams are concerned.  Both teams bring out the best in one another and that seemed to be pretty common in the matchups throughout the last few years.”

Crosby finished by saying he would be a fan on New Year’s Eve when the Pittsburgh – Washington alumni game takes place, an event that he plans to attend.  “It’s always fun to meet former players.  Probably the most fun is seeing them get together.  A lot of the guys played together and to see them interact and hear stories from when they played, it’s pretty neat to see.”

No doubt, on New Year’s Day, fans will be watching Crosby with rapt attention as he looks to add another memorable moment to his overflowing list of achievements.

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Alex Ovechkin set the tone on his first shift when he made his patented bee-line towards the end boards to catch a player rounding the net.  He thunderously connected with fellow Russian Evgeni Malkin then turned around and hit Pittsburgh blueliner Zbynek Michalek.  Later, Penguins’ defenceman Brooks Orpik delivered one of his game-high nine hits on Alex Semin, leaving Semin doubled over in pain as he slowly skated back to the bench without his stick.

A parade of Penguins marched to the penalty box resulting in six Washington power plays including a combined 4:51 of 5-on-3 and 4-on-3 time.  The Capitals hammered away, outshooting the Penguins 12-3 on power plays.  Yet Fleury evoked memories of Game 7 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Final early in the game when he coolly kept Washington off the scoreboard despite facing five shots on a 4-on-3 Caps’ power play.  As a team, the Pittsburgh penalty killers lived up to their top-ranked status, turning away all but the final Washington man-advantage opportunity.  Mike Green scored from point-blank range one second after Pittsburgh killed off the first minor of Washington’s last 5-on-3 chance to knot the score 1-1 at 13:43 of the second period.

With the spotlight shining on hockey’s two superstars and respective team captains, Sidney Crosby made his statement shortly after Ovechkin’s big hits.  As the clock wound down on the early 4-on-3 situation, Crosby carried the puck through centre as boos rained down on him from the Verizon Center crowd.  He passed to a trailing Evgeni Malkin who had just emerged from the penalty box.  As Malkin circled around the Washington net, Crosby moved up to the side of the crease.  Malkin passed to defenceman Kris Letang who fired a pass at Crosby’s stick.  With unparalleled hand-eye coordination, Crosby somehow deflected the puck behind Neuvirth with the heel of his stick to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

Where Sundin stood after 23 games of his 30 game consecutive point scoring streak and for comparison, Crosby’s current totals.

The score stayed 1-0 after Malkin, hooked by Green, was stopped by Neuvirth on an early second period penalty shot.  With one period left in regulation, Crosby led his teammates to quickly reestablish the lead.  Seventeen seconds into the third period, Chris Kunitz swept a backhand shot underneath Neuvirth to make it 2-1 Pittsburgh.  The play was created when Crosby, double-teamed, one-handed a centering pass in front of the net, just before he circled around the cage.

With 6:35 left, Washington centre Mathieu Perreault committed a hooking minor and Pittsburgh went on their fifth power play looking to ice the game.  Yet credit the Caps’ penalty killers for turning in an equally solid effort and turning the tables on the Penguins.  Not only were they perfect on every PK, but Mike Knuble scored a well-deserved shorthanded goal when he picked off a weak D to D pass attempt by Alex Goligoski at the Washington blue line.  Brooks Laich skated into the Pittsburgh zone with the puck then passed to Knuble who went five-hole to tie the game 2-2.

Yet the story of the night was Fleury.  The Pittsburgh netminder refused to wilt in the crucible of Washington, stopping 32 of 34 shots in regulation and overtime plus the final 6 of 7 shootout chances he faced.  No save was bigger than his sprawling grab at the goal line on Green 2:25 into overtime.  After Green pinched in and circled in the far corner, he deked around Letang and put another move on Fleury.  Green attempted to tuck a forehand try along the ice into the net but Fleury reached back with his trapper to preserve the tie at the last instant.  After video review, referee Kelly Sutherland declared, “there is no evidence that the puck completely crossed the line; the call on the ice stands – no goal.”

Unsurprisingly, Fleury was named first star of the contest.  With the win, the Penguins gave themselves an early Christmas gift, moving back atop the overall NHL standings.  They are the first club to reach both 24 wins and 50 points and they lead Philadelphia by 1 point in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings (though the Flyers have one game in hand).  Lost in the drama of the game, second star Crosby extended his consecutive point scoring streak to 23 games, the longest stretch since Mats Sundin, then with the Quebec Nordiques, recorded at least one point in the first 30 games of the 1992-93 season.

Pittsburgh will next play on Sunday, December 26 in Ottawa, Boxing Day in Canada.  Yet after last night’s spellbinding overture performed by the Penguins and Capitals, hockey fans everywhere can be forgiven if the holiday that they are anticipating is New Year’s Day, when the two teams will meet again at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh for the Winter Classic.

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One positive aspect of HBO’s production that was immediately evident was that there would be no holding back on their promise of ”all-access” to the inner workings of two hockey clubs.  We are given a dressing room seat to hear coaches talk and access to frank discussions between coach and GM.  Many viewers probably noticed Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma’s almost symbolic gesture of pushing the door open for the trailing camera crew as he headed into the dressing room for his pre-game address, as if to say, “Come in; you’re welcome to hear a coach’s last words before the opening puck drop.”  Later, Bylsma and GM Ray Shero talk openly about the recent shortcomings of Matt Cooke while they review player performance according to a systematic grading system.

With everything going wrong for the Capitals, we witness a prolonged, F-word laced tirade from Washington coach Bruce Boudreau during an intermission and later, a tense exchange between Boudreau and GM George McPhee.  After Mike Green heads off the ice during a practice with a possibly damaged MCL, Boudreau says, “I think Mike’s out for sure.”  McPhee responds incredulously, “Is it his knees? … Was it bothering him during the game?” implying that Boudreau should have held the player back to prevent exacerbation of an injury.

In the segment highlighting the Pens’ win over Toronto, there were two revealing moments about fighting in hockey.  First, after Pittsburgh defenceman Deryk Engelland finishes his scrap with Leafs’ bruiser Colton Orr, we discover how quickly and matter-of-factly fighters like Engelland are patched up.  He heads straight to the trainer’s room, where the cameras zoom in on some stitches that close up a wound around Engelland’s eye before he bounds off the table ready for more action.  Then in the dressing room, we see the reverence teams show toward their fighters when Bylsma acknowledges Engelland’s scrap, nodding respectfully as all the Penguins clap.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In contrast, in the Capitals’ inner sanctum, an anxious Boudreau struggles to come up with the right things to say to shake his club out of their prolonged losing streak.   There seems to be a palpable sense of frustrating urgency and desperation surrounding Washington at this time as the Capitals sink and the Penguins surge.  Boudreau’s possible discomfort or irritation at the added scrutiny brought on by the extra camera crew is clear in his first comments when he notes that “HBO is here” and talks about how the Penguins are probably “laughing and joking” during their win streak.

Further, Capitals’ owner Ted Leonsis gives off a hint of anxiety when he talks about how pro sport’s inherent “binary model of success and failure is … daunting” and the need for Washington to win a Stanley Cup because “Pittsburgh has already won theirs”.  Perhaps the most unintentionally humourous and revealing scene of the pressure surrounding Washington’s recent skid comes when a young girl at a public skating event hosted by the Capitals, skates up to Nicklas Backstrom and says, “You’ve lost two in a row … you’ve lost two in a row” while Backstrom sheepishly agrees that his team has to get better.

Unfortunately, episode one did not reveal how coaches and players on the Penguins deal with losses or how coaches and players on the Capitals celebrate wins, though this is not the fault of HBO.  The two teams have simply been on opposing streaks.  Additionally, there were no segments highlighting Penguins’ owner Mario Lemieux.  The Hall of Famer was seen for a split second applauding a Pittsburgh goal in the first ten minutes but was not seen or heard from for the rest of the episode.  Not much was revealed about the staid Sidney Crosby either, besides his choice of on-plane video games and his respect for Bylsma as a “positive” coach.

Similarly, his rival star Ovechkin, generally known as a happy-go-lucky free spirit, comes off as brooding – understandable, given the Caps’ extended stretch of losing – but as team captain he does not say much in the dressing room that might fire up his teammates or shake them out of their doldrums.  It is a telling point that while Crosby’s locker stall in the Penguins’ dressing room is located in the centre where he can command the attention of his mates, Ovechkin’s stall is right by a door.  Hopefully episode two will reveal more of Ovechkin’s lighter side and show more of the Capitals’ non-hockey “team-bonding” events similar to the scenes in episode one of Pittsburgh team dinners, hotel pranks and Christmas party.

Overall, HBO should be commended for a solid introduction.  There was enough “inside information” to whet the appetite of any long-time hockey watcher and enough human-interest material showing the off-ice lives of certain players to appeal to novice or casual hockey fans.  The next episode will air Wednesday, December 22, 2010 at 10 pm EST on HBO.

While Bruins goalie Tim Thomas did not participate in this morning’s optional morning skate, he is expected to get the nod from head coach Claude Julian. After defeating the Sabres 5-2 Wednesday night, Thomas will look to notch 8^th straight victory at the expense of Ovechkin and co.

In net for the Capitals will be October’s NHL Rookie Of The Month, Michael Neuvirth according to the Washington Post’s Capitals Insider Blog. The young netminder started one of the two games vs Boston, but was pulled after allowing two goals on seven shots—while battling the flu.

The Bruins D-corps have completely shut down Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin in both games so far this season. Limiting the Russian winger to only 13 shots and a minus-3 rating in both games combined. Though, tonight “Ovie” will have help as offensive-minded defenseman Mike Green will be in the line-up for the first time against Boston this year.

Projected Lines:

Bruins

Forwards
Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Jordan Caron-Patrice Bergeron-Mark Recchi
Blake Wheeler-Tyler Seguin-Michael Ryder
Brad Marchand-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Defense
Zdeno Chara-Andrew Ference
Mark Stuart- Dennis Seidenberg
Matt Hunwick-Adam McQuaid

Goalies
Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask

Capitals

Forwards
Alex Ovechkin-Nicklas Backstrom-Alexander Semin
Brooks Laich-Tomas Fleischmann-Mike Knuble
Jason Chimera-Boyd Gordon-Eric Fehr
Matt Hendricks-David Steckel-Matt Bradley

Defense
Jeff Schultz-Mike Green
John Carlson-Karl Alzner
John Erskine-Tyler Sloan

Goalies
Michal Neuvirth
Braden Holtby

Who To Watch For:

Gregory Campbell – The 4^th line center, Campbell, is certainly a wild-card pick of who to watch for tonight. With that being said, Claude Julian seems to have a large amount of confidence in the 4^th line as he has started nearly every game with this unit on the ice.

Campbell, who was acquired along with Nathan Horton in the Dennis Wideman deal last summer, has two fighting majors since donning the black and gold. Both have come against Matt Hendricks of the Capitals, once in a pre-season bout, then again on Oct.19^th in Washington.

Tonight both players will be in the line-up once again, so look for Campbell and Hendricks to settle the score as this game provides them with the proverbial “rubber match”.

The Puck Drops At 7:00PM EST on NESN(TV) and 98.5 The Sports Hub (Radio)

Bruins Video Of The Day:

Click here to view the embedded video.

In this installment I am going to look back on the following games:

10/19/10 vs. Washington Capitals – Bruins win 3-1

10/21/10 vs. Washington Capitals – Bruins win 4-1

10/23/10 vs. New York Rangers – Bruins lose 3-2

Blake Wheeler’s Improved Play – The prototypical “punching bag” for B’s fans across the region since the woeful Dennis Wideman left town in the off-season. Wheeler has been placed on the hot seat to perform this year after a disappointing sophomore campaign.

Blake Wheeler Warms Up Before The Bruins Game vs The Rangers Saturday - Photo Credit Alison Foley

While the 6-foot-5-inch winger showed his offensive prowess in his rookie season putting up an impressive 21 goals and 24 assists for 45 points, he seems to have remained stagnant in his development. Now, don’t get me twisted here, as Wheeler has improved tremendously in other facets of the game, notably his defensive play and penalty killing.

It has been a long time coming, but it seems as though former 5^th overall draft pick is finally learning to utilize his size in his game. Also, it looks that head coach Claude Julian and Wheeler have finally found his niche, penalty killer. Wheeler’s SH TOI (shorthanded time-on-ice) has nearly doubled since the team’s first game of the season as he found himself on the ice on the shorthand for 2:40 against New York on Saturday. Obviously, the young forward has come into his own on the PK, with three notable plays in the neutral zone that lead to two scoring chances and an extended shift in the offensive zone. It’s also worth mentioning that Blake’s defensive play; most noticeably his back-check has greatly improved as well.

An Intimidating, Consistent First Line – The Freight Line, The HLK line etc, call them what you want but most notably they are the Boston Bruins first line. Consisting of Milan Lucic, David Krejci and Nathan Horton, the Bruins have a formidable top line for the first time since Lucic – Savard – Kessel in 2008-2009. Combining for a staggering 9 goals and 13 assists for 22 points in their first six games together they have been nothing but impressive.

Former Florida Panther Nathan Horton is in the midst of a six game point streak largely due to the playmaking abilities of David Krejci, and of course raw talent. Horton has utilized one of the quickest shot releases in hockey to amount 5 goals in his first six games wearing the Spoked-B.

The ever-popular Milan Lucic has also found great success skating with the likes of Horton and Krejci. In only six games, Lucic has tallied 1/3 of his goal total from last year with 3 pucks in the back of the net so far this season. Also, the young power-forward’s hands have continued to improve, indicated by his three assists through six games as well.

Lastly, there is play-making sorcerer David Krejci, the glue that makes the top line stick. Known throughout his career as a master passer, Krejci has taken full advantage of his talented flanks with as many assists as he’s played games (6). Krejci gave a taste of what’s to come the rest of this season with an absolutely flawless, gorgeous, beautiful, insert adjective, no-look, behind the back assist to Nathan Horton in the slot as seen at 2:48 of this clip.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If this last week of play is any indicator, all three player’s individual skill-sets have meshed beautifully, bringing fans to the edge of their seats every time they take the ice for a shift.

Tim Thomas: Re-fueled and Rejuvenated – Coming off a rather deflating season, (compared to his Vezina winning 08-09 campaign) Tim Thomas has once again won the hearts of Bruins fans. Getting off to an incredible start Thomas has allowed only three goals in four starts and boasts a 0.75 Goals Against Average.

The traveled net-minder underwent hip surgery in the offseason and looks to have returned to Vezina worthy form based on this past weeks worth of starts. Thomas has been very sharp in net minus one mental slip up vs. the Capitals Thursday night where he cleared a puck from the slot directly to a Cap allowing for an easy empty net goal.

If Thomas continues his high level of play, and the upstart Tuukka Rask can mimic his performance from last season the Bruins will find themselves with one of the best 1-2 goalie punches in the league.

Click here to view the embedded video.

BONUS – Bruins Lose Johnny Boychuk – News spilled out late on Sunday night confirming the Bruins fears, after being slashed by Brandon Dubinsky vs the Rangers Saturday, up-and-coming blueliner Johnny Boychuk will miss up to 4 weeks.

It was revealed that Boychuk has suffered a slightly fractured ulna in his left arm, thankfully the bone was not fully displaced, negating the need for surgery.

As it stands, Adam McQuaid is the 7^th defenseman on the Bruins roster, as a right-handed shot with a physical style of play, expect him to take over for Boychuk. As far as who comes up from the Providence Bruins? Well many are predicting that NCAA’er turned AHL’er Matt Bartkowski will get the call, though camp standout Steve Kampfer is another possibility.

That’s all for this week’s edition of the “Bruins Week That Was”, thanks for reading and make sure to check back next week!

Tonight the club will skate on the home ice in a purposeful game for the first time since their mind-numbing choke in Game 7 on May, 14^th to the Philadelphia Flyers. As if that was not enough, the B’s have a rematch with the now vengeful Washington Capitals whom they defeated 3-1 only two days ago.

Projected Lines:

Boston Bruins
Forwards
Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Jordan Caron-Patrice Bergeron-Blake Wheeler
Mark Recchi-Tyler Seguin-Michael Ryder
Shawn Thornton-Gregory Campbell-Brad Marchand

Defense
Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Mark Stuart- Dennis Seidenberg
Andrew Ference-Matt Hunwick

Goalies
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Scratches: Daniel Paille, Brian McGrattan, Adam McQuaid

Washington Capitals
Forwards
Alex Ovechkin-Nicklas Backstrom-Mike Knuble
Brooks Laich- Marcus Johansson -Alexander Semin
Jason Chimera-Tomas Fleischmann-Eric Fehr
Matt Hendricks-David Steckel-D.J. King

Defense
Jeff Schultz-Karl Alzner
Tom Poti-Tyler Sloan
John Erskine-John Carlson

Goalies

Semyon Varlamov

Michal Neuvirth

Scratches: Matt Bradley, Boyd Gordon, Mike Green

Bruins Game Notes:

- Once again Nathan Horton had a strong performance last game, continuing the former 3^rd overall pick’s point streak, tonight he will look to extend the streak to five games.

- After three straight impressive starts for Tim Thomas, head coach Claude Julian will turn to young-sensation Tuukka Rask in net tonight. It will be interesting to see how the Finnish netminder performs after being peppered for five goals (mainly due to poor defense) in his first start of the year.

- Bruins star pivot Patrice Bergeron is still looking for his first goal of the season. Coming incredibly close with a few chances Tuesday night vs Washington (including an ENG miss) Bergeron should be hungry to hit the twine in front of the home crowd tonight.

Who To Watch For:

Milan Lucic – Coming onto tonight with three goals (3G, 2A, 5pts, +3) Lucic should be fired up with the Garden crowd behind him. After notching his 2^nd career “Gordie Howe Hat Trick” (G, A and a fight in a single game) on Tuesday in Washington look for the young power-forward to drive hard to net on the Caps defense.

The puck drops at 7:00PM EST on NESN(HD) in New England.

Bruins Video of the Day:

Last year’s opening night video

Click here to view the embedded video.

With two or more games in hand on every team above them in the standings, the Bruins will look to take both games from the Caps this week and that all starts tonight in Washington. The hot-handed Tim Thomas will lead the B’s into Washington where he will look to get his third win of the season after allowing only one goal in two starts so far.

Projected Lines:

Boston Bruins
Forwards
Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Jordan Caron-Patrice Bergeron-Blake Wheeler
Mark Recchi-Tyler Seguin-Michael Ryder
Shawn Thornton-Gregory Campbell-Brad Marchand

Defense
Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Mark Stuart- Dennis Seidenberg
Andrew Ference-Matt Hunwick

Goalies
Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask

Washington Capitals
Forwards
Alex Ovechkin-Nicklas Backstrom-Mike Knuble
Brooks Laich-Tomas Fleischmann-Alexander Semin
Jason Chimera-Marcus Johansson-Eric Fehr
Matt Hendricks-David Steckel-Boyd Gordon/D.J. King

Defense
Jeff Schultz-Karl Alzner
Tom Poti-Tyler Sloan
John Erskine-John Carlson

Goalies
Michal Neuvirth
Semyon Varlamov

Bruins Game Notes

-       New guy in town Nathan Horton, currently leads the Bruins with five points (3-2) and is looking to extend his three game point streak in Washington this evening

-       Tim Thomas will be making his third straight start tonight, only allowing one goal through six periods of play this season, it will be interesting to see how Thomas fairs against arguably the best offense in the league

-       With Capitals enforcer DJ King possibly in the line-up, look for Shawn Thornton to drop the mitts at some point during the contest

Who To Watch For?

Nathan Horton – Dazzling Bruins fans with his scoring finish in the first three games, Horton will look to extend his three game point streak tonight. Evident over these first three contests is his ability to create plays, as well as his astounding ability to get a shot off from anywhere in the offensive zone. While Milan Lucic has cleared the way for Horton and Krejci so far this season, look for the former 3^rd overall pick to step up and put the puck behind Michal Neuvirth tonight.

The puck drops live at 7:30PM EST on Versus [National Broadcast]

Bruins Youtube Video Of The Day:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to “BostonBsProductions” on Youtube!

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The shock waves of what happened that day resonated up to Canada as well.  Out of the sorrow, confusion and chaos, the town of Gander, Newfoundland astonishingly welcomed nearly 6,500 passengers on 37 planes from around the world that were diverted to its international airport due to the closing of U.S. airspace.  Gander citizens opened their homes, schools and community centres to house and feed the shocked passengers for half a week, giving them temporary relief until they were allowed to reach their final destination.

In a cynical time when it appeared that petty differences over economic and trade policies were threatening to unwind the historically friendly U.S. – Canada relationship, the commendable citizens of Gander, without hesitation, reached out to help Americans in their hour of need.  It is likely that if the roles were reversed, American communities would have reciprocally demonstrated a spirit of charity, unity and solidarity with their northern neighbours.

The world of sports, so often viewed as a beacon of diversion in trying times, was not insulated from the events of September 11.  While Major League Baseball and the National Football League both postponed their schedules for one week, the National Hockey League mourned the loss of two of its members.  Garnet “Ace” Bailey, 53, and Mark Bavis, 31, were passengers on board United Airlines Flight 175 departing from Boston’s Logan Airport, heading to Los Angeles on the morning of September 11, 2001, when their plane was overtaken by the terrorists and used to strike the south building of the World Trade Center.

A lifetime hockey man, Bailey had completed seven seasons as director of pro scouting for the Los Angeles Kings after thirteen years as an advance scout for Edmonton.  The Oilers won five Stanley Cups partly based on the knowledge of the opposition imparted by Bailey.  The Lloydminster, Saskatchewan native skated as a forward during his playing career, winning two Cups with Boston in 1970 and 1972.  Bavis, from Roslindale, Massachusetts, also worked for the Kings and had completed one year as an amateur scout after playing and coaching college hockey in the Boston area.

The Kings immediately donated funds to assist the relief efforts and for families of New York emergency workers.  Also, two memorial foundations were established to honour Bailey and Bavis.  Earlier today, a horse named “Aces Mark” as a tribute to the two men, originally purchased by several NHL scouts and Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville, raced at Belmont Park in New York.

On the off-season contract negotiations: “It was pretty frustrating at first, not knowing where you’re going to be, but once the deal was done, I was pretty excited.”

Off-season Training

Cam talks about meeting up with his teammates in Saint Louis to practice skating and stay in shape during the off-season.

Teammates

“Our young guys are going to be really good this year…Boy, I tell you what, we’re going to have a damn good team.”

Acquisition of Jaroslav Halak

While Halak dazzled hockey fans in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, Cam points out that the young net minder has yet to fully prove himself in the league. He also talks about the departure of Chris Mason.

Loss of Keith Tkachuk

Cam talks about what it was like playing with Keith Tkachuk and his invaluable leadership qualities: “Walt is an unbelievable guy. He was a great guy in the locker room. He was a father figure, he was a leader, he was our coach, he was everything put together. We loved the guy and he is going to be missed.”

DJ King

Discussing what it was like having to split time with DJ King and what their off-ice relationship was like.

Coach Davis Payne

Relationship with head coach Davis Payne and how Payne’s knowledge of the game from a player’s perspective has benefited Cam so far.

Prospects

Cam keeps in contact with the younger players down in Peoria fighting for a spot on the NHL team and is excited to see who wins out. He also talks about his connection to fellow-Saint Louis native Phil McRae.

Home Woes

For whatever reason, the Blues were unable to win games at home last season. However, the players have put that in the past and are ready to dominate Scottrade Center this season.

Baseball Brawls

Did you know that Washington Nationals’ outfielder Nyjer Morgan actually played hockey in the WHL with Saint Louis Blues defenseman Barret Jackman? For those of you who don’t follow baseball or haven’t seen/read/heard any sort of baseball-related news, Morgan has had a recent streak of absurd behavior.  Here’s a rundown of what’s happened:

1. Threw ball at heckler in the stands

2. Went out of his way to bump Cardinals’ back-up catcher Brian Anderson when he didn’t even have the ball.

3. Trucked the Florida Marlins catcher, dislocating his shoulder.

4. After getting thrown at in retaliation for injuring the Marlins’ catcher, Morgan stole 2nd and 3rd base with his team down by 11 runs (you don’t do that).

5. In response to Morgan’s actions the night before, Marlins pitcher Alex Sanabia threw behind the young outfielder. Morgan dropped his bat and charged the mound where he was clothes-lined by Marlins’ first baseman Gaby Sanchez.

The Penguins' official website had some interesting things to say (top panel) about Pascal Dupuis early Tuesday evening. By midnight, the dubious ownership of the Penguins was erased and hockey-relevant (bottom panel) information was inserted.

In a five to ten second span on Monday evening during the middle of the second period at Detroit, a sequence by the surging Red Wings in the Penguins’ zone stood out as a microcosm of the problems plaguing Pittsburgh over its past seven games.  Henrik Zetterberg took a pass in the far circle from Nicklas Lidstrom, shook off Sergei Gonchar, then started cutting towards the slot.  Suddenly, Todd Bertuzzi back-skated to the lip of the goal crease and set his 6’3″ 245 lb. frame as a screen.  Sidney Crosby, 5’11″ 200 lb., standing in front of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, was unable to dislodge the bigger Bertuzzi.  Zetterberg fired a backhand shot from the slot and continued to the net.  Before Mark Eaton and Mike Rupp of the Penguins could get to the loose puck, Zetterberg pounced on his own rebound and deposited the biscuit into the net.  Fleury never had a chance to make the stop due to Bertuzzi’s screen and the inability of the Penguins to move him away to give Fleury an unobstructed view of the puck.

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Quite frankly, watching the Penguins’ skaters either unable to clear bodies from in front of Fleury or giving up clear breakaway chances has become a common, painful sight during the past two weeks.  The Penguins started off the month of March 4-0-0 but since the afternoon of that fourth straight win, have posted a mediocre record of 2-3-2.  Unfortunately, two of the regulation time losses occurred at New Jersey and the Devils, winners over Columbus last night, have posted a 5-2-1 record during the same time span and find themselves back atop the Atlantic Division with 90 points – the same number as Pittsburgh – but with one less game played.

The Penguins have deviated from three basic “Hockey 101″ concepts.  First, defencemen must be more cautious, look up and weigh the risk before making cross-ice passes in the neutral zone.  Second, both forwards and defencemen must do a better job of making life difficult for opposing forwards attempting to establish screens in the low slot and goal crease area.  Finally, the Penguins have to be more physically aggressive in the offensive zone by creating traffic in front of the opposing goal to block the goalie’s vision, to prepare for second-chance shots off rebounds and to get ready to make deflections of shots.

When Alexei Ponikarovsky was acquired at the trade deadline, he was expected to be a net-front presence and he has performed mostly as advertised, scoring two goals and four assists in nine games as a Penguin.  Earlier in the season during a stretch when the power play was starving for goals, Cooke was designated to be the man to stand in front of the net.  The pesky winger was reasonably effective in that position and it will be necessary for either Cooke or whichever teammates the coaching staff tab, to reprise that role, willing to pay the physically punishing price to generate more scoring chances for the Penguins.

One player I think should be used more often on the top forward lines simply due to his imposing build is Mike Rupp.  Coach Dan Bylsma has previously experimented with using Rupp on Crosby’s line.  I thought it was a creative, logical idea then and I would like to see it tried again.  However, a Chris Kunitz-Crosby-Rupp trio would displace 19-goal scorer Pascal Dupuis from the first line and lead to multiple repercussions.  I will properly leave the nuts and bolts of forward combinations to the coaches but continue to advocate for nightly traffic jams in front of the enemy net.

This evening at Washington, it does not get any easier.  While many in the media will trot out the tired “Crosby vs. Ovechkin” phrase to lead off their stories, the bigger issue for the Pens will be whether they can consolidate their skills in all the areas mentioned above and continue to receive exemplary work from the penalty killers.  The Pittsburgh penalty kill has shot up to third best in the NHL on the road and they will need to be sharp against the Capitals’ top-ranked power play.  One man to watch in particular will be Jordan Leopold, also acquired in advance of the deadline, who the Penguins intimated was brought in specifically to help contain Ovechkin and the relentless Washington attack.

Watching Monday night’s game against Detroit, I couldn’t help but think back to the underrated contributions of big Hal Gill.  The 6’7″ 241 lb. defenceman, now with Montreal, was often derided for his “wet-cement”-like skating and his poor puck-handling ability but his skill at clearing out opponents who tried to block or harrass Fleury, was unquestioned.  Who can forget Gill laying down the law to Sean Avery in the 2008 playoffs or flicking aside Jeff Carter to prevent rebound scoring chances in 2009?  Despite their smaller stature relative to the towering Gill, the Penguins’ 2010 defence corps must play with the same mentality as Gill and work just as hard at making life easier for Fleury.

There aren’t many games remaining for the Penguins to see where they stand relative to other legitimate Cup contenders before the playoffs start.  Tonight’s game will most certainly be a good comparison and like Monday night, will continue to give us a better idea of what we will likely see from the Penguins come April 14.

Let the obvious be known that the Washington Capitals are the most potent offensive team in the NHL.  They rank first in power play percentage, goals scored, and power play goals scored.  The issue remains as to whether they will be able to win the close games in the playoffs.  A year ago, the Capitals defense was exploited continually by the likes of Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal as the Caps lacked the answer for them in front of the net.  The front of the net was a safe haven, or so it seemed.  The Capitals still lack the shut-down defenseman so coveted.

And what about strength up the middle?  Opponents are clicking at 21% on the power play against the Caps this season.  This places the Caps 25th in the league on the penalty kill.  The Caps could really use a rugged center who is able to kill penalties.  A player who isn’t afraid to mix it up a bit.  Steve Ott comes to mind. 

The experiment of placing Tomas Fleischmann at center seems to have fizzled.  After playing mostly on the left wing on either the second or third line, coach Boudreau experimented with placing Flash at center due to Brendan Morrison’s struggles.  Well Flash has just 3 goals in his last 20 games.  Not so good.  So as it stands, it wouldn’t classify any of the Caps’ four centerman as fitting the need of a rugged penalty killing center. 

So what is it going to take to make a deal to acquire one of the Caps’ most pressing needs?  The Caps are loaded with talent and assets.  Some of which could potentially be expendable without hampering the Caps’ run at a Cup.  That is, if the we get viable commodities in return.  It goes beyond the usual names of Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin, and Green. 

In my opinion these players provide both value and upside for potential suitors.

Eric Fehr: The Winkler, Manitoba native is a big body.  Coming in at 6’4 212lbs.  Drafted by the Caps in the first round of the 2003 entry draft, Fehr was a scoring machine with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL.  Fehr enjoyed back-t0-back 50+ goal seasons.  The Caps immediately took notice.  Despite the scoring numbers in Junior, Fehr has been somewhat of an enigma since joining the Caps.  Fehr was hampered by injuries early on but has remained relatively healthy over the last two years.  Fehr has 15 goals and 29 point this current NHL season.  Fehr is still looking for the offensive prowess he had when entering the league.  But Fehr contributes in other ways that are of near equal importance.  He is big body that isn’t afraid of the high traffic areas.  This was a major concern for the Caps; their lack of a big body presence.  Along with Mike Knuble and Brooks Laich, Fehr is taking on that role very effectively.  He has great hands and is a great forechecker.  Great for a team needing a third line winger who can contribute offensively.  Fehr will be a restricted free agent, but is a great value as he is owed only $179,000 the rest of the season.

Tomas Fleischmann: Despite the aforementioned three goals in 20 games stat,Fleischmann is still on pace for career high offensive numbers.  Although Flash missed the first monthof the season with a blood clot, Flash will eclipse the 20 goal plateau in the near future having already scored 18.  The Czech olympian has shown versatility playing on both the wing and at center.  Flash was able to find some great chemistry with Brooks Laich and Alex Semin on the second line.  Flash is a more skilled player than Fehr but lacks the size and toughness of Fehr.  Flash does deserve some credit in terms of durability as he has played in 75 and 73 games in the last two seasons with the Capitals.  Being a restricted free agent, Mcphee could be willing to part with Flash if the deal is right.  The difficult part will be convincing Bruce Boudreau who has been quite vocal over the years about his affinity for Tomas Fleischmann.  Not sure what Flash did to get on the coach’s good side like he did, but he should probably keep it up.

Jose Theodore: With the emergence of Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth, Jose Theodore’s days in Washington are already numbered.  As an unrestricted free agent and bank note worth $5 million, Theo will not be returning next year.  Jose has shown signs of brilliance during his time in Washington, as well as signs of pure amateurism.  Jose was just never able to put together a long stretch of above average goaltending.  But lets not throw Jose to the dogs just yet.  When Theodore was showing signs of brilliance, he was in fact brilliant.  The game against the Red Wings comes to mind.  A 45 save performance leading to a win the Caps had no business getting.  Theodore does have 20 wins on the season and a .906 save percentage.  With solid defensive play in front, he can still be an effective goalie.  A team either looking for some veteran leadership or relying on a young goaltender (kinda like the Caps), could find Theo attractive.  Theodore’s bulbous contract could be a potential roadblock, but remember that Theo is unrestricted at the end of the year.  He could potentially be rental for the playoffs.  Ultimately, I think Theodore will remain a Cap for the reasons just mentioned.  He is veteran leader who is nice backup to a pair of young netminders.  Experience in the playoffs is invaluable.

The trade deadline is less than a week away.  With the Olympic roster freeze coming to a close there will be a mad dash to the finish.  Is George McPhee content withthe team he has?  Last year us Caps fans saw the trade deadline come and go with no moves made.  Will McPhee repeat this?  McPhee has made it clear he is not interested in renting players for a playoff run and is not willing to part with top prospects. 

If Caps management was to make a move using current roster players, who do you think is the most likely to be moved?

Ryan Miller made 35 saves against the league-leading Washington offense, and recorded his 16th career shutout. That also ties him with Phoenix’s goalie for the most shutouts this year, with 4. Jose Theodore was Washington’s netminder, as Simeon Varlamov was injured prior to the game’s start.

The game was evenly matched in every aspect of the game besides the scoreboard. Both the Sabres and Capitals had good offensive rushes and great defensive breakups. A few unlucky breaks for Washington’s Ovechkin and others kept the game scoreless for the Capitals, and the Sabres were led by Miller’s heroics between the pipes.

Buffalo started scoring in the first period with defenseman Steve Montador ripping a shot from near the blue line and past Jose Theodore to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

Nathan Gerbe of the Sabres’ AHL affiliate Portland (ME) Pirates was called up for the game against Washington, and soon left his mark. Gerbe, drafted in 2005, scored his first NHL goal tonight in the second period,  banking the puck off of Theodore and into the Capitals net. The celebration that ensued was fit for such an occasion.

The Sabres’ final tally came from Henrik Tallinder also in the second period, and gave Buffalo the 3-0 lead that would remain through a scoreless third period and be the final score.

The Sabres’ offense was out-shot 28 to 35, again exposing the problem that faces this Buffalo squad: generating offensive opportunities and putting shots on goal. Granted, the test against Washington tonight was incredibly hard, but overall, the Sabres’ offensive statistics are far from stellar, and many of the W’s that Buffalo owns are thanks to brilliant goaltending by Ryan Miller.

The Sabres are ranked 20th in the league, scoring only 74 goals in 28 games, with an average of about 2 and a half goals scored per game. However, Buffalo is a league-leader in goals allowed, only 62- tied with 1st and 2nd place New Jersey and Chicago.

While the offense did its job this game, the team cannot continue to rely on the defense to carry them. The offense must ignite, and sooner and rather than later.

Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin was quick to write off the loss: “They just played solidly defensively…But I think we didn’t play our game at all. We didn’t get the puck in deep, and we didn’t control the offensive blue line. I had a couple of chances, especially in the first period, but I just missed the puck and missed the net. It happens.”

Sabres’ head coach Lindy Ruff was pleased with Buffalo’s effort, stating that ”Our guys did a heck of a job playing the highest scoring team in the league. We took a lot of ice away from (their) key personnel. There was a lot to like with the way we defended.”

With the 2 earned points, Buffalo recaptures the Northeast Division lead and the #3 spot in the Eastern Conference, behind (1) Washington and (2) New Jersey.

The Sabres’ last game of their home stand is Friday, when Buffalo native Pat Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks visit HSBC Arena.

source for quotes: http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2009020442

Anaheim Ducks- For a team that was so hot in the playoffs last year, the Quackers have really cooled down heading into 2009. They’re currently 4-6-2 and last in the Pacific Division. How much did the loss of Chris Pronger hurt Anaheim?

Atlanta Thrashers- Netminder Pavelec has been stellar so far. Very impressive 50-save effort to beat the Senators in their last game. Kovulchuk is also doing well so far, and Atlanta is simply just chugging along. 5-4-1, 3rd in the Southeast Division.

Boston Bruins- Some are worried that the Bruins aren’t doing as well as last year, but one has to remember that the Bruins are also injury-stricken right now. Right now they’re hurting, but they’ll be stronger once Savard and Lucic come back. They are also getting stiff competition within their division from both Ottawa and Buffalo. 6-6-1, 3rd in the Northeast Division.

Buffalo Sabres- Currently the owners of the best record in the NHL (in terms of W/L/T, not points or GP), the Sabres have stunned some critics and pleased others, with an 8-2-1 record. Goalie Ryan Miller holds a Top-5 spot in all stat-aspects of goaltending, and rookie Tyler Myers has just been locked up for 3 years. Currently 1st in the Northeast Division, and 3rd in the Eastern Conference. It should be noted that they have only played 11 games.

Calgary Flames- Have already been labeled as Canada’s best bet for winning a Stanley Cup. Currently with a 7-4-1 record and 2nd in the Northwest.

Carolina Hurricanes- No team has been as big a disappointment as the Hurricanes, save for maybe the Maple Leafs. I’m hurting for these fans in Raleigh. What happened? How can the team that challenged the Penguins in the 2009 ECF fall so far? Carolina currently has a 2-8-3 record, a whopping 7 points, and are 1 point away from being the worst in the league. Some say that Paul Maurice’s days behind the Hurricanes bench are numbered. I might agree.

Chicago Blackhawks- Starting off the season as win a few, lose one or two, the Blackhawks are still looking to hit their stride and really take charge of their division and conference. I’ve seen several blogs and articles that have predicted Chicago to make a deep run to the Stanley Cup. They’re currently 8-4-1 and on top of the Central Division.

Colorado Avalanche- Currently the most surprising team in the league…I mean, honestly- who expected them to have a 10-2-2 record? I’ll be honest, I sure didn’t. Hockey fans in Denver are loving it, and at the same time hoping that this is the status quo and that the roof won’t cave in. Memories of last year’s cellar-dweller finish still remain. Currently first in their Northwest Division and the Western Conference.

Columbus Blue Jackets- Heading into this season following their first-ever postseason appearance, the Jackets are looking to keep Ohio on the hockey map. Mason needs a repeat performance of last year to help this squad along. They’re 7-5-1, good for 2nd place in the Central Division and 2 points behind Chicago.

Dallas Stars- Okay, this is where this blog starts to get boring. I don’t know much about the Stars. All I can say is that they are 6-3-5, and are tied with NYI for the most games pushed to OT. Those 5 points are the reason they’re 6th in the Western Conference. The team is looking at Marty Turco to lead them, but they’re currently 4th in the Pacific Division.

Detroit Red Wings- On the bubble, either on their way to another Stanley Cup postseason or ready to fall from prominence. The loss of Marian Hossa is hurting them, along with several other key injuries, like Flippula. 5-4-3,  3rd in the Central Division and 11th in the Conference. Fans in the Motor City are hoping they turn it around, pronto.

Edmonton Oilers- Another team that I haven’t been following that much…but from what I can surmise by looking at the stats, it seems like the Oil are another team that is just chugging along and doing just fine, thank you very much. A 7-6-1 record is good for 3rd in the Northwest Division, and 9th in the Western Conference.

Florida Panthers- I still believe that there is a huge gap in their roster following the departure of Jay Bouwmeester. After threatening to make the postseason last year, the squad from Sunrise is sitting low with a 4-7-1 record, and 4th in the Southeast Division.

Los Angeles Kings- Another surprise team, although I cannot say that I am shocked to see them where they are. The management has been investing in young talent for years, and now they’re reaping the rewards. Veterans like Smyth and Scuderi have helped steer the youngsters, and it seems that successful hockey is back in the City and Angels. They are 8-4-2, 3rd in the (all of a sudden) competitive Pacific Division and 5th in the Western Conference.

Minnesota Wild- They failed to make the playoffs last year, and are hoping to change that this year. However, they are currently last in the Western Conference and have a 5-9-0 record, their most recent win a 2-1 victory at Pittsburgh (I was in attendance, it was a great game). It’s another team that I don’t know much about, but it doesn’t take an expert to see that something is awry in St. Paul.

Montreal Canadiens- The big chemistry experiment is still underway in Montreal, and so far has yielded so-so results. The Habs just came off a 5-4 SO win over rival Toronto, and have not lost in an OT/SO yet. They’re playing .500 hockey with a 7-7-0 record, and every fan is waiting for the day the team comes together. 3rd in the Northeast,  and 7th in the Conference. They have the talent, so what’s keeping them behind?

Nashville Predators- I only watched one game of the Preds’ this year, against Buffalo. It was a 1-0 game, in Buffalo’s favor, but it also was a goalie duel. The two teams seemed very evenly matched, but aside from that I am inexperienced with Nashville hockey. They’re 6-6-1, and 4th in the Central Division.

New Jersey Devils- Currently 8-4-0, and picking up where they left off last year. After being eliminated by Carolina in Game 7 last year, New Jersey is playing hockey with a vengeance, and were the 2nd team to beat division-foe Pittsburgh this season. I am still unsure about Marty Brodeur- some say he’s at his best, some say he’s past his prime. In either case, goaltending is clearly the Devils’ strong point with Brodeur and Clemmensen. They’re 3rd in the highly-competitive Atlantic Division.

New York Islanders- Financial struggles, a bleak future, a crumbling arena…and a #1 draft pick that is tearing it up. Sometimes I feel as if the league is watching the Isles, and secretly hoping they rebound. Me? I absolutely do. They have one of the best histories in the league, loyal fans, and it would be a shame for them to move…but aside from that, they’re currently on the rebound and climbing out of the cellar with 4-4-5 record and a current 3-game winning streak. They’re still last in the Atlantic Division, but 10th in the Conference.

New York Rangers- After one of the hottest starts in the league, the Blueshirts have cooled down recently. Fans are enjoying Tortorella behind the bench and it seems as if the Rangers have things back in order. Lundqvist can steal games, and he just did by blanking the Bruins 1-0 in their lastest game. They’re 9-5-1 and 2nd in the Atlantic Division, 4th in the Eastern.

Ottawa Senators- Another team that I do not follow…at all…despite the fact that they’re in the same division as my Sabres. I do know that some people still believe that they’re hurting without Dany Heatley, but Alex Kovalev has added some spark to the Sens. They are currently sitting 2nd in the Northeast, 6th in the Eastern Conference, and have a 6-4-2 record thus far.

Philadelphia Flyers- Have the Broad Street Bullies returned? Philly fans like to think so. Adding Chris Pronger from Anaheim seemed to be a blockbuster move for the Flyers, but their current 6-4-1 record is disproportionate to what fans were expecting. Personally, I don’t think Philadelphia has anything to worry about, and I have seen several predictions that place the Stanley Cup in the City of Brotherly Love. They’re 4th in the Atlantic, 8th in the East.

Phoenix Coyotes- This is a team that I am so glad is doing well. If any team needs to win and in a hurry, it’s the Coyotes. Shane Doan continues to be the heart and soul of the team, and the ‘Yotes boasts one of the best netminders currently in the league- Ilya Bryzgalov. I sincerely hope the Coyotes keep their winnings ways alive- they are 9-4-0, 2nd in the Pacific and 4th in the West.

Pittsburgh Penguins- The reigning Stanley Cup Champions completed one of the hottest starts in NHL history, and currently sit on top of their division, conference, and the league with an 11-3-0 record. The Penguins’ Goligoski has the best +/- rating in the league with a +12. The Penguins are looking to return to the Stanley Cup Final, and are on pace to do just that.

San Jose Sharks- After a winning the President’s Cup in 2009 and being eliminated in the first round by the rival Ducks, San Jose is another team that is playing hockey with a vendetta. After a slow start, they have won 5 in a row and currently boast a 10-4-1 record, good for 2nd in the Western Conference and the top spot in the Pacific Division. Was acquiring Dany Heatley the final piece in the puzzle?

St. Louis Blues- Off to a rough start in October, they’re sitting 5-6-1 and last in the Central Division. They’re hoping to make it back to the playoffs, but won’t do so if they continue the un-inspired play that’s been plaguing the Blues bench. Another team that I have to watch more of.

Tampa Bay Lightning- A painful season last year has made some Bolts faithful weary, but Tampa Bay is banking on rookie Hedman to inspire the team and fanbase. Tampa Bay is a confusing team, because they have top-notch talent in St. Louis and Lecavalier, but nothing to show for it.  They have a very mediocre 4-3-4 record, and sit 2nd in the Southeast Division, 8 pts behind leader Washington. So the big question is, what is wrong in Hockey Bay, USA?

Toronto Maple Leafs- Now, this is where it gets embarrassing. I predicted that the Leafs would be the team to watch in 2009-2010, and while there is still a chance that might happen, right now things are not looking good. I thought the additions of Komisarek and Gustavsson would have sparked this team. Off to one of the worst starts in team history (and let’s not forget, they’re original 6 so that’s a crap-ton of history), the fans are finally getting sick and tired of sky-high prices and cellar-dweller performance. GM Brian Burke better think on his toes, because the Leafs’ 1-7-4 record is downright embarrassing, and ticket sales are starting to show it. They’re currently last in their division, conference, and the league.

Vancouver Canucks- Also believed to be Canada’s second chance at winning the Stanley Cup. They’re in a tight spot right know with Luongo injured, but their offensive prowess makes up for the loss. Right now they are playing .500 hockey, a 7-7-0 record- the same as the Canadiens. I personally believe that the Canucks will eventually hit their stride at start winning at GM Place- the only question is, when?

Washington Capitals- Looking at another return to the postseason, and their October has proved to be successful. They are banking on Ovechkin to be the rally point for this team and currently are 8-2-4, good for first place in the weak Southeast division and 2nd in the Eastern Conference.

The current standings for the Conferences, and if the Playoffs started today, who would go:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Pittsburgh, 2. Washington, 3. Buffalo, 4. New York Rangers, 5. New Jersey, 6. Ottawa, 7. Montreal, 8. Philadelphia

9.Boston, 10. New York Islanders, 11. Tampa Bay, 12. Atlanta, 13. Florida, 14. Carolina, 15. Toronto

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Colorado, 2. San Jose, 3. Chicago, 4. Phoenix, 5. Los Angeles, 6. Dallas, 7. Calgary, 8. Columbus

9. Edmonton, 10. Vancouver, 11. Detroit, 12. Nashville, 13. St. Louis, 14. Anaheim, 15. Minnesota

That’s October in a nutshell. I tried to not insult any team (although in some cases, it cannot be helped), in an effort to avoid any anger towards me. If anyone has comments or questions, please leave them. Here’s to another exciting month of NHL hockey!

Oct. 6 Capitals v. Flyers
The Caps will be flying right out of the gate…..pun intended. It is a rare occurrence to see the Caps take on the Flyers this early in a season. This budding rivalry will take on a very different look this year. Flyers made a big time addition in Chris Pronger which was without question a move to hamper the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin. After all, if the Flyers hope to make a run to the finals they will most likely have to meet one or two of those players in a playoff series. This game also marks the return of Mike Knuble to Philadelphia. He was loved by the Philly fans but we all know that Philly fans have memories of about 5 minutes. What have you done for me lately?

Nov. 17 Capitals v. Rangers
Not to much difficulty is making this pick. This will also be the second meeting between these two teams, but the first in the big apple. Still fresh in the minds of Rangers fans is last year’s playoff series in which the Rangers squandered a 3-1 series lead. This team is vastly improved in my opinion from last year. Plenty of player movement included acquiring oft-injured sniper Marion Gaborik, Ales Kotilik, Chris Higgins, and now former Cap Donald Brashear. Leaving the Rangers was Scott Gomez who was traded to Montreal. Scoring should be improved for the Rangers and they have the best goalie in the world; Henkrik Lundqvist

Jan. 21 Capitals v. Penguins
It would be an understatement to say that the Capitals are still bitter about how last season ended.  Brooks Laich has gone on record as saying it feels like it happened yesterday.  No excuse losing a game 7 at home, but that is exactly what happened. Oh yeah, and it was in blowout fashion. This game will be the first of four between this bitter rivalry. Ovechkin v. Crosby is always a marquee match up. Now that Crosby has a Cup, the stakes are even higher for Ovechkin and the Caps to perform. Make no qualms about it, Ovechkin wants to be the best player in the world, and perhaps he is, but overall greatness is measured by the number of rings you have. I think we are only seeing the beginning of this rivalry which seemed to have taken a few years off prior to Crosby and OV entering the league. We will be treated to four match ups in the last half of the season. Should be exciting.

Mar. 25 Capitals v. Hurricanes
Never lacking entertainment are match ups between the Hurricanes and Capitals. This is especially true when a possible division championship is at stake. The Caps will not have a cake walk to the division title this year. Coming off a trip to the conference finals, Carolina will pose quite a challenge this year for the Caps. Eric Staal will continue to put up 40 goals and 80-90 points. Roles players like Chad LaRose, Tuomo Ruutu, and Joe Corvo always show up for big games against the Caps. Their goalie Cam Ward is possibly the most underrated goalie in the NHL.  Carolina always plays well in big games, and since this is the last meeting of the season with division title implications, it should be a dandy.

Apr. 11 Bruins v. Capitals
The last game of the season. Ideally both teams will be resting their star players in preparation for the playoffs. But if your a hockey fan and not partial to either team, you are hoping these two teams are tied for the conference lead with home ice advantage on the line. This is a definite possibility. The Bruins are coming off a season in which they strolled into the playoffs with home ice advantage with relative ease last year. This team is loaded with dynamic forwards, gritty defenseman, and an all-star in net. Zdeno Chara hopes to give OV fits in this match up.  If successful it will give the Bruins a certain advantage. This will be fan appreciation day at the phone booth so I expect a win for the Caps in this game. If a conference title is on the line, this very well could be the best game all year.

These are my picks as the top 5 most intriguing games this upcoming season.  Of course these are subject to change depending on a number of circumstances.  Tell me what you think. What games are you looking forward to?

Go Caps!

Jeremy Scriven

Twitter username: Jeremy_Scriven