Tuesday Roundup: Beat The Rink

A minor roster move for the Caps yesterday as Tomas Fleischmann was sent back to Hershey to make room for Dainius Zubrus's return from injury. No word yet on who will be called up once Zubrus re-injures himself within the next week.

Then there's this interesting tidbit from the WaPo:

Left wing Jeff Friesen, meantime, will change his jersey number to 41 from 12 when he returns from a groin muscle injury that has sidelined him the past 10 games. He unwittingly chose the number worn by former Capital Peter Bondra, the franchise leader in goals and points, during training camp and has given it up out of respect for Bondra. Friesen is day-to-day.

Unwittingly? No one - say, the guy who sews the name plates on the back of jerseys - said to Friesen, "Hey, you know that number was worn by the franchise's all-time leading scorer and fan favorite for 13 years, right?" Somehow I doubt it. More likely, the team felt jilted by Bondra earlier this fall (and rightly so), but now cooler heads have prevailed and realized that there should never be another Capital to wear the #12, as it will no doubt hang from the MCI rafters soon after he retires.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Ed Belfour (W, 34 saves on 35 shots against)
  
• Ross: Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom (G, A each)
  
• Norris: Nicklas Lidstrom (G, A, +2 - interestingly, 5 of the 10 goals scored in the NHL Monday night were by defensemen)
  
• Vezina: Ed Belfour (W, 34 saves on 35 shots against)
• Richard: 10 players tied with 1 goal
  
• Calder: Jimmy Howard (W, 22 saves on 24 shots against)
  
• Aiken: Luc Robitaille, Jeremy Roenick (-3 each)
  

Japers' Pick

• Last night's games: A split, getting the Detroit game right and the Leafs wrong. Current Record: 8-11. But that doesn't matter, and here's why:
• Tonight's game: Yet another new feature at The Rink aimed at encouraging further interactivity - Beat The Rink (BTR). Since I quite clearly cannot pick games, I'd like to see if you can do better. Therefore, each night I'll pick a game (or games) and you - the reader - can also pick that game in the comments section (picks must be in before the first game of the day begins). Whoever gets the most right at year's end will get a prize. Seriously. And the prize'll be a little bit sweet. Bonus point for any game score picked correctly, and I'll start at zero for purposes of BTR. The only catch is you can't pick the same exact score and winner as someone else (for example, if I pick Sens 4, Habs 2 tonight, you can pick Sens 5, Habs 2, etc.). So let's get started. Tonight's games, a three-pack: Bruins at Devils, Canadiens at Senators and Flames at Predators. I'll go with Bruins 4-3, Senators 5-2 and Flames 3-2. What about you?
  

Monday Roundup/Sabres 3, Caps 2

[Boxscore - Recap - Postgame Coverage]

The Caps entered the third period of Sunday's game with Buffalo down a goal (a minor miracle after being outshot 21-11 through two periods - thanks, Olie Kolzig) and after killing off an early penalty would have the benefit of the game's last three power plays (including two in the last seven minutes). But they didn't score on any of the three, and in fact allowed the eventual game winner to be scored on them shorthanded. The team was clearly tired from Saturday night's marathon followed by a return home and a mid-afternoon start, but there really is no excuse for dropping a game that was gift-wrapped for you so plainly late.

The Caps now find themselves in the midst of their longest losing streak of the season (four games) and are off until Thursday when they'll visit the Panthers in Miami. The WaPo's recap of last night's game can be found here, WTimes' here.

Elsewhere around the League:

• Former Cap Steve Konowalchuk is out for the year with a wrist injury. Get well soon, Kono.
• The most understated headline of the day goes to TSN.ca: Blues Playoff Streak In Jeopardy. Uh, yeah, you could say that, considering the Caps have twice as many wins.
  
• If you haven't seen Marek Malik's shootout game winner from Saturday night, you really owe it to yourself to check it out here.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Ilya Kovalchuk (2G, 2A, +1 in 5-2 win over Carolina)
  
• Ross: Ilya Kovalchuk (2G, 2A)
  
• Norris: Steve Eminger (G)
  
• Vezina: Ilya Bryzgalov (W, 34 saves on 35 shots against, continuing a banner night for Ilyas)
  
• Richard: Ilya Kovalchuk, Fredrik Modin, Joe Sakic (2G each)
  
• Calder: Tomas Vanek (G, 5 shots on goal)
  
• Aiken: Alex Auld (L, 6 goals against on 36 shots)
  

Japers' Pick

• Last games: Way back on Thursday I tried to shake my recent slump by picking contrary to my gut. Well guess what - it worked. I correctly picked the Rangers and Preds as winners and narrowly missed the Canucks/Sharks game. Current Record: 7-10.
• Tonight's games: Only two games on the NHL schedule tonight, and since picking against my instincts worked well last time out, I'll do it again on these two, picking the Panthers to beat the Leafs 3-1 and the Wings to win in Los Angeles 5-4.
  

Do NHL Referees Hate The Caps?

[Editor's note: This is the first in a series of articles that will focus on officiating in the NHL. Look for subsequent pieces on what, precisely, the ref sucks and whether the ref, in fact, beats his wife.]

It seems a simple enough question: do the refs hate the Caps? There is a mound of evidence that would seem to support an affirmative answer - most recently Wednesday night's Tampa game - and any number of reasons for the supposed bias, from the team's employment of Dale Hunter and Jim Schoenfeld to the its historic lack of prestige to the size of its market. But what about empirical data? What does it tell us?

A glance at this season's disparity between power play opportunities and the number of times shorthanded reveals what we already knew - that the Caps have been shorthanded far more often than they have been on the power play (thanks to OldChelsea for doing the heavy lifting). A league-leading 49 more times, in fact. But, JP, the Caps are not a very skilled team and with blueliners like Ivan Majesky, Nolan Yonkman, et. al., they're bound to take a ton of penalties because they're so often out of position. Further, other than El Ocho, they don't have the kind of forwards that draw a lot of penalties. True. Take a look at the bottom three teams in the League in power-play disparity and that point is borne out- all three have what most would consider below-average bluelines and forwards:

28 Columbus 132 PP/158 TS = -26
29 Chicago 128 PP/172 TS = -44
30 Washington 119 PP/168 TS = -49

Not surprisingly, the teams at the other end of the spectrum have pretty solid defensemen and/or a handful of creative forwards:

1 San Jose 144 PP/104 TS = 40
2 Buffalo 134 PP/105 TS = 29
3 Tampa Bay 146 PP/124 TS = 22

So I'm right. Chalk it up to talent. Not so fast. How do you explain Phoenix having the fourth-best differential? Or New Jersey and St. Louis being in the "plus" column? Or Ottawa and Detroit being in the red? Damn. So it's not that easily explained, is it? No. In fact, this year's officiating has been so inconsistent, I'd throw the numbers out the window. But before we do, let's remember who's at the bottom of that list.

Having disregarded this year's numbers for inconsistency and its relatively small sample size, maybe the past few years can tell us something. In each year since at least 2000-01, the Caps have been in the red on power-play/shorthanded differential (thanks, Sapper):

2003-04: -67 (the Caps were shorthanded the most often in the League)
2002-03: -53
2001-02: -26
2000-01: -38

That covers some good teams (2000-01's 96-point division winner) and some bad ones (2003-04's 59-point Alexander Ovechkin winner), but consistently skilled and with a decent-to-good defense corps up until the latter part of the 2003-04 season. So why does the huge disparity persist? Because there is a League-wide officiating bias against the Caps. Haven't we proven that yet? Not quite.

If there was a systemic referee bias against the Capitals, one would assume that players are more highly penalized when they are Caps than at other times in their careers (the only other explanation for the Caps getting so many fewer power play opportunities than their opponents would be that the team puts out a relatively penalty-prone bunch or unskilled forwards, neither of which, obviously, would be the referees' fault).

So what do the numbers say? Do guys come to Washington and see their PIMs skyrocket? Do guys leave town and suddenly become Lady Byng candidates? A rundown of every player who has played for the Caps since the 1993-94 season and has (or had) played at least 100 games for the Caps and at least 100 NHL games for teams other than the Caps (the 2005-06 season has been excluded, for reasons touched on above) provides an answer to that question.

After more than 25,000 man games and 25,000 PIMs, the result is that the difference between those players' PIMs-per-game (PIM/G) as Caps and as non-Caps was that the players averaged .02091 fewer PIM/G as Caps (see Addendum). To put that in perspective, that's less than one minor penalty over the course of an 80 game season.

These numbers, of course, don't prove a lack of bias. They only tell a part of a portion of the equation - the "why are there so many calls against us?" part. They say nothing about why the Caps get so few opportunities or why the refs/linesmen blow their whistles when they do, wherein the bias (if there is any) may lie. But how does one measure missed calls? Or quick whistles? Or questionable goal/offsides/icing calls?

Now I'm confused. Do the refs hate the Caps or not?

Maybe. Maybe power play disparities are the result of the style of hockey a coach has been playing, team discipline, effort. Maybe it's personnel. Maybe it's personal (see Addendum 2). These numbers would seem to go a long way towards saying that the refs could care less what sweater a guy's wearing - over the long haul it all evens out - but these numbers don't account for missed (or neglected calls), inadvertent (or intentional) whistles at inopportune times, etc.

One thing is certain: individual games are often refereed poorly, frequently in one team's favor. Individual referees may even have it in for a given team. But the only way to conclusively say that "the refs hate the Caps" would be to conduct a study well-beyond the scope of anything we at The Rink are capable of. Perhaps a grant from the Leonsis Fund could get us on our way.

Addendum
Here are those players, with their individual differentials (positive meaning that the player averaged more PIM/G as a Cap, negative meaning the opposite):
Iafrate, Al (1.144739871)
Hatcher, Kevin (0.625767042)
Jones, Keith (0.416758159)
Sacco, Joe (0.181435278)
Cote, Sylvain (0.159500758)
Zubrus, Dainius (0.10404433)
Bulis, Jan (0.095997389)
Nikolishin, Andrei (0.062948181)
Lang, Robert (0.053882601)
Oates, Adam (0.021370869)
Khristich, Dmitri (-0.000121767)
Juneau, Joe (-0.023106738)
Zednik, Richard (-0.040154485)
Krygier, Todd (-0.046624738)
Miller, Kip (-0.065613496)
Johansson, Calle (-0.099254743)
Berube, Craig (-0.126100765)
Grier, Mike (-0.167784679)
Dahlen, Ulf (-0.176321116)
Black, James (-0.178002332)
Miller, Kelly (-0.185742862)
Ridley, Mike (-0.200729213)
Jagr, Jaromir (-0.231163274)
Housley, Phil (-0.231214054)
Reekie, Joe (-0.312656481)
Anderson, Shawn (-0.327272727)
Mironov, Dmitri (-0.396685705)
Eagles, Mike (-0.455546874)
Hunter, Dale (-0.62260782)
Johnson, Jim (-0.829434561)
Tinordi, Mark (-0.963402825)
Simon, Chris (-1.034261551)

Addendum 2
2005-06 Capitals games refereed by Don Koharski (per OldChelsea):
12th Oct at Carolina - L 2-7, PP 7-6 Carolina
22nd Oct vs Carolina - L 0-4, PP 12-5 Carolina
28th Oct at Tampa Bay - L 2-4, PP 8-5 Tampa
23rd Nov vs Tampa Bay - L 3-4 (SO), PP 7-4 Tampa
CAPS RECORD 0-4, aggregate score 7-19, PP 34-20 favouring opponents

For an in depth look at this season's game, organized by referee, click here.

Note: Special thanks to OldChelsea and Sapper for their statistical and analytical contributions to this post.

Thursday Roundup/Lightning 4, Caps 3 (SO)

[Boxscore - Recap - Postgame Coverage]

A very Happy Turkey Day to one and all.

The Lightning roared back from a three-goal deficit and finally got the better of the Caps in a shootout last night (though it took extra innings, which really emphasized the difference in depth between the two teams up front, as Tampa sent out Vinny Prospal as the fifth shooter and the Caps countered with Tomas Fleischmann). A few other observations on the game:

• "Automatic" Alex Ovechkin is officially in the midst of his first slump as an NHLer and not coincidentally found his way into Chez Bow Wow last night for an extended period of time after trying to force a pass at the top of the offensive zone and visibly showing frustration on the ice. Is the bogus Russian law suit getting to him? Is getting shown up by Sid the Kid (including two embarassing mini-celebrations on non-goals) with the eyes of the hockey world squarely on him in his head? No and no. El Ocho is a goal scorer and goal scorers go through frustrating droughts, plain and simple. Ask Peter Bondra, Brett Hull, Ilya Kovalchuk - basically anyone who has scored a lot of goals in the NHL has gone through dry spells. Keep shooting, Sasha. The goals will come back soon, and when they do, they'll come in bunches. Large bunches. Perhaps his goal in the shootout will get him back on track.
• I don't like to complain about the officiating. My thinking has always been that if you let the game get to a point where an official is in the position to decide it, it's your own fault if they make a bad call or miss an obvious one. This is especially true in a game in which your team has a three-goal lead. Plus, it tends to sound whiny. So rather than complain about the officiating, let me complain about an official - Don Koharski. He blew at least two major calls in last night's game in which goals should have been awarded to the Caps (Ben Clymer, Brian Willsie) and another in which 99 times out of 100 the whistle blows (like it did on the Willsie-no goal) before Rob DiMaio can dig the puck out from under Olie Kolzig to score. There were other missed calls (notably on Matt Pettinger getting tripped) and phantom calls (Steve Eminger's OT high stick) - as someone noted in the postgame call-in show on the radio, Koharski must be pregnant, because he missed two periods (after the first stanza, TB had five power plays, including a 5-on-3 in overtime while the Caps had not one extra man advantage after the opening frame) - but I'll stop my belly-aching after the big, game-deciding calls. In the famous words of Jim Schoenfeld... well, you know what he thought of Koho.
• Kolzig was absolutely brilliant. So were the penalty-killers.
• Can we start calling the Ben Clymer-Brian Sutherby-Matt Bradley line "the Killer B's," or do the Houston Astros have a copyright on the moniker? It's particularly apt in this case given the amount of buzzing the trio does around the crease (like bumblebees, in the words of "The Hockey Song").

For more level-minded recaps, check out the WaPo's here (the bottom of which reads like the late night lineup on CourtTV5, International Sports Court) and the WTimes' here. And speaking of local media, it's as good a time as any for me to profess my undying love of NBC4 sportscaster Lindsay Czarniak. Never before have I seen a woman with such an impressive combination of pure beauty, sports knowledge and flawless diction. Lindsay Czarniak... you're on notice.

Elsewhere around the League:

• Hey, look! Wayne Gretzky's been retired for six-and-a-half years but he's still getting preferential treatment from the officials.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Mikael Samuelsson (2G, 2A, +4)
  
• Ross: Mikael Samuelsson (2G, 2A)
  
• Norris: Dan Boyle (2G, +2)
  
• Vezina: Martin Brodeur (W, 24 saves on 25 shots against)
  
• Richard: Dan Boyle, Glen Murray, Mikael Samuelsson, Pascal Dupuis, Jason Arnott (2G each)
  
• Calder: Mike Morrison (W, 22 saves on 25 shots against)
  
• Aiken: Peter Budaj (L, 6 goals against on 28 shots against)
  

Japers' Pick

• Last night's game: This is getting downright embarassing. Another loss and I'm almost becoming a sure thing... to be wrong. Current Record: 5-9.
• Tonight's game: We'll try an experiment tonight. With three games on the slate, I'll pick all three, but here's the catch - since I'm barely picking above 33%, I'll pick against my instincts and presumably will end up picking two of the three correctly. Makes sense, no? Here we go. The Rangers win in Atlanta, 4-3; the Preds win at home against LA, 3-2; and the Sharks surprise the Canucks in Vancouver, 5-3.
  

Wednesday Roundup/Pens 5, Caps 4

[Boxscore - Recap]

The Caps came out flat, fought back, but ultimately lost. I'm too upset to recap it (though pleased with the team's effort in the second and third periods), so I'll leave that to the local scribes, here and here. No time to dwell on this one, though, as the Lightning make their third visit of the year to the MCI tonight.

In other news around the League:

• An already difficult week for the collective NHL family got worse on Tuesday when Ottawa rightwing Chris Neil's mother Bonnie was killed in a car accident in Canada.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Jaromir Jagr (G, A, game winning shootout goal)
  
• Ross: Pavol Demitra (4A)
  
• Norris: Joe Corvo (2G, +3)
  
• Vezina: Alex Auld (W, 32 saves on 33 shots against)
  
• Richard: Joe Corvo, Ziggy Palffy, Dean McAmmond (2G each)
  
• Calder: Sidney Crosby (G, A)
  
• Aiken: Curtis Sanford (L, 5 goals against on 27 shots)
  

Japers' Pick

• Last night's games: I got the TB/PHI game wrong and the Caps/Pens right (unfortunately). Current Record: 5-8.
• Tonight's game: Nine games on the docket tonight, including a couple of biggies. While the Avs/Wings is a tempting one to pick, it's too hard to guess how Detroit will play in the wake of the Fischer incident (though I'd guess very well), we'll go with Boston at Toronto in Eric Lindros's 700th career game (we had the under). Boston is 1-8-1 in intradivisional games so far this season, are riding their longest losing streak in nearly nine years, and have won only three of nine road games this season. Do they break those streaks at the ACC on Wednesday? Not likely. Leafs 5, Bruins 2.

Special Gameday Preview: The Man Versus The Kid

The day has come. In one of the NHL's most highly-anticipated early season matchups, Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals head into Pittsburgh to take on Sidney Crosby and the Pens.

We'll begin our coverage (and by coverage, I mean link aggregating) with the official Gameday Preview from Mike Vogel at WashingtonCaps.com, and stay local with the WaPo's take as well as that of the WTimes. For local accounts from the other side, we'll head over to PittsburghPenguins.com, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

(Inter)nationally, the CP has a piece on the matchup, as do The Globe and Mail, the AP, and the Toronto Sun.

In the blogosphere, Off Wing Opinion is the first one (that I can see) to mention the matchup, and Caps Message Board veterans Nomad and fjc33 do their Scouting Report and Peerless Prognostication, respectively, for the game.

Phew!

More links today as they appear, and feel free to point me towards ones I've missed in the comments. Later today, Japers' Pick on this matchup. I'll give you a hint: it's like Rocky IV, except the other guy wins.

Update: NHL.com's contribution here.

Tuesday Roundup

A reminder to everyone to head over to Behind the Jersey for the latest "Carnival of the NHL" if you haven't already.

Around the League:

• Extensive coverage of last night's events in Detroit can be found here, here, here, here (Mitch Albom's piece), here, here and here (On The Wings). A scary hour or so, to be sure. Kudos to the medical staff on hand at the Joe for likely saving Jiri Fischer's life.
  
• Bryan McCabe and Curtis Sanford are your players of the week.
• The Ducks (finally) claimed Todd Marchant off waivers, circumventing the player's no-trade clause and reducing his salary, a move that I'm sure ticked the NHLPA right off.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Phillippe Sauve (W, 33 saves on 35 shots and all three in the shootout)
  
• Ross: Jordan Leopold (2A)
  
• Norris: Jordan Leopold (2A, +1)
  
• Vezina: Phillippe Sauve (W, 33 saves on 35 shots and all three in the shootout)
• Richard: Six players tied with 1 goal
  
• Calder: Petr Budaj (OTL, 32 saves on 34 shots against)
  
• Aiken: Daymond Langkow (-2 in 3-2 win)
  

Japers' Pick

• Last night's game: The way things are going, I guess I should be happy with a split, getting the Avs game wrong and the Oilers right. Current Record: 4-7.
• Tonight's game: A rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Finals finds the Lightning visiting Philly on OLN. The Flyers are 9-1-2 at home and face a Tampa squad that is only 5-5-2 on the road. Our pick? Philly 5, Tampa 4.

It's Coming...

Monday Roundup: From Russia With No Enforcement Power

First and foremost, let me direct you over to Behind the Jersey for the latest "Carnival of the NHL". For those of you unfamiliar with it, it's a collection of bloggings on the game we all love, and definitely worth checking out. On to Rink stuff...

Sorry for abandoning you over the weekend but I had a touch of the Irish flu. I hope you (my one reader) understands. Anyway, what a win up in Montreal, eh? (If you need a Monday pick-me-up, read the comments at the bottom of that article for a reaction from Quebecers commensurate with what I'd expect if the Canadian government outlawed speaking French - mon dieu!). Big team effort and of course a victory would not have been possible without stellar play from 'Zilla in net. The Caps even managed a win without El Ocho appearing on the scoresheet. Jelly.

Elsewhere in Capland, Dynamo Moscow wants Ovechkin back. Moscow has a better chance of getting Lenin back. The Caps and AO's management have issued statements on the matter here, and the issue is looked at in a little more depth over at Off Wing Opinion. Of course, the local papers are also on top of this story, the WaPo here and the WTimes here.

Of course, that story will lose its legs soon enough and give way to the real big story of the week: the battle between good and evil that will take place tomorrow night in Pittsburgh. Look for much more coverage of the first NHL meeting between Bird and Magic, err, Ovechkin and Crosby later in the day and tomorrow at The Rink.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Jaromir Jagr (G, 2A, +2 in New York's 3-2 win)
  
• Ross: Jaromir Jagr, Fredrik Modin, Ladislav Nagy (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Sami Salo (2G, including game winner, +1)
  
• Vezina: Henrik Lundqvist (W, 32 saves on 34 shots against)
  
• Richard: Sami Salo, Justin Williams (2G each)
  
• Calder: Petr Prucha (G, A, +1)
  
• Aiken: Marc Denis (L, 5 goals against on 33 shots in 53:32 before getting the hook)
  

Japers' Pick

• Last game: Did I lose again? Yep. Current record: 3-6.
• Tonight's game: It's getting ugly. I need to get on a roll and there are three good Western Conference games on the slate. I think I'll pick all three. Wings 4, Preds 2; Avs 4, Flames 3; Oilers 5, Sharks 3.
  

Friday Roundup/Sabres 8, Caps 5

[Boxscore - Recap]

The Caps giveth and Brent Johnson giveth away. Given a chance to boost his confidence, get on a personal roll and give Olie Kolzig an extra night off, Johnson was, to put it bluntly, awful. But yesterday didn't you advocate giving Johnson more playing time? Yes. And I was wrong. The Caps fought back from down 6-1 and facing a 7-minute penalty kill to draw to within 6-4, but Johnson let in another couple of bad goals and the game finished at 8-5 for the home team. I can't even talk about it any more. I'm starting to break out in hives.

The WaPo's coverage is here, the WTimes' here. Next up, a trip to Montreal for Saturday night's game with the Habs.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Shawn Horcoff (4 3rd period assists in OT win)
• Ross: Shawn Horcoff, Ales Hemsky (4 points each)
• Norris: Lubomir Visnovsky (2G)
  
• Vezina: Mikael Tellqvist (W, 31 saves on 32 shots against)
• Richard: Kevyn Adams, Taylor Pyatt (3G each)
  
• Calder: Mikael Tellqvist (W, 31 saves on 32 shots against)
• Aiken: Brent Johnson (L, 8 goals against on 27 shots)
  

Japers' Pick

• Last night's game: We're in a full-on tailspin, dropping three in a row with last night's Edmonton come-from-behind-blow-the-lead-win-in-OT win against Detroit. Current Record: 3-5.
• Tonight's game: A couple of high-scoring teams face-off in Philly as the Thrashers come to town to take on the host Flyers. Philly 6, Atlanta 4.
  

Thursday Roundup/Caps @ Sabres

[Gameday Preview]

The Caps start a three-game road swing tonight in Buffalo and expect to have Olie Kolzig back between the pipes (here's to hoping they let Brent Johnson get a little time in net as well now and again, as his early woes seem to be related to a lack of ice time. Imagine that). Speaking of Johnson, he's the subject of the WTimes' Caps article today. Glad you're back, Dave Fay.

The WaPo's coverage is here, and the paper even treats us to a little bonus coverage - Tony Kornheiser has jumped on the AO bandwagon (there's always room for one more).

Daily Awards

• Hart: Jason Arnott (Hat trick, +2)
  
• Ross: Shawn Bates, Jason Blake, Jason Arnott (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Joni Pitkanen (2G)
  
• Vezina: Marc-Andre Fleury (OT W, 45 saves on 47 shots against)
• Richard: Jason Arnott (3G)
  
• Calder: Sidney Crosby (2G, including OT game winner, A, +2)
  
• Aiken: Adam Berkhoel (L, 7 goals against on 39 shots)
  

Japers' Pick

• Last night's games: We missed the St. Louis/Columbus game pretty badly. And the Wings/Flames. Today we find ourselves sub-.500 for the first time. Fluke or trend? Stay tuned. Current Record: 3-4.
• Tonight's game: There are no gimmes here at The Rink, so tonight's game will be a big Northeast Division matchup as the Leafs head south to Boston. Boston is struggling right now, and we expect it to continue - 5-3 Leafs.
  

Rough. And Untrue. But Funny Nonetheless.

Tip of the cap to octopi. The original source can be found here.

Wednesday Roundup/Caps 4, Lightning 3 (SO)

[Boxscore - Recap - Postgame Notebook]

If the NHL were prison, Cory Sarich would have to walk behind Alex Ovechkin, holding his turned-out pocket. So would Sean Burke. But it's not prison, and I'm not even really sure I know what that means. OK, I'm pretty sure I know what that means. Point being, El Ocho showed the whole hockey-loving world last night exactly what makes him the League's best and most valuable rookie when he repeatedly beat Sarich and other Lightning blueliners with his patent-pending burst-down-the-left-side-duck-the-right-shoulder-fend-off-defenseman- roof-the-puck move. Sure, he only scored once on it. With just over a minute left. To tie the game. That he won in the shootout. On national TV. But if that move didn't put even the most ardent Sid Crosby-backer on notice, nothing will (make sure to check it out in the Postgame Notebook video highlights).

But individuals don't win games, teams do, and for that reason it's important to recognize Brent Johnson's superior effort in goal and Andrew Cassels' two assists in the final 11 minutes after being largely invisible for the first 49. And, as a team, the penalty kill was great (4-for-4) and the power-play clicked as well (1-for-5). All in all, an excellent win.

The WaPo's recap is here, and, unless I'm mistaken, the online version of the WTimes doesn't contain a recap. It's a shame because I was (and still am) wondering two things: 1) why wasn't Ovechkin on the first power-play unit for most of the night? and 2) why didn't AO come out when he was announced as the game's first star (perhaps he was giving an interview?)?

In other news around the League:

• By now you've heard that the Ducks were able to rid themselves of Sergei Fedorov's contract, sending him to goal-starved C'bus for a couple of warm bodies. Here's the Toronto Star's analysis.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Saku Koivu (2G, including OT game-winner with :04 left, A, +1)
  
• Ross: Saku Koivu (2G, A)
  
• Norris: Bryan McCabe (2G)
  
• Vezina: Martin Gerber (W, 35 saves on 36 shots against in Ottawa!)
  
• Richard: Fredrik Modin, Saku Koivu, Bryan McCabe (2G each)
  
• Calder: Alexander Ovechkin (Game-tying goal, game-winning shootout goal)
  
• Aiken: Martin Brodeur (L, 4 goals against on 24 Buffalo shots)
  

Japers' Pick

• Last night's game: Ding! Ding! Ding! I nailed the Kings-Preds game, and as a result get to reach into Bob Barker's pocket and pull out a crisp $100 bill. Ewww. Current record: 3-2.
• Tonight's game: A few interesting games out there tonight, including Vancouver in San Jose and the Battle of Pennsylvania, but we'll go with the Wings visiting the surging Flames in a matchup of division leaders. The Wings suffered their first road loss (7-1-0) last time out, and head into Calgary where the home team has a sparkling 8-1-1 record. Our prediction? Big money... big money... no whammy... stop! 4-2 Wings.
  
• Bonus pick: St. Louis at Columbus. This game stinks so bad it is crying out to be picked. Will St. Loo's 11-game winless streak continue against the only other team in the NHL that doesn't have at least twice as many points in the standings as they do? Yup. 3-1 Jax.
  

Tuesday Roundup/Gamenight: Lightning @ Caps

[Gameday Preview - NHL.com Preview]

Fresh off a big win against the Flyers last night in Tampa and without 2003-04 Art Ross Trophy winner Martin St. Louis (broken finger), the defending champs come to Washington for the teams' third meeting of the season in a nationally televised tilt. The Caps will again be without Olie Kolzig in net (and possibly without Dainius Zubrus up front), so it will take a tremendous amount of discipline and strong goaltending to even keep this game close. Oh, and let's try this again: if you go to the game tonight and see a good-looking guy in a #67 Bourque jersey and shout "hey, J.P., let me buy you a beer," I'll let you do just that.

The WaPo has an article on how Andrew Cassels wishes he wasn't healthy-scratched every game (we wish he didn't stink every game he was in the lineup) and the WTimes has a worthy read on how the Caps' special teams haven't been all that special. Unless you mean "special" in a Special Olympics kind of way, in which case the Caps special teams certainly deserve that moniker.

Elsewhere around the League:

• I think I know what I want for Hannukah.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Jarome Iginla (GWG, 2A, +1 in Calgary's 3-2 come-from-behind win)
  
• Ross: Vaclav Prospal (3G, A)
  
• Norris: Dan Boyle (G, A, +1)
  
• Vezina: Rick DiPietro (W, 26 saves on 28 shots against and 8 saves on 9 shots against in the shootout)
  
• Richard: Vaclav Prospal (3G)
  
• Calder: Erik Christensen (G, A, +1)
  
• Aiken: David Aebischer (L, 5 goals against on 22 shots)
  

Japers' Pick

• Last game: OK, we blew the Wings/Canucks game pretty badly. Current Record: 2-2.
• Tonight's game: Time to get back to our early-season winning ways. Will I pick an easy game just to get off the schneid? Of course not. Instead, I'll pick a matchup of team's with an identical number of points in the standings as the Kings visit Nashville. And the crystal ball says... Nashville 3, Kings 2.
  

Sunday Roundup/Devils 3, Caps 2

[Boxscore - Recap]

Well, Shayne, you got your sweep. Happy? Three power-play goals were all the Devils needed yesterday against a Caps team that mustered all of two shots in the third period of a game they trailed by one goal. Inexcusable. Brent Johnson was decent in goal (which makes yesterday his best game of the year by far), and the fourth line (Clymer-Sutherby-Bradley) played hard and potted both goals, but an NHL team can't go through a 20-minute period getting the same number of shots as Brian Rafalski does against them. Period.

The WaPo's recap is here, the WTimes' here. And for a take on the game that completely disrespects the Caps ("This Devils team that could face a housecleaning at least swept the doormat"), here's the NYPost's recap.

Elsewhere around the League:

• Kings buffoon Sean Avery has been fined by the League for diving. I'm not sure why the League fines a guy for a questionable fall but not for dropping n-bombs during a game, but it's Gary Bettman's League - we're just watching it.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Mike Knuble (2G, including SH game winner with :04 left)
  
• Ross: Marc Savard (4A)
  
• Norris: Bryan McCabe (G, 2A, +2)
  
• Vezina: Curtis Joseph (W, 43 saves on 44 shots against in 63:09)
  
• Richard: Jaromir Jagr (3G)
  
• Calder: Jeff Carter (G, +1)
  
• Aiken: Cam Ward (L, 7 goals against on 33 shots in 48:51 before mercifully being pulled)
  

Japers' Pick

• Last night's game: Our first loss of the season. With three minutes left, we looked to be on our way to a third straight correct pick but it wasn't meant to be, thanks to a fluky goal and an OT laser that helped the Leafs past the Canadiens, 5-4. Current record: 2-1.
• Tonight's game: A typically light menu of Sunday games with one that jumps off the page at us - Detroit at Vancouver. The Canucks dealt the Wings one of their two (!) losses, so this matchup of division leaders has a little revenge on the line in addition to being a good measuring stick for both teams as we approach the quarter-pole. The Wings are 7-0-0 on the road, the Canucks 7-1-1 at home (losing their first to Colorado the other day). It's a tough game to pick, but we'll go with Detroit, 5-3.
  

Saturday Roundup/Devils 4, Caps 3Gameday: Caps @ Devils

[Boxscore - Recap - Preview]

So no one wanted to buy me a beer yesterday? That's cold. Anyway, I don't have much time to recap what was a pretty boring hockey game, so here's the WaPo's take and here's the WTimes'. Be sure to head over to the AO Videos Site to see clips of our hero crushing Colin White and Scott Gomez.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Ilya Kovalchuk (4G)
  
• Ross: Ilya Kovalchuk (4G)
• Norris: Teppo Numminen (3A, +3)
  
• Vezina: Martin Gerber (26-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Ilya Kovalchuk (4G)
• Calder: Alexander Ovechkin (G, 2 monster hits)
  
• Aiken: John Grahame (L, 4 goals against on 23 shots in only 40 minutes of work)
  

Japers' Pick

• Last night's game: I'm on a roll, as the Wings downed the Wild 3-1 (one goal off my prediction) to raise my record to 2-0.
• Tonight's game: What kind of hockey fan would I be if I didn't pick Leafs-Habs on Hockey Night in Canada? An American one. Still, this is the night's most compelling matchup, so I'll pick it - 4-2 Canadiens.
  

Friday Roundup/Gameday: Devils @ Caps

[Gameday Preview]

One-timers today at The Rink as I have a million and one things to do before taking in today's Caps-Devs matinee live and in person (if you go to the game and see a good-looking guy in a #67 Bourque jersey and shout "hey, J.P., let me buy you a beer," I'll let you do just that).

The WaPo lists Olie Kolzig as "questionable, at best" for the home-and-home after the goalie tweaked his groin. Uh oh. The WTimes lists the 'tenders status as uncertain.

For the opposition's perspective on what this series may mean and the Devils' current struggles, my buddy Shayne offered the following analysis via email:

It's a big series for the Devils. They've lost their last four, and need to turn things around quickly. I think their main problem is a lack of identity. The Devs lost two captains over the past two years and have not named another captain. The lack of solid leadership, the one guy who will get in each player's face and tell him to step up or don't show up, and then back up the challenge by performing on the ice, has hurt the Devils. They don't have anyone to challenge them to play well. At least four or five times this year the devils have given up two goals within the span of 1:30. That's the type of thing that deflates a team's momentum and strong leadership (and smart play) can help to overcome.

Even though most of the talk about why the devils suck so far has centered around [Scott] Stevens and [Scott] Niedermayer, the guy they miss the most is [Patrik] Elias. Elias was a point per game player. The Devs just don't have anyone that can come in and make that up. Losing Stevens and Niedermayer forced the Devils to rebuild the d-corps, which they did with decent defensemen, not the greatest, but decent. When they lost Elias, they just couldn't replace him, which leaves a glaring hole in the offense that hasn't been filled.

So, a sweep by the Devils will show that Devils fans have hope that the season will not be lost and a turnaround could be in the future. A sweep by the Caps and [GM Lou] Lamoriello may start drawing devils logos on ping pong balls.

Indeed. Obviously the Devils' success this year hinges on healthy returns by Elias and Martin Brodeur, and by "returns" I mean returns to their pre-lockout forms as well as physically rejoining the team.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Jarome Iginla (GWG, 2A, fight, +2)
  
• Ross: Jarome Iginla, Steve Sullivan, Jeff Carter (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Jim Vandermeer (2G, including game winner, +3)
  
• Vezina: Antero Niittymaki (W, 38 saves on 40 shots against)
  
• Richard: Steve Sullivan (3G)
  
• Calder: Jeff Carter (G, 2A)
  
• Aiken: John Grahame (L, 4 goals against on 19 shots at home vs. NYR)
  

Japers' Pick

• Last night's game: If it wasn't for a Karlis Skrastins shorty, I would have been right on the money, as the Avs downed the Canuckleheads 5-3 (you'll recall I had Colorado 4-3). Not a bad start, eh? Current Record - 1-0.
• Tonight's game: Some pretty crappy games on the slate tonight (only three of the 14 teams in action tonight are above .500), but we'll go with the only matchup of teams with more wins than (regulation) losses, that being Minnesota @ Detroit. And while it's awfully tough to pick against the Wings at the Joe... we'll wait for another game to do it. Wings 4, Wild 1.

Majesky In, Green Down

The Caps have sent Mike Green down to AHL Hershey in order to make room for Ivan Majesky's return from the IR and Caps debut. Hopefully this will help both Green's development and the Caps' blueline.

Thursday Roundup: Cole Makes History

With no game to recap and no game to preview, our dynamic duo of local beat writers has taken another day off from publishing (as far as I can tell), probably sparing us a fluff piece on Shaone Morrisonn and an in depth look at the art of skate-sharpening.

In other news from around the League and beyond:

• Alright, this is one of the more offensive (yet safe for most people's work) thing I've ever seen.
• Erik Cole became the first player in NHL history to have two penalty shots in the same game last night in Buffalo. He scored on the first of the two and was denied on the second.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Erik Cole (GWG, 2A, +1)
  
• Ross: Cory Stillman, Erik Cole, Marc Savard, Tomas Vanek (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Mathieu Schneider (2A, +2)
  
• Vezina: Mike Dunham (26-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: David Vyborny, Tomas Vanek (2G each)
  
• Calder: Tomas Vanek (First two career NHL goals, A)
  
• Aiken: Mario Lemieux (0 points, -4. Lemieux was on the ice for all four of Atlanta's even strength goals in the Pens' 5-0 loss. In fact, the only Thrasher goal he wasn't on the ice for was the game-winner, scored while Mario was in the penalty box serving two minutes for tripping.)
  

Japers' Pick
Another new feature here at the Rink in which we highlight the game of the day/night and then make a prediction as to its outcome. Tonight's game?

• Colorado at Vancouver: The Avs return to the scene of the crime - literally - once again as the top two teams in the Northwest Division square off. Vancouver is undefeated at home (7-0-0), but is on a mini two- game losing streak, so something has to give. Our bet? Vancouver drops its first home game of the season, 4-3.

Wednesday Roundup/Leafs 6, Caps 4

[Boxscore - Recap]

There is "no quit" in this year's Caps. There may be stretches where the team seems to be asleep or brief periods in which a peewee team could skate through the defense and beat a temporarily-unfocused goaltender, but there is "no quit" in this team, we're told. By local announcers, by coaches, by writers we're reminded of this whenever the team scores a late, meaningless goal. Such was the case last night in the Caps' 6-4 loss at Toronto. Sure, the officiating didn't help the Caps out, but last night the team was its own worst enemy, victimized by bad penalties, shaky goaltending and lazy-at-times defense. Maybe as a team the Caps don't quit, but in my book each of these instances represents individuals quitting for a moment or more, and often at the costliest of times (I'm talking to you, Brent "Blocker Save" Johnson). Maybe I should be happy with a split in a home-and-home with the Leafs. I am (and management should take note of how nearly-successful the team was with Andrew Cassels, Jeff Friesen and Mathieu Biron out of the lineup, hint hint). But I can't help thinking that with a little more focus and a bounce or two, the Caps could have swept the series.

The WaPo's coverage is here, and contains a brief recap of the team's decision to assign Petr Sykora to Pardubice of the Czech elite League. At least we'll never wonder "what if" with this guy now. Oh, and yesterday's WaPo had a story on Bryan Muir and his hoopty ride (happy, CD?). The WTimes coverage is here, and notes in some more detail Alex Ovechkin's great game. The CP gives El Ocho some love here.

Next up for the Caps, a home-and-home of matinees with the Devils beginning on Friday. The way the Devs are playing, a sweep is certainly not out of the question. Stay tuned.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Joni Pitkanen (Game-tying goal with :24 left in regulation, game-winning goal in OT, assist with under three minutes left in regulation, +2... not bad, eh?)
• Ross: Joni Pitkanen, Peter Forsberg, Jeff O'Neill (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Joni Pitkanen (2G, A, +2 - see above)
  
• Vezina: Tomas Vokoun (W, 31 saves on 33 shots against)
  
• Richard: Joni Pitkanen, Alexander Ovechkin, Mike Comrie, Alex Tanguay (2G each)
  
• Calder: Alexander Ovechkin (2G)
  
• Aiken: Brendan Witt (-3, minor penalty that led to Toronto's fourth goal)
  

No Tuesday Roundup

There will be no Rink Roundup today as it is Election Day. If you live in a jurisdiction with anyone or anything on the ballot, get out there and vote today. Unless you're a Republican, in which case you guys vote next Tuesday.* And if you're an undecided in Virginia, I can't urge you strongly enough to vote for Tim Kaine.

Enough proselytizing. Hockey returns to The Rink tomorrow.







* That's a joke. You guys actually vote tomorrow.

Monday Roundup/Caps 5, Leafs 4

[Boxscore - Recap - Postgame Notebook]

The Caps are on a roll. Last night the team achieved several firsts and one fourth for the season including:

• their first two-game win streak,
  
• the first time they scored more than three goals in a game,
  
• the first time they had more than 30 shots in a game,
  
• the first time they had a two goal lead in a game,
  
• the first time the power play looked any good over the course of a game, scoring three times, and
  
• the fourth time Alex Ovechkin has scored two goals in a game.
  

I'll let the local papers do the heavy lifting on the game recap, since I'm still exhausted from having gone to last night's thrilling Redskins game and having spent the better part of the morning sitting in a parking lot at FedEx Field. The WaPo's coverage is here, the WTimes here. For a different perspective, here's the Globe and Mail's take and here's the CP's recap.

Elsewhere around the League:

• 'Hawks stud Tuomo Ruutu is out three-to-12 weeks with a wonky back. Three-to-12 weeks? You don't have a medical staff that can narrow it down better than that? To try to replace some of Ruutu's lost offense, Chicago traded a 2006 fifth-round pick to Boston for disgruntled pivot Andy Hilbert.
• In another minor deal, the Leafs traded Nathan Perrot to Dallas for a conditional pick.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Brent Seabrook (Game-winning goal, A, +1 in 2-1 win)
• Ross: Tomas Holmstrom (2G, A)
  
• Norris: Brent Seabrook (Game-winning goal, A, +1 in 2-1 win)
  
• Vezina: Nikolai Khabibulin (W, 28 saves on 29 shots against. Really)
  
• Richard: Alexander Ovechkin, Jeff O'Neill, Tomas Holmstrom, Ryan Getzlaf (2G each)
  
• Calder: Alexander Ovechkin (2G, including tie-breaking and game-winning goals)
  
• Aiken: Mikael Tellqvist (L, 5 goals against on 33 shots against)