Saturday, March 1, 2008

How It's Done

Sixty-two games. 

That's how long it's been since a Washington Capitals netminder last recorded a shutout. No other team in the NHL has waited so long. Thanks to newcomer Cristobal Huet, the wait is over.

Huet, holder of the third best career save percentage among active netminders, has arrived. His flawless debut triggered another Capitals victory. Huet was not peppered with rubber continuously, and a big reason for it is his excellent rebound control. Where Olie Kolzig and Brent Johnson would allow pucks to carom off them resulting in second and third shots, Huet ate everything up. His great positioning sure didn't hurt either.

The 32 year old pending UFA was rarely out of position. We've grown accustomed to seeing Kolzig and Johnson overplay the puck, ending up a couple feet away from the crease trying to sprawl back into position. Now we are treated to Huet and his smooth side to side movement. The only time he had to go spread eagle was on his breakaway denial of Zach Parise -- a poignant moment that kept the game scoreless, preventing the Devils from entering their feared lockdown mode.

Of course a shutout that requires only 18 saves means the defense did their job as well. With John Erskine sitting out a second straight victory, the defensive corps stalled every Devils opportunity -- a "taste of their own medicine" type of game. Aside from the breakaway, there were very few odd man rushes. Of the few the Devils had, most were short-circuited by slick backchecking and sound stick positioning. As a whole, the defensemen played wonderfully with no one in particular standing out -- a sign of a very solid effort all the way around.

The other Capitals' debut of the evening was that of number 91, Sergei Fedorov. I was a bit surprised to see Fedorov play physically in the first period, though for some unknown reason he was never officially credited with a hit. But I guess his checking explains why he's a two time Selke Trophy winner for best defensive forward, albeit a dozen years ago. It will take a bit of time for the offensive chemistry to take hold with Alexander Semin and others, but we got a sneak preview at the midway point of the game.

Fedorov's no look pass from the side wall makes the NHL's "secondary assist" seem like it has a place. His Russian buddy Semin took the pass and made a deft feed of his own to Mike Green, who scored to boost his cushion atop NHL defenseman goal scorers to two over Zdeno Chara. In case that name seems to have come from nowhere, don't worry -- it did. Just three weeks ago, Chara had only seven goals. He's added eight in ten games since to put some heat on Greenie.

Alex Ovechkin's stronghold atop all goal scorers remains well fortified despite a career long seventh game without a tally. He still owns a seven goal advantage over Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk, but his race for 60 is appearing to lose steam by the day. Ovie doesn't seem to have that extra gear at the moment, nor has he been effectively using his strength to create scoring chances for himself. He's been a step late and has fanned on more wrist shots during this drought than he has all season long. You'd have to assume he's going to pull himself together at some point soon -- he always has.

The big story is the two points earned. Coupled with Carolina's loss an evening earlier, the Capitals are now just three points back and still maintain their two games in hand advantage. Tonight, the Capitals host a resurgent Toronto Maple Leafs team that was not as active as some thought they would be at the trade deadline. With five wins in seven games, the Leafs have climbed right behind Washington in the Eastern Conference standings.

Facing another crucial affair, will Huet get the call and make his home debut? We've been led to believe that Olie would get the nod, but seriously. This is the playoff push...Huet was perfect...and this is exactly why the Capitals got him. But in case you were wondering, the Capitals have only one goaltender without a career losing record against Toronto. His name is Brent Johnson.

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