Byfuglien, Sopel "Surprise Scratches"

Gettin' closer...

"[Dustin] Byfuglien and veteran defenseman Brent Sopel were surprise scratches for the [Dallas] game. Both have been mentioned in trade speculation, most prominently in the last few days, when Byfuglien reportedly was headed to the Capitals for Nylander. The Hawks nixed that deal, apparently because they couldn't stay under the salary cap if they acquired Nylander.

"Adding Sopel to the deal would allow them to do that[.]"

Salary Cap Could Drop 15%

"[B]arring a miraculous recovery by the economy, players stand to lose all their escrow money, which would essentially drop the salary cap from $56.7 million this season to about $48 million next season." [Link]

If I understand things correctly, however, the cap (in terms of a salary ceiling for planning purposes) will drop, "but only to about $55 million."

In case you're wondering, here's a look at what the Caps already have on the books for the 2009-2010 season (including only players who have made their NHL debuts, with one exception, and figures taken from here):

Forwards
Alexander Ovechkin - $9,538,462
Michael Nylander - $4,875,000
Alexander Semin - $4,600,000
Chris Clark - $2,633,333
Nicklas Backstrom - $2,400,000
Brooks Laich - $2,066,667
Matt Bradley - $1,000,000
Tomas Fleischmann - $725,000
David Steckel - $725,000

Defensemen
Mike Green - $5,250,000
Tom Poti - $3,500,000
Brian Pothier - $2,500,000
Karl Alzner - $1,675,000
John Erskine - $1,250,000

Goaltenders
Jose Theodore - $4,500,000

That's 15 players at $47,238,462 (but it includes Pothier).

Maybe I should have titled this post "Yet Another Reason Trading Nylander Makes Sense."

Where There's Smoke...

When Bob McKenzie reports that "The Chicago Blackhawks, according to multiple NHL sources, have a standing deal ready to go at a moment's notice to acquire veteran center Michael Nylander from the Washington Capitals," and word is that the 'Hawks might go as far as to put Cristobal Huet on waivers to make it happen, it's really time to put aside any notion that there's nothing at all to these rumors (or, for that matter, that Nylander's no movement clause will likely be exercised).

Recent developments (the cap situation and Mike Green's injury, Nylander's entrenchment in Bruce Boudreau's Chez Bow-Wow, the re-emergence of Nicklas Backstrom, the revelation (to me, at least) that Nyls stills owns a home in Chicago, etc.) would seem to make a Nylander move make even more sense. Might the team be better off in the long-run freeing up the cap space to, for example, give Chris Bourque and Karl Alzner roster spots now or to provide needed flexibility down the road? There's only one way to find out, and one gets the feeling that we might be a step closer to that answer sooner rather than later.

Stat Of The Day

From the fine folks at Elias Sports Bureau (via the NHL) comes this gem:

"The Maple Leafs beat the Canadiens, 6-3, on Saturday and all nine goals were scored by European players: Toronto’s Niklas Hagman (Finland, 2 goals), Mikhail Grabovski (Belarus), Nik Antropov (Kazakhstan), Pavel Kubina (Czech Republic) and Alexei Ponikarovsky (Ukraine), and Montreal’s Robert Lang (Czech Republic), Tomas Plekanec (Czech Republic) and Saku Koivu (Finland).

"The nine goals equaled the most ever in an NHL game in which all the goals were scored by players born outside North America. The only previous instance was the Maple Leafs’s 5-4 win over the Capitals in Nov. 26, 2002. The goal scorers in that game were Toronto’s Nik Antropov, Tomas Kaberle, Robert Reichel, Mikael Renberg and Robert Svehla, and Washington’s Dainius Zubrus, Calle Johansson, Mikael Nylander (sic) and Ivan Ciernik."

Monday Roundup/Gamenight: Canucks @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Rumor has it that Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis will be in town tonight to take in the Caps game (jp5). In all likelihood, this is because Gillis - Michael Nylander's former agent - is trying to acquire the Swedish pivot from Washington via trade. Or it's because the Canucks are playing the Caps. One or the other.

Tonight - the first meeting between the teams since Alex Ovechkin nearly van Goghed Chris Clark last season - should be Matt Pettinger's triumphant return to D.C., but he's busy (finally) reporting to the AHL after clearing waivers last week (I bet a million bucks goes a long way in Manitoba). The Canucks will also be without rugged blueliner Kevin Bieksa, who's back in Western Canada getting an MRI on his knee (but hey, they've still got Willie Mitchell, who you'd hope would be better prepared for Donald Brashear's left than he was for Jarome Iginla's, should the two tussle).

The Caps are 0-4-1 against the 'Nucks since Valentine's Day, 2001, and Roberto Luongo has a career record of 15-9-3 with a 2.14 GAA and .933 save percentage against the Caps, so, um, the hometown boys are due. One person who shouldn't be intimidated by Bobby Lou, however, is one of the two guys who doesn't have to worry about scoring on him, namely tonight's backup goaltender, Jose Theodore, who has a career 17-7-1-2 record in head-to-head matchups against his fellow Quebecer, including three shutouts.

As we noted yesterday, 1-1 is a hell of a lot better than 0-2 with Luongo ahead. By the same measure, 2-1 is a hell of a lot better than 1-2 with a trip to Pittsburgh and a visit from Martin Brodeur later in the week. Two big points are out there - go get 'em.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Craig Custance takes a look at how AO will try to top his MVP season.... James Duthie weighs in on Ovi the rock star (who, incidentally, doesn't want to be a movie star).... Some SED love at NHL.com.... The Hockey News predicts another Calder Cup for Hershey (thanks to MVP-to-be Keith Aucoin)... In case you're wondering which of the Caps' AHL goalies will be loaned out, it looks like it'll be Michal Neuvirth (and a couple more Bears will be heading to South Carolina).... Finally, FYI, Braden Holtby is 5-3-0/2.39/.916 for Saskatoon of the WHL.

Don't Blame Mrs. Nylander, Edmonton

Oiler blogger David Staples has some interesting info under the sub-heading "THE INSIDER STUFF: NYLANDER'S WIFE REALLY DIDN'T HATE THE THOUGHT OF EDMONTON," but rather than quote it here, you really should check it out over at Staples' blog, The Cult of Hockey. Trust me.

Goodbye Khabi, Hello Nyls?

You had to know this was coming:

"If Chicago Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon thought he was fooling anybody this summer when he said Nikolai Khabibulin had a future in Chicago after signing Cristobal Huet, that sham came to an end Monday when the Hawks put Khabibulin on waivers.

"The Blackhawks are trying to clear salary cap space by getting rid of Khabibulin and insiders say the player they’re targeting now is Washington Capitals center Michael Nylander, who has three years left on his contract with a salary cap hit of $4.875 million.

"Sources say the Blackhawks have already made two serious offers to the Capitals for Nylander and believe he would be a good candidate to replace Robert Lang and play with oft-injured Martin Havlat."

Random Mid-Afternoon Question

How many 36-year-olds who aren't being actively (or passively) shopped play in preseason games on back-to-back nights?

Older, But Not Old

Great stuff (as always) over at DTTHLT where The Falconer has run the numbers on the average ages of the NHL's thirty squads for last year and this coming year.

It'll come as little surprise to you that the Caps were the sixth-youngest team in the League last year (and the youngest to make the playoffs) with an average age of 26.7, but are a bit older heading into this coming year (aren't we all?), at 28.4. In fact, the Caps' age increase is not only the largest in the League in terms of the raw number (1.72), but the team's jump from sixth-youngest to ninth-oldest is the biggest one-year change in the League as well (tied with San Jose).

Contributing significantly to the change are projected full seasons of Sergei Fedorov and Michael Nylander (The Falconer weighted who actually played last season, don't you know) and the inescapable fact that people tend to age over time. It's also worth noting that my projected Opening Night 23-man roster has an average age of 27.89, but that's neither here nor there.

What's mildly interesting is that the Caps are actually getting a little younger on the blueline on the whole (assuming that Brian Pothier is swapped out of the group for Karl Alzner) - last year's seven averaged 25.87 years old when the season started and this year's seven will average 25.24 years old. Also, the team got younger in goal by swapping Olie Kolzig for Jose Theodore, dropping the average age of Opening Night's tandem from 34.05 to 31.83.

Up front, obviously, it's a different story, with really the only difference being the addition of a nearly 39-year-old Fedorov in lieu of a then nearly 27-year-old Matt Pettinger... and thirteen other guys being one year older. Last year's forwards averaged 26.87 years of age on Opening Night, while this year's group will average 28.65 (assuming that Nylander's still in town).

So basically, a Caps' projected 23-man Opening Night roster - which will look very similar to last year's Opening Night roster - will have an average age of nearly one year older than last year's. Yeah, you read all of that for that bit o' genius. You're welcome.

I'm not sure what it means, other than that the foundation is there, the major overhauls are over, and it's time to see what we've got. But you knew all of that.

***

On a totally unrelated note, I've been a big Dave Matthews Band fan for the past 15 years, and this is horribly sad news to read. Rest in peace, Leroi.

Trading Nylander

Michael Nylander to Vancouver. Michael Nylander to New Jersey. Michael Nylander to New York. Michael Nylander to anywhere. If I had a dollar for every Nylander trade rumor or theory I've read this summer, I could buy a nice house in Potomac.

We've already discussed the topic a bit, and Pepper has a more thorough post on it, as does EMac, but as it's August and things sometimes change over time, let's break down the issue a bit more and have at it.

Why Trading Nylander Makes Sense

• It gives a Sergei Fedorov top six minutes with either of the Alexes, both of whom he meshed very well with in D.C. and at Worlds (you don't think the team shelled out $4 million on a third-liner, do you?);
• It gets the Caps under the salary cap with room to spare (depending on what comes back in return) so holes that become apparent during the season can be addressed via trade/free agency, so no should-be rookies are playing in Hershey for financial reasons, etc.;
• It unloads a player who some feel does not fit well in Bruce Boudreau's system; and
• It provides both Boyd Gordon and David Steckel the opportunity to center checking/grind lines, rather than likely relegating Gordon to the press box.
  

Why Trading Nylander Makes No Sense

• Nylander has a No Movement Clause, so he would have to request a trade, which he would only do, presumably, if he was concerned about his ice time (and, by extension, stats). But even if he was "stuck" on the third-line, he'd be getting plenty of power play time and have decent wingers at even strength, not to mention the possibility of an injury to Fedorov or Nicklas Backstrom. Besides, can he really be worried about his numbers two-plus seasons before he's once again aUFA?;
• Fedorov is a much better fit in a third-line role at this point in his career;
  
• If Nylander is traded and Fedorov gets hurt (he has missed between nine and 15 games in each season since the lockout), the Caps are back where they were last January, scrambling for a second-line center. Remember when they tried Gordon there? Not good times;
• If Nylander is traded, who's the second-line center in 2009-10, when the Caps will ostensibly be Cup contenders? Fedorov, FYI, turns 40 in December, 2009; and
  
• Does this guy (read: his wife) really want to move his family to another city just one year after moving them back to D.C.?

All of the above raises a question: Since the Fedorov and Mike Green signings are the primary reasons Nylander is thought to be expendable (the former due to ice time and role and both due to the financial implications), why hasn't he been traded yet if he's going to be moved? Doesn't the inaction mean he's going to stick around for a while?

Well, no. Think about it - the Caps (and some potential Nylander suitors) would be wise to wait for Mats Sundin to make up his mind, as his decision will obviously greatly impact the market for aging Swedish pivots, right? Further, any potential suitors most likely want proof that Nylander's shoulder is 100% healthy, which means that any potential Nylander deal probably wouldn't happen until at least late-September, bringing us to our final question: If he's going, where's he going?

Obviously, whomever loses out on Sundin is a likely candidate to be interested, but considering that Nylander's wife nixed her husband signing with Edmonton because it was too far West (among other reasons), perhaps we can eliminate Vancouver from the mix (which is a shame, because Kevin Bieksa is a nice player... just sayin'). Which leaves teams like Montreal, the Rangers and Toronto, I suppose.

Look, I think moving Nylander would be a mistake barring a ridiculous offer (read: Jay Bouwmeester) that won't be made for a guy of his age and with his contract. The team's greatest strength that doesn't wear the number eight - it's depth down the middle - would be decimated in an instant (depending on the return, of course). But you can see some of the rationales for a trade, as well as the timing, all come together into a believeable scenario. We should know one way or another within six weeks.

The Housing Market

I figured it was time to buy some real estate, so I started house hunting this weekend and saw this one on the market. It may be out of my price range, but what the hell, right? My only question is why the owners are selling so soon - they bought the place less than a year ago. Huh.

H/t SombreroGuy and StikSav

Fact: 'Vancouver To Pursue Nylander' Rumor Exists... Somewhere

I am a blogger.

I am not a journalist.

It is I who has "chewed down the standards of journalism the way the pine beetle has decimated B.C. forests." Buuuurp.

Fortunately for all of us, there are very serious men (and, presumably, some women) who still pride themselves on defending and upholding the Principles of Journalism. They are your "mainstream" or "traditional" media members, and, as a result of the ongoing efforts of these courageous truth seekers - who daily must ply their trade in the face of ever degrading information gathering ethics - it has long been firmly established that if an item appears either in print or on a newspaper's website, it is the truth ("in deadtreeus veritas" as they proclaimed back in the days of Caesar). These brave men (and, presumably, some women) would never sink so low as to traffic in rumors. Never. Ever. Ever.

All of which is important background to have when you read something like what Ed Willes wrote in yesterday's Vancouver Province, that "[t]here are also stories making the rounds that... [Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike] Gillis will make a play for yet another former client in Michael Nylander."

You see, this is not a rumor. It's more than a rumor. It is, of course, truth.

Had the author not prefaced the substance of the above sentence with the disclaimer alerting the reader that the claim he was about to make is currently being bandied about in some undisclosed forum, he'd have nothing more than a rumor on his screen. But report that "there are stories making the rounds" and he has a fact. Are these "stories" making the rounds outside of his head or the Province's smoker's lounge or his dinner table? Who cares? He now ostensibly has a fact, and what do reporters do with facts? They report them (natch). [This "report the rumor" technique has made Matt Drudge rich and famous and is similar to a technique in common usage in one particular corner of the televised world.]

So kudos to Ed Willes for reporting the fact that a certain rumor exists (which, of course, is not a rumor at all) and for protecting us from the blogs that might let the story get ahead of the facts on this one.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have standards of journalism to chew down.

H/t to EMac on the Gillis link.

2007-08 Rink Wrap: Michael Nylander

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, Michael Nylander.

Contract Status: 2008-09 salary of $5,500,000 (salary cap hit of $4,875,000); UFA after 2010-11 season
Age (as of October 1, 2008): 35 (he'll turn 36 two days later)
NHL Seasons (including 2007-08): 13+
2007-08 Regular Season Stats: 40 games played, 11 goals, 26 assists, -19, 24 PIMs
Key Stat: Nylander was second on the team in points per game (.925).
Surprising Stat: Nylander won 48.8% of the faceoffs he took before he got hurt (while taking 12.8 faceoffs per game) and 48.6% while playing injured (while averaging 14 draws per game).

The Good: Even though he played hurt for a third of his season, Nylander was on pace for a 22 goal/53 assist season, which is just a tick under his post-lockout averages of 24.5 and 56.5, respectively, and given that more than half of his games came while Glen Hanlon was still behind the bench, it's quite possible he would have beaten those averages. Nylander's 14.3 shot percentage trailed just Brooks Laich and Alex Ovechkin among Caps who played 20 or more games and was the second-best efficiency of his career. He trailed only Ovechkin in average ice time per game among forwards, had eleven multi-point games and two five-game point streaks, and his 36.9 power-play point pace would have had him in the top 10 in the League had it continued for a full season. But the biggest positive from Nylander's season (as Peerless notes) may have been the blessing in disguise that his injury turned out to be, as it forced Nicklas Backstrom into an undisputed number one center role, one in which the rookie flourished.

The Bad: That team-worst minus-19 sticks out like a sore shoulder, err, thumb, but owes a bit to Nylander playing through pain - from the game in which he is believed to have hurt his shoulder until he finally shut it down for the season, Nyls was minus-seven in 13 games (though he did manage to rack up a dozen points in that stretch). But that still leaves 26 "healthy" games in which he was a minus-14 (the game in which he was injured isn't included in either the pre- or post-injury numbers, since it's unclear when during the game he was hurt), including a miserable minus-ten November. But you can probably chalk it up to an adjustment to new teammates and a new system (two, actually), since in his entire career, Nylander has only finished a season with a minus rating three times, and never in double digits. There's more bad too, but take it with the grain of salt that 1/3 of his season was played with just one shoulder. Nylander was on pace for the third-highest PIM total of his career, had the most secondary assists per sixty minutes on the team but was only sixth in primary helpers per sixty (not necessarily a bad thing, but somewhat surprising), and perhaps most importantly, opponents scored more goals per sixty when Nylander was on the ice than when any other Cap was.

The Vote: Rate Nylander 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: Which wingers would you like to see flanking Nylander most often in 2008-09? 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.

Centers Of Attention

Word from The Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson is that "[Ted] Leonsis and [George] McPhee would both like Sergei Fedorov back for another year, because he proved he could play and he was somebody Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin looked up to, almost in hero worship for Fedorov's three Stanley Cup rings in Detroit."

Interesting, but I doubt Fedorov is interested in being a third-liner, and the Caps already have their top two centers... or do they?

In a separate piece, Matheson notes that "the Devils need a first-line centre in the worst way after losing Scott Gomez and the Caps have Michael Nylander ($14 million over the next three years), but solidly No. 2 behind Nicklas Backstrom. Sounds like a perfect trade situation to me because the Caps then could try and re-sign centre Sergei Fedorov for another year at say, $2.5M."

As Spector notes, Nyls' "no movement" clause (aka his wife) makes any trade unlikely, as does the fact that the Caps really don't have any near-term first- or second-line pivots in the system who are taller than 5'8", so even if you believe that Fedorov can effectively center one of your top two lines for 82 games (I have my doubts) next year, what you've got after that is a nearly 40-year-old Fedorov and/or a gaping hole to be filled via free agency... which is exactly where the Caps were last summer. No thanks - I'll take my chances on a 37-year-old Nylander in 2009-10.

But how Fedorov might fit into the 2008-09 Caps' plans is obviously going to be interesting to watch. My guess is he's gone, but if he wanted to come back for a year at that $2M to get spot duty on the top two lines, kill penalties and help quarterback the power play, I'd welcome him back (hey, it ain't my money). Besides, if Sergei's responsible for unleashing Alex Semin's inner beast (and there's every reason to believe he is), he's a short-term investment that's well worth making.

Oh, and one last note on the Nylander-to-Jersey thought - Matheson concludes that "[i]f Dainius Zubrus wasn't making $4M in Jersey, he'd be a perfect return for Nylander because the Caps need better shutdown people." If only.

Backstrom To Play At Worlds, Nylander Iffy

I hadn't seen it elsewhere, but buried in this article is news that "super rookie" Nicklas Backstrom will play for Sweden at the World Championship in Halifax and Quebec City which begin early next month, and that teammate Michael Nylander may join him. FYI.

Friday Roundup/Gamenight: Thrash @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

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

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


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

Ovechkin Watch:

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

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

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

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

Daily Awards

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

The Current Power Outage: To Worry Or Not To Worry?

Heading into tonight's game against the Flyers, since Michael Nylander was shelved for the season on January 15, the Caps power play had clicked at an impressive 23.7% (9-for-38), an efficiency that would have the team 3rd in the League if it was their season-long conversion rate. Overall, the team is 10-for-53, a very respectable 18.9%, with Nyls out of the lineup this year.

That's the "glass is half full" look at the what the team has done with the extra man and without their top playmaking pivot (with apologies to young Mister Backstrom).

Now, the flip side of that coin. The Caps have scored just one time in their last sixteen opportunities with the man advantage, not once in their last four games, and have given up two shorthanded goals against (including last night's putrid 3-on-5 shorty) since their last power play goal. That's not even the "glass is half empty" take - that's "the glass is broken."

Over the course of a season, one can pick and choose four game stretches to show any number of things, so the current stretch is perhaps no more meaningful than the first four games sans Ninety-Two in which the power play was successful 36.3% of the time. After all, on the season, a power play that fired at only 14.6% under Glen Hanlon's direction has been markedly better - 19.2% - under Bruce Boudreau (an efficiency that would be 6th best in the League on the season). So let's just let the law of averages play out... for now.

Nylander's Done - Whom You Should Blame

So Michael Nylander is out for the year with a torn rotator cuff. Whether or not Nyls has been all that you hoped he would be thus far, you, as a Caps fan, are understandably disappointed and frustrated at this turn of events (unless you're one of the morons who think that the Caps won't miss the guy who's leading the team in power play scoring, is second in overall scoring and in ice-time among forwards and has taken the second most faceoffs on the squad... then again, if you are one of those morons, this probably isn't your blog of choice).

And since you're American, the obvious question is "Who can I blame for this crap hand I've been dealt?" Here, then, is a list of folks at whom to direct your anger:

• Michael Nylander. While I don't normally advocate blaming the victim, this is one instance where it might make sense. Did Nyls injure his shoulder attempting to sign one too many SPCs in the off-season? Is he faking the injury in attempt to duck Kevin Lowe whose Oilers come to town for a game Thursday night? Did dipping his shoulder on one thousand too many offensive-zone pirouettes do the harm?
• The New York Rangers. Did those bastards send a lemon into unrestricted free agency just to screw us? Is the curse of Jaromir Jagr alive and well?
• The Verizon Center Ice. It's been blamed for just about every other injury the team has suffered so far this year.
  
• Nolan Yonkman. It wouldn't be the first time...
  
• Me. Is karma paying me back for this morning's line about Dany Heatley's shoulder?

What are our other options? It can't just be bad luck, can it?

On a sidenote, a beer on me to whomever is first with the inevitable rumor of the Caps pursuing this guy to fill their newly found "veteran Swedish center" deficit.

[Note: In all seriousness, Nyls deserves kudos for playing through the pain as long as he did, even when other teams were targeting the injury. You don't typically think of him as a "tough guy," but he certainly demonstrated both guts and leadership to a young team - which is part of the reason he was brought to town in the first place.]

Tuesday Roundup

What a mixed bag of injury news yesterday brought. The good news was that Alex Semin, Brent Johnson and Chris Clark all skated. The unsurprising bad news was that Tom Poti and Brian Pothier did not. The surprising bad news was that neither did Michael Nylander, and Matt Pettinger had to leave practice early (though both Nyls and Petty are expected to play Wednesday night, despite the former's shoulder injury allegedly being "worse than the team is letting on"). Oh, and Ben Clymer is on re-entry waivers, which I guess would qualify as unexpected bad news if he's going to be wearing red, white and blue anytime soon.

Got all that? Good. And if Ben Clymer skates a single shift on defense for this team with Steve Eminger in the press box...

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

On this date back in 1984, Bengt Gustafsson lit the lamp five times (on five shots, no less) in a 7-1 trouncing of the Flyers in Philly. Gus ended his career with 196 goals (and only one other hat trick) in 629 games, but his was probably not the least likely five-goal performance in the past 25 years. And speaking of five-goal games, what's the over/under date on when Alex Ovechkin gets his first? Let's see, the Caps next get Tampa on February 16, right?

Daily Awards

• Hart: Mathieu Garon (35-save shutout win)
  
• Ross: 12 players tied with 2 points each
  
• Norris: Tom Gilbert (2A, +2, 2 SOG, 2 blocked shots)
• Vezina: Mathieu Garon (35-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Antti Miettinen (2G)
  
• Calder: Tom Gilbert (2A, +2, 2 SOG, 2 blocked shots)
  
• Aiken: Dan Ellis (L, 5 goals allowed on 37 shots against)
  

Thursday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ Bruins

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

The Caps are in Boston tonight to face the town's worst professional sports team as they look to stay hot against the Northeast Division in a city that has been horribly unhospitable to the boys from D.C. - since the new century dawned, the Caps have won in Boston but twice (once in regulation back in 2000 and once in OT in the Spring of '06).

In fact, it hasn't much mattered where these two teams have matched up lately, the games have been close and the B's have won them. Since the lockout, the Bruins are 7-0-1 against Washington, with five of the wins coming after a deadlocked regulation and each of the seven victories by just one goal (the Caps' win, not surprisingly, was also by a single tally).

Of course, those numbers mean little more than the fact that the Caps have never won in Boston on a Thursday night in January (a 4-1 loss on January 19, 1978 and a 3-2 loss on January 26, 2006) - they're just numbers. Here are some numbers that actually mean something (and a few that don't):

• 3-6-1: the Bruins record in their last ten games
• 3.17, .893: Tim Thomas's goals against average and save percentage since returning from an injury on December 20
• 7-0-1, 2.04, .933: Thomas's career record, GAA and SV% against Washington
• 1: Number of times Andrew Ference has gotten his ass kicked by Sidney Crosby
• 1: Number of faces Zdeno Chara has exploded so far this season (nice call by Jack Edwards, btw)
  
• 3: Number of Caps defenseman in the lineup courtesy of the Bruins (Shaone Morrisonn and Milan Jurcina directly via trade and Jeff Schultz via a draft pick acquired in the Morrisonn trade)
• 1: Number of goals Michael Nylander scored for the Bruins in 15 games in 2004 after the Caps sent him north for the pick that turned into Francois Bouchard (who, incidentally, is sixth in the Q in scoring, one point ahead of fellow Caps prospect Mathieu Perreault)
• 14: Number of career goals for Nyls against the Bruins, the most he has against any team
  
• 1: Number of s-bombs Nyls dropped in a post-game interview with Pierre Maguire in Boston after scoring a game-winner
  
• 27: The rank of Boston's penalty kill
• 6: The rank of their power play
• 1: Number of forwards in the top 50 in the NHL in scoring with fewer goals than Marc Savard (Henrik Sedin, in case you're wondering)
• 19: Number of points on the season for Phil Kessel, the fifth overall pick in the 2006 Entry Draft
• 19: Number of points since Thanksgiving for Nicklas Backstrom, the fourth overall pick in the 2006 Entry Draft

Anywho, tonight's a big game against an Eastern Conference bubble team. These points are not only "must-have" for the Caps, but they're also points they must prevent the B's from taking - the proverbial four-point game. It's time for the Caps to start making themselves a bit more at home in The Hub.

Why The Bruins Will Win:

"The Bruins winning against the Capitals will come down to two things - depth and defense. 45% of Washington's offense comes from Alexander Ovechkin, whereas the Bruins have three lines capable of putting the puck in the net. If they are able to shut down Ovechkin, Boston's defense first style would give them the edge in a close game because there is less likely to be a mistake." - DJ, The Bear Cave

"After an embarrassing 6 game losing streak to finish off the year, there's no way the Bruins will allow a less talented Caps team push them further down in the cellar." - The Bear Cave

"The newest Bruin, Shane 'Hnidy Night', will play lights out." - The Hockey (and Donut) Blog

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Yesterday's Roundup generated a bit of discussion on the topic of who "the Capital's second-best offensive weapon" is, so I posted a poll (upper right) to quantify the opinions. Go vote!... Olie Kolzig was the least-clutch goaltender in the League for December. Ouch.... Jonathan Toews is likely out for at least a couple of weeks, so it's time for Nick Backstrom to make some Calder hay while the sun shines (not that he really needs this opportunity - he's outscoring Toews and Pat Kane 19-16-15 since Turkey Day).... Sticking with the Swedes, on this date in 2003, Calle Johansson passed Kelly Miller as the team's all-time leader in games played with 941. Johansson ended his Caps career with 983 games played, still a team record.... The Stars' website has an interesting article on the origins of team names.... Finally, vote Weagle!

Scoreboard Watching:

• Devils 3, Panthers 2
• Thrashers 5, Hurricanes 4 (OT)
  
• Flames 4, Rangers 3
  
• Eastern Conference Standings
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Ilya Kovalchuk (G, 3 primary As)
  
• Ross: Ilya Kovalchuk, Shane Doan, Steven Reinprecht, Kristian Huselius (4 points each)
  
• Norris: Chris Pronger (Game-winning goal, A, 5 SOG)
  
• Vezina: J.S. Giguere (W, 26 saves on 27 shots against)
  
• Richard: Steven Reinprecht (3G)
  
• Calder: Tobias Enstrom (A, +1, 2 blocked shots, team-high 26:51 of ice time)
  
• Aiken: Cam Ward (OTL, 5 goals allowed on 14 shots against)