With the Caps breathing down the necks of not one, not two, not three, but four teams right now it's safe to say that every single player in Philly, Carolina, Boston and yes, New York, are looking in the rearview mirror. Ouch. Rarely a mention of the Caps, but there is a hint of concern there. A sense that the Flyers are pretending they are better than they are - and forcing a shootout against an Islanders team that has been out of the race for weeks and is without their superstar goalie would seem like an area of concern for sure. And finally, how 'bout them Rangers? For a long time now Jagr's squad has seemed well out of reach and well on their way to a postseason berth. Too far ahead for the Caps to catch...or are they? They join the clusterfu-, er, the cluster of teams around 8th place with 91 points and a game in hand - against a surging Penguins team that beat them yesterday:
All you have to do is scan the sports pages from these cities to see exactly how much pressure the Caps are putting on everyone.
Boston, a team that has flip-flopped with the Flyers more times than Alexander Semin has fallen down this season, continues to rack up points - but the pace has slowed. They came out of yesterday's snoozefest with a point but still fell to a Buffalo squad clinging to visions of an all-encompassing Eastern Conference crash.
Of course, Caps fans everywhere were wondering why the Sabres needed that extra 39 seconds to score the damn goal...but that's another issue.
In the aftermath of an overtime loss that the Bruins really needed to win and win in regulation, the Boston Globe was particularly pointed when mentioning a certain scrappy bunch from the nation's capital:The Capitals, let the record show, have gone 12-4-0 (.750) since their tradin'-day acquisitions of No. 1 goalie Cristobal Huet and aged Russian magician Sergei Fedorov. They have traction, and they're just waiting for the Rangers, Flyers, or Bruins to look in the mirror, the one with the fine print warning, "Objects Are Closer Than They Appear." Got that right.
Then there's the Hurricanes, a team that is certainly starting to feel the pressure (if they weren't before) after falling to the Lightning on Saturday - the same night the Caps were rolling over the Panthers. So sayeth the Raleigh News-Observer:
Oh, hey, and let's not forget the Hurricanes, who wrap up their regular season Friday vs. the Panthers in Raleigh. The Canes, in third place overall with 90 points, actually have 1 point fewer than the Rangers, Flyers, and Bruins in sixth. Why? Because they lead the Southeast Division, which is home to . . . you got it, the Capitals.
Readjust that slide rule, because the Caps could slip ahead of the Canes for the divisional crown and thus land the third seed overall. The Canes, no doubt all fitted for oxygen masks to survive the sudden drop, then would slide back into that NYR-Flyer-Bruin scrum for seeds 6-7-8. Misery just loves company.The Canes went into the evening with a chance to clinch the Southeast Division title. Instead, they now face what may be a winner-take-all showdown with the Capitals in Washington on Tuesday.
In Philly it seems more and more like people are losing faith that the Flyers can pull it off, despite their annoying insistence on scoring late and forcing shootouts. But that's Philly for you:
"We wanted this one but it didn't happen, and we've got to leave this one here and look forward to Tuesday in Washington," Hurricanes center Eric Staal said. "We have to play a complete game and get a win."
"That's a big game," Laviolette said. "We've got to come up with four points. It doesn't matter how we do it."John Stevens called [Saturday's shootout win over the Islanders] "the gutsiest effort of the year," and said it showed the team's "resilience."
That's only true if the precursor to both characteristics are "listless" and "stupid" - the two words that recur when talking about how this team starts, and too often how it finishes.The Rangers have found themselves perched so precariously in the Eastern Conference playoff race that they entered Sunday afternoon’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins eyeing the top of the standings and left it — after a 3-1 loss at Mellon Arena — warily eyeing the bottom.
I know for many of us watching tonight's Rangers-Penguins game would be something akin to shoving red-hot pokers under our fingernails and diving face first into a pit of boiling lava. If you can get past that feeling, it's one to keep an eye on for sure. This race is no longer just a three-team race...but adding another team to the mix just improves the Caps' chances.
Of course, none of this compares to the truly sick part of this entire mess. If the Caps remain in the fight for 8th place, they will likely have to root for the Penguins to win out. Pittsburgh has three games remaining, one against the Rangers tonight and two against the Flyers.
If the Penguins win out they clinch the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference crown.
If the Penguins win out and the Caps do the same the Caps are in.
...and who could they face in the first round? Yup. Sick sick sick.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Don't Turn Around
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Bruised Bruins
Reports out of Beantown have winger Chuck Kobasew out of the lineup for 4-8 weeks with a broken leg, an injury which continues to ratchet up the number of bruised and battered for the Bruins. He'll join Marc Savard, out with a cracked bone in his back, and probably defenseman Andrew Ference, out with a leg injury, on the sidelines for tonight's game against the Leafs.
Remember two things.
One, the Hurricanes have no less than 378 guys out of their lineup with injuries and have still all but clinched the Southeast Division, so injuries can mean nothing.
And two...karmic retribution can be harsh, so watch the giggling.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Bruins Working Overtime...and Shootouts
Since the advent of the three point game, it seems like the end of the year sends analysts and fans scurrying to the calculator to determine what, if any, impact that extra point has on the ultimate playoff standings. And year after year the conclusion remains the same - the impact is minimal at best.
This year, however, it could be something to take a look at. If the Capitals don't make the playoffs they can first and foremost blame themselves - many games should have been won, points were lost here and there on stupid mistakes, etc. But you almost always need a little help from the teams around you when you're in the thick of a logjam, and the Caps haven't really gotten that to this point.
One of the biggest culprits in the "thanks for not helping" category? The Boston Bruins.
It's not the sheer volume of overtime and shootout visits that is killing us, although with 19 appearances in the extra frame they do rank among the top five in the league - Edmonton, not surprisingly, leads the way with 24. And it's not the fact that they're gaining a point for each overtime or shootout loss, although with 11 loser points (tied with the Sabres) compared with the Caps' 8 you've got your margin of error for eighth place right there.No, it's the way they go about racking up loser points and overtime winners and shootout victories. 19 times the Bruins have needed overtime or a shootout - 13 of those have come against teams the Caps are currently chasing or being chased by.
And 8 of them have been Boston wins.
So not only are they creating three point games, always annoying, but they're winning them in the end. That's a point gifted to one of our opponents that, had the Bruins developed a killer instinct, would not have been earned. Observe:
10/20 - Boston 1 NYR 0 (SO)
11/1 - Boston 4 Buffalo 3 (OT)
11/7 - Buffalo 2 Boston 1 (OT)
1/12 - Boston 4 Philadelphia 3 (OT)
1/17 - Toronto 3 Boston 2 (SO)
1/19 - Boston 4 NYR 3 (SO)
2/8 - Boston 3 Buffalo 2 (SO)
2/16 - Toronto 4 Boston 3 (OT)
2/19 - Boston 3 Carolina 2 (SO)
2/21 - Boston 5 Florida 4 (SO)
3/4 - Florida 1 Boston 0 (OT)
3/9 - NYR 1 Boston 0 (SO)
3/15 - Boston 3 Philadelphia 2 (OT)
In comparison, the Flyers have only been on the winning end of these three point games twice. Buffalo has done it three times. Toronto has five wins. Annoying, sure. Back-breaking? Not even close.
So thank you, Boston. Thanks for nothing.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Know Thy Enemy
Seven games left and a bit of ground to cover. So what's ahead for our competition? Have the scheduling gods smiled upon us or is Bettman's ultimate plot still in motion?
...yes?
Here's how it breaks down:
Carolina Hurricanes - 1st in division with 85 points
- Seven games remaining, four at home and three on the road
- Two sets of back-to-back games
- Panthers twice (Carolina leads season series 4-2)
- Capitals twice (Carolina leads season series 4-2)
- Thrashers once (Carolina leads season series 5-1-1)
- Lightning twice (Season series tied 3-3)
Florida Panthers - 3rd in division, 11th in conference with 78 points
- Eight games remaining, four at home and three on the road
- One set of back-to-back games
- Hurricanes twice (Carolina leads season series 4-2)
- Lightning twice (Season series tied 3-3)
- Thrashers twice (Florida leads season series 4-1-1)
- Capitals twice (Florida leads season series 4-2)
Buffalo Sabres - 9th in conference with 81 points
- Eight games remaining, four at home and four on the road
- One set of back-to-back games
- Maple Leafs twice (Buffalo leads season series 4-2)
- Senators twice (Ottawa leads season series 4-2)
- Canadiens twice (Season series tied 3-3)
- Bruins twice (Boston leads season series 4-1-1)
Philadelphia Flyers - 8th in conference with 82 points
- Eight games remaining, four at home and four on the road
- One set of back-to-back games
- Rangers twice (New York leads season series 5-1)
- Islanders twice (Philadelphia leads season series 5-1)
- Devils twice (New Jersey leads season series 5-1)
- Penguins twice (Philadelphia leads season series 4-2)
Boston Bruins - 7th in conference with 83 points
- Nine games remaining
- Two sets of back-to-back games
- Canadiens twice (Montreal leads season series 6-0)
- Maple Leafs twice (Season series tied 3-3)
- Senators twice (Ottawa leads season series 4-2)
- Sabres twice (Boston leads season series 4-1-1)
- Devils once (New Jersey leads season series 2-1)
And finally...
Washington Capitals - 10th in conference, 2nd in division with 80 points
- Seven games remaining
- No back-to-back games
- Thrashers once (Atlanta leads season series 4-3)
- Hurricanes twice (Carolina leads season series 4-2)
- Panthers twice (Florida leads season series 4-2)
- Lightning twice (Washington leads season series 4-2)
At this point it may be time to throw in the towel on that pesky Southeast Division race - the Hurricanes just refuse to die despite injury after injury. They are the hockey equivalent of the black knight, bouncing around on one foot claiming it's "just a flesh wound".
And if we're willing to concede the title to the Canes, we might as well hope that they continue their dominance as they take on the Panthers two more times. The least they can do if they won't go away is take care of Florida for us, right? It's not like we can rely on Atlanta to do our dirty work for us, clearly.
As for 8th place, that race is still very much up for grabs. Neither Buffalo nor Philadelphia has been exactly dominant against their division rivals lately, and neither team has looked consistently tough in general over the past few weeks. One thing is for sure - this race could go down to the wire.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Philly Hearing Footsteps
It's been a long while since we could legitimately say that our goalie stole a game for us...but today our goalie stole a game for us.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Weekend Gameday Previews: The Slacker Version
It's hard to claim injury or illness at a time of year when the big guys are likely playing with broken bones and torn muscles - and yet here we are. The flu has struck the Cheap Seats and alas, I am just not as tough as the boys who get paid millions to play a game. Go figure.
At any rate, gameday previews for this weekend's back to back matinee games will therefore be reduced to reliving some classic moments in Caps-Bruins and Caps-Penguins history (both of the ancient and more recent variety). Enjoy these captured moments in time, comment on the games at will, and sublimate your withdrawal pains with witty commentary from any of the fine bloggers featured on the right sidebar.
If all goes well and the supply of fluids and aspirin hold out we'll be back to full strength in no time - hopefully with two more wins under our belt. Go Caps!
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Ten is Enough
"We heard them. [Matt Bradley] was like, 'The fans wanted it, and I am a fan favorite, so I had to give them what they wanted." - Brooks Laich, on the fans chanting "we want 10" with the Caps up 9-2
There are a number of ways to look at this game - feel free to pick your favorite.
One way would be to write it off as yet another chapter of the Caps' ongoing inconsistencies, off one night and on the next. Just one more reason why a postseason berth is not only out of reach but also not advisable. They can't keep it together for any length of time, they don't know how to get a lead/hold a lead/put together a string of wins.
Another would be to look at this recent stretch and point to it as the third dominant performance in the last four games, the third time in four games the Caps scored four or more goals against a hot goaltender, and the second time in three games the Caps ended another team's winning streak.
Or you could just look at it as a simply thrilling, amazing, incredible performance, built on a foundation of Ovechkin's talent, by a team that is starting to find its way. Whether that way is on the road to the playoffs is not yet known, but the way the Caps came out last night - came out and didn't let up - was enough to give even the most jaded fan hope for the future.
First things first, though: in case you haven't heard, Alex Ovechkin is a beast. Three goals (numbers 50, 51 and 52 which ties a career high), two assists, and step aside Mr. Malkin - there's a new sheriff in town. It was the kind of performance that not only had you believing once more that he could reach the 60-goal mark, you started to think he could do it by the final horn.
Everything he touched seemed to turn to gold; it was the Ovechkin of January, not the one recently mired in a 7-game slump. He was everywhere, doing everything, and we were all treated to that familiar gap-toothed smile once more.
But he wasn't the only one grinning tonight. When all was said and done fifteen different players had registered a point in the definition of a team win. Only Semin, Laich and Fedorov were in the minus column (all -1), and only Morrisonn and Green were even. Seven different players registered multi-point games; three different players had multi-goal games. Donald Brashear even had a multi-fight game...sort of.
Everyone, from wide-eyed rookie to seasoned vet to longtime Cap to brand new face had a role. Matt Cooke made his presence known early with his first goal as a Cap just over thirty seconds in, then followed it up with a bruising four hit performance and two assists.
Fedorov may have been held off the scoresheet pointswise but he won eleven of his sixteen draws, made some nice passes and certainly wasn't invisible. And before leaving the game after the second period (a purely precautionary move after experiencing some back spasms), Huet had turned away 20 of the 22 shots he faced.
Even better is the fact that the Caps, old and new, did it all in front of a huge audience - the fans continue to fill the seats and let their cheers ring from the rafters as the Caps continue their winning ways. Official attendance figures put tonight's game at 17,189...for a Monday night game. Unheard of in recent years when a different gold and black clad team isn't in town, that's for sure. Add in those of us watching on Versus and on TSN up in Canada, and you've got hundreds of thousands of people checking out the Caps and being treated to a phenomenal game. Nothing sells the rest of the hockey world on this team better than showing them firsthand.
We always like to say that a game like this is the elusive 60-minute game this team always looks for yet rarely finds. After all, there were little moments of confusion and the Bruins did get on the board twice, but there was never a sense that the game was in jeopardy, never a sense the Caps would let up. As the horn sounds we ready ourselves for the inevitable feeling of landing back on earth, always waiting for the other shoe to drop and the team to revert back to their bad habits the next time out.
But is such a game so elusive anymore? Does that blasted shoe really have to drop?
Go back and look at the last four games again. In the last four games only once did this team look outclassed and outworked for any stretch of time, and then it wasn't a case of taking off a period or two so much as it was not showing up at all. They took on three elite teams to get their three wins in this most recent stretch, outscoring their defensive-minded opponents 18-3. Two of their last four were of the coveted "game in hand" variety, and they won both - decisively. They're still very much alive in both the race for Southeast Division champ and the race for 8th in the conference, sitting three and four points out respectively. Inconsistencies? Or growing pains? You decide.
Regardless, it can't be denied that this team has been given a jolt. Maybe it's the new players adding a bit of life to the lineup. Maybe it's the young guys finally recognizing what the playoff push looks and feels like, what it takes to win against the league's best. Maybe it's just time for this team.
What matters now is that, like the team, we don't get too high with the highs. A win is a win is a win, two points no matter how many goals you score.
Translation? This game means more only if the next game is a win...fifteen games left, buckle up.
All photos courtesy of WashingtonCaps.com
Monday, March 03, 2008
The Big 5-0!! ...and 5-1, and 5-2
The look says it all. Big night for Ovie but a bigger night for everyone involved - talk about bouncing back!
Much more to come on this one later, but for now...just enjoy the afterglow.
