Monday Open Thread

Saturday Open Thread

Caps win 3-0 in Florida. From the stands, Wade Brookbank gives Donald Brashear the hairy eyeball.

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Le Soleil

Friday Open Thread

AP Photo/Steve Nesius

Tampa Bay unveils the Bunny Trap, Caps still eke out a 4-3 OT win.

Thursday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ Bolts

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Welcome to Tampa Basement, where the Bolts are doing everything in their power to up their odds of winning the draft lottery, most recently scratching goalie-of-the-future Mike Smith due to a very minor "sprained left ankle" and recalling Marc Denis (he of the 1-5 record, the 4.05 GAA and the .853 save percentage) on an emergency basis - the emergency being that Tampa was in danger of ending up with more points than Los Angeles, Atlanta and possibly St. Louis.

This, my friends, is called "Pulling a Yeats" - look out below.

But even Matt Yeats won a game back in 2003-04 (against the Pens, no less, thanks in large part to a pair of goals from Trent Whitfield... seriously), a reminder that games are played not on paper but on ice, so the Caps had better not look past this one. And to bring things full circle, the second star in that Caps/Pens tilt for the ages was none other than current Lightning pivot Jeff Halpern, who has caught fire since being traded back to the Southeast Division, racking up seven goals and eight assists in 13 games (apparently he didn't get the Yeats memo).

So the plan is simple: take care of business in Hockey Bay (whatever the hell that is), and- well, since the Caps shouldn't look past this one, I won't either.

Two points await in Tampa, boys. Go get 'em.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

If you thought Alex Ovechkin was going to be a Cap into the 2020s, think again - he's obviously going to go back to play in Mother Russia before then.... Luckily for the Flyers, Simon Gagne has decided that once his team has done the heavy lifting and gotten to the Stanley Cup Finals, he'll declare himself ready to play.... One year ago today we previewed that night's game and you guys added insult to my personal injury and saw that Sid really was thirsty, and two years ago today we looked at anti-left wing bias in the media and peeked into TSN.ca's mailbag. Finally, I hate to desert you guys at a time like this, but I have to head west for the weekend. I'll leave you in KB's capable hands, but it's on you all to keep things lively. Deal?

Daily Awards

• Hart: Milan Hejduk (2G, including the game-winner, A, +1, 5 SOG)
  
• Ross: Mikko Koivu, Milan Hejduk, Peter Forsberg, Peter Stastny (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Clay Wilson (G, A, +2, 3 SOG)
  
• Vezina: Jonas Hiller (31 saves on 32 shots against in shootout win)
  
• Richard: Milan Hejduk (2G)
  
• Calder: Jonas Hiller (31 saves on 32 shots against in shootout win)
• Aiken: Roberto Luongo (L, 5 goals allowed on 23 shots against in 31:31 of work)
  

Wednesday Roundup/Caps 3, 'Canes 2 (SO)

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Super Stats]

The Hurricanes went through 65 minutes of hockey and a shootout without putting a single puck past Cristobal Huet with their sticks and yet somehow came away with a point that likely seals the deal on a Southeast Division title.

On the plus side, of course, the Caps banked another two points. But with both Philly and Boston winning and Carolina's lead at four points with five games to play, the reality is that the Caps gained next-to-nothing of value last night - they treaded water in the Conference and got one point closer in a Division that the 'Canes can wrap up with any combination of six points gained by them or not gained by the Caps with five games remaining for each team (in other words, if the Caps go 4-1 and Carolina goes 2-3, the 'Canes clinch).

As for that eighth spot, the Flyers have a magic number of seven with respect to the Caps with the same number of games left. Boston has a magic number of nine, but the B's have a game in hand on the Caps.

In summary (and if my math is correct), if the Caps finish 5-0, Carolina finish 3-2, Philly finishes 3-1-1 and Boston finishes 4-1-1, the Caps are out; if the Caps finish 4-1, Carolina finishes 2-3, Philly finishes 2-2-1 and Boston finishes 3-2-1, the Caps are out, and so on. Here's what each team has left:

• Washington: @ TB, @ FLA, CAR, TB, FLA
• Carolina: ATL, @ TB, @ WSH, TB, FLA
• Philadelphia: @ NJ, @ NYI, @ PIT, NJ, PIT
• Boston: TOR, OTT, @ BUF, @ NJ, @ OTT, BUF
  

Is there still hope? Sure. But the Caps can't do it on their own - they need some help even if they run the table.

Back to last night, some quick thoughts on the game:

• Huet has had a season's worth of fluky goals against in his month in D.C. And not to kick a man when he's down, but if I had a dime for every time I said to myself "Olie doesn't make that save," I'd have a buck or so.
  
• The team has been playing tight for a while now, with no one wanting to make a mistake. This is especially apparent in the conservative play of the defense, which hasn't scored a goal in March, but Boudreau's Flying Circus has been more or less reduced to an unreal first line, a very good power play, and any occasionally strong forecheck. They now have one non-empty net goal from someone other than a first-liner in their last five games (Matt Bradley's tally against Nashville).
  
• My guess is that Nicklas Backstrom won't win the Calder, in large part because people haven't watched the Caps enough to move past an "anyone could score on a line with Ovechkin" mentality, but the fact of the matter is he's as complete and mature a player as there is in this year's rookie class. His play on the Ovechkin goal - taking a bad drop pass from Viktor Kozlov and eventually putting it on a wide open AO's stick - was superb.
  
• Sergei Fedorov took 30 faceoffs (the most he's taken in a game since January 14, 2006 when he was a Blue Jacket and took 36 draws in a game against Florida), winning 16. On the night, the Caps won 59% of the faceoffs (it's nice to have Rod Brind'Amour and Matt Cullen out, eh?).
  
• Scott Walker ought to learn how to play the game under control.
  
• Sure, David A. Jensen played for D.C., but I think Joe B. was referring to Al Jensen when he noted that 'Canes forward Joe Jensen is no relation to the former Cap with the same last name.
• The Caps were out-hit 41 to 21. That's a bit of home-cookin', but there's no question Carolina carried the physical play.
  
• I hate Erik Cole, and by that I mean I respect him and wish he was on my team. I don't hate Eric Staal quite the same way.
  
• Thanks, Comcast - I didn't want to see the first shot of the shootout anyway.
• Cam Ward was fantastic.
• What are we going to do with Alex Semin? The guy's on a 40+ goal pace over his last 41 games (half a season) and has all the skill in the world, but has the hockey sense of a rabbit.
• Oh yeah, Alex Ovechkin scored Number 61, with no asterisk.
  

So two big points and it's off to Florida for the last two roadies of the season. Time's running out on the Caps, though, no matter how well they continue to play. They need help and they need it fast.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Happy Birthday to my little brother Pooh.... The Leafs and Sabres bloggers have called it a season. If the Panthers had bloggers, they would too. That leaves only one team on the outside looking in in the East, and we all know who that is.... Joe Finley + Bucky + haiku = awesome.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Joe Thornton (3G, including two in the third period to send the game to OT, A)
  
• Ross: Joe Thornton (4 points)
  
• Norris: Anton Volchenkov (Game-winning goal, 2A, +3, 2 SOG, 2 Hits, 2 BkS)
  
• Vezina: Marc-Andre Fleury (31-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Joe Thornton (3G)
  
• Calder: Nicklas Backstrom (2A, +1, 4 SOG, 67% faceoffs won)
  
• Aiken: Vesa Toskala (L, 5 goals allowed on 29 shots against)
  

T-Minus One Hour To Splashdown

With tonight's all-important Southeast showdown with the 'Canes, be on the lookout for perhaps the divingest diver of them all. No, not him.

This guy (he's even in his old-school swim trunks!):


Here's what Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff had to say of Eric Staal's histrionics just over a week ago:

"I was concerned with the diving in the last game in Carolina [an overtime loss March 8] when all of a sudden we had eight penalties against us," Ruff said. "[Staal] is a big man that I feel doesn’t need to go down as many times. I’ve seen enough games where he’s gone down where I just feel they’ve got some guys who embellish.

"I’ve said it in the past and I’ll say it again. I’m not going to duck from it. I thought they were embellishing some of the plays on the ice. I let the referee know and I let [Staal] know at the same time."

Eh, just an isolated case of a losing coach working the refs, right? Maybe. But Panthers' bench boss Jacques Martin has also raised the issue (repeatedly, in fact), and it actually paid off for him earlier in the year (for more on the 'Canes and Cats history on this point, click here).

Now, to be fair, Staal hasn't been whistled for a single diving penalty yet this year. That, of course, doesn't mean he's innocent... just that he hasn't gotten caught.

Let's hope the issue doesn't have cause to pop up again tonight.

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Le Journal de Montréal

Thirteen Questions With Alex Ovechkin

Thanks to Dmitry Chesnokov for passing along the translation of this interview Alex Ovechkin did recently with Gennady Boguslavsky, Sovsport’s Montreal based reporter:

1. If you were to have your jersey custom tailored, which designed would you pick to do it? Dolce & Gabbana of course. And if I was allowed to play in it I wouldn’t ever take it off. I’d sleep in it.
2. Maybe you will become a designer when you retire from the game? No way. I am not Maria Sharapova who comes up with designs of her handbags. I don’t have enough imagination for that.
3. When will Sidney Crosby score 50 goals in a season? May even be tomorrow! The guy is extremely talented. He could pick up a video game console, pick Pittsburgh as his team, and score 50 goals in one gaming session.
4. Is it possible to score a goal with a head in hockey? It is doable. But you shouldn’t try – because you can injure yourself very seriously, so that you won’t even realize whether it was you who scored the goal, maybe you won’t even remember your own name. You use your head to think. And also, as boxers say, you use it to eat.
5. What smells do you like, and what smells you can’t stand? I can’t stand bad breath. And I love how my girlfriend smells.
6. When you and your other guy friends go to a sauna, what does your friend Andrei Markov usually sings? Usually he sings “Pour some, we’ll talk” [Russian: “Nalivai, pogovorim”]
7. Is it true that Markov is an amazing chef? Yes, he can make an amazing burnt omelet in the morning.
8. What will happen if your tough guy Donald Brashear wakes up in a bad mood? We’ll try to “lift” it. The mood, not Brashear. You can’t lift Brash. He weighs in at a couple of hundred pounds.
9. Is it possible to play hockey on Mars? Why not? There are open air games in the NHL already. Although we might have to make a window in the schedule a little longer – it might take a while to get to Mars.
10. What would you say to President George W. Bush if you saw met him on the lawn in front of the White House? “What’s up, dude? How’s life?” And let him only pretend that he doesn’t know who I am.
11. Have you ever jumped with a parachute? No, it’s very risky. But I did do diving [high platform]. I am getting ready for the Beijing Olympics in that discipline. Maybe Markov and I could do a synchronized dive.
12. Who will be the next owner of the Washington Capitals? Roman Abramovich.
13. Who would drink more beer, you or Kovalchuk? Like someone said in one Russian movie: “Beer… would be great! No, only wine.” Nevertheless, Kovy and I don’t drink beer.

Once Again, Your First Star Of The Week...

Alex Ovechkin.

Per NHL.com: "Named the NHL's 'First Star' for the second time in three weeks and for the third time this season, Ovechkin led all scorers with seven points (three goals, four assists) in three games as the Capitals (37-31-8, 82 points) won two of three games to start their six-game road trip. Ovechkin notched one goal and two assists in a 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators Mar. 18, becoming the first player in franchise history to record multiple 100-point seasons and the fastest NHL player to reach 300 career points since Peter Forsberg in 1997-98. Ovechkin closed the week with two goals and two assists in a 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers Mar. 21, reaching the 60-goal mark for the first time in the NHL since Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr in 1995-96. Ovechkin leads the League in goals (60), points (106), power-play goals (21), game-winning goals (10) and shots (410)."

Sunday Roundup

"Know what the difference between hitting .250 and .300 is? It's 25 hits. Twenty-five hits in 500 at bats is 50 points, okay? There's six months in a season, that's about 25 weeks. That means if you get just one extra flare a week - just one - a gorp... you get a groundball, you get a groundball with eyes... you get a dying quail, just one more dying quail a week... and you're in Yankee Stadium." - Crash Davis in Bull Durham

For some reason, that quote keeps banging around my head these days when I think about the difference between making and missing the playoffs. It's going to be close. How close? Who knows. But in this year of mediocrity parity, you can bet that it will be five points or fewer.

Know what the difference between, say, 88 and 93 points in the standings is? It's five losses in overtime rather than in regulation, okay? There's six months in a season. That means if you get less than one more game per month to overtime before losing - just one - an extra save in the last thirty seconds of regulation... you get a clear into the corner rather than into your own net with 28 seconds left... you get one puck past a mediocre goalie in sixty minutes... you hold on to a tied game for four more minutes in a game in which your goalie, 50-feet from the net, fans on the puck... you - rather than the officials - get to decide the outcome of a game... you get a call or a bounce, just one more call or a bounce a month... and you're in the playoffs.

Each of those five games referenced above was a Caps loss... in regulation. In total, the Caps have twelve one-goal, sixty minute losses (and ten one-goal regulation wins). The Caps may still make or miss the playoffs, but either way, it's going to be closer than even the standings might indicate.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Damien Cox thinks Alex Ovechkin is a "talented loser" if the Caps miss the playoffs by a point, but the Hart winner if they're in. Tom Benjamin thinks Cox is a talented loser, minus the talent. I think "Damien Cox" sounds like a horror-porn actor.... Finally, one year ago today we briefly (and I mean briefly) recapped a Caps loss, watched an outstanding old school brawl and followed-up on the "fighting" post, and two years ago today we recapped yet another Caps loss and defended poor, defenseless Ovie.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Jarome Iginla (3G, including the game-winner, +2, 7 SOG, 3 Hits, 2 TkA, 0 GvA)
  
• Ross: Eight players tied with 3 points each
  
• Norris: Dion Phaneuf (G, 2A, +4, 8 SOG)
  
• Vezina: Dan Ellis (37 saves on 38 shots against in shootout win)
  
• Richard: Jarome Iginla (3G)
  
• Calder: Sam Gagner (2G, including the game-winner, +2, 8 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Jose Theodore (3 goals allowed on 8 shots against in just 14:29 of work)
  

Saturday Roundup/Caps 5, Thrash 3

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Super Stats]

Yesterday I wrote that "the Caps head to Atlanta desperate - which is when Bruce Boudreau's Caps have often been at their best."

Entering the third period of last night's game - trailing by a pair and having gone 0-45-5 in their previous 50 games when trailing after two - the Caps were at their most desperate. And, led by their Hart and Calder candidates, they were at their very best.

Washington outshot Atlanta by a whopping 23-2 margin, and beat the nearly impregnable Kari Lehtonen three times, a trio of tallies that including Alex Ovechkin's 60th goal on the season and Nicklas Backstrom's first - and second - third period goals of the campaign, 32 seconds apart. If you're more of a visual learner, here's the third period shot chart, with the Caps' shots on goal on the left (x's are saves, o's are goals) and Atlanta's on the right:


Some quick thoughts on the game:

• This was probably Cristobal Huet's worst game so far as a Cap, and if this is as bad as it gets, I'm on board.
• Steve Eminger had a very strong game and is a far better option than Sami Lepisto at the moment.
  
• Ovechkin's line - goal, two assists, plus-four, six shots on goal... in the third period. He had a goal on three shots and an even rating through two.
  
• Mike Green really got his legs back in the third period and finished the game with a pair of primary assists, seven shots on goal and a plus-three rating.
• The secondary scoring (especially at even strength) has all but disappeared again. Alex Semin and Viktor Kozlov each have two goals in March. Sergei Fedorov has one. Eric Fehr has none. Tomas Fleischmann has none since February 16. No blueliners have scored this month.
• Ovechkin hadn't gotten that much ice time (25:54) in a sixty minute game since a February 8th loss to Carolina in which he played an unbelieveable 27:56. Backstrom hadn't played that much (22:32) since he played 23:30 in that same game.
• Next goal milestone for Ovie? 61 - Most goals scored by a Capital in a single season (breaking Dennis Maruk's mark set in 1981-82); Most goals scored by a Russian-born player in a season since 1992-93 (breaking Pavel Bure's mark set in 1993-94).

A brutal stretch of four huge games - three of which came on the road - in six days is over, with the Caps winning three. The team is now off until Tuesday's showdown with the 'Canes in Raleigh, and then it's off to the Sunshine State for a pair before closing the season out with a trio of home games against those same three Southeast Division rivals.

One last push. Let's hope there's enough gas left in the tank.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Happy 31st Birthday Tom Poti.... Good article on Joe Finley and his diminutive D partner.... Finally, one year ago today, we had a discussion related to fighting in the game and recapped a Caps loss and two years ago today we trashed the loser point and offered a solution.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Alex Ovechkin (2G, 2A, +4, 9 SOG)
  
• Ross: Alex Ovechkin (4 points)
  
• Norris: Christian Backman (3A, +2)
  
• Vezina: Vesa Toskala (W, 35 saves on 36 shots against)
  
• Richard: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Daniel Briere, A.C. Slater (2G each)
  
• Calder: Nicklas Backstrom (2G, including the game-winner, A, +3, 3 SOG, 75% faceoffs won)
  
• Aiken: Ryan Miller (L, 4 goals allowed on 24 shots against)
  

Sweet 60th Goal, Sweeter 2 Points

Friday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ Thrash

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

One can safely assume that during and perhaps after Wednesday night's debacle in Chicago, Bruce Boudreau did for the Caps via tearing what German doctors mistakenly did for this woman via surgery. That disaster behind us (no pun intended), the Caps head to Atlanta desperate - which is when Bruce Boudreau's Caps have often been at their best.

In Atlanta, they'll find the League's worst team. Maybe not by record (though theirs is certainly nothing of which to be proud, and they do have a League-low 16 wins in regulation and haven't won an intra-Conference game of any type since the night after Valentine's Day), but just look at the mess this franchise is. They can't score. They can't keep opponents from scoring. They have the worst goals for/goals against differential in hockey. They have two defensemen whose plus/minus ratings are in the minus-twenties and eight forwards who are double-digit minus players. Their top line is an Ovechkin-wannabe Ilya Kovalchuk, Bobby Holik and Chris Thorburn and they don't have a goalie on the roster with a GAA under three.

Pretty sweet, ain't it?

Make no mistake about it, either - this is not the Caps or Pens of the past few years or the Kings or Hawks of this year. There isn't much help on the way in Atlanta. Thrashers GM (and current head coach) Don Waddell could write a book on how not to build a franchise, and three-quarters of it could focus on the blueline. For example, back in 2003, Donny Wads probably knew that he wanted to draft a top rearguard, having taken three forwards and a goalie with the franchise's previous four first round picks.

By the time Atlanta's pick (eighth overall) was up, Ryan Suter was gone, basically leaving Waddell with a choice between a pair of blueliners out of the WHL - Braydon Coburn and Dion Phaneuf. The Thrashers took the former - a decision that, at the time, didn't seem horrendous, given that Coburn was Central Scouting's top-rated defenseman overall, a couple of spots ahead of Phaneuf.

Anyway, Coburn played in all of 29 games for the Thrashers before Waddell shipped him to Philly for Alexei Zhitnik last February, and just over a year later, well, here's what everyone's got:

• Philadelphia: Coburn, who is getting 20-plus minutes per night and has a team-leading plus-eighteeen rating for the Flyers at a cap hit of $785,000.
• Calgary: Phaneuf, a franchise defenseman who hits everything that moves and already has a 20-goal season under his belt and for whom most NHL general managers would gladly sacrifice a testical (or at least a pinky toe).
• Atlanta: Zhitnik, a 35-year-old with three goals, five assists and a minus-eight rating in 65 games at a cap hit of more than $3.5 million this year and next season. In fairness, Zhitnik did help the Thrashers make the playoffs last year... where they won as many games as the Caps did.
  

Ouch.

The following year, 2004, Waddell went D-drafting again, this time taking Boris Valabik (a fairly by-the-book pick)... 13 spots before Andrej Meszaros, 17 before Jeff Schultz and 19 before Mike Green. Valabik made his NHL debut Wednesday night and was on the ice for all five goals the Thrash surrendered.

Bottom line: if you're looking for a reason that Atlanta's defense is so awful, look at the guy putting the team together and his inability to evaluate talent at the position. In nine drafts, I count exactly three NHL defensemen (not counting Valabik) - Garnet Exelby, Coburn (a no-brainer) and the gem that is Tobi Enstrom, taken with the 239th pick in that 2003 draft - and little in the system about which to get excited.

By contrast, over the same nine drafts, George McPhee has drafted six blueliners who have seen NHL minutes this season and other prospects with promise aplenty (let's just not revist that 2003 Draft in too much more detail, okay?).

So here's to Don Waddell - may he keep his job as GM in Atlanta for many years to come.

And while it's certainly enjoyable to revel in the Thrashers' suck, it has been costly to the Caps when you consider how generous Atlanta has been this season to the teams with whom the Caps are fighting for playoff spots. They've given Carolina 11 points in seven games on the campaign, nine in six to Florida, eight in four to Philly, six in four to Boston, five in four to Buffalo... and eight in seven to the Caps.

If the Caps can't turn that last stat into ten in eight tonight, they're going to be in a very difficult spot indeed.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Happy 42nd Birthday to Al "Bald Wild Thing" Iafrate.... Count Jim Kelley in the "he can be MVP without making the playoffs" camp.... Crazy Ron, however, is on the other side.... Mike Brophy's cold streak continues as he praises Chris Rooney for having a "solid" season. I tend to disagree.... GMGM was on this team (though I'm not sure I see him in that team pic - could that be him in the back right?) and he's griping about the length of the Caps' current road trip? Heh.... Speaking of firing up the Wayback Machine, Rink Reader Buddy reminded me the other day of a Glen Hanlon nugget that no doubt will win you a beer in a bar someday.... Matt Pettinger has three goals for Vancouver, and they're lovin' him. Good for Princess.... Say what you will about Georges Laraque (no, really... please do), but there can be no denying that he has a way with words (near the bottom; h/t Hockeyfights.com).... Ranger fans can be unfriendly? Get out.... Finally, one year ago today we got fantastic news from across the pond, almost equally fantastic news from The Big Apple, and previewed that night's Caps/Sabres game (which featured the Caps' first meeting with "former Cap" Dainius Zubrus), and two years ago today we recapped another Caps loss, but it wasn't just any loss - it was the "Ovechkin Benching" game (and the kid's been nothing but trouble since).

Daily Awards

• Hart: Alexei Kovalav (2G, including the game-winner, A, +3, 6 SOG)
  
• Ross: Alexei Kovalev, Shane Doan, Peter Mueller (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Tom Preissing (2G, 3 SOG, 2 hits)
  
• Vezina: Cam Ward (36 saves on 37 shots against in shootout win)
  
• Richard: Alexei Kovalev, Tom Preissing, Pavel Datsyuk, Alexander Radulov (2G each)
  
• Calder: Peter Mueller (3A)
  
• Aiken: Nick Boynton (0 points, -3)

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Toronto Sun

Thursday Roundup/'Hawks 5, Caps 0

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Super Stats]

Oy. The Caps picked a helluva time to lay an egg, eh?

I don't know where to start with last night's team effort loss, so I won't. The bottom line is simply that an already small margin for error is now tiny and approaching Martin St. Louis-sized - if you buy into this statistical model, the Caps now have a 17.7% chance to make the playoffs, with a 5-1-1 finish giving them only a 61.7% shot at the post-season.

Tomorrow night in Atlanta the Caps will try to get things back on track. Every game from here on out is more or less an elimination game - let's see how they respond.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

You know who hates Bill McCreary? I mean, besides everyone? The Sens and their fans.... I'd love to know which coach is the jackass who dropped the second quote in this article, especially in light of the fact that 14 goals in 21 games is a 55+ goal pace.... Everyone knows that Josh Godfrey has a bomb of a shot.... Finally, one year ago today we took Dave Fay to task for a questionably titled article that only got worse from there, smacked around the Dallas Stars' owner for an aggressive display of mock outrage and took a peak at the Vezina race, and two years ago today we previewed that night's Caps/Habs game and threw some nice little nuggets your way.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Jason Pominville (2G, 2A, +4)
  
• Ross: Jason Pominville (4 points)
  
• Norris: Mike Weber (+5, 5 hits, and in answer to your next question... Buffalo)
  
• Vezina: Nikolai Khabibulin (25-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Henrik Zetterberg, Thomas Vanek (3G each)
  
• Calder: Jonathan Toews (G, 4 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Karri Ramo (L, 6 goals allowed on 31 shots against, 3 goal third period lead blown... thanks)
  

Wednesday Roundup/Caps 3, Preds 2Gamenight: Caps @ 'Hawks

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

Play twenty minutes and head to Chicago.

Not the gameplan that Bruce Boudreau drew up, to be sure, but the Caps will take those two points and skip town in a hurry. Some quick thoughts on the game:

• You know that in-game "entertainment" at Verizon Center where two fans compete for cheers to determine who butchers a 15-second clip of play-by-play work less? I'm not sure Al Koken would win that promotion more than maybe half the time.
  
• Alex Ovechkin showing wrap around and passing back short-side to Nicklas Backstrom = money.
• Alex Ovechkin's geometry (and selflessness) = money.
  
• Alex Ovechkin's shot blocking = nervous.
• I have never in my entire life seen a completely unimpeded player shoot further wide than Donald Brashear did on one first period attempt.
  
• Alex Semin got the "just shoot the damn puck" memo.
  
• Jordin Tootoo's dive into the boards after a Tom Poti love tap was Avery-esque, and the late tripping call on Matt Cooke was junk.
  
• Sami Lepisto is over-matched right now.
• Cristobal Huet is not.
• The turquoise tank top on the blonde behind the Caps' bench nearly was.
• Can Sergei Fedorov play 20 minutes in the first of back-to-backs in March and have anything left for the second game? We'll find out.
• Speaking of older Russians, Viktor Kozlov was a dog out there last night. Hopefully he was saving himself for the 'Hawks.
  
• The Caps missed David Steckel, as they were dominated in the faceoff circle (though Boyd Gordon did win 64% of his draws).
• The ice at the Sommet Center appeared to be a bit choppy. Unrelated - Sommet is pronounced So-may? Really?
  

So it's off to Chicago, where the Blackhawks have to win out to make the playoffs (good luck with that), the Caps will look for another two points, Nicklas Backstrom will look to prove himself against two of his top Calder competitors, and Alex Ovechkin will look to score his 59th goal of the season - which would (completing the loop on Chicago) be more goals than Bobby Hull ever scored in a campaign.

Marek Zidlicky tries to hide from his fan club, not realizing that they can see through the netting.
Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

In light of Vesa Toskala's one goal allowed last night, there's a great "Best of the Worst" compilation over at PPP... Finally, one year ago today we recapped a huge Caps win that featured a four-point game by Tomas Fleischmann (which is as many points as he has in 11 games since February 15).

Daily Awards

• Hart: Alexander Ovechkin (G, 2A, +2, 4 SOG, 2 Hits, 3 BkS
  
• Ross: Alexander Ovechkin, Shane Doan, Rick Nash, Sam Gagner, Derek Morris, Ales Hemsky, Tom Gilbert (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Derek Morris (G, 2A)
  
• Vezina: Brian Boucher (W, 29 saves on 30 shots against)
  
• Richard: Sean Avery, Curtis Glencross, Manny Malhotra (2G each)
  
• Calder: Sam Gagner (G, 2A, 4 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Ilya Bryzgalov (3 goals allowed on 11 shots against in just one period of work)

Tuesday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ Preds

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

And so it begins.

The Caps can't make the playoffs with a great road trip, but they sure as hell can take themselves out of post-season contention if things don't go well. Six games: Nashville, Chicago, Atlanta, Carolina, Tampa and Florida. What do you think - gotta have eight points, at a bare minimum?

The good news is that none of these teams is unbeatable. Nashville lost big at home to the worst team in hockey on Saturday (but then rebounded to beat the League's best team on the road the next day). Chicago is a nice story in the way that the Caps were a "nice story," but here it is mid-March and the Caps are still playing meaningful games while the 'Hawks are optimistically looking towards next year. And, of course, there's the trio of Southeast Division foes, each of whom the Caps have beaten at least twice already this season.

The bad news is that the Caps haven't exactly shone brightly in big games lately. In fact, since the night they triumphantly stood atop the Southeast Division for the first time in years, they've gone a respectable (thanks to the current three-game win streak) 9-6-3, but only 2-3-1 within the Division, and even in some of their wins haven't been at their best.

"It looked like we were afraid to make a mistake instead of, 'Let's go get them,' and play the way we can.... We were tight a little bit out there because of the importance of the game," said Bruce Boudreau of Sunday's game against Boston, but he could just as easily have been talking about any number of games since early February.

Of course, the more cautious play has yielded some impressive defensive numbers, most notably 19 goals allowed in the last 11 games. Cristobal Huet (tonight's starter) is on fire (1.69 GAA, .940 SV% in his last five games; coincidentally, Huet has already faced the Preds this season, stopping 40 shots but losing in a shootout after giving up three late third period goals). Olie Kolzig (tomorrow night's starter) is also on fire (1.20 GAA, .942 SV% in his last four games). And so on. But the Caps need to be more aggressive and less-easily frustrated than they were on Sunday, or else they're going to see nothing but one-fours the rest of the way.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), this sets up as a game in which both teams have every incentive to play a tight, low-risk sixty minutes and then take their chances in overtime or the shootout - the Preds, like the Caps, are within striking distance of eighth place in the conference, but on the outside looking in. Will either team open it up, or will it be a "wink-wink, nudge-nudge, see you in sixty minutes when we each have a point" affair? Tune in to find out.

His seven years of mourning The Intimidator complete, Bobby Joe realized it was his destiny to put his gift of back hair maintenance to further use and start the Marek Zidlicky Fan Club
Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

If you missed this Larry Wigge article on Olie Kolzig, unmiss it now.... Should the Caps miss the playoffs, be prepared for six thousand "Can you miss the playoffs and be MVP?" articles like this one.... Speaking of the Hart Trophy, Mike Brophy's top six candidates early yesterday morning were Jarome Iginla, Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, Nicklas Lidstrom, Evgeni Malkin and Vincent Lecavalier. Apparently he had a cup of coffee and came back and remembered that other guy a couple of hours later.... And speaking of brain-dead journos, Pierre LeBrun names ten Coach of the Year candidates, but doesn't list Gabby among 'em.... I sure hope Nicklas Backstrom is mentally ready for tonight's game after no doubt being shaken by this news.... The Top 10 Defensemen of All-Time apparently doesn't include Rod Langway or Scott Stevens.... It'll be "a crying shame if the Washington Capitals don't make the NHL playoffs." Agreed.... Happy 30th Birthday to former Cap Jan Bulis.... Finally, one year ago today we looked at two rumors (one of which more or less panned out - I'll let you figure out which one) and two years ago today we previewed that night's Caps/Kitties match up.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Henrik Sedin (2G, 4 SOG)
  
• Ross: Brent Burns, Sami Salo, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Kevin Bieksa (2 points each)
  
• Norris: Brent Burns (G, A, +1, 5 SOG, 6 hits)
  
• Vezina: Niklas Backstrom (W, 29 saves on 30 shots against)
  
• Richard: Henrik Sedin (2G)
  
• Calder: Daniel Carcillo (G, 21 PIMs... at least he gets the fantasy Calder)
  
• Aiken: Peter Forsberg (0 points, 0 SOG, -2)

Top 10 Patricks In Hockey History

Originally posted on St. Patrick's Day 2006, updated for '08.

March. In like Steve Lyon, out like Mark Lamb. But halfway through the month that ushers in spring is the all-too-frequently-overlooked psuedo-holiday (Stateside, at least) of St. Patrick's Day, which, oddly enough, celebrates St. Patrick, the patron saint of consuming green beer and eggs at eight o'clock in the morning.

As I pondered how I would honor the memory of the countless Irishman (Guinness and Smithwick, to name just two) throughout the centuries who have fought valiantly and made the ultimate sacrifice so that I could enjoy kegs and eggs, I found myself searching for a deeper meaning to attach to this annual commemoration. As I often do at such times, I turned to hockey and began to think of all the Patricks the game has seen through the years. Then I thought about the Pats. And the Patriks. But I never really thought about the Patrices, truth be told.

Anyway, what follows is a list of the Top 10 Patricks In Hockey History (with allowances for the aforementioned variations on the name). So fire up some Pogues, pour a shot of Jameson, break out the shillelagh, dance a jig - whatever Irish thing it is that you do - and get ready to discover the true meaning of St. Patrick's Day, NHL style.

10. Patrick Flatley (1984-1997) - Flatley (pictured) won an NCAA Championship for the University of Wisconsin and then played on various Canadian national teams, including representing his country at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics, before the former first-round pick made his NHL debut for the New York Islanders in late 1984. In 780 career games for the Islanders and Rangers, Flatley racked up 170 goals and 510 points, four times topping 50 points in a season and finishing with a career plus-64 rating.

9. Patrik Sundstrom (1982-92) - An accomplished winger in international play and in the Swedish Elite League before coming over to North America, the talented NHL Sundstrom twin tallied 219 goals and 588 points in 679 career NHL games with the Canucks and Devils, topping the 20-goal plateau six times.

8. Patrick Marleau (1997-current) - Drafted second overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, Marleau averaged better than a point-per-game in the first two years after the lockout, but has regressed a bit and is suffering through a relatively miserable 2007-08. The two-time All-Star has scored 20 goals or more in seven of his nine full seasons, but it seems unclear as to whether he's going to be climbing this list in the future or falling off of it.

7. Patrik Elias (1996-current) - A fixture in the Devils lineup since the 1997-98 season, Elias (pictured) has already won two Stanley Cups and played in two All-Star games. He is a six-time 20-goal scorer, three times topping thirty goals, and has totalled 262 goals, 623 points and a staggering plus-163 in 738 career games. Elias, who turns 32 next month, has already played in more than 120 playoff games in his NHL career and has twice represented the Czech Republic at the Olympics, winning a bronze in 2006.

6. James Patrick (1984-2004) - A 1982 NCAA Champion at the University of North Dakota and a Canadian Olympian in 1984, Patrick was taken 9th overall in the 1981 entry draft by the New York Rangers and did not disappoint, playing a steady blueline for parts of eleven seasons with the Blueshirts. Patrick spent the last six seasons of his 21-year career in Buffalo and finished with 639 points and a plus-104 rating in 1280 NHL games to go alongside an enormous amount of international experience.

5. Pat Verbeek (1983-2002) - Affectionately nicknamed "The Little Ball of Hate," Verbeek, a two-time All-Star and one-time Stanley Cup winner (in Dallas), played 20 NHL seasons and piled up 522 goals, 1063 points and 2905 penalty minutes in 1424 career games. Listed at 5-foot-9, but probably shorter, Verbeek topped 40-goals and 200-PIMs in a season four times each (achieving both in three separate campaigns).

4. Pat LaFontaine (1983-98) - In 14 seasons, LaFontaine scored 468 goals and totalled 1013 points in 865 games. The two-time 50-goal and two-time 100-point scorer won the Masterson Trophy in 1995, was a member of the 1996 World Cup of Hockey Gold Medal team and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003. LaFontaine is arguably the greatest American-born player of all-time, though some may disagree.

3. Pat Quinn (player 1968-77; head coach 1978-82, 1984-87, 1991-94, 1996, 1998-current) - A long time minor league blueliner before getting his first shot at the NHL in 1968 with the Leafs, Quinn (pictured) never posted big numbers on the ice and may be best remembered as a player for his questionable hit on Bobby Orr in the 1969 playoffs. But Quinn's biggest contributions to the game have come from behind the bench, where he currently ranks fourth in all-time wins and games coached, won the 1980 Jack Adams Award and coached Team Canada to Olympic Gold in Salt Lake City in 1992 2002.

2. Patrick Roy (1985-2003) - The NHL's "Saint Patrick" won a Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player in his rookie year and never looked back. He would go on to win two more Conn Smythes, two more Stanley Cups, five Jennings Trophies, three Vezina Trophies and appear in 11 All-Star games before retiring in 2003 with the most wins of any goalie in hockey history (both regular season and playoffs).

1. The Patrick Family - The individual members of the Patrick would probably account for more than half of the spots on this list, so taking the family as a whole seemed the way to go. And as my summary could never be as inclusive and concise as the first family of hockey would deserve, I'll let a 2001 Hockey Digest Article shortchange the Patricks:

Many hockey innovations owe their origins to the Patrick family: player numbers, artificial ice rinks, line substitutions, and the establishment of both the playoffs and the minor league farm system. The die was cast with brothers Frank and Lester Patrick [pictured], the most influential men in hockey during the NHL's infancy. Their Hall of Fame example was passed on to Lynn and Muzz Patrick, who excelled both on the ice and in the front office from 1934 to 1977. The latest members of "Hockey's Royal Family"--Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Craig Patrick and Washington Capitals [team President] Dick Patrick--have continued the standard of excellence set by their parents and grandparents.

Every major role in hockey has been filled with distinction by some member of this immortal hockey family--player, coach, manager, governor, innovator, advocate, and architect of Stanley Cup championship teams. But no member of the family ever exploited his nobility. Lynn didn't get signed by his father's New York Rangers until a rival manager warned Lester, "either put him on your list, or I'll put him on ours." Lynn's son, Craig, started his executive career as an assistant coach and assistant general manager with the 1980 U.S. Olympic team before his ascent to the top echelon of the NHL. Authors of a hockey legacy as rich as it is long, the Patricks have earned their place as the greatest family in hockey.

"The name is synonymous with hockey," says former Montreal Canadiens star John Ferguson. "The Patricks have made a huge impact on the game, not only on the ice, but off the ice as well--and they're continuing to do that to this day."

For more on the Patrick clan, head down to your local library or check out Mike Vogel's excellent piece entitled "The Patrick Heritage."

Honorable mention (in no particular order): Patrick Kane, Rory Fitzpatrick, Patrick O'Sullivan, Toronto St. Patricks, Patrick Lalime, Pat Peake (sentimental choice and the best argument yet for no-touch icing), Pat Conacher, Pat Riggin

Dishonorable mention (in order of number of times taken second overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft): Pat Falloon

Russians, French Lead Caps To Victory

Sergei Fedorov scored in regulation (his first goal as a Cap), Alex Semin and Viktor Kozlov each scored in the shootout, and Cristobal Huet stopped 39 of 40 shots through OT and both Boston shootout attempts to lead the Caps to a 2-1 "must win" win.

Now the Caps head out on a make-or-break six-game road trip with hope still very much alive.

When this picture was taken, Nicklas Backstrom was four years old

The Great One On The Great Eight

It's been two-plus years since he had one of the best seats in the house for "The Goal" and apparently someone got around to asking Wayne Gretzky what he thinks of Alex Ovechkin nowadays.

The Great One's response?

"Ovechkin has the release and hands that Bossy had. He's got the quickness that (Jari) Kurri had. And he's got the toughness that (Mark) Messier had. He's the whole package."

High praise indeed. And how many goals could Number Eight score in a season?

"I think he could score 90 in a season."

Damn.

Ovechkin will go for number 58 tomorrow against the Bruins.

Update: Speaking of Gretzky and comparisons, The Great One's former teammate, Kevin Lowe, offered up this one:

"(Nicklas) Backstrom's elusive ... he kind of reminds me of Wayne."

When Twenty Is Old

With the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season wrapping up tomorrow, diminutive Caps prospect Mathieu Perreault (who the Caps list at 5'9", 151 pounds) is, in all likelihood, going to end up leading the League in scoring - which, of course, is great, especially since he'll be the second consecutive Caps prospect to do so and adding a Jean Béliveau Trophy to a resume that already includes a Michel Brière Memorial Trophy (as that league's MVP) certainly ain't bad.

But is leading the Q in scoring a decent predictor of NHL success? I'll let you be the judge of that.

Below are Perreault and the last twenty QMJHL scoring leaders (active NHLers noted with an asterisk, other Briere Trophy winners noted with a plus) along with their age at the end of the given season, their total points that season, NHL games played to date and NHL points to date.

2007-08: Mathieu Perreault+ (20, 113+; 0, 0)
2006-07: Francois Bouchard (18, 125; 0, 0)
2005-06: Alexander Radulov*+ (19, 152; 135, 91)
2004-05: Sidney Crosby*+ (17, 168; 209, 289)
2003-04: Sidney Crosby*+ (16, 135; 209, 289)
2002-03: Joel Perrault*+ (19, 116; 72, 22)
2001-02: Pierre-Marc Bouchard*+ (17, 140; 344, 216)
2000-01: Simon Gamache+ (20, 184; 48, 13)
1999-00: Brad Richards*+ (19, 186; 558, 497)
1998-99: Mike Ribeiro* (19, 167; 427, 288)
1997-98: Ramzi Abid+ (17, 135; 68, 30)
1996-97: Pavel Rosa (19, 152; 36, 18)
1995-96: Daniel Briere* (18, 163; 553, 437)
1994-95: Patrick Carignan (I can't even find a birthdate on this dude, 137; 0, 0)
1993-94: Yanick Dube+ (19, 141; 0, 0)
1992-93: Rene Corbet (19, 148; 362, 132)
1991-92: Patrick Poulin (18, 138; 634, 235)
1990-91: Yanic Perreault*+ (19, 185; 853, 513)
1989-90: Patrick Lebeau (20, 174; 15, 5)
1988-89: Stephane Morin (19, 186; 90, 55)
1987-88: Patrice Lefebvre (18, 200; 3, 0)

Point being - and this is not to take anything away from Perreault's accomplishment - before anyone gets too excited, note that the last two 20-year-olds to lead the Q in scoring (both of whom, like Perreault, were listed at 5'10" or smaller and drafted in the late rounds) have combined for 18 points in 63 career NHL games and 1,350 points in 1,156 non-NHL games since leaving the QMJHL.

So does being small and 20 when leading the Q in scoring doom one to a career of bouncing around various second- and third-tier leagues with the occasional NHL cup of coffee? Let's just say that Mathieu Perreault has his work cut out for him if he's going to break the mold.

Saturday Open Thread

Client-8 makes Kari his Kristen

Friday Roundup/Gamenight: Thrash @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

I've got some good news and some bad news. Which do you want first? The bad? You don't get a preview of tonight's game from me (I know, you're crying). But as this is the 43rd time the Caps have played Atlanta this season, you shouldn't need one (though here's a little nugget for you - Atlanta is 2-9-3 in the second game of back-to-backs, and they had a barn-burner with Calgary last night).

The good news? I've got an awesome Friday time waster for you - the Japers' Rink Eastern Conference Playoff Predictor, which I have shamelessly ripped off from Battle of Alberta. Think the Caps still have a shot at the playoffs? Think they're done? Not sure? Predict the rest of the season's games that matter and you'll find the answers to all of your questions. Note: it's an Excel doc, so when you click on the thumbnail below you'll be prompted to download a file (don't worry, I've been checked out - no viruses here), then open it, follow the directions and you're on your way.


So are you throwing down a deposit on playoff tickets or drowning your sorrows? Let us know how your top eight pans out in the comments, and keep The Predictor on your desktop, update it daily, feed and water it, etc. - it's yours now.

Ovechkin Watch:

Next goal: 57 - Most goals scored in a season since the lockout (breaking Jonathan Cheechoo's mark set in 2005-06); Most goals scored in his first three seasons in the League by a European-born player (breaking Pavel Bure's mark of 154)

Career vs. Atlanta: 22 games, 17 goals
2007-08 vs. Atlanta: 6 games, 3 goals

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Olie Kolzig as the all-time face of the franchise - what do you think?... Ted Leonsis was on the Junks earlier in the week and the interview can be heard here (segments 6, 7 and 8 from 3/12; h/t to Rage) Bengt Gustafsson's son Anton may already be a top NHL prospect, but another Swedish Cap pivot's kid may not be far behind (h/t to Rich for the link).... Matt Pettinger misses the Caps more than they miss him.... Justin Mrazek (8th round, 2004) has been solid for Union College.... I haven't the foggiest idea who Nathan Schwartzbauer is, but the Caps are his favorite team, so he can't be all bad (and yes, that might be the most worthless link I've ever posted)....Memo to GMGM: sign Mike Green before he reads this article.... Finally, one year ago today we railed against a silly rule change and two years ago today we heard about the team's summer plans and noted a couple of fantastic Daniel Alfredsson quotes.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Ilya Kovalchuk (3G, A, +2, 5 SOG)
  
• Ross: Ilya Kovalchuk (4 points)
  
• Norris: Brent Burns (G, A, +2, 7 SOG)
  
• Vezina: Martin Gerber (28-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Ilya Kovalchuk (3G)
  
• Calder: Erik Ersberg (W, 37 saves on 38 shots against)
  
• Aiken: Mathieu Garon (L, 3 goals allowed on 14 shots against in 24:55 of work)
  

Thursday Open Thread

In the spirit of The Pensblog...

Congrats to Olie Kolzig on his milestone win, and, for those of you keeping score at home:

55. More goals than Glenn Anderson or Pat LaFontaine ever scored in a single season
56. More goals than Cam Neely or Dino Ciccarelli ever scored in a single season

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