Washingotn Capitals Hockey
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The Streak is now Four
The Washington Capitals began a six game road trip in
Nashville five points behind Southeast Division leading Carolina with a
game in hand. That extra game is now gone, but the Capitals made the
most of it. With a 4-2 win over the Predators, the Capitals have
matched a season high four game win streak.
Now just three points back with two head to head
matchups
versus Carolina remaining, the Capitals won another game despite
questionable officiating to kick off the roadie in fine style.
The Capitals jumped on Nashville early, storming out to
a 3-0 lead against a Predators team that looked lethargic and
disinterested. But a pair of penalties early in the second period
caught up with the visitors as the Predators finally got on the board.
The goal was a dramatic turning point as the Preds took control from
that moment on. Problem for the Caps is, as has been the case the past
handful of games, they didn't exactly deserve those back to back
penalties.
Washington, by no means, played an undisciplined game
yet found themselves shorthanded five times. Most disturbing though was
a non-call late in the third period. Moments after killing off
Nashville's fourth straight power play, the Predators had possession of
the puck in the Caps zone (which was frequently the case in the final
40 minutes) when Matt Bradley's stick was slashed out of his hands. The
play happened right in the middle
of the ice, easily observaable by both officials, but no call was made.
Such has been the story of the last week or two for Washington.
One would assume that the NHL offices up in Toronto are
rooting for Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals to make the playoffs, but
the way the refs have been calling Caps games lately, they may as well
be a high school team trying to make the NHL playoffs -- something
nobody wants to see, except the kids' parents.
Despite the misfortunes, Washington managed to win their
fourth straight game, pull within three points of Carolina, and keep
pace with eighth place Philadelphia. All the while, Alex Ovechkin
scored points number 100, 101, and 102, the last of which an empty
netter that was banked off the boards from his own zone. With greatness
comes a bit of luck.
Washington has little time to reflect on their win,
backstopped by another very solid 24 save performance from Cristobal
Huet, as they are in Chicago to face the fading, though youthful,
Blackhawks -- and perhaps another pair of discriminatory referees.
Although Washington was unable to gain ground on the
Flyers, Olie Kolzig is set to get the start on a night that finds both
Carolina and ninth-seed Buffalo in action. It is sure to be another
night of scoreboard watching as the road trip reaches full swing.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Scoreboard Watching and a Long, Long Roadie
The Washington Capitals, along with at least two other
Eastern Conference teams, have done all they can do over the past few
games to give themselves reasonable playoff aspirations. Tonight
they're facing a Western Conference club that is similarly positioned
but headed the opposite direction.
The Nashville Predators, like Washington, lie just off
the eighth seed out West, but unlike Washington they are on a bit of a
slide. The Preds have won only once in their last four
overall and are winless in their last four at home. The Capitals,
meanwhile, have won three in a row and two of their last three on the
road. Washington's goaltending and defense has been the hallmark of
their recent success.
Since the trade deadline, Olie Kolzig has stepped his
play up a couple notches (which is impressive considering his play
improved over the previous few weeks.) In six appearances, Kolzig has a
1.53 GAA with a .938 save percentage. Not to be outdone, Cristobal Huet
has a 1.71 GAA and .940 save percentage in five games since joining
Washington three weeks ago.
The offense, on the other hand, has struggled just a bit
of late scoring more than three goals just twice in their last eight
games, though their recent ten goal outburst skews
their offensive statistics. If guys like Alexander Semin (who
has just one goal in eight games,) Viktor Kozlov (one goal in seven
games,) and Mike Green (scoreless in eight) can help fill up the
scoresheet, the Capitals might be looking at a road trip that could
help springboard them into the postseason.
But how long would it take for them to see themselves in
a playoff spot in the standings? Answer: Tonight.
Eighth seed Philly plays host to Atlanta, who hopefully
puts forth a bit more effort than they did against the Caps the other
night. If the Flyers lose in regulation and the Capitals win, both
teams will have 80 points after 74 games. The Capitals win the first
tiebreaker having an advantage in wins over the Broad Street Boobies,
36 to 35.
However, the idle Buffalo Sabres must not be overlooked.
If the above scenario were to unfold, the Sabres remain a
point off the pace with a game in hand. But the point to hang your hat
on is how soon the Capitals could sit above the horizontal line in
tomorrow morning's paper.
After tonight's mashup in Nashville, the Capitals head
north to Chicago then fly right back over Nashville to play Atlanta
before returning to D.C. to spend a couple off days. The combined
record of these three teams in their last ten games is 10-15-5 while
the Caps are 7-3-0. So if momentum is the only factor in winning, the
Caps should win at least two of these three games. But of course it's
not, and if the Caps expect to win, they better play the way they did
against Atlanta. Not Boston.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Weekend in Review/The Week Ahead
This weekend was much more kind to the Washington
Capitals than the previous one, and they needed it. Three straight wins
against Calgary, Atlanta, and Boston have solidified the Caps position
in the race for eighth and kept them within shouting distance of the
Southeast Division title.
It's been a busy weekend for all the teams who are
jockeying for playoff position. So let's dive in, see what the weekend
brought, and make some sense of where the Capitals stand as they head
out for a six game tour of the midwest and southeast.
As evidenced in the chart, Washington picked up four
points, the most possible. They gained 2 points on Carolina for the
division and 3 points on Philadelphia for the eighth seed. But the
Capitals are not alone (at least for one weekend) as all the teams
trying to play catchup have done so to perfection. The teams on top
were the flawed of the bunch, intensifying the playoff race as everyone
playing catchup was able to move closer.
With fewer than 10 games remaining, it's all about the
scoreboard watching, something we haven't been able to do here since
2002-03. There's still a lot of hockey to be played and so many
variables remain. It's clearly too early for any of these teams to feel
comfort that their season will extend into Spring. Likewise, nobody is
thinking about their summer vacation just yet.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
When Everything Goes Right
The Washington Capitals played like a desperate team,
and it was pretty darn impressive. On a day that saw the Eastern
Conference standings bunch together considerably, the Capitals inched
closer to Southeast Division leader Carolina with a dominant 4-1
victory over Atlanta.
The Capitals, who are officially in control of their own
destiny again (though it won't be easy,) moved to within five points of
the Hurricanes while maintaining their game in hand in addition to a
pair of looming head-to-head matchups. The 'Canes were defeated 7-1 by
Buffalo, suffering their second worst loss of the season. Their worst
loss this year, by the way, was an earlier shelling by the same Sabres
team when they
were creamed 8-1 a few months back..
With their win, the Sabres maintain their one point
margin over the Capitals and Florida, who beat the Rangers to keep
pace. All three teams sit within three points of idle Philadelphia for
the
conference's final playoff spot.
Washington avoided another speed bump in their quest for
the postseason
by turning in arguably their most complete performance in
years. Anytime your fourth line is able to set the tone of the game,
even without figuring in the scoring, your opponent is in for a long
night. And that's just what Boyd Gordon,
Matt Bradley, and Donald Brashear brought to the table. Their cycling
and puck control down low was reminiscent of the days when Steve
Konowalchuk, Ulf Dahlen, and Jeff Halpern ruled the Verizon Center end
boards.
The Capitals outshot Atlanta 37-12, the biggest
differential in Washington's favor this season. The shot discrepancy
was slightly better than the last time these teams faced each other at
VC, when Washington outshot the Thrash 36-13 but lost 2-0. Just for
shucks and giggles, take a gander at the game's shot chart (note that
three of Atlanta's shots came from center ice and none anywhere near
the slot!)
What an embarrassing
night to be wearing Georgia's state bird on your chest. But it was a
rough day for Atlantans all the way around as a tornado
swept through
downtown.
A FEW NOTES FROM THE GAME:
- The Capitals fired more shots on Kari Lehtonen than
the Thrashers even tried. Atlanta had 12 reach net, 10 were blocked,
and 9 missed their target -- a total of 31. Compare that to Washington
who sent 37 on Kari Lehtonen, had 18 blocked, and fired 17 wide (or off
posts/crossbars) -- a total of 72.
- Matt Cooke potted the Capitals' first shorthanded
goal since Boyd Gordon scored a man down on November 24th, Bruce
Boudreau's second game behind an NHL bench. Sergei Fedorov set up Matt
Bradley for another splendid chance later on that same penalty kill,
showing an offensive-minded PK the District has not seen in quite some
time.
- Sami Lepisto, fresh off his third recall of the
season, filled up the stat sheet for the first time in his young
career. He picked up his first NHL point with an assist, and just
missed his first goal moments later when he pinged one off the pipe. He
was a +1 on the night with a hit and a takeaway.
- With a goal and an assist, Alex Ovechkin has
distanced himself a bit more from Evgeni Malkin for the points lead (99
to 93) and from Ilya Kovalchuk for the goals lead (57 to 48.) Ovechkin
hit a crossbar and a post, preventing him from finishing the day just
one shy
of the magic 60.
- Brooks Laich may just end the season as the
Capitals' second leading goal scorer. His pair against the Thrash gives
him a career high 19, just two behind Alexander Semin for second fiddle.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Kolzig Looks to Match Richter
After leading the Washington Capitals to victory over
the Calgary Flames, his 300th of his career, Olie Kolzig looks to tie
Mike Richter for 22nd on the all-time list. More important than
Kolzig's individual achievement is Washington's need for another win.
The playoffs have become a bit of a pipe dream after the
Capitals hit a rough patch at the same time that Carolina caught fire.
The Hurricanes, incidentally, visit Buffalo to take on the Sabres. Is
it possible for neither team to get a point? The Sabres sit one point
ahead of the Caps and four points out of the eighth seed. And we all
know about the 'Canes.
But closer to home, the only thing the Capitals can
control is how they play against the Atlanta Thrashers tonight. The
Thrashers are coming off an emotionally charged victory, recovering
from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Calgary Flames with help from an Ilya
Kovalchuk hat trick. It was Kovalchuk's first multi-goal game in 31
games, a feat he achieved six times in the previous 38 contests.
This is the first time the Capitals will see Atlanta
since they traded Marian Hossa to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The pieces
received in return for Hossa, Erik Christensen and Colby Armstrong,
have combined for 5 goals and 5 assists in 8 games with Atlanta. The
Thrash, however, have won only twice since the move, the only two wins
in their last 12 games altogether. At nine points back with
only ten games to play, the Thrashers' playoff hopes have dwindled
while the Capitals are hanging on for dear life.
With the Capitals clearly playing with more on the line,
they need to come out with more fire than they did against Calgary
(when they were outshot 17-8 in the first.) The Caps also need to play
the final 40 minutes as they did against Calgary. Atlanta certainly
did last night against those same Flames.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Number 300
Looking for a hot hand with the season on the brink of
collapse, Bruce Boudreau went with Old Yeller, and the old feller
didn't disappoint. It didn't hurt to have a little help from the guy in
the spotlight.
Locked in a goaltending duel with another former Vezina
winner, Olie Kolzig prevailed making 24 stops, 16 in the first period
alone. Viktor Kozlov redirected a Nicklas Backstrom shot in the game's
first minute to put a disheartened Capitals team ahead early on. Then
it was Kolzig's show for the next 18 minutes, until Jerome Iginla
scored on a 5-on-3 power play with 45 seconds to play in the first.
After being outshot 17-8 in the first period, the
Capitals came out more composed in the second, showing resiliency while
registering 18 shots in the period. But as in the first period, the
teams exchanged goals despite another large shot disparity.
The Capitals went into lockdown mode in the final
period, something they were unable to do during the weekend losses. The
Caps outshot Calgary 8-2 in the third, with Ovechkin netting the game
winner at the tail end of a power play in the game's final two minutes.
It was his second of the game and 56th of the season, placing him just
four away from Dennis Maruk's franchise record.
The first half of the game was yet again filled
questionable calls (and no-calls) that seemed to go against Washington.
The Capitals were faced with two separate 5-on-3 penalty kills, giving
up a goal on each. After a few boisterous "REF YOU SUCK" chants from
the stands, the refs finally got a clue. Washington, who failed on two
earlier power play opportunities, went back on the man advantage after
falling behind for the first time in the game.
The man advantage went without a score, as did the next.
With the Capitals trailing while going 0 for 4 on the power play, it
appeared
as if the Capitals would again fail to put a team away. But enter
Ovechkin, who just so happened to be on TV all night long with
dedicated OvechKam coverage.
His power play goal on Washington's fifth try gave the
Caps life heading into the third. Ovechkin's second power play goal of
the night put the Caps ahead for good.
A FEW NOTES FROM THE GAME:
- Carolina beat Chicago 3-0 to maintain their seven
point lead over Washington. The Caps did receive some help in regards
to the eighth seed. Both Philadelphia and Buffalo, the 8th and 9th
seeds respectively, lost in regulation. The Caps have moved to within
five points of the Flyers.
- Milan Jurcina gave Dion Phaneuf a taste of his own
medicine. The 240 pounder buried Phaneuf into the boards so hard that
the hard hitting Flame was wobbly on his skates for several seconds.
- Mike Green played nearly 31 minutes, while John
Erskine played just five. It wasn't a good night all around for Erskine
as he got nailed with two big right hands from Eric Godard during a
first period fight.
- POWER PLAYS: Before
"REF YOU SUCK" - Calgary 4, Washington 2. After "REF YOU SUCK"
- Washington 5, Calgary 0. Props to Verizon Center fans!!!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Who Will Show Up?
It's do or die time for Washington and all eyes will be
on #8, a full game's worth of Ovech-Kam. But which Alex Ovechkin
will we see at the end of the night?
Photo by Kate
McGovern
Photo
by Allen Clark
Gorgeous photos
courtesy of the excellent handiwork from the folks at Off Wing Opinion.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
A Positive Spin
Yesterday, I took a look at the reality of Washington's
seven point deficit in the Southeast Division. Unfortunately, as one
might expect when having to make up seven points in 12 games, things
are not looking good on "Fun Street."
But because Washington has two head-to-head matchups
with Carolina plus a game in hand, they still have a reasonable shot at
surpassing the Hurricanes for a spot in the postseason. Of course the
Capitals MUST win both those head-to-head games. If they do, let's look
at what can happen.
So the two wins over Carolina lift the Capitals to
within three points of the 'Canes with one game in hand. The Caps would
do themselves a huge favor by winning that extra game. Let's say they
do. Now the Capitals need to make up just one point with nine other
games left for each team to play.
Suddenly, the task at hand seems within reach -- if the Capitals
win all three of those games (in regulation vs. Carolina.) One thing to
keep in mind, however, is the league's tiebreaking method.
If the Capitals and Hurricanes are to end up with an
identical number of points, the first tiebreaker used is the number of
wins. If the Capitals are to win all three of the aforementioned games,
they would still have two fewer victories than Carolina. This means the
Capitals would have to make up either one point and two wins or two points on
Carolina in the nine remaining games to make the playoffs.
But what happens if the Capitals and Hurricanes finish
the season with the same number of points and wins? The second
tiebreaker is points in head-to-head contests. If Washington wins both
remaining head-to-head to games in regulation, both teams will have
earned eight points in the eight games between the clubs. Since that
does not resolve the stalemate, now we're looking at the the third
tiebreaker.
The third tiebreaker is goal differential. Currently the
Capitals have scored 203 goals and allowed 209, a differential of -6.
Carolina has scored 216 and allowed 221, a differential of -5. This is
one spot that would not be overly difficult for the Capitals to
overcome, assuming of course all three "must-wins" are accomplished.
Despite the daunting scope of having to gain seven or
eight points in two handfuls and a pair of toes worth of games, when
broken down into minutaie all hope is not lost. It has to be a one game
at a time mentality for the Capitals. If that approach is successfully
maintained, and with just a very small bit of help from other teams,
the Capitals may just be in control of their own destiny.
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