Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Long-Awaited Season Debut

Eric Fehr, the 6'4" 215 pound right wing who is 10 days older than Alex Ovechkin, makes his return to the Washington Capitals for the first time in nearly a year. Having scored just 2 goals and 1 assist in 25 career games, Fehr last played in the NHL on February 21, 2007.

In Hershey, Fehr scored twice and added four helpers in 10 games since returning to the ice from lingering back problems that kept him out of the lineup since before training camp began. Fehr, whom Hockey's Future rates as the Capitals third best prospect behind only Nicklas Backstrom and Karl Alzner, will start out as Ovechkin's opposite side winger on the line centered by Backstrom. His placement on the top line moves Viktor Kozlov to the second line where he will center Tomas Fleischmann and Alexander Semin. To make room for Fehr, Matt Pettinger will be watching in a suit.

Fehr has been projected as a high scoring power forward in the mold of a Keith Tkachuk, but his injury problems have begun to close the window on his potential. His third chance at forging a permanent roster spot with Washington begins tonight and he is going to have to prove to the organization and the fans that he will not be remembered as a draft day dud.

The 18th pick of the 2003 Entry Draft has played fewer games and scored fewer points than all but three first round picks of that year. Heck, even the goalie selected in that round (Marc-Andre Fleury) has two more points than Fehr does. The time is now for Fehr, who is already older than four other everyday Caps: Ovechkin, Backstrom, Mike Green, and Jeff Schultz.

The last time Washington faced the Columbus Blue Jackets was Alex Ovechkin's first ever NHL game, a debut that saw him score two goals and register a huge hit on his very first shift (see the beginning of the YouTube video below,) foreshadowing the brilliance we would soon become enamored with.

Since losing the first ever meeting with the Blue Jackets, the Capitals have gone 5-0-1 against the first Ohio franchise since the Cleveland Barons left the NHL in 1978 after two unsuccesful seasons. The Blue Jackets, who began the season 7-3-1, have lost their last three and five of their last seven. Their top goal scorer, Rick Nash, was all over the highlight reel a couple weeks ago with what has been touted as the goal of the year. Since that game, however, Rick Nash has scored just one goal and one assist with a -6 rating in seven games. Despite being outscored 20-12 over that same span, penalty killing has not been their problem as they have killed off 28 of their last 30 (93.3%) penalties and are ranked 3rd best in the league for the season.

The Capitals know the importance of a victory tonight against the slumping Jackets. They have fallen into a tie with the Florida Panthers and are three points behind both Carolina and Atlanta in the Southeast Division. The Caps have also dropped six points out of the 8th seed in the East. At the All-Star break they were only three back and can not afford to lose their games in hand advantage with a loss this evening.

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