Thursday Roundup/Caps 5, 'Canes 1

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Event Summary - WashingtonCaps.com Postgame]

On a night when the Caps faced off against the Hurricanes in Raleigh with first place in the Southeast Division on the line and utterly trounced their gracious hosts, one was left with a singular and somewhat frightening impression: this Caps team can be better.

In fact, outside of the top line and d-pairing, nary a Cap had a point, or even a plus. The third defensive pairing took four minor penalties. The power play took only seven shots in 7:49 of time with the extra man. And so on.

As thorough a beating as the Caps handed the 'Canes, it wasn't a sharp, 60-minute effort, and it wasn't this team at its best. Granted, the score (and Carolina's desire to roll over and play dead rather than put up any sort of fight) allowed the visitors to ease up a bit, but what we saw last night was still just a (rather large) handful of glimpses of what the Caps can be - and what we're all waiting on.

A few quick thoughts on the game:

• As good as the top line was on the scoresheet, they were again guilty of being overly cute at times and guilty of poor defensive coverage often (and throw in a couple of "vintage" Alex Semin hooking penalties for good measure). For as dominant as the line appeared to be (and, as far as finishing goes, was), would you believe the line had the second-worse Corsi Rating of any of the Caps' threesomes? I would. And while I'd take that on any night if they're going to finish with a combined plus-12 rating and a dozen points, that's not going to happen every night. A bit of a curious night, statistically, to say the least.
• Alright, that last point came off a bit negative. Here's the positive - three Semins and a Malkin. Don Cherry just crapped his Depends. By the way, check out the League's top five in plus/minus, but make sure you didn't just take a sip of coffee.
  
• Back to the negative, Semin's "tribute to Richard Simmons" goal celebration was awkwardly wonderful.
  
• I don't think I've ever seen a "superstar" have a worse period than Eric Staal did in the first. He botched tap-ins on an extended 5-on-3, lost a key defensive zone draw that led to the Caps' second goal, and just flat out stunk the building up. It's probably a different game if he has a better opening stanza.
• Sticking with picking on the 'Canes, Niclas Wallin's attempt at defensing Alex Ovechkin on his goal was shameful.
  
• "Secondary" Nicklas Backstrom had a trio of other-than-primary assists and a lay-up of a goal. Suddenly he's not off to that bad a start, with 10 points in 15 games.
• Milan Jurcina's game went from bad to worse, as he had three penalties (though the refs were whistle-happy all night) and little confidence by the time the final buzzer sounded. If Shaone Morrisonn can go Friday, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Juice in the press box.
• Back to everyone's favorite stat, Chris Clark, at minus-three, had the Caps' worse CR (and only negative rating), and Mike Green's plus-17 was best on the squad. He was stellar.
• Brent Johnson came up huge late in the first period before exiting with a hip injury, and Jose Theodore did a great job in relief, especially considering he hadn't played in ten days.
• Memo to Fox Sports Carolina: The Caps haven't used the eagle logo since Rod Brind'Amour was good. If you want to be taken seriously by the rest of the League, you've got to be within a year or so of current on your graphics, mmm'kay?
  

And so we'll wait. We'll wait for a home-and-home series with a shaky Devils team that commences tomorrow night. We'll wait for Morrisonn and Sergei Fedorov (and perhaps Johnson) to get healthy, and we'll wait for the power play to click. We'll wait for the other number one goalie to get hot and we'll wait for the MVP to be the MVP. We'll wait to see what this team can do when they're firing on all cylinders.

But in the meantime, this ain't so bad, is it?

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Go vote for All-Stars if you're into that sort of thing.... Your weekly Power Rankings find the Caps up three spots to 12th at SportingNews.com, up seven to 9th at The Hockey News, up five to 9th at CBSSports.com, up four to 13th at Sportsnet.ca, up 14 to 4th (?!) at CBCSports.ca, up ten to 13th at TSN.ca, and up six to 9th at The Detroit News. Are the still a "bad team," Kelly?... The Caps collected more than a ton of food at their annual canned food drive on Saturday. No word yet on how much of that made it to the intended charity and how much was intercepted and eaten by Nick Backstrom along the way.... Via CapsChick, a hearty welcome to the 21st Century blogosphere to the Caps Media Staff.... Finally, via the Caps Message Board, if you're headed to the VC for Friday night's game, check out Dr. Gridlock for street and Metro closures.

Wednesday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ 'Canes

[AP Preview]

Just six days after Alex Semin's late heroics saved the Caps from falling six points behind the 'Canes in the Southeast Division, Washington heads to Raleigh tied for first place with a game in hand (note: first "game in hand" mention of the season). And while the Caps have enjoyed the comforts of home thus far this season (they're the only Eastern Conference team without a regulation loss in their own building), they've found the road to be considerably less friendly - their five points away from home are tied for the fewest in the East; they have scored 3.57 goals per game as hosts, but just 2.43 away from the VC and have allowed an average of just two goals against per game on their slushy sheet, but 3.71 on the road. Basically, the Caps have been The Stone Roses' eponymous debut album at home, and their brutal follow-up record on the road.

But with a bounce here or there, the story could be much different - three of the Caps' five road losses have been by a single goal, a trio of 2-1 decisions (the other two losses are never again to be spoken of).

So what does the team need to do to get over the hump and starting picking up some W's on the road? One big question revolves around the top line. The trio of Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin and Nicklas Backstrom (and, before he got injured, Sergei Fedorov) has produced five of the Caps' last eight even strength, non-empty net goals, but were singled out as being "too cute" on Monday night. Perhaps more importantly, the line's successes have come on a three-game homestand, where line matching was in Bruce Boudreau's favor. If they take this show on the road as is, however, they can expect a heavy diet of Rod Brind'Amour, Tim Gleason and Carolina's other top defensive players, raising the obvious question as to why you'd want to put your two best scorers on one line and rather than forcing Peter Laviolette to pick his poison? I'm on record as being against the regular use of an "Eggs" line (i.e. any line with both Alexes on it), especially on the road, but I have about as much influence on the Caps roster as I do on U.S. foreign policy ("Mr. President, that briefing you requested on the deportation of Sidney Crosby..."), so we'll see how the man in charge rolls.

The Caps would also help their chances at victory if they can get the power play going - they're stuck in a 1-for-16 (6.3%) rut with the extra man over their last five games, and lately have had incredible trouble entering the zone and/or establishing possession once there. It's a much larger problem than any one player, but there's one guy who got a big contract this summer because he makes the power play go, and it's been stuck in neutral for nearly a month. Put another way, how the hell can the season be 14 games old with Mike Green still looking for his first power play assist and Alex Ovechkin still looking for his first power play goal of the campaign?

For their part, the 'Canes are getting healthy (for them, at least), and having Matt Cullen as a second shut-down center should Gabby keep the Alexes paired isn't a bad option (to say nothing of how much he and Joni Pitkanen will help Carolina's power play). Expect to see Michael Leighton between the pipes for the 'Canes (the 27-year-old netminder has never faced the Caps), and Eric Staal flopping around on the ice like a fish on deck.

The bottom line on tonight is that it's never too early for a statement game, and after last week's win over Carolina, taking two points in Raleigh would certainly make a bold proclamation as to who this year's beast of the Southeast is. But no one's going to be too scared of a team that can't win on the road.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Matt Cooke on being a teammate of both AO and Sid the Kid.... Bear Tracks, Bear Tracks!... If you're wondering about Hershey's line combos, wonder no longer.... John Carlson: elite player (scroll about halfway down).

Friday Roundup/Caps 3, 'Canes 2

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Event Summary - WashingtonCaps.com Recap]

Like many a fan from Bethesda, the Caps rode the Red Line last night. And, like the Metro's version on many nights, the Caps' Red Line broke down before the end of the night, as the elder statesman of the Russian trio left the game early with a "lower body" injury.

Painfully tortured analogies aside, the Caps' 3-2 come-from-behind win last night - snatching victory from the proverbial jaws of defeat - is just the kind of win this team needed. Emotional. Hard-fought. Confidence-building. There's plenty to discuss, so let's get to discussin':

• Alex Ovechkin is now in the midst of the longest goal-less streak of his NHL career, but he was an absolute force out there, with the primary assist on all three Caps goals and a game-high seven hits (despite the playmaking prowess, however, you've got to shoot on that first period mini two-on-one next time, 'kay, Gretz?).
• When Alex Semin plays like he did last night, he can say whatever he wants about whomever he wants. Then again, he can say whatever he wants about whomever he wants no matter how he plays, as far as I'm concerned.
• Caps penalty killers have now killed off 38 of their last 41 disadvantages (88.4%), including the full 1:03 of Carolina's two-man advantage last night. The power-play, however, still stinks.
  
• The Tomas Fleischmann-Michael Nylander-Chris Clark line was pretty atrocious (and man, was Nylander lazy in his coverage on the 'Canes first goal). The trio was a combined minus-16 in Corsi Rating, minus-five in plus-minus, and only attempted three shots on goal (one of which missed). Perhaps Clark needs to go see a specialist about his lingering groin injury (wink wink, nudge nudge).
  
• That said, Nylander and Nicklas Backstrom (who had his strongest game in recent memory remains without an even strength point or a goal) need finishers (i.e. Alexes). And despite reasonable success on the night, Sergei Fedorov is not a good enough playmaker to deserve both Alexes.
  
• For the fourth time this season, the Caps opponent scored on its first shot of the game. Coincidence or poor prep? The jury's still out.
  
• Brent Johnson made some great saves on the night - and 32 overall - but the two that did get by him, he might want back.
  
• I simply cannot be convinced that John Erskine is not a horrible, horrible hockey player.
• Let's give some credit where it's due - Cam Ward was awesome.
• Remember when the Caps used to forecheck? That's one thing - check that, the one thing - I miss about Matt Cooke.
  
• You'd think after fighting him a couple of times, Wade Brookbank would know that Donald Brashear is left-handed. Apparently, you'd think incorrectly. Then again, this is a guy who crushed a guy wearing the same colored sweater as his last night, so he's probably not the brightest bulb in the chandelier.
  
• I know I don't have the best grammar in the world, but Jesus H. Christ, at least I don't say "whole 'nother." With ads like that, I'm glad Circuit City's business is in the crapper.
• Milan Jurcina's hit on Scott Walker was highlight-reel quality. We need to see him play a few games with someone other than Erskine before we can say, definitively, that he blows.
  
• Gutsy job by Brooks Laich breaking up a pass and getting to bench on the PK after a sickening-sounding blocked shot.
• The Caps won 64% of the game's faceoffs, which is a ridiculous number when you consider that Rod Brind'Amour was 12-for-18 for Carolina (Eric Staal continues to stink in the dot, winning just seven of 23 draws on the night (30%), and Dwight Helminen (whoever the hell that is) was 0-for-8).
• One final note on faceoffs - with Fedorov out, the Caps were suddenly quite shallow down the middle in terms of guys who could take a defensive draw, and Laich ended up taking - and losing - one to Staal with 1:12 left. If for no other reason, that situation made it clear that, right now, David Steckel is more useful and valuable in the lineup than Clark is.
• The ice at the VC cost the Caps two minutes (when Johnny tried to clear a puck on the PK), countless scoring opportunities, and perhaps two players. Why pay more than $5 million per year on perhaps the best skating blueliner in the game when he has to slog through that mush 41 times a year? Then again, the Caps haven't lost at home since Backstrom scored the game-winner for Pitt, so...
  

So we wait and see how Shaone Morrisonn's and Fedorov's health is, await a visit from our good friends from Gotham on Saturday night (it won't be the same without #68 in blue, will it?), and see if this Caps team has turned the corner. What do you think?

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Hershey's special teams haven't been good so far this season, especially the PK.

Thursday Roundup/Gamenight: 'Canes @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Ah, the Southeast Division.

If the Caps were in the Atlantic and facing the division leader tonight, a loss would drop them to eleven points out of first place. In the Pacific, a similar hypothetical would find them an even dozen points out of the top spot. In the Northeast, another loss would have the Caps sitting in the division's basement.

But not in the Southeast, baby. With a loss tonight, the Caps would be a half-dozen points out of first place, and with a win? Second place, just one win out of first.

For all the mediocrity we're seen out of the Caps so far this year - an MVP scoring champ who can't score, a high-priced goalie who can't stop pucks, a Calder Trophy finalist who couldn't find the net with a map and a compass, a defense that has collectively regressed since last Spring's run to the playoffs, and so on and so on - the Caps are still right there, regardless of tonight's result.

That is, of course, not to say that this evening's match-up with the 'Canes at the VC is meaningless, because it is anything but. It is, after all, the Hurricanes, and a four-point swing in October could be the difference between the playoffs and the links in early April - just ask them.

Carolina comes into the game scoring in bunches, but also allowing plenty of goals (especially lately, allowing four goals to Toronto in each of their last two games). They're 5-1-1 against the Eastern Conference, 5-1-2 on the road (let's hope they leave the bandwagon down in Raleigh), and 2-0-0 within our beloved Southeast Division. They've been good five-on-five, but in the lower-middle of the pack with a man (or two) advantage or disadvantage. Bottom line: these are the Carolina Hurricanes. You know them - always injured, always diving, always a tough out (and for more from their side of things, head over to CanesCountry).

The Caps will turn to their number two netminder (yes, he's still number two) tonight, and hope he can replicate his 42-save effort of Tuesday night. But if he doesn't, he doesn't - as Bruce Boudreau said yesterday, "If Brent goes in and is crappy tomorrow, then obviously I am going to use [Theodore] Saturday against the Rangers."

See? No drama. No "must-win" vibe. No real sense of urgency (whether one is needed yet or need be projected in any case is debatable).

And therein, perhaps, lies the problem. Because while everyone knows that Alex Ovechkin will score more than the 14 goals for which he's currently on pace, many of this team's issues are looming larger every day... and time's a-wastin'.

Quick Rehashed Notes on Tonight's Game:

When Rod Brind'Amour and Sergei Fedorov first played against one another in an NHL game, Bruce Boudreau was en route to a 40-goal/120-point season in the IHL, Glen Hanlon was one of Fedorov's teammates and Karl Alzner (remember him?) had just turned two-years-old. Chris Chelios, mind you, was in his eighth season in the League.... The Caps have more hat tricks (8) against Carolina/Hartford than against any other team in the League other than Philly (9), but Alex Semin (who has scored more goals against the 'Canes (13) than he has against any other team in the League) is the only current Cap to turn the trick against the 'Canes as a Cap (did somebody say Russian hat trick?).

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

The boys at The PensBlog will no doubt love to hear about Semin and Alex Ovechkin being "young and passionate" pillow fighters.... This is what passes for journalism in certain Russian circles.... In case you're wondering where the Caps stayed while in Buffalo last weekend, here's a picture.... Puck Daddy looks at the brawler bargains around the League. Colton Orr? The Donald is not impressed.... The dude whose nut Mike Green nearly exploded in the playoffs last season is doing well for himself over in Switzerland.... An old timey Cap is going to be erased from the record books this weekend. Thanks for sucking, Olli Jokinen!... Caps prospect Eric Mestery has been traded (but is still Caps property).... Finally, you've gotta love HFBoards when it hooks you up with something like this (only 0:38 for me).

Mmmm... Downie

Remember our buddy Tim Clownboy of the Hurricanes, err, River Rats? Check out what he's been up to, via Canes Country:

"The AHL should be looking into a suspension for Albany River Rats captain Tim Conboy, who was assessed a fighting major, instigation and unsportsmanlike minors, a game misconduct for instigating and a game misconduct for "persisting in a fight," following a high-sticking incident and fight with Steve Downie during the Phantoms' 3-0 win Saturday afternoon.

"I’ve never heard of [persisting] in a fight before," said Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. "The report I got was that [Conboy] bit Downie on the hand. He had blood and teeth marks on his hand."

Here's the video (dude's a friggin' maniac):

The Con Is On?

Buried in Wednesday's Roundup was the sad story of a Bruins rookie whose name was misspelled on his jersey in a B's preseason game. Now comes another example demonstrating that NHL equipment managers, like players, need some time to get into mid-season form, as last night the Carolina Hurricanes had a goof on the nameplate of their tough guy defenseman (who decided to throw a trio of punches at Chris Clark after the linesmen had stepped in to separate the pair and received two other roughing minors in similarly cowardly instances). Luckily, we've got a picture of how his sweater is supposed to read:


Note: Post edited for better punchline.

Thursday Roundup/Caps 4, 'Canes 1 Gamenight: 'Canes @ Caps

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Event Summary - WashingtonCaps.com Recap - the red skate Recap - Red and Black Hockey Recap - Canes Country In-Game and Recap - Lord Stanley's Blog In-Game]

A handful of NHLers, a bunch of AHLers, a few OHLers and an "other" or two (*cough* Jakub Cutta *cough*) got together down in Raleigh last night for the first of far too many preseason games for each team. And while the result may not indicate much about the season ahead, rumor has it that the 'Canes may soon announce that they're going to suspend operations to deal with the nation's economic crisis and seek to postpone the season opener. Huh.

Some observations on the game:

• Simeon Varlamov was sharp, especially late in his only period of action (the first). He ended up stopping all 18 (or 20, depending on who you believe) shots he faced, and while he flopped around a bit at times, he stopped everything that came his way.
• With Chris Clark back in D.C., Matt Bradley wore the "C."
• The Tomas Fleischmann - Michael Nylander - Viktor Kozlov line was the most impressive trio on the ice, by miles. While you shouldn't put much stock in preseason lines (especially those with obvious and glaring holes in forechecking and defensive responsibility), the chemistry these three showed last night will give Gabby something to think about.
  
• The biggest surprise of camp has been and continues to be John Carlson. Last night he shook off a rough start to end up with an assist, three shots on goal and four hits in 17:17 of ice time (and, frankly, looked better than Karl Alzner).
• The 'Canes radio guy picks some curious syllables to emphasize in player names.
• The pairing of Alzner and Jeff Schultz led the team in shifts and minutes and looked fine doing so.
  
• Stat of the Night: Nylander won 11 of the 13 draws he took (as a team, the Caps won two-thirds of the game's faceoffs). Now, Nyls has never been a great faceoff guy, but his proficiency in the dot against the 'Canes would seem to indicate a healthy shoulder.
  
• Fleischmann, 14... Fehr 16... Fleischmann, 14... Fehr 16... Fleischmann, 14... Fehr 16...
• Unofficially, the RBC Center shattered a record last night for the most god-awful tunes blared over a PA in a sixty-minute hockey game.
  

These two teams (perhaps in name only) will meet again tonight at the Verizon Center, 156 days after the last hockey game was played there. Let's hope next summer is markedly shorter.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Bryan Murray recalls the last time one of his teams - the 1989 Caps - went to Sweden (or is that Thweden?).... In case you missed Alex Ovechkin's ESPN The Mag cover, here it is (and here's The Mag's colorful-but-boring Caps preview)... Speaking of AO, Allan Muir gets points for picking Ovi over Sid (in fantasy hockey, at least), but loses points for misspelling Alex's center's first name.... Finally, they're happy to be getting Joel Broda back in Moose Jaw.

Wednesday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ 'Canes

[WashingtonCaps.com Preview - J.P.'s Carolina Hurricanes Season Preview]

So it may not count for all that much in the grand scheme of things, but for the first time since last April, the Washington Capitals (or some approximation thereof) will take to the ice tonight against an NHL opponent (or some approximation thereof) as they head to Raleigh to play the Hurricanes (or some approximation thereof).

Remember the last time these two teams met? If not, here's the recap and the video evidence:

Awesome (and note the game's three stars - what a truly magical run).

Back to the here and now and on to tonight's the rosters, Tarik reports that Bruce Boudreau et. al. will choose from among the following players when putting together their lineup:

Goalies: Johnson, Varlamov and Machesney.

Forwards: Bradley, Bourque, Beagle, Fleischmann, Fehr, Aucoin, Laich, Kozlov, Giroux, Steckel, Osala, Laing, Joudrey, Andrew Gordon, Morin, Perreault, Nylander.

Defensemen: Jurcina, Morrisonn, Cutta, Lepsito, Alzner, Schultz, Godfrey and Carlson.

Presumably this means that a trio of Russians and the new netminder, among others, will be available for the preseason home opener when these two teams meet again on Thursday night. Also, is it odd that Viktor Kozlov is on the list (but neither of his expected linemates is), while Michael Nylander and Tomas Fleischmann's expected right wing (Chris Clark) isn't on this roster? Probably not.

Carolina may counter with a group that looks like this:

Sergei Samsonov - Matt Cullen -Drayson Bowman
Ryan Bayda - Jeff O'Neill - Scott Walker
Chad LaRose - Brandon Sutter - Dan LaCouture
Matt Murley - Dwight Helminen - Jakub Petruzalek

Joni Pitkanen - Tim Gleason
Niclas Wallin - Joe Corvo
Casey Borer - Brett Carson

Cam Ward
Justin Peters

I say "may counter" because the source of the lines is an "educated guess" from a guy who apparently doesn't know much about hockey.

As for the game itself, Bowman and Sutter are probably the 'Canes two best forward prospects, so keep an eye (or whatever) on them, and note that those top four defensemen and the starting netminder will all be in Carolina this year, so it will be interesting to see what an Alex-less, Backstrom-less, Green-less offense can do against them.

Note: Per the team, audio of all seven preseason games will be available on WashingtonCaps.com, and fans in the D.C. market can watch the three preseason home games live online. The final four preseason games (starting Sept. 29) will also be available on WFED 1500 AM and WWFD 820 AM.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Those Nylander trade rumors won't die, will they?... The Caps' video shoot from Monday night (which will no doubt end up here some day) has been covered pretty extensively, and I have nothing to add (but only because it's too soon to make a Travis Barker joke about this YouTube gem).... Speaking of videos, Josh Godfrey was mic'd up for the rookie game, and the feature is definitely worth checking out, if for no other reason than to hear an f-bomb dropped at WaPo.com (just after the 3:00 mark, and right after he calls a Flyer... "bung sauce?").... Sergei Fedorov: Fantasy Hockey Kryptonite (for what it's worth, I've got Feds pegged for 14 goals and 29 assists).... Jose Theodore has something to prove.... Building the (then) MCI Center in downtown D.C. was a good idea. Building the (then) Palladium 28 km from downtown Ottawa? Not so much.... Stefan Della Rovere's OHL team is expecting a lot from him, which is good.... The Pens like Matt Cooke and will skate him with Maxime Talbot and Ruslan Fedotenko.... Know who's not making the Bruins? The guy whose name they misspelled on his jersey.... Staying in New England, want to read about Bruce Cassidy begging for a job? Of course you do.... Nolan Yonkman (who - surprise - is currently injured) is apparently part of the Predators' plans.... I really dig Lowetide, but go vote for our good friends at Bfloblog (and while you're there, vote for Peerless and PPP too). Think of it as practice for November.... My alma mater is finally getting a D-I hockey team. Now if they could only get a D-I football team.... Finally, I know it's a region out in B.C., but I still think "Kootenay" sounds like a euphemism for, um, girl parts.

NHL Season Preview: Carolina Hurricanes

Remember at the end of last season, when Carolina needed to win just two of their final four games (two of which were against the worst team in the League) to make the playoffs? And when they only needed to beat the lowly Florida Panthers, at home no less, to get in? Remember when you were with the Beatles and you were supposed to be dead, and there were all these clues, like you play some song backwards and it'd say, like "Paul is Dead" and everybody thought you were dead and, um, that was a hoax right? Wait, what?

Anyway, my 'Canes preview is up over at FanHouse, which means it's time to look back at my effort from last year.

Hit:

Where They'll Finish: Carolina could finish anywhere in the Southeast Division, and really just about anywhere in the Eastern Conference -- it all depends on how healthy they can stay and how well Cam Ward can play (no pressure, kid!). But even healthy, the defense is among the Conference's worst, and for that reason, while the 'Canes will win a number of high-scoring affairs, they won't win enough games overall to make the playoffs.

The Hurricanes were decimated by injuries last season, but still scored the fifth-most goals in the League. Ultimately, it was their defense (or lack thereof - they were 25th in the League in goals against) that secured them an early tee time last April.

Miss:

Andrew Ladd and should get his first [25-goal] season sooner rather than later.

Maybe this will be Ladd's year, as he only found the net 14 times in 2007-08.

So are you feelin' this year's 'Canes or has the injury to Justin Williams derailed their season before it even started? Is Cam Ward a legitimate number one NHL netminder? Is Eric Staal worth the big bucks he just got? Most importantly... are the 'Canes a threat to win the Southeast Division?

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:

Tuesday Roundup/Gamenight: 'Canes @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Fact #1: The Carolina Hurricanes have had more power play opportunities than any other team in hockey, and by a country mile (their margin in extra man chances over the second-place Red Wings is the same as the margin between the Wings and 14th place Calgary).

Fact #2: Not everyone is impressed with the methods used in arriving at Fact #1.

Last week we shared Lindy Ruff's thoughts on the matter and reminisced about Jacques Martin's. A few days later, and you can add the always diplomatic and reserved John Tortorella to the growing list of folks who have a problem with the way Carolina plays the game:

"I've never seen a team go down so much in my life," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "They lead the league in power plays for some reason and I've got a pretty good idea what it is. It gets to be pretty embarrassing."

I guess we know who Torts is rooting against this week, and I'd be willing to bet a sawbuck that it took every ounce of restraint in his leathery body not to throw a choice simile out there to drive home that first sentence.

But whether or not the 'Canes are a squad full of divers is largely irrelevant. This is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules. And as long as NHL officials keep rewarding a certain style of play, that style of play is going to continue.

Which brings us to tonight, which is as big a home game as the Caps have had in nearly half a decade. Win and they're tied with Carolina with a similar-but-much-more-favorable schedule remaining. Lose and, well, it's probably ok to schedule tee times.

And the key to winning for the Caps may very well be in not allowing Erik Cole (second in the League in penalties drawn per sixty minutes of ice time) and friends to skate with the extra man - in the Caps' three wins over Carolina so far this year, they've allowed four, three and four power play opportunities against. In the four losses? Seven, five, five and seven.

Of course, Cristobal Huet gives the Caps a chance to win even if they do run into some discipline problems - he's 8-2-0 with a 1.82 GAA and .931 save percentage since arriving in D.C. But if the Caps can stay out of the box, it's likely game over for Carolina - Huet's GAA and SV% at even strength since coming to town are a staggering 1.04 and .954, respectively, as he hasn't allowed a single even strength goal against in half of his starts as a Cap and has allowed only nine even strength goals overall in ten games.

So break out all your good luck charms and trash talk - tonight's as big as it gets... for now.

Why The Hurricanes Will Win:

"While the Caps have come a long way, they haven't arrived just yet. Many of the Canes have been there and done that, and they will do it one more time tonight. Look for Ray Whitney and Justin Williams to make their long-awaited returns from injury and they will provide more than just inspiration. Canes 3 Caps 2" - Canes Country

"'Cause OV will be all thinking about how his gf smells and because Cam Ward is 4th in the league for wins. - The Sliding Pokecheck

The Canes will come out re-energized with the return of two big guns in Ray Whitney & Justin Williams from injury. If they can simply rely on the things that have carried them this far, they should be able to snub the Caps' momentum. One of those key components is not having to rely on their defense too much. Tim Gleason, who has become a legit top pair defender this season, will be on the ice when AO is skating. A healthy(ish) Bret Hedican will be important too. Cam Ward has been back to near Conn Smythe form but the Canes need to lead in the shots on goal category.

"Should be a great one. It is rather amazing that the Caps have become America's (& Canada's) team to pull for. Although the Canes should win this game, this Caniac is with the majority in hoping to see AO and boys in the postseason... just not at the expense of Carolina." - Carolina On Ice

"Cam Ward has been very solid, Eric Staal has been on fire, and the Canes will get a boost from Justin Williiams, who will return to the lineup after missing 43 games with a bum knee. Added to that, Alexander Ovechkin will be too busy trying to pull an April Fools prank on his mail-order girlfriend to concentrate on the game. The Hurricanes will win the game and end the Caps playoff hopes." - Red and Black Hockey

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

The Hockey News ranks the GMs here. I rank the GMs here. Finally, one year ago today we briefly mentioned the elephant in the room and recapped a busy Saturday night of puck talk.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Chris Drury (Game-winning OT goal, A)
  
• Ross: Chris Drury, Jaromir Jagr, Ilya Kovalchuk, Chris Thorburn (2 points each)
  
• Norris: Niclas Havelid (+2, 3 BkS)
  
• Vezina: Kari Lehtonen (36-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Ilya Kovalchuk (2G)
  
• Calder: Ryan Callahan (4 SOG, 8 hits, 2 TkA, GvA, 2 BkS)
  
• Aiken: Vincent Lecavalier (0 points, -2)
  

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)
  

Saturday Roundup/Gameday Gamenight Gamelateafternoonearlyevening: Caps @ 'Canes

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

In the wake of Wednesday night's kick-in-the-yambag loss to the Isles, Brooks Laich noted that this Caps team is lacking a killer instinct - they're not putting teams away when given the opportunity to do so.

Laich is right, of course, but the result on most nights (Wednesday being an obvious exception) hasn't been disastrous - one goal wins are worth two points just as four goal wins are - and the Caps are still 18-7-2 when scoring first, 13-3-2 when leading after one period and 18-0-2 when leading after two.

Killer instinct comes with experience - that whole "learning how to win" thing, and while it would be nice as a fan (and nicer still as a player or coach) to be able to relax for the last ten minutes of a third period, the ability to close out opponents more convincingly will come.

More troubling, at present, is the Caps' inability to win - or show up for - big games.

Four times this month, the Caps have played an intradivisional game in which they were within three points of first place in the Southeast Division and their opponent was within two points of them in the standings. The results? A 2-0 loss to Atlanta, a 2-1 loss to Carolina, a 3-2 loss to Atlanta and a 4-2 loss to Florida.

The "good" news is that tonight's opponent, Carolina, is four points ahead of the Caps (with three more games played), so perhaps the boys from D.C. can play a little looser. After all, the "Choking Dogs" label is one part of Caps tradition that this team would no doubt rather do without.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

ESPN might want to rename its "Friday Face Off" segment "Long-Winded Answers to Stupid Questions."... Maxime Ouellet update: acquired yesterday by ECHL Trenton, he gave up seven goals on 28 shots against in his ECHL debut. See ya never, Max!... Finally, one year ago today we looked at the Caps' record with and without a certain rugged blueliner (and enjoyed some musings from the Big Apple), looked at the sellers market for mediocre wingers, tried to figure out why a couple of Caps weren't playing and proposed a trade (that would have been suh-weet), and two years ago today we read some gloom and doom and had a chuckle about the state of Team USA hockey.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Miikka Kiprusoff (38-save shutout win)
  
• Ross: Jere Lehtinen, Jussi Jokinen, Brenden Morrow (2 points each)
  
• Norris: Derek Morris (Game-tying goal at 19:57 of the third period, 2 SOG, 3 BkS)
  
• Vezina: Miikka Kiprusoff (38-save shutout win)
• Richard: Jere Lehtinen (2G)
  
• Calder: Peter Mueller (A on the Morris goal)
  
• Aiken: Mathieu Garon (L, 3 goals allowed on 28 shots against in 39:58 of work)
  

Thanks For Gifting Carolina A Point, B's!

The pitiful details...

Get To Know Joe Corvo

Now that Joe Corvo is a Southeast Division rival, I figured it would be a good idea for all of us to get a bit more familiar with a blueliner who has no goals, one assist and a minus-three rating in eleven career games against the Caps (one of which he gives an interview during here) - after all, we'll see him 19 times over the next two-plus years.

For one member of the Caps family, however, no introduction is needed - Bruce Boudreau coached Corvo in AHL Manchester for parts of two seasons half-a-dozen years ago. At the time, Gabby had this to say about his young blueliner:

"He's an offensive defenseman that can play well defensively. He can skate and stickhandle. Those are things you don't find in many defenseman."

But, added Boudreau,

"He has a tendency to hold onto the puck too long."

Corvo racked up 21 goals and 76 points in 106 games for the Boudreau's Monarchs. Know what else he did? He got arrested and charged with felony assault with a weapon. The weapon? His foot. The circumstances? He grabbed a woman's posterior in a restaurant and, at some point after she had fallen to the floor, punched and kicked her. In the face. The punishment? Thirty hours of autograph signing and a three-game suspension (for much more on the incident - as if you need it - click here).

But that was then, this is now, as they say, and the heavily inked Corvo has developed into a blueliner with horrendous facial hair and frosted tips "intriguing scoring potential from the back end," and "enough size to play an effective defensive game" who "[m]ay need to play a less risky game in order to see regular ice time in the NHL" and "[m]ust tighten up his defensive-zone coverage."

Huh. Sounds as if his game hasn't changed all that much from the day Boudreau made the assessment above. Hopefully he has matured a lot more off the ice.

H/t to CasonBlog on the 411

Saturday Roundup/'Canes 2, Caps 1

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

Before an announced crowd of 18,204 on Friday night, the Caps went 0-for-7 on the power play against the worst penalty kill in the League and are now 0-for-18 with no power play goals in the last six games and 1-for-24 in the last eight. There's not much more to say than that (though feel free to comment on the line juggling, a couple of selfish/bad penalties and yet another slow start), so I won't dwell.

Disappointing to be sure, but it was one game (and, notably, the third in four nights).

Rags tomorrow. Hopefully the power play shows up.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Today is Hockey Day in Canada on CBC, and Eric Fehr's hometown of Winkler, Manitoba is featured prominently in the festivities.... Some encouraging stats from Hershey: netminder Daren Machesney is leading the AHL in GAA and is fourth in save percentage (could he be "the bridge" or more?), Josef Boumedienne has points in eight straight, rookie Sami Lepisto is second in the AHL with a plus-23 rating, and Andrew Gordon is third in points per game among rookies and has a plus-17 rating.... H/t to Tyler on the link to Don Cherry's Top 10 Suits.... The South Bend Tribune has a great read on Teddy Ruth's partner on the Fighting Irish blueline... A year ago today I professed my love for Boyd Gordon and recapped a thrilling OT win, and two years ago today we mentioned Lindsay Czarniak, welcomed a new blogger to the blogosphere and dug up stories on gambling and steroids. Good times.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Ryan Carter (2G, including the game-winner, +2, 5 SOG)
• Ross: Ryan Carter (2 points)
  
• Norris: Scott Niedermayer (A, +2, 4 BkS)
  
• Vezina: Jonas Hiller (W, 36 saves on 37 shots against)
  
• Richard: Ryan Carter (2G)
  
• Calder: Ryan Carter (2G, including the game-winner, +2, 5 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Milan Jurcina (for his play on that Erik Cole goal... yikes)
  

Friday Roundup/Gamenight: 'Canes @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

One point separates the Caps and 'Canes in the standings. Six-hundredths of a goal is the difference between the two teams' goals per game and seven-hundredths the difference between the two squads' goals against per game. The Caps' penalty kill is 2.8% more efficient than Carolina's, and their power play 0.8% less efficient. The two teams have split four head-to-head match ups on the season so far, with each team notching a home shutout and another home win, and both teams have been hit hard by injuries (Carolina is without Justin Williams, Matt Cullen, Chad LaRose, Dennis Seidneberg and David Tanabe who have accounted for 26 goals and 75 assists in 190 total games in 2007-08, while the Caps are, of course, without Chris Clark, Michael Nylander and Brian Pothier who have a combined for 21 goals and 39 assists in 96 man-games on the season).

The teams are evenly matched on paper, to be sure, but the Caps come in with momentum. Since Bruce Boudreau took over, Washington is 20-10-4. Carolina is 15-20-1 over a similar stretch, and 4-6-0 in their last ten (the Caps are 7-3-0). Washington's Alex Ovechkin has eight points (seven goals) in his last four outings, Nicklas Backstrom 12 in his last nine and Mike Green four in his last four while Carolina's Eric Staal is pointless in hist last four games, Erik Cole in his last six and Frantisek Kaberle in his last dozen.

Not all 'Canes are chilly, though (Rod Brind'Amour has 11 points in his last nine games and Cam Ward has a 1.98 GAA and .935 SV% in his last four), and not all Caps hot (Alex Semin's goal against Columbus is his only point in six games).

Bottom line: throw out all the stats, because they're gonna play this one on ice (or something close to it), not on paper, and we'll get our first chance to see how the first-place Washington Capitals defend that top spot. It oughta be a doozy.

Why The Hurricanes Will Win:

"The Canes will win if and only if AO comes down with the flu before the game. Otherwise, it's probably going to be ugly." - Carolina On Ice

"Because the Caps are riding high and they aren't used to that. They'll wake up tomorrow and realize something feels wrong and go back to losing again like they're supposed to. I will assist in this by going to DC and changing all the calendars back to November. And because Ovie's gotta run out of gas sometime, doesn't he? Yes?" - The Sliding Pokecheck [Ed. note: No, no he doesn't]

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

So I can get a press pass in D.C. but Pat LaFontaine can't get one on The Island? Ha?... Happy Birthday Dino Ciccarelli... Because I like getting nostalgic, I'm going to start including some links back to what we posted here at The Rink on a given date one and two years ago. I find it interesting to see what we thought at the time and how that may or may not have changed since. So... A year ago today, we previewed the Caps and Kings, looked at why the Caps should trade Dainius Zubrus and discussed an article on one aspect of the culture of the game. Two years ago today we recapped a bleak loss to Florida and found our nominee for hit of the year.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Dany Heatley (2G, including the game-winner, A, 5 SOG)
  
• Ross: Evgeni Malkin, Ryan Whitney, Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, Brad Stuart, Alex Frolov (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Ryan Whitney (2G, A, 4 SOG, 2 Hits, 3 BkS)
  
• Vezina: Mike Smith (25-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Ryan Whitney, Dany Heatley, Darcy Tucker, Henrik Zetterberg, Mike Comrie (2G each)
  
• Calder: Kris Letang (Game-winning goal, +1, 2 BkS)
  
• Aiken: Henrik Lundqvist (L, 4 goals allowed on 19 shots against)
  

Saturday Roundup/'Canes 4, Caps 3/Gamenight: Caps @ Cats

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

On Friday afternoon, Ted Leonsis called out his offense. On Friday night, everyone in white who wasn't wearing the number eight combined for one goal. Guess they're not much into blogs.

Still, there was a lot to like about last night's game, and a lot to dislike. Let's take a look at some of it:

• Michael Nylander (who now is in sole possession of the worst plus/minus in hockey) won just one of his four faceoffs in the first period, but oh what a win it was, beating Jeff Hamilton clean to set up the Alex Ovechkin goal just two seconds into the Caps' first power play.
• The Caps got caught with their fourth line and third defensive pairing on the ice against Carolina's top unit and it cost them the first goal of the game.
  
• Would it have killed Comcast to show a replay of the apparently controversial Tom Poti delay of game penalty?
• Speaking of Poti, he had only 26:31 of ice time. I say "only" because even though he lead the team in ice time Friday night, he'd been up over 30 minutes in each of the previous two games. The difference? On Friday night he only had 1:06 (of a possible 9:34) of power-play time. Poti was also the only Cap to finish the game on the good side of the plus/minus ledger (+1).
  
• The Caps did an excellent job of protecting the puck, turning it over just six times (three each of giveaways and Carolina takeaways).
  
• Quintin Laing had three blocked shots in 5:02 of ice time in the first period. Tomas Fleischmann has two blocked shots in 270:01 of ice time on the season.
• Bruce Boudreau sure does like his colored shirts, doesn't he?
• If Brian Pothier was willing to take a hit to make a play, the second 'Canes goal may never have happened. Of course, if they froze the pucks and/or had decent ice in Raleigh, we wouldn't be talking about this right now.
• Mike Green's curl-and-drag at the end of the second was brilliant, and his goal a split second after the period ended was great. I'm bumping his goal total to 5.5 for the year.
• Alex Semin came closer to scoring on Olie Kolzig than he did on Cam Ward. That's not good. Of course, Semin's fellow countryman actually did score on Kolzig, but he also put a pair past Ward, so all we're cool there.
  
• November is now mercifully over for Viktor Kozlov and Matt Pettinger who combined for one goal in 28 man-games during the month.
• The Caps are averaging 33.4 shots per game under Bruce Boudreau (which would be good for third-highest average in the NHL over the course of the season) and have topped 30 shots on goal in each of their last eight outings dating back to the previous administration. The goals have to follow, no?
  
• Jeff Schultz was minus-three.
  
• The special teams were special: 2-for-7 on the power play and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.
  

Next up, yet another date with the Panthers tonight in Sunrise. That'll make Florida the Caps' opponent in four of their last ten games and all in a 17-day span (in the most recent meeting, the Cats took a 2-1 shootout win home with them from the Verizon Center on Wednesday night).

The Panthers didn't play last night and catch a Caps team playing the second of back-to-back games and their sixth game in nine days. Needless to say, the Caps - who are 2-4-1 on the back ends of games on consecutive days - have a tough challenge facing them tonight. But then again, they have a tough challenge facing them every night this season, don't they?

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Despite sagging ratings, Hockey Night In Canada is doing their take on the "hockey bloggers with access" story. The good folks at CBC interviewed a handful of local blogging types during Wednesday night's Caps game, yours truly among them, and presumably will run the segment at some point during tonight's coverage - because if there's anything that can spike ratings, it's my made-for-radio mug.... On this date back in 2000, Calle Johansson notched his 331st assist as a Cap to surpass Scott Stevens for most helpers by a blueliner in franchise history, a mark that still stands today (and is in absolutely no danger of being challenged any time soon - Steve Eminger's 36 lead the current rearguards).... Howard Fendrich has penned, err, typed a nice profile of Gabby.... NHL Tournament of Logos takes a shot at rebranding the Caps.... Finally, I'm on Ice Sheet duty over at FanHouse, so be sure to head over there and check out what you might have missed last night while you were pondering whether Dennis Seidenberg's slash to Alex Semin's leg was as bad as Semin made it look (he's apparently okay, by the way).

Daily Awards

• Hart: Dustin Byfuglien (3G, A, +1, 5 SOG, 5 hits)
  
• Ross: Zach Parise, Dustin Byfuglien (4 points each)
  
• Norris: Dustin Byfuglien (3G, A, +1, 5 SOG, 5 hits)
• Vezina: Martin Brodeur (27-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Zach Parise, Dustin Byfuglien (3G each)
  
• Calder: Jonathan Toews (Game-winning goal, 2A,
  
• Aiken: Ilya Bryzgalov (L, 5 goals allowed on 7 shots against in just 10:30 of work)
  

Friday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ 'Canes

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

If last night's soliloquy didn't get you fired up for tonight's Caps/'Canes game, I guess nothing will (but be sure to check back around lunchtime - but not after you've eaten - for a little something special).

Anyway, the injuries to Chris Clark and Boyd Gordon have necessitated a call-up from Hershey, and it's Quintin Laing. I was curious to see if Bruce Boudreau would look to replace the injured regulars with a similar type player (is it a too bad Brian Sutherby's no longer around?) or someone with a little more offensive punch, and I guess we got our answer (and will have to wait to see if Chris Bourque can get more NHL ice time under Gabby than the 8:19 of ice per game that Glen Hanlon gave him).

Laing is a 6'2", 175-pound winger who is, per his TSN.ca scouting report, "an extremely industrious forward" who "[h]as the size scouts love from the wing position" and is "a sound player without the puck." However, he "[c]ould use his size more to punish opponents" and "[d]oesn't own soft hands or a goal-scorer's mentality." Sounds like he'll fit right in. In 19 games for Hershey this season, he has two goals, five assists and is plus-eight, and if you're wondering why a 28-year-old has played in only three NHL games in his career, I'm sure Q will make it pretty evident pretty quick. On the plus side, however, he knows Boudreau's system.

The last time the Caps visited Carolina, they turned in one of the worst performances in a season full of stinkers, losing 5-0 in a game that might not even have been as close as the score. But Bruce Boudreau's Caps are 1-0 against Carolina courtesy of a big 5-2 win last Saturday night, so let's hope the Caps can get back to scoring - and winning - in Raleigh.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

The Board of Governors has approved a new schedule matrix that will ensure that everyone plays everyone at least once a year. "The NHL: Where The Only Constant Is Change."

Daily Awards

• Hart: J.P. Dumont (G, 3A, +2, 4 SOG, killer name)
  
• Ross: J.P. Dumont (4 points)
  
• Norris: Zdeno Chara (2G, 5 SOG, 4 hits)
  
• Vezina: Roberto Luongo (26-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Zdeno Chara (2G)
  
• Calder: Tobias Enstrom (G, 2 SOG, 3 blocked shots)
  
• Aiken: Martin Gerber (L, 6 goals allowed on 35 shots against)