Tuesday Roundup/Gamenight: Wild @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

The Caps and tonight's opponents, the Minnesota Wild, really aren't all that different. Both teams are in second place in their Division. Each team has a Ni(c)klas Backstrom, a blueliner named Schultz and one of the League's most talented goal scorers. Um... both teams play in the NHL.... neither has won a Cup...

The fact of the matter is that the Caps and Wild actually are about as different as two teams can be in today's NHL. The Caps are an up tempo, run-and-gun squad while Jacques Lemaire's Wild play a trapping style and wait for their opponents to make mistakes. And unlike the Caps, who have lost four of the last five games in which they had a lead at any point, the Wild take a lead and go and hide with it - Minny has the League's best winning percentage when scoring first and is 25-0-1 when leading after two periods.

Think that first goal is going to be big tonight?

Minnesota comes into tonight's game having lost three straight and scoring only three times along the way, but with dynamic offensive players like Marian Gaborik, Pavol Demitra, Brian Rolston and Pierre-Marc Bouchard (assuming they don't trade him for an even more dynamic - and familiar - offensive player during the day) and a good power play, they can drop four or five in a hurry on an unsuspecting team that isn't prepared.

The Caps and Wild have played six times since Minny's latest NHL club entered the League in 2000, and the Wild have won five times, including a 3-2 shootout win last season. But only once has a game between the two teams been decided by more than a single goal, and only twice have more than three goals been scored in any one game in the series. To top it off, Minnesota is one of just four teams in the NHL against whom Alex Ovechkin does not yet have a goal (one assist in one game) and the Caps are one of only two teams against whom Gaborik has never lit the lamp (one single assist in six career games). How 'bout that? Oh, and in case you're wondering, Donald Brashear and Wild uberthug Derek Boogaard have fought once in the past, but with the Boogie Man on the IR, the two won't be renewing acquaintances tonight.

So expect another low-scoring affair and let's hope that the Caps' have the better of the Backstroms and the better of the bounces tonight - they'll probably need both in order to win.

Why The Wild Will Win:

"The Minnesota Wild will defeat the Washington Capitals because they have greater scoring depth and play a defensive system that is perfect to counter attack an offensively aggressive Capitals squad. Not to mention, the Wild currently have much more to lose and know they cannot afford to drop non-Conference games in another ultra-tight Western Conference." - The State of Hockey News

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Time change for the March 9 Pens game.... Insert Sidney Crosby joke here.... One year ago today it was Trade Deadline Day Eve, but the Caps got into the act early, trading Richard Zednik and Lawrence Nycholat, which we discussed, as well as the previous day's Caps/Devils game, and two years ago today we had the opportunity to gloat and use one of our favorite pictures. Good times.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Darcy Tucker (2G, A, +1, 4 SOG, 3 hits, 5 BkS)
  
• Ross: Matt Stajan, Darcy Tucker (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Jaroslav Spacek (2A, +3)
  
• Vezina: Vesa Toskala (31-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Darcy Tucker (2G)
  
• Calder: Clarke MacArthur (G, 3 SOG, +3)
  
• Aiken: Ray Emery (L, 5 goals allowed on 21 shots against in two periods of work)

Friday Roundup/Caps 2, Leafs 1

Photo: kb

A visibly tired Caps team did all of the little things right Thursday night, beating the Leafs 2-1. Heading in to the All-Star break, the Caps are now just three points away from the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and one point behind Carolina for the Southeast Division lead. (Curiously, the Caps were in a similar position at the break last season: three points out of the eight spot and behind first place Carolina, by nine points.)

• David Steckel's boarding penalty with just over two minutes remaining in a 2-1 game was the cause of great agita. With no Steckel available on the PK and facing a 6-4 man advantage, Brent Johnson came up big with several stops in those final two minutes, earning him the #1 star of the game. (It's fuzzy, but I remember once hearing Chico Resch claim that, "a goalie is your best penalty killer.")
• Once again, the Caps defensemen took it to the Leafs. Steve Eminger got things going five minutes in to the first period with a crushing check on Tomas Kaberle. Then Poti on Blake. And Green on Tucker. (Shaone Morrison, a healthy scratch, was quite probably checking Kyle Wellwood, somewhere in the press box.) The Caps registered 22 hits, with Milan Jurcina responsible for six.
• Jurcina has become a monster of late. The hesitancy which marked his play not so long ago is now gone. Winning breeds..., a rising tide..., and all that.
  
• Have yet to crunch the numbers to verify this, but it seems that in the last few weeks Caps defensemen [Mike Green, aside] are taking more shots and getting more shots on net. Stats, to come. As will comparative numbers on blocked shots. The Caps added 17 more Thursday night, Jurcina and Quintin Laing (Q!) each with four.
  

And in your daily update on Capitals-related grooming habits, Olie Kolzig's beard is no more. You were dead-on, anonymous commentor from yesterday. Or should we call you Nostradamus?

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

The 2008-09 NHL season to open in Stockholm and Prague....And play an 84-game schedule?....Brian Burke to the Leafs?...Sid's Winter Classic jersey sold for $45,000 at auction. His game-worn jersey for the Hockey Fights Cancer fundraiser is a bargain at $14,100. And Ovechkin's is a steal at $7500. Bid early and often....Happy 46th, Cheli.

Thursday Roundup/Leafs 3, Caps 2

Photo: Graig Abel

We're going to try our damnedest not to pile on. Really.

Eh, it's just not possible: if Britney wants custody of her children, she's going to need to learn how not to behave in front of a judge. We joke, of course, because if we didn't, thinking about the Olie Kolzig rebound that led to Mats Sundin's game-winning goal – with 29.2 seconds remaining in the game – would drive us to pull out our eye teeth.

Hyperbole aside, one wonders if the late game meltdown by Kolzig will lead to a loss of confidence not only by him and Bruce Boudreau, but by his teammates as well. (Interestingly, no players are quoted about the play in Tarik's WaPo story.) With Brent Johnson getting the start Thursday, and the upcoming 4-day All-Star break, Olie will be living with this game for at least a week.

Nearly as maddening as the rebound, was Alex Semin's play during the Leaf's rush. His defense was, well, indefensible. Is he really the player you want on the ice in the final minute of regulation in a tie game on the road?

Enough with the ugly. On to the good.

• John Erskine had one of his best games of the season. He had great positioning, made smart decisions with the puck, and had two highlight reel checks (including an open ice hit on Darcy Tucker that knocked him flat on his tuchus). Erskine's play didn't go unnoticed: he logged over 21 minutes of ice time, well above his season average of 15.19.
  
• The Caps were the more physical team from the start, outhitting the Leafs 20-12. With Jeff Schultz a healthy scratch, Steve Eminger made the most of his minutes with strong play along the boards. (Just ask Alexei Ponikarovsky, who left the game early in the 1st period after receiving an Eminger check into the dasher.) Tom Poti continued his chippy play of late. Good. Getting baited into a roughing minor by Dominic Moore? Not good.
  
• Alex Semin's swimmer-like goal celebration in the 2nd period is the only kind of dive from him we can endorse.
  
• Nicklas Backstrom is becoming quite saucy with his saucer passes. His 3d assist Monday night in Pittsburgh was pretty, for sure. Last night, during a 1st period power play, Backstrom made a cross ice pass to Mike Green that was a work of art: from circle to circle, through two defenseman, with one bounce and on to Green's tape for a quality shot on goal. (Somewhere Coach Bengt Gustafsson is smiling proudly. Backstrom's teammate from the '07 World Juniors team, Anton Stralman, had a gorgeous assist in the 1st period on the Chad Kilger goal.)
• Speaking of Swedish things of beauty, Backstrom's hair is not one of them. We can admire and appreciate his fidelity towards his stylist back home in Gävle, but not the hårstrå. He's looking more like Chaka every day.

The Air Canada Centre was Nassau Mausoleum North last night; filled with resigned, despondent Leaf fans. (The first "Go, Leafs, Go!" chant wasn't heard until well into the 2nd period.) Game 1 of the second Cliff Fletcher era saw timely goaltending by Vesa Toskala and patient team defense. We'll see if the Leafs can maintain that defensive discipline tonight against a Caps team that has yet to lose back-to-back games under Boudreau.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

More power rankings love for the Caps....Alain Vigneault is not a fan of the Beech. Washington Hershey is. Again....The DC DMA is watching the Caps on TV....An 8-4 barnburner last night at the CHL Top Prospects game....Army, Air Force players to be mic'd up and heard live by viewers. "Let's go boys!"

Wednesday Roundup/Caps 5, Leafs 3

[Boxscore - Recap]

Heckuva way to return from the Olympic break, eh? The Caps got a great team effort (though a few too many penalties for my liking), and skated out of Toronto with a 5-3 win over a rusty Leafs team. Matt Pettinger's second straight multi-point game (separated by more than two weeks) and first career multi-goal game added to his single-season high goal total and put him near a 20-goal pace for the season. Brian Willsie similarly added to an already-established career high in goals and Ben Clymer pulled to within three goals of his single-season best. Sure, all three of these guys are playing more minutes than they ever had previously, but they're certainly making the most of their increased roles. Oh, and some rookie kicked in (literally) his 37th goal of the year.

The WaPo has more on the game here, the WTimes here, and the latter adds yet another glowing piece on Alexander Ovechkin here. When asked if he's tired after the whirlwind that has been his past two weeks, Alex responded, "No, I am young, not old. I have lots of power, I have lots of energy. I love play hockey." And we love watch you play hockey, Sasha, what with your lots of power and all.

Not surprisingly, the more comprehensive coverage comes from north of the border, including this, this and this from The Globe and Mail, this, this, this and this from the Toronto Sun and this, this and this from the Toronto Star. Whew! My favorite quote from the above? Easy:

Darcy Tucker accused some Washington Capitals of "laughing" at the Maple Leafs in the waning moments of the Caps' 5-3 victory last night.

Tucker refused to identify any of the alleged snickering visitors, only remarking that "it just wasn't fun."

For the record, Brendan Witt - sporting his "My Name Is Earl" mustache and still, for the moment at least, a Capital - denied that anyone was laughing, adding of Tucker "He must have been frustrated. It was a big game for them." Boo hoo, Darcy.

Thread of the Day: Leaf fans respond to last night's loss at TSN.ca

Elsewhere 'round the rinks:

• Today's birthdays: Hall of Famers Duke Keats (b. 1895), Max Bentley (b. 1920) and Allan Stanley (b. 1926), future HoFer Ron Francis (b. 1963) and non-HoFers Jocelyn Guevremont (b. 1951), Pat Boutette (b. 1952) and Claude Vilgrain (b. 1963).
• Rob Blake and Joe Thornton were the first stars of their respective games last night. But where were they in Turin?
• Flying somewhat under the radar is this story on the NHL "tweaking" a couple of rules, most notably the silly automatic delay of game penalty for any puck played off the rink from the defensive zone.
  
• Buffalo's Best Blog has what is perhaps the last word on Laybergate here.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Joe Thornton (Goal, 3 assists, all four points on the power-play)
  
• Ross: Juraj Kolnik, Joe Thornton (4 points each)
  
• Norris: Jay Bouwmeester (2 assists, +3)
  
• Vezina: Alex Auld (Win, 1 goal allowed on 31 shots against)
  
• Richard: Joe Nieuwendyk, Olli Jokinen, Chris Gratton, Matt Pettinger, Miroslav Satan, Christopher Higgins (2 goals each)
  
• Calder: Christopher Higgins (2 goals, +2, 2 hits in Long Island native's return to the Isle)
  
• Aiken: John Grahame (Loss, 4 goals against on 13 shots in just 23:45 before getting pulled for the almost-equally ineffective Sean Burke)
  

Team-by-Team Most and Least Favorite Players

I'm up for the challenge. The following is a team-by-team listing of my favorite and least favorite players on each team (favorite/least favorite):

Anaheim: Scott Niedermayer/Sandis Ozolinsh
Atlanta: Peter Bondra/Bobby Holik (the poster boy for the "old NHL" salary madness)
Boston: Patrice Bergeron/Alexei Zhamnov
Buffalo: Ryan Miller (the future savior of USA Hockey)/Dmitri Kalinin (Cap killer)
Calgary: Dion Phaneuf/Chris Simon
Carolina: Eric Staal (what's not to like?)/Rod Brind'Amour (flat-out painful to look at)
Chicago: Tyler Arnason/Matt Barnabum
Colorado: Steve Konowalchuk/Brad May
Columbus: Jody Shelley/Adam Foote
Dallas: Mike Modano/Marty Turco (why, oh why did I trade you for Radek Bonk all those years ago in my pool?)
Detroit: Henrik Zetterberg/Chris Chelios
Edmonton: Ethan Moreau/Michael Peca
Florida: Cornell Joe Nieuwendyk/Joel Kwiatkowski
Los Angeles: Sean Avery/Sean Avery
Minnesota: Derek Boogaard/Alexandre Daigle
Montreal: Richard Zednick/Alexei Kovalev
Nashville: Steve Sullivan/Paul Kariya
New Jersey: Martin Brodeur/Alexander Mogilny
New York Isles: Rick DiPietro/Alexei Yashin
New York Rangers: Michael Nylander/Hmmm...
Ottawa: Jason Spezza/Dominik Hasek
Philadelphia: Joni Pitkanen/Derian Hatcher
Pittsburgh: Ryan Malone/Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, Sergei Gonchar (tie)
Phoenix: Ladislav Nagy/Petr Nedved
San Jose: Jonathan Cheechoo/Joe Thornton
St. Louis: Doug Weight/Keith Tkachuk
Tampa Bay: Vincent Lecavalier/Pavel Kubina
Toronto: Alexander Steen/Darcy Tucker
Vancouver: Ed Jovanovski/Todd Bertuzzi
Washington: Olie Kolzig, Alex Ovechkin (tie)/Mathieu Biron

How about yours?

Sunday Roundup/Gamenight: Leafs @ Caps

[Gameday Preview]

Tonight Darcy Tucker (pictured) and the Leafs blow into Washington for the first game of a home-and-home series that will conclude Tuesday night in Toronto. It'll be interesting to see what kind of crowd the Caps get, as the League did them no favors in scheduling an evening home game the same night that the Redskins are playing just a few miles away. I'm setting the over-under at 11,500 paid attendance. Any takers?

Today's WaPo has a nice article on the decade-long friendship, rivalry and intertwined career paths of Caps rookies Tomas Fleischmann and Jakub Klepis. George Solomon also has a column on the Caps and their fans (or lack thereof) in today's Post. The WTimes laments the Caps injury woes. Finally, yesterday's Globe and Mail has a sports section cover story on "The Ovechkin Effect."

Daily Awards

• Hart: Curtis Joseph (36 saves on 37 shots in victorious return to Detroit)
  
• Ross: Simon Gagne (3G, 1A)
  
• Norris: Jiri Slegr (2G, A)
  
• Vezina: Miikka Kiprusoff (23-save shutout win over VAN)
  
• Richard: Simon Gagne, Brian Rolston (3G each)
  
• Calder: Petr Prucha (Power play goal and game-winning shootout goal)
  
• Aiken: Sebastien Caron (L, 5 goals against on 18 shots in 29:37 before getting the hook)

A tip of the cap to Dunzy for the pic.

Team Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs

Key additions: Jeff O'Neill, RW/LW (FA - CRL); Eric Lindros, C (FA - NYR); Jason Allison, C (FA - LA); Mariusz Czerkawski, RW (FA - NYI); Alexander Khavanov, D (FA - STL); Brad Brown, D (FA - BUF); Jean-Sebastien Aubin, G (FA - PIT); John Pohl, C (T - STL); Alexander Steen, C (D - 2002, 1/24); Kyle Wellwood, C (D - 2001, 5/134); Carlo Colaiacovo, D (D - 2001, 1/17)

Key losses: Joe Nieuwendyk, C (FA - FLA); Gary Roberts, LW (FA - FLA); Alexander Mogilny, RW (FA - NJ); Brian Leetch, D (FA - BOS); Owen Nolan, RW (FA); Ron Francis, C (Retired); Tom Fitzgerald, LW/RW (FA - BOS); Calle Johansson, D (Retired); Trevor Kidd, G (FA); Robert Reichel, C (FA); Mikael Renberg, LW (FA); Drake Berehowsky, D (FA)

Key players unsigned: Karel Pilar, D (RFA); Bryan Marchment, D (UFA)

Forwards: In each of the past three NHL seasons the Leafs have been in the top eight in the NHL in goals scored, finishing fourth in 2003-04 with 242 goals. Well over 100 of those goals, however, won't be wearing blue this year, as some left via free agency (Alexander Mogilny), some retired (Ron Francis), some were retired (Owen Nolan), some left to ease into retirement in sunny Miami (Joe Nieuwendyk and Gary Roberts), and some left for parts unkown (Mikael Renberg, Robert Reichel). Their primary replacements are three reclamation projects - Jeff O'Neill, Eric Lindros and Jason Allison. O'Neill's goal and point totals have gone down each year since a career high 41 goals and 67 points in 2000-01 to an embarassing 14 goals and 34 points in 2003-04. The power-forward is not nearly as bad as his 2003-04, and a new start should do him well. Even if he doesn't regain his 40-goal touch, at $1.5 million, O'Neill is a low risk/high reward gamble for Leafs management. Similarly, Lindros's numbers have gone down in each of the last three seasons from 73 (in 72 games) in 2001-02 to just 32 (in 39 games) in 2003-04. But, at $1.55 million, he is a relatively safe investment. The third musketeer, Allison, has played at about a point-per-game since leaving Washington in 1997 (go figure), but has only played 26 games since the end of the 2001-02 season due to neck and concussion problems. Like Lindros, if he can stay healthy (an enormous "if"), he'll be another great payoff for the Leafs, who will only pay him $1.5 million in salary this year. Of course, the likelihood of all three staying healthy is remote. So who else will help out workhorse center and all around (regular season) stud Mats Sundin? Toronto brought in the enigmatic (euphemism for selfish) Mariusz Czerkawski to provide some scoring punch, and will expect another 20-goal year from cheapshot artist Darcy Tucker (pictured). In addition, rumor-mill posterboy Nik Antropov and fellow tall Russian Alexei Ponikarovsky will frustrate Leafs fans waiting for their breakout years, and the current "next big thing" in TO is ready to get a first taste of NHL action in the person of Alexander Steen. Matt Stajan, Tie Domi and Chad Kilger will all also kick in a few goals every now and again, and Kyle Wellwood, who finished fourth in the AHL in scoring last year, should also see some time with the big club. The Leafs have lost a lot up front, but with limited cap room have taken some risks from which they could reap huge rewards. More likely, however, the Toronto offense will fall out of the League's top 10 in scoring for the first time in years.

Defensemen: The Rink loves Bryan McCabe (pictured). We love his offense, we love his defense, we love his mean streak and, of course, we loved his mohawk. His minus-five rating against the Flyers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semis in 2003-04? Not so much. And the fact that he played ten games in Sweden in 2004-05 before being sent home for being fat and lazy? Not so much there either. OK, maybe love is too strong a word. But a rearguard who can finish second among defensemen in goals and fourth in points while finishing a plus-22 and racking up 86 PIMs? That's a thing of beauty. But 2003-04 was only the second time McCabe had broken the 30-point barrier, his best single-season plus/minus and the fewest PIMs he's had in a season of professional hockey. Expect McCabe to come back to earth a bit in 2005-06, especially on a weaker Maple Leaf team. BMac's partner will again be Tomas Kaberle, a Jekyll & Hyde blueliner who seemed poised to join the game's elite offensive defensemen after a 47-point 2002-03 season (his fourth 39+ point campaign in a row) before hitting the skids and only posting 31 points in 2003-04. Still, Kaberle's plus-36 rating and 78 points over his last two NHL seasons speaks to his talent, and he should return to form for 2005-06. Toronto's defense will be filled out by serviceable blueliners Alexander Khavanov, Ken Klee, Aki Berg and Brad Brown, none of whom is anything special. A darkhorse is Carlo Colaiacovo, who is running out of time to show that he's got a career as an NHL defenseman in front of him.

Goaltenders: Ed Belfour is 40-years-old, he's got a wonky back, he's a shadow of his former self - you've heard it all before, and so has he. But despite all of the ramblings of pundits, Belfour hasn't played fewer than 59 games in a season since 1996-97, and, with the exception of 2001-02, has posted at least 32 wins in every year over that stretch, with goals against averages below 2.27 and save percentages of better than .914 in every year but 2000-01 (in which he had a 2.34 GAA and a .905 SV%). Oh, and he needs just 12 wins to pass Terry Sawchuk for second all-time (he's currently tied with Jacques Plante - impressive company, no?). Belfour had a massive meltdown at the end of the Philly series in he 2003-04 playoffs, highlighted by the touchdown he gave up in Game 5 (he left the extra point conversion to Trevor Kidd), but that was a team effort. The Leafs will need Belfour to be at his best this year, and that's asking a lot of a 40-year-old with a wonky back, but our bet is that somehow The Eagle will find a way to silence the critics yet again. Mikael Tellqvist will serve as Belfour's understudy, and the Leafs hope that he can play well enough to keep Belfour fresh for a spring playoff run.

Bottom line: For the first time in a while, the Leafs aren't one of the Eastern Conference preseason favorites, and deservedly so. Maybe that will serve them well, though it's unlikely that any pressure to win has subsided in Toronto. This team has too many questions surrounding it to count, but with a little luck and some magic in goal, the Leafs could give the Senators and the Bruins headaches in the Northeast division. Odds are better, however, that they'll be fighting for a playoff spot down to the wire.

OK, Leaf lovers. Let me have it.