Tuesday Roundup/Caps 5, Canucks 1

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

Whether or not Sergei Fedorov's move to the blueline is permanent or semi-permanent, one thing is clear - he was awesome back there, and raised partner Milan Jurcina's game considerably (though he did take two penalties). The obvious manifestations of that latter point was Jurcina's goal, four shots on goal and plus-two rating. A little less obvious was Juice's huge +20 Corsi rating for the game.

So perhaps Jurcina's got his groove back thanks to Fedorov. And perhaps the Caps gave up the fewest shots on goal in a game in team history thanks to Fedorov. And perhaps he's actually worth $4 million for the year.

[Due to a post-game commitment, that's all you're getting in terms of a recap. But feel free to discuss anything about the game (line combos, Alex Semin and Mike Green continuing their early dominant play, Nicklas Backstrom snagging the red hard hat, etc.), the season so far or whatever you like in the comments.]

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Mike Chen weighs in on Ovechkin and/vs. Crosby for Versus.... The Caps move up a spot (from 8 to 7) in CBS's power rankings.... Caps prospect Dmitri Kugryshev is hot. In fact, the "hot teams" in the three major Canadian Junior Leagues are all lead by 2008 Caps draftees - Kugryshev's Quebec Remparts, Stefan Della Rovere's Barrie Colts and Braden Holtby's Saskatoon Blades.

Snip Snip

Joel Broda, Stefan Della Rovere, Dmitry Kugryshev, Brett Leffler, Eric Mestery and Justin Taylor have been returned by the Caps to their junior teams.

In other roster news, Kris Beech didn't make the Pens and Jamie Heward got cut by the Bolts.

Wednesday Miscellany

One month from tonight, the Caps will be in Atlanta to open the season against the Thrashers... but for today, you get a link dump.

The National Post wrote the same article that EMac wrote three weeks ago, and in it they referred to Donald Brashear as "a reigning heavyweight champion." Edward Fraser of The Hockey News isn't as easily impressed, as he didn't list The Donald among his ten fighters worth talking about, but Steinz has no problem posting a picture of Lindsay Czarniak talking about the Caps' enforcer (and, of course, neither do I).... Caps prospect Dmitri Kugryshev is adjusting quickly - and very well - to the North American game.... You knew Viktor Kozlov was a stud in the shootout, but did you know that Jose Theodore has the highest career shootout save percentage "among goaltenders likely to be on NHL rosters at the start of the season?" I bet you a nickel no team this season beats him on three consecutive attempts using the exact same move.... Finally, our buddy Pepper at the red skate emailed me yesterday noting a couple of points from my "Thinking Inside The Box" post. In it, I quoted Ted Leonsis as stating that "Our defense is going to be really good in a couple of years with [Mike Green], Eminger, Morrisonn and Schultz," asking, "Can you believe Boston gave us Morrisonn and [the pick that became] Schultz for Gonchar?" and noting that "I really like Laich. He's going to be another Konowalchuk-type guy." That was more than two-and-a-half years ago. Pretty prescient, no?

2008 Entry Draft Day Two Open Thread

Update: Here are your second round Caps picks: The Caps two second round picks: Eric Mestery and Dmitri Kugryshev. More on Mestery here and here, more on Kugryshev here (hat tip to the diligent folks on the Caps Message Board on those last links) and here.

As far as rankings go, Mestery was the CSB's 59th North American Skater and Kugryshev the CSB's 10th European skater. I'll provide more info as it comes in.

Also, Sombrero Guy writes in with the following:

1. Scotiabank Center is to Ottawa as FedEX field is to Washington DC, only you don't have to worry about dodging bullets near Scotiabank. It really makes me appreciate the downtown location of Verizon Center.
2. Canadians are very friendly, and Canadian chicks seem to be more likely to be hot and date a guy who looks like a computer programer than not.
3. Ushers allow you to scream taunts and heckles at Pierre McGuire as long as you replace actual curse words with "f-ing"....up to 8 heckles.
4. Greg "Puck Daddy" Wyshynski (who had the misfortune of agreeing to go out with us on a wild goose chase for open bars) is nowhere near the blackjack player recent HOF'er Glen Anderson is, who split threes three times and won on all three hands.

I look forward to hearing the story on that last point.

Update: The Caps took Braden Holtby, CSB's fourth-rated North American goalie, with the second pick of the fourth round. Here's his (sparse) HF Profile and an article on his WHL debut, as well as TSN's capsule:


Update: Joel Broda is the Caps 5th round pick, 144th overall. Broda - the Caps' second pick today who started the 2007-08 season with Olie Kolzig's Tri-City WHL club, was traded from Tri-City to Moose Jaw back in September.

Update: Greg Burke in the sixth. Read more about him here and a snippet here.

Update: The Caps used their last pick (7th round, 204th overall) on Stefan Della Rovere, a kid who, despite being smallish, got in 14 fights in the OHL this past season and whose handiwork you can see plenty of here.