A View from the Cheap Seats

Thursday, January 10, 2008

You Like Us! You Really Like Us!

Yeah, I guess he really did want to play in Montreal or New York, right?

Ovechkin Signs 13-Year Contract with Caps

More later, plus (hopefully) pictures from tonight's Meet the Team party. Until then, raise your glasses and drink a toast to Alex Ovechkin - a Capital until at least 2021!

Big News?

We're hearing rumors, murmurings and whispers that a deal has been struck between the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechkin...no official confirmation yet and an earlier report from TSN has been pulled down, but stay tuned!

Quote of the Night

From this guy right here:

"With my track record, I never think shutout."
-- Olie Kolzig

That's the self-deprecating goalie we all know and love.

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

A Win and More Waiting

One would expect that a game against a team like the Avs, with whom the Caps have little history, would be boring and lifeless.

Well...yeah, okay, it kind of was.

But aside from that, tonight's game was all about goaltending. Theodore vs. Kolzig, two former Vezina trophy winners going head to head - and as much as we've picked on Olie in the past few weeks, he's really been playing well these last few games and matched Jose save for save tonight. He made some fantastic saves despite the low shot count and was a big reason the Caps held on to win, particularly when the Avs were buzzing late in the game.

Not much to talk about in this one. The Caps were unable to connect with the extra man but killed off the Colorado power plays. They got 23 shots on goal and allowed 19. Laich's goal was nice and Steckel's was...odd. It was a lesson in good goaltending and a demonstration of perfect trapping mentality on both sides, which in combination can be like the hockey equivalent of Nyquil.

On to...nothing. The Caps are off until Sunday, when the lovely Flyers make their final visit of the year to Verizon Center. When your team is all banged up, usually you pray to the scheduling gods for mercy like the sort we're seeing right now. One game in seven days is a perfect way to rest your walking wounded - but when the team is winning in spite of it, you have to think a long break isn't so great. Hopefully we'll get some of the injured boys back and we can start making a real push.

And if anyone is keeping an eye on the standings, should the Leafs fall to Anaheim tonight (as they're well on their way to doing) the Caps leap over them and into 13th place. Little baby steps...

Photo courtesy of AP

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Monday, January 07, 2008

All-Stars: Beasts of the East

On to the East, where goaltenders rule the day - hey, at least there's something good about the teams in the Eastern Conference...

Atlanta Thrashers - Ilya Kovalchuk has this one locked up. In an up and down season for Atlanta, Kovalchuk has found consistency since Bob Hartley was shown the door and leads the league in goals. He may not be our favorite guy in the world here in DC but it's hard to deny that he's an electric player...as much as we may want to.

Boston Bruins - The B's have found a weirdly balanced attack among their scorers, with five in double-digits and a handful close behind, but the pick will probably be Marc Savard, who is averaging about a point a game and leads the team in scoring. Goaltender Tim Thomas is arguably the team's MVP to this point with a .931 save percentage on his resume and could get a look as well.

Buffalo Sabres - If there's any god Brian Campbell won't make it into the starting lineup, because despite decent numbers he hasn't played anywhere near his ability. Maxim Afinogenov's 7 goals also have to be kind of a disappointment. In fact it seems like Ryan Miller continues to be the glue that holds the team together (such as it is) and should get some recognition, although it would be nice to see someone like Derek Roy or Ales Kotalik get in there.

Carolina Hurricanes - Just give it to Cam Ward and be done with it. The kid has bounced back from a disappointing post-Cup slump and is looking more like the Conn Smythe winner he was in the 2006 postseason. Honorable mention goes to the ageless Cory Stillman, who is very quietly teetering on the edge of 20 goals - to put that into perspective, his career high for an entire season is 27.

Florida Panthers - Hard to argue with the fact that, despite a shaky start and some ups and downs along the way, Tomas Vokoun has been the best player in Sunrise, Florida. He's kept them in a lot of games they shouldn't be in (much like Luongo did in days past) and stolen at least one from the Caps this year. Want to throw in a shocker for a second choice? How about Richard Zednik? He's having a pretty good year - it could happen...

Montreal Canadiens - Andrei Markov's rise to the top of the Eastern vote-getters may surprise some, but anyone who has watched him this year and really over the past few years knows it's recognition that is long overdue. Joining him for the East, though, should be either Alexei Kovalev (who picked up 60,000+ write-in votes), Saku Koivu, or both. If Cristobal Huet hadn't missed a good chunk of the first half with injuries I'd say he deserves it as well - he's better than most people realize.

New Jersey Devils - Some guys like Martin Brodeur will always, always be on the ballot and will always, always get in to the All-Star Game. This year Brodeur has been very un-Brodeur-like for long stretches, though, so one could question his almost assured return as a starter. Nevertheless, Brodeur on his worst day is still usually better than a lot of the jokers in net nowadays, so Marty goes and may the Schwartz be with him. As for who will sit with him on the plane, it's hard to pick one standout on a team of "interchangeable parts" - let's go with Zach Parise, just because I like him.

New York Islanders - On a team that started out hot and quickly fell to the middle of the pack, picking one "All-Star" caliber player isn't easy. Taking the coward's way out I guess you could pick Rick DiPietro, although it could be said that Mike Comrie hasn't been that bad for the Isles. He's got 12 goals on a team that has about 20 total (okay, that's an exaggeration), so that's something.

New York Rangers - As insanely clueless as voters were picking Cheechoo 100,00+ times, they made up for it by keeping Jagr, Drury and Gomez out of the top ten vote-getters - not one of them deserves it after the first half they've had collectively. Henrik Lundqvist has been the savior for this team to this point and even he's been in a bit of a slump lately. If someone has to go it should be Michal Rozsival getting the nod for the blueshirts. The 29 year old is having a career year and is among the league-leaders for scoring by defensemen.

Ottawa Senators - Like the Red Wings, the Sens have a good deal of talent to choose from and they'll probably have quite a few reps at the All-Star Game. Alfredsson is almost definitely in as a starter and he should be joined by linemates Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley. Wade Redden and Chris Phillips have both been strong on the blueline and Martin Gerber has been steady for the Sens (recent meetings with the Caps aside, of course).

Philadelphia Flyers - We're probably stuck with the magical spearing midget, but don't overlook the contributions of Mike Richards. He's leading the team in scoring and has already shattered his career numbers in goals, assists and power play points. One of their young prospects, he's taken on a leadership role for this Flyers team and deserves to get some recognition.

Pittsburgh Penguins - You can leave your Ovechkin vs. Crosby crap at home, because no one will argue with Crosby getting in as a starter - not even this perpetual Crosby-basher. The kid is an amazing talent and I can say that without gagging. Evgeni Malkin should also get some consideration, though, for overcoming a slow start to get right back in the mix where he belongs. And how about Ty Conklin rounding out the trio? (I kid, I kid...)

Tampa Bay Lightning - Vincent Lecavalier...and no one else. Period.

Toronto Maple Leafs - Give Mats Sundin a lot of credit - he's taken this Leafs team on his shoulders year after year with little reward, little playoff glory, and the collective Toronto media breathing down his neck. Criticized by some for being an aging star on his way out, he's picked up 20 goals and 28 assists to lead his team in scoring and keep them in the mix for the playoffs. Not an easy thing to do, and certainly deserving of a trip to Atlanta.

Washington Capitals - Unless there was a spike in the last few days Alex Ovechkin will probably not be going as a starter...but I don't think there's a question that he's going. He should definitely be joined by Mike Green, though, who is starting to make noise and get some national attention. Greenie is perfectly suited to the All-Star Game; he's flashy, powerful, and exciting to watch. He's still got some work to do in his own zone, but let's face it - no one watches these things for defensive positioning and blocked shots. (And if they do they need to be in therapy...)

Next up...the Young Stars

All-Stars: Best of the West

A little break in the schedule gives us some time to discuss the REAL Winter Classic, aka the NHL All-Star Game. It may not be real hockey or anything close, but it's one of my favorite parts of the season. Love it or hate it, it's an event that takes up the collective attention of the league for just one weekend and pits the biggest stars against one another.

The votes are tallied and although the results aren't announced until tomorrow you don't have to be Kreskin to see who will definitely be among the starting line-up. Crosby will absolutely be there; Markov seems a shoo-in as well, as do Lidstrom and Luongo. Deserving candidates, all, although the fact that Ovechkin probably didn't crack the starters is worrisome on a lot of levels.

Beyond the fan-selected starting line-up, the rest of the all-stars will be made up of representatives from each team, to be selected by the league in all their traditional wisdom. So who gets the nod? I've got my votes...we'll start with the West.

Anaheim Ducks - Easy money would be on Ryan Getzlaf being selected, but Corey Perry may sneak in there in place of or as well as Getzy. Perry's 21 goals lead a team with a rather anemic offense (think Washington production only worse) and he seems to be a clutch performer when they need him to be. Stalwart defenseman Francois Beauchemin could also be a dark horse candidate.

Calgary Flames - Jarome Iginla and Dion Phaneuf have both been high on the balloting since day one and should get into the starting line-up for the West, no problem. But if anyone else is selected from the Flames it should be Daymond Langkow or Kristian Huselius, both of whom have had hot hands this year.

Chicago Blackhawks - With all the buzz around Patrick Kane, it's easy to overlook the other Patrick in the Windy City - but Patrick Sharp is having a breakout year in his third season, with 21 goals already (one more than his career high). Even more special is the way he's scored the goals, coming through big in all situations; he has 6 power play markers, 7 shorthanded, and 5 game winners. Of course Kane wouldn't be a bad choice, either.

Colorado Avalanche - Usually this would be an easy one - put Sakic in and he'll do the rest. Sadly he's facing a potentially career-ending injury and the torch has to be passed to someone else. In that case, you really can't go wrong picking any one of the three youngsters lurking around Denver these days. Marek Svatos, Wojtek Wolski and Paul Stastny are all potential candidates for the show, although Stastny might be relegated to the Young Stars Game despite being Colorado's leading scorer.

Columbus Blue Jackets - It didn't look like he was getting the respect he deserved from All-

Star voters, but Pascal Leclaire is having a dream season for the Blue Jackets and should definitely be in. His seven shutouts lead the league and his performance is a big reason why the Blue Jackets are eyeing the playoffs for the first time in their young history.

Dallas Stars - Mike Ribeiro is undergoing some sort of rebirth in Dallas and is the Stars' leading scorer, besting his career high in goals with every tally. He'd fit the bill perfectly, as would Dallas captain Brenden Morrow.

Detroit Red Wings - It's comforting to see that Chris Chelios didn't even make the ballot this year, but it's less comforting to see that Dominik Hasek did. Disregarding the geriatrics (and the sure bets in future hall of famer Lidstrom and the Eurotwins, Zetterberg and Datsyuk), Detroit has tons of talent - you don't get to be the best team in the league without it. Tomas Holmstrom and Chris Osgood should be in the discussion for sure, though.

Edmonton Oilers - Edmonton perpetually seems like the Capitals of the West - overlooked, underappreciated and ignored, scrappy, feisty bottom-dwellers...if it wasn't for all those Stanley Cups in the 80s they could be twins. So it's no wonder that their stars don't get any respect, and Ales Hemsky is the biggest star you're not watching right now. Shootout prowess aside, just sit down and watch this kid skate sometime. Poetry.

Los Angeles Kings - There's not a lot going right for the Kings right now, but they've got a good young crop of players that in the coming years are going to be turning heads on a more regular basis. It's hard to see beyond superstar Slovenian Anze Kopitar (who should definitely be a candidate) but Mike Cammalleri should get a look as well.

Minnesota Wild - You don't score five goals in a game and fade into the backdrop; Marian Gaborik should be the hands-down favorite to represent the Wild, although goalie Niklas Backstrom continues to put up big numbers and could fight off the other goalies in the West to crack the lineup as well.

Nashville Predators - Nashville gets really tricky because after last year a lot of their big names left town like rats deserting a sinking ship. The jokes on them because the Preds don't appear to be moving anywhere after all, but that still leaves the team with a lack of starpower. Jason Arnott should probably get the nod for being consistently good and for being a +10 on a team that lets in quite a few goals.

Phoenix Coyotes - Ed Jovanovski is one of those players who every few year seems to reemerge despite his "veteran" status and he's doing it again this year, with 25 points - 22 of them assists. That -9 isn't so pretty but it's the all-star game. No one cares about defense. If he's not in it could also be Ilya Bryzgalov who seems to be enjoying his role as the lone starting goalie for a change...

San Jose Sharks - At the last vote update from the NHL, Joe Thornton was leading his SJ teammate Jonathan Cheechoo by just about 6,000 votes - there is no clearer sign that sometimes the voters are a little bit insane, since the difference between the two this year is great. Thornton continues to be an elite playmaker while Cheechoo has slumped immensely; his measly 11 points are nowhere near what he put up last year and he's even trailing two defensemen in team scoring. Even Jeremy Roenick (who also leads Cheech in the points department) deserves it more than him.

St. Louis Blues - After a rookie season that put him among the ranks of "the next big thing", Brad Boyes saw his production decline and eventually ended up on his way out of Boston. He's on pace for a career year this season, though, and should definitely be on the list alongside the likes of Paul Kariya.

Vancouver Canucks - Good ol' Bobby Lou is in for sure, but it's a toss-up as to whether anyone else will get the nod from the Canucks. One or both of the Sedin twins would probably be considered, as they're sitting one and two atop the Vancouver scoring race (Henrik is #1 with two more points, Daniel has more goals). Markus Naslund could be another dark horse, although admittedly this season and the few before this have been disappointing for the captain.

Next up...the East

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Green Light

The longer this game went on, the more eerily reminiscent it became to another Caps game almost a month ago - that ended in exactly the same fashion.

On December 12, the Caps hosted the Rangers. Injuries had decimated the lineup and a couple of Hershey callups were manning the forward lines. The Caps fell behind by two early on, tied it up in the second and then jumped out to a lead on the backs of a two-goal performance. The Rangers then tied it up. The Caps pulled ahead again, and with less than ten minutes left the Rangers tied it up again. Mike Green topped off his two assists with the game-winner in overtime.

Fast forward, reset, reload, throw in a different team clad in red white and blue...let's do it again.

Today the Caps came out looking sluggish, falling behind on a power play goal in the first and relying on the sheer grit of Olie Kolzig to keep them in it. An early goal in the second found the Caps once again facing a defecit. And once again they clawed their way back into the game, as Ovechkin, Backstrom and Gordon found the back of the net to pull out to a 3-2 lead. The Habs tied it up, the Caps pulled ahead with Ovie's second, the Habs tied it up again with less than ten minutes left...

And Mike Green topped off his two assists with the game-winner in overtime. Spooky, right?

So the day after Canada showed Team USA the door in the World Juniors, the Caps traveled to Canada for a little revenge and came away with yet another victory from the Northeast Division. Today's win gives the Caps a stunning 4-0 record up north, with 24 goals scored against their opponents in those four games. It also gives them an important two points and puts them within four of eighth place.

We're off until Wednesday when the Avalanche come to town - good for the Caps to bounce back not only from a two goal deficit but a lackluster loss on Thursday. They'll have plenty of happy thoughts to keep them occupied for a while...

Friday, January 04, 2008

Halfway Done, Halfway There

It's been a bit of a roller coaster ride this year for the entire Caps organization, from players to fans to staff. We've had big moments good and bad, milestones at all levels, new faces and pivotal moments galore - and we've only played 41 games.

So where have we been and where are we going? Before we get into the second half of the season, it seems like a perfect time to look back at a very eventful first half...and look ahead to what's in store.

5 Key Games

October 5, 2007
Caps at Thrashers, Season Opener - Caps win 3-1
There were hints of what was to come in the preseason and there were murmurs among the experts that had the Caps coming out as a sleeper team in the East. But until the Caps unveiled their opening night lineup on enemy ice, no one knew what to really expect. It only took one period for us to see that, when firing at all cylinders, this was a team with great potential to do great things.

Goals from Nylander and Kozlov bookmarked a rare Erskine tally and Nicklas Backstrom picked up his first NHL point as the Caps went on to spoil Atlanta's banner-raising party, 3-1. And they were off and running...

November 8, 2007
Caps at Senators - Caps win 4-1
Talk about the ultimate underdog. The Caps came into Ottawa having lost four straight; their opponents, the mighty Senators, were flying high and had just won their eighth straight game. This wasn't supposed to be a contest...but the Caps made it one.

After a scoreless first, it felt like whoever got the first goal was going to win - and surprisingly it was the Caps who got on the board. Kozlov kicked off the offense halfway through the second and then followed it up with two assists as the Caps struck twice more in the next five minutes. An Ovechkin tally late in the third would cap off the scoring and the upset was complete.

November 21, 2007
Thrashers at Caps - Caps lose 5-1
Last year's Thanksgiving Eve matchup against the Thrashers was a bloodbath - literally. This year Atlanta came to town and engaged in a bloodbath of a different kind, taking advantage of a flat Capitals team and putting a five-spot on the board before the night was over. The Caps dropped their fifth straight, a season high, and saw their home record continue to be the worst in the league.

But this game will be remembered less for what happened during the game and more for what happened after. The next morning as Caps fans readied their Thanksgiving feasts they were greeted with the news that Glen Hanlon had been removed from duty, and the most recent callup from Hershey was interim coach Bruce Boudreau.

December 7, 2007
Caps at Devils - Caps lose 3-2
This game against a streaking Devils team was yet another game that saw the Caps come out sluggish early, fall behind, and simply be unable to claw their way back in.

But again, it was what happened after this game that makes it a pivotal moment in the season.

Coach Bruce Boudreau, just two weeks into his new gig, expressed his displeasure in the way the team started against the Devils during his postgame press conference. He went so far as to call out specific guys for their performance - and one of them was venerable goaltender Olie Kolzig, a player who always seemed to be off limits for criticism regardless of performance. A coach singling out players is nothing new, but Boudreau made sure it was done respectfully (you might call it unTortorella-esque).

And the team responded. The very next game they jumped out to an early lead and rolled over the Thrashers, then proceeded to even the score with the same team that had defeated them just days before with a 3-2 victory over the Devils. It was a defining moment for Boudreau's new regime.

December 17, 2007
Caps at Red Wings - Caps lose in shootout, 4-3
Like the Ottawa game before it, this was one for which the Caps were expected to merely show up and take the loss standing up. A good showing was all many people were hoping for - just don't get blown out on national television and live to fight another day.

The Caps again proved that they're nobody's underdog, though, matching the powerful Red Wings punch for punch. The Wings might have come out a bit sluggish and the Caps took a surprising lead into the first intermission, but like any good team Detroit regrouped and showed why they're the best in the league. A Semin goal in the waning minutes of the third sent it to overtime, and then a shootout, where the Caps were a goalpost away from making it interesting before the Detroit arsenal went to work.

The next day, though, there was nothing but respect (if not badly veiled surprise) from many members of the Red Wings organization and the media at large. It was a loss but one that gave the Caps and their fans a bit more confidence that they could, in fact, compete with the best.

5 Storylines
Glen Hanlon fired
The writing was seemingly on the wall for a long time. The Caps, after shooting out of the gate with a remarkable 3-0 record, had stumbled to the bottom of the league and stayed there. Scattered wins broken up by lengthy losing streaks set off the calls for Hanlon's job and it seemed to be only a matter of time before a regime change was in order.

Time was up when the Caps dropped their fifth straight, a season high, in a sluggish loss to division rivals. Chants of "Fire Hanlon" were louder than any other that night and sure enough, the next morning he was removed and replaced by Boudreau.

Hanlon's legacy in DC shouldn't be defined by the early stumbles of the team in this campaign. Rather it should reflect all the wonderful things he did with a young, developing team in the years after the lockout. The Caps became known for their work ethic and their talented young players - and it was because of Hanlon that this reputation grew. He was the perfect coach for that particular team at that particular moment, and that much should never be forgotten.

Mike Green Arrives
Mike Green has long been one of those "someday" stories for the Caps. Drafted in the first round of the '04 draft yet overshadowed by a certain Russian taken first in that same draft, Green's potential was there but the results had yet to be seen on the ice.

He came into training camp this year with a vengeance, though, and proceeded to blow people away with his performance. A heated battle for the six defensemen slots was raging and yet there seemed to be no question that Green belonged. Stronger and more confident, he stood out in the early preseason as someone who was coming into his own.

The real shift came, however, when Boudreau stepped in. Suddenly Green was playing more minutes - and earning them. He was making plays on both ends of the ice, including stunning offensive displays that were reminiscent of Paul Coffey in his prime. And while he still continues to grow and develop, learning to take the stupid mistakes out of his game and play better in his own end, his offensive production and solid defense are quietly making him known around the league.

Alex Ovechkin's Evolution
From the start, Ovechkin has cultivated a reputation as being a dominant power forward with a killer shot, great hands, and the ability to run over opponents without a second thought. But after a 100+ point rookie season he seemed to fall victim to the sophomore jinx, and both of his first two seasons were tempered by a somewhat casual relationship with defensive responsibility.

The Ovechkin that has emerged in the first half of this season is a completely different player. He's still able to wow you with the moves and he's among the league leaders in goals, but it's the little things he's doing that are getting him recognition. He's learned to play smarter, adding backchecking and defensive zone positioning to his already impressive resume. He's also emerged as a leader, appearing much more comfortable with the letter on his chest this season than he did at any point last year. He's turned his game around to become a much more well-rounded and dependable player.

And he's only going to get better.

Injuries, Injuries, Injuries
Every team has injuries. But it seems like this year they've been more persistent, more damaging and more likely to come at the worst possible time. The Caps will pick up some steam and string together a few wins only to have their lineup decimated by the injury bug.

A team that prides itself on chemistry on and off the ice, the Caps have been without key players for long stretches of time. They've played about half the season and continue to play without the services of their captain, Chris Clark. Boyd Gordon, one of the team's best faceoff men and penalty killers, has missed long stretches with assorted injuries. Tom Poti, Alexander Semin, and Brian Pothier continue to be taken out with injuries of varying degrees of severity.

It seems like we're still waiting to see the full roster as it was imagined when the season started - and we're already halfway through the year.

Nicklas Backstrom
When Backstrom was drafted the buzz about him was that he had great hockey sense, was a smart player with amazing vision on the ice, the ability to read plays and make the intelligent choice.

Boy, was that an understatement. The newly anointed rookie of the month has been a truly pleasant surprise in a season filled with not so pleasant ones. Every night it seems like he grows more confident and some of the plays he's made to set up goals or score goals of his own are beyond highlight-worthy. Since Thanksgiving he's picked up 20 points and already has seven multi-point games on the year to his credit, all while being defensively responsible and smart in his own end.

On a team stocked with young talent he's been a standout in every sense of the word and more than enough reason for Caps fans to look forward to the coming years.

5 Stars of the First Half

Bruce Boudreau
He may not be lacing up the skates and scoring the goals, but it's hard to deny what Boudreau has done with this team. Since taking over in November the Caps are 10-6-4 and have climbed out of the league basement. They sit six points out of a playoff spot and seven points out of first place in the division - and there's a new confidence about this team that was missing for a good part of the early games. What's more, the young players are growing into their roles at a staggering rate under Boudreau and that can only mean good things for this team down the line - whether the playoffs are in the cards or not.

Nicklas Backstrom
It isn't every day that a high draft pick can not only step right into the NHL but start making some noise. The Caps were lucky enough to have someone like that in Ovechkin two years ago and they've found it again with Backstrom. Even better than his natural ability that is so obvious every shift is the fact that he seems to get better every game. He complements Ovechkin perfectly but can show some flash and dash in his own right. Backstrom is the consummate playmaker with great hands, great vision, and great potential to be a huge part of this Caps team down the line.

Mike Green

So far this year the Caps have gotten 20 goals from their defense; 10 of them have come from Green, who has found a new level to his game and a new jump to his step this year. It's something that the Caps have been waiting for since drafting him and something that we've only seen flashes of in the past. But this season he's truly come into his own and is starting to generate some buzz around the league for his strong play.

Brooks Laich
It may seem like a strange choice, but Brooks Laich is becoming exactly the kind of player the Caps need him to be - a scrappy winger/center/penalty killer/second-third-fourth line player who can fill any void and chip in some goals in the meantime. He's one goal shy of his career best in a season and has become dominant in the faceoff circle as well as in a penalty-killing role. Brooks has avoided his usual early sluggishness and come out firing, getting his first goal of the season in just the third game of the season...a goal that would prove to be the game-winner.

Alex Ovechkin
It's pretty much a given that Ovechkin will be on any sort of list like this every season. He's the cornerstone of this team, one of it's leaders, and among the best players in the league right now. And given the fact that he's improved upon what was already a pretty good game...what more is there to say?

5 Things to Watch in the Second Half

Special Teams
It's been said to death. Since the lockout you won't get anywhere if your special teams aren't successful, and we've seen how true that is the last two years. This season the Caps seem to be improving both shorthanded and with the extra man but are still ranked in the bottom half of the league in each. So there's still some work to do...

Olie Kolzig
Olie has gone from being very shaky to very solid to shaky to solid again. In other words...inconsistent. Johnson has been the same, although with a smaller number of games and now his injury it's hard to tell how much is inconsistency and how much is just shaking off the rust. You won't get anywhere in the playoffs without solid, if not spectacular goaltending - of course, you won't get into the playoffs period if you don't have that either, so the goalies need to pull it together if the team wants to make a run. Olie has put in a few great performances these last few days, but can he keep it up? Something to watch.

Contracts
Okay, it had to be said. Right now it's too early to panic and wring our hands, but in the second half of the season this team is going to have to start locking people up or risk losing not only their big names but the role players as well. We're not just talking Ovechkin - in fact his contract is probably among the least of our worries.

Eminger, Morrisonn, Fleischmann, Green, Gordon, Laich and Fehr will all be restricted agents along with #8 come July 1. Kolzig has said he wants to play two more years but he becomes unrestricted this summer; so do Bradley, Brashear and Laing. That's a lot of people who have to be qualified, extended or cut loose...and that means a stressful second half for McPhee.

Secondary Scoring
Every package of highlights from a Caps game seems to start by saying that Ovechkin has so and so % of the Caps' offensive production, and it's true. He continues to provide a huge chunk of the offense - but the percentage has dropped, particularly in the last month, when it went from close to 30% down to about 25%. He's supposed to score goals, that's his job, but secondary scoring and a balanced attack are crucial to any team.

Games the team has won almost always consist of offense from unlikely sources as well as the likely ones. People like Gordon, Pettinger, and Steckel as well as the defensemen will be looked to for more production - and hey, if Olie and Johnny want to add a few, that couldn't hurt either.
Playoff Push
There are currently ten points separating 14th place, where the Capitals sit, from second place in the conference. There are ten points between last place and third in the conference...and ten between first and fifth in the division. The Caps will need a combination of wins and help from the rest of the conference if they want to make a postseason appearance, and the race is only going to get tighter the closer we get to the end of the season.

Obviously between now and the end of the season every game is crucial, particularly the division matchups. But there are a few key stretches to take note of.

First, the Caps will have the longest home stretch of the second half over the next few weeks, starting Wednesday when they host the Avalanche and continuing until Monday the 19th when the Panthers come to call. After that they won't be home for longer than four games in a row for the rest of they year, and that happens only once.

Which brings us to the other key stretch, which will be the six game road swing conveniently scheduled for the last two weeks of March. They'll hit the last two Central Division teams, Nashville and Chicago, before taking a tour of the Southeast. While the Caps haven't been horrible on the road they haven't been great either - and take this however you want to, but four of their five overtime or shootout losses have come away from Verizon Center.

-------
And that brings us to tomorrow's matinee against the Canadiens. The Habs have won three of their last four, the Caps two of their last three. As has been the case over the last few years, the Habs are dominant with the extra man but much less terrifying five on five. If the Caps can stay out of the box and shake off whatever was wrong with them against Boston, they should pull out a win.

Remember, it's a 12:30 start which I'm fairly certain was done so it wouldn't entirely conflict with the medal rounds of the World Juniors. And if you're interested in catching those, USA takes on Russia for the bronze at 10:00 am on NHL Network, while Captain Karl Alzner and fellow Caps prospect Josh Godfrey will lead Canada against Sweden for the gold at 2:00 pm.

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Happy New Year!

Photo courtesy of AP

There's no better way to ring in the New Year than with a dominant win over the East's best team, and the Caps accomplished that feat with flying colors.

Saturday saw the Caps and the Sens duke it out in a defensively shaky performance that saw fourteen goals scored, seven in the third period alone. But yesterday's game was all about team toughness - both mental and physical.

After falling behind quickly by two, goals which were both results of poor defensive plays, the Caps roared back with four first period markers of their own to take the lead. They weathered a third period Senators storm without two of their big minute guys, Semin and Poti. They scored their first five on three goal of the year. They got goals from all areas of the lineup, including Viktor Kozlov's long awaited fourth tally. And they sweep the home and home series against a team no one thought they could beat.

In the first five minutes the Caps looked outplayed, outclassed, and disinterested. You can't give up two quick goals to guys like McAmmond and Neil who, as important as they may be to the Senators lineup, are not renowned for their scoring. It would not have been strange to see the whole Caps bench slump in despair.

But immediately after the second Sens goal Boudreau tossed out the top line of Ovechkin, Backstrom and Kozlov. They danced around the Ottawa defense, passing and weaving through players to set up the perfect play - Backstrom to Kozlov to the back of the net. Follow that up with a dazzling scoring chance by Pettinger, a quick four on four goal by Nylander that caught Gerber napping, and a quicker and more beautiful goal by Mike Green...and the Caps never looked back.

There were some great things about yesterday. First of all, the crowd was big and loud and draped in red, a rarity that hopefully won't be a rarity much longer if the team keeps this up. The Caps continued to prove that they can come back from a deficit and they did it against a team that had only lost four times when scoring first. They got a balanced attack from the top three lines and a handful of points from the blueline. And they got strong goaltending from Olie, who has really raised his game over the last few nights despite the number of goals allowed.

It's easy to say that Ottawa might have underestimated the Caps the first time they lost. The second win was an old-fashioned shootout that saw neither team playing their strongest defense and the Caps squeaking out an eight goal victory. Three wins in a row and maybe the rest of the league will start to take notice - this Caps team is a punchline no longer.

Of course, that doesn't mean the Ottawa Sun has to try and learn their names, right? Figure out what's wrong with the following quote:

The Senators figured out a way to silence Alex Ovechkin yesterday. Next time, they better come up with a plan to also contain Boyd Gordon.

A 24-year-old who entered the day with 10 goals in 161 NHL games, Gordon had his second and third of the season against an Ottawa team that turned in its second straight abysmal performance.

The information about Boyd Gordon is correct, obviously - 24 years old, 10 goals in 161 NHL games, blah blah blah...and he did have a two-point night. But I doubt Ottawa will look back at this game and think, "Huh...we should have shut down that Gordon kid." Good work, Ottawa Sun. That's almost as good as the moment on the NHL Network last night when Neil Smith talked about "Mike Laich".

...who?

Anyways.

Washington jumps right back into action Thursday night, hitting the road with their first visit to Boston on the season. They'll face a Bruins team that just snapped a six game losing streak and is hungry to get back into the top eight - they need to carry over the confidence from this home and home series to steal two points at the Garden.

That's a two-point night and a Happy New Year indeed!

Monday, December 31, 2007

New Year Wishes

We here in the Cheap Seats would like to wish everyone a happy, healthy and safe 2008.

LET'S GO CAPS!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Wild Win for Caps

The old sports adage says that the best offense is a good defense...last night's game was more an exercise in the opposite, with fourteen goals between the two teams and the Caps having to "squeak out" an 8-goal win.

The Caps have been getting a lot of scoring support from secondary sources and defensemen, but every now and then it's nice to see the stars break out with an offensive juggernaut. It is, after all, why they are stars in the first place.

As everyone knows by now, Ovechkin had four goals - his first four-goal game of his career and, with an assist, his first five-point game as well. On top of that we got two goals from Nylander, a goal and two assists from both Backstrom and Semin, and two assists from Green.

It's easy to look at a game like this and say that the goaltenders shoulder most of the blame. Eight goals on thirty shots won't do much for Gerber's save percentage; neither will six on twenty-two for Kolzig's. But most of the goals came more as a result of defensive breakdowns, lucky bounces and power plays - in fact out of the fourteen goals there were probably only one or two total (including Gerber's behind-the-net gaffe that led to Semin's easy wraparound) that either goalie could be blamed for.

It's hard to go over every goal, every mistake, every penalty in a game like this. Fourteen goals, two hat tricks, twelve minor penalties, a fight, a penalty shot...it's exhausting just writing it. What we can take from a game like this are a few things.

One, the Caps have proven once again that they can hang with the elite teams in the league. Sure, they allowed Ottawa to almost climb back in after taking two three-goal leads and three two-goal leads. Sure, they gave up six goals. But they scored eight of their own and never looked outclassed doing it.

Two, this win moves the Caps into 14th place in the conference. That may not sound great, but it is the first time they haven't been dead last since November 8th. Almost two months. With just a two point lead over Tampa it's not a solid grip by any means; on the other hand, they're sitting five points out of the top 8 and only eight points out of the division lead.

So the Caps finish out 2007 on a high note and, more importantly, have completed their very difficult December schedule with a stunning 7-3-3 record. That's 17 points in 13 games, a sign that the Caps are very much on the right track. The next test of course will be making a real push to get back in the thick of the race, starting with a rematch against the Sens on New Year's Day. If they can use this game as a jumping off point and pick up some momentum, things are going to start to get interesting.

Photo courtesy of AP/Canadian Press

Friday, December 28, 2007

Same Old, Same Old

Reading the headlines the morning after, one would get the sense that Sidney Crosby outdueled Alex Ovechkin to lead his team to a win.

Anyone who watched that game, Caps fan or Pens fan, would have to respectfully disagree.

That's not to say that Ovie came out on top, either. He finished the night with a goal and a +2, Crosby had two assists and a +1. Both respectable stats for a game that saw each of them have a few chances and a few good shifts...but neither player dominated this game.

This game was in fact a workshop on how to shut down a superstar, a clinic on how to take away time and space. Neither one had much room to maneuver, although being the phenomenal talent that each of them is, they were able to create that room when it was needed the most. When your offense for the night consists of names like Taffe (who?) and Brashear and Pothier and Armstrong...this ain't a battle of the number one draft picks that the NHL seems to want so badly.

I'm not sure when, if ever, the NHL and the media will decide to stop making this into the Ovechkin vs. Crosby show. If anything the likelihood goes down with every meeting that games between these two teams will end up panning out that way. Sure, they have different styles, but you have to think that practicing with Sidney Crosby gives you a better idea of how to shut down Ovechkin - and vice versa. Learn how to take away time and space from someone and you're going to take the power away from any forward.

Yesterday in the gameday preview I mocked how much the commentators love to drool over Crosby, and the same can probably be said (to a lesser extent) for Ovechkin. It's understandable. Two amazing talents cannot be denied. But at what point do we start recognizing the real heroes of a game, even when they're not named Ovechkin or Crosby?

Last night the Penguins got an overtime winner from Gonchar, who had a horrible game otherwise but more than made up for it by...well, winning the game. Evgeni Malkin was everywhere and took more than a few bone-rattling checks from Ovechkin while still making plays and Taffe (WHO?) came out of nowhere to get the Pens on the board early.

For the Caps you had Brashear with an absolutely dominant first period that included a fight and a goal. Then there was Nicklas Backstrom, who continues to thrill and basically created two of the Caps three goals just by being his hard-working, talented self. And Boyd Gordon, returning from an injury that kept him out most of December, slipped right back into his old role of shutdown master, keeping Crosby virtually silent for a majority of the game.

Oddly enough not one of them, with the exception of Gonchar (OT goals are sexier than just being a talented hockey player, I guess) shows up in the headlines. Instead we get things like "Crosby Outduels Ovechkin" and "Crosby Leads Pens Over Ovechkin" and so on and so forth. It almost makes you think they've just got headlines already written regardless of how the game turns out.

Guess what, members of the mainstream media, AP headline writers, whoever you are - it's been three years now. Enough is enough.

All photos courtesy of AP

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Overtime Heartbreaker

Murphy's Law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the least opportune time.

Capitals' Law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the least opportune time...against the Penguins.

The Caps were absolutely dominant for good portions of tonight's game and seemed to have things well in hand. So naturally, the following series of events occur:

- After almost a whole game with only one Caps penalty (and after Joe B. and Locker have said over and over that special teams have not been a factor), Morrisonn takes a penalty in the waning minutes. The Penguins then score with 4 seconds left in the infraction.

- Sergei Gonchar plays his typical turnover-ridden game and is an accomplice to two of the Caps' three goals. He gets the overtime winner.

- Thanks to some hard work by Boyd Gordon in his return, Crosby is fairly toothless all night and picks up just a secondary assist on the phantom Armstrong goal. The one time Crosby gets loose? It's to dish the puck back to Gonchar for the aforementioned game-winner.

- Milan Jurcina has a great defensive game but is unlucky enough to be in the path of the puck not once but twice and deflects two Penguins goals right into the net.

- The Caps lose Johnson for 2-4 weeks with a sprained knee. They then lose Ovechkin to a leg laceration, an injury that keeps him out of the last fifteen minutes of the game because the doctor can't get to him fast enough. (Um, are you kidding me??)

Against any other team you have to kind of shrug and say yes, it was their game to lose but things happen and good players can pull a win out of a loss for their team. Against the Penguins...this is not the reaction most Caps fans will likely have.

Instead it's another loss to Pittsburgh, the ninth loss in ten games since the lockout. It's the second straight loss in which the Caps were the better team. And it's a game that has the potential to deflate any momentum the Caps had from last night's win and their play through the majority of tonight's game.

If you want to take some good things out of this one, there are a few. First of all, let's not kid ourselves - the Caps played a hell of a game and really took the hometown crowd out of it, even when Pittsburgh had the lead. Their puck possession was masterful for long stretches. Crosby was not a factor until the end of the game. They were disciplined and physical. Olie made some huge saves and looked sharp in relief of Johnny. Donald Brashear got a goal.

Most importantly, if we look at the big picture, the Caps get a point. They move one point closer to 8th place, one point closer to the Islanders, Leafs and Thrashers (who all lost tonight). And with Tampa falling to the Habs, the Caps are no longer the sole residents of last place in the conference.

...that's something, I guess.

Gameday Preview: Caps vs Penguins

Who: Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Where: Mellon Arena
When: Thursday, December 27, 7:30 pm

Broadcast Info: CSN, 3WT Radio; FSN Pittsburgh, 105.9 FM

Media Notes:
NHL.com
Washington Post
Washington Times
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

In lieu of our regularly scheduled preview, please enjoy this dramatic reading featuring everyone's favorite puffy-lipped superstar...

A Day in the Life of Sidney Crosby
[Interior - Mario Lemieux's house, the Crosby wing.]

[Sunlight is streaming through the window onto the lacy pillow of one Sidney Crosby, who is snoring softly beneath a pink canopy. The alarm clock buzzes, rousing young Sid from his hockey-filled dreams. He grumbles something groggily that sounds like "Ovechkin!!" then swings out an arm to stop the incessant buzzing with one smack, the room sinking back into silence.]

[A strange voice breaks through...]

Errey: Wow! Did you see that, Steigy?

Steigerwald: I did indeed, Bob. Very impressive.

[Sid opens his eyes slowly and frowns. The room is silent once more and, confident that it was just a dream, Sid's eyes slowly close again. A few minutes pass and the snooze alarm kicks in; a hand reaches out to silence it and uses such force that the clock flies across the nightstand and onto the floor.]

S.: You just don't see strength like that in someone his age very often.

[Sid's eyes now fly open and he bolts straight up in bed, glancing around the room warily.]

SC: ...i-is someone there?

[Silence. Sid frowns, scratches his head in confusion and shrugs.]

SC: Weird dream. Guess I might as well get up...

[Sid climbs out of bed and pads to the bathroom, the rubber souls of his footie pajamas making satisfying scuffling noises on the carpet as he goes. He slips a little on the tile floor but catches himself on the door handle.]

E.: Holy mother of...that was close! Good thing he had the presence of mind to grab that handle.

SC [angrily]: Okay, seriously - who's there? Army? Whoever it is, it's not funny!

[Silence. With one more wary look around he reaches for his Mickey Mouse toothbrush and squeezes some bubblegum-flavored gel onto it.]

SC: Mmm...yummy. [Starts to brush]

S: Notice that technique, Bob. Sidney Crosby really looks at home with a toothbrush in his hand, doesn't he?

E: He sure does, Steigy. He sure does.

[Sid drops his toothbrush into the sink and whips around, searching the room for the voices. He rips open the shower curtain but finds no one there. As he pulls it closed again he stops to have a giggle at the funny pictures of fish all over the curtain but remembers that he's scared and quickly wipes the smile from his face.]

SC [nervously]: S-steigy? Bob? Is that you guys?

E: This kid's just super intelligent, Steigy.

SC: Where the heck are you? Come on, you can knock it off now.

[Silence.]

SC [sighing]: Okay. Fine. Just...don't watch me change, okay?

[He wanders back into his room and closes the door, emerging a few minutes later fully dressed and fuming.]

SC: Well, they didn't have to laugh that hard...

[Stomping down the stairs he hops on the trolley that takes him to the main Lemieux living quarters, finding an empty kitchen and a note on the fridge.]

Sid -

Please pick up some milk and don't forget it's your day to unload the dishwasher. No friends over until it's done - and no food in the living room...

- Mario

S: Look at the concentration on his face. You just know he's about to do something great.

SC: Yeah, yeah.

[Pocketing the note, he heads back out to the front hall where he picks up his keys and the $20 bill that is now sitting there under a Post-It that says "for milk".]

E: And he did! Look at the way he swept those keys into his palm - like he was born to do it, Steigy.

S: I think he was, Bob.

[Sid walks outside and climbs into Mario's station wagon, pulling slowly out of the driveway and into the streets of Pittsburgh.]

S: I just never get tired of watching this kid execute a car in reverse.

E: You know he's making his hometown proud with that one.

SC [visibly annoyed]: Yeah, because they never see anyone drive in Canada.

E: And so modest too! I tell you what, he's really something special.

SC: Maybe we can play the silent game until we get to the store, okay, guys? First one to talk loses.

[The car is silent until Sid turns into the parking lot of the grocery store, when-]

E: That parking job was AMAZING!!

S: Right between the lines, Bob - that's some serious talent.

E: And look how good he was at being silent, too! Amazing.

[Sid heads toward the row of shopping carts and selects one; it has a wobbly wheel, though, so he puts it back and grabs another. After a few test rolls he's satisfied and he makes his way into the store.]

S: Now, see what he did there? The technique was just great. He knew that a wobbly wheel would not only slow him down but also cause excessive noise that would annoy his fellow shoppers.

E: That's right, Steigy. The selection of that non-wobbly wheeled cart was simply genius. Like poetry.

SC: Poetry. Uh-huh. You might also say incredible...or amazing...[rolling his eyes] At least you guys are easily impressed.

[He makes his way through the aisles, stopping to sign autographs and take pictures and kiss babies along the way until he reaches the dairy case. Pulling the note out of his pocket he glances at it and frowns.]

SC: Didn't say what kind...I guess we'll go with 1%. Or maybe 2%? Hmm...no, better make it the 1%.

E: Smart selection, Steigy. Very smart. Captains have to be good decision-makers and he showed how much he deserves that 'C' by picking the 1%.

S: Mario will be very pleased.

[Sid pays for the milk and, after hungrily eying the candy shelf next to the checkout, adds a chocolate bar and some gum to his purchases before heading out to the car.]

SC [muttering under his breath and glancing up at the ceiling]: Don't tell, okay, guys?

S: Ooh, he'll want to be careful there, Bob. You can bet that Mario will be checking the receipt.

[Sid looks nervous but then smiles, crumples up the receipt in his hand and triumphantly tosses it in the trash.]

E: Brilliant! He knew exactly how to handle that situation. He's got the sensibilities of someone twice his age - maybe even three times!

S: It's pretty special, Bob. Sidney Crosby is just a master of all -

SC: Okay, that's enough!! I can't...take it...anymore! You have to stop, you can't comment on ANYTHING I do anymore or I'll...I'll...I'll pinch you!

S: Whoa, look how angry he is! Sid's quite the competitor, Bob. He really knows when to let his temper show and he's showing it right now.

E: Almost makes you want to see what he can do in a fight, doesn't it?

S: Almost, Bob. Almost. I tell you, it's truly a joy to watch this kid every day.

E: I hear he's not a bad hockey player, either, Steigy. We should check that out sometime.

[Sid sighs.]

SC: I need a drink...

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

A Bumpy Win

In a game where neither team looked particularly impressive, all you can ask is that your team is the better team. The Caps were just that for most of the game tonight and picked up not only an important two points but an important win as well. Tonight was just not pretty to watch. That's often the case when either Florida team pays us a visit, and I'm not sure what it is, but I think when we call this a division "rivalry" we're playing fast and loose with the meaning. But you know the saying - it wasn't pretty but it didn't have to be.

Come to think of it, that should be the Caps' team motto...ah, well. Maybe next year. On with the show!

- Kolzig, Kolzig, Kolzig...when you are quoted in the papers as saying you let in one a night that you should stop, are you viewing that as a challenge? Is this some kind of weird streak you're aiming for? I assure you, it's not one that will show up in the record books. Legs. Together. Just for giggles. Vinny doesn't need any help scoring on us - he does just fine on his own.

- Speaking of Lecavalier, that was a pretty shot that rifled past Olie to pull the Bolts in front 2-1. The turnover that led to it was not. And again, it's not like he has ever needed assistance or incentive to get points against the Caps.

- The Caps were dominant in the faceoff circle, winning 30 of 49 - and none were more so than Brooks Laich, who was 9 for 11. That's 82% for those math-challenged people (or people unable to read a scoresheet). Vinny the Great? 7 for 18. And that's not counting the 32943 times he got tossed from the faceoff circle...I might be rounding up there, but it was a lot.

- When is the last time you saw the Caps take only one penalty in a game? Even the one they took, an Ovechkin minor that prevented St. Louis from having a breakaway, wasn't a full penalty because it came while on the power play. Discipline, thy name is Boudreau.

- Lightning goaltending is usually kind of a joke, but let's not kid ourselves - Ramo can play. That being said, he was giving up a ton of rebounds and give credit to the Caps for picking up on that fact. They were very good at crashing the net and causing chances, which led directly to two of the three goals.

- Semin, Ovechkin, Steckel. Ladies and gentlemen...your Lightning-killers.

- The fourth line looked really impressive tonight. Laing, Steckel and Bradley combined for a +7 on the night and created some of the best chances, dominating the play almost every time they were on the ice. I've been asked a few times whether I would prefer Laing over Bradley, and the answer is still no - but what do you do when they play really well together? Gordon is probably in tomorrow night, so it looks like we'll have an answer to that question soon enough.

- Kozlov, Pettinger and Fleischmann need to pool their salaries - they can't buy a goal between them, and say what you will about any of them but it's not for lack of trying.

- Boy, was Ovie having a rough night or what? That was one of his worse games of the year.

Next up...Pittsburgh. Here we go again.

Interim No More

Per the Caps website, Bruce Boudreau has officially been named the head coach.

McPhee has said that there was no timeline for them to find an official coach, but I think we every game we could see that Boudreau was "interim" in name only. This is a fantastic move by the organization and anyone who questions making an AHL coach into an NHL coach only has to look at the long list of distinguished NHL coaches, current and past, who got their start in the minors.

Congrats to Bruce - now let's see the Caps give him his first OFFICIAL win!

Gameday Preview: Caps vs Lightning

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas or, like me, some good Chinese food and a movie or two. It's time to get back into the swing of things - and what better way to do that than with a home game against the lovely Lightning of Tampa Bay? Can't think of a one.

Who: Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Where: Verizon Center
When: Wednesday, December 26, 7 pm

Broadcast Info: CSN, 3WT Radio; SunSports

Media Notes:
Caps' Site
NHL.com
Washington Post
Washington Times
St. Petersburg Times

As the Caps near the halfway mark of the season it's not an exaggeration to say that just about every game becomes do or die, and with six games in the next eleven nights, they need to get things going now. The word "momentum" seems to be missing from their vocabulary for whatever reason, be it in between goals or in between games, and the last thing you want to see as the second half of the season looms is a lack of momentum. You want to be picking up speed, picking up points, and picking up intensity.

The Caps can start tonight as they host division rivals Tampa Bay. The gruesome threesome - Lecavalier, St. Louis and Richards - just love feasting on the Caps. On the flip side, our own Russian duo seems to like scoring on the Bolts (as does Dave Steckel), and games between these teams tend to be on the high-scoring side.

Right now the Lightning sit three points ahead of the Caps, further representing the wonder that is the Southeast Division in the basement of the East and struggling with inconsistency of their own. The Bolts have a tendency to extend their streaks a bit longer, dropping five or six in a row before storming back with a handful of wins, while the Caps have been employing the win three lose three strategy thus far.

Both teams entered the holiday break having lost four of their last five. Neither is particularly adept at achieving balanced scoring. Goaltenders for each team have struggled off and on at various points in the season. In other words, we're gearing up for yet another thrilling Southeast Showdown sure to keep you on the edge of your seats.

Recently we here in the Cheap Seats had a somewhat bizarre epiphany that Vincent Lecavalier and Beauty and the Beast's Gaston bear a striking resemblance to one another. No comment on whether this epiphany grew out of temporary sleep deprivation or not...but what follows is the musical result.

Vinny and Ovie
(to the tune of "Gaston"...with apologies to Disney)

Vinny's slicker than most
Even quicker than most
And a neck so incredibly thick Vinny boasts

For there's few men on ice half as manly
Perfect, a pure paragon!
Just a few years since hoisting Lord Stanley
Every man in the league knows to watch when he's on

He can deke to the right
Give the d-men a fright
And then pass the puck off to the midget in flight
As a twosome, yes, they're quite intimidating
Vinny's a true superstar!

He'll drop the gloves
Or dent the twine
In Tampa he's god and the rest are all swine...

But there's one player here
Who can give Vinny fear
Just a certain young Russian who grins ear to ear

He plows through guys with no second glancing
You can see he's got power to spare
Nothing stops him when he starts advancing
The puck's in the net and his fist's in the air!

Vinny ought to beware
Ovie's setting his glare
As he scores goals at will and he does it with flair
He's especially good at the celebrating
Millions of points for Ovie!

Vinny may have been the king of the South
Long before Ovie stepped on our shore
But now that he's here number 8's here to stay
And you know that he's going to score!

No one shoots like Ovie
Makes those beauts like Ovie
Then goes tearing around on a segway like he
Ovie's giving Lecavalier cause to fear him
My what a guy...Ovie!

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Gameday Preview: Caps vs Islanders

We've been slacking off here in the Cheap Seats...many apologies and promises to resume the usual rigorous commentary and deep, well thought out analysis that has become our signature after the holiday season has concluded.

For now here is a somewhat abbreviated gameday preview...

Who: Washington Capitals vs New York Islanders
Where: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
When: Saturday, December 22, 7 pm

Broadcast Info: CSN+, 3WT; FSN-NY, WBBR

Media Notes:
Caps' Site
NHL.com (Hey, remember the days when previews were done with a balanced look at both teams?)
Washington Post
Washington Times

The first game of the year between these two teams resulted in a win for the Caps that they probably didn't deserve. The second game gave the Caps a loss they definitely deserved. The common thread? For whatever reason the effort hasn't been there against the mighty Islanders, and they'll need to pick it up in order to grab another very important two points.

The Islanders are one night removed from a come from behind victory over Pittsburgh yesterday. As is always the rule with opponents in back to back games, the Caps need to jump on them early and take them out of the game. Considering the fact that last night was also the first time in over a month the Islanders have scored at least four goals, the Caps need to rediscover their scoring touch and put a big number up early. Taking a lead and holding a lead will be the tests for this Caps team.

This game, like the Habs game a few days ago, is one they have the ability to win and in fact should win. And you always want to go into a break on a high note, and the Caps don't play again until Wednesday. Nothing like a two-point night to add some spice to your egg nog (or for us non-Christmas carolers, a little kick to your Chinese food).

Let's face it, we're coming up on the halfway mark of the season and from this point on we have to look at the majority of games as must-wins. Points may count the same in November as they do in April, but they sure as hell are harder to get once the spring thaw hits. Kicking off a significant winning streak now will spare the Caps from having a nailbiter of a finish - or worse, a premature start to the golf season.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Monday, January 07, 2008

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Friday, January 04, 2008

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Monday, December 31, 2007

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Friday, December 28, 2007

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Saturday, December 22, 2007

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