Recently in Capitals Category

The Washington Capitals re-signed defenseman Jeff Schultz this afternoon to a 4 Year $11M contract. He led the NHL in +/- ratio with a +50 (a + is given to being on the ice for each time an even strength goal is scored and a - for every even strength goal allowed).

The Caps have all but announced their top six starting defensemen - Alzner, Carlson, Erskine, Green, Poti, & Schultz. Whether Schultz grows into his large physique on defense remains to be seen, as does how much unseen potential has left to be played on the ice.

The Caps could conceivably move Schultz coming off of a career year (for a gritty defensive defenseman or a center) if they believe that his offensive skills won't surpass that of teammates Green or Carlson. Schultz has yet to play as big on defense as his frame and stature would lead one to believe.

If you don't want to hear "whining" then you should stop reading now, otherwise continue at your own peril.

So how many times have you watched a game (or even played in one) where the referee or umpire made a bad call that you felt cost a team a real shot at winning? I'm sure all sports fans have gone through it. And what's the typical response to that? It's the old, "Well it wasn't just that one call. They had plenty of other chances to win the game." or "They should be good enough team so that calls like that don't matter." Well, I'm here to say, "Fiddlesticks!" (It's a family friendly blog. I'm trying to keep it clean here.)

Disappointment is probably an understatement. The Washington Capitals were defeated in Game 7 by the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 last night. As we noted yesterday, all they needed to do was win and some changes could have been the right adjustments. Obviously both were easier said than done.

This was the President's Cup winning team for the 2009-2010 NHL season. They had one of the highest scorers, and one of the 2 top stars of the league in Alex Ovechkin. May predicted the Stanley Cup would finally come to Washington, and those who didn't at least expected them to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Yet they lose to the 8 seed in the East, after leading the series 3-1. In quick order, here are the few things that faltered the Capitals in the playoffs.

• Alex Semin never scored. He had lead all NHL players in the playoffs in shots on goal, but failed to nail one in in four games.


• The stars never came out to shine. Sure, Ovechkin scored some. Niklas Backstrom had a couple of good games. But Mike Green was lackluster. Semin as mentioned above was a total no show in the goal department.


• Bad offense and bad defense. Semyon Varlamov minded the net better than the win-loss numbers show. But with little goal support in the losing games and a defense that couldn't seem to stop the Habs from advancing on Varlamov, it just wasn't enough.

It seems the only good coming out of this was that we know there is a great future with John Carlson. We do know this much. When the analysts break it down and ask if it was an epic Capitals loss or a great Canadiens win in the series, the former shines bright over the latter. Coach Bruce Boudreau will have to see why his team faltered when it mattered the most. Somehow, you get the feeling changes in lineups and matchups may not have solved it all. It may be that intangible thing that is missing. Somehow the magic just wasn't there.

As the Washington Capitals enter Game 7 tonight, Coach Bruce Boudreau may entertain some possible changes after toggling the line up the past couple of games to no avail.

Below are some possible changes that may occur:

Shadow Michael Cammalleri

Cammalleri has already netted five goals (two in Game 6) along with 5 assists in the series. Considering that Montreal has had difficulties lighting up the lamp this series even with Cammalleri, the Caps may want to force someone else to score.

Montreal has provided Ovechkin a personal escort on the ice; it's only fitting the Caps return the favor. He may not be as prolific a scorer as Ovechkin, but in this season ending elimination game he is their go to guy in the series.

It's not uncommon for the Caps to provide personal attention on the ice to a specific player as Ridley and later Poulin often were a reflection in the mirror to Super Mario or Jagr. Someone like Walker or Chimera springs to mind like an excellent candidate.

Sit Schultz or Morrison in favor of Erskine

If you're in an elimination game and are the favorite it's about time to stop adjusting your roster in a match up situation to the competition and force them to adjust to yours. It's a classic situation of do you go to a smaller and quicker lineup to match up better or as the Bullets often pondered force the other team to go big by extending Big Gheorghe Muresan's minutes.

The size of Schultz doesn't appear to be a factor on defense and he hasn't made much of an impact on offense. As for Shaone Morrisonn, he's had another less than spectacular post season. Considered more of a defensive defenseman he's turned the puck over way too much in his own zone as well as failed to clear the crease.

If you're going to go down why not go swinging with one of the guys that brought you to the dance? Erskine provides the tough rugged tenacity and imposing identity on the blue line that the team has lacked in the series. He may not have the speed, but playing a role in the final pair in a reduced capacity and PK unit couldn't hurt to change the momentum of the game.

Improve on the Power Play

The Caps post season power play has been a lesson on futility. The passes aren't precise nor is the decision making. The team must move the puck more quickly to force the defense to move and thus create more shooting lanes. If the Caps can skate and pass the puck more quickly they can also force Halak to move from side to side creating better scoring chances. Beyond anything else the team must shoot the puck more when opportunities present themselves and be in position to scoop up the many rebounds Halak has been generous to leave on the table that in the last few games has gone untouched.

So this was Bruce Boudreau's plan to let the Montreal Canadiens take it to 7 games, right? After a disaster of Game 6, and a not much better Game 5, the Washington Capitals will take on Les Habitants in Game 7 tonight at the Verizon Center. The winners of the President Cup against the 8 seed. This is not how it was supposed to go.

With Alex Semin outshooting everyone in the playoffs, but trailing virtually everyone in scoring, the Caps have lost one scorer. Add Tom Poti out 2-3 weeks with an eye injury at the end of the 2nd period in Game 6, and lackluster defense all together, there is a sense of worry in Washington. About the only Caps playing well are Varlamov and Carlson, but it takes an entire team to win in the playoffs.

From local radio talk this morning, many are saying the Caps are "due". Semin is "due" to score. Ovechkin is "due" to breakout. Green is "due" to step up. It comes down to this one game. The team that was projected to win the Stanley Cup by many now looks like a team in trouble. The Capitals have to score first tonight to put the pressure on presumed starting goaltender Halak. Varlamov has to put on yet another incredible performance in the Caps net. Most importantly, the defense needs to play up to their standards without the injured Poti and the Alex's have to score. An exit this early from the playoffs will be one of the greatest choke jobs in local sports history. Let's not let that happen.

The Capitals left game three with their first dominating game of the series in a 5-1 victory. It was their most aggressive start to a game in the first round series. Montreal soon turned the tide forcing Varlamov, last season's playoff hero, to make some spectacular saves to keep the Caps in the game. Momentum had turned and by end of the second period and in the blink of an eye the Caps were up 4-0.

If the Caps take the President's Trophy all the way to adding a Stanley Cup Trophy at the end of the season fans and media may say Ovechkin 1 - Crosby 1, but it's Varlamov that may be the Russian hero to carry the team on his back towards a title. Varlamov proved last night just like the playoffs last season that he is indeed the team's best defender.

The pressure on Varlamov certainly could have surpassed the circumstances he was thrown into last year with the Caps down 2-0 vs. the Rangers. This season he battled injuries and played sparingly down the stretch as Theodore's stellar regular season performance left few games for anyone else in net. Not only did Varlamov face limited action down the stretch to prepare himself physically and mentally, but the added pressure of watching his teammates for two games and two subpar performances even chasing away Theodore in game two and allowing three goals himself that night could shake anyone's confidence.

Ovechkin plays a physical game at the forward position, as well as mentally like no other but Varlamov showed his toughness once again putting up a wall and carrying his team to a resounding win. The weight of the team and playoffs now hangs over Varlamov's shoulders once more.

Now if the Caps can play a relentless style for a full 60 minutes like the 2nd Period last night they'll wrap up more games and series more quickly allowing Varlamov additional time to rest (considering he's only recovered from injuries that plagued him much of the season). Rarely do championship winning teams go to 6 or 7 games in every series. Theodore will definitely be needed again during the playoffs, but a relentless winning style will help take some of the pressure off of the Caps young goaltender.

Game 3 in the series against the Montreal Canadiens proved to be a much better game for the Washington Capitals. Niklas Backstrom wasn't needed. The first period ended 0-0 but was intense. As expected, Bruce Boudreau gave Semyon Varlamov the start in goal. He got a workout, including a Montreal powerplay where the Caps goalie saw as much action as his counterpart across the ice. The crowd at the Bell Centre was obviously behind the Habs and were very loud througout the first period and going into the second.

The second period proved much more productive for the Caps. The combination of Boyd Gordon, Brooks Laich, Eric Fehr, and Alex Ovechkin scored in this period. Gordon got his shorthanded. Laich, Fehr, and Ovechkin scored at full strength. After the Fehr goal, the Canadiens opted to pull Jaroslav Halack in favor of Carey Price. It was bad toward the end of the period as Tomas Plekanec took a 2 minute penalty for interference and then got another 2 on top for unsportsmanlike conduct after complaining about it. They definitely lost control.

Calmer heads prevailed in the third. Montreal got their act together and scored a powerplay goal to bring it to 4-1. But that was all they could muster. Matt Bradley provided one more with 44 seconds left in the game to bring it to a close at 5-1.

Definitely a better show from Washington today. While the first period was tight, the second blew the game open and the Caps showed why they are the best team in the East. While it was great to see the Caps spread the scoring around, the stars are still not shining bright. Ovechkin got a goal, but missing tonight were scoring from Backstrom or Mike Green. Boudreau appeared to make the right choice in goal tonight, although he had said earlier in the day that he might swap Jose Theodore and Varlamov in and out. It's still the question of when he might rest Varlamov in favor of Theodore. Game 4 in Montreal will still be an interesting call for goaltender.

So many things went wrong last night. Jose Theodore, the defense, lack of power plays. Then again, just enough went right. The Washington Capitals defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6-5 in overtime to tie the opening series up 1-1. Nicklas Backstrom put in the winning goal just 31 seconds into OT, which also capped off a hat trick for him.

The game was a disaster from the opening drop of the puck. Canadiens' Brian Gionta scored just 1 minute into the game, on the first shot on goal. 7 minutes later, Andrei Kostitsyn scored the first of his hat trick goals, on the Habs second shot on goal. Caps Coach Bruce Boudreau saw enough and pulled Theodore for Semyon Varlamov. Eric Fehr scored to make the score respectable at 2-1 to end the 1st.

The second was even worse. Kostitsyn scored 2 more, capping his hat, and leaving the Caps down 4-1 with about 3 minutes left in the 2nd. The Comeback Kids looked like there was no comeback that night. But with about a minute and a half left, Backstrom scored his first goal.

Entering the 3rd period, the Capitals were on a roll. A late 2nd period penalty on the Canadiens left the Capitals with 1:40 power play to start the period. They failed to capitalize (no pun intended). But the star, Alex Ovechkin, did finally strike gold and brought the Caps within 1 at 4-3. Backstrom scored his 2nd a few minutes later and it was a new game with half the period to go. Unfortunately, Tomas Plekanac doused the Caps fire by scoring with only 5 minutes left in the game. Comeback would have to happen quick. They made it interesting with about a minute and a half left in regulation. Rookie John Carlson, hero of USA Junior team, scored and tied it up again 5-5.

This being the Stanley Cup playoffs, the full overtime period required a full intermission for the Zambonis to smooth the ice. The layover was tense, but Backstrom cut through it quick. Before some fans returned to their seats, he scored, just 31 seconds in, to lift the Caps to victory 6-5.

This is not how Boudreau, the Caps, fans, and even the NHL envisioned the playoffs going. But a win is a win, even if it was luck, and not skill. Neither team was better than the other. Defense and goaltending were suspect. Sometimes the best defense is a better offense and the Caps, or more specifically Backstrom, was the better offense. Varlamov was not much better than Theodore, though some of the goals he let in were special situations including defensive breakdowns and a power play. Boudreau is in a similar situation as last year, pulling Theodore for Varlamov and now needing to decide for the Game 3 starting net-minder. Let's hope whoever is in goal at the Bell Centre Monday does a better job than Saturday.

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs ended with a huge thud for the Capitals as Montreal dictated the pace of the game to defeat Washington 3-2 in overtime. The game didn't showcase what went right for the Canadians as much as what Washington failed to learn from previous years playoff experience.

The Capitals had proven they were the most talented team in the NHL by winning the Presidents Trophy by ending the season with the league high 121 points. They also proved they could win together and had confidence in one another during the season during their 14 game winning streak. They've been able to turn the switch to score in a flury when pushed to win a game. Regardless of wanting to stay healthy for the playoffs, the final games of the season aren't just about avoiding injuries but sending a message to the rest of the league by dominating games leading up to the start of the playoffs.

The team has total confidence in each other, but still appears to have some self-doubt as evidnece by they're win streak vs. the Penguins this season. The Caps seem to judge themselves by the Penguins rather than feel their equal or better and look for a style to dominate their opponent. Once a team has a style to dominate opponents the wins follow and so does the aura and psychological advantage.

Game 1 versus Montreal created an opportunity to flex the Presidents Trophy muscle and add a psychological element they haven't used before. Most of the great teams of the decade would begin to play playoff hockey in the final games of the season sending a message to the rest of the league that even with some of the starters playing reduced minutes they could still dominate their opponents. It's an advantage the Caps haven't really become accustomed to using yet.

Many of Mike Tyson's matches were over before the fight began as many were intimidated and prepared to lose before entering the ring. It's similar to teams overly concerned about Lawrence Taylor and the Giants defense in the 80s. Taking it a step further the Caps had a chance to show that defeating them in a seven game series was unthinkable. Now the Canadians have found much like Rocky vs. Drago that the Caps "are not a machine". This is a real series now.

The Caps find themselves on different sides of playoff hockey from who they are now to where they were in the 1980s. This series against the Canadians really boasts a matchup of Caps teams past and present. The Caps used to be a hard working team with some skill that relied on defense that must play near perfect hockey to defeat the vastly more superior and talented teams like the Super Mario led teams. Now the Capitals are the more talented team that even playing poorly could break a team's heart with a late game winning goal out of no where, but what's missing is the dominating performance of constant aggression that drains the will out of their opponents that they'd be lucky to win one game but cast doubt as to how they're opponent would be able to win four games. The Caps didn't force Montreal to play near perfect hockey like a Villanova vs. Georgetown game and thus have given Montreal more inspired hope.

The Capitals allowed Montreal to dictate pace and tempo of the game taking away the fluid skating and passing the Caps like to employ to a quick strike offense. It takes a mind set and focus to adapt to do what's necessary for winning while still being aggressive and dominating.

The Caps didn't appear willing to committ 100% to defeating the trap with a slower tempo with back passing or indirect passing off the boards. Instead the Caps were content to flip the puck out of the zone to aleviate the pressure temporarily only to have the Canadians ramp the pressure right back up.

The trap is the equivilent to the Bill Parcells defense with LT and the two deep zone. It's attacking style but at the same time forces the opponent to methodically move the ball down the field. With the trap the Caps must be more focused and committed to moving the puck up ices with precise passing and no turnovers to gain the zone and apply pressure.

Look for the Caps to start fast in game two and with a lot more intesity. If the Caps strike quickly the team's confidence could soar high enough to believe that the patience needed to defeat the trap can still be aggressive and yield goals. If the Caps energy tapers off or the early goal doesn't materialize, look for another close game.

In the Washington DC Metropolitan area, we are lucky to have an abundance of sports teams to root for...if we choose to. While there is no doubt the Redskins are and probably always will be top dog around here, the Capitals have done something no other team has been able to...make us want to watch.

I have been part of a plan that owned season tickets to the Caps, but I have never been a big fan of the team. Not to the extent that I have to go to games or have to watch the games. That changed in recent weeks. Call me a fair-weather fan or a band-wagoner, but you can not deny that if you were not a fan, it's a good time to start being one.

It has now been reported by the Washington Post's Dan Steinberg via Twitter that the Caps set another new ratings record, regular season or playoff, on Comcast SportsNet. A rating of 5.8. This comes after setting the record last Friday in Snowmaggedon, Episode I, versus the Atlanta Hawks.

Sure, it was bad to end the win streak at 14 against the Montreal Canadiens last night. Some will argue the record ratings were set because of Snowmaggedon, Episode II, Canada's Revenge. But snowed in with cabin fever, in the age of DVR's, people will seek the best source of entertainment. That would be those Can't Quit Kids named the Washington Capitals.

This Sunday was Superbowl Sunday. But more than that, the NHL decided to schedule their two top stars and their respective teams to play a hockey game. As a result, that led to a 5-4 win in overtime for the Capitals over the Pittsburgh Penguins. That extended the Caps win streak to 14 games. This was the Superbowl for many in the DC area.

There was some minor drama pre-game. During the Blizzard of 2010 (snowpocalypse, snomg, or snomaggedon), the Penguins had to find a way to get to Washington for a noon game after a 7 PM game in Montreal on Saturday night. They flew into Newark, NJ and hopped on a bus to DC, arriving just after 2 AM. That may have set the pace for a Capitals easy win, but it was not the case.

Pittsburgh went up 2-0 quick in the 1st period, with Sidney Crosby scoring both goals. The Caps responded with a goal in the 2nd, then gave up 2 more to the Pens before Fehr got another one for the home team. Trailing 4-2 at the end of the 2nd, you might think it looked dire for the Capitals. But this team has no quit in them. Alex Ovechkin put in 2 to tie the game at 4 and send it to overtime. It was also a Hat Trick for Ovechkin. Knuble scored the winning goal in overtime.

We could go over highlights of the game, but the important thing is not the details of how they won. It was the will behind it. Coach Bruce Boudreau had noted that the Penguins had it almost easier because they sat on a bus, while the Caps had to dig themselves out of the blizzard and find a way to get to Verizon Center. And as evidenced many a time in recent games, this team knows how to come back. Down 4-1 with minutes left in the 2nd period, there was no sign of a white flag. The team simply does not quit.

So now the question remains, can the Capitals hold momentum into the playoffs. We are asking too much to think they will go undefeated the rest of the season. But will one loss set them back? Given that the team does not quit, it appears that will not be the case. We can only hope the team rides this all the way to the Stanley Cup.

So in the span of about a month, I have given up season tickets to both the Redskins and the Nationals. Before I continue, I should define what I mean by season tickets. To me, it means a plan that includes several games over the course of the season. In the case of the Redskins, it was the entire season. In the case of the Nationals, it was a 20 game plan. There were a number of issues that came up to help to make these decisions. Economy and the performance of the team were common in both, but there were others specific to the teams and sports.

Over the course of my post-college adult life, I have owned or been part of a group that owned tickets to the Redskins, Nationals, Orioles, Capitals, and Terps Men's Basketball. I'm down to just the Terps now. My alma mater holds a great place in my life, and they could be in a losing season...I'll still watch them anytime.

For the Orioles and Capitals, it came to distance and time commitments respectively. Baltimore is not that far, but committing to every Sunday game (and for awhile, several weeknight games as well), just wasn't great. The nail in the coffin for the Orioles was when the Nationals arrived in town. The Capitals are a great ticket to have, but my work got in the way and I just could not commit to any games ahead of time to justify keeping those tickets.

The Nationals was easy. The 20 game plan was not onerous. We even actually split the tickets so I was only obligated to about 10 games a season. But in reality, why should I prepay for games they decide I should buy when I can show up on virtually any gameday, 10 minutes before first pitch to buy the exact same seats and probably have a 90% chance of getting them? It sounds harsh, and I'm becoming what the team does not need...a fan who barely spends money on them. Note to the Lerners, I'm probably not the only one.

The Redskins was much tougher, yet was easily justifiable. I once had season tickets in the upper level for a couple of seasons during the Norv Turner era. Then I had given up until a friend decided he was interested in getting premium seats (lower level). So for the past few seasons, we have been 20-30 rows from the field, in the end zone, cheering on those fans. This past season, we were upgraded to the club level to test out the seats there. But ultimately, it was not enough to keep our interest. Besides some personal issues, the Redskins simply don't have the draw any longer. The price was not justified and while the fan experience there is great, watching games on TV is almost as good as being there. After you weigh in parking, getting there, and the simple hassle of possibly not sitting an entire half, it was too easy a thing to drop.

One day, I hope to reacquire some of these tickets. I may sound like a fair weather fan, but a dozen or so Terps games is plenty. Add in the occassional ticket I'll be purchasing as a one-off game for all these teams, I'll still end up going to 25 or so sporting events live each year. Which means I'll essentially creating my own season plan.

The Washington Capitals announced a trade that should provide more help along the forward lines, as well as additional salary cap relief. Captain Chris Clark (forward - LW/RW) and Milan Jurcina (D) were sent to Columbus in exchange for forward Jason Chimera. The trade yields $2.2M in net salary cap relief.

Washington had been carrying eight to nine defensemen throughout the season. In all likelihood a move was likely at some point before or during the season. Once Nylander became on loan to Grand Rapids, his salary although paid by Washington didn't count against the salary cap paving the way for Karl Alzner and his salary cap figure to play in Washington and not the minor league affiliate in Hershey.

Chimera's size, quickness, and toughness should fill the partial void left by Brashear as well as add another dimension as a rugged worker in the corners enabling others to score. This move made so early before the March 4th trade deadline also provides the team a fair amount of time to evaulate the impact of the trade and what other future moves may be necessary. It's a good trade that improves the team in an area of need while dealing from a position of depth on the roster.

Clark's injuries the past few season's coupled with his decrease in scoring, a -4 at even strength, and the return of Fehr & Fleischmann from injuries allowed the Caps to move the team captain for a younger quicker player that has 3 years left on his contract providing the team more flexibility to reshaping the roster.

Clark wore the captain role well, but even Michael Strahan has said on Fox NFL Pre-game show that when a player is injured (in the NFL) for a prolonged period of time he's really removed from the team and has very little locker room presence. The team now must search for a new leader to don the "C" on their jersey. Although some may look to Knubble, Ovie, and Laich as the front runners don't count out the physical presence and respect of Erskine.

On most teams the captain is a player that touches the ball/puck the most and can determine the outcome of the game and in hockey this role usually falls on a center or defensemen, but few teams have a player like Ovechkin. The question now becomes whether Ovie is ready for the challenge and his teammates are ready for him to assume such a role.

The scoring drought on the stat sheet during this past stretch to end the year may benefit Laich in the long term. Brooks Laich may not have the hardest slap shot or wrist shot on the team or even be listed in the top five on the team, but his hard work and determination may yet improve his role as a secondary scorer.

As Laich and team personnel look at the causes leading to a lack of point production, the most common answer they'll find is the most simple of all. Laich scores when he's in front of the net. He may not be as proficient as Dino Ciccirelli, but most of Laich's best work is the result of hard work and chip ins and rebounds in front of the net. Even when he isn't credited with a point, his efforts in the crease as a screen yield opportunities for his teammates. Aside from empty net goals, most of the best highlights and goals for Laich aren't from the point or on break aways, but right in front of the net which happens to be an area of need for a team that already has such gifted talent skating in and shooting from the point such as Ovechkin, Semin, and Green.

It often takes young players time to develop and heed the advice from the coaching staff to go to the net. It's a painful process to go to the net when more likely than not a stick will be crashing into your legs from an opposing goaltender or a shot to the kidneys from a defenseman attempting to provide his goaltender a clear view from potential shots on net. Tomas Fleischmann added more weight giving him the new found confidence to endure the physical assault by going to the net more often and the results have been obvious and reflected in the scoring column.

Years ago the Capitals were faced with a decision between two players on the team and which would be the player to stay on the team. Both players were told to go to the net. Dmitri Khristich didn't heed the advice and was traded while Peter Bondra did go to the net more earning more playing time and helped make him the current leader in most offensive categories for the Capitals.

As Laich looks to regain his scoring touch, he need only look further then the opposition's net minder and make camping out there a full time job. The reward from his efforts won't only benefit himself but the entire team with his quiet selfless and unnoticed work down low.

Remember way back when, like almost 20 years ago, when the Redskins last won a Superbowl? Then a series of events occurred that was going to bring sports championships (plural is intentional).

1. Wizards being declared a team to be reckoned with.
2. Capitals make it to the Stanley Cup Finals.
3. Baseball returns to Washington.
4. Redskins sign/hire Spurrier, Gibbs, Haynesworth, Campbell

In Pardon the Interruption style, Toss Up, though we'll change it up a bit and give you a few choices. I get the feeling I already know the answer.

I was unable to make it to Kettler today, but check out some people who did:

Peerless Prognosticator

Mike Vogel

Caps365

Welcome to the Show

I will be at the morning skates tomorrow but not the scrimmage. Regular coverage resumes Thursday.

(Just a side note- you can follow the Hotlby and Bruess on WashCaps this week.)

Head Coach Bruce Boudreau explains a drill to the red line.

Today marked the first day of practice at the Captials' Development Camp hosted by Kettler Ice Plex, and several invitees not on the original roster attended as well. A few things caught my eye today: Mathieu Perreault, Dmitri Orlov, and a remarkably tan head coach. Bruce Boudreau really got some color this summer.

The camp split into two groups, A which started on ice a little before 10:00am, and B, which began on ice at 2:30pm.

The initial signing of Michael Nylander had the makings of everything the Caps looked for on paper, but went against virtually most reports of GM George McPhee's stance of taking on long term contracts to players over 30.

The Contract:

Nylander at the age of 34 signed a 4 Yr $19.5M deal with a no trade clause in 2007 which years earlier (a no trade clause) was denied to Peter Bondra. All the pieces for a potential disaster in the making were set to occur. For a team with aspirations of becoming Stanley Cup Champion, it's Nylander's salary cap hit impacting personnel moves that's proving the most devastating.

It's not the player or agent's fault for getting the most money over the most number of years during contract negotiations. The Caps earned the right to another bad contract the hard way and signed the deal themselves. Two years into Nylander's contract it's easy to see the disappointment on both sides.

The contract situation should have been resolved well before the draft and free agency period. Now the Caps have let another offseason year go by with a significantly high salary cap hit that's hand cuffing potential roster moves.

The Solution: Take Action Like Dan Snyder

It's time for the Capitals to pull a Dan Snyder move. That's right! Redskins fans probably recall the infamous shot heard 'round the metro area after Laveranues Coles requested a contract extension that put the Santana Moss trade on hold. Snyder let him know that he'd send him a flat screen TV to watch games because he wouldn't be wearing a Redskins uniform the remainder of his contract. Eventually Coles was dealt for Moss.

A similar stance wouldn't hurt with Nylander. If Nylander wants to play hockey in the NHL then he has the power to remove the no trade clause, if he wants to play in Russia he also has the ability to make that happen, and if he refuses to take any action then he can file for retirement because the Caps need to let him know he's not in their plans - at all. The decision would then fall squarely on Nylander's shoulders and force a resolution. Where Nylander's career takes him is up to him, but the Caps shouldn't continue to wait for Nylander to have an epiphany for someone already out of favor with Coach Boudreau.

The Initial Plan

Washington hoped Nylander could be the offensive playmaking center that had been lacking in recent years, as well as provide the leadership for a young team. With Backstrom starting his NHL career in Washington all the pieces made sense with Ovechkin and Backstrom already on board. It's easy to confuse a mentor with true leadership. It didn't take long to find that Nylander's style of play didn't fit well with the players already in place and by the end of the 2009 playoff season he found himself barely playing.

A trade in the previous year's deadline brought the true leader onto the Capitals in Sergei Fedorov. The bond and kindred spirit Backstrom and Nylander share makes perfect sense. Nylander may make Backstrom feel more at ease in his new surroundings but leadership takes a stronger presence that never appeared from the high priced center. Leadership takes on the quality of lifting up a team and moving the players as a group into a certain direction or sometimes taking on a more difficult responsibility of calling players out to perform at a higher level or providing the steadying influence on a young team.

Nylander's salary cap space could have been used to acquire a defensive minded defenseman or to provide help along the top two forward lines. The longer the situation drags out the more embarrassment it becomes on both parties and prevents the Capitals from moving closer to their 2nd Stanley Cup appearance.

Sergei Fedorov’s decision to move to the Kontinental Hockey League marks another loss for the Washington Capitals. Victor Kozlov signed with Salavat of the KHL in May, and rumors have linked both Donald Brashear and Michael Nylander to Russian teams as well.

While Brashear denied these claims during the season, he does expect to hit the free agent market come July 1; he has not yet been approached by the Capitals regarding a contact for the 2009-2010 season. The Washington Post’s Tarik El-Bashir reported that while the KHL rumors were indeed false, Brashear has not ruled out a move to Russia in order to play.

As the Caps lose two, and possibly three of their veteran players, it displays another shift towards the “Young Guns.” These changes could, however, have serious repercussions.

Of the Capitals’ veterans, only five will enter the 2009-2010 season with more than four years of having played forty or more NHL games.

Steroids are back in the news and not because Jose Canseco got beat badly in an MMA fight. No, this time it involves the Washington Nationals and Washington Capitals.

Richard Thomas, of Florida, was arrested Tuesday and apparently ranted that Nats and Caps were some of his customers. The Capitals and the NHL responded this afternoon and refutes the claims.

It is a wonder why Thomas would specifically name Washington teams and no others. No Florida Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, or Florida Panthers. The details are sparse at this time, so only further investigation will do. These accusations cast a small shadow over the Caps great season. However, this places another level of distraction on the Nationals. Already reeling from poor pitching resulting in a pretty bad season, steroids accusations just pile it on. Testing is not perfect, but there has not been any public notification of steroid accusations for either team.

Now comes the hard part...proving a negative. Both teams need to prove that they didn't take steroids. For the Nationals, it is almost easy to believe, given the bad season they are having. However for the Capitals, it is an image they'll have to fight after a fairly successful season in a very physical game.

The Washington Capitals continue to fight for the Stanley Cup, by staving off elimination in Game 6. The Caps beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 in overtime. This marks the first OT playoff win for the team in 7 tries.

While Simeon Varlamov gave up 4 goals, he fought off many including a very busy first period where it appeared that Pittsburgh controlled the puck and stayed on his doorstep all period. Names non-Caps fans would not recognize like Viktor Kozlov and David Steckel provided some of the offense. Kozlov put 2 in to help keep the Caps in the game and helped them take a 4-3 lead. Steckel tipped in the game winner by re-directing Brooks Laich's shot to get past Marc-Andre Fleury.

The win keeps the Caps in the hunt for the Cup and headed toward a Eastern Conference showdown. Game 7 is Wednesday night at Verizon Center. The Caps were lucky in Game 6 and benefited from Varlamov's great goaltending in Period 1 holding them to only one score. Defense needs to step up at home for Game 7. Also power play efficiency needs to improve. The Caps have the momentum and experts say home ice is important for Game 7's.

The Caps now find themselves down 3-2 in the series and face elimination with a loss vs. the Penguins. Washington can no longer wait for a momentum changing moment in their favor. This is not the same Capitals team that has faced the Penguins in the past and especially in OT. Caps/Penguins OT Playoff History looks pretty bleak, but unlike the Caps team's in the past the current roster boasts plenty of talented scorers and finishers.

This team can win face offs and now has a stopper in the net. Previous Caps teams lacked the bonafide scorer other then say Bonrdra or Ciccarelli. Those teams had to rely on great defense and gritty play to help augment scoring and try to keep the scoring low to be competitive. They basically had to play as perfect as possible to steal a game from Super Mario, Jagr, and Stevens.

The current Caps team is as talented if not more so then their counterparts. The constant web through the history is the hard work demonstrated by the role players for the Penguins. They've fought and won loose pucks to provide their skill players more possessions, shots, and scoring chances. The Caps will need to follow suit to allow their stars to shine bright. There's no reason that after being up 2-0 in the series that the Caps couldn't close it out and there's no reason the Caps with the better goaltending and scorers still can't wrestle the series away from Pittsburgh.

The question has really been since the end of the season, how bad do the Caps want it? The level of effort for a full 60 Minute game waned towards the end of the season and into the playoffs. The Caps played well enough to battle back to eliminate the Rangers in 7 Games in Round 1 after falling behind early in the series.

The Capitals scored enough goals in a period of sustained effort in each of the two games, but haven't put it all together. What are the Caps waiting for? The Caps can't wait for Ovechkin to carry them on their shoulders and can't wait more shut out victories by their sensational rookie goaltender. Time is running out. As Apollo Creed said in Rocky III, "There is no tomorrow."

The role players must do a better job of carrying out their assignments for the Capitals along with some of their defensemen holding onto the puck in the corners of their own zone. It's well known that great players skate to the open ice and the puck naturally finds them, but if the Caps can't win more possessions it makes it increasingly difficult for their top players to get quality scoring chances.

The Washington Post reported that Jay Beagle was recalled. The Caps have the opportunity to press Penguins fans to must win games with a Caps win tonight.

Adding a stronger interior presence can only help Washington. Nothing is worse then knowing that you had something left to give no matter what type of competition you're involved. That being said if the Caps come out to play with the passion they've shown most of the year, the Penguins will be down three games to one after tonight. As JW,jr said, if the game is called evenly regarding penalties then the Caps should be able to win the game. The Penguins haven't beaten the Caps at all this season in regulation.

The DC Sports Page will be at RFD's tonight to cheer on the Caps. LET'S GO CAPS!

After the dismal 3-2 overtime loss on Wednesday night, the Capitals look to regain momentum in the series. Varlamov has been brilliant since entering the net for the playoffs. He kept the Capitals in Game two when the game could have become completely out of hand. The Caps lead the series two games to one, but have only really won a couple of periods through the first two games. It's been the superb play of Varlamov to allow the Caps stars to shine. Game three could have been a double digit blow out had it not been for Varlamov.

The main ingredients missing in this series has been hustle and intensity. It appears for a fleeting moment only to retreat back into the depths of the aggressive Penguins offensive attack.

The puck naturally finds the talented players on the roster, If the Caps focus on their assignments. In this series, too many battles for loose pucks, battles in the corners, and defensemen being knocked off the puck have been lost. Without maintaining possession of the puck with precise passing through the neutral zone, it becomes increasingly more difficult for Ovechkin, Semin, and Green to score.

The defense has steadily eroded in this series to the point of swiss cheese leaving only Varlamov to come between a deficit and a winnable game. The Penguins have been able to attack the Caps defensemen in way the Rangers weren't able to do. Morrison has been victimized the most in this series. With Morrison losing more of his one-on-one battles Green becomes forced to maintain his defensive assignments instead of establishing his offensive dominance from the regular season.

At 7:00 PM tonight, the puck hits the ice in the Igloo for Game 3 of the Capitals-Penguins series. But what can we expect tonight that could possibly top Game 2?

How about a Crosby-Malkin line?

As of today, the NHL could not have scripted the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs any better if, you know, all those conspiracies floating around the Interwebs were actually true.

Even the players concur. "It was amazing. Two of the star-power players in the league and each getting hat tricks in the same game - you couldn't have scripted it better," Capitals forward Chris Clark told reporters after the game Monday.

Turns out truth is often stranger (or at least more jump-on-the-couch/shake the arena exciting) than fiction. Especially with the Capitals and Penguins, who have already created two instant classics.

Malkin and Crosby on the same line could come close to matching the intensity of Monday’s hat trick fest, at least if that “two-headed monster” can live up to the hype. Malkin would move to wing and Crosby would center the line if Pittsburgh Coach Dan Bylsma sends out the pair that is its own whatifsports.com dream package.

While nothing is confirmed, Bylsma hinted to NHL.com that playing the Pens top forwards on the same line was a possibility, adding, “It’s something I do in different games and different situations.”

Tossing a slumping Malkin out with Crosby, who leads NHL skaters with 8 playoff goals, could be the spark of energy the Penguins need to climb out of their 0-2 hole going into tonight’s tilt. The possibility is certainly worthy of note by the Caps.

Sid vs. Ovi

The obvious story line thus far has been the Crosby vs. Ovechkin showdown that has the two MVP’s facing off in the postseason for the first time to prove who really is King of Hockey.

From the moment the matchup became a reality last Tuesday night after the Rangers and Devils were both eliminated with Game 7 losses, there have been countless prognosticators surmising who would wind up on top and why.

As I watched Carolina score goals 3 and 4 to bury Marty and the Devils post Caps victory at the Verizon Center, the sea of red in D.C. erupted in chants of “Crosby Sucks” and buzzed with conversation about how the Capitals would defeat Sid and the rest of the Pens. The deluge of blogs, columns, stat comparisons and embedded polls have continued to burst forth.

Much like how the Bachelor tries to out-do the last emotionally twisted season with each new series, Game 2 more than upped the ante of Crosby and Ovechkin both putting up tallies in Game 1, which was certainly noteworthy enough on its own.

Dueling hat tricks from Sid the Kid and Ovi in the Stanley Cup Semi-Finals? I’m not sure how exactly to quantify the anti-uppage; a thousand-fold? Maybe a googleplex-fold?

In addition to Alexander the Great getting his first playoff hat trick, it was the first time in 13 years players from both teams had hat tricks and it was the first time ever back-to-back MVP’s were the scorers.

The third man in the equation, Evgeni Malkin, has yet to light the lamp this series despite stealing the scoring title from Ovechkin in the regular season.

Ovechkin seems to have turned the tables and knocked Malkin off his game. Despite the so-called rivalry supposedly dissipated, it certainly seems as if Ovi has a bit of a proverbial bulls-eye on Malkin’s back every time they share the ice and he has leveled some hits on Geno that were hard to ignore.

All of the elements leading up to tonight create the opportunity for a perfect storm leading to a breakout night from Malkin. Or, should I say, Hurricane Geno.

Tell me if you have heard this before. Sidney Crosby whines. Live in attendance at the Verizon Center, the Sports Freak and I witnessed hat tricks by both Alex Ovechkin and Crosby. Ovie got his first and the shower of caps (pardon the pun) came flying down. Apparently to Crosby's dislike.

I may be a Caps fan, but I am aware there are great players not on the Capitals. Crosby and Malkin are two such players. I felt that Crosby might have been misunderstood prior to Game 2. His style is very different from Ovechkin's. Crosby is the quiet player who is out to do his job efficiently. Such as he did last night with the hat trick. But to complain about the hats flying down is just unbelievable. Crybaby is an understatement. Your team is now losing the game 4-2, so shut up and play. You had 7 minutes left. You got one on a 6-4 advantage. Good for you.

I wonder if one day Crosby collects a hat trick in Pittsburgh, he'll ask an announcement be made to stop the rain of hats. Or maybe the arenas should be emptied like some football matches in Europe. No fans, no hat trick celebration. Perfect in the Crosby world. Really, you don't understand why the Caps fans were excited by a hat trick by their star player, in the playoffs, leading to a win and the 2-0 advantage in the series? Really?

Varlamov's highlight reel save in Game 1 was showcased in just about every sports medium over the weekend. Yet, some small post game comments by Ovechkin yielded some insight into the locker room. Ovechkin expressed in an interview that Varlamov let in a soft goal and bounced back. He continued to say that even if Varlamov allows one soft goal a game that the team can overcome such a setback.

It can now be implied that the team lost confidence in Theo as he allowed two soft goals early in the Rangers series. That coupled with his inconsistent performance during the regular season and Theo may not be wearing a Caps uniform next season. This is now Varlamov's team as it's his job to be the last defender and the safety net for the Caps.

Crosby and Ovechkin will both get their opportunities, but the Caps will need another strong performance from Varlamov to go up by two games. Will the Caps role players outshine the Malkin line in game two? We'll find out Monday night, but the Caps will need to stay out of the penalty box and make the most of their power play opportunities to ease the pressure off the team. Its one thing for Crosby to get his shots, but the Caps can ill afford having both Crosby and Malkin roaming free with prime scoring chances on Varlamov.

Fans should get ready for another exciting game and be prepared to cast off the Monday "blues" shirts only to be replaced with something to "Rock the Red!"

The Washington Capitals overcame a lackluster 1st Period effort and an early one goal deficit to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Sat. The game built up by NBC, the rest of the media, and fans as Crosby vs. Ovechkin actually showcased the different styles of team play from the most unlikely of players. Crosby and Ovechkin each tallied one goal during the game, but it was Steckel's goal & play all game long and a goal from the Tomas Fleischmann that helped the Caps take a 1-0 game lead in the series.

The Caps appeared to start the game well carrying the puck up ice for what would be a normal game, but the Penguins had other ideas. Pittsburgh rushed out onto the ice with an extra wave of energy as they aggressively moved up ice, won the battles for the puck, and maintained much of the 1st Period possession in the Caps end of the ice.

Sergei Fedorov's 12th Playoff Game Winning Goal gave the Caps a 2-1 advantage over the New York Rangers with 4:52 left in the game. Most of what Fedorov has accomplished the past two season's can't be measured with statistics alone. He's mentored much of the young talent that McPhee has assembled. His leadership along with his calm demeanor and assertiveness on ice has kick started the top scoring line once more. Bruce Beadreau often relies on Sergei and has him center the top line to add stability. It's only fitting that Sergei Fedorov ripped the game winner past Lundqvuist to close the door on the series.

In case you've been living in a cave for the past 24 hours or so, you know Donald Brashear was suspended by the NHL for 6 games for two incidents. 5 of those games for his hit on NY Ranger Blair Betts. Let's put aside whether the hit warranted suspension (probably) or the number of games (too high?) and focus on the task the Washington Capitals have at hand tonight.

Game 7 brings the Caps the momentum after defeating the John Tortorella-less Rangers on Sunday. As many experts say, home ice is not really important, except in Game 7. The loss of Brashear tonight will impact the team to the effect that the Caps don't have that enforcer they signed from the Philadelphia Flyers a couple of years ago. It's kind of like losing that 10th man off the basketball bench who usually comes in at the end of a half or end of the game to commit or draw fouls.

The defensemen will need to step up to fill the void. Given the Game 7 scenario, there will likely be lots of hitting and crashing the boards. It's a matter of whether the officials will give leeway or clamp up, giving us either a blood bath or a drawn out game with lots of open ice. Still the Capitals have home ice and coming back from a 3-1 series deficit shows they can and should win this game.

The Washington Capitals are facing another elimination game today at Madison Square Garden in Game 6 of the series against the New York Rangers. After a resounding win Friday night, with scoring by Matt Bradley (2), Alex Ovechkin, and Alexander Semin, not to also forget great goaltending by Simeon Varlamov, they still need to win 2. Today's game will have an interesting twist as the Rangers coach John Tortorella is suspended for this game for the following video. Note the first few seconds has no audio.

If anyone has video of the beer pouring, we'd love to see it!

The suspension may put the Rangers in disarray or prove to be a rally cry for the team to beat the Capitals. In any case, it's the last chance for Washington. Given the pre-season hopes, and how the team has played all season, no Stanley Cup would be a disappointment. The only bigger letdown might be losing in the opening round to the 7 seed.

The DC Sports Page Apologizes for the Entry Not Being Posted Sooner - Original Posting From April 21st!!!! Due to a system error the article below by Steph Bagley of ESPN The Magazine and www.HockeyBarn.com wasn't posted when it was originally written. We sincerely apologize and hope everyone enjoys the EXCELLENT Article by Steph!! - The Sports Freak.

Saturday afternoon, when Boudreau made the game-time decision to start Varlamov over Jose Theodore, many hockey fans-especially in New York- heard the name “Simeon Varlamov” for the very first time. He did a solid job, and earned some verbal shoulder-pats for only letting in one goal. By 10:00 PM last night, Varlamov not only earned his second start and first win; he became the steel-cast foundation of the vaunted Capitals Iron Curtain.

Here we go again, down 3-1 in the first round, same as last year. Against the Flyers , the Caps won the first and dropped three straight. This year is a bit different; losing the first two at home before splitting the next two in NY. Last year the caps rebounded with two wins and nearly a third before dropping a heartbreaker to Philly in overtime. Can the same basic team repeat history? I am not going to speculate on this one, however to a man , the Caps will say the series is not over yet, and they have the Rangers right where they want them. Hopefully our blue-clad visitors from Gotham will have the same smug attitude that this one is in the books, and open the door for another furious charge from the Red Warriors. Hopefully Ovechkin will bring his ramped-up game, and ramp it up some more. Hopefully Mike Green will ramp-up what has been an admittedly lackluster game. Hopefully Varly won't dwell on the freak goals of Wed nite's loss. And foremost , hopefully our heroes will feed off the energy of the red clad fans. "Unleash The Fury", "All Your Fault", and "Lets Go Caps" need to be shouted as loud as ever, and hopefully not for the last time this season.

when i first saw the cartoon images the caps put on the jumbo video boards after the Caps score, i was sure the players would get a healthy ribbing from their teammates. Especially Nicklas Backstrom done up to look like a new age Mighty Thor complete with a hammer and viking helmet, and red cape. Looks like the creative geniouses in the Caps production staff got that one dead on. Backstrom's game has jumped by leaps and bounds the last few months after another slow start to the season. Last nite's assist on Tom Poti's goal was just plain freaky. Watching instant replay, you can see him look up for a millisecond before turning his back, and flicking a stong pass across the faceoff circle to a streaking Poti. Bruce B said it was one of the best passing plays he has seen all season. Most impressive were his 4 registered hits, and several rushes where bigger players just bounced off him. Has our quiet ,young Nicklas indeed gained super powers? will arch-enemy Chris Drury summon up the strength to stop our hero? can the evil Torts draw up a diabolical plan to slow down The Russian Machine? Stay Tuned...........

when, i'm wrong; i am the first to admit it except when someone beats me to the punch. And i was wrong about sending Theodore back to the crease for the Caps. All hail our new conquering hero; Simeon Varlamov, who stole the show tonight for the Caps, pasting the Rangers 4-0. With his aggressive play in front of the crease, Varly spoke clear volume about who should tend the cage for the rest of the series, and hopefully beyond. Now, however; what do we do with our overpriced backup? And i'm not talking about Brent Johnson either. A 4.5 million dollar albatross against the cap for next year. too bad the Caps can't sell Jose's contract to the Helsinki Formulas of the Finnish Elite League. Looks like they'll have 2 untradeable contracts next year if you include Nylander. With the cap seemingly to be lower next year, GMGM will have his work cut out, especially if he is going to give both Semin and Backstrom long term deals.I see the Preds gave David Poile a years extension; perhaps GMGM could fleece him for a few draft picks in exchange for our dead weights ala the Brendan Witt deal of 2006.. Should make for an interesting summer. Until then Varly is the Man!

It happens every spring isn't just a baseball movie, it also can be a title to the history of the Capitals. Dating back to the spring of 1983, the Caps number one problem has been the lack of a hot goaltender for the playoffs. Whether it be Bob Mason, or Al Jensen, or Pete Peeters, Clint malarchuk, Byron Dafoe, Rick Tabbaracci, Jim Carey or even Ollie Kolzig; our hometown heroes always seem to fall short of their expected goals. This year is no exception. Jose Theodore (also known as threeormore) just hasn't caught fire as hoped. His removal for game 2 , while not a huge suprise to most fans, did in fact catch me by suprise. Bruce runs the risk of the plunging of Jose's confidence, at the same time as betting the farm on an untested playoff rookie in Simeon Varlamov. The Caps did have moderate success at times in the 90's by shuffling goalies in the post season, but it is by no means a sure bet. Despite Simeon's sparkling play in game 2, it would probably be a good idea to run Jose back out for game 3; otherwise GMGM may have a 4.5 million albatross around his neck next year. That is if GMGM survives a HOT summer.

Bruce Beadreau made the right call inserting rookie goaltender Varlamov into the starting line up over Theodore yesterday and it wasn’t much of a gamble. Beadreau has been known to bench and scratch players over the course of the season. Theo’s performance and post game comments most likely sealed the deal for his benching.

Theo wasn’t the reason why the Capitals won the Southeast division nor was he the reason why they became the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference. He was merely along for the ride. He also wasn’t the hired mercenary brought in as the final piece of the puzzle to win the cup. Theo wasn’t a franchise leader like an Olie either. Bruce wouldn’t have inserted Varlamov into the lineup if he wasn’t confident that he’d perform well. Varlamov hasn’t had a track record anywhere in his career for giving up soft goals unlike Theo.

After a dismal performance in game one allowing arguably two soft goals, the Caps have to ask themselves which Theo will show up in net today and should they make a move in net? May be it's an overreaction, but the Caps will find it hard to win a shoot out during the game against a hot goaltender if their goaltender continues to cough up rebounds and soft goals.

It would put the Caps in a difficult position if they start their young rookie and he doesn't come through. They'd have two shaken and upset goaltenders with a decision as to who to start in game three. Ultimately some of the comments post game by Theo may have some impact on who will start in goal. Theo acknowledged his poor performance with two goals he considered preventable, but was completely indifferent as to the commotion about a goaltending decision only being down 1-0 and not like its 3-1 in a series.

When teammates are trying to provide support during and after the game to hear such comments is somewhat disturbing to hear. Rather than an I'll be there and you can count on me to make it up the next game attitude a much more laizzes faire attitude arose. In a competition you want someone along side of you that going to fight with you and defend you. Maybe there's more behind the scenes, but where's the fight coming from Theo even to hold onto to his starting position. If it was Thunderdome where "two men enter and one man leaves" would Theo make it out in a duel with the young hungry rookie? Logic along with long term thinking says to play the percentages and allow Theo another start, but if the Caps go with their gut fans may see the rookie in net because they know that he'll fight for everything down to the last second and beyond!

Today, we received a message from one of our readers who supplied this post from U.S. News and World Report, an entry written by John Farrell. So are we to expect a Stanley Cup in June? Only one can hope to break us out of this DC sports slump. Please stop me, I'm starting to sound like a Philadelphia fan.

The Washington Capitals will be missing one of their star players tomorrow night as Alex Ovechkin will take the night off. Much like a presidential candidate in recent news, he will be visiting an ailing grandparent, his grandfather in Russia. There is no set return date, but the Caps will not have to play again until Saturday in Buffalo.

Thoughts go out to Ovechkin and his family.

Last Friday evening, the Verizon Center was brimming with higher expectations than in seasons past as they faced Philadelphia. The area appeared packed like never before for a pre-season game. It was apparent that the Caps have plenty to look forward to this season. The Caps won the game and showcased some of the young talent of the future with a big tough center in Beagle and a steady top blue line defenseman in Alzner.

Beagle's size bodes well for the future. His style of play would create the perfect contrast to Backstrom. Federov doesn't have many years left and Beagle could fill a role not seen in a Caps uniform since Dale Hunter, but first he'll need to hone his face off and passing skills. If he could become a 15 goal and 50-65 assist center a season and play the PK, it would be create even more match up problems for teams in the future. Rebound goals would come as long as Beagle plays near the net.

The Caps boast the most depth and talent they've had in a very long time. A lot of young talent and prospects have landed in the Southeast Division making it a very competitive division. The Caps should be poised to capture the division title once again this year.

Uh, I'm not sure how this came around. I'll admit, I'm not a big Capitals guy, but I'm at least aware of the names in play. This one seems to have surprised many as Jose Theodore signed with Washington today.

Alex Ovechkin. In last night's NHL awards, the Capitals MVP became league MVP. He also won the Lester B Pearson Award to show that he's the Most Outstanding Player in the NHL as chosen by players. MVP and MOP. Hard to beat that.

Yesterday, Olaf Kolzig, the long time starting goalie for the Washington Capitals, decided he would not be returning to the team next season.

He's been the only goalie that I associated with the Caps since I started really paying attention about a decade ago. It's tough to see Olie the Goalie, Godzilla, leaving the only NHL team he has played for. Kolzig led the team to it's only Stanley Cup Finals berth in 1998. It appears he knew for sure the end was near when the Caps didn't start him for Game 5 against the Philadelphia Flyers, with the team down 1-3 in the first round. I actually discussed that with some hockey fans. Whether they were going with the "hot hand" or just trying to ride with Cristobal Huet, it made Kolzig's decision easier.

Good luck to you Olie. Here's hoping we see you in net somewhere this winter.

Well the comeback was not completed. The game was high paced through and through and had to go OT to get done. Unfortunately, it was Philly who prevailed in the waning seconds of the only penalty called since the 2nd period.

I am what you would call a casual fan of the NHL and the Capitals. But the number of references to goaltender interference in this series and others seemed mind boggling. As Joe Beninati, the play by play man in the Capitals booth on Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic, said, it was a gray area when the Flyers second goal was scored. Sami Kapenen took out Cristobal Huet by sending Shaone Morrisonn into Huet, then scoring. Indirect goalie interference.

Watching the loss was OK, as it appears the Capitals gave it their all. But watching Eastern Motors commercials is just torture. Especially on Comcast Sportsnet's blurry so called "HD".

Congratulations to the Capitals on a great season. It looks like the NHL dream of Ovechvin-Crosby playoff matchup will have to wait at least another year.

Ok, besides being a sports fan, I'm a political junkie. I know, it's a shock...life-long Washingtonian is interested in politics. One of my weekly rituals is to watch Meet the Press from NBC. At the end of the show, this past Sunday, Tim Russert declared "How about those Caps? In Pennsylvania tomorrow night. Beat the Flyers!" while holding up a Caps sweater. Sorry, I didn't see who's he had, as he only showed the front.

I'm glad he's going for the "home" team since his Buffalo Sabres aren't in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year.

Can you say Game 7!?

2-0 with 10:26 left in the 2nd, it was not looking good. Then Nicklas Backstrom scored. 2 minutes left in the second, Alexander Semin put "the biscuit in the basket", as Craig Laughlin would say. But the best was saved for last.

The Capitals constantly tried to apply pressure in all facets of the game from hitting to shooting on net. The only time the Flyers appeared to turn the tide is when the Caps took their pedal off the gas. The Flyers have consistantly played their game. When the Caps play physical and smart they're winning the five on five game. When the Caps let up they soon find their friends up north dominating them. It's difficult to play a style that's not your own when you're still finding your own style of up tempo end to end hockey. Washington must whether the storm and continue to be mentally tough to walk out of Philly with a win. The Caps must win two more games to play someone with a different style for a better match up. Here's to the Caps for a great game on NBC and pushing the series another game.

Well, I was hoping not to have to write this entry. And until late in the 3rd, it looked like I could have written a happier message.

The Capitals lost to the Flyers 4-3 in 2 overtimes. The intensity that seemed to be lacking in Game 3 was here. However, I think playing 80+ minutes drained them. The 2 OT's seemed like non-stop power plays, with both teams trading possession of the puck in 4 minutes intervals. Both Cristobal Huet and Martin Biron held their own in the overtimes, blocking shot after shot.

Unfortunately, Huet couldn't stop that last one. This does not bold well for the Caps as Game 1 was a shootout that they won on a spectacular 3rd period. With that and 3 straight losses, the next playoff series is getting out of reach. Somehow they have to score early and score often starting Saturday until the end the series, which hopefully will go to 7 games and 3 straight Caps wins.

Remember Alfred E Neuman from Mad Magazine? "What, Me Worry?" Maybe we should.

I missed the entire first period, and half of the second, so I'm not sure how play went early in the game. But watching it the rest of the game, it seemed like the Caps were trying, but not hard enough. It's the playoffs...you would think intensity would be knocked up a bit.

Granted, they came within a goal with only a few minutes to go, but you could say "Too Little, Too Late"

Well Game 2 didn't go as well as Game 1. Actually come to think of it, Game 2 was much like the 2nd Period of Game 1. Mostly Philly, little Washington.
Photo by BMT

OK, regular readers might be confused. No, I am not the regular Caps commentator on this site, nor do I play one on TV. The above is not the final score, but the series standing right now. The Washington Capitals won the series opener, 5-4. The last of the NHL opening round series to start, the Caps started off fast, with Donald Brashear scoring just 3 minutes in.

The Caps clinched the playoffs and the division Saturday night vs. the Florida Panthers. It was a resounding slam dunk on a roller coaster season. As the Caps get ready for the playoffs and the schedule to be set let's look at the check list: Superstar - check, hot goaltending at the right time - check, leadership (Federov) - check, a second line capable of scoring - check so get ready for some playoff action in DC.

No one is saying to get the Cup ready for DC, but can any team look forward to playing the Caps and Ovechkin? The best game plan teams coming to DC can have is to play physical, impose their will while being aggressive, and take the lead early. The Caps don't boast a top playoff penalty kill percentage, which for so long used to be a staple for the Caps. Not having a complete defense to stop an aggressive team bending the Caps to their will results in penalties. It's these penalties that can lead to goals and in the playoffs this could be the difference between winning and losing. It's the Caps that must impose their will and take the lead early. When coaches say the first five minutes of the period set the tone, it's even more critical for a young team making the playoffs for the first time together.

Party like its 1999 may be a Prince song but for all intensive purposes it could be 1998. The Caps acquired Sergei Federov & Cristobal Huet along with Matt Cooke and re-acquired Alex Giroux Caps Trade Recap. How times have changed for Federov. What Caps fan wouldn't want to see Sergei in a Caps uniform, but too bad it's
ten years too late. It would have been great to have Sergei on the Caps roster ten years ago wearing the red white and blue in the Finals or even five years ago, but alas the Caps were able to acquire him for the mere price of a 19 year old defensive prospect (Ted Ruth.)

It's about time that someone recognized Boudreau's great work with the Capitals ESPN - Boudreau. Caps fans have longed for someone to step in and make the necessary changes needed to right this ship. It's amazing the luck the Caps Organization has had. The Caps are like Inspector Clouseau. They can bungle all types of decisions and still come out smelling like roses. Much like Abbott & Costello movies, if the Caps were going to make a movie this season it would be Boudreau meets the Pink Panther.

Much like David Letterman used to enjoy saying Boutros Boutros-Ghali during his tenure as the Secretary-General of the United Nations, one could also say Boudreau Boudreau and a golly for good measure! As Boudreau has taken the reigns of the Washington Capitals the team has continued to battle injuries, but has been able to steadily stay above .500 with discipline and focus.

The Washington Capitals signed Alexander Ovechkin to a 13 Year extension for $124M Ovechkin's New Deal - ESPN. This is fantastic news for an ailing organization. The recent signings of Semin & Ovechkin to long term contracts push the Caps to the point where the future meets the present.

Before the rebuild began the Caps made the decision to retain Olie and trade Bondra. It appeared that Olie was playing well and would return solid value back. Ultimately, the Caps didn’t receive the value back for Bondra’s services.

Coach Hanlon fired on Thanksgiving. Should GM George McPhee be worried about a similar decision on Christmas or New Years Day, if things don’t improve?