It's hard to say that a goalie who gets shellacked for 7 goals is your best player, but that was certainly the case tonight. Brent Johnson, taking the second of back to back games, faced 53 shots and amazingly enough made this game look a lot closer than it was. Setting aside the one softie that squeaked in between his pads and the post - uh, flush to the post, Johnny, that's goaltending 101 - he was close to brilliant for long stretches of the game and deserved far better.
There was a handful of shifts where the top two lines looked like the top two lines. There were some good shifts by the 3rd and 4th liners. There were continued improvements in Mike Green's game (including a goal and an assist) and an Ovechkin goal to momentarily shut up the boobirds at HSBC Arena. There were some nice penalty kills.
What are we up to, 5 or 6 minutes of good hockey there? That won't cut it.
On the flip side you have the 53 shots allowed, the 7 penalties (including two extended 5 on 3 penalties, the last of which resulted in goal #7), the odd-man breaks, the turnovers, the defensive mental blocks, the bad positioning, and the overall tilting of the ice that sent huge quantities of shots barreling at Johnny. How he wasn't huddled in the cage crying by the end is beyond me, and every single player on the team owes him a beer.
We can make the excuse that some of the penalties were weak, and they were - officiating continues to be slightly suspect around the league but I think that'll work itself out as the refs get used to the new rule definitions. But the majority of the calls were just undisciplined plays by the Caps and when you start playing like that, when you give the other team so many chances, they're eventually going to burn you. And they did. And it opened the floodgates.
We can also use the excuse that a few key players remained out of the lineup in Semin and Gordon, and their absence was definitely obvious - but this is a new team and we're supposed to have depth. Every team has injuries...good teams are able to overcome them and fight through them, and I haven't seen that yet out of the Caps.
To be fair, I do think that the guys who were shifted around to fill the gaps performed admirably, or at least as admirably as they could in a 7-3 loss. Pettinger really meshed nicely with Nylander and Backstrom, although I think we all know his skill level is just not where Semin's is and that's very obvious at times. Clark adds some grit to the top line and had a somewhat decent outing. And Motzko, the call-up from Hershey, played very well with Laich and had some good shifts, including a play that set up Ovechkin's goal.
I'm not going to say that it's still early because I think that is a bit of a cop-out. Sure they're still learning the systems and finding their chemistry...but then what was happening in the first two games? Where is the team that was making people sit up and take notice? It's in there, we've seen it, and this wasn't it.
The season is long and little issues will I'm sure in time work themselves out. But as so many people have said, 2 points now is worth the same as 2 points in December or 2 points in March. If this team is planning on making the playoffs (and from everything we heard this summer, that seems to be the case) then they have to start taking these games seriously - and for the last three games they haven't looked like they are doing that.
The Caps get a nice long break to replay this weekend in their heads over and over and over before returning to Verizon Center for a rematch against the Islanders on Thursday. I don't think anyone will be sad to leave New York after this thrilling 3-game stretch, do you?
Saturday, October 13, 2007
New York State of Mind-Boggling
Who Gets the Call?
Both Corey and Tarik have mentioned a possible roster move before tonight's game - no, not the big kind, but a call-up from Hershey.
Here's where we stand right now. Gordon appears to still be injured, which last night had resulted in Steckel moving up to the checking line and Sutherby taking his place with Brashear and Laich (although the lines went through considerable numbers of permutations after the first few shifts). Fleischmann has rotated on and off the top line, often being replaced by Clark. Bradley and Laich have both had time on the second line with the Swedes in Semin's continued absence, but it looks like Pettinger will slide into that spot.
So who's in and who's out?
I have to think that Flash may be on his way back to Hershey. Maybe it's common sense, maybe it's just wishful thinking - or maybe it's just a result of watching him get shoved off the puck time and time again while failing to finish off the beautiful passes to or from his linemates. If he goes back to the AHL, that seems to put Clark back on the top line, at least for now. Then we slide Pettinger in on the second line as has been indicated. That leaves the bottom two lines with some combination of Laich, Steckel, Brashear, Sutherby, Bradley and a player to be named.
I'm thinking either Chris Bourque or Kyle Wilson gets the call, although neither is exactly checking line material. Clymer would be an obvious choice for that role except he's been injured since going down to Hershey and may not be game-ready just yet.
There is, of course, another option, and that would be that Flash is sticking around. We turn to the blue line - and among the six defenseman it's hard to say who would go to Hershey. Pothier, Poti, Morrisonn and Jurcina seem like unlikely candidates. Green has been one of the best players to this point and shouldn't be demoted (although they tend not to ask my opinion on these roster moves). Erskine is a possibility, but he's been strong so far as well...disregarding last night, of course. No one was good last night. Maybe Eminger's coming back, who knows.
In other words...I have no idea. Aren't you glad you stopped by?
So discuss - let's get a little dialogue going, hash this one out, see who's lurking in the Cheap Seats on a Saturday two hours before game time!
Update: Thanks to alert commenters Chris & Sarah (and a quick little check over to the usual suspects), it looks like nothing I suggested happened. Shocking. Tonight we get to see Joe Motzko's first regular season game in a Caps jersey after putting on a pretty impressive training camp. So here are your lines:
Backstrom-Nylander-Pettinger
Fleischmann-Laich-Motzko
Brashear-Steckel-Bradley
Second line, I'll be interested to see how Pettinger does but I think actually that could be a good fit - Petty adds some grit up there and has showcased some dangling ability of his own this year. Third line...hmmm. Hard to say. Laich continues to be consistently good but the other two are question marks. (Oh, and Flash on a checking line? This should be interesting.)
Defense stays the same, Johnson in net, and 17 minutes to puck drop. Everyone take a deep breath...here we go.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Streak Ends at Three
This has the potential to become a very doom-and-gloom recap so I'll keep it short...if only to appease the little voice in the back of my head that's saying "it's just one game" over and over again.
What a fiasco. It's never a good omen when your team takes a penalty off the opening faceoff, and it was basically downhill from there.
Good
- Ovechkin gets his 100th career goal - congrats to Ovie on such an amazing accomplishment, even if it did come in a loss.
- Olie looked pretty sharp, stopping 38 of 41 shots to hold the Caps in a game they had no business being in. Period.
- Jagr didn't score a goal. He had some assists, sure, but no goals. I'm counting that as a positive in a game that had so few positives.
- The Caps got a little better as the game went on. And I mean that in a completely relative sense.
- The last 5 seconds of the 2nd period.
- A few other notable performances were those by Matt Pettinger, Mike Green, and........nope. I'm out. 4 players showed up tonight, eh? That might have been part of the problem.
Bad
- The entire first period, minus Ovechkin's goal.
- The Caps came into this game having taken only 12 penalties through three games and yielding no goals while being a man down. They limp out again having taken another 7 and giving up all three goals. Makes you realize just how much you miss someone like Boyd Gordon, doesn't it? His absence was palpable.
- ...everything else after Ovechkin's goal.
I don't know. This one was just...long. And boring. And awful. After two straight jaw-droppingly good games and a scrappy come from behind win, it was frankly a little shocking to see the Caps come out flat and stay flat all night. Some of it can be blamed on injuries, sure - without Gordon in the lineup you have to shuffle the regular formations, bump Steckel up, bring in Sutherby, adjust the penalty kill, etc. But did his injury create some sort of mass amnesia among his teammates that rendered them unable to remember what playing hockey looked like?
Let's hope they rebound, and fast. The Sabres may not be quite the threat they once were but as Atlanta found out yesterday they can still score, and if the Caps' offense continues to be as anemic as it has been we could have problems.
No gameday preview for tomorrow - enjoy the game, everyone.
Update: As further proof that my NHL world must remain balanced (and that none of my teams can ever win in the same night) the Flames earned their first win by beating the Stars in overtime. Go Flames!
Ready, Aim, Fire
The NHL season is a little over a week old. 56 games have been played.
The winning team has finished with 4 goals in 14 different games, 5 goals in 8 different games, 6 goals in 4 different games, 7 goals in 1 game, and 8 goals in 2 different games (both coming in the last two days).
The Caps have scored a grand total of 7 goals through three games and allowed only 2.
Three thoughts:
1. If the Caps high-powered offense continues to improve and gel (and Semin returns) it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Caps light someone up for a 7 or 8 spot sometime soon. I know who I vote for.
2. Defense is so important...and from what I've seen over the last 9 days, so lacking in a lot of teams right now. Remember that the next time you complain about the Caps' blue line.
3. The nets do not need to be made bigger.
Pissing Off Viewers, One Sport at a Time
From WashingtonCaps.com, a note regarding tomorrow's Slug-fest:
Unfortunately Washington Capitals fans who live in Fairfax and Fredericksburg and who subscribe to Cox Communications cable will not be able to receive live television coverage of this Saturday’s Capitals game against the Buffalo Sabres.
Read the rest here. It's kind of amazing how this kind of thing keeps happening with local sports teams around the District and here's hoping a solution can be found soon. The Caps, like most NHL teams, are in no position to be fighting for viewers.
Speaking of cable and hockey and annoying stuff...anyone know when RCN will start carrying the NHL Network?? *sigh*
Gameday Preview: Caps vs. Rangers
Where: Madison Square Garden
When: Friday, October 12, 7:00 pm
Broadcast Information: CSN, 3WT; MSG, 1050 ESPN Radio
Media Notes:
WashingtonCaps.com
06-07 Season Series: Caps 1-3-0, Rangers 3-1-0
07-08 Season Standings: Caps 3-0-0 - t-1st in SE, 4th in East; Rangers 1-2-0 - 3rd in Atlantic, 9th in East
Last Season:
We're going to ignore the milestones because...ew. But there is plenty of bad blood between these two teams that seemed to come out every game. Through four games there were six sets of fighting majors, including three tilts between Donald Brashear and Colton Orr. Each combatant also tangled with a different partner once, with Brash taking on local old fogey Shanahan and, later in the same game, Morrisonn going with Orr (who had just tried to forcibly remove Ovechkin's nose with his stick).
As for the offense, the Rangers relied heavily on Jagr and Shanahan, but also Nylander, who had two goals and three assists against the Caps last season. The Caps never had more than 30 shots in a game against King Henrik, while the Rangers never had fewer than 32 shots.
Tonight's Game:
For the Caps, life is good right now with three wins, two on the road, and production from their new additions. Goaltending looks sharp. Penalty killing looks sharp. Defense looks sharp. Power play? Eh, not so much. But it's okay, because the Rangers' power play has also been stagnant. It all evens out in the end, I guess.
Speaking of the Rangers, they're still looking for their big flashy free agent signings to really take hold - Drury has a goal since being moved up to play with Jagr, but Gomez continues to stumble. Surprising for a guy who last year had...13. Shocking. Stunning.
Naturally with the Rangers coming out of the gate so slowly, picking up just one win in their first three games, the city of Manhattan is already having a nervous breakdown. But don't get to smug with that 3-0 record, Caps fans - it's soooo early, as we've said and will continue to say for at least another month, and the Caps have lost 5 straight at the Garden.
So basically one streak will end tonight. Let's hope it's the right one.
By the way, how's this for a great sentence? "Scott Gomez, who is pointless with the Rangers..." Okay, yes, I know that it means 'one who has scored no points' but I think it may work on more than one level.
Er, never mind. We asked him for a bit of his time and for some reason he couldn't be bothered to put in the effort. Strange. Let's go with the next best thing:Marek Malik - Practice my shootout moves. It's gotta happen again...right?
Brendan Shanahan - Play with my great-great-great-great grandchildren.
Ryan Hollweg - Give lessons on manners and etiquette at a local finishing school.
Scott Gomez - Count my money. And laugh.
Martin Straka - Monday I vacuum Jaromir's house. Tuesday I wash his car. Wednesday I scrub his bathrooms. Thursday I give him random compliments every ten minutes. Friday...
Chris Drury - Play video games with my three year old nephew. I win every time.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Give Peace a Scoring Chance
We all know that hockey fans are extremely passionate, devoted people. Those of us who place hockey above all other sports in our hearts and minds are arguably among the most loyal fans of any league in the country. No matter what the team affiliation, there is something that bonds all of us together in a sort of secret club that only we have entrance to - we have our own language, our own heroes and villains, our own dress code and our own holy grail.
Because of our membership in this secret club one would think that we all are able to somehow coexist peacefully - but as so many of us have seen before and as a recent piece in the NY Post's NHL blog points out, this is increasingly not the case.
Says the author,There is a profound lack of respect and decorum pervading areas far beyond arenas and blogs. The lack of intelligent discourse between fans of rival teams is disheartening. It underscores the devolution of interpersonal communication, which has declined to the point where monosyllabic epithets are the highest - or at least most preferred - form of expression.
It's one of those things that you read and just slowly nod your head because you know - you've seen - that this is true.
Ask any member of the Caps faithful who the worst fans in the league are and you can bet without even a second thought they will say one of four teams: Penguins, Flyers, Sabres or Rangers. There is a level of vitriol towards these groups that is unmatched for any other team in the NHL, and it's not just because of historic rivalries between their teams and ours. It's there because we have been subjected to too many years of invading hordes who quickly become the worst kind of fan, and it only seems to happen with those four teams.
There's something very wrong when fistfights are breaking out in the stands and trash-talking dissolves into personal attacks - that's not sports. That's not fun. That's being obnoxious for no other reason than to be obnoxious, and frankly I'm tired of it.
For that matter, true fans of each of these teams should also be tired of it. I know that the majority of fans who support Pittsburgh or Buffalo, Philly or New York are actually intelligent, sane people. They truly know and love the game of hockey and are capable of carrying on a civil conversation with someone who maybe disagrees with them. I've seen it with my own eyes. I've sat next to them at games. I've read their blogs. They really do exist.
Yet night after night a small but vocal minority is out there giving these true fans a bad name.
When you come into another team's building it's perfectly fine to stand up and cheer for your own team, to support them by wearing their colors, to celebrate when they score. But to buy a ticket with the soul purpose of getting as drunk and belligerent as possible, to come into our arena and boo our star, to rile up the locals and engage in violent activity over something as trivial as a game - that's not being a fan. That's being classless, tasteless and over the top, the exact opposite of what being a fan is supposed to be all about.
And so I'm putting out two general pleas, with the knowledge and understanding that they will in all likelihood fall on deaf ears.
The first is to the Caps fans who are traveling to Buffalo this weekend, either with the fan club or on their own. Remember that you are there not only to support our team but also to serve as an ambassador for Caps fans everywhere. Cheer for the Caps. Do it loudly and often. Let those of us at home hear you on TV, because our boys deserve nothing less. But more importantly, don't antagonize the locals or rise to the bait of a "fan" who calls you out. You are there to root the Caps on to victory - everything else is beneath you.
The second and more likely to be ignored plea is one to Penguins fans planning on coming out to the game on October 20th. I know you'll be there en masse as always and I'm happy to welcome you into my building. (Well, okay, maybe happy isn't the word but I won't block the door or anything...)
You have a good young team stacked with potential and promise; what you've accomplished and what you've built over the past few years is inspiring and you have every right to be proud of your club. Don't be a detriment to what you have there. Don't let your passion for the team be overthrown by the mob mentality that seems to permeate your numbers when you come to town. I can handle good-natured ribbing or a little trash-talking, but couch it in a smile that tells me you're a hockey fan, not a jackass.
We're all there for the same reason - to see our team come out victorious. So show us that you can be what you seem to be when in your own arena; passionate, loud, fun-loving fans. The Caps-Pens rivalry is going to be exciting for years to come and there's no reason why we can't enjoy that in a friendly, peaceful, blood-free environment.
I know you have it in you.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Slow Start for Swedes?
- Eric Duhatschek at the Globe and Mail has a piece out today about free agents and their slow adjustment to their new teams - mind you, we're three or four games in for most teams, so slow is probably relative, but I digress.
But what's interesting is that he includes among the slow starters our very own Michael Nylander. His reasoning is that Nylander was supposed to play with Ovechkin. That's why he was brought in, of course, right? Instead Kozlov (incidentally another free agent signing, which seems to be conveniently forgotten) is playing with the young superstar while Nylander is "trying to find a niche with fellow Swede Nicklas Backstrom."
That's one way to put it, I guess. Nylander has a goal and an assist through three games, Backstrom has two assists. Yes, they look like they're still adjusting.
It's just a little strange to base the failure or success of a player's start on a new team with who you thought they would play with. We all assumed that Nylander would be up with Ovie, but then anyone who watched training camp at all saw that Nylander and Semin had amazing chemistry, while Ovechkin and Kozlov have a history of playing together and seem to get better every night.
I guess we just have a different view of what constitutes a "slow start".
- Speaking of Kozlov, he's loving life right now. But we knew that already.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Staying Grounded
Interesting AP piece today on, what else, the heightened expectations for the Caps as they get off to a 3-0 start.
While the author tries to rain on the Caps' parade a few times throughout the piece, he can't help but grudgingly admit that they may be onto something - no matter how early it may be:
"Before beating the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 Saturday, the coach pointed out that no team that made last season's playoffs had a losing record in its division.But of course, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Heed the words of Olie Kolzig, a very wise man:
Sounds like someone's been studying up.
Perhaps with good reason, if three games can be considered indicative of anything. The Capitals have allowed only two goals, a 0.67 goals-against average that ranks second in the league; last season's 3.30 GAA ranked 26th. They're 12-for-12 in penalty killing. They're 2-0 on the road. They've already produced more shots in a game (40 in a season-opening 3-1 victory at Atlanta) than in any game last season, while also figuring out a way to win with only 12 shots (against the Islanders).
And they've managed all of that while Alexander Semin, second on the club last season with 38 goals, missed two games with an injured right ankle."
"We have to not get too high, not get too low. Same level. We haven't won anything yet. All we've had is a good start."Indeed. And yet I can't help it, this same damn song keeps running through my head...
Arrivaderci, Schultzie
- Jeff Schultz, after being told to get a place to live and a car, after surprising all of us by making the roster in the first place, has been sent back to Hershey. How permanent this move is remains to be seen - its certainly not a way of getting him ice time, as the Bears continue to bide their time through a ten day break before finally playing on Saturday in Binghamton.
More likely than not its a sign that Eminger is on the road to recovery, and with the way Erskine is playing right now they're certainly not going to send him down (especially since it would subject him to waivers). Better to put the kid back in Hershey where, eventually, he'll get plenty of ice time, rather than pay him to take up an increasingly rare seat in the press box.
- How can you tell the season is still young? Observe:
Not to say this team isn't capable of it at some point, but I'm not sure this is the year the Caps will have the second best record in the league when all is said and done. It's called cautious optimism - as Caps fans we live and breathe it, and for now we just enjoy the beauty of being somewhere we haven't been in a looooong time.
(Although on the off chance that this is how things end up in April there are a few teams residing below 8th that actually make me giddy. Feel free to guess which ones.)
Monday, October 08, 2007
Squeaking Out a Win
There aren't many teams that can come out flat, fall behind early, blow repeated chances with the extra man including extended time 5 on 3, register only 12 shots on goal...and win. And if that team is wearing a Caps uniform, the odds of it happening would, historically, go down even more.
But that's exactly what happened - and even though there were a lot of problems with this game, a lot of mistakes made, and a lot of stretches where the Caps simply looked out of sync, this was a good win for the team. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't good. But it's two points and it serves as a further demonstration that this scrappy little team, when infused with a little talent, is head and shoulders above where they were last year.
GOOD
- Olie earned his 35th career shutout on Saturday night but really didn't have to be spectacular until the last ten minutes of the game. He made up for it today, allowing just one goal on 31 shots and making save after save to keep the Caps in this one.
- The former Islanders heard it from the crowd whenever they touched the puck but it certainly didn't faze them, as both made their mark on the game. Kozlov brought the Caps back even with his second period scorcher over DiPietro's glove and Poti made a great defensive play on a shorthanded breakaway, using his long reach to make a clean poke check that probably saved the game.
- Good for Laich, who earns his first goal of the season just three games in. He makes it a pretty one, too, cradling the puck around a fallen DiPietro and a diving Martinek to bury it for the GWG.
- The penalty killers continue to do their job and do it well, killing off all four penalties including an extended 5 on 3. The Caps have now killed off all 13 penalties they've been assessed - but again, the even better part is that there have only been 13 penalties (including yet another cheesy one on Clark today).
- The story on the Island to this point has been the play of the Fedotenko-Comrie-Guerin line, who ran roughshod over the Sabres this weekend. The Caps held them off the scoreboard, though, and even drew a few penalties against Mr. Hillary Duff.
BAD
- I guess just saying the first 50 minutes would be vague, right? The Caps started game 1 and 2 on fire, flying out of the locker room and taking first period leads in both. This time around they just looked flat and disconnected for a good part of the first period.
- Even though the Caps have only connected twice on the power play, it has looked pretty decent so far, and it started out fairly well today, too. But with each man advantage it looked like the power play got worse and worse - and when you're up 5 on 3 its bad enough to not score; its even worse to allow a shorthanded breakaway.
- 12 shots. 12 shots?? With all the firepower on this team I'm amazed at that number. To be fair there were quite a few blocked shots by Brendan "the Human Bruise" Witt, but still...12 shots??? Fascinating.
- If Ovie takes any more sticks to the face he's going to start looking like Brind'amour...
Gameday Preview: Caps vs. Islanders
Who: Your Nation's Capitals vs. New York Islanders Sad. Sounds like someone needs a blankie.
Where: Nassau Coliseum
1255 Hempstead Tpke
Uniondale, NY 11553
When: Monday, October 8, 2:00 pm
Broadcast Info: CSN, 3WT; FSNY
Media Notes:
NHL.com
Washington Post
Washington Times
2006-07 Season Series: Caps 1-3-0, Islanders 3-0-1
Last Year:
The Caps never really found their legs when facing the Islanders last season, coming up short in all but one of their four matchups and even then it was a win by virtue of a shootout - the only such win for the Caps all year. Backed by Rick DiPietro in a team-carrying year, the Isles lit up the Caps for 16 goals through four games and continued their strange dominance that has seen them take eight of the last ten games and five straight in Uniondale.
Today's Game:
Put history aside - the two teams that will meet this afternoon are far removed from the two that clashed last season, with each club losing players and picking up new ones over the summer to revamp their lineup.
For former Islanders Poti and Kozlov, today's game marks their first time back to Nassau Coliseum since leaving via free agency back in July. Both have started out strong for their new club, as has the third offseason acquisition, Nylander - but for the Caps the story is really the way they're playing as a team. Strong defensive play from everyone, goaltenders to forwards, has resulted in just one goal against in their first two games and the team is off to its best start since the 2002 season.
The Islanders are off to a similarly hot start, taking Buffalo in both games of a home and home series to kick off the season and reaping the rewards of new faces like Mike Comrie and Bill Guerin. Along with Ruslan Fedotenko they form the Islanders' new top line and have combined for 16 points in just two games. Any team hoping to take on the Isles will need to shut this line down and fast, a job that will likely fall to the Caps' checking line of Pettinger, Gordon and Clark.
While many of the faces in the Islanders' orange and blue are new to Long Island, Caps fans are very familiar with a handful. Over the summer GM Garth Snow picked up Josef Vasicek, previously a Carolina Hurricane, Andy Sutton, a former Thrasher, and Jon Sim, former Thrasher, Panther, and Cap-killer.
Jon left Saturday's game with a knee sprain and is listed as day to day. Of course, while we never wish injuries on fellow humans here in the Cheap Seats, it's hard not to breathe a little sigh of relief at hearing that news. 19 points against the Caps in his career - in his nine year career Sim didn't have that many points in a season until last year. Sometimes Caps-killers take the strangest forms, don't they?
And of course, we get to see our old buddy Brendan "get me the hell out of DC" Witt again. Good times.
After the Capitals pillaged their roster this summer, a lot of people wondered how the Islanders would do as the season got underway. Well, in my preparations for today’s game I happened to stumble upon a letter that holds the answers. And as you can see below in this Cheap Seats exclusive, despite attempts to keep up appearances the club is not doing well...To an old friend –
It’s been a few months since we parted ways and in your absence we’ve had some time to reflect on the years we spent together. Our relationship may have been rocky at times, going through our fair share of ups and downs. But there was always a mutual respect, a shared goal for the future, a passion for the game.
Looking back on our time together we start to wonder – what could we have done differently? Could we have treated you better? Could we have listened more and talked less? Could we have been more considerate of your feelings? So many questions. But one stands out…
Why? Why, god, WHY??? Why did you leave?? Were we not good enough for you? Was it that your love faded over the years or was it that you just never loved us at all? We lie in bed at night, unable to sleep, thinking about the laughter, the tears, the good times and the bad. There is a void that cannot be filled with these flashy newcomers. Your presence was a force; your absence felt by one and all. Seeing you in strange new colors shatters a piece of our soul, a daily reminder of what we have lost.
If it’s something we did, tell us. We can change, we can work harder, we can communicate better! Every relationship has its tough times but we can work it out! With time and a little patience we can find a common ground. We can start over again and our relationship will only be stronger for it!
You may have worn #79, but you’ll always be #1 in our hearts. Please, Alexei, come back! We can’t do this without you!
Forever yours,
The New York Islanders
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Winds of Change
One of the keys to becoming a good team, a playoff-worthy team, is finding balanced scoring throughout your lineup. You can't win on the shoulders of one or two people, no matter how talented or prolific they may be.
Last year the Caps opened the season with a loss to the Rangers and a win at home against the Canes. Through those two games the Caps had 7 goals and the scoring broke down as follows:
Ovechkin - 2 goals
Semin - 4 goals
Clark - 4 assists
Pothier - 4 assists
Beech - 2 assists
Fata - 1 goal, 1 assist
...and that was it.
Look at the difference this year through two games, with only 5 goals scored:
Ovechkin - 1 goal, 1 assist
Erskine - 1 goal, 1 assist
Kozlov - 1 goal, 1 assist
Backstrom - 2 assists
Jurcina - 1 goal
Nylander - 1 goal
Green - 1 assist
Semin - 1 assist
So the Caps have scored fewer goals and yet more people are getting involved, including a significantly improved rate of production from the blue line.
And what about shots on goal? The Caps have peppered opposing goaltenders with 73 shots through two games, and look at the breakdown:
Ovechkin - 12
Kozlov - 9
Pettinger - 8
Nylander - 8
Poti - 6
Semin - 4
Laich - 4
Morrisonn - 3
Jurcina - 3
Pothier - 3
Erskine - 3
Green - 2
Fleischmann - 2
Clark - 2
Gordon - 2
Steckel - 1
Backstrom - 1
Last year five players had no shots through two games, not including the goaltenders. This year only four players have yet to register a shot - Brashear, who has played sparingly in the first two games, Bradley, who has only played one game with limited ice time...and the goalies.
And I'm okay with Johnny and Olie not getting shots on goal.
More good things:
- Only three Caps are a minus through two games. Everyone else is even or a plus player, with the team +/- at 10.
- The Caps have only taken 9 penalties and have killed off all of them.
- 63 shots against at this point last season; 52 against this year. Even better? One goal allowed, for a combined save percentage of .981 for our goaltending tandem.
- Not to take away from the performances put in by both Olie and Johnny, either, but those numbers have more to do with the whole team playing defense and less to do with goaltending.
These are little changes and we should as always heed the caveat that it is early - too early to get overly confident about things like this. There's still work to be done before this team is ready and we've got 80 games to go. But these little changes could give way to bigger change down the line, and at this point that's really all we could ask for.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Storming the Hurricanes
It's easy to get carried away and start saying the Caps are a playoff team already, and we all should have the following statement running on a loop in our minds: we're only two games in, there are eighty left, anything can happen and the season is still young.
But after watching last night's performance and then tonight's performance, you have to admit one thing - this is a completely different team from last year. This is a completely different team even from the preseason. This is a team that has the potential to turn a lot of heads and change a lot of minds.
Tonight I think we got the closest we've gotten to a full 60 minute game in a long time. There were little flurries by the Canes, little turnovers by the Caps, a brief heartstopping stretch at the end of the game - but before, after and even during those moments the Caps never seemed to be anything other than completely in control of the game.
What I loved about the way the Caps played tonight was that it might not have been a perfect game in the technical sense, but they had a tremendous recovery process. Every turnover or mental lapse was almost immediately corrected, either by the defenseman getting back in time or the forwards dropping back or Olie simply making one of his, by now, trademark brilliant saves. There were mistakes made as there are in any game - what matters is how you handle them, and the team we saw tonight can handle them just fine.
Some general observations:
- Penalty killing and power play are a million times better than they used to be, despite what the numbers look like with the extra man so far. And having to kill off only 9 penalties in the last two games (including a few that were really just bad calls and not undisciplined actions) is a terrific sign.
- I was going to say that Ovechkin has been playing like a man possessed these last two games but after thinking about it I don't think that's what it was. I think what we're seeing is a new level of his game. Whatever he did this offseason, physically, mentally, emotionally, it's working. He's found great chemistry with Kozlov and as an added bonus he's become a more well-rounded player at both ends of the ice. Oh, and blocking a shot with 3 seconds left just to help Olie preserve the shutout? Are you kidding?
- Kozlov again showed why he belonged on a line with Ovechkin - and Fleischmann again showed me almost nothing. I'm still a little perplexed about his purpose on the top line. It's not that he's playing badly exactly, he's just invisible.
- Mike Green. Awesome. I can't get over how much more confident he looks out there.
- The fact that the Caps kept Carolina to single digits in shots until about the halfway point of the game is still pretty awe-inspiring even hours later. The fact that Olie was able to be as sharp as he was during the second half after having a nice nap? Blown away. He was in classic Olie form tonight, which after a preseason that frankly looked a little shaky for the big goaltender is a huge relief.
- It took Olie a little over three years to get from shutout #33 to #34. He's jumped up to #35 after just a summer off. Not bad for a guy who turns 38 next spring.
- While walking home tonight from the arena my roommate and I were recapping the game as we always do and we realized that we didn't really see Staal tonight. In fact, we didn't really see any of the Carolina players tonight - the Caps had so successfully shut them down that until the last minutes of the game, every player in a white jersey was rendered nameless, faceless and virtually invisible, non-entities swarming around in a sea of red. Now that's a good game.
There's a much-deserved night off tomorrow (for players and bloggers), but don't despair - the Caps are back in action Monday, taking on our old pal Brendan Witt as they travel to the Island for a holiday matinee.
Clymer Confusion Continued
Ben Clymer apparently cleared re-entry waivers...and is still in Hershey.
I'm inclined to believe that this move had more to do with Semin being on the IR and less to do with a pending trade for someone like Sutherby, although I'm not ruling out the fact that such a trade could be in the works. For now, at least, Clymer remains a Bear and Sutherby remains a Cap and Semin looks poised to make his regular season debut in three hours.
Enjoy the game, everyone, and remember - if you're heading out to Verizon Center tonight WEAR RED.
Gameday Preview: Caps vs. Canes
Who: Your Nation's Capitals vs. Carolina HurricanesWhere: Verizon Center
601 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
When: Saturday, October 6, 7:00 pm
Broadcast Info: CSN/CSNHD, 3WT; FSS, 99.9 FM
Media Notes:
Washington Post
Washington Times
NHL.com
Raleigh News & Observer
'07-'08 Standings: Caps 1-0-0, 2 points - T-2nd in SE; Canes 1-0-1, 3 points - 1st in SE
'06-'07 Season Series: Caps 3-5-0, Canes 5-3-0
Last Year:
Rather than break down the last time these two teams met, let's look at the first time they met last year and the season as a whole.
The Caps got the season series off to a thrilling start, taking the raucous home opening win complete with the debut of the Alex and Alex show. Semin had his first career hat trick and Ovechkin added two more goals to wrap up the scoring in the 5-2 victory for the good guys, with Olie Kolzig earning the win for his work between the pipes.
As the season series progressed it was clear that this was not going to be a series of nailbiters or one-goal games. The two teams alternated going on scoring binges, with the winning team scoring at least four goals in seven of the eight games. On the flip side, the losing team never scored more than three goals and twice the Caps found themselves shutout by Carolina. Four of the five Canes' wins came with Cam Ward in net, while Olie Kolzig held down the fort for all three Caps wins.
Tonight's Game:
Both teams come into this game after playing the previous night, with each club earning a win against their opponents. As a result, neither will go with the goaltender who earned them that win, as John Grahame will likely play for Carolina and Olie will backstop the team before the home crowd.
The Caps proved what can happen when you jump out to a fast start...and they also saw what happens when you start flat as the Thrashers did. Their opening night ceremony obviously won't have the world's slowest banner hanging, but it will have plenty of pomp and circumstance and they'll need to shake it off quickly. Dawdling into a game against the high-powered offense of the Hurricanes will not be an option.
There were so many solid performances Friday night from individuals - Kozlov, Nylander, Ovechkin, Johnson, Green - but the win really came about as a team. They need to prove to us and to themselves that last night was not a fluke, that the Caps are really an improved team, that puck possession and discipline are still the names of the game. Meanwhile they'll need to be sharp to shut down Eric Staal, who has jumped out to a hot start with three goals in two games.
Semin was placed on the IR yesterday but it was retroactive to September 29 when he initially injured his ankle, and he could play tonight. Whether he does or not will be Hanlon's decision, and hopefully he'll be all set to go. I'd love to see a repeat of last year's home opener or, dare to dream, an even better performance.
In more roster news, if Ben Clymer clears waivers the Caps can recall him - but then someone either needs to be sent down to Hershey, placed on the IR or traded. We'll know by noon tomorrow what exactly it was the Caps were trying to do by placing him on re-entry waivers in the first place and whether we can still consider Clymer a Cap.
Thoughts on married life: "It's awesome, except her mom won't let me wear shoes in the house. That kind of sucks. As soon as we grow up we're going to buy an awesome house of our own with a rope ladder and a tire swing and we'll eat ice cream for dinner every night."Favorite sport other than hockey: "NASCAR is great. You can just watch them making left turns and never get bored! We watched a lot of it at my bachelor party...it's easy to watch when you're dru-, er, celebrating. Yeah."
Songs on his iPod: "I Fought the Law" "Margaritaville" "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" "Life in the Fast Lane"
On predictions that youngest Staal brother Jared is the most talented: "Uh...well...yeah, but does he have a Stanley Cup ring? Does he?? No. See, I'm the best."
Favorite book: "Does Men's Health count? No? Okay, um...how about GQ? FHM? Highlights?"
Favorite TV show: "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers - I'm always the blue ranger when we play at home, too. We make Jordan be the pink one."
Friday, October 05, 2007
Taking Out the Thrash
Puck possession is a phrase that was tossed around a lot during training camp. We're going to be a puck possession team. It's easier to defend when you have the puck. These are guys who will keep the puck for long stretches of time.
Tonight we got to see it - and it's real.
Watching the first period tonight it was clear that so many things have changed since last year. Whether it's the fact that the Caps can now consistently maintain control of the offensive zone or the fact that the Thrashers' defense is just as good (ahem) as advertised, as a Caps fan you couldn't help but be in awe of the spectacular dominance the boys displayed in that opening frame.
Even the usual second period dropoff, which reminds us that the more things change, the more they stay the same, wasn't as catastrophic as it could have been. One goal, a softie that spoiled an otherwise stellar game by Brent Johnson, and that was it. They didn't fall apart. They weren't outplayed. They maintained pressure. It was a tougher period, for sure, since Atlanta decided to come out and play for 20 minutes, but the Caps held their ground and weathered the storm en route to win #1 of the year.
Good/bad time, let's break it down.
Good
- Puck possession. Hello. The new scoresheets don't seem to show this kind of stat but by my count the Caps spent the majority of the first period and in fact the majority of the game itself in the Thrashers' zone.
- The power play was steadily improving with each preseason game and although they only connected for one tonight, the Caps looked pretty scary with the extra man. And for once I mean scary in a good way.
- Kozlov is slowly but surely winning me over and at times he was more visible out there than Ovie, putting together another great game and getting a hard-working deflection goal for his efforts.
- I really thought Brent Johnson looked incredibly sharp despite the one bizarre puckhandling moment that gave everyone a heart attack and the one soft goal he let in during the second. He came up big against guys like Kovalchuk and Hossa, neither of whom is exactly a slouch in the goal-scoring department.
- Penalty killing was good but the Caps also only took 5 penalties all night...and a few of those were questionable in my mind. I'll have to watch the replay but at first glance the refs were making some weird calls.
Bad
- What is with the second period siesta the Caps always, always take? There's no reason to let up like that, especially not with a two-goal lead...in case they forgot, they blew a few two-goal leads during preseason.
- No hitting. I'm a little concerned that this team has gotten soft, and it's what happens when you don't have guys like Sutherby and Clymer out there every night. Skill is good but when you've got big bodies like Poti and Kozlov not using their size, that's a problem.
Wow. I can't remember the last time good stuff outweighed the bad. Hell of a way to kick off the season, wasn't it? And it just keeps getting better, as tomorrow the Caps play host to the Carolina Hurricanes for the home opener. Don't forget to come out to Verizon and welcome the boys back - wear red and cheer loud, the Caps are back!
Clymer Confusion
So the confusing saga of Ben Clymer continues, as Tarik is reporting that he has been recalled and will clear waivers tomorrow at noon. Whether that means he has actually cleared waivers or that if he clears, it will be tomorrow at noon is just one of the questions we have right now.
Is Semin's injury worse than we were made to believe? Is there a trade pending that would free up a roster spot? Is someone else, i.e. Sutherby, injured? Are the Caps hoping that some other team will just take him off their hands, even at a cost of half his salary? Will Susan ever get her memory back after the horrible car crash that left her with amnesia and two dead fiancés? And who is Brett's real father?
Just when you thought you could get comfortable on the couch/bar stool and watch the Caps open the season with no worries in the world, this happens. And no one seems to know anything, so basically I'm merely the messenger, letting you know that...well, no one seems to know anything.
It's a riddle wrapped in a mystery tied with an enigma and covered in red, white and blue. Stay tuned.
Gameday Preview: Caps vs. Thrashers
Here we go - the start of another fabulous season of Washington Capitals hockey, and with it the return of the ever popular yet new and improved GAMEDAY PREVIEW!
Who: Your Nation's Capitals vs. Atlanta Thrashers
Where: Philips Arena
1 Philips Drive
Atlanta, GA 30303
When: Friday, October 5, 7:30 pm
Broadcast Info: CSN, 3WT 1500AM; SPSO, SportsRadio 680AM
Media Notes:
WashingtonCaps.com
Washington Times
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
NHL.com
2006-07 Standings: Caps 28-40-14, 5th in Southeast; Thrashers 43-28-11, 1st in Southeast
2006-07 Season Series: Caps 3-3-2, Thrashers 5-1-2
Last Game: April 4, Caps win 3-2
- The Caps finished off a very tight season series in typical nailbiting fashion, weathering the storm of an Atlanta 6-on-3 power play opportunity to pull out the win
- Alex Ovechkin had two goals and Boyd Gordon added one as well, with all three goals coming in the second period.
- Kovalchuk scored his 40th goal of the season and the 200th of his career in the first minute of the game
- With his two-goal performance, Ovechin finished the season with nine goals and five assists in eight games against the Thrashers.
- Brent Johnson had 30 saves, allowing only the early Kovalchuk goal and a late goal to Andy Sutton to propel the Caps to a win.
Tonight's Game:
With the start of this season series there are still a lot of unknowns between the Caps and the Thrashers. A rivalry that was already becoming interesting last year now has the potential to be even more intense. The Southeast Division is befuddling pundits and analysts, and no one seems to be able to agree who will come out on top - so naturally, every point is going to matter.
Both teams feature potent offense and a young defense, so this game may come down to the little things. Penalty killing, faceoffs, power plays, positioning, deflections, all could be a factor tonight and down the line between the Caps and the Thrashers.
For the Thrashers, they come into tonight's game with a lot of pressure on them to prove that last year was not a fluke - something they'll be reminded of as they raise their Southeast Division Championship banner. As for the Caps, there is an equal amount of pressure to show that the rebuild is, as we've been told many times this summer, over. Taking the next step begins with the beating division rivals, with 64 points up for grabs throughout the season.
Something to think about - Alex Ovechkin sits at 98 goals for his career, Alexander Semin at 48. Between the two of them last year they had 26 goals and 13 assists against their next two opponents, Atlanta and Carolina. Anyone think, even with Semin out tomorrow night, that they can't hit those milestone numbers sometime this weekend?
Now on to a new feature here in the Cheap Seats, one of several we'll be unveiling as the season progresses:
Johan Hedberg - Hates the nickname "Moose"
Kari Lehtonen - Is actually a 43 year old mechanic from Long Island, but says that he started the Finn thing because "chicks dig accents...fuhgeddaboutit."
Ken Klee - Listens to "It's Not Easy Being Green" before games, saying "there's just something about Kermit's voice that soothes me..."
Bobby Holik - Waxes his eyebrows once a week
Eric Perrin - Used to mow John Tortorella's lawn in exchange for ice time
Alexei Zhitnik - Turned down a lucrative career as a local weatherman in his native Ukraine to play hockey
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Russ Thaler is the Man
I don't usually tune in to watch Washington Post Live on a regular basis, mostly because they tend to spend hours on football and basketball at the expense of hockey and I'm just not interested. I've been checking it out this week, though, as Comcast continues to bombard the mid-Atlantic region with hockey talk - a welcome surprise to be sure.
Today featured a satellite interview with Gary Bettman (which leads me to ask the question, at what point does the immense technology which enables us to put a man on the moon translate into getting a satellite interview without a delay??) and a chat with TSN's Bob Mackenzie. If you ask me I thought Mackenzie was much more enlightening than dull as dishwater and overly defensive Bettman, but neither really said anything we haven't already talked about these last few weeks.
But here was the interesting part of the show for me, and it came at the end during what is called the PostScript (get it? Clever...). Russ Thaler, who seems to be among the more knowledgeable and less obnoxious anchors on the local sports channel, put out a general plea to local fans to support the Caps.
What? Seriously?
It was...stunning. In a good way, of course, but I found myself having to rewind it and watch it two or three times just to make sure I wasn't seeing things. This didn't sound like a plea for ratings, although it's very possible that's all this was - to me, though, it genuinely sounded like someone who sees a promising young team getting ignored that doesn't deserve to be ignored.
If you missed it, I've taken the liberty of transcribing it for you (and CSN, please don't sue me...):
We have talked a lot about hockey this week on the show and will continue to do so in the coming weeks and months because, well, that's what we do. (Also because we carry the Caps on this network.) But I'm wondering how many of you out there are chatting up the NHL.
The record does show that the Caps have many diehard fans, people who take the time to e-mail us about the team, ask incisive questions of our experts, and genuinely want this franchise to thrive.
Those people need your help.
Because the fact is the Washington Capitals simply need more fans. You don't have to read the blogs [Note: Yes you do...] or even pretend to be something you're not - just show some support. Go to a game, just one...bet you'll like it. Tune into a broadcast; network affiliation aside, Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin would be entertaining and informative covering any sport.
Let me broaden the scope. There is no reason a place as great and diverse as the mid-Atlantic region can't properly support all of it's teams. You don't have to put aside your burgundy and gold, purple and black, or even your black and red in order to show some support for the red, white and blue, right?
Now we've just got to keep the faith that the Caps will give us something to cheer about this season.
Thoughts?
