Monday Roundup

Alright, it's time for Silver Lining Monday*, which today features the penalty kill. The Caps PK got off to a rough start, allowing seven goals against in its first 24 times shorthanded (70.8% effective), but has gone 31-for-36 (86.1%) since to raise the efficiency to a nice, round 80% on the season, which is still not great (it would have ranked 26th in the League last season), but it's certainly a significant step in the right direction.

Unfortunately, as the PK has gotten better, the power play has gotten worse, as shown below:

But as this is Silver Lining Monday, we're going to focus on the PK. What has been driving the improved kill efficiency? Well, statistically, it's hard to say - the amount of time shorthanded doesn't seem to be much of a factor, and neither do the total number of shots against or the per game average shots against per minute (I won't bore you with those charts, but note that since the PK started this turn around in Game 5, the Caps have had three games in which they've been shorthanded for more than 13 minutes - not good). But one major driver seems to be the goaltending (which likely includes the defense limiting quality chances against):

As you can see, GAA is down, SV% is up. Granted, both stats had plenty of room for improvement after that rocky start, but they have, indeed improved. In fact, heading into last night's game, the Caps were 17th in the League in four-on-five save percentage - plenty of room for improvement, to be sure, but far better than their rank in overall save percentage, a woeful 27th prior to last night (Colorado, Nashville and Dallas were worse).

Now, it may not seem like a great revelation to attribute a better PK to better goaltending, and indeed, it's no great epiphany. But given that the team isn't cutting down on the penalties it's taking and isn't limiting the shots against on the kill, it's good to know that the last line of defense is holding up its end of the bargain... shorthanded, at least.

* Just because it's Silver Lining Monday doesn't mean you can't piss and moan in the comments.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

The way the "Semin disses Crosby" quote has been covered is beyond annoying on so many levels. First of all, the mainstream media's attribution of credit for the quote is shameful, but unsurprising (recall their coverage of the Ovechkin Hart t-shirt story). Secondly, I must have mis-read the quote, because I don't recall Semin saying he was better than Crosby, and yet I see comparison's between the career accomplishments of the two everywhere, as if the only people who can criticize a player are those who are more skilled than the subject of their criticism. Finally, how big a stiffy did Don Cherry get (sorry for the visual) when he saw that a Russian claimed that an American is better than a Canadian? If a Swede had agreed, Cherry would have spontaneously combusted.... The Bears rookie line of Oskar Osala and "two Frenchies" was pretty awesome in the third period yesterday (and for a couple more prospect notes, head over to TRS).

Wednesday Roundup

A quick link dump this morning:

You can now follow The Rink on Twitter, if you're the Twitterin' type.... GMGM was on The Fan 590 yesterday.... The Caps start the season at #5 on The Hockey News' Power Rankings.... I linked to it in the sidebar the other day, but in case you missed it, TuvanHillbilly has the Alex Ovechkin prison-themed music video cameo posted.... Ted Leonsis is one of SBJ's 20 Most Influential In Digital Sports. I am not.... Keith Aucoin is the AHL's Player of the Week, and things are going great in Hershey (plenty of good nuggets here and a look at their new third jersey here), which makes Quintin Laing happy and Mathieu Perreault productive.... This is a pretty cool promotion from down in Miami.... Speaking of Florida, Jamie Heward's digging Tampa (beats Russia, eh comrade?).

Snip Snip

The Caps have returned John Carlson to his junior team and sent Mathieu Perreault to Hershey.

Odds And Ends

We interrupt your previous scheduled playoff-related nervous breakdown to catch you up on a bunch of crap that didn't deserve individual posts.

Karl Alzner, who knows no fear, was named WHL Eastern Conference Player of the Year.... I like "The Collingwood Cannon" nickname for Josh Godfrey.... Mathieu Perreault was named the top sniper in the Q, but you knew that... Don't you mean you're never getting married again, Anna?... Finally, in case you missed it, our buddy Greg Wyshynski, "the funniest writer in the NHL," has left Deadspin, FanHouse, his wife, and The Fourth Period to head up Yahoo!'s hockey blogging effort. You can find him here.

When Twenty Is Old

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ Pens

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Despite what you may have read elsewhere on the interwebs, the biggest diver in hockey likely will be in Pittsburgh's lineup for tonight's big game between the two best teams in the Eastern Conference since Turkey Day, but the focus will most likely be on the two Russians comrades who were taken one-two in the 2004 Entry Draft and have won the last two Calder Trophies. You know plenty about that first pick, so let's talk a bit about the second.

Evgeni Malkin is following up last season's playoff disappearing act his brilliant debut with another big season - 24 goals, 29 assists, plus-six rating, etc. - with much of his success has come riding shotgun on Sidney Crosby's left wing. But with Crosby now out indefinitely, the pressure is on Malkin to step up and center the top line. And despite being drafted as a center, Malkin hasn't yet been able to really establish himself as an NHL pivot - he has the worst faceoff percentage (37.6%) of any center in the League who has taken more than 78 draws and has the fifth-most giveaways of any forward in hockey (Alex Ovechkin, incidentally, has the second-most, though he has a much better giveaway-to-takeaway ratio than Geno).

Make no mistake about it - Sidney Crosby is irreplaceable, both on and off the ice. But if there's a silver lining to his injury for the Pens, it's that they'll get a clearer picture of where Evgeni Malkin is in his development as a player and a leader. Something tells me they won't be disappointed.

Why The Pens Will Win:

"Evgeni Malkin. Period. The guy has been playing like he has a chip on his shoulder the size of the Communist Bloc. His consistent dismissal of an all-star game invitation will fuel 'Geno' to new levels leaving goalies to beware." - Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic (and if you're more of an aural learner, check out the audio clip Mike sent over - very cool):boomp3.com

"This game has Capitals finally rise up and beat the Penguins all over it..... It should be a really entertaining game. How come no one ever talks about Malkin vs. A.O. Old fashion shootout. Pens torch caps goalie Jim Carey 6-4." - The Pensblog

"The Pittsburgh Penguins will win this game because of, wait for it, defense. Gasp! That's right, since getting lambasted by the injury bug in 2008, the Penguins have clamped down in their own zone and played tight hockey in front of some hot goaltenders. Ty Conklin has been absolutely stellar between the pipes and Dany Sabourin earned a shutout in his first start of 2008 Saturday night in Montreal. Evgeni Malkin rose to the occasion in Crosby's absence Saturday and I'd expect him to do the same tonight." - Faceoff-Factor

"Let me preface this by saying that I was once a resident of Northern Virginia. Yes, I was one of those Penguins fans that all Capitals fans hate. You could count on me being at each and every game that the Pens came south to meet Washington, in my Lemieux jersey, agitating everyone around me to the point that my well being was threatened on many occasions. But those, as they say, were the days...

"The series is much better when both teams are competitive. Right now, the Caps are in a re-building stage and the Pens are at a much different stage of development. This alone should be reason enought that Pittsburgh will prevail. But, due to Sid Crosby's ankle injury, the plot has thickened. In the Pens most recent game, a 2-1 victory against the Canadiens, they proved to everyone, including themselves (and this may be the most important), that they can win without #87 in the lineup. They did so by playing sound defense, finishing checks and eliminating costly mistakes. Does this sound like a typical Penguins team? No. And this is the same team that the Capitals will face tonight. If Washington is not prepared for a gritty, hard nosed game then they will not end up on top when 60 minutes have been played. If they are prepared, which I believe they will be, it should be a very tight contest with the Pens winning in OT 3-2." - Home of the Penguins

"The Penguins will win because it's not just about Crosby, it's about Malkin. The Pens supporting cast (Malone, Sykora, Gonchar) is more skilled, experienced than the Caps. The Caps have given up three or more goals 5 times in calender year 2008 already; the Penguins just once. The Pens will win because role players like Jarrko Ruutu and Georges Laraque spend more time on the cycle than Lance Armstrong. But mainly the Pens will win tonight because they've beaten the Capitals six times in a row, it's just one of those things that's meant to be." - The Sweater Ted

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

On this national holiday, I wonder how Donald Brashear and George Laraque plan to honor the memory of famously pacifistic Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.... Mathieu Perreault is on a 17-game point-scoring streak (only 44 games to go to tie Mario Lemieux's record) and is tied for sixth in the Q in scoring with 64 points in 40 games (three points behind fellow Caps prospect Francois Bouchard).... Maybe the Caps are scouting the Jax after all.... Another Canadian writer thinks Alex is overpaid. Surprise.... Short blurb on Flash.... Finally, a special welcome to our puppy-stealin' friends to the north. Make yourselves at home.

Daily Awards

• Hart: John Madden (2G, including the game-winner, +1, 5 SOG)
  
• Ross: Scottie Upshall, Braydon Coburn (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Braydon Coburn (G, 2A, +3)
  
• Vezina: Tim Thomas (W, 30 saves on 31 shots against)
  
• Richard: Brenden Morrow, Niklas Hagman, John Madden, Scottie Upshall (2G each)
  
• Calder: Andrew Cogliano (A, +2)
  
• Aiken: Martin Gerber (L, 4 goals allowed on 14 shots against in 39:51 of work)
  

Wednesday Roundup/Gamenight: Thrashers @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Opening night. Seems like forever ago, doesn't it?

But it wasn't so long ago (less than seven weeks) that these same Caps opened the 2007-08 season with a win on the road against the defending Southeast Division Champs. Actually, check that - it wasn't these same Caps. Those Caps were without Alex Semin. And they dominated, out-shooting the host Thrashers 40-29 and out-scoring them 3-1.

Since then, the Caps have gone 5-13-1. They've scored three goals in less than a third of those games and have managed to win - get this - one game in which they've allowed more than a single goal against. Let me rephrase that: in games in which the Caps have allowed two or more goals, they're 1-13-1. The power play is 4-for-33 (12%) in November, and the Caps are still looking for their first win all season in a game in which they allow a power-play goal.

It also wasn't so long ago that these same Thrashers were 0-6-0. Actually, check that - it wasn't these same Thrashers. Those Thrashers had their number one goalie, Kari Lehtonen.

But Atlanta, led by Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa (shocking, I know), has made it all the way back to .500, going 10-4-0 since the dismissal of head coach Bob Hartley. They've scored three or more goals in nine of their last ten games and have scored multiple power-play goals in a game five different times with Don Waddell behind the bench.

Quite obviously, these are two teams going in opposite directions right now... just like the Caps and Sens were two weeks ago. On any given Wednesday night in the NHL, any team can beat any other team - maybe this Wednesday will be the Caps' night.

Update. From the Thrash morning skate:
Johan Hedberg will get the start in net tonight. Hedberg is 5-2-2 lifetime against the Caps, with a 2.84 GAA and .849 Sv%.

With the early season turnaround in Atlanta, interim Head Coach Don Waddell was asked if he had any advice for the Capitals. Unsurprisingly, he responded with the politic,

I know them both [McPhee and Hanlon] very well. They're good hockey people. And good hockey people find ways to get out of difficult situations.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Matthieu Perreault is one hot prospect who's tearing up Le Q.... While things may be bad at the moment, at least we have Alex Ovechkin's Hall of Fame induction to look forward to (cue "Yeah, as a Maple Leaf" comment in 3... 2... 1...).... Which NHLer's name sounds more like a Star Wars character - Tuukka Rask or Jarkko Ruutu?

Daily Awards

• Hart: Chuck Kobasew (2G, including the game-winner, A, +1, 4 SOG)
  
• Ross: Chuck Kobasew (3 points)
  
• Norris: Cory Sarich (+1, 6 hits, 4 takeaways, 0 giveaways)
  
• Vezina: Tuukka Rask (W, 30 saves on 32 shots against in NHL debut)
• Richard: Chuck Kobasew, Owen Nolan (2G each)
  
• Calder: Tuukka Rask (W, 30 saves on 32 shots against in NHL debut)
  
• Aiken: Jose Theodore (L, 3 goals allowed on 14 shots against)
  

Checking In On The Kids

Because we're sure you're equal parts curious and lazy, from time to time during the course of the season, we'll check in on how the Caps' top non-AHL prospects are doing, stat-wise (to see how the fellas are doing down in Hershey after one game, check here). Note that since the NCAA season hasn't really gotten underway yet, the guys listed below are all playing in one of the major Canadian junior leagues or overseas.

Anyway, here's our first look at the youngsters, and it's good to see that more than a few are off to strong starts:

• Karl Alzner (D, Calgary Hitmen, WHL): 10 games played, 2 goals, 5 assists, +8 (tied for sixth among WHL defensemen in scoring, tied for second in plus/minus)
• Francois Bouchard (RW, Baie-Comeau, QMJHL): 7 games played, 4 goals, 6 assists, +7 (tied for seventh in the QMJHL in plus-minus)
• Viktor Dovgan (D, CSKA, RSL): 9 games played, 0 points, +2
• Josh Godfrey (D, Sault Ste. Marie, OHL): 8 games played, 5 goals, 6 assists, +4 (tied for 14th in the OHL in scoring, 3rd amongst defensemen)
• Maxime Lacroix (LW, Quebec, QMJHL): 9 games played, 6 goals, 4 assists, +2 (tied for 25th in the QMJHL in scoring)
• Ivan Nepriayev (C, Lokomotiv, RSL): 14 games played, 4 goals, 3 assists, 30 PIMs, +3 (eighth in the RSL in PIMs, 25th in scoring)
• Michal Neuvirth (G, Plymouth, OHL): 2 games played, 0-1-1, 3.46 GAA, .926 SV% (sixth in the OHL in SV%)
• Oskar Osala (LW, Blues, FNL): 9 games played, 1 goal, 5 assists, +6
• Mathieu Perreault (C, Acadie-Bathurst, QMJHL): 7 games played, 5 goals, 9 assists, +9 (tied for third in scoring and plus-minus, tied for second in assists)
• Keith Seabrook (D, Calgary Hitmen, WHL): has not yet played due to injury
• Semen Varlamov (G, Lokomotiv, RSL): 8 games played, 3.35 GAA, .876 SV%
• Mikhail Yunkov (C, Spartak, RSL): 13 games played, 2 goals, 0 assists, -2

This And That From Tuesday Afternoon

Worth checking out this afternoon are Vogs' profiles of Mathieu Perreault and Patrick McNeill over at Caps.com, as well a pair of pieces on Ted Leonsis, the first of which is an interview over at DCist, while the second is a lengthy recap of an AP interview.

Some highlights from the latter Leonsis article:

• "Every person in the organization's expectation is that we will make the playoffs."
• "We're under the cap. We have a lot of assets. I could see us during the season making trades. We've reached that point now where we're a team going up with good cap management. We have 'optionality.' We're very well-positioned in the new NHL. We're not a whining team."
• "I need another 2,500 season-ticket seats," Leonsis said. "What that would do is tip it, it would give us scarcity of tickets and allow us finally to raise prices. Our ticket prices, for the most part are exactly the same as they were in 1999."
• Leonsis said the Capitals "might never break even" financially, but added that the franchise right now could probably sell for at least $225 million, compared to the $85 million he paid for it eight years ago.

And one quote from Perreault that I couldn't let go unmentioned:

Perreault doesn’t hesitate when asked which NHL player he looks up to and tries to model his game after.

"Daniel Briere," Perreault affirms. "He played junior on Drummondville. I’m from Drummondville so I watched him play junior. He is the kind of player I want to be, so I’m working to be like him."

All things considered, I'd take that in a heartbeat.

Letters From Summer Camp

Day One of the Caps' Development Camp is in the books and while some players impressed (Oskar Osala, Francois Bouchard and Mathieu Perreault among them) and some didn't (Joe Finley, Simeon Varlamov), I wouldn't read much into one afternoon's performance with new linemates, etc.

Really, it was just great to see hockey in July and get to see the names we've been reading about (some for years) on the backs of (very sharp) practice jerseys. With so much going on and so many other new and old media types there, there's sure to be plenty worth checking out, so take it all in from near (much like GMGM and Ted and his son were doing yesterday in KB's picture above) or far. Start here:

• Dump and Chase (why would you start anywhere else?)
• On Frozen Blog (rookie camp is like crack to these guys)
  
• Capital Fanatic (great pics and observations)
• WaPo feature on Backstrom (by intern Katie Carrera)
• Off Wing Opinion (fantastic interviews with Varlamov, Karl Alzner and Andrew Glass) In fact, here's the Varlamov interview to whet your appetite:
  

Interview With Simeon Varlamov, July 11, 2007
Uploaded by emcerlain

Hockey's Future: Capitals Top 20 Prospects

Hockey's Future has updated its Top 20 Caps Prospects (with a couple of paragraphs on each player) and the only thing that really jumps out at me is that Francois Bouchard has leap-frogged Tomas Fleischmann. Travis Morin's low ranking and the omission of Viktor Dovgan have some scratching their heads, but all in all, the list is rather unsurprising (and it's great to see two goalies so high on the list). Here it is, with a cherry-picked, not-always-in-context money quote for each player:

1. Nicklas Backstrom, C - "has the potential and maturity to center a first line as soon as next season"
2. Eric Fehr, RW - "with his impressive offensive prowess and ongoing success in the AHL, Fehr will not be a man with two teams for much longer"
3. Semen Varlamov, G - "quick legs, and a very quick glove, which lets him excel at breakaways, especially shootouts"
4. Francois Bouchard, C/RW - "he might not just contribute, but be an impact player"
5. Tomas Fleischmann, LW - "with great hockey sense, along with an impressive shot and playmaking ability, Fleischmann has excellent offensive potential"
6. Michal Neuvirth, G - "a well-rounded butterfly style goaltender who shines under pressure situations. Rarely getting rattled, his mental toughness is remarkable for his age."
7. Chris Bourque, LW/RW - "has all intangibles -- great hockey sense, excellent skating, leadership, competitiveness, and above all, the ability to put himself in the right positions to score"
8. Jeff Schultz, D - "all the physical potential to become a keystone defenseman at the NHL level"
9. Patrick McNeill, D - "has enormous offensive potential, and is defensively sound"
10. Keith Seabrook, D - "has an incredibly hard shot from the point, and an ability to find open shooting lanes"
11. Oskar Osala, LW - "has incredible offensive talent, and at 6'4 his great speed and skating ability is very rare"
12. Sami Lepisto, D - "One of the best young defensemen in Finland, Lepisto excels at puck control; with a very calm demeanor he makes good passes and exudes confidence with the puck."
13. Joe Finley, D - "His incredible size, mixed with a certain aggressiveness, gives him the ability to take control of a game from a defensive standpoint."
14. Maxime Daigneault, G - "With good size, and an aggressively challenging style, Daigneault covers a lot of space in the net and uses his butterfly technique and quick glove to stymie shooters."
15. Sasha Pokulok, D - "Out of all the defensemen in the Capitals prospect system, Pokulok may be the most well-rounded."
16. Andrew Gordon, RW - "Gordon has what every club in the NHL looks for in offensive players: consistency at a high level."
17. Travis Morin, C - "His great playmaking skills, matched with excellent puckhandling, makes Morin successful on the power play."
18. Mathieu Perreault, C - "has enormous offensive upside"
19. Stephen Werner, RW - "Werner is a good playmaker and makes good decisions. He has a hard shot and is good through traffic, but his calling card is his speed."
20. Jamie Hunt, D - "extremely quick and a very good skater for his size"

A Diamond In Le Rough?

Hat tip to Capital Fanatic for pointing out this article from the Halifax Daily News in which the paper doles out its picks for the best and worst of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Their pick for Best Player, Best Playmaker and Best Stickhandler? Caps' prospect Mathieu Perreault, the team's second pick of the sixth round in last summer's drat, who is currently third in the Q in scoring with 36 goals and 76 assists (fellow Caps prospect Francois Bouchard - ineligible for this poll - leads the League in scoring with 120 points).