Who Sits?

With Richard Zednik due back Thursday and assuming that Matt Bradley returns to the team in the not-too-distant future, the Caps will have fourteen healthy forwards (did I just jinx them?). The question, then, is who gets a sweater and who doesn't?

• Obviously AO, Semin, Zubrus, Clark and Pettinger are in the lineup.
• Eric Fehr has made a case for himself to stay, at least for now (though his contract situation makes him the best possibility for a demotion to Hershey).
• Boyd Gordon has proven to be an invaluable penalty killer, as has, to a lesser extent, Brooks Laich. Brian Sutherby (an alternate captain) also is a lock, despite his disappointing season thus far.
• The Donald provides protection and has shown some offensive touch in recent weeks as well.
• Zednik will play in hopes of increasing his value on the trade market.

That leaves one spot for Ben Clymer, Matt Bradley and Kris Beech. I think Clymer's versatility keeps him in the lineup. Might the team put Beech on waivers and send him down to Hershey? Am I wrong about Fehr sticking with the team? Could Bradley or Clymer be put on waivers? Someone else? Are all of these questions annoying?

At some point (perhaps), the team will face these same questions on the blueline. Add in the trade deadline in less than a month and GMGM will be a busy man over the next few weeks.

And With The First Pick In The 2012 NHL Entry Draft...

Oh, to be thirteen again:

Of course, this young gun will only dominate the League for a decade or so before he's blown away by this kid.

[H/t to #1 JohnnyFan on that first link]

If I Were A Hockey Player

Apparently Jes has started a new chain letter that's spreading through the blogosphere faster than his mom's chlamydia. Casonblog has tagged me, so here we go.

If I Were a Hockey Player

Team: Washington Capitals

Uniform Number: 16 (in honor of Bengt Gustafsson, my first favorite hockey player)

Position: First-line playmaking center

Nickname: Japers (but only because Rex Grossman took my original nickname)

Linemates: Alex Ovechkin and Peter Bondra (c. 1995-98)

Rounding out the PP: Al Iafrate and Dino Ciccarelli (Bonzai will play the point)

Job: Setting up the two greatest scorers in Caps history while cleaning up their garbage in front

Signature Move: The Hogan (charging at the goalie with the puck on my stick, slamming into him and watching the puck trickle over the line... just like you'd do in NHL 94)

Strengths: Possesses an excellent combination of skill and physical play. Is an outstanding playmaker due to great vision. Also takes care of business in his own end. Can change the pace of a game with an eye-popping rush or a crunching hit. [per TSN.ca's scouting report on me]

Weaknesses: Tequila, the Canadian Ballet

Equipment: Whatever - it's a poor craftsman who blames his tools

Nemeses: Denis Potvin, Pat LaFontaine, Petr Nedved, the entire city of Pittsburgh

Scandal Involvement: see "Weaknesses," use imagination

Who I'd face in the Stanley Cup Finals: Sidney Crosby and the Kansas City Penguins

What I'd do with the Stanley Cup after our victory: Fill it with redneck margaritas and declare yet another Cup victory for the South

Would the media love me or hate me? The media would be largely indifferent (though somewhat condescending) towards me, as they always have been with anything to do with the Southeast Division

Alright, my time's up. You guys have been great. Don't forget to try the waiters and tip your veal (or something). I tag SeSo running mates TLW and Jen, The Peerless Prognosticator and any (all?) of the OFB guys. I'd also invite anyone to comment with their own answers (especially you, Netsy).

Wednesday Roundup/Sens 3, Caps 2

[NHL.com Recap]

Personal obligations have prevented me from properly maintaining The Rink the past couple of days, but hopefully I'll be back on the proverbial Zamboni later today or tomorrow.

As always, get all the latest Caps news over at Washington Hockey Daily, and feel free to comment here about last night's game (Alex Semin's dangling, Kris Beech's breakaway, the team's collective inability to lift a puck - whatever) or any other Caps-related topic of interest.

With February nearly upon us and Florida, Pittsburgh, the Isles, Boston and L.A. next up on the schedule, it's time for the Caps to make hay while the sun shines if they want to make a run at the playoffs.

Daily Awards

• Southeast Division Player of the Day: Ilya Kovalchuk (2G, 3 SOG, 3 hits)
• Hart: Daniel Briere (3G, +3, 5 SOG)
• Ross: Daniel Briere, Maxim Afinogenov, Slava Kozlov, Jamie Langenbrunner, Nicklas Lidstrom (3 points each)
• Norris: Nicklas Lidstrom (3 primary assists in Detroit's 4-3 comeback win)
• Vezina: Marc-Andre Fleury (32-save shutout win)
• Richard: Daniel Briere (3G)
• Calder: David Moss (GWG, A, +2, 2 SOG)
• Kotter: Craig Conroy (2G, 4 SOG, 4 hits, 2 blocked shots in return to Calgary)
• Aiken: Hannu Toivonen (L, 6 goals allowed on 23 shots against in 40 minutes of work)

Gamenight: Caps @ Sens

In lieu of a preview of any sort for tonight's Caps/Sens game, here's a picture of someone in an Ottawa jersey who is tougher than Jason Spezza (and will have as many titles by the time their respective careers are over):

Chicago And Indianapolis: A Tale Of Two Hockey Cities

Bobby Hull. Stan Mikita. Glenn Hall. Denis Savard. Tony Esposito. Mike Peluso. Three Stanley Cup championships, ten Vezina Trophies, eight Ross Trophies, a half dozen Calder Trophies and the best uniforms in all of sports. Looking over the history of the Chicago Blackhawks gives one a good insight into the history of hockey itself.

But there are lesser-known hockey traditions in the American Midwest as well. For no particular reason whatsoever, let's juxtapose Chicago's rich hockey tradition with, say, that of Indianapolis... Chicago versus Indianapolis, if you will.

Besides being the birthplace of NHL-great Ken Klee, India-no-place was one of the "Original Five" teams of the Central Hockey League, where the Indianapolis Capitols (no relation) played all of nine games back in 1963 before they were forced to move to Cincinnati due to an explosion at the Indianapolis Fairgrounds Coliseum. Want more details? Of course you do:

On October 31, 1963, during an Ice Follies show, a propane tank tipped over in the commissary under the bleachers on the southeast corner of the Coliseum. When the gas came in contact with a spark it caused a large explosion. A couple sections of stands were obliterated. 73 people were killed and nearly 400 were injured. Following the explosion, the ice rink was used as a morgue.

"The ice rink was used as a morgue." That may be the single most "hockey" quote you'll ever read.

Prior to those Capitols and their lengthy stay in Indiana, Indianapolis had an American Hockey League team called the Capitals (again no relation, though at least they had the spelling right), and a mere sixteen years after the Capitols left Indy, the city got another CHL team, this time the Indianapolis Checkers, err, Checkers, who apparently only had two players in franchise history.

The city has had plenty of other professional hockey teams over the years - the Chiefs (1955-62), the Racers (1974-78), the Ice (1988-2002, 2004-), another incarnation of the Checkers (1984-87), and perhaps other franchises that I'm too lazy to dig up - but the evolution of hockey in "The Circle City" unquestionably reached its zenith with the arrival of one player who would forever change the face of the game itself. I'm talking, of course, about Manute Bol, who laced up the skates for the Ice back in 2002. Bol never actually got on the ice for the Ice, but it's safe to say that he paved the way for such future ridiculously tall NHL stars as Zdeno Chara and Gheorghe Muresan.

Finally, the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA also left their mark on hockey history by being the first professional team to employee a kid named Wayne Gretzky. I'll admit that I have no idea what became of Gretzky after the Racers folded in 1978, but I'm told that he went on to bigger and better - some would say great - things.

So there you have it. No, it may not be Chicago and it certainly isn't Detroit. But they've paraded the Stanley Cup through the streets of Indianapolis as many times as they have in St. Louis, and with a storied history that includes storing dead bodies at the rink and a 7-foot-7 defenseman, I'm comfortable calling Indianapolis the Midwest's other other Hockeytown.

Sunday Roundup/Caps 7, 'Canes 3

[SeSo Open Thread]

Just when you think you've figured this team out, they go and do something like this... and totally redeem themselves. Last night's 7-3 whooping of Carolina in as close to a January "must win" as you could find, has to have the Caps and their faithful back in good spirits - at least for a day or two. Some notes:

• Eric Fehr's first NHL goal was a beauty - and he nearly had his second as well. When the Caps had goals from Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin and Fehr on the board, one couldn't help thinking about the trio in comparison to Pittsburgh's trio of young guns. And, oh yeah, the Caps still have their world-class playmaker waiting in the wings.
• Speaking of the Alexes, the fact that they jumped the Caps out to a 3-0 lead on three unassisted goals speaks to their desire and ability to carry the team. Not all leaders are vocal or have letters on their sweaters.
• Ya think the Caps' scouting report on Cam Ward reads "shoot high glove side"?
  
• Jeff Schultz played 19:20, was +4 and had 3 blocked shots. Probably his best game as a Cap.
• Schultz's minutes came at the expense of Mike Green, who's turnover that led to Erik Cole's goal resulted in Greenie getting only 8:22 of ice time (only Kris Beech and The Donald had less) for the night. Green has clearly hit some sort of wall, as his play has been subpar for a couple of weeks now.
• Shaone Morrisonn was a beast, hitting hard and playing well. Yes, he was minus-one, but I thought he still had a very solid game.
• The line combinations looked great - I love Matt Pettinger on the third line, giving Fehr a chance to succeed on the second and bumping Ben Clymer down to the fourth (giving him the occassional shift in Fehr's place on the second).
• Boyd Gordon won 7 of 12 draws from Rod Brind'Amour. Amazing? No, but worth noting.
  
• The Caps and 'Canes season series is tied a three wins apiece, and no game's final score has been closer than three goals. Odd. Olie Kolzig (who was solid, if unspectacular last night) has all three Caps wins, and one wonders if he shouldn't have started both games this weekend.
  
• The crowd of 16,924 (!) was one of the loudest of the year, and there was only a smattering of red in the building.
• Finally, I got the chance to meet another Rink Reader last night and it served as a good reminder of why, in part, I do this - the free beer meeting nice new folks. Cheers, Jason (and Ken, as always).
  

Off to Ottawa for Tuesday night's tilt with the white-hot Sens. Richard Zednik may be back in the lineup, but with the way Eric Fehr played last night, maybe there's no need to rush Z back.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Ryan Smyth (2G, including the game-winner, 2A, +4 in 4-3 win)
• Ross: Ryan Smyth, Ales Hemsky, Sidney Crosby, Mark Recchi (4 points each)
• Norris: Pavel Kubina (2G, A, +1, 3 blocked shots)
• Vezina: Ray Emery (W, 29 saves on 30 shots against)
• Richard: Alex Semin, Ryan Smyth, Steve Sullivan, Pavel Kubina, Aaron Asham, Jochen Hecht, Martin Erat, Rostislav Olesz (2G each)
  
• Calder: Eric Fehr (1st NHL goal is the game-winner, +2)
• Aiken: Cam Ward (L, 7 goals allowed on 23 shots against)

Sunday Funnies

No, this isn't hockey-related, but I thought I might start a new semi-regular feature, the Sunday Funnies - the perfect cure for a hangover and/or a lazy Sunday. Plus, as we indeed are the world, it's worth posting anyway.

Found On Jakub Klepis's Bookshelf...

This explains a lot:

And He Didn't Win The Truck For This?

You might not have been terribly impressed with the performance of a certain super Sophomore in Wednesday night's All-Star Game, but some people were. Russian points us to this item from SI.com via Yahoo!:

The sad news for the folks on hand is that Sidney Crosby didn't score. "What a disappointment," he said after the game. But the good news is that Crosby went up against Mr. Face-Off himself, Yanic Perreault, a man twice his age and, allegedly, much savvier. Crosby beat him not once but twice on the draw. Now that is the kind of thing I like to see at an All-Star Game.

Kostya Kennedy is officially funny. I think.

Friday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ 'Canes

[SeSo Open Thread]

It's like deja vu all over again as the Caps head to Raleigh for the front end of a home-and-home with the Whalers. You'll recall that the Caps took it to the 'Canes just last Thursday down at RBC Center (side note: does anyone else find it odd that the Royal Bank of Canada Center is in North Carolina and Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Arena is in Buffalo?), and here are the highlights to prove it:
After that big win, the Caps took there new-found momentum, promptly laid an egg against the Panthers, then took some well-needed (if not deserved) R&R during the All-Star Break. Which Caps team shows up in Raleigh Friday night is anyone's guess, but you can bet that they won't get the same effort out of their hosts that they did last week, as 'Canes coach Peter Laviolette blew a gasket after his team's "brutal" effort (his word, not mine) against the boys from D.C. Making an uphill battle even steeper, the Caps will be without team minutes leader Brian Pothier and banger Matt Bradley for who knows how long.

A few numbers to chew on:

• The Caps are 1-4 in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference, 1-4 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record, 1-4 in their last 5 games following a loss of 3 or more goals and 1-4 in their last 5 overall.
• The 'Canes are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. a team with a losing record and 12-4 in their last 16 vs. Southeast.

If I was forced to make a prediction, I'd say expect a bunch of goals from two re-charged and differently-motivated teams. I've also come to expect the unexpected. What the hell - Caps 5, 'Canes 4.

We'll have more throughout the day over at SeSo, so be sure to stop on by.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

• OFB has compiled their list of the Caps' Top 20 Prospects - a must read for any Caps fan.
• Speaking of prospects, HF recapped the Swedes and the Finns from the WJC and says of one of the Caps' youngsters (and not who you think) that "the future is a bright one for him, as he can easily be seen transferring his key scoring abilities onto NHL level."
• As DCSportsChick points out, AO's peers think highly of him.
• Good to see the Thrashers entering the 21st Century. A couple down, many more to go.
• Jarret Stoll is doing alright for himself, no?
  

Post-All-Star Game Open Thread

Thank god that's over and done with and we can return to the sprint to the playoffs that lies ahead. I did want to take a second, however, to acknowledge how nice it was of Martin St. Louis and special guest Eric Perrin (that's them on the left) to greet Alex Ovechkin as he took to the ice last night:


If you've got any thoughts on last night's "game," let's hear 'em.

Non-Story Of The Day: Caps Want Ovechkin To Be Better Defensively

Tarik's story in today's WaPo is getting a lot of play because it includes three prominent Caps voices (GMGM, Glen Hanlon and Olie Kolzig - Ted Leonsis must have been too busy at Sundance to comment) "calling out" Alex Ovechkin to be a more responsible player, defensively.

While it might offend the sensibilities of many a fan to see the organization publicly air such laundry (it can't even be called dirty laundry, as it's a secret to no one that that part of AO's game could use some help), this is a well-calculated move by the organization to both challenge their superstar to take his game to another level and to challenge the team itself to be better. You don't think it's a coincidence that the general manager, head coach and unofficial team captain all say the same thing at the same time, do you?

Regarding what this does for the team, it's a shot across the bow to every single member of the organization that no one is bigger than the team. As OFB's EmptyMaybe put it (via email):

What will guys like Brooks Laich, Travis Morin or Eric Fehr think when they read that? They'll make sure they play defense, is my supposition. Because if the best winger in the game is expected to be a responsible two-way player, they know for sure that they will be, too.

At the end of the day there are two ways to run your team - you can hold everyone to the same standard or you can play favorites. If you want to know what happens when you play favorites, give Bruce Cassidy a call (he probably even answers his own phone these days down at OHL Kingston).

Regarding AO himself, the fact of the matter is that he is at his best when he has something to prove. Being "second best" drove him to a Calder Trophy win last year (one wonders if the race would have turned out the same if it was AO that was the putative Rookie of the Year in the preseason). When the Ottawa Senators were allegedly taunting the Caps after jumping out to a 3-0 lead back in a November game, AO rallied his team to an improbable victory. And when the media vilified him for his hit on Daniel Briere back in early December, Ovechkin went on a tear, tallying 17 points in his next seven games.

Those are but three example, but you can see the pattern. And now AO has something else to prove - he has to prove that he is a complete player and one who can lead his team to the playoffs. All I can say is fasten your seat belts and watch him prove himself... yet again.

Making The Skills Competition Suck Less

Is it just me or was last night's Skills Competition painful to watch ("It's just you that's painful to watch, J.P.")? No doubt there were senior citizens across the country changing the channel from the State of the Union to the Skills Competition thinking that the latter would be less likely to elevate their heart rate.

Assuming that there is actually a "need" for a Skills Competition (as opposed to the ones that end every tied regular season hockey game these days), can the event be saved? Sure. How? Here are some ideas:

1. Judge and reward creativity. Remember the first time Dr. J took off from the free-throw line or Dominique Wilkins did a tomahawk reverse dunk in a Slam Dunk Competition? Ok, me neither. But I bet you remember Marek Malik's shootout goal against the Caps last year. Why not expand the breakaway competition and turn it into something akin to the Dunk Competition in which players are judged for originality as well as execution? If there was a chance I'd see a Robbie Schremp- or Ron Hisey-like move, I'd tune in.
2. More hockey, less schlock-ey. Instead of a three-on-goalie "In The Zone" competition (yawn), how about three minute 2-on-2's? Imagine Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Marty Brodeur going up against Joe Thornton, Teemu Selanne and Miikka Kiprusoff for a few minutes. Not only would there undoubtedly be sick passes, goals and saves, it would also be a great teaser for the following night's game.
3. Brief the announcers (and the players) on the rules. Crosby and Selanne each had approximately 14 "last shots" at the end of the night before the end of a competition that was decided "by the narrowest of margins" 15-11. Huh? No one in the Versus on-air crew had any clue what was going on, and I'm not sure it was any different on the ice.
4. Have more stuff blow up. I like the hardest shot competition, but can't help thinking how cool it would be if there was a pane of glass covering the net. Or have watermelons as targets in the accuracy competition and turn it into a Gallagher show. Weeee!
5. Hardest puncher competition. Invite the League's tough guys and measure the pounds-per-square-inch of their hardest jab, like they did at the Drago press conference in Rocky IV. Bad ass.

Alright, I'll stop now before I get even more ridiculous (an "accuracy competition with the Conference's most penalized players tied to the goal posts" was coming), but the point is that the Skills Competition can be a showcase of what's great about the sport - creativity, speed, action, etc. Unfortunately, very little of that was on display last night in Dallas.

You're a creative bunch - what suggestions do you have for making the Skills Competition more entertaining?

Ovechkin Takes "Rebuilding" Literally

I'm stealing this pic from OFB and posting it because it's great (and because it's a good story to boot):

Blogger Roundtable

Eric over at Off Wing recently moderated a blogger roundtable (subject: the Caps)with participants that included yours truly, Friend o' The Rink KB, the fellas over at OFB and DCSportsChick. Check it out, as the topics of discussion include many of the kudos, ideas and gripes we toss around these parts.

All-Star Memories

With the Mid-Winter Classic nearly upon us, it's time to reflect upon some of our favorite All-Star moments from NHL seasons past. Does anyone have one that beats this?

Rory Fitzpatrick: The Untold Story Of Rory Glory

There's a story that the Mainstream Media has been ignoring for far too long, and I'm proud to say that we at The Rink have an exclusive on it: Canuck's defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick scored the game-winning goal (his first goal of the season) in last night's 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. This is, in all likelihood, the most newsworthy thing you will read about Fitzpatrick this season and perhaps ever.

I'll start preparing my Pulitzer acceptance speech.

Why Alexander Semin Isn't A YoungStar

I've gotten clarification on the matter, and it finally makes sense. Apparently the determining factor isn't whether or not the player is on his entry-level contract, it's whether or not the player is an entry-level player (in the first three years as a pro, with the clock apparently starting to run once the player is Calder Trophy-ineligible for the following season).

How this plays out is that Alex Semin is in his fourth year as a pro - his rookie year in 2003-04, and two years in Russia prior to returning to the NHL this year. Kari Lehtonen (in his second year, by this definition) and Peter Budaj (also in his second year), on the other hand, are eligible for the YoungStars, despite being, like Semin, not still in their respective entry-level contracts.

No conspiracy, no waivers... just rules.

Of Heat And Supermen

To paraphrase Bullets Forever (riffing on Chuck Norris Facts) when Alexander Semin gets into a rhythm, he doesn't get hot - hot gets Alexander Semin (also ripped off from BF: Superman owns a pair of Alexander Ovechkin pajamas).

Of the NHL's Top 30 goal scorers, here are the top five in goals per game:

1. Alexander Semin (0.63)
2. Ryan Smyth (0.62)
3. Alexander Ovechkin (0.62)
4. Teemu Selanne (0.61)
5. Martin St. Louis (0.59)

Friday Roundup/Caps 5, 'Canes 2

[SeSo Open Thread]

I don't want to go on the cart.

The Caps sure did need that one, eh? A big win in a tough building to end a brutal road trip should give this team the confidence to take care of business at home against Florida Saturday afternoon and head into the All-Star break on a roll.

Last night's win was about Olie Kolzig (34 saves), Alex Semin (the Caps' best player right now), discipline (only three minor penalties taken) and, more than anything, desire. Every player on the Caps who had more than 5:36 had at least one hit (five Caps had at least four hits) or one blocked shot, led by Alex Ovechkin's six hits and Jeff Schultz's three blocked shots. But you had a feeling that the Caps might be leaving Raleigh with two points when Chris Clark's cross-corner dump in was redirected by a 'Cane defenseman into the net vacated by John Grahame who had left to go retrieve the puck. Much the way you knew the Caps were doomed when the puck bounced against them on Daniel Alfredsson's short-handed goal earlier in the week, when you're getting the bounces, everything seems to fall into place around them.

Regarding Semin (sounds like a bad Lifetime movie, doesn't it?), he now has ten goals in the Capitals' last seven games. The last Washington player with 10 or more goals over a seven-game span? Not this guy, but this guy. I love that Semin has nearly caught AO in goals. Judging from a superficial look at their friendship and individual competitiveness, this can only serve to push each of them to best the other in much the same way that Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris pushed each other in 1961.

Finally, it's worth noting that the much-maligned (in these parts at least) CBS line had a very strong game, generating several high-quality scoring chances and delivering a few big hits. Of course, the lack of conversion on some of these chances (I'm looking at you, Ben Clymer), was disappointing, but Step 1 is "Create Opportunities," Step 2 is "Convert Opportunities."

Daily Awards

• Hart: Brad Richards (2G, game-winning SO goal, +1, 6 SOG in 3-2 win at Jersey)
• Ross: Ryane Clowe, Patrick Marleau, Marc Savard, Ryan Smyth (3 points each)
• Norris: Sheldon Souray (GWG, A, 4, SOG, 2 hits)
• Vezina: Cristobal Huet (W, 44 saves on 45 shots against)
• Richard: Brad Richards, Ryan Smyth, Alexander Semin, Chris Clark, Evgeni Malkin (2G each)
• Calder: Evgeni Malkin (2G, 5 SOG)
• Aiken: Barry Brust (L, 2 goals allowed on 10 shots against in just 18:14 of work)

NHL Unveils New Uniform Design

Rink Reader Tim points us to this USA Today article on the NHL's new uniforms. Frankly, other than the cross-eyed model that they chose to, um, model the uniform, I think they look pretty sweet (and the "red and white with stars" on the Eastern Conference matchkit may give some idea as to what the Caps' versions may look like for next season as well). Without question, the lack of vertical striping that was present in previous incarnations of the uniforms is a major improvement.

What do you think?

UPDATE: Tim's really working the new uni links, and found this one:

Snubbed: Why Isn't Alex Semin A YoungStar?

The NHL will hold it's YoungStars game next week in Dallas and you may be wondering why Alex Semin isn't going to be there.

Is it because he's not young enough? That's clearly not it, as he is only 22-year-old, younger than at least five players named to the team.

Is it because he's not good enough? That's clearly not it, as he has more goals (25) than any player named to the team and more points (44) than all but one. In fact, Sasha has more goals than all but five of the All-Stars.

Is it because his Caps teammate Mike Green was named to the team? That's clearly not it, as three Pens, two Sens and two Avs are on the rosters.

Is it because the game is limited to players on their entry-level contracts? That's clearly not it, as LCS Hockey correctly points out that neither is Eastern Conference YoungStar goalie Kari Lehtonen. Nor is Western Conference goalie Peter Budaj.

So why isn't Semin a YoungStar? If you can figure it out, let me know - I clearly have no idea.

If Only This Had Been Available At The Start Of The Season...

As you know, the Caps have had a rash of injuries to blueliners as a result of blocked shots. Not surprisingly, they're not the only team to be feeling the pain, and the art and history of shot-blocking are under the microscope in an interesting read over at the Boston Globe.

But hockey fans and teams aren't the only ones taking notice, and the hockey equipment industry is hurrying to respond:

Tony Priolo, owner of Sportmask, the Toronto-based company that produces the protective headgear for Boston goalies Tim Thomas and Hannu Toivonen, figures he may have part of the answer. He'll journey today to Buffalo, where he'll hand his latest innovation to Bruins defenseman Andrew Alberts and Don Del Negro, now in his 14th season as the club's trainer....

According to Priolo, he has created a carbon-fiber protector, essentially a cap, that will snap onto the boot with the use of a harness that goes under the boot and around the ankle. It will cover the top of the boot, beginning from just behind the skate's toe, and run the length of the laced area to the point where it meets the bottom of the shinguard.

If Priolo needs any more guinea pigs for his new gear, maybe some of the healthy Caps blueliners should volunteer before it's too late.

[H/t to Kukla's on the link]

Thursday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ 'Canes

[SeSo Open Thread]

Remember last Spring when the Caps had a two week stretch in which they played the Hurricanes five times (out of seven scheduled games)? No, it wasn't the playoffs. But it sure felt like it for... well... no one. If you liked that, you're sure to love the next ten days, in which the Caps take on the 'Canes three times, sandwiched around a matinee this Saturday with the Panthers and the All-Star break.

As for tonight's game, injuries and ineffectiveness have caused a massive upheaval of lines and d-pairings, with only the Ovechkin and CBS lines being spared Hanlon's razor. As an unabashed Boyd Gordon fan, I like the reconstituted second-line (Alex Semin-Gordon-Matt Pettinger), and am also interested in seeing how Shaone Morrisonn and Brian Pothier do with different dance partners (though I'll admit that the Potsy-Jeff Schultz pairing has me nervous).

Analysis-wise, this is a broken record: play hard, play smart, have a chance to win. Mental lapses against a disciplined team are a recipe for disaster (physical lapses less so). Stupid = death.

I'll have more throughout the day over at SeSo, and make sure to go spout off in the SeSo Open Thread - that's what it's there for (c'mon, Faux - drop some wisdom on those Caniacs).

By the way, it's official: this winter has sucked. My brother - who lives in Los Angeles - has now had more snow than we have had here in D.C. And from the "Piling On" department, I got a $100 parking ticket yesterday while in the dentist's office. That spider I killed yesterday morning must have been someone special in a previous life.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Henrik Zetterberg (2G, A, +2, 5 SOG)
• Ross: Pavel Datsyuk (4 points)
• Norris: Brian Campbell (GWG, A, +2)
• Vezina: Marty Turco (W, 18 saves on 20 shots against)
• Richard: Henrik Zetterberg, Phil Kessel, Daniel Paille, Jere Lehtinen (2G each)
• Calder: Paul Stastny (2G, including the game-winner, +1, 2 SOG)
• Aiken: Tomas Vokoun (2 goals allowed on 8 shots against in just 21:32 of work)

Green Out, Schultz Up

Per Tarik, Mike Green is out indefinitely (x-rays negative) and Jeff Schultz has been recalled to take his spot in the lineup. This must be doubly painful for Green, who had been selected to play in next week's YoungStars game and now, in all likelihood, will not.

On a side note, that makes three defensemen now out with broken and/or bruised feet (John Erskine and Bryan Muir being the others). Coincidence? Poor shot-blocking technique? Not drinking enough milk?

Respect Ranking (1/17): Treading Water

After a rough week in which the Caps won a game they should have won (Philly at home), lost a game they should have lost (Tampa on the road) and got killed in a game in which they should have at least been competetive (Florida on the road), it's no real surprise that their Respect Ranking stayed pretty much the same (I'm still waiting for SI to update their power rankings for the week). With a loss to Ottawa already on the ledger for this week, the Caps will have to do better against Carolina and Florida (their two remaining games this week) if they don't want to see their Respect Ranking - and more importantly their positioning in the standings - drop even further.

A couple of brief housekeeping notes: there are two new additions to the Respect Ranking (CBC and The Hockey News) and I decided after all to move the formula-based ratings to the bottom of the chart, as they reflect more than just some pundit's gut feeling on a team. Oh, and I have also decided not to include standard deviation because you can pretty much tell from a glance who's way out in left field and who's within the range of conventional wisdom (translation: I don't know how to do standard deviation).

As always, if you know of other power rankings, let me know about 'em.

Source	Current	Previous	Change
CBC.ca (1/13)	21	21	NC
CBS Sportsline.com (1/16)	25	25	NC
CP (1/16)	24	23	-1
ESPN.com (1/15)	20	19	-1
FOX Sports.com (1/16)	21	19	-2
The Hockey News (1/15)	22	27	+5
SI.com (1/8)	-	22	-
TSN.ca (1/15)	22	22	NC
AVERAGE	22.1	22.4	+0.3
NHL Standings (Points/Games Played)	23	20	-3
DeGroat.net (1/14)	22	26	-4
Massey Rating (1/16)	25	25	NC
Sagarin Rating (1/16)	26	23	-3

Wednesday Roundup/Sens 5, Caps 2

[NHL.com Recap]

Three losses in a row. Mike Green now injured. The power play is broken. The star players are trying to do too much by themselves. They can't win faceoffs. They're not getting the big saves. The coach doesn't have the team properly focused. The captain isn't leading. The beer costs too much at the games.

Here, this will make it easier on you:

Go ahead. Push it. Seriously. Touch your screen - you know you want to.

While last night's game against the Senators ended with the same result as the previous two Caps games, the effort was significantly better and, other than a brief second-period breakdown in concentration and a couple of unlucky bounces (Daniel Alfredsson's goal, Dainius Zubrus's post), the Caps played a red-hot Ottawa team pretty close.

Now, I'm not going to say that all is good in Capland - it clearly isn't, and all of the gripes listed above are legitimate, to varying degrees (and I do plan to address some of them soon). But there are positives too. For example, Steve Eminger continues to play well, and last night was rewarded for his strong play with his first goal of the season (and a helper to boot). Emmy finished the game with a +1 rating, joining Chris Clark (+1) and Lawrence Nycholat (+2) as the only Caps on the positive side of the ledger.

The biggest positive from last night, however, was the effort. No, it wasn't perfect. But it was better and against a very good team. I know we're beyond the point where the Caps can take solace in moral victories, but expecting them to waltz into Ottawa after that egg they laid in Miami and walk out with two points was not terribly realistic. Expecting a good effort was, and, for the most part, the Caps delivered on that. Hopefully they can build on that effort going forward.

To be honest, I'm more concerned with progress than playoffs at this point, and last night was progress. If the progression can continue, the train will be back on the tracks in no time.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Marian Hossa (3G, +1, 6 SOG, 2 hits)
• Ross: Marian Hossa, Erik Christensen, Radek Dvorak, Ryan Kesler, Eric Brewer (3 points each)
• Norris: Eric Brewer (G, 2A, +3, 2 SOG, 3 blocked shots)
• Vezina: Roberto Luongo (30-save shutout win at Montreal)
• Richard: Marian Hossa (3G)
• Calder: Tony Salmelainen (A)
• Aiken, Pt. I: Scott Niedermayer (0 points, -5, 0 SOG)
• Aiken, Pt. II: Yutaka Fukufuji (L, 3 goals allowed on 9 shots against in just 21:53 of work)

Ovechkin: On Pace For 1,122 Goals

Ever wonder how many goals Alex Ovechkin will have scored by the time he hangs up his skates and is frozen in carbonite to be displayed for eternity at the National Hockey League Hall of Fame (Brought To You By Carl's Junior) in Honolulu, Hawaii? Me too.

Assuming that he continues at his current pace (which is a very conservative assumption, as both he and his team can only reasonably be expected to get better), if AO plays the same number of NHL games that Gordie Howe played (1,767), he'll end his career with 1,122 goals and 1,234 assists. In 2038. Personally, I look forward to watching him play a few years in the upstart CCHL (Clear Channel Hockey League) in the early 2030's alongside sons Mariowho and Sidwho.

Of course, injuries can hit too, despite AO's proclamation that the "Russian machine never breaks." If Ovie's hit-everything-that-moves style of play leads to knee problems like, say, Cam Neely, his career may be cut tragically short, leaving him with a mere 461 goals and 507 assists. On the plus side, AO will make a great Sea Bass in retirement. Oddly, if it's the big "C" that tracks AO down and he plays the same 915 games that Mario Lemieux played (or should I say has played so far), he'll still end up with 581 goals and 639 assists.

Then there's the Great One. While there probably aren't any 215-point seasons in Ovechkin's future (even though I've always said that Matt Pettinger is the next Jari Kurri), would a 92-goal campaign be completely out of the question? I don't think so. If AO plays the same number of games Wayne Gretzky played, he'll end up with 944 goals and 1039 assists, good enough for second all-time.

So there you have it. Alex Ovechkin will end up with anywhere between 461 and 1,122 goals. You can take that to the bank.

Tuesday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ Sens

[NHL.com Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview - Official Gameday Thread]

I've been away from The Rink for a couple of days, so I didn't have the opportunity to recap Saturday night's game. Let me do so now:

Now that that's out of the way, let's turn our attention to the here-and-now, shall we?

The last time the Caps faced off against the Ottawa Senators, Washington had one of its best performances of the year, a dominating effort that resulted in a 6-2 win for the boys from D.C., capping off a four-game win streak that also included wins against Tampa, Dallas and Buffalo. Since then, the Caps have been a very pedestrian 7-9-1, and they continue to be incredibly streaky (the Ottawa game was followed by 3-1-1, 1-7-0, 3-0-0 and the current 0-2-0 stretches) and maddeningly unpredictable. The only thing that is consistent with these Caps, it seems, is inconsistency.

The Sens, for their part, come in to tonight's game on fire. Despite being without their top two centers (Jason Spezza and Mike Fisher), Ottawa is 9-1-1 in their last 11, outscoring opponents 25-10 during their current four-game winning streak. Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson are both playing Hart-calibre hockey, Wade Redden (nine points in his last six games) has shrugged off his early-season injuries and slumps and Ray Emery is 7-1-1 with a 2.21 goals against average and a .931 save percentage in his last nine games. And for you trend junkies, here's your ominous stat of the day: the Sens are 6-1 in their last seven games after scoring five or more goals in their previous game, while the Caps are 1-4 in their last five games after allowing five or more goals in their previous game.

The way the Caps have been playing of late, this game could get ugly. Olie Kolzig and Brent Johnson (who will get tonight's start) have been victimized by poor coverage, bad goals and mental lapses lately (Kolzig has a 6.06 GAA and .848 SV% in his last two games, Johnson ghastly 13.09 GAA and .684 SV% in his last two), and if there's a team that can make you pay for such breakdowns, it's Ottawa. But the way this season has gone for the Caps, would it surprise anyone to see them put it together for a big win tonight?

Caps hockey: expect the unexpected.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Patrick Marleau (GWG, A, 8 SOG)
• Ross: David Legwand, Patrick Marleau, Vincent Prospal, Ed Jovanovski (3 points each)
• Norris: Ed Jovanovski (2G, A, -1, 8 SOG, 3 hits, 3 blocked shots)
• Vezina: Dominik Hasek (23-save shutout win)
• Richard: Kristian Huselius (2G)
• Calder: Jiri Hudler (GWG, +1, 3 SOG, 1 hit, 1 blocked shot)
• Aiken: Roman Hamrlik (0 points, -3, 0 SOG, 2 minor penalties)

Happy Hockey Day In Canada

Happy Hockey Day In Canada, eh? The Rink won't be publishing anything more today (and may miss tomorrow too), but be sure to head over to the SeSo Open Thread before for tonight's match-up with the Panthers to make your voice heard.

Caps Extend Johnson

Classy title, eh?

Anyway, the Caps have re-signed backup netminder Brent Johnson to a two-year deal. As always, terms were not disclosed.

Ice Girls

No, this isn't a post about the Sabres. Rather it's a response to a post on Ted's Take in which the Caps owner asks his fans a question that you knew had to be coming eventually:

What do you think of ice girls and cheerleaders in hockey arenas?

While we at The Rink have certainly enjoyed other teams' use of bare midriff-ed young ladies as an attempt to sell hockey tickets and rile up fans, it was always with a certain sense of mocking pleasure. "Look at what these rubes in the South have to do to keep their fans' attention." Never did I think that the Caps would stoop to such a level.

Though Washington hasn't yet been blessed with a Stanley Cup, there is a 30+ year old tradition of hockey here that doesn't include bubbly blondes (other than when Brendan Witt bleached his hair). If people aren't coming to Caps games, it's not because they've been waiting for the team to add a dance squad.

Further, D.C. is as sophisticated and educated a city as you'll find. Manhattan's Rangers don't have ice girls - Long Island's Islanders do. See where I'm coming from?

Finally - and I guess this is the underlying theme here - to me it comes down to what type of franchise you want to model yourself after. Sure, I'm jealous of Carolina's Stanley Cup. But I'm more jealous of Montreal's tradition. Of course I'd like to see the Caps fill a building like Tampa does. But I'd rather see it filled with fans like they have in Edmonton.

To Mr. Leonsis I'd say this: make two lists, one of the teams that have ice girls/cheerleaders and one of the teams that don't. Then think about which list you'd rather see the Caps on.

One last thing. I of course understand that sex sells (though I doubt anyone has ever bought a hockey ticket because of the cute brunette that cheers for Section 111), so I feel I have to add this: if you must have ice girls, make sure they're real hot.

Is The Donald Doing His Job?

A comment by Rink Reader Pete got me thinking (dangerous, I know). Pete basically asserts that when Donald Brashear drops the gloves it ends up giving the opposing team a boost because, as The Donald is one of the most feared enforcers in the League, when an opponent drops his gloves with the big guy and lives to tell about it, it pumps up his teammates (and in some cases a home crowd). Is Pete right?

First, the raw data:

• The Caps are 3-6 in games in which Brashear has at least one fighting major.
• The Caps have outscored opponents 16-14 in games after Brashear fights.
• Only once has Brashear fought in a game that was tied at the time of the fight, and the Caps went on to win that game.
• The team leading the game at the time of the Brashear fight(s) went on to win each of those games.

From the above, it's hard to draw any conclusion at all about Brashear's ability to change a game with his fists. Individual game stories, of course, tell more.

In the December 23 game at Toronto, the Caps had a 3-0 lead early in the third when Mats Sundin struck for two quick goals. Momentum had clearly swung, and soon thereafter, The Donald fought Wade Belak. The fight gave the Caps a chance to regroup, and they went on to hold on to that 3-2 win. That's the good.

In the December 30 game against the Rangers, Brash dropped the gloves twice, but it was what he did after the second fight - his sucker-punch to Aaron Ward that resulted in his ejection - that is noteworthy. Soon after the ejection, Ranger goon Colton Orr took a head-hunting run at Alex Ovechkin, a move he likely wouldn't have tried had Brash still been around. I was quite critical of Brashear at the time (still am), but it was the sucker punch and not the fight itself that was the subject of my ire (though I recognize that the two aren't completely separable). That's the not-so-good.

Each of Brash's fights has its own story, but what does this quick glance at The Donald's fight card tell us about the impact his fights have on a game? Not much, really. Ask AO, however, how having Brashear around impacts a game and I bet you'll get an earful. And at the end of the day, that gets more to the point of what Brashear's job is. It's not to fight (or make ridiculously sick passes like he did on last night's Ben Clymer goal), but rather to protect the team's most valued assets. Sure, sometimes a fight can change the momentum of a game (as it did in Toronto), but if a team needs to watch one of their own get his head soaked with haymakers in order to decide to start trying, there's something wrong with the team. Brashear has been around a while and he knows when to fight and when not to, and thus far this season it looks like, for the most part, he's making the right decisions.

Table 1 - Donald Brashear's 2006-07 Fight Card

[Date vs. Team (opponent, win/loss/draw per HockeyFights.com); time of fight, score at time of fight (Caps' score first); final score (Caps' score first)]

Nov. 11 vs. New York Rangers (Colton Orr, win); 2:34 of the first, 0-0; 3-1
Nov. 22 vs. Atlanta (Vitaly Vishnevksi, win); 18:58 of the third, 2-4; 2-4
Dec. 6 vs. Ottawa (Danny Bois, win); 12:18 of the second, 2-1; 6-2
Dec. 8 vs. Anaheim (George Parros, win); 1:48 of first, 0-1; 1-6
Dec. 23 at Toronto (Wade Belak, loss); 4:45 of third, 3-2; 3-2

Dec. 26 at Buffalo (Andrew Peters, loss); 10:19 of first, 0-5; 3-6

Dec. 27 vs. Montreal (Aaron Downey, win); 2:57 of second, 0-2; 1-4
Dec. 30 at New York Rangers (Orr, win; Brendan Shanahan, win); 19:14 of second, 7:39 of third, 0-3; 1-4
Jan. 11 at Tampa Bay (Andre Roy, draw); 2:15 of second, 1-2; 4-5

Friday Roundup/Lightning 5, Caps 4

[SeSo Open Thread]

The Caps started out their four-game road trip in Tampa last night, and in a game that saw each team dominate and look lost for separate stretches at a time, the Caps were unable to beat Bolts goaltender Johan Holmqvist in the third period and left 5-4 losers. Some thoughts on the game:

• Seven third period shots isn't going to get it done when you trail by one on the road.
• Dan Boyle is so good. Jamie Heward is not.
• Obviously this wasn't one of Olie Kolzig's better games. In fact, it was one of his worst, as he let in three goals that I'm sure he'd like to have back (as he put it, "The team played terrific, but the goalie let them down tonight"). Still, I'll take Kolzig over Holmqvist heading into the third period of a tied game any day. That said, I think Saturday night in Miami might be a good time to give Brent Johnson a start.
• The Caps seemed confused every time the Bolts were able to set up behind the net. It didn't help matters that Ben Clymer (or perhaps it was Brooks Laich) threw the puck back there rather than clearing it up the boards on what shortly thereafter became Marty St. Louis' game-winning tally.
• Alex Semin had another two beautiful goals, but it's the same old story for him - he scores on the power play or as the result of a spectacular individual effort. He needs better linemates than Kris Beech and a clearly-less-than-100% Matt Pettinger.
• Which brings me to my final point, and that is the difference between these two teams - $14 million. Without question, the $14m difference in payroll between the squads was the difference tonight. A defenseman (or two), a second-line center or winger - it wouldn't have taken much for this to have been a Caps win rather than a loss. Now that's two straight one-goal losses to Tampa. Three one-goal losses to Atlanta. Eleven one-goal losses on the year. These points get harder and harder to give up knowing that the Caps are simultaneously so close and yet so far away.
  

Off to Miami for another big game Saturday night. Then again, they're all big games... for now.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

• If you're in Peoria, IL on March 24 for Maui Jim Sunglasses Night at the AHL game between the host Rivermen and visiting Chicago Wolves, be sure to stay afterwards for the post-game Christian concert (offer apparently not valid for Jeff Halpern, Mathieu Schneider, Michael Cammelleri or J.P.).
• Vogs has a cool post on a late (and I mean late) scoring change. Interesting stuff.
• 3 Grumpy Caps fans doesn't (don't?) like E.J. Hradek much at all.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Tomas Holmstrom (3G, including the game-winner, A, +2, 7 SOG)
  
• Ross: Pavel Datsyuk (5 points)
  
• Norris: Zdeno Chara (G, A, +2, 5 SOG, 4 hits, 29:43 of ice time)
  
• Vezina: David Aebischer (W, 34 saves on 36 shots against)
  
• Richard: Tomas Holmstrom (3G)
  
• Calder: Anze Kopitar (G, A, +2, 2 SOG in 5-2 loss)
  
• Aiken: Peter Budaj (L, 5 goals allowed on 17 shots against in 32:01 of work)

Go White Boy, Go White Boy, Go!

The gods of respect giveth, and I taketh away. I post this video of an old Washington Bullets promo (from Wizznutzz via the Bog) and call your attention to the "dancing" at around the 1:57 mark. Hide the children.

Respect Ranking: Special Edition!

Do I owe Sean Roarke an apology? Just hours after taking him to task for his revisionist history, I stumble across his NHL Mid-Term Grades. Roarke's first grouping - "Head of the Class" (a tribute, no doubt, to Howard Hesseman) - contains the usual suspects: the Ducks, Sabres, Predators, Sharks and... the Capitals?! Sure enough. Quoth Roarke:

Yes, they have just 45 points; but that is still an impressive showing for a team that was left for dead by many before the season ever started. If the season ended Tuesday, the Capitals would make the playoffs for the first time since 2001 and that should be an accomplishment in anybody's book. Plus, they are one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the League today.

I know this is based largely upon dire preseason expectations, but it is still impressively high-praise. One wonders, however, how Roarke will remember this seven months from now...

UPDATE: More grades, these from Professor Cazeneuve at SI.com.

From The Department Of Historical Revision

As the Crosby/Ovechkin debate rages on, one thing that can't be debated is the fact that one of them won the Calder Trophy last year and one didn't. Still, the MSM, apparently dissatisfied with that result, continues to engage in a brand of revisionist history that would make George W. Bush blush (ok, maybe not). Take a gander at this line from NHL.com's Sean Roarke:

Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin, who nipped Crosby for the Calder Trophy last season, will play one of the wings [at this year's All-Star game].

Nipped? Nipped?! AO received 124 of 129 first place votes and totalled 1,275 total voting points to Crosby's 831. In fact, at the time NHL.com said that Ovechkin "ran away with the award."

Seven months later, AO "nipped" Crosby for the trophy. Mission accomplished.

[H/t to Decline the Penalty for the pointer]

Thursday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ Lightning

[SeSo Open Thread]

With the second half of the season now upon us, if we're not quite down to the short strokes, we're certainly at least using our pitching wedge. When the Caps faceoff against the Lightning tonight in Tampa, it will be a matchup of the Eastern Conference's eighth- and ninth-place teams, separated in the standings by one point and one game played (the former advantage belonging to the Caps, the latter to the Bolts). How even are these teams? They have identical 11-11-1 records over their last 23 games.

A few notes on the game:

• The Lightning possess the League's top goal-scoring duo in Vinny Lecavalier and Frodo St. Louis who have lit the lamp 51 times between them (one more than the Caps' dynamic pair of Alexes in six more man-games).
• Tampa has the League's worst penalty kill (76.4%), but have been shorthanded the second-fewest times in the League.
  
• Despite Tampa goalies Johan Holmqvist and Marc Denis owning the League's third- and second-worst save percentages, respectively, the Bolts actually have a better team goals against average than the Caps. How? Tampa is giving up the third fewest shots on goal per game in the League (imagine their record with a better goalie back there).
• Tampa is 5-2 in overtime (including 3-1 in the shootout). The Caps are 3-7 (0-5).
• Some good numbers for the Caps: they're 6-3-3 on the first game of a road trip, 8-5-5 following a win (additional good numer: Tampa is 9-10-1 after a victory), and 8-6-4 with one day off so far this season.
• The Bolts are 15-8 when scoring first, 6-13-2 when giving up the first goal. The Caps are 14-3-3 when scoring first, 5-14-4 when surrending the first tally.
  

For the Caps, then, it becomes a matter of starting strong, taking advantage of a weak Tampa penalty kill on the few extra-man opportunities that they're likely to be given and getting a lot of shots at the net. Simple enough, right? Win games like this and the Caps will probably be able to keep those pitching wedges in their bags a little longer come Springtime.

Be sure to stop by the SeSo Open Thread for more analysis throughout the day, highlights of the last matchup between these two teams and to talk a little trash of your own to the Tampa faithful.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Olli Jokinen (3G, including game-winner, +2, 5 SOG)
  
• Ross: Olli Jokinen, Jozef Stumpel, Martin Gelinas (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Barret Jackman (2A, +1, 1 SOG, 1 hit, 4 blocked shots)
  
• Vezina: Ryan Miller (W, 34 saves on 35 shots against)
  
• Richard: Olli Jokinen (3G)
  
• Calder: Evgeni Malkin (G, +1, 3 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Ryan Malone (0 points, -2, 0 SOG, 1 missed shot, 3 giveaways, 0 takeaways despite 26 shifts and 18:28 of ice time)

Respect Rankings (1/10): The Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With One Step

Home wins against the flu-riddled Habs and banged-up Thrashers have helped the Caps' Respect Ranking bounce back a little after a rough week. Kudos go out to the brain trust at ESPN for bucking conventional wisdom and bumping the Caps down six spots despite two wins against ESPN's own third- and ninth-rated teams.

As always, if you know of other power rankings, let me know about 'em.

Source	Current	Previous	Change
CBS Sportsline.com (1/9)	25	27	+2
CP (1/9)	23	27	+4
DeGroat.net (1/7)	22	24	+2
ESPN.com (1/8)	19	13	-6
FOX Sports.com (1/8)	21	22	+1
Massey Rating (1/9)	25	26	+1
Sagarin Rating (1/9)	23	26	+3
SI.com (1/8)	22	22	NC
TSN.ca (1/8)	22	25	+3
AVERAGE	22.4	23.5	+1.1
NHL Standings (Points/Games Played)	20	23	+3

Wednesday Roundup/Caps 6, Flyers 2

[NHL.com Recap - WashingtonCaps.com Postgame Coverage]

If there was any doubt heading into last night's game that the Flyers were the crappiest team in the NHL, that doubt was erased fifteen seconds in when Philly netminder Robert Esche let a Ben Clymer wrist shot trickle through his pads and across the goal line. Esche let in two more awful goals, three legit tallies to the two Alexes, and the Flyers left town 6-2 losers in a game that really wasn't even as close as the score despite some sloppy play by the home team.

And while Sidney Crosby owns the Flyers (to the tune of 15 points in four games so far this season), newly-elected All-Star Alexander Ovechkin (who finished the season with six goals and five assists against Philly) at least rents them. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Ovechkin is "the first player to score a goal in seven consecutive games against the Flyers since Joe Mullen had a seven game streak from October 1991 to December 1992."

[I'll have more on last night's game later, but don't forget, you can always get all your recaps over at Washington Hockey Daily (make sure to check out Mike from OFB's recap on Off Wing).]
Now it's off to Florida for the Caps for a crucial two-game intra-divisional swing that kicks off Thursday in Tampa. You've gotta beat the teams you've gotta beat, and two more lie ahead.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Alexander Ovechkin (2G, including game-winner, A, +1, 5 SOG, 1 hit, 2 takeaways, 0 giveaways, 1 blocked shot)
• Ross: Alexander Ovechkin, Martin St. Louis, Jaromir Jagr, Matin Straka, Michael Ryder, Marek Zidlicky (3 points each)
• Norris: Kimmo Timonen (G, A, +5, 3 SOG, 2 hits, 1 takeaway, 0 giveaways, 2 blocked shots)
• Vezina: Miikka Kiprusoff(26-save shutout win)
• Richard: Alexander Ovechkin, Shane Doan, Michael Ryder, Mike Sillinger, Kyle Calder (2G each)
• Calder: Dustin Penner (G, A, 3 SOG, 2 hits)
• Aiken: Robert Esche (L, 6 goals allowed on 31 shots against)