I Bet He Throws Better Than Soriano Skates

Last night Alex Ovechkin threw out the first pitch at the Nats/Phillies game, and below is the least-goofy picture I could find documenting the crafty left-hander's change-up (read: girlie throw).

DC Sports Bog has a few great posts on the day's events, including a few words on the Cap who went yard during batting practice (that's called a tease, folks). My only remaining question from the day/night is "Wouldn't AO have been a better option out of the 'pen in the top of the 14th than Jason Bergmann?"

Fast Legs, Slow Fists

Here are a couple of stills from Alex Ovechkin's first (and hopefully last) foray into the world of NHL pugilism:

"Just hit it, pillowhands. Don't worry, it's not gonna hit you back."

"Hey, maybe next time we can send you a telegram: get ready for the right hook."

UPDATE: Maybe I was too quick to judge AO's fighting skills - here's a clip of him back in his Dynamo days scrapping with Oleg Tverdovsky:

Fate Settles The Goalie Controversy In Philly

According to CBS Sportsline, "Flyers goalie Antero Niittymaki could miss up to two months because of a hip injury sustained during practice Tuesday."

I guess that answers the question of who the number one goalie is in Philadelphia - it's the guy who gave up five goals in 30 minutes to the Caps tonight (and by "the Caps" I mean the Caps minus Semin, Zubrus, Pothier, Clark, Eminger...).

Do you think Booby Clarke has called San Jose, Buffalo or Anaheim yet?

California, Here I Come

The fellas at Battle of Alberta have said all there is to say about Chris Pronger and his, um, dedication to his wife. In light of his, um, dedication to his wife, I wonder if the League would make an exception to its uniform policy and let "Christie Prongley" wear this sweater for all Ducks games:

Incidentally, the Ducks are currently the only team in the NHL to offer personalized woman's fashion jerseys, 'cause that's how they roll in the O.C.

A Pair In The Top 10

Hockey's Future has ranked their Top 50 Prospects and two Caps place two in the top 10 with a third a bit further down the list (personally, I don't see how Mike Green misses this list, especially given that HF ranks him ahead of Fehr elsewhere, but at the end of the day, prospect rankings don't mean squat and on-ice NHL production is all that really matters). Anyway, here are the Caps that made HF's Top 50:

8. Alexander Semin, LW – Washington Capitals

Due to a playing dispute resulting from military obligations to his home country and the NHL lockout, Alexander Semin spent the last two seasons playing in the Russian Super League after an impressive rookie season with the Washington Capitals in 2003-04. His pure offensive talents from the left wing position make him an extremely valuable commodity to any NHL organization. With Ovechkin already holding down the left side on the first line, the presence of Semin on the second line provides immediate scoring depth for the organization. Returning to North America from Russia may require a slight adjustment from Semin, but it is only a matter of time before he, Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Eric Fehr anchor the offense for a new and young Capitals team.

10. Nicklas Backstrom, C – Washington Capitals

As one of the top players taken in the 2006 Entry Draft, Nicklas Backstrom adds another elite prospect to the Washington Capitals organization. Already stocked with the likes of Ovechkin and Semin, Backstrom is the anchor in the middle for the young wing prospects. Hailed as the most NHL-ready of all draftees in 2006, Backstrom opted to return to Sweden for this season. After scoring 10 goals in 46 games last season in the Swedish Elite League, in addition to leading his age group in overall scoring, Backstrom returns more with eye towards improving his game than establishing himself as a top player.

48. Eric Fehr, RW – Washington Capitals

Fehr jumped to the professional ranks with Hershey last season after posting massive offensive numbers in his final two seasons in the WHL, picking up 53 points in 70 games. He also saw a limited action with Washington, appearing in 11 games. Fehr has excellent offensive instincts, and coupled with his good size, is adept at both driving to the net and working hard along the boards to dig out pucks. There is some concern about his skating, as well as his occasional lack of defensive coverage and awareness, and he will have to work hard on his two-way play in the next season or two if he is to make a permanent jump to the next level. He will have ample opportunity next season to fine-tune those aspects of his game that need work, and will likely once again get a bit of time with the Capitals. Even a slightly improved defensive game, coupled with Fehr’s excellent offensive presence and great size, could prime him for key minutes on a scoring line two years down the line.

Snip, Snip, Snip And All Semin, All The Time

Another round of cuts yesterday, sending "[g]oaltender Frederic Cassivi, left wing Quintin Laing, right wing Eric Fehr, defensemen Lawrence Nycholat and Timo Helbling, center Dave Steckel and defenseman Jamie Hunt" to Hershey. Really no surprises here, and Fehr (and perhaps Nycholat and/or Steckel) is the only ones of that bunch who even has a chance at regular duty in Washington down the road, but, as I mentioned the other day, Fehr is clearly not ready for the NHL.

speaking of Hershey, the Caps throw their minor league affiliate's fans a bone and "host" the Devils at the Giant Center later today.

In other Caps news, Dave Fay talks Semin in the WTimes and Tarik El-Bashir does the same in the WaPo.

Another Devil Diamond In The Rough?

It looks as if Lou Lamoriello may have yet again done what Lou Lamoriello does best; he's taken another team's castoff and potentially turned him into an NHLer. From the NY Post:

The Devils have done it again, unearthing just what they need from nowhere for nothing. This time, they've found a rare longshot - unsung Johnny Oduya, a black [Rink note: I'm not sure what that has to do with anything] Swede.

They're desperate for defensemen, and Stockholm native Oduya has impressed everyone with his skating agility, poise and sensible shooting.

The article continues:

He was drafted ... in the seventh round in 2001, but returned to Sweden due to a lack of opportunity. He led the Swedish league in penalty minutes in 2003-04 but changed teams and his style last season. He became a free agent over the summer and a $55G signing bonus and a contract for the $450G minimum, with a $65G minor-league salary, was enough for the Devils to secure him.

Here, then, is the punchline: the team that gave up on Oduya? You guessed it - your Washington Capitals. A couple of preseason games don't really amount to much, of course (see Bochenski, Brandon), but Oduya's development bears watching.

At least now we know that the Caps aren't "desperate for defensemen."

Two More Cuts (And Speaking Of Cuts...)

The Caps today sent C-Bo and Max II down to Hershey. For some reason, word of these cuts made Sid Crosby get prettied up to go dancing. Odd.

Thanks to Dr.Nick for that second link, frightening though it may be.

Lightning 3, Capitals 2 (OT)

Every once in a while there are games that would appear from the date or the standings or some other traditional barometer of importance to be relatively meaningless but which, for varying reasons, carry with them the intensity usually reserved for only the most crucial of tilts. Announcers, analysts and writers are contractually-bound to refer to these games as having "playoff-like atmospheres," and the fans lucky enough to be in attendance for these battles spend the night on the edge of their seats with elevated heart rates screaming themselves hoarse.

Last night's game was not one of those games.

The Caps dropped a 3-2 game to the Lightning in front of just over 8,000, and, as Dave Fay put it, the loss "looked familiar," rife with bad penalties, an ineffective powerplay and mediocre penalty-killing (though mediocre penalty-killing may actually be a step up for this squad).

A quick run-down of what I liked and what I didn't from last night (and for more, check out this thread from the Caps message board recapping the game):

• Alex Semin looked good, though at times tried to dance with the puck too much in his own zone. His goal was a beautiful shot, and he was actually 4-for-7 in the faceoff dot - pretty impressive, especially for a winger. He also went face-first into the boards and lay on the ice for a few minutes for the scary moment of the night. The way that kid plays, he could get killed on any given shift.
• Olie Kolzig looked very sharp, for the most part.
• Ben Clymer was solid if not spectacular on D, catching up to a few partial breakaways from behind and playing Vinny Lecavalier well in a 1-v-1 situation. He did, however, fail to tie up the man in front on Tampa's first goal.
• I like Mike Green. A lot.
• Kris Beech made a couple of nice passes that were not converted.
• Richard Zednik is just as disappointing as when he left, showing nothing over sixty minutes except a propensity to be out of position and in other people's way.
• Brian Pothier looked mediocre, especially when he kicked Tampa's second goal into his own net. Remember all the good bounces you got in Ottawa, Brian? Don't expect 'em here.
• The faceoffs were pretty bad and will continue to be so all year, I fear. Other than Semin's win percentage, the one brightspot in the faceoff dot was the Brooks Laich draw win that led to the Semin goal.
• Eric Fehr looked terrible, failing multiple times to clear the puck out of the defensive zone on set plays and taking two bad penalties.
• Rico Fata and Matt Bradley are just taking up space at this point.
• Finally, the biggest ovation of the night may have gone up when the Arena showed some Asian kid doing The Robot (among other killer moves), further confirming what I've noted before: Caps fans love dancing Asians.

That's pretty much all I've got for now, though I feel I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that the Lightning dressed a guy (Mitch Fritz) who is listed at 6'8", 258 and looks even bigger - an absolute mountain of a man.

My, How The Not-So-Mighty Have Fallen

Three years ago at this time Bruce Cassidy was busy as the Caps' head coach failing to inspire Jaromir Jagr.

Last year at this time Bruce Cassidy was busy putting together the League's worst power-play, his primary responsibility as an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks.

So where is "Butch" now? Coaching 15- and 16-year-olds in the OHL.

Anyone want to hazard a guess as to where he'll be in September, 2007?

"What He Said" And Other Odds & Ends

I'm a bad blogger. No, really. This is the time of the year when I should be readying my big Caps Season Preview, but guess what? I'm not going to do one. I haven't felt all that inspired to, in part because I have no idea what to expect (improvement, hopefully, but I have my reservations) and in part because I've been way too busy with work to devote the time necessary to do such a preview justice.

Luckily for me (and more importantly, for you), Eric at Off Wing Opinion has posted a Caps Preview that I fully endorse. Give it a read and see that he comes to pretty much the same conclusion that I do: if everything comes together just right, the Caps could challenge for a playoff spot. More likely, however, the team will continue to develop but be on the outside looking in come mid-April.

For kicks, I went back and looked at the season preview I did last season, in which I concluded that:

If the Caps can score, they'll be entertaining. If not, they'll be painful. Either way they will lose early and often and will have a great shot at the #1 pick in the 2006 entry draft. But don't judge this team by its wins and losses. Instead, watch players develop and watch Alexander Ovechkin dazzle.

I'll let you make the call as to whether or not things have changed drastically in the past year.

In other news:

• The Caps made their first cuts today, sending Oskar Osala, Daren Machesney, Sasha Pokulok, Francois Bouchard, Matt Stefanishion, Trevor Byrne, Louis Robitaille, Stephen Werner, Joey Tenute, Michal Neuvirth and Patrick McNeill off to spend a season riding buses and having tea with Miss McGill.
• Also out at camp today Brian Sutherby beat down Chad Wiseman in the first fight of camp. These guys have obviously had enough of each other - bring on Tampa tomorrow and let them take some aggression out on Frodo et. al.
• Two great new (to me) Caps blogs have appeared, first being Dan Steinberg's WaPo D.C. Sports Bog and the second is Mike Vogel (senior writer for washingtoncaps.com)'s Dump and Chase. As I've said before, the Caps will easily have the highest blogger-to-wins ratio in the NHL this year.
• Speaking of Dan's blog, today he asked GMGM about the highlight reel of his (McPhee's) fights that were posted (among other places) here the other day. Quoth George, "I don't know what to say about that. My father taught me to fight. And when it came time, I was okay at it." Indeed.
• According to the WaPo, Alex Ovechkin and Olie Kolzig will play in tomorrow night's game (expect to see AO on a line with Richard Zednik and Sutherby and for Olie to play the whole game).

If any Rink readers are heading to the game, post something in the comments. At some point this season, there will have to be an official Japers' Rink Field Trip to the Verizon Center - I'll even spring for the first round.

Postcards From Camp

For those of you who can't wait until Wednesday night's pre-season opener against Tampa to get your fix of Caps hockey (or if you just want to see what the first few days of training camp look like), Fat Loui provides us with this video from Sunday:

Also, check out these reports on the past couple of days' practices as well as the WaPo's article on the new #1 powerplay unit (featuring only two guys who played for the Caps last year - bet you can guess which two).

Finally, Eric at Off Wing made it out to practice the other day and took some pictures still and moving.

Our GM Can Beat Up Your GM

Check out this video package of some of GMGM's finer non-Gonchar-for-Morrisonn-a-first-and-a-second moments:

Thanks to LilWitterFan19 for the link.

Vodka Shots All Around!

Happy 21st Birthday to Alex Ovechkin. He can now finally have that first adult beverage on U.S. soil.

Hockey's Future: Capitals Training Camp Preview

Hockey's Future has a preview of Caps Training Camp up. Check it out.

FOX Sports: They Report, I Deride

FOXSports.com has posted their season preview of the Caps and while it is, for the most part, um, fair and balanced, this prediction stands out:

If Washington can cut its goals-against average down to two tallies per game, the team will be a lot better off this season.

Let me get this straight - if the Caps can cut their team GAA almost in half and drop it to more than one-third of a goal-against better than last year's League best Calgary Flames, they will be "a lot better off"? Bold assertion.

Ovechkin Perfection

If you're like me and you can't get enough of Alex Ovechkin highlight montages, check this one out, set to Manson's "Beautiful People," courtesy covenant/Fat Loui:

Caps Sign Erskine

Per WashingtonCaps.com, the Caps today signed free agent defenseman John Erskine. Erskine is a rugged character whose TSN.ca player profile includes the following:

Assets - Loves to play a physical game from behind the blueline. Keeps things simple and knows his limitations.
Flaws - Has limited offensive ability. Must work hard to improve his suspect skating ability. Will struggle when lined up against shifty NHL forwards.
Career potential - Physical defenseman.

What do Caps fans think of the signing? Click here and here to find out.

Finally, here are a couple examples of Erskine doing what Erskine does best (hint: it's not feathering a perfect saucer pass across the top of the crease to a wide open teammate for an easy tap-in):

You Know You're Hockey-Obsessed When...

I certainly don't want to be insensitive to the Columbine-esque tragedy that unfolded yesterday in Montreal, but admit it - for some of you, your first thought upon hearing the news was "How does this impact Martin Brodeur's fantasy value?"

Schremp Fra Diavolo

As a hockey fan, you owe it to yourself to see Oiler rookie Robbie Schremp's hot dog moves from a recent charity shootout, even if you have to create a (free) user account at TSN.ca (scroll down the page to the clip entitled "hot dog"; hopefully the clip will find its way to YouTube and I'll be able to embed it in this post later and save you the trouble).

Hat tip to ComebackKono3 for the link.

UPDATE: Thanks to Shoeverine for answering my prayers:

Caps Name Captain

The Caps today made Chris Clark the 13th captain in team history (making a plurality of voting Rink Readers happy). More later (when I'm not ostensibly working), but here's what GMGM had to say of "Clarkie":

“Leadership is not a sometime thing or a come and go thing,” said McPhee. “It is an all-the-time thing. Chris Clark has all-the-time leadership qualities. He is a leader in the mold of one of our all-time favorites, Dale Hunter; a quiet man off the ice, a cantankerous, ultra-competitive player on the ice.”

Obviously not everyone will be happy with this decision, and Eric at Off Wing and I had a pretty good back-and-forth on the topic last week. Two things we can all agree on: 1) Olie Kolzig is the real captain of this team and 2) Clark is just keeping the "C" warm until Alex Ovechkin is ready to captain the team.

UPDATE: I guess I spoke too soon - not everyone agrees on point 2 above, as Glen Hanlon was quick to say Clark's "not a stopgap captain," and in fact "Chris Clark is going to be the one that's going to hold the Stanley Cup over his head" when the Caps win Lord Stanley's Mug. Then again, judging from the latter statement, Hanlon may have been being sarcastic in the former.

Caps To Name Captain Wednesday

The suspense will soon be over as the Caps plan to announce their new captain Wednesday.

Also of note, the team plans to play Ben Clymer on the blueline ("for now at least"). This, in part, explains the re-signing of Matt Bradley and the lack of free agent defenseman signings outside of Brian Pothier. Clymer was drafted as a defenseman and played some D last season (which is more than could be said for Mathieu Biron and Ivan Majesky).

Caps Hockey: See It, Feel It, Touch It, Heal It

The Caps have a new slogan - Caps Hockey: See It. Feel It. Not a bad slogan, per se, but it's going to take a while for me to hear it and not think of a blind kid playing pinball...

Lots Of Semin

Thanks to SSM12 for putting together the following montage of Alex Semin highlights set to awful music (personally, I'd recommend muting the YouTube volume and listening to something off of Muse's "Absolution," perhaps "Hysteria").

And I Just Ordered A #28 Kris Beech Jersey...

The Caps today released their training camp roster. There are some questions about who's on the roster, who's not and why some guys listed are in italics - follow the discussion on the Caps' Message Board.

And no, I didn't really just order a #28 Kris Beech jersey - I have a much more pathetic Beech jersey story. I actually own a Kris Beech Calgary Hitmen jersey (and I won a bet to get it). Four days after the jersey arrived, the Caps traded Beech in the Jagr deal leaving me with a random jersey of a bust of a player and yet another memento to remind of how much I detest Jaromir Jagr.

You Know You're A Hockey Fan When...

...you read this headline, feel bad that New England footballers are fighting, and wonder who "Branch" is and how he acquired that old bald guy that used to play for the Oilers and Rangers:

Oh, and for the millionth time, Peter Bondra will NOT be a Capital this year or ever again. And no, it doesn't get a post of its own.

Alexander The Humanitarian

There's a nice article in The Star this morning about Alexander Ovechkin's latest humanitarian efforts, as AO has teamed up with Right To Play, "a Toronto-based international humanitarian organization, which brings sport and play programs to children in the most disadvantaged areas in the world."

The NHL's rookie of the year realizes there are many kids not nearly as fortunate [as he was/is/always will be], which is why on a day when fellow Russian wunderkind Evgeni Malkin inked a deal with the Penguins, Ovechkin signed up with a new team of his own. He joined Right To Play yesterday as one of five new NHL athlete ambassadors.

And you thought assisting was one of his less-impressive skills as a player?

Speaking of less impressive (just kidding), Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby will spend the day with Alex in NYC doing a Sports Illustrated photo shoot.

When Did The NHL Turn Into The NBA?

Somewhat-breaking news out of San Jose that newly-acquired Sharks forward Mark Bell "was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and felony hit-and-run after an early morning accident during the Labor Day weekend." Bell - who had just landed the coziest job in the NHL, playing on a line with Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo for $2 million per season - was driving a 2003 Toyota sedan. Huh.

Iroincally, Bell "was named Chicago's 'Man of the Year' last season for his charity work and community service." Something tells me he'll be doing a lot of community service in San Jose too, though he's unlikely to receive an award for it.

Bell's legal troubles come just days after Minnesota Wild tough Derek Boogaard was charged with"assault causing bodily harm in connection with a nightclub fight" and at the end of a summer that saw free agent bruiser Ryan VandenBussche rack up charges including (but not limited to): assaulting a peace officer, assault causing bodily harm, resisting arrest and threatening death or bodily harm.

Can the season please start already so we can get these guys off the street and on the ice?

Capitals Top 20 Prospects

Hockey's Future has updated it's list of the Caps' Top 20 Prospects, complete with a few paragraphs on each player. Not surprisingly, Nicklas Backstrom tops the list, though he's in a dead heat with Alex Semin. Both project to be borderline-elite players who are likely to reach that potential (the key to the numbers and letters that follow a player's name is here). Where do the rest of the kids fall? Here's a quick glance at the Top 20:

1. Nicklas Backstrom, C, 8.5 B
2. Alexander Semin, LW, 8.5 B
3. Mike Green, D, 8 C
4. Eric Fehr, RW, 7.5 B
5. Tomas Fleischmann, LW, 7.5 C
6. Semen Varlamov, G, 7.0 C
7. Chris Bourque, C/LW, 7.0 C
8. Michal Neuvirth, G, 6.5 C
9. Francois Bouchard, C/RW, 7.0 C
10. Joe Finley, D, 6.5 B
11. Patrick McNeill, D, 6.5 B
12. Boyd Gordon, C, 6.5 B
13. Jeff Schultz, D, 6.5 B
14. Sami Lepisto, D, 6.0 B
15. Jakub Klepis, LW, 6.0 C
16. Sasha Pokulok, D, 6.0 C
17. Keith Seabrook, D, 7.0 D
18. Oskar Osala, LW, 6.0 C
19. Oscar Hedman, D, 5.5 B
20. Andrew Gordon, RW, 5.0 C

Personally, I think a couple of the blueliners are a little low and perhaps a forward or two are too high (Semin and Chris Bourque for example), but it's a decent list that offers a lot of hope for the future. As with any list like this, it serves to spawn plenty of conversation, and some of the best of it is taking place over on the Caps' message board and the HF board. Check 'em out if you're so inclined.

Well That Answers That... Partially

Undoubtdely in direct response to the current Rink Poll at right, Alexander Ovechkin has taken his name out of the running for new team captain (leaving Chris Clark as Rink readers' current pick for the job). Sayeth Alex:

This year I'm not ready because my English isn't good enough. If I need to say something to the team . . . it's hard. The captain is very important, you must be a leader all the time.

Personally, I think this is a great decision. I've discussed this topic before and have mentioned it on the Tag-Board (which I may have to take down thanks to an unbearable amount of robo-spam), but for now I'd like to see Ovechkin focus on his development as a hockey player unburdened by the responsibilities that go along with being the team's captain. Make no mistake about it, though - Ovechkin is a born leader and will lead this team on and off the ice whether he has a "C" on his jersey or not.

And what hockey story these days would be complete without a mention of Evgeni "The Next Next One... No, Not That Next Next One But The Other Next Next One" Malkin? Asked about his fellow countryman, Alex answered in what has become classic Ovechkin fashion:

"He was my roommate at the Olympics, he's a good guy and a good teammate. But if I meet him in the corner...," Ovechkin smiled...

Screw the captaincy. AO for President.