Tuesday Roundup

A little more than a week ago, Caps Assistant GM Don Fishman (a.k.a. possessor of perhaps my safest-for-work dream job) sat down with a group of season ticket holders for some "Chalk Talk," a team-hosted Q&A with a member of the organization.

Fishman was surprisingly candid about the team's salary cap situation - the Caps, at that point, were $190,000 below the $56.7 million ceiling. Not $305,000 below or $668,899 below, but $190,000 below.

So what does $190,000 get you in the NHL these days? Well, it'll get you about 55 days (not games, but days) of Chris Bourque or 50 days of Sami Lepisto or or 43 days of Simeon Varlamov or 21 days of Karl Alzner (or three days of Alex Ovechkin).

It'll also get you saving money wherever you can. For example, perusing the AHL transactions page, I noticed this:

Click to enlarge

A couple of paper transactions and $5,107.53 saved? Perhaps - every penny counts (note, too, that the team wasn't exactly broadcasting their moves either - the October 31 press release on Sloan's demotion noted that "Sloan, 27, returns to Hershey after being recalled by the Caps on Oct. 20."). [Update: see the comments for why the cap probably isn't why this was going on, though the underlying point remains]

So things are tight. Damn tight. And remember, teams have to leave some room for short-term injury replacements (i.e. if another defenseman goes down with a day-to-day injury and the team calls up Lepisto, they do so at $3,763.44 per day against the cap while the guy he's replacing is also still counting against the cap).

In other words, barring some serious salary cap shedding, this is the team the Caps will be going with the rest of the way. That $4 million right wing or blueliner you were hoping for at the deadline for a prospect and a pick? Don't count on it - if the Caps are at $190k below the cap at the deadline, they'll only be able to afford about nine days of a player at that salary.

Which brings us to King Karl. To make it easy, let's assume the Caps stay where they are vis a vis the cap and team health, and that they're going to send down Tyler Sloan to make room for Alzner and that they're willing to bump right up against the cap (which is unrealistic because of injuries, as noted before). The earliest it could possibly happen? March 13, give or take a day.

Like I said, these are your 2008-09 Caps - hope you like 'em.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

If you didn't catch this story on former Caps prospect Robert Mueller yesterday, make sure to now.... At least the Caps made Ryan Getzlaf's day suck a little more back in 2003 (and look - an article about that 2003 Entry Draft that mentions Eric Fehr, though not in the context of "impact players").... Somehow Alex Semin is losing All-Star votes. You can't pin this one on Sarah Palin, elitist liberal media!... A couple of power rankings from yesterday, where the Caps are up two to seventh at CBSSports.com and up three to sixth at The Hockey News (where they refer to Jose Theodore as either an emergency contraceptive pill or a Huey Lewis & The News album - and I'm not sure which is worse).... Wait, I thought it was Ovechkin, not Nicklas Backstrom, who folks thought resembled the Geico caveman.... Thanks to sk8 for passing along this article on John Erskine.... Want to know how Ben Clymer ended up in Minsk? I mean, other than by being a sub-NHL caliber hockey player? He's happy to tell you.... Finally, for the fan who needs all of his (or her) Carrie Milbank pictures in one place, there's this (thanks, Phil, from all of us).

Giving Erskine His Props

John Erskine is the Caps' best defensive defenseman and is only very slightly worse than Nicklas Lidstrom as a defensive defenseman.

Mirtle reports. You decide (and if you want more ammo, head over to TRS).

Erskine Signs For... Wait For It... $2.5 Million

John Erskine's two-year contract extension will pay him $1.25 million in each of the next two years. To what does he owe this 127% raise? Here's a bit of what he did last season:

• He had two goals, seven assists and a plus-1 rating in 51 games played.
  
• He had 24% more minor penalties than anyone on the team, despite playing 25 fewer games than his closest competition in this category. In fact, he had the most penalties taken per sixty minutes of ice time of any defenseman in the NHL who played at least 20 games, the most penalties taken per sixty of any Cap, and the most minor penalties of anyone who played 51 or fewer games (the next closest was Andy Wozniewski who had ten fewer minors in three fewer games).
  
• He saw his fight totals drop from 13 in 2005-06 to five in 2006-07 and four last season.
  
• He had the worst Corsi Rating on the team, despite playing against the weakest competition.
  

To be fair, he did some good things in 2007-08, but I just don't see how it makes sense to sign a 28-year-old third-pairing (at best) defenseman with Erskine's "upside" to this deal at this time. Was there really a huge risk that he'd play himself into much more than a $1.25 million defenseman this season?

The bottom line is that Erskine wasn't even a good value last year at $537,500 - is he going to be one at more than twice that cost next year and the year after that?

Caps Extend Erskine: Mo Than Meets The Eye?

Per Tarik, the Caps have signed John Erskine to a two-year extension that will keep him in D.C. (should they so decide) through the 2010-11 season. We can debate the wisdom of the signing, but first, let's take a look at what it means to the blueline corps in the medium-to-long-term.

To begin with, the Caps already have Mike Green and Tom Poti locked up for the next couple of years or more, so add Erskine and that's three NHL rearguards (insert joke here) under contract for the next two years.

Beyond that trio, the Caps obviously have high hopes for Karl Alzner, and have shown differing degrees of faith in 2004 draftees Jeff Schultz and Sami Lepisto. You'd expect all three to at least get a fair chance at a spot within the next two years (Schultz obviously already has one), and Tyler Sloan is currently getting an audition in The Show. Other prospects (John Carlson and Josh Godfrey, for example) are a little further off, time-wise.

Which brings us to Shaone Morrisonn and Milan Jurcina. It's pretty clear that this is a fish-or-cut-bait season for Juice, but I wouldn't be so sure that Mo has a spot sewn up yet. He's more than twice as expensive as Jurcina, and, frankly, still needs to prove that he's worth it. Yes, he's tough. Yes, he plays big minutes against top competition. And yes, he covers Mike Green's backside. But he's also just a couple of months removed from beating the team in arbitration (after a contentious hearing) and if the Caps had full confidence in him (there are indications that GMGM might not even consider him a top four guy), they'd have signed him to a long-term deal by now, no? I'm not saying they won't, I'm just saying they haven't.

The point is that the Caps look to carry seven defensemen for the foreseeable future, and with Erskine signing an extension, the number of spots up for grabs (barring a trade or a relatively cheap buyout) is reduced by one. You do the math and tell me who the odd man out is.

A Brief History Of John Erskines

As John Erskine battles for minutes (and perhaps even a roster spot) on the Caps blueline, we pause and reflect upon other John Erskines throughout history (just go with it, people).

For example, there's this dandy John Erskine, the benefactor of the Erskine Programme at the University of Canterbury:


And this next John Erskine, the early-20th Century American educator and author, who noted, "There's a difference between beauty and charm. A beautiful woman is one I notice. A charming woman is one who notices me." Well put, Ersky.


Stepping back in time a couple of centuries, the 2nd Earl of Mar was this dashing John Erskine:


In fact, there were at least ten Earls of Mar named John Erskine, including this chap, "Bobbing John" Erskine, 23rd Earl of Mar:


Which brings us back to "our" John Erskine, who know doubt brings honor to the name (and could probably kick the collective asses of all of the above at once):


Whether or not the Caps' number four can duplicate in 2008-09 the 15 minutes per night that he got in 51 games last season remains to be seen. But if he doesn't, at least he's got his name (and this bad ass crest) to fall back on, which is something.

Or not.

Bye Bye Brookbank

The Carolina Hurricanes pulled off one of those goofy pick-for-rights trades today and acquired the pesky Darcy Hordichuk from Nashville in exchange for a fifth-round pick in next year's draft.

As Bubba points out, that likely spells the end of Wade Brookbank's 'Canes career (and at just 32 games), which is too bad. He'll be missed:

2007-08 Rink Wrap: John Erskine

From Backstrom to Steckel, we're taking a quick look at and grading the 2007-08 season for every player* who laced 'em up for the Caps during the campaign (and is still with the team) with an eye towards 2008-09. Next up, John Erskine.

Contract Status: $537,000 cap hit in 2008-09; UFA after 2008-09
Age (as of October 1, 2008): 28
NHL Seasons (including 2007-08): 5+
2007-08 Regular Season Stats: 51 games played, 2 goals, 7 assists, +1, 96 PIMs
Key Stat: Despite playing 25 fewer games than his closest competition in this category, Erskine had 24% more minor penalties than anyone on the team.
Surprising(ly depressing) Stat: Erskine had as many goals on the campaign as Tom Poti (who played in 20 more games).

The Good: Erskine set a career high in points and assists this season and tied his career best in goals and plus/minus, all of which foreshadowed the offensive explosion we witnessed in the playoffs (two assists and a plus-one rating in seven games). When it mattered most - in March and April - Erskine had a plus-five rating in ten games and didn't have a single game in which he was minus. Big John was also second among the team's blueliners in blocked shots per minute of ice time (Milan Jurcina was first, but Quintin Laing, of course, kicked both of their asses in that stat).

The Bad: Erskine had the most penalties taken per sixty minutes of ice time of any defenseman in the NHL who played at least 20 games, the most penalties taken per sixty of any Cap, and the most minor penalties of anyone who played 51 or fewer games (the next closest was Andy Wozniewski who had ten fewer minors in three fewer games). And while he may be "a willing pugilist," his fight totals have dropped from 13 in 2005-06 to five last season and four this season. Despite the high blocked shot totals, opponents averaged more shots on goal per sixty minutes (and the Caps averaged fewer shots for) when Ersky was on the ice than any other Cap rearguard.

The Vote: Rate Erskine on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) based on his performance relative to his potential for the season - if he had the best year you could have imagined him having, give him a 10; if he more or less played as you expected he would, give him a 5 or a 6; if he had the worst year you could have imagined him having, give him a 1.

The Questions: What role do you see Erskine playing on the 2008-09 Caps? What will it take for him to earn a 10 rating next year?

If you've missed any of the previous 2007-08 Rink Wraps, click here, get caught up, and vote - polls will stay open for a while.

* And by "every," we mean every one who played more than just a handful of games.

A Quick Pre-Game Prayer

Dear Pope Benedict XVI -

While you're in town and I've got your ear, I'd like to ask a favor. Now, I'm not Catholic, but I was wondering if you could take a quick second and have a word with the big guy and ask him to help Bruce Boudreau come to the realization that John Erskine has no business being on the ice in this series.

Doesn't Gabby realize that Erskine had the worst penalties drawn per sixty minutes of ice time of any defenseman in hockey with at least twenty games played this past season? In a series that matches up the League's second-ranked power play against the its 25th-ranked penalty kill, it's only a matter of time before that costs the Caps, and his slow feet already have (on the R.J. Umberger game-winner in Game 2).

I understand that Erskine brings a physical element to the blueline, but where has that been?

Which brings me to my next point - I'm not sure what Steve Eminger has to do to prove he's deserving of Erskine's minutes. He has a better penalties-drawn-to-penalties-taken ratio than Erskine, a better takeaway-to-giveaway ratio, and, most importantly, the Caps are 15-5-1 with him in the lineup. I mean, Jesus, err, jeez.

Anyway, I'm not going to ask for your help in tonight's game - the Caps have something similar to divine intervention of their own. But if you could provide some assistance in either guiding Gabby's pen or Erskine's skates, I'd appreciate it.

Yours In Caps,

J.P.

P.S. It's good to see you rockin' your red.

Caps Recall Lepisto

Earlier in the day, Tyler asked, "Why were the Caps willing to bring up Lepisto to replace Erskine but not to replace Poti tonight?" which set our conspiratorial minds racing.

The answer, it turns out, was quite simple - they were, in fact, willing to bring up Lepisto to replace Poti tonight, and have now done so.

Wednesday Roundup/Habs 4, Caps 0

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Super Stats]

When you go to Montreal to play the Canadiens and leave your special teams and discipline at home, you're asking for trouble. The Caps did just that, ran into a brick wall of a goaltender and left the City of Saints with a loss. Some thoughts on the game:

• John Erskine as a third-pairing defenseman? Acceptable (perhaps). As a first-pairing guy? Not so much. Two delay of game penalties and a tripping call, a minus-one rating and a team-high three giveaways tell some of last night's story, but the bigger picture is more troubling - as we wait for the "pinch" in which Shaone Morrisonn will play, Brian Pothier's head to clear up and Tom Poti's shoulder to get better, the Caps have essentially one-and-a-half of their top-four defensemen healthy. This team needs to bolster its blueline and fast if it wants to stay in the playoff hunt.
• I love the Habs' logo and would would greatly appreciate it if, in the future, Caps shooters could try not to obstruct my view of that glorious mark on Montreal's goaltender's uniform by firing so many pucks directly into it.
  
• Tomas Fleischmann was credited with a team-high three takeaways and no giveaways, which is strange, because it was his pass that set up the 2-on-0 shorthanded break that ended up behind Brent Johnson for Montreal's second goal.
• Speaking of Johnny, 36 saves on 40 shots against and he probably didn't have a chance on any of the four Habs goals. Start Olie Thursday? Sure. But there should be no hesitation in giving BJ another start real soon.
• Matt Pettinger managed to get on the scoresheet... with a tripping call.
  
• It was a great night in the faceoff circle for the Caps, with Nicklas Backstrom leading the way with 65% of his twenty draws won. No Cap that took more than one draw was below 50% efficient.
• Milan Jurcina blocked four shots and was second on the team with 24:51 of ice time (four seconds less than Poti had). So much of Juice's game depends on his confidence level, and it's clear that Bruce Boudreau is gaining confidence in the big guy every game (that and he has no real choice in the matter - see bullet number one above).
• It might be expected that the Caps would be outshot by Montreal. But outhit? That's an indication that the team wasn't on its game. The abundance of odd-man rushes against was another indicator.
• Mike Komisarek was probably the better Number Eight on the ice last night. What a stud.
  

So Thursday night now becomes another of those "don't let one loss become two" games against these same Habs. Olie Kolzig is likely to get the start, and if ever there was a time when the team needed their unofficial captain to play the role of stopper, it'll be Thursday. It's the type of game that a competitor like Kolzig plays the game for - let's see what he does with the opportunity.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

"You've got to root for these Caps." Agreed (sidenote: are you sure that's the headshot you want to go with, Monty?).... Vogs on the future of the Caps between the pipes.... Another profile on the dues Gabby paid en route to his stint behind the Caps' bench....

Daily Awards

• Hart: Glen Metropolit (2G, including the game-winner, +2, 3 SOG, 58% faceoffs won)
  
• Ross: Jason Pominville (3 points)
  
• Norris: Toni Lydman (2A, +3, hit, 2 BkS)
  
• Vezina: Cristobal Huet (35-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Glen Metropolit, Keith Tkachuk, Ryan Malone, Michael Rupp, Peter Mueller (2G each)
  
• Calder: Peter Mueller (2G, including the game-winner, +1, 4 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Curtis Sanford (3 goals allowed on 12 shots against in just 24:31 of work)
  

Sunday Open Thread

Rock it, Erskine style.

Photo: AP

Thursday Roundup/Gamenight: Isles @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

We all know what the Caps have been up to since they left Long Island last Monday, but in case you haven't been following the Isles too closely, they beat the Rangers, got pasted by the Leafs (with their backup 'tender in net) and lost to the Flyers. In fact, in each of the Islanders' last four games, the losing team scored only one goal, so getting off to a quick start at home will likely key for Glen Hanlon's crew, who will try to avoid showing any of the rust that plagued them in Manhattan last week after a similarly long lay off between games.

The Isles have made some personnel moves as well in the past week-plus, as they got Chris Simon back from suspension, signed power play quarterback/defensive liability Bryan Berard, and officially lost Cap-killer Jon Sim for the year to a knee injury. Their special teams have been very good, but, lo and behold, there they are with the same number of wins as the Caps (three) in one more game (interestingly, the Isles' three wins have come against the only two teams that have beaten the Caps in this young season, the Rangers and Sabres).

But enough about the visitors, let's talk about tonight's home team.

We all know that the injury bug has already paid a visit the Caps, and while it may not have hit too hard (yet), it has struck with surgical precision. For my money, aside from Olie Kolzig, Alex Ovechkin, Boyd Gordon may be the most important player on the team. In his absence, shots on goal against are way up and penalty-killing efficiency is way down (from perfect). Sure, the competition in Boyd's absence was better than it was in the games he has played, but his role on the team shouldn't be under-estimated, let's just leave it at that. Gordo may go tonight, but with Sid and the Pens coming up next, it's critical that he's as close to 100% as possible for Saturday night.

Also gumming up the works is the lingering Alex Semin ankle injury. Losing their number two scoring threat has hobbled the Caps' offense and left them with a pair of playmakers without a finisher which, in turn, allows opposing teams to key on the top line (on which the right wing du jour has been largely freeloading each night). The result has been a revolving door of wingers on each of the top two lines and tonight might very well see Joe Motzko and Tomas Fleischmann as the right wings on those units. Eric Fehr's chronic hip/back injury certainly is a notable part of this discussion as well, but the fact of the matter is that whether it's Motzko, Flash, Matt Bradley, Brooks Laich or whomever else Hanlon might throw out there does not belong on an NHL scoring line until they prove otherwise. Well, fellas, here's that chance (and for some of you, it may be your last).

On the blueline, the team has recalled Jeff "wake-up call" Schultz and he'll likely get a sweater in John Erskine's place tonight. Erskine looked awfully slow this past weekend and was on the ice for five of the ten goals the team allowed (and not a single one they scored). Brian Pothier - because I'm sure you were about to ask, "What about Pothier?" - was on the ice for three of the ten. Big John was definitely playing some tough minutes, but the way he was playing against some speedy and talented wingers, every minute was tough. Is Sarge better-suited for this duty? I guess we'll see.

Anyway, I'll be in the press box for the game tonight and down in the room after, so if there's anything you want me to ask about, let me know and I'll try to get some answers.

Why The Islanders Will Win:

We're debuting a new feature here at The Rink today that aims to shed some gameday light on the perspective from "the other side." To that end, we went out and asked some of the Isles bloggers why their squad would win tonight, and here are some of the responses we got:

"The Isles will win Thursday because Hillary Duff is hotter than anything Viktor Kozlov can pull. Isles over Caps 4-2." - The 2 Man Advantage

"Considering how sloppy the Isles have been on both offense and defense the past three games, Rick DiPietro looks primed for a game-stealing performance against Washington. Every time the team looked done for last season, DP always picked them up. Against a promising, revamped Capitals team, there is isn't a better time to do that. I'm sure DP knows that as well." - The Drive for Five

"The Caps are paying Jagr to play for the Rangers; the Isles are paying Yashin to play for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Clear win for the Isles." - Islanders Outsider

"[I]f the Islanders are to win, it will be simply because they have to win. After a great start, they've fallen asleep and need to prove to themselves, the league, and the fans that they can compete regularly. Also, we're looking for a little payback for last week. Heh.

"Look out for the Guerin-Comrie-Fedotenko line to hit the net hard, as well as Bryan Berard to pitch in more than usual. The Isles need goals before all else. Let's just hope they don't forget keep Alex on a tight leash. " - Islanders Castaway

"None of them want to endure another excruciatingly quiet plane ride home with Ted." - 7th Woman

"Kolzig always eats the Islanders for breakfast, maybe he'll choke on them this time." - SportSquee

"Honestly, I feel that the Isles will come out completely rested and fired up to earn two points in typical gritty Ted Nolan style. With a few shuffled lines and a long break, the Islanders will get back to what made them successful during the first week of the season." - Isles Blogger

"Because the Islanders led by captain Bill Guerin will sink the Capitals ship and Rick DiPietro will protect the buried treasure. " - Battle of New York

There you have it - why the Isles will win tonight. Take some time and check some of those blogs out, and don't be afraid to tell 'em why they're wrong - and why the Caps will get back in the win column to start this four-game homestand.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Last week it was the Calgary Hitmen, this week it's the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds atop the Canadian Hockey League's weekly rankings. Pretty sweet to have the top defenseman for each team in the pipeline, isn't it?... Perhaps GMGM should look to make a trade today. Why? On this date back in 1978 the team acquired Denis Maruk from Minnesota in exchange for the Pens' first round pick in 1979 (used to draft Tom McCarthy) and on this date back in 1983 the club acquired Larry Murphy from Los Angeles for Brian Engblom and Ken Houston. Maruk and Murphy combined to tally 497 goals and 1179 assists after being traded to D.C. (267 goals and 508 assists of which came for the Caps) while McCarthy, Engblom and Houston would total only 196 goals and 296 assists in the rests of their respective careers.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Zach Parise (3A, +1, 6 SOG, 54% faceoffs won)
  
• Ross: Zach Parise, Sergei Gonchar (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Sergei Gonchar (G, 2A, 3 SOG)
  
• Vezina: J.S. Giguere (W, 28 saves on 29 shots against)
  
• Richard: Travic Zajac (2G)
  
• Calder: Andrew Miller (Game-winning goal, +1, 3 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Ryan Malone (0 points, -2, 0 SOG, 0 hits, 2 penalties)
  

I'm Just Sayin'...

H/t to Stirling

Odds And Ends

Per Vogel, the Caps have signed defenseman John Erskine to a two-year deal.

Also, GM George McPhee will be on XM channel 204 at 4:00 this afternoon to talk Caps hockey.

UPDATE: Per Tarik, Erskine will make $525,000 this year and $550,000 next year on his one-way deal.

No Qualifying Offer For Novotny

In a move that's a bit surprising to me, the Caps have decided not to extend a qualifying offer to Jiri Novotny, meaning that the Czech pivot will become an unrestricted free agent on Sunday. The decision is surprising in part because it would have been relatively cheap to qualify Novoflop ("only" $495,000), and in part because the former first-rounder is still only 23-years-old (24 in August). Novotny certainly did nothing to impress in his brief stint in D.C., but hopefully letting him go means that the team will be adding some depth at the center position (especially on the top two lines) in the near future. And for those keeping score at home, the Caps end up trading Dainius Zubrus for San Jose's second round pick in 2007 (which they flipped to Philly, I believe) and the Sharks' (likely very late) second round pick in 2008 - not exactly a king's ransom. But kudos to GMGM and the team for not just signing Novotny for the sake of trying to save some face on the Zubrus trade.

Another surprise (to me at least) was that the team didn't qualify goaltender Maxime Daigneault. "Max II" was 23-6 with a .910 save percentage and a 2.64 goals against average in his first season in the AHL. If it was purely a talent-based decision, I can live with it (though as a 23-year-old and a former second-round pick, I'm not sure how that decision can be made at this point). But when Tim Leone (via Tarik) pointed out that Frederic Cassivi was going to be back in Chocolatetown next year and questioned whether there was room in the organization for Daigneault, I asked the following:

Shouldn't the question be whether there's room in the organization for Cassivi? I know they're trying to win games down there, but if the Caps are forced to let go of a goalie with potential upside (there's only one way to find out how much) so that Hershey can keep playing a guy that offers no such long-term benefit to the big club, I'm not sure I see the point of the affiliation.

That question - and the implication that goes along with it - is gnawing at me again today. At the very least, the release of Max II shows the team's confidence in youngsters Simeon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth.

Also not receiving QOs were defenseman Trevor Byrne, and forwards Kris Beech, Jonas Johansson, Louis Robitaille, Matt Stefanishion and Joey Tenute. No huge losses there.

So who was qualified? Blueliners Steve Eminger, John Erskine, Jamie Hunt and Milan Jurcina and forwards Tomas Fleischmann, Jakub Klepis, Brooks Laich, Dave Steckel and Brian Sutherby.

Per the Caps' site:

Players who receive qualifying offers have until July 15 to notify the club as to whether or not they accept the offer. Players with arbitration rights (that list includes Eminger, Erskine, Jurcina, Laich and Sutherby) have until July 5 to notify the club of their desire to exercise those rights.

Players who are tendered qualifying offers can still get offers from other NHL teams, too. Any restricted free agent who is given an offer sheet at $773,442 or below for 2007-08 can sign without his original club receiving any compensation in return. The player’s original club does retain the right to match that offer, however.

...

Negotiations are already ongoing with Washington’s restricted free agents, a process that will play itself out over the next six weeks or so. Players who choose arbitration may never get to arbitration, and just because all nine players were given two-way qualifying offers does not preclude them from signing one-way deals when it’s all said and done.

Friday Roundup/Ersk-win?

Apparently it's not just Steve Eminger that plays better with John Erskine in the lineup. KB points out that the Caps are a different team when the big man plays, and he uses numbers to back up his assertion (a novel concept). Now, I'm not one to confuse correlation and causation (hey, I read "Freakonomics"), but the numbers are certainly worth noting:

• Caps record with Erskine in the linuep: 9-7-5
• Caps record without Erskine in the lineup: 14-21-5

• Caps goals against average with Erskine in the lineup: 3.29
• Caps goals against average without Erskine in the lineup: 3.63

As for the theory that the GAA with Erskine in the lineup is helped by him having played a larger percentage of his games during the "trap" era, consider that the team's goals-per-game average when Erskine plays is 3.05. Without Big John Stud? 2.95.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Another gem about our buddy in Rangerland - per Larry Brooks:

It is unfathomable. In what, by definition, was the most important game of the Rangers' season, because each succeeding match becomes the most important for the unsuccessful 11th-place Blueshirts, Jaromir Jagr did not participate in a shootout that went four rounds against Martin Brodeur.

The Rangers captain did not shoot for the sixth consecutive time after two initial misses because he previously told Tom Renney he does not feel confident enough to participate in the one-on-one showdown in which the great ones generally thrive.

It is unimaginable that Jagr, battered and bruised though both his left shoulder and psyche must be, would not demand to go. It is beyond belief that he would not demand the opportunity to have the game on his stick, if for no other reason than to prove himself unafraid of failure to his teammates.

It is inconceivable that he would not try to keep the Rangers alive when trailing 2-1 in the shootout in a game they once led 2-0 but would lose 3-2.

"I'm not good anymore," Jagr told The Post when asked why he wasn't on Renney's list. "That's the reason."

Is it safe to say that the honeymoon is over?

Daily Awards

• Hart: Martin St. Louis (Game-winning OT goal, 2A, +2, 3 SOG)
• Ross: Seven players tied with 3 points each
• Norris: Alexandre Picard (G, A, +1, 2 hits, 4 blocked shots in OT loss)
• Vezina: Dwayne Roloson (28-save shutout win)
• Richard: Dany Heatley, Trent Hunter, Shawn Horcoff, Tomas Vanek (2G each)
• Calder: Alexandre Picard (see above)
• Aiken: Ray Emery (L, 3 goals allowed on 12 shots against in just 25:09 of work before racking up 22 PIMs and getting kicked out)

Erskine Activated; Nycholat, Um... Injured! Yeah, That's The Ticket

Per Tarik, "[d]efenseman John Erskine has been activated from injured reserve and will suit up for tonight's game. To make room for him, Lawrence Nycholat has been put on injured reserve for an undisclosed reason. I'm guessing there really isn't a reason, unless you count not wanting to send him through waivers as a reason."

Will the League let this fly? I guess we'll see.

As an aside, though I often nit-pick Tarik's work (fairly and otherwise), I must say that his blogging through today's roster shuffling has been fantastic - both timely and informative. We've had questions, he's gotten answers. Bravo, sir, bravo.

Green Out, Schultz Up

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

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

Friday Roundup/Caps 5, Habs 1

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

At 19:01 of the first period of last night's 5-1 Caps win over the visiting Canadiens, Alex Ovechkin was nailed with a double-minor for unintentionally high-sticking Montreal blueliner Andrei Markov. Almost immediately, a chorus of "Ref, you suck" rained down from the rafters at the V.C. By the middle of the second period, the fans undoubtedly held the officials in much higher regard (though I didn't here any chants of "Ref, you rule").

Waving off the Habs' apparent game-tying power-play goal because Saku Koivu had gotten tangled up with Olie Kolzig, the ref (I forget which one) sent the Canadiens' captain to the penalty box for interference. The Caps scored twice (Lawrence Nycholat and Alex Semin) on the ensuing four-on-four and that was, more or less, all she wrote. A few notes:

• I was wrong - the game didn't come down to special teams or which team started better (though the Caps did have the lead after one period). How 'bout that?
• There's been talk that when Bryan Muir comes back, he'll be a man without a spot due to Nycholat's strong play. I'm fine with that, but wonder if when John Erskine comes back whether he or Jamie Heward will be the next odd man out - Nycho's been that good (not that displacing a Heward or Erskine is great measuring stick for competence).
• AO had three assists (and on the second one, he really put the "ass" in "assist"), but is now goal-less in his last five. I'm not worried.
• Steve Eminger had two helpers and continues his (dare I say?) stronger play of late.
• It was nice to see Dainius Zubrus back in the goal column and doubly nice to see him there twice.
• Speaking of two-goal getters, is there a more non-chalant skater in the League than Alex Semin? Everything he does looks effortless, and that's only partially a compliment.
• Maybe it's the win talking, but I wouldn't be shocked if Boyd Gordon won a Selke Trophy some day.
• Mike Green's defense on the Alex Kovalev partial-breakaway was beautiful and his rush earlier in the game was also splendid, though less spectacular.
  

That's it for now. Great to get back to .500, great to get healthier and great way to get ready for Atlanta on Saturday. The roller coaster ride continues...

Daily Awards

• Hart: Alexander Steen (3G, including the game-winner, 2A, +4, 6 SOG)
  
• Ross: Alexander Steen (5 points)
  
• Norris: Ian White (2A, +6, 2 blocked shots)
  
• Vezina: Curtis Joseph (29-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Alexander Steen, Martin Straka (3G each)
  
• Calder: Ian White (2A, +6, 2 blocked shots)
  
• Aiken, Pt. I: Tim Thomas (L, 8 goals allowed on 31 shots against in 47:54 of work)
• Aiken, Pt. II: P.J. Axelsson (0 points, -5)
• Aiken, Pt. III: Dominik Hasek (L, 8 goals allowed on 28 shots against in 51:38 of work)
• Aiken, Pt. IV: Evgeni Nabokov (3 goals allowed on 12 shots against in 11:20 of work)
  

Sunday Roundup/Rangers 4, Caps 1

[NHL.com Recap]

The depleted Caps dropped another game to finish the 2006 calendar year portion of the season at 16-16-7 (recaps galore here). But tomorrow is a new day and a new year. Clean slate. Tabula rasa. We all know that this past week has been brutal on the Caps health- and schedule-wise, so the losses are easily explained away, but the standings points foregone are not so easily parted with. Get healthy and get back to playing Caps hockey - there's plenty of time to right the ship and make the playoffs.

I don't want to spend too much time on last night's game, but did want to take a second to discuss the role Donald Brashear has taken on this team. He has become a fan favorite and undoubtedly a favorite of the guys in the locker room as well for his willingness to keep order at times when games might get out of hand (of course, that is supposed to be the referees' job, but their gross incompetence lately makes me question their ability to do so), and to try to provide a momentum-changing spark with his fists. He has five fights in the last five games, including a couple of absolutely punishing KO's.

But where was he last night when the Caps needed him? In the locker room after being excused for sucker-punching Aaron Ward. He'll likely be suspended for the hit, so there will be a couple more games where The Donald's intimidation won't be available to the Caps (and with John Erskine and Matt Bradley also injured, it leaves the team quite short-handed on the pugilism front).

Now, if the Brashear/Ward incident was sparked, as some are speculating, by Ward's use of a racial epithet, the Ranger defenseman is lucky that he didn't get more from Brash. That is, in many ways, even less excusable than most of the cheap shots thrown around the League on a given night. But if Brashear was incited by a little stickwork or run-of-the-mill trash-talking, he failed his team last night, for as soon as he was tossed from the game, Ranger "tough guy" Colton Orr started running around the ice like an idiot, knowing there would be no reprecussions for his actions; not from the referees and not from the Caps' bruiser.

Eventually, Orr cross-checked Alex Ovechkin across the lower jaw (when AO hadn't even been near the puck in ages), prompting flu-ridden Caps blueliner Shaone Morrisonn to jump Orr despite the knowledge that he would (and did) get his ass kicked. For his effort, Morrisonn got an instigator and a game misconduct in addition to his fighting major, while Orr got the fighting major and a charging minor. And since this incident occurred in the last five minutes of the game, guess what? Morrisonn could be suspended and Coach Glen Hanlon may receive the automatic $10,000 fine that goes with it. As Hanlon accurately summed it up, "Ovechkin gets his teeth loosened with a cross check and we get the instigator. I'm still trying to figure that one out."

I would strenuously argue (from precedent) that Morrisonn should not be suspended and that Hanlon should not be fined for Mo sticking up for his teammate in this instance, but the larger point is that it probably doesn't even come to this if Brashear had kept his cool and stayed in the game.

I like The Donald and think he's been a tremendous addition to this Caps team. But last night he didn't do his job and it's no different than a defenseman who blows his coverage or a goalie who lets in a soft goal - everyone on the team has a role and has to play that role to the best of his ability every night. Brash provides protection and a measure of security for the team's skill players. Can you imagine the liberties that other teams might have been taken without him in the lineup? No need to - you saw one last night and will likely get the chance to see more over the next few games.

UPDATE: Here's the video of the Brashear/Brendan Shanahan fight and the subsequent sucker punch. I didn't mention it above, but kudos to Shanny for challenging the big guy (and for having more guts than the rest of the Ranger roster combined):



Daily Awards

• Hart: Shane Doan (G, 4A, +3)
  
• Ross: Shane Doan (5 points)
  
• Norris: Mattias Ohlund (2G, +3, 2 SOG, 3 hits... though maybe Brian Rafalski deserves it more)
  
• Vezina: Curtis Joseph (40-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Jeremy Roenick (3G)
  
• Calder: Marc-Antoine Pouliot (G, +1 in 6-2 loss)
  
• Aiken: Evgeni Nabokov (L, 3 goals allowed on 6 shots against in just 15:11 minutes of work)