Stat Of The Day

In each of their last three games, the Caps have surrendered a goal on their opponents' first shot on goal of the game.

(Hat)Trick Or Treat

After taking a puck in the mouth during Monday night's 3-1 win over the Lightning, Ranger winger Jaromir Jagr remarked of his swollen, toothless mug, "It's Halloween...I don't have to buy a mask."

Good line by J.J., but we all know what #68's really going to be for Halloween...

Wednesday Roundup

One thing that good teams do is they win close games. Not surprisingly, eight of the top nine teams in winning percentage in one-goal games last year made the playoffs (flying in the face of this theory, however, is the fact that last year's Senators won only ten of 32 one-goal games and yet managed to play in the very last game of the playoffs. Huh).

The Caps, as you know (intuitively, at least), were dead last in the League in that stat last season (don't forget, every shootout loss is a one-goal loss). And, unfortunately, they're off to a rough start in that category again this season, losing three of their four one-goal games so far.

But let's take a deeper look at the Caps' play in close games, or, more accurately, at the Caps' play when the games have been close.

Through 11 games (660 minutes of hockey), the Caps have been tied for just over 167 minutes of game time (167:06, to be exact). Ten times, the Caps have scored the game's next goal, while their opponents have broken the tie 11 times. Seven of the Caps' tie-breakers have come in the first period (five have opened a game's scoring), two have come in the second and one has been in the game's final stanza (that first Isles game).

With those (and other) one goal leads, the Caps have played 94:57 of hockey in which the next goal would either serve as a bit of insurance or send things back to square one. Six times (twice in each period) the Caps have extended their margin to two, five times they've allowed their opponents to tie the game, and one time they held on for a one-goal win (that first Isles game again).

And what about their play when down a goal? In 146:28, the Caps have managed to score the tying goal five times, have fallen behind by a pair seven times, and seen the game end down that single goal three times. Of those five game-tying goals, only one has come in the third period (Flash's goal in the second Isles game), and overall, when down a goal in the third, the Caps have scored once and not scored six times. As a result, they're 0-6-0 when trailing after two periods.

So what do these numbers tell us? First, that when games are close (within a goal or less), the Caps have done their job (scoring or preventing a tying goal) 22 times and failed (to take the lead or tie the game) 26 times overall. That's pretty much a wash. But the team needs to start coming through in the clutch - only three times all season so far when the game was tied or within one goal in the third have the Caps scored with an opposing goalie in the net.

Second, the Caps are scoring once every 29:18 while down a goal, nearly twice the 15:49 it's taking them on average to score with a one-goal lead - perhaps a function, in part, of teams tightening up with a lead (versus taking chances when down a goal), but the Caps are scoring once every 16:43 in tied games, so there may be other factors at work as well (such as team and individual confidence, motivation, etc.). Or it could all be dumb luck.

I'll leave you (if you're still with me) with one last stat: the Caps are tied for first in the League with a 100% winning percentage in games they've lead after three periods. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Elias Sports Bureau.

H/t to Earl over at BoC for the inspiration for this post.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks (and Beyond):

Apparently no Caps are among the League's most overrated players.... More weekly rankings are out, with the Caps at 22nd, 22nd and 21st.... One big win in a hockey-crazed city has the natives asking, "Are the Caps for real?"... Finally, since it's Halloween, I thought I'd let you guys in on my simple strategy for not having to deal with kids or buying candy while at the same time not getting your house egged for being the jerk who's not handing out treats. It's brilliant in its simplicity, really. You just put a huge empty bowl out by your front door with a sign that reads "Please take only one... or two [insert name of most popular/expensive candy]" and pretend to not be home. The result is that kids will think that it was some other little bastard's greed that has left them staring at an empty bowl, thereby sparing your reputation, sanity and siding for another year.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Sidney Crosby (G, 3A, +3, 4 SOG, 3 hits, 1 takeaway, 0 giveaways, 1 blocked shot, 68% faceoffs won)
  
• Ross: Sidney Crosby (4 points)
  
• Norris: Sergei Gonchar (2A, 3 SOG)
  
• Vezina: Miikka Kiprusoff (W, 39 saves on 40 shots against)
  
• Richard: Evgeni Malkin, Jarome Iginla (2G each)
  
• Calder: Carey Price (31 saves on 33 shots against in shootout loss)
  
• Aiken: Chris Mason (L, 5 goals allowed on 33 shots against)
  

Quote Of The Day

"Nobody can stop me ... just me." - Alex Ovechkin

Tuesday Roundup/Caps 7, Leafs 1

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Super Stats - WashingtonCaps.com Postgame]

Last November, the Leafs played the part of the rude guest when they visited the Verizon Center and hung a 7-1 whooping on the host Capitals. Last night, the Caps returned the favor.

Washington came out guns a-blazin', outshooting the Leafs 13-6 in the first period and scoring four times on starter Vesa Toskala before he made an early exit. The power play clicked, the penalty kill did it's job... really, it was nearly picture perfect.

The other day I intimated that the early rollercoaster Caps have left most of their faithful with entirely different world views on an almost-nightly basis. So how's it looking today? Time to start icing the champagne? Alright, maybe not quite yet.

Some notes on the game:

• For those of you keeping score at home, that's four straight multi-point games for Alex Ovechkin (and is there anything better than the sound of a packed house on the road collectively "ooooh"ing at one of AO's flashy stickhandles?).
• It's easy to overlook the winning goaltending in a game like this, but Olie Kolzig certainly deserves mention, especially for his glove save on the Bates Battaglia mini-breakaway.
• Fantastic (and efficient) night for Matt Bradley, who had his first career three-point night in just 10:35 of ice time. Pro-rate his ice-time to equal Ovechkin's and he would have had two goals, four assists and a plus-six rating last night (easily attainable numbers, I'm sure, if he'd just gotten the playing time).
  
• What a nice deflection by Andy Wozniewski on AO's second goal. Hey, someone had to step up in Bryan McCabe's absence.
  
• The Caps got worked in the faceoff circle, winning only 44% of the game's draws.
• Regardless of what you think of his play, you've gotta love Brian Sutherby getting on the board (upping the trade value, baby!).
• Kudos to Ted in yesterday's comments for calling Petty's goal, which came early in what was easily his best game of the year so far.
• According to the CP, "By the time the third period started, at least one third of the Air Canada Centre was empty and one small section could be heard chanting 'Let's Go Raptors!''' Heh.
  
• It wasn't three seconds after I said, "Alright, no stupid penalties before intermission" before Brian Pothier took his tripping penalty at 19:49 of the first.
• If I had an intern, I'd tell you the last time the Caps had five different guys score their first goal of the year in a game. As it is, I don't have the resources to devote to such research and I have to make my own coffee.
  
• What I can tell you is that the last time the Caps scored more than three goals against a team from a city that doesn't start with a "T" was February 27, 2007. Since then, they've score four or more against Tampa and Toronto a total of five times.
• Finally, here's today's discussion topic: it has been suggested that the "players only" meeting after Saturday night's loss to St. Louis resulted in the players deciding how they want to play going forward, Glen Hanlon's system be damned. Did you see anything last night that would indicate such a mutiny?
  

Next up, a return engagement with the Broadway Blueshirts in Manhattan and a chance to get back to .500.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

If you'd like a side of schadenfreude with your eggs this morning, recall that Leafs Breakfast can be heard here (or, if you're the reading-type, read all about last night's game here and here. Oh, and here).... Monday power rankings are out, with the Caps at 21 and 27.... Nicklas Backstrom has a mentor on the team, but it's probably not who you think.... The Caps are the sixth-cheapest ticket in hockey (the Leafs are the most expensive).... Karl Alzner has been named captain of the Calgary Hitmen.... Finally, check out the kudos for my buddy Greg Wyshynski. If you're not reading him regularly, make sure to drop everything and start doing so here and/or here. Oh, and sorry, ladies - he got married earlier this year.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Matt Bradley (G, 2A, +3)
  
• Ross: Matt Bradley, Michael Nylander (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Jeff Schultz (First NHL goal, +3, 2 SOG, 2 blocked shots)
  
• Vezina: Olaf Kolzig (W, 32 saves on 33 shots against)
  
• Richard: Alexander Ovechkin, Devin Setoguchi (2G each)
  
• Calder: Devin Setoguchi (2G, including the game-tying and -winning goals in the third period, +2, 5 SOG, all in his first NHL game)
  
• Aiken: Vesa Toskala (L, 4 goals allowed on 13 shots against in just 13:56 of work)
  

Your NHL Stars For The Week

With seven points in three games, Alex Ovechkin has been named the third star of the week by the NHL. Not mentioned in the NHL's blurb? Number Eight was first second on the team with nine hits. (Thanks for edit, Joe.)

Bondra Calls It A Career

We'll have much more on this later, but we wanted to provide an open thread for
your comments about the official retirement of former Caps great, Peter Bondra.

Bon chance, Bonzai.

Monday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ Leafs

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

With wins so hard to come by in the U.S. of late, let's see if the Caps can't find a win north of the border in Toronto, shall we? After all, the ACC has been somewhat hospitable to visitors because, as Leafs blueliner Pavel Kubina put it, "[W]e make stupid mistakes at home." Here's hoping that trend continues (though it might be hard with Bryan McCabe out of the lineup).

The Leafs come into Monday night's game with a two-game win streak after a pair of three-goal wins over the Penguins and Rangers. They're second in the League in goals per game (3.83), but have the third-worst team goals against average (3.67). Surprisingly, they're scoring all those goals with a power play that has somehow been worse than the Caps', clicking only 13% of the time. They shoot a ton and give up the most shots on goal against in the League. And here's a fun fact: the Leafs have won a League-worst 25% of the games in which they've scored first (only the Leafs and Sabres have won less than half of the games in which they've registered the initial tally).

In other words, expect some high-scoring, firewagon hockey (it's a damn shame Alex Semin is likely to miss this one, isn't it?).

Then again, Olie Kolzig was 2-0-0 with a 1.51 goals against average and a .958 save percentage against the Leafs last year, while Andrew Raycroft was 2-2-0, 2.26, .916 against the Caps in 2006-07 (likely Leafs starter Vesa Toskala has never faced the Caps). The Caps offense has struggled, but the goals against is still good (especially if you throw out that Buffalo debacle).

In other words, expect some low-scoring, tight-checking hockey (it's a damn shame Chris Clark is likely to miss this one, isn't it?).

Now that my bases are thoroughly covered, I'll leave you with one thought: it's really a damn shame Bryan McCabe is likely to miss this one, isn't it?

Update: Vesa Toskala will be in net for the Leafs.

Why The Leafs Will Win:

"Because our defensive liability (McCabe) is out for the game while yours (Poti) will be playing 25 minutes." - Pension Plan Puppets

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Check out Leafs Breakfast, Leafs Lunch, and Bill Waters here.... Orland Kurtenblog (and Willie Mitchell) on AO.... The latest on Patrice Bergeron (and feel free to "Guess the Suspension" on Randy Jones).... The Times has a piece that should be read by anyone who believes that putting an NHL team in Las Vegas is a good idea.... Finally, check out Sam Gagner's game-winning shootout goal from last night. Smooth.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Corey Perry (G, A, 5 SOG, 4 hits, 2 takeaways, 0 giveaways)
  
• Ross: Joes Sakic, Ryan Smyth, Corey Perry, Mikael Samuelsson (2 points each)
  
• Norris: Niklas Lidstrom (A, +2, 5 SOG, 2 blocked shots, 2 takeaways, 0 giveaways)
• Vezina: Mathieu Garon (W, 27 saves on 29 shots against in shootout win)
  
• Richard: 13 players tied with 1 goal apiece
  
• Calder: Andrew Cogliano (Game-tying shorthanded goal with 1:27 left, 2 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Henrik Sedin (0 points, -2, 1 SOG)
  

Waiting For Godot Nicky

File this one under "Stats, Utterly Meaningless," but in case you were wondering about the ten-games (and counting) goal drought in which Nicklas Backstrom finds himself to start his NHL career, it's obviously far from unprecedented, even in recent years and among players with similar pedigrees.

In fact, in the 2000-2006 Entry Drafts, there were 31 skaters drafted among the top five picks. It took fewer than eight games for twenty-one of those skaters to score his first NHL goal (and Blake Wheeler and Benoit Pouliot could still join that group), and only four forwards took more than seven games to do so. But take heart - among those four are a 30- and a 40-goal scorer. Of course, goal-scoring will never be Backstrom's forté, but at least we know it's a long way before Nick is in Raffi Torres territory.

The raw data - number of games it took for the player to score his first NHL goal:

• 1 game - Jonathan Toews, Bobby Ryan, Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Rick Nash, Stephen Weiss, Stanislav Chistov, Marian Gaborik
• 2 games - Erik Johnson (D), Cam Barker (D), Nikolai Zherdev, Ilya Kovalchuk, Rostislav Klesla (D)
• 3 games - Jordan Staal, Sidney Crosby, Andrew Ladd, Jason Spezza
• 4 games - Joni Pitkanen (D)
• 5 games - Dany Heatley
• 6 games - Eric Staal
• 7 games - Phil Kessel
• 12 games - Nathan Horton, Alexander Svitov
• 14 games - Jack Johnson (D)
• 15 games - Thomas Vanek, Ryan Whitney (D)
  
• 16 games - Jay Bouwmeester (D)
• 32 games - Raffi Torres
• ?? games - Blake Wheeler (0 NHL games played), Benoit Pouliot (3 NHL games played), Nicklas Backstrom (10 NHL games played)

Sunday Roundup/Blues 4, Caps 3

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Super Stats - WashingtonCaps.com Postgame]

Since starting the season 3-0, the Caps have dropped six of seven. Maybe that's why it's hard to feel like this year's edition of the Caps is much better than last year's.

Or maybe it's the fact that they have fewer points through 10 games (last year's team was 3-3-4 versus this year's 4-6 squad). Or maybe it's that the team's goals per game is down a whopping 22.5% (from 31 to 24). Or that the power play is actually worse, down from 16.67% to 14%. And while Alex Semin's limited availability has contributed to these stats, don't forget that there are four new "upgrades" in the lineup as well.

But progress has been made in other key areas. Penalties taken are down from 62 to 51. Shots on goal against are down from 36.6 to 29.3. Faceoff percentage is up from 48.13% to 54% (good enough for third in the League). Non- shootout goals against are down a bit (from 32 to 29).

So either it's just a matter of time before it all comes together, or it's more of the same here in D.C. I guess your take on that probably is influenced by the most recent game's result, and given that last night's wasn't great (and sure, the Caps were undermanned)... well, let's just say there's plenty of room for improvement.

As for Saturday night's 4-3 loss to St. Louis, some quick thoughts:

• Michael Nylander took an offensive-zone hooking penalty with 12:35 left and the Caps down two - not a very veteran move.
  
• In his first full NHL game as a center, Nicklas Backstrom finished with a minus-two rating, but did win five of his nine draws.
• Alex Ovechkin was credited with six hits last night, more than Shaone Morrisonn, Milan Jurcina, Brian Pothier, Mike Green and Jeff Schultz... combined.
• Another strong game for Greenie, with two goals (as many as he had all of last year), five shots on goal and a plus-one rating.
• Speaking of Ovechkin, he's got to change his shooting angles and/or release point - last night he had five shots blocked (most, if not all, by Barret Jackman).
  
• Schultz led the D with 20:35 of ice time and finished minus-two on the night.
• Viktor Kozlov has a team-high six shots on goal.
  
• The last minute of regulation - with Brent Johnson pulled - was as ugly as it gets. If the League awarded goals for simply getting the puck into the offensive zone under control, I'm not sure the Caps would have tied the game.
• Remind me again why the Bruins traded Brad Boyes to St. Louis for Dennis Wideman.
  
• On the injury front, Semin is day-to-day after re-injuring his troublesome ankle, Chris Clark may go tomorrow night and Tom Poti sounds less likely to play.

Next up, Toronto on Monday night. Are things going to continue to get worse before they get better, or are there signs that the ship has been righted?

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Kevin Paul Dupont discusses the Rangers woes and the Randy Jones/Patrice Bergeron hit.... Through five home dates, St. Louis's average attendance is up 5,995 per game, from 11,820 to 17,815. Not to take anything away from the team's resurgence, but it certainly helps that by the start of the season, the Cards and Rams were both done for the year.... It was a night of firsts in Newark, as the Devils opened their new building. "First boos: 7:13, when defenseman Karel Rachunek is introduced. The second boos follow immediately, when defenseman Johnny Oduya is announced." Nice.... Only 29.8% of NHL defensemen are right-handed shots (three of the eight on the Caps roster are).... Orland Kurtenblog interviewed Tarik the other day....Finally, our favorite (and John Tortorella's) hockey columnist, Larry Brooks, has some provocative things to say about this Capitals team. (Thanks for heads-up, Faux.)

Daily Awards

• Hart: Rod Brind'Amour (3G, A, +3)
  
• Ross: Rod Brind'Amour, Ray Whitney (4 points each)
  
• Norris: Nathan Paetsch (G, A, +2)
  
• Vezina: Martin Gerber (W, 31 saves on 32 shots against)
  
• Richard: Rod Brind'Amour (3G)
• Calder: Jack Johnson (+2, 3 SOG, 2 blocked shots, team-leading 23:36 of ice time)
  
• Aiken: Rick DiPietro (L, 6 goals allowed on 14 shots against in just 27:48 of work)
  

Caps Sign Semin

The Caps have signed winger Alexander Semin to a two-year extension. In "keeping with club policy, terms of the dealwere not disclosed," but Vogel's got the goods: $4.2 million next season, $5 million in 2009-2010 (I guess team policy is to let your web guy announce the particulars).

Here's the official word from the team:

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Washington Capitals have signed right wing Alexander Semin to a two-year contract beginning next season, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced. In keeping with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Semin, 23, ranked second on the Capitals last season with career highs in goals (38), assists (35) and points (73) in 77 games. He led the team and tied for fourth in the NHL with 17 power-play goals. Only two players age 23 or younger scored more goals than Semin's 38 in 2006-07 - teammate Alex Ovechkin and Buffalo's Thomas Vanek. He recorded eight multiple-goal games and 19 multiple-point games during the year, including a pair of hat tricks, and led the team to a 15-10-4 record in games in which he scored a goal.

The 6'2", 205-pound native of Krasjonarsk, Russia, has been limited to three games this season by an ankle injury, posting one assist. He enters tonight's game at St. Louis (8:30 p.m., Comcast SportsNet, 107.7 FM, 1500 AM, 820 AM) four points shy of 100 for his career. He has appeared in 132 career games, recording 48 goals and 48 assists.

Semin was Washington's second first-round choice, 13th overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut in 2003-04, posting 10 goals and 12 assists in 52 games. Semin has represented Russia in four major international tournaments: the 2004 World Junior Championship and three World Championships.

Next up? The other Alex.

Saturday Roundup/Canucks 3, Caps 2Gamenight: Caps @ Blues

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Super Stats - WashingtonCaps.com Postgame - AP Preview]

I was travelling last night and missed the game, so it's on you guys to carry the discussion today. What went right? What went wrong? What do you expect tonight?

Finally, KB took this picture of the team huddled around its felled captain in the last minute of the game (Tarik has a "non" update on Clarkie's condition here), and if a picture's worth a thousand words, this one may sum up last night's game:


Why The Blues Will Win:

"- Ovechkin is TOO good.
- The Blues motto this year is, "Whatever it takes"... I think that says it all.
- Washington plays the night before vs. Vancouver....well that just sucks for you guys.
- Brent Johnson (Johnny Marlboro) could get the start...no way we lose to him in our own building.
- Olaf Kolzig could get the start...no way we lose to him in our own building.
- The Blues will mistake Washington for an actual NHL club and play most of their starters. And not until midway through the 2nd, when it is 4-0 Blues, will the Blues realize they could have started their Peoria lineup and probably still gotten the win.
- Tkachuk's name sounds like the sound of a slapshot.
- Half of our team will be wearing heated skate blades.
- Brett Hull used to play for us.
- Detroit sucks."- Let's Go Blues.com

"11. Caps fourth line just got AOL layoff notices.
10. Olaf Kolzig's five hole almost as big as the St. Louis Arch.
9. Washington Capitals? What was the District of Columbia Districts already taken?
8. We thought Kolzig retired about 5 years ago.
7. Market Street is better than K Street.
6. Rod Langway did retire. A looooong time ago.
5. You have the wrong Backstrom.
4. When the Caps redesigned their uniforms, did they really want to throw back to the "glory days" of last-place finishes in the Patrick Division?
3. Everyone knows that the Washington message doesn't play outside the Beltway.
2. Ovechkin too bummed he can’t play with his Semin all game.
1. Brent Johnson plays for you guys now." - St. Louis Game Time

Daily Awards

• Hart: Tomas Plekanec (2G, 2A, 4 SOG)
  
• Ross: Tomas Plekanec (4 points)
  
• Norris: Mark Streit (G, A, 4 SOG)
  
• Vezina: Jose Theodore (W, 39 saves on 41 shots against)
  
• Richard: Tomas Plekanec, Taylor Pyatt, Henrik Zetterberg (2G each)
  
• Calder: Kyle Chipchura (G, +1)
  
• Aiken: Cam Ward (L, 5 goals allowed on 15 shots against in just 20 minutes of work)
  

Friday Roundup/Gamenight: Canucks @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Well, the National Capital Region sure is doing its part to make the Canucks feel right at home, as the forecast calls for a cool, rainy day. Hell, The Tragically Hip are even in town. Let's hope the Caps are a little less hospitable when they welcome Vancouver to the VC for tonight's game.

With Vancouver comes one of the Caps' old nemeses, Roberto Luongo. For his career, Bobby Lou is 14-9-3-0 against the Caps with a 2.14 GAA and a .933 save percentage, and he has shut the Caps out twice in 26 career starts. In his only start against the Caps as a Canuck, he held the boys from D.C. to two goals on 21 shots in a shootout win almost exactly a year ago today (more on that game in a minute), this on the heels of a 2005-06 season in which he simply manhandled Washington (to the tune of 7-0-0, 1.96, .949) as a member of the Florida Panthers. In fact, Luongo has won his last nine decisions against the Caps, and Washington hasn't beaten Vancouver since the 2000-01 season. Tonight would be a great night to kill two monkeys with one hammer, wouldn't it?

Back to last year's game between these two teams - if you don't remember it, take a quick glance at the AP's recap and/or the following day's Rink Roundup to refresh your memory. Vancouver outshot the Caps 44-21 on the night, including a combined 31-3 in the first and third periods (!), and Alex Ovechkin had a Sidney Crosby Hat Trick (goal, assist, diving minor). Needless to say, if it wasn't for Olie Kolzig that night, the Caps would have left the Pacific Northwest without a point (and likely without much pride).

That was then and this is now, as they say, and this is a Canucks team that has struggled mightily to get their offense on track in the early going, scoring a handful of goals on a pretty efficient power play, but ranking dead last in the League in shots on goal per game (no thanks to stretches like the second period against Columbus last week in which they didn't register a single shot on goal).

But, as the Minnesota Wild are showing on a nightly basis, you don't need to score big to win games in the NHL. Which brings us back to Luongo who has been, well, average to date. Twenty-fourth in GAA. Twentieth in save percentage. Those aren't very Louie-like numbers, and when you combine that with a team that isn't scoring, you get a 4-win/6-loss squad that comes into Washington in need of a win. Big time.

Courtesy CBC Sports

As for the Caps, with back-to-back games this weekend (the team heads to St. Louis for a Saturday night game with the Blues), it'll be interesting to see which goalie starts which game. You'd think Olie would get the home game Friday and Brent Johnson would play Saturday night against his former team (and the only NHL team he's never faced), but you never know when Glen Hanlon will play one of his hunches.

Speaking of goalies and former teams, as you probably know, Hanlon broke into the NHL with the Canucks after being picked by Vancouver in the third round of the 1977 draft. In parts of five seasons with the club, he posted a 43-66-21 record with a 3.56 GAA and looked damn fine while doing it (and even better starting at around the 3:55 mark of this video).

Anyway, on the morning of the last game of this four-game homestand, the power play still stinks, the penalty kill seems to be on its way back (thanks, Boyd) and the Caps will try to salvage a .500 record over the four games with a win tonight against a goalie that owns them who's playing for a team that isn't scoring goals. This game has 2-1 written all over it - hopefully the good guys come out on top.

Why The Canucks Will Win:

"As much as they are trying to redefine the word 'suck' these days, the Canucks will still school the Caps tonight based purely on the math involved:

- Swedish Twins > Singular Russian
- A properly made waffle > Tom Poti
- LuonGod > Godzilla (who mind you can barely beat a moth. Go check IMDB.)
- Our uni's have our name on it > scared to admit where you live

Rather then getting angry at the inevitability of your loss, just say 'thank you Vancouver for Donald Brashear, Brent Johnson, Glen Hanlon and for taking Luongo out of our division' and in return we won't unleash the full force brunt of Hell's fury on you (otherwise known as Brad Isbister on four red bulls and a bag of Pop Rocks). Can you hear me now?" - The Yankee Canuck

"Surely, the Canucks can't keep playing as horrible as they have in the last week. Not with Luongo finally finding his form and all top-six defensemen finally healthy and in the lineup. Besides, with so many fans jumping off the bandwagon, it's time the team does something to reel them back in. - Canucks Hockey Blog

"The Canucks will win if they finally figure out that the season has started. If not, they won't." Canucks Corner

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Did You Know: Canucks forward Rick Rypien (who is day-to-day with a hand injury) is a cousin of Redskins Legend-for-a-Season Mark Rypien.... Karl Alzner will lead the WHL stars against the Russians, much like his fellow QMJHL Caps prospects will do for their league.... On this date back in 1983, former Miracle-on-Icer Dave Christian scored his first of 193 goals for the Caps.... Matt at Battle of Alberta has some fun wondering aloud who a potential trade partner would be if the Flames were to move Miikka Kiprusoff.... Rick Nash is a beast right now, and scored a gorgeous goal last night on a shot I've seen AO try a few times.... Finally, if you didn't see last night's Zdeno Chara/David Koci fight (and you don't get squeamish at the sight of blood), check it out here. Nice call by Jack Edwards, too.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Shawn Horcoff (2G, 2A, +2, 4 SOG, 67% faceoffs won)
  
• Ross: Shawn Horcoff (4 points)
  
• Norris: Pavel Kubina (2A, +2, 2 blocked shots)
  
• Vezina: Pascal Leclaire (35-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Nigel Dawes, Jiri Tlusty, Phil Kessel, Brad Richards, Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff (2G each)
  
• Calder: Jiri Tlusty (2G, including the game-winner, +2, 4 SOG in his first NHL game)
  
• Aiken: Marc-Andre Fleury (L, 5 goals allowed on 27 shots against)
  

Sport-Express Interview With Brashear

Thanks to HFBoards poster (and Rink Reader) artilector for the following translation (which originally appeared here) of a good bit of the interview Sport-Express's Slava Malamud did recently with Donald Brashear:

SE: What happened in your fight with Laraque [ed. note: watch the fight here]?

B: I underestimated George [Laraque] a bit - didn't take into account his reach. I thought I held him at bay with an extended arm, but it was useless - he was getting every punch through. I thought, damn, that's some reach. It wasn't pretty. Thankfully, the refs didn't jump in right away. That's why I couldn't stay on my knees for too long, so that they wouldn't break up the fight. I knew that I could still set him up for a punch.

SE: Is a knockout blow your principal strength?

B: No, you can never rely on any single thing. Why put everything you have into a single punch? What if you miss? You'll open yourself up, and he'll nail you with a straight. No, you have to pick your spots, and properly set the guy up.

SE: (Asks Brashear about his 97/98 season in Vancouver, when he had 372 PIM in 77 games, almost a fight per game)

B: That's how your earn a reputation. You get put out there when something's brewing, you nail a couple of guys.. After a few games the opponents know that when you're on the ice, better not try anything funny. It breaks up their gameplan and protects our stars. Once a fighter has earned a reputation, his presence mostly prevents fights, instead of provoking them.

SE: Do you have some special trade secrets, or do you rely on your power?

B: Of course, I have [trade secrets]. When I go out to fight, I'm like a forward who's scoring a goal, or a goalie who's blocking a shot. I measure up my opponent, try to recall everything I know about him: punching power, whether he starts out aggressively, or takes his time. Then I come up with a strategy for the fight. Afterwards I analyze it, look for errors, try to remember for the future.

SE: Could you list the main principles that every starting enforcer should know?

B: The main thing, like I said, is to know the opponent, especially his strengths. The other thing is - don't forget defense. Most guys want to just go out there and bury the guy right off the bat. And I think you need to be able to protect yourself.

SE: And how can you do that?

B: If you know which arm the guy prefers to punch with, try to neutralize it. Hold the arm or the shoulder to limit his range of motion. Or, turn away from the punches - let them hit the back of your head, its not as painful.

SE: Who was your toughest opponent?

B: The toughest are all the guys in the league right now. Everybody seems to be huge, with a long reach.

SE: Did you ever fight Andrey Nazarov, the only Russian enforcer?

B: Once.

SE: Do you remember how it went?

B: I remember every fight. Nazarov was not a very good fighter, I never held him in high esteem.

SE: You mean he lacked technique, or power, or has a weak chin?

B: As far as strengh and guts, he was fine. Strong guy, didn't decline fights, was always ready to dance. But technique-wise.. [not so good]

Reebunk

Matt O'Toole, President and CEO of Reebok-CCM Hockey, is getting new digs and will be moving from Montreal to Massachusetts. According to a company press release, O'Toole has been promoted to President of Reebok North America.

Just wondering if any of those Reebok Board of Directors in Canton, MA are Boston Herald readers. If so, they may have choked on their Dunkin' this morning after reading this nugget from Stephen Harris's column.

According to sources in the B’s dressing room, Reebok has been unable to correct problems with the new jerseys introduced this season across the NHL and will replace them at the company’s expense with new uniforms made of the old materials.

Thursday Roundup/Caps 5, Bolts 3

[AP Recap - Boxscore - Super Stats - WashingtonCaps.com Postgame]

That worked out well, didn't it? A pair of goals to get the captain off the schneid, and, quite frankly, he could have easily had a couple more. But we'll certainly take it and the 5-3 win, which improves the Caps intra-divisional record to a sparkling 3-0, outscoring their Southeast Division rivals 10-4. Some quick thoughts on the game:

• You can put any game in which Brooks Laich, David Steckel and Chris Clark score in the win column without looking at anything else. Period.
• Say what you want about Brian Pothier, but his willingness to shoot the puck from the point deserves mention, and it led directly to the fourth goal. For the game, Potsy had two assists and was plus-four. Cheers.
  
• Speaking of that goal, if you ever wondered why the NHL awards a secondary assist (and no, it's not so Sidney Crosby can win scoring titles), look no further than Michael Nylander's pass to Pothier on that second Clark goal. It was breathtaking.
  
• Y'know, I had a lot of respect for Vinny Lecavalier when he dropped the mittens with Jarome Iginla during the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. I lost most of that respect tonight when he jumped Shaone Morrisonn.
• By the way, kudos to the refs for calling that sequence perfectly. Vinny deserved each of the four penalties he was given.
  
• Dare I bring up the 0-for-4 power play that surrendered a shorty? For tonight, I'll lay off it, but don't think that it's going unnoticed, and not only by me.
  
• Alex Ovechkin attempted 16 shots on goal tonight, with six getting to the goal.
• Does anyone believe that Steve Eminger is 100% healthy? Probably not anyone who has seen Jeff Schultz's play so far this year (despite the plus-three night he managed to put together).
• Steckel's first NHL goal (congrats) came on a beautiful feed from AO. In fact, all four of the Caps goals on Denis came as the result of well-developed plays.
  
• Olie Kolzig made a big save after the double-minor on which the Caps failed to score, and had a solid if unspectacular game.
  
• Awesome to see Goat leading "Let's Go Caps" from the owner's box.
  
• Alex Semin looked very rusty, but did unleash that wicked wrister at one point, and it got on Marc Denis so fast he was lucky it hit him - otherwise it was headed for the back of the net.
• Mike Green looked good, but ended up a team-worst minus-two. He was way out of position on the first goal (set up by a nice pass from Brad Richards).
  
• If Tomas Fleischmann is only going to get three shifts, would the team be better off dressing John Erskine as a seventh defensmen to use exclusively on the penalty kill?
  
• Boyd Gordon (12-for-17) and Viktor Kozlov (8-for-11) dominated the faceoff circle. Nylander (3-for-10), not so much.
• Milan Jurcina had a game-high five hits, but his hugging holding penalty was a bad one.
  

Next up, Mary Kate, Ashley, Bobby Lou and the Canuckleheads - someone invite Henrik Zetterberg and Mats Sundin to town, because it will be a Swede-filled Friday night at the VC. See you there.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

It's great to see Liz back in the blogosphere.... The Caps are the biggest team in the NHL.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Jarome Iginla (G, 2A, +2, 8 SOG, 2 takeaways, 0 giveaways, 4-for-4 in the faceoff circle)
  
• Ross: Alexander Ovechkin, Eric Staal, Jarome Iginla, Alex Tanguay, Bret Hedican (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Bret Hedican (G, A, +5, 4 SOG, 2 blocked shots)
  
• Vezina: Cam Ward (W, 19 saves on 21 shots against)
  
• Richard: Chris Clark, Alex Tanguay, Tomas Holmstrom, Gregory Campbell, Olli Jokinen, Jason Pominville (2G each)
  
• Calder: David Steckel (G, +2)
  
• Aiken: Henrik Tallinder (0 points, 0 SOG, -4, 2 giveaways, 1 takeaway, 2 penalties including a Delay of Game on which Carolina scored)
  

Wednesday Roundup/Gamenight: Bolts @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview - Lightning.com Preview]

Last year, the season series between the Caps and the Lightning was much closer than the standings would indicate. Each team scored 32 goals. Four of the games were won by a single goal, with two of them decided (for the bad guys) in shootouts. But the Bolts left with two points in six of the eight games, despite performances of better than a point-per-game from Alexander Semin (nine goals, 13 points in eight games) and Alexander Ovechkin (nine in eight games). For what it's worth, Michael Nylander (six points in four games) also feasted on Tampa 'tending in 2006-07.

On the flip side of that coin, Olie Kolzig struggled against the Bolts last year (2-4-0, 3.88, .887), due in large (or small, as the case may be) part to the Caps' inability to stop Vinny Lecavalier (nine goals, 16 points in eight games) and Marty St. Louis (six goals, 12 points in eight games). The Caps were, however, able to hold Doug Janik to just one assist in six games.

But enough about last year, let's talk about this year. The Bolts have yet to win a road game or lose a home game en route to a 4-2-0 record in the early going. Their goaltending has been surprisingly decent (though neither goalie's save percentage is above the .900 Mendoza Line), their offense is fourth in the League in goals per game and their top line is in mid-season form already, with the "other" Vinny - Vinny Prospal - kicking in seven goals in eight games. Other Bolts of note include Brad Richards (six points in six games) and Paul Ranger, a blueliner who is really coming into his own in Dan Boyle's absence. Chris Gratton, in his third tour of duty in Tampa, also promises to be a pain in the ass centering the third line.

As I said the other day, if the Caps come out and play as hard as they did Saturday night, they'll win this game and quite a few more. And if Alex Semin provides the kind of shot in the arm of which he's capable and the re-revamped power play starts clicking, tonight could be the start of another win streak.

Update: Marc Denis will be getting his first start of the season tonight.

Why The Lightning Will Win:

"The Bolts will beat the Capitals based on the letters M, V and P -- standing for the Lightning's top line: *M*artin St. Louis, *V*incent Lecavalier and Vaclav *P*rospal. Oh, and maybe Olaf Kolzig will be out with a hangnail or something? One can hope..." - Boltsmag

"The Bolts WILL beat the Caps simply because they are due to get their 1st road win of the season. Oh and because we have more fire power... Marty, Vinny, Prospal, Richads... Holmer gets a chance to bounce back on the road after two 4 goal debacles in Miami and Boston. He looked solid at home against Atlanta, but who doesn't these days. Look for the MVP line, Prospal's in a contract year and already has 7 goals, to outscore Alex the Great, and bring home another division win to sunny, and ridiculously hot Florida." - Bolts Blog

Last week we referred you to a look at who's drawing penalties and now the brilliant Forechecker has decided to keep his list regularly updated and publicly available. Bookmark it.... A pair of Caps prospects, Francois Bouchard and Mathieu Perreault, will be representing the QMJHL in a pair of games between their League's best and a team of Russian juniors.... More mid-week power rankings, with the Caps coming in at 22nd and 23rd.... Did J.J. and Scottie Go-Go just have their first fight?... Mayor McCheese gives Sid the cold shoulder.... Finally, in case you missed (or ignored) it, the WTimes ran a story yesterday about the Caps and their bloggers (Keeley's got beautiful hands, doesn't he?), and Ted Leonsis posted a follow-up that's worth checking out if you're into the whole bloggers blogging about blogging bloggers thing, as is Caps Nut's take (hey, we report - you decide).

Daily Awards

• Hart: Paul Kariya (G, 3A, +1, 2 SOG in 4-2 win)
  
• Ross: Pat Kane, Paul Kariya (4 points each)
  
• Norris: Rob Blake (2A, +2, 2 SOG, 2 blocked shots)
  
• Vezina: Marc-Andre Fleury (36-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Pat Kane, Brad Boyes, Michael Cammalleri, Rick Nash, Jiri Novotny (2G each)
  
• Calder: Pat Kane (2G, 2A, +2, 2 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Chris Mason (L, 4 goals allowed on 19 shots against in just 30:01 of work)
  

Hop Along, Cassidy

By now you've undoubtedly seen that Bruce Cassidy was fired today as head coach of the Kingston Frontenacs.

Having crapped out now in the NHL and OHL, what's next for Butch? Back to the ECHL? An assistant coaching gig somewhere? Or could he find himself coaching in an even worse environment... say, Atlanta?

We should be so lucky.

Tuesday Roundup

With the likely return of Alex Semin to the lineup for Wednesday night's game against the Bolts (must be the nine goals and 13 points he had against Tampa last year that got him healthy), the lines at Monday's practice were as follows:

Ovechkin - Kozlov - Clark
Backstrom - Nylander - Semin
Pettinger - Steckel - Gordon
Brashear - Laich - Motzko
Fleischmann - Sutherby - Bradley

More noteworthy to the torch-and-pitchfork masses (myself included), the power play units looked like this:

Ovechkin - Kozlov - Clark
Poti - Green

Pettinger - Nylander - Backstrom
Pothier - Semin

We've lamented the power play enough for the time being and seemed to have gotten our collective wish - no mo' Motz. Now it's time to execute... or be executed (cue scary music). On a side note, is it me or does that second unit have "Martin St. Louis shorthanded goal" written all over it?

As for the five-on-five lines, while I'm sure it was difficult for Glen Hanlon to break up the Matt Pettinger - Boyd Gordon - Chris Clark third line even for a night (more on that in a second), give me David Steckel and Gordo lining up opposite Vinny Lecavalier and St. Louis and I'll take my chances with the rest of the matchups all the way down the roster. Besides, even though the third line is primarly out there to keep the opponent's top line in check, with no goals through seven games, the trio needs to start chipping in a bit offensively and maybe this will get at least one of the three going.

As for that temporarily-defunct third line, it seemed to be just a matter of time before they broke through on the score sheet, but it also seems that Clark has been pressing a bit (I'm sure that, as captain, he feels a little more pressure to right the ship than the rest of the guys in the room), and he has taken a few ill-timed penalties along the way. Clearly his role is (or at least has been) different this year than it was last year - the Caps don't need 30 goals from Clark this year, but they certainly do need 15-20 - and perhaps a goal or two playing on the top line will give him the confidence to return to the third line, relax, and just go out and play hockey.

But is a return to the third line for Clark a certainty? I'd be willing to bet on it, if for no other reason than because that's where he "belongs" on a playoff team. The Caps can force square pegs into round holes all they want to, and have experienced varying degrees of team and individual success in doing so (think Clark, Dainius Zubrus, Brian Pothier, etc.), but Hanlon knows what playoff teams look like, and he knows that his PGC line "looks" like a playoff team's third line. In recent weeks we've heard the coach repeatedly refer to Anaheim's Travis Moen - Rob Niedermayer - Samuel Pahlsson line, and with good reason - that's the benchmark for checking lines League-wide, and Hanlon believes he has a comparable trio here (fun fact: that Ducks line combined for a minus-16 rating last year, while the PGC trio combined for a minus-13 rating).

At the end of the day - and this isn't to take anything away from him - Chris Clark is a third-liner on a playoff team (at least one that wants to make some noise once there) and a first-liner on a team heading for the draft lottery (as a buddy of mine from Alabama would say, "Just because you put a kitten in the oven don't make it a biscuit"). This team sees itself as the former (a playoff team, not a golden-browned feline), and knows that if they can't find a first-line right wing within the organization, they have the means to go get one (I'm of the mind that we'll see Alex Ovechkin - one of the Swedes - Viktor Kozlov before that happens, however). They also know that, in the long-run, Chris Clark isn't that guy any more, not because of diminished skills, but because of heightened expectations and an organizational sense of urgency.

So lock in that third line, Coach, and worry about making the rest of the lineup look - and more importantly play - like a playoff team.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

The geniuses at the League offices have finally decided to put the goalies and their stats on the game summary sheets. The stat sheets are still miles away from reader-friendly, but this is a step in the right direction.... A trio of Monday Power Rankings are out, with the Caps placing 23rd, 24th and 24th.... Darren Elliot identifies the Caps' identity as "a team-first philosophy founded on building from within" - do you buy or sell that as the Caps' "brand"?... Finally, in the least surprising news of the day, everyone in Philadelphia is ugly (and Rod Brind'Amour hasn't even played there since early 2000!). But before you call that buddy in the City of Brotherly Love to remind him that he's so ugly that when he was a kid his parents would sit him in the corner and feed him with a slingshot, you may be interested to know that D.C. is the nation's second-least attractive city.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Milan Michalek (2G, including the game-winning shorthander, +2, 5 SOG)
  
• Ross: Seven players tied with 2 points each
  
• Norris: Mike Komisarek (A, +1, 2 SOG, 4 hits, 5 blocked shots)
  
• Vezina: Cristobal Huet (W, 31 saves on 32 shots against)
  
• Richard: Milan Michalek (2G)
  
• Calder: Mikhail Grabovski (G, +1)
  
• Aiken: Manny Fernandez (L, 6 goals allowed on 20 shots against)
  

Monday Roundup

Four years and counting.

It was on this date back in 2003 that The Rebuild^™ can be said to have begun, as the 1-4-1-0 Caps shipped then-captain Steve Konowalchuk and a third round selection in 2004 to Colorado for Bates Battaglia and Jonas Johansson.

With yesterday's day off, there's not much news out of Capland, so feel free to discuss the state of the team as you see it today. Are the Caps closer to contending for a playoff spot or another top five pick (I still believe it's the former)? With 20/20 hindsight, how would you have handled things differently if this was your team back in the Fall of '03? And what does the team have to do now to right the ship and make the playoffs this year?

As to that last question, I'm not sure it would help, but if I was coaching the Caps, I'd incorporate something like this into the pregame skate ritual. Two words: bad ass.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Blood, we're told, is thicker than water, and Ben Clymer got a first hand example of that on Saturday night. During his first shift of the season, Clymes dropped the gloves with Rico Fata's little brother Drew. "It's funny," said Clymer, "but I fought his brother last year. He was on our team, and we didn't really get along. That's life. Whatever."... Happy 27th Birthday, Matt Pettinger.... As we clamor for another NHL-caliber right wing, here's a name for you - Alexander Frolov. He's got the right name and nationality, and word is (yeah, I know it's Bruce Garrioch - grain of salt, etc.) he's on the block. The Kings aren't a great trade partner here (they're looking for a goalie), but since we know that every Russian player in the League will be rumored to be traded to the Caps before his career is over, I thought I'd get out in front of this one.... Finally, while we're on Garrioch, he reports that "Washington could move W Matt Bradley." If only, Bruce. If only.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Curtis Sanford (W, 35 saves on 36 shots against)
• Ross: Ryan Kesler, Pavol Demitra (2 points each)
  
• Norris: Kevin Bieksa (Game-winning goal, +2, 4 SOG, 2 hits)
  
• Vezina: Curtis Sanford (W, 35 saves on 36 shots against)
  
• Richard: Ryan Kesler (2G)
  
• Calder: Kris Russell (4 SOG, 3 blocked shots, 1 hit)
  
• Aiken: Pascal Leclaire (L, 3 goals allowed on 18 shots against)
  

Stat Of The Day

The Caps and Minnesota Wild are the only teams in the NHL not to have scored four goals in a game yet this season.

The 6-0-1 Wild last scored four times in a regular season game in their last game of the 2006-07 season (April 7), while the 3-4-0 Caps last managed the feat on March 18, 16 games ago.

Sunday Roundup/Pens 2, Caps 1

[AP Recap - Boxscore - Super Stats]

If it wasn't for the "Let's Go Pen-guins" cheers still reverberating in my head, I think I'd be pretty comfortable with last night's game. The effort was fantastic (kudos to Glen Hanlon for readying the troops), Boyd Gordon did a sensational job on what's his name, and the Caps were the more physical team by miles. Frankly, if it wasn't for Marc-Andre Fleury, the Caps win last night's game.

Of course, that's a big "if" (recall my feelings on "ifs") , and at the end of the night, the Caps lost their fourth straight game to fall under .500 for the first time this season. Some more thoughts on the game:

• As brilliant as Brent Johnson was - and he was brilliant - I'm sure he'd like the game-winner back.
• Did anyone catch Donald Brashear's nifty stick-handling in the first period? Maybe that rush was the reason he forgot how to fight for the first three-quarters of his bout with Georges Laraque. Unluckily for Gorgeous George, Donny remembered how to fight before it was too late.
• Asking your penalty killers to do their job four times in a period is a tall order, and in last night's second period the man-down unit failed on that fourth kill.
  
• We've already discussed Joe Motzko a bit (Tarik says it's just a paper transaction, though, so don't get too excited), so I won't do so again here other than to once again question why he led the team in power play ice time but Mike Green could barely get a sniff with the extra man.
• Alex Ovechkin continues his great all-around play, registering eight shots on goal, five hits, two takeaways, no giveaways and a blocked shot.
  
• Gordon and David Steckel combined to win 18 of their 32 faceoffs (56%). I got a chance to ask Hanlon about how important it was to get Gordo back in the lineup (at about 5:30 of his presser):
• Tomas Fleischmann has had his two best games of the season playing with the Swedes instead of the Russians. Coincidence? Probably not. One gets the feeling that he was intimidated playing on the Ovechkin line because everyone knows who's supposed to get the puck on that line. Playing with the Swedes, however, more is expected of him as a finisher, and he's not afraid to shoot when he's got the puck on his stick. When Alex Semin comes back, I wouldn't be shocked to see a little shuffling that splits the Swedes up with each centering one of the top two lines and Viktor Kozlov and Flash filling the top two right wing spots.
  
• Tom Poti actually had four shots on goal last night (and attempted another two), but I'll repeat it until I'm blue in the face - he needs to shoot more on the power play to establish the threat of a shot which will, in turn, open up more down low. You can talk all you want about getting a Tomas Holmstrom-type in front of the net, but if shots aren't coming from the point, the traffic in front is somewhat wasted. At least when Brian Pothier is back there, he's not afraid to tee it up (and he was rewarded last night with the Caps only goal - a power play blast from the point).
  
• If I hadn't sworn off the use of the term "snake-bitten," I think Chris Clark, Matt Pettinger and Nicklas Backstrom would all be worthy of the moniker.
• Speaking of Backstrom, the kid is simply a brilliant hockey player. His "hockey smarts" are off the chart, and his skill is right there too. And he's only played seven games in North America.
  
• Did Evgeni Malkin play last night?
  
• Oh, and the White Out? Not so much.

Now it's back to the Southeast Division for the Caps after an unfriendly run through 60% of the Atlantic and a brief run-in with (run-over by?) a Northeast team. If they can play like they did last night, they'll leave Wednesday night's game against Tampa two points richer.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Michal Neuvirth was apparently sharp in victory last night for Plymouth. For the season, he's now 2-3-1 with a 2.99 goals against average and an incredibly impressive .924 save percentage (good enough for fourth in the OHL).... Ben Clymer scored twice for Hershey last night in their first win of the season.... Lastly, I want to take a moment to bid a fond farewell to OFB's Empty Maybe, who is hanging up the keyboard. The blogosphere - especially here in D.C. - is weaker today for his absence. Hope to see you around in meatspace soon, Empty.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Jarome Iginla (Game-winning goal, 2A, +1, 6 SOG)
  
• Ross: Jason Williams (4 points)
  
• Norris: Roman Hamrlik (3A, +1, 3 blocked shots)
  
• Vezina: Manny Fernandez (26-save shootout shutout win)
  
• Richard: Mats Sundin, Vaclav Prospal, Simon Gagne, Kirk Maltby (2G each)
  
• Calder: Josh Harding (W, 33 saves on 34 shots against)
  
• Aiken: Andrew Raycroft (L, 5 goals allowed on 38 shots against, including 4 goals allowed on 15 shots in the third period)
  

Motzko Sent Back To Hershey

Following tonight's game, Joe Motzko was re-assigned to Hershey, which is a good thing, as it likely means a) that Alex Semin is close to returning and b) that we won't have to suffer through another shift like the one Motzko had on the Caps' second period power play.

More on the game in the morning, but here's a quick question - how was Motzko apparently good enough to lead the Caps in ice time on the power play tonight (and by a fairly wide margin), but bad enough to get sent down immediately following the game?

Update: Tarik has the answer (and you may not like it). Guess I misread that one.

Saturday Roundup/Gamenight: Pens @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview (coming soon)]

So... um... Pens tonight, eh?

If the Caps are to win, they'll need to be physical yet disciplined and take advantage of a somewhat vulnerable Penguins penalty kill. But you knew that. Here's some of what you might not have known about the Caps, the Pens and tonight's game:

• To date, the Caps have four defensemen with more than one point, and only five forwards with a similar distinction. Chris Clark, Matt Pettinger, David Steckel, Donald Brashear and Shaone Morrisonn have each played in all six games thus far this season without registering a single point, while Tomas Fleischmann and Milan Jurcina each have only one point in six games.
  
• Further to that last point, the Caps haven't scored as many as four goals in a game since March 18, a span of 15 games. To say that the Caps are awaiting an offensive awakening is an understatement.
• Pens netminder Marc-Andre Fleury has been wretched so far this season, and sports a 2-3-0 record with a 4.11 goals against average and a .871 save percentage. Of course, for his career, he's 5-0-0, 2.17, .932 against the Caps, so if a pourous MAF shows up at Verizon tonight, it will be an unfamiliar sight for the boys in white.
• As an Islander last year, Viktor Kozlov had 4 goals and 4 assists in eight games against the Pens.
  

I'll have more news and notes later, and will be taking in the game from high atop the Verizon Center tonight, so be sure to check back often. Oh, and be sure to read Corey's article today for some great "Alex being Alex" quotes.

Why The Penguins Will Win:

"The Verizon Center is like a second home for Pens fans, so look for the strong Pittsburgh crowd to power the Pens to victory. Oh, and having Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin doesn't hurt either." - Penguins Buzz

"One huge factor is the Pens fans presence down there. It is going to be a awesome enviroment. The Pens will feed off that. This one smells like a OT thriller." - thepensblog.com

"The Pens are struggling with a new identity right now, but in the past, the Penguins have always routed the Capitals to find confidence in their game plan. Plus, a lot of Penguins fans always make the road trip so the atmosphere will be like a home game." - Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic

"The Penguins win this game because of secondary scoring. Max Talbot, Adam Hall, and the rest of the teams role players have stepped up in a big way. Look for Marc-Andre Fleury to bounce back in the pipes and the scoring to come from some unlikely sources." - Faceoff Factor

"Simply put...the Pens own the Caps. They have the firepower, the grit and we all remember those playoff series' in the last decade..." - Home of the Penguins

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

I wonder if the Caps have heard from Phoenix's lawyers regarding tonight's "White Out."

Daily Awards

• Hart: Patrick Kane (G, 2A, +1, 3 SOG)
  
• Ross: Patrick Kane, Petr Sykora (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Jack Johnson (G, +1, 2 SOG, 3 hits)
  
• Vezina: Pascal Leclaire (21-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Petr Sykora (2G)
  
• Calder: Patrick Kane (G, 2A, +1, 3 SOG)
• Aiken: Jaroslav Hlinka (0 points, -3)