Friday Roundup/Gamenight: Devils @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Uh oh. Here come the Devils and... Scott Clemmensen?

Perhaps Lou Lamoriello went to Brent Sutter and said, "Give this start to Clemmensen. I want reliable people, people who aren't going to be carried away. After all we're not murderers in spite of what this undertaker thinks." Or not.

If you're not familiar with Clemmensen, here's a look at the 31-year-old's career stats (he has actually played in three games against the Caps, starting two, and going 1-1-0/2.61/.893).

If you're not familiar with why Kevin Weekes isn't starting, here's a look at his stats on the season (plus, the two were likely going to split this home-and-home series anyway).

And if you're not familiar with why Martin Brodeur isn't starting, well, you've probably been living under a rock for two weeks. Since Brodeur went down with his elbow injury (and took my fantasy team with him), the Devils have gone 1-4, scoring just eight goals and giving up 15.

On the season, the Devils have had trouble scoring goals (especially on the power play) and have one of the League's worst penalty kills. And they're 0-4-2 when outshot. And they're banged up. And since I should probably talk about the Caps at some point in this post, here's an interesting stat from Simply Sensational:

The New Jersey Devils are the only team in the Eastern Conference that Alex Ovechkin has not had a multi-point game against.

Prediction: that ends tonight.

These are two points for the Caps' taking - go get 'em, boys.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

The Caps may be "the very model of a modern rebuild," but I can't help but wonder what might have been had they ended up with Cam Barker in 2004 instead of AO.... Hey, it's been a while since we saw a Michael Nylander-to-Chicago rumor, so this quenches that insatiable thirst.... Quoth the Maven: "[H]as anyone noticed that [Brent] Johnson is better than Washington's alleged No.1 Jose Theodore?" No, Stan. No one. You're the first. Really.... For some reason, the Sports Guy lumps winning a Division in the NHL in with leading the WNBA in attendance. Oh, I know the reason - so he can crap on D.C.... Since we love gambling (but only wager M&M's), we love some of these prop bets. For example: Number of 2008-09 Southeast Division Playoff Teams, over/under set at 1.5. Whaddya got?... Simeon Varlamov will be between the pipes for da Bears tonight.... I couldn't possibly dig this post any more. Go there and click on every link, especially my personal fave (this is the end, beautiful friend).... Finally, potentially-to-likely NSFW depending upon where you work (via Four Habs Fans via Habs Fan in NYC): We're all Canadiens fans today, I'd say.

Congrats, NHL

The NHL's silly injury disclosure policy has, perhaps predictably, led to this:

"[G]oaltender Carey Price is recovering from an 'inner body injury,' which is NHL-speak for the flu."

"Inner-body injury."

Bravo, NHL, for bringing about previously unimaginable levels of idiocy. Bravo. (And isn't any sprain or bruise or broken bone really an "inner-body injury" too? Just askin'.)

H/t Rotoworld

Update: It's been pointed out that this is probably what's known as "a joke," and, upon a second reading, it's pretty clear that that's the case (though, the policy being what it is, would it shock you if it wasn't a joke?). Whatever - I'll go to the blogger box for two minutes and feel shame.

Friday Roundup/Caps 5, Habs 4 (OT)

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

I really don't want to start a theological debate here, but I have to ask the question: is it possible that Alexander Ovechkin is the second coming of Jesus? Sure, I've hinted at it before, but after last night's performance, I think we can safely rule out Number Eight being a mere mortal. Maybe he's just Superman. I dunno. But further research is definitely required on this topic, and I'll get back to you with the results.

Some thoughts on an enormous win:

• Ovechkin's line for the night - 4 goals, 1 assist, +4, 6 shots on goal, 5 hits. Monstrous, and at some point real soon, we're going to start using the H-word around here.
• Viktor Kozlov now has 10 goals, 25 assists and a +10 rating on the season. More importantly, he now has 6 goals, 4 assists and a +6 rating in eight games since Michael Nylander was shelved for the year. The chemistry on the top line is obviously fantastic right now, but might the team be better off moving Koz to the second line pivot? Neither Boyd Gordon nor Brooks Laich can adequately fill that role, and the result is that Alexander Semin is rendered less effective because defenses can back in much more when matching up against the line. Sure, Semin has had his goals since Nyls got hurt, but only one even-strength goal in his last six games is an indication that he isn't getting great chances, and you need only look at his centers to see why. If the team isn't going to go outside the organization for another top six center, either Kozlov or Nicklas Backstrom may have to be bumped from the top line to add to the secondary scoring threat - in the last five games, the Caps have only gotten two even-strength goals from someone other than Alex or Viktor.
• Speaking of Backstrom, he was credited with six takeaways. It's hard to believe how complete a player he is already.
  
• To the a-hole who threw his free burrito on the ice - that move was so wrong in so many ways. Go back to Philly.
• Matt Bradley showed great wheels on a pair of chances.
• Milan Jurcina continues to play his best hockey of the season, hitting everything that moves, blocking shots, and last night adding a beauty of an assist on Ovechkin's first goal.
• If it wasn't for his high-stick that caught Ovie under his left eye, I wouldn't have known Alexei Kovalev was even dressed for the game.
• Say what you want about him, but Tom Poti is gutting it out every night. You can tell his shoulder ain't right.
• The discipline, for the most part, was better last night than it was on Tuesday, but Donald Brashear's roughing penalty was a bad one, and uncharacteristic of his play of late.
• Kudos to Matt Pettinger for making it through January without scoring a goal. His one point in the month (a helper against Pittsburgh) topped his November total of zero points, and fell just two points short of his most productive month of the season, October.
  
• Finally, the goaltending. Olie Kolzig made a number of nice stops, but also had a momentary mental/physical breakdown or two. And given that he faced 21 shots in 63-plus minutes, we probably could have guessed he'd have a lousy save percentage and GAA - and a win - on the night. But here's your bottom line - he's 8-2-0 in his last 11 home starts and 8-2-1 in his last 11 starts overall. The goals against and save percentage stink, but the team keeps winning in spite of with him in goal, begging the question, "Who do you start on Saturday night in the biggest game of the year against Atlanta?"
  

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

I wonder if AO read this or this before last night's game (h/t CapsNut). I look forward to reading Fisher and Zurkowsky following last night's game.... Marginally Hockey-Related Funny.... Not At All Hockey-Related Funny.... Happy Anniversary, Gary!

Daily Awards

• Hart: Alexander Ovechkin (4G, including the OT game-winner, A, +4, 6 SOG, 5 hits)
  
• Ross: Alexander Ovechkin (5 points)
  
• Norris: Tim Gleason (G, A, +2, 4 hits, 4 BkS)
  
• Vezina: Tim Thomas (W, 30 saves on 31 shots against)
  
• Richard: Alexander Ovechkin (4G)
  
• Calder: Matt Moulson (G, +2, 4 SOG, 2 TkA, 3 BkS)
  
• Aiken: Pascal Leclaire (L, 4 goals allowed on 23 shots against in two periods of work)
  

Thursday Roundup/Gamenight: Habs @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Hey look kids, there's Big Ben, and there's Parliament.

For the second time in two weeks the Caps will be at home trying to salvage one game of a home-and-home series against a Canadian Northeast Division opponent. And as this is the fourth game between the Caps and Habs since December 20, it's getting tough to come up with interesting story lines and stats.

Is Bruce Boudreau really pissed off about how Montreal played out the dying minutes of Tuesday night's game? I doubt it. More likely, he's using it to try to fire up his squad to ensure they don't come out flat like they did in that game.

Will Shaone Morrisonn be able to play? Will John Erskine be able to convince the Verizon Center event staff to secretly add two feet in height to the end zone glass? And, of course, how will Olie Kolzig play given this golden opportunity to regain some confidence, both in himself and from his teammates and coaches?

This Caps team hasn't gone pointless in consecutive games under Boudreau, and now would be the absolute wrong time to break that streak. And while the above story lines are in play, so too is this stat: the Caps have never lost at home to Montreal on a Thursday in January. Sure, that stat covers just one game (January 4, 2007), but right now it's all about "just one game" for the Caps, or, more precisely, not allowing one loss to become two. And that makes this one game enormous, even if it is "just one game."

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Twenty years ago today the Caps played one of the more memorable regular season games in team history (to me, anyway), a 1-0 overtime victory over the Flyers in a Super Bowl Sunday matinee with Kelly Miller potting the game-winner and Pete Peeters getting the shutout. Later in the day, Doug Williams would lead the Redskins to a 42-10 thumping of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII. Best day in local sports history? Probably.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Owen Nolan (3G, including the game-winner, fight, +3, 4 SOG)
  
• Ross: Owen Nolan, Nicklas Lidstrom, Marek Svatos, Pavel Datsyuk, Tyler Arnason (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Nicklas Lidstrom (Game-winning goal, 2A, +3, 7 SOG in 3-2 win)
  
• Vezina: Ryan Miller (27-save 1-0 shutout win)
  
• Richard: Owen Nolan (3G)
  
• Calder: Martin Hanzal (G, +1, 4 SOG)
  
• Aiken: J.-S. Giguere (L, 3 goals allowed on 11 shots against in 23:18 of work)
  

Wednesday Roundup/Habs 4, Caps 0

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Super Stats]

When you go to Montreal to play the Canadiens and leave your special teams and discipline at home, you're asking for trouble. The Caps did just that, ran into a brick wall of a goaltender and left the City of Saints with a loss. Some thoughts on the game:

• John Erskine as a third-pairing defenseman? Acceptable (perhaps). As a first-pairing guy? Not so much. Two delay of game penalties and a tripping call, a minus-one rating and a team-high three giveaways tell some of last night's story, but the bigger picture is more troubling - as we wait for the "pinch" in which Shaone Morrisonn will play, Brian Pothier's head to clear up and Tom Poti's shoulder to get better, the Caps have essentially one-and-a-half of their top-four defensemen healthy. This team needs to bolster its blueline and fast if it wants to stay in the playoff hunt.
• I love the Habs' logo and would would greatly appreciate it if, in the future, Caps shooters could try not to obstruct my view of that glorious mark on Montreal's goaltender's uniform by firing so many pucks directly into it.
  
• Tomas Fleischmann was credited with a team-high three takeaways and no giveaways, which is strange, because it was his pass that set up the 2-on-0 shorthanded break that ended up behind Brent Johnson for Montreal's second goal.
• Speaking of Johnny, 36 saves on 40 shots against and he probably didn't have a chance on any of the four Habs goals. Start Olie Thursday? Sure. But there should be no hesitation in giving BJ another start real soon.
• Matt Pettinger managed to get on the scoresheet... with a tripping call.
  
• It was a great night in the faceoff circle for the Caps, with Nicklas Backstrom leading the way with 65% of his twenty draws won. No Cap that took more than one draw was below 50% efficient.
• Milan Jurcina blocked four shots and was second on the team with 24:51 of ice time (four seconds less than Poti had). So much of Juice's game depends on his confidence level, and it's clear that Bruce Boudreau is gaining confidence in the big guy every game (that and he has no real choice in the matter - see bullet number one above).
• It might be expected that the Caps would be outshot by Montreal. But outhit? That's an indication that the team wasn't on its game. The abundance of odd-man rushes against was another indicator.
• Mike Komisarek was probably the better Number Eight on the ice last night. What a stud.
  

So Thursday night now becomes another of those "don't let one loss become two" games against these same Habs. Olie Kolzig is likely to get the start, and if ever there was a time when the team needed their unofficial captain to play the role of stopper, it'll be Thursday. It's the type of game that a competitor like Kolzig plays the game for - let's see what he does with the opportunity.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

"You've got to root for these Caps." Agreed (sidenote: are you sure that's the headshot you want to go with, Monty?).... Vogs on the future of the Caps between the pipes.... Another profile on the dues Gabby paid en route to his stint behind the Caps' bench....

Daily Awards

• Hart: Glen Metropolit (2G, including the game-winner, +2, 3 SOG, 58% faceoffs won)
  
• Ross: Jason Pominville (3 points)
  
• Norris: Toni Lydman (2A, +3, hit, 2 BkS)
  
• Vezina: Cristobal Huet (35-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Glen Metropolit, Keith Tkachuk, Ryan Malone, Michael Rupp, Peter Mueller (2G each)
  
• Calder: Peter Mueller (2G, including the game-winner, +1, 4 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Curtis Sanford (3 goals allowed on 12 shots against in just 24:31 of work)
  

Tuesday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ Habs

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Everyone make it through that little break alright, recharged and ready for a stretch run? Good.

Now where were we? Ah yes, one point out of first place in the Southeast Division with two games in hand and three points out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference - exactly where we all thought we'd be when we put the turkeys in the oven on Thanksgiving morning, right? Maybe not, but it may not be far from realistic pre-season predictions of where the Caps would be coming out of the All-Star break (hell, I picked 'em to win the Division).

So a playoff bearth is there for the taking for the boys from D.C. It doesn't matter how they started the season or how they've played in the last month or two - it only matters how they play these last 32 games, and the first of those games is the front end of a home-and-home series that opens tonight in Montreal against a Habs team with whom the Caps have split a pair of games so far this season.

And while the Caps are only a point out of first place in the Southeast, the Habs find themselves just six points out of first in the Northeast and gaining on a struggling Ottawa squad. Montreal comes into tonight's game with 15 points (7-2-1) in their last ten games (only Philly at 8-1-1 has been better over the similar stretch), but a mediocre home record of 9-8-5.

Without a doubt, the Eastern Conference is going to come down to the wire overall and within its three divisions. Every point is enormous (though no single point is worth any more or less than the one the Caps gave away in Toronto last week), and a team that doesn't show up for a single game or perhaps even for a single period may be regretting it come early April. The playoff push resumes tonight and the marathon that is the NHL season starts to look a bit more like a sprint every day - and you can bet that Bruce Boudreau's Caps know just how important it is to get a good start out of the blocks.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

H/t to Kyle for a link to Russia Today's very cool report on Alex Ovechkin in the wake of his contract extension.... We know that Chicago's Pat Kane is far from a lock for the Calder Trophy as NHL's Rookie of the Year. The rest of the hockey world is slowly getting wise to that too.... Check out Rink commentor Paul's drawings over at Capitals Art. Good stuff.... Make sure to check out Blueland Blog's coverage of the Jr. All-Stars Tournament (h/t Talkin' Thrash).... Finally, thanks to KB for the last week's worth of posts andto you all for great comments and kind words whilst I was otherwise occupied.

Saturday Roundup/Gameday: Caps @ Habs

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Brooks Laich said recently (and I paraphrase Peerless's paraphrasing) that over the course of a season, you're gonna lose some games - the key is to not let one loss become two losses. That's really the bottom line heading into Saturday afternoon's game, which is yet another four-pointer against a likely Eastern Conference bubble team (which includes every team in the Conference other than Ottawa, who may soon join the list if they don't straighten things out in between the pipes).

The Caps have won just once in Montreal since March of 2003 (a 5-1 win thanks to a 43-save performance by Olie Kolzig and a pair of Brian Sutherby goals), but last time I checked Montreal was still in Canada, where the Caps are a perfect 3-0-0 on the season so far (and where the Caps have outscored their Canadian opposition by a combined total of 19-8). The Caps are also a perfect 3-0-0 on the season in day games, and today's bizarre 12:30 start time would make this a day game.

For their part, the Habs have the fewest home wins in the Eastern Conference, but come into the game unbeaten in nine of their last eleven overall (6-2-3) and have given up two or fewer goals in seven of those games while scoring at least four times in six of them. Their power play is the League's best and they come in with two lines that are scoring in bunches.

Injuries and travel woes will make an already difficult task even tougher for the visiting Caps, but here's an encouraging stat to end the preview - the Canadiens have lost 13 of their 19 games following victories this season (6-9-4). Hopefully the Caps can make it 14 of 20 on Saturday.

Oh, and Go 'Skins!

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Bill Clement lists Donald Brashear as the NHL's number three heavyweight (h/t to Kukla's Korner on the link).... Pop the cork on a nice cuvée de prestige - we've been named the biggest bunch of elitist snobs east of Los Angeles.... Flipping through the channels last night I landed on CSTV and found the North Dakota/St. Cloud State game. The game featured a pair of Caps prospects - UND blueliner Joe Finley and St. Cloud freshman goalie Dan Dunn, a tall goalie who gave up a bunch of rebounds (sound familiar?) but made 33 saves en route to an impressive 3-2 upset (Finley, from what I saw, did nothing of note).... Check out today's Ice Sheet for more from me on the NHL. You know you want to.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Martin Brodeur(36-save shutout win)
• Ross: Eric Staal (3 points)
  
• Norris: Andrej Meszaros (G, A, +2)
  
• Vezina: Martin Brodeur (36-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: 21 players tied with 1G apiece
  
• Calder: Jonas Hiller (W, 20 saves on 21 shots against)
  
• Aiken: Ryan Miller (3 goals allowed on 16 shots against in 30:30 of work)
  

Friday Roundup/Habs 5, Caps 2

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

On some nights, you're the big dog. On others, you're the fire hydrant. Thursday night at the VC was a bit more of the latter for the Caps as they ran into a hot goalie, had trouble on the penalty kill and missed converting a couple of chances of their own en route to a 5-2 loss. Some thoughts on the game:

• Jeff Schultz played the Alexei Kovalev/Tomas Plekanec first period 2-on-1 beautifully.
• Shaone Morrisonn can't leave his man alone on top of the crease with the puck behind the net on a power play, or you get what you got on the Habs' first goal.
  
• Chipchura sounds sounds like something I'd order at Taco Bell.
• The Habs scored on their second power play with Tom Poti in the box, but I blame the penalty on Tomas Fleischmann's brain cramp giveaway at the blueline.
• Was I the only one expecting Mike Green to stop to fix his hair after Mike Komisarek separated him from his helmet? Green had another solid game, finishing with seven shots on goal, an even rating and only one giveaway in a game-high 30:12 of ice time (nearly eight minutes more than any other Cap).
  
• Losing Brian Pothier for a few weeks with a broken thumb will hurt. Say what you want about him, but he's a 19-minute guy who can play in all situations, and the Caps sure don't have six more of those. Heck, do they have two? Sidenote: Here's hoping Steve Eminger gets a sweater tomorrow night and not John Erskine, though I'd be shocked if that's what happens.
  
• Apparently Locker's favorite new phrase is "soap on a rope." Personally, I'm waiting for him to drop "Soul on roll, but you treat it like soap on a rope 'cause the beats in the lines are so dope."
• Michael Nylander and Nicklas Backstrom swapped lines in the third period and the Backstrom-centered second line produced instant dividends (the Alex Semin goal). One wonders if the new combos will stick.
• Speaking of Backstrom, he's now only nine points out of the rookie lead in scoring.
• Alex Ovechkin seemed to be off his game a bit, especially after his third period tripping call. He whiffed on an open net thereafter and didn't exactly shine in his brief tryout as a blueliner. He finished minus-three on the night and had nine shots either miss the net or get blocked. Maybe Andrei Markov and company are in his head. Or, perhaps, the Matt Pettinger as a top line winger experiment just isn't working - AO is minus-eight in his last four games (Backstrom is minus-six and Pettinger minus-five - it sure would be nice to get Chris Clark back in the lineup or, better yet, a legitimate first-line right wing).
  
• Red, white and blue is still better than bleu, blanc et rouge.
• Fact: Guillaume Latendresse is the only player in NHL history to wear the number 84. For another bizarre Latendresse fact, check this out.
• A lot of bad news for scoreboard watchers, as the four teams directly ahead of the Caps in the Eastern Conference who played last night - Tampa, Atlanta, Florida and Pittsburgh - all won and the Bruins picked up a loser point.
  

So it's off to Long Island to try to snag a win and, with it, a merrier Christmas.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Let's give credit where credit's due, and it's due Sidney Crosby on the occasion of his first career Gordie Howe Hat Trick (and he handled himself a hell of a lot better when the rough stuff started than the Great One did).... Sure, you can play in the World Junior Championships at age 16 (and spell your name with almost as many umlauts as Mötley Crüe and Löwenbräu combined), Magnus Svensson-Pääjärvi, but Viktor Alexandrov would like to know where you've been the past two years.... I was catching up on my Mirtle and really digging this post when I recalled having seen this article in The Windsor Star - dated a day later - that had a handful of noteworthy similarities to Mirtle's post. Was it coincidence? Inspiration? Did Tom Layberger move to Canada and change his name to try to escape his shame?... Finally, on this date in 1929, the "NHL implemented the new 'offside' rule for the first time in league play. Forward passing would now be permitted inside all three zones, but not across the blue lines." At the time, Chris Chelios thought this would be a great way to increase offense, and, as it turns out, he was right.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Marian Gaborik (5G, but not the game-winner, A, +2)
  
• Ross: Marian Gaborik (6 points)
  
• Norris: Ed Jovanovski (2A, +1, 6 SOG)
  
• Vezina: Karri Ramo (W, 30 save on 31 shots against)
  
• Richard: Marian Gaborik (5G)
  
• Calder: Karri Ramo (W, 30 save on 31 shots against in first NHL start)
• Aiken: Henrik Lundqvist (L, 6 goals allowed on 18 shots against in 52:04 of work)

Thursday Roundup/Gamenight: Habs @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

I thought the loss of Sheldon Souray to Edmonton this past season was supposed to cripple the Canadiens' power play. Apparently, that wasn't the case, as the Habs have the second-best extra man unit in hockey and are clicking at a higher frequency than last year's top-ranked unit did.

That power-play efficiency (they have scored the second-most power-play goals in the League while giving up the second-fewest shorties) has made up for a poor penalty kill and a bad five-on-five ratio and has left Montreal with a 16-12-5 mark, good for sixth in the Eastern Conference.

The Habs have been a better team on the road (10-5-1) than at home (6-7-4), but haven't won in Washington on a Thursday since October 31, 1974 (take that, Elias Sports Bureau!), and traditionally have had a tough time around the holidays (thanks to ephperson for the link).

Alex Ovechkin has often said that the Habs' Andrei Markov is one of if not the toughest defenseman in the League for him to play against and the stats reflect that - there's no team in the Eastern Conference against whom AO has fewer goals (2) in his career than Montreal. But even if #8 doesn't solve #79 tonight, the Caps have shown recently that they have enough scoring depth to win. Let's hope that trend continues Thursday night at the VC.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

On this date in 1981, Lou Franceschetti's first NHL goal proved to be a game-winner for the Caps in a 3-2 win over the Rangers.... Down on the farm, Derek Meluzio has a holiday-themed Q&A with Freddy Cassivi.... Vote Weagle.... Finally, Happy Birthday to former Cap Bill Clement, Clement Hands of Cement who turns 57 today but will never look as good as he did in this brilliant hockey card.

And now, your goofy picture of the day (with corresponding "must read" article, in case you missed it):

Photo: Washington Capitals

Got a witty caption? Let's hear it in the comments.

Update: Here's the video. Fantastic stuff.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Ryan Miller (W, 41 saves on 42 shots against)
  
• Ross: Niklas Kronwall (4 points)
  
• Norris: Niklas Kronwall (4A, +3, 2 SOG)
  
• Vezina: Ryan Miller (W, 41 saves on 42 shots against)
• Richard: Patrick Sharp, Robert Lang (2G each)
  
• Calder: Jonathan Toews (Short-handed A, +1, 63% faceoffs won)
  
• Aiken: Chris Mason (2 goals allowed on 2 shots against in just 5:23 of work)
  

New Logos And Jerseys Part VIII

The Flames and the Habs unveiled their new uniforms today, and while it'd be easier to make a call on Calgary's jerseys if they were on a white background, it's easy to tell that the Canadiens have done an incredible job of not screwing up their new duds. Take a look:


I will add that the Flames have a sweet shoulder patch (the Alberta provincial flag), which can be seen in the slideshow here.

Ovechkin The Recruiter (Or The Recruit)

Yesterday I noted that the Habs have resigned blueliner Andrei Markov. Today we find out that a member of the Caps organization had made a pitch on the team's behalf (or on his own) to the Russian rearguard:

Markov said his good friend Alex Ovechkin wanted him to consider moving to Washington.

"Alex is a funny guy," said Markov, who smiled at a suggestion he should invite Ovechkin to join the Canadiens.

"It's too early," Markov said.

And by "too early" he means "never going to happen."

Mark Off Markov

The Habs have resigned blueliner Andrei Markov to a 4-year/$23 million deal (that's $5.75m per year, for those of you whose math skills aren't terribly strong).

If nothing else, it helps set the market for free agent defensemen and means that Sheldon Souray is probably on his way out of Montreal.

Wenesday Roundup/Habs 5, Caps 3Gamenight: Sharks @ Caps

[NHL.com Recap - NHL.com Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

If you take away the special teams goals and the empty-netter, the Caps outscored the Habs 2-0 last night. The problem, of course, is that all those goals count - all five of 'em. So the hole that the Caps dug themselves by committing six first period penalties (including some that would certainly qualify as "dumb") and allowing three first period powerplay goals against proved too much to overcome and the Caps fell 5-3 in Montreal.

On a positive note, Jamie Heward (a goal and 2 assists) and Richard Zednik (assist, +2) helped increase their trade value with strong games and Brian Sutherby scored his first goal since 1988 on a redirection of a Heward blast. In fact, the fourth line was a combined +6 and The Donald has now gone 18-straight games without being a minus player (has he been the team's best player over that span?). Also worth noting is that not once but twice the referees missed a Montreal high-stick (or elbow) that bloodied a Cap face (Shaone Morrisonn's and Matt Bradley's), but got the call right (or close enough to right) after talking to the linesmen. Kudos, Zebras.

On a negative note, Alex Ovechkin continues to struggle and offered this quote postgame:

"Maybe it's my fault. Because sometimes I have speed and I have puck and I go to the zone and I don't know what to do."

Maybe it is your fault, Alex. Then again, maybe it's the soul-crushing, excitement-stifling trap the team insists on playing that doesn't allow your teammates to join you on the rush. Is losing 3-2 rather than 5-4 really worth it?

Anyway, on to tonight and San Jose. I'll have more on tonight's game later, so check back throughout the day.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Tim Thomas (44-save shutout win)
• Ross: Michael Ryder, Paul Stastny, Daniel Briere, Saku Koivu, Mike Richards (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Jamie Heward (G, 2A, 3 SOG, 2 hits)
  
• Vezina: Tim Thomas (see above)
  
• Richard: Michael Ryder, Paul Stastny, Chris Higgins, Simon Gagne,Nathan Horton, Petr Sykora (2G each)
  
• Calder: Paul Stastny (2G, A, +1, 6 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Robert Esche (L, 4 goals allowed on 14 shots against in 22:25 of work)

Tuesday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ Habs

[NHL.com Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview - Official Gameday Thread]

When the Caps and Habs faced off at the V.C. on December 27, Montreal was threatening to catch Buffalo atop the Northeast Division (though it was clear even then that superior special teams play was masking a mediocre hockey team's deficiencies). Since then, they've gone 8-16-1 and are in very serious danger of missing the playoffs - apparently the Caps aren't the only team that has gone in the crapper since Christmas. And like the Caps, Montreal's problems have been many, including a lack of scoring and a number of key injuries. Unlike the Caps, however, the Habs are caught in hockey's equivalent of no-man's land - not good enough to be contend, not bad enough to blow the whole thing up and rebuild (Should they trade Sheldon Souray now? Probably. Will they? No.) In short, the Habs are destined to be mediocre for the foreseeable future, and with a payroll of over $42 million, that shouldn't be acceptable for "the New York Yankees of hockey."

But enough schadenfreude - let's talk about the game.

As I mentioned earlier, the Habs are dealing with their share of injuries, including biggies to winger Alexei Kovalev and goalie Cristobal Huet. Spelling Huet, the latest saviour-in-net for Montreal is Slovak Jaroslav Halak, who was absolutely tearing up the AHL until his recall this past week. He looked very sharp against Columbus on Sunday in his NHL debut and likely earned another start against the Caps on Tuesday. If Halak doesn't get the nod for the Habs, the Caps will face David Aebischer.

Up front, the Canadiens don't scare anyone (especially with Kovalev on the shelf), as the Habs don't have a single forward with 18 goals (the Caps have four) or 50 points (the Caps have three). Their blueline, however, is a different story, as Souray's shot alone is as scary as a bald Britney Spears (and speaking of Souray, allow me to use this opportunity to remind you of some of his greatest hits and my promotional idea for Habs games). Couple Souray with Andrei Markov (who Alex Ovechkin has called the toughest defenseman in the League to play against) and throw in Mike Komisarek and Craig Rivet and you have the makings of a very solid D-corps.

The Habs, then, are a team with very good defensemen, a mediocre group of forwards, excellent special teams and a hot-shot rookie goalie. How will the Caps match-up? Tune in and find out. Oh, and bet the under.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Mark Recchi (2G, 3A, -1, 3 SOG, 2 hits)
• Ross: Mark Recchi (5 points)
  
• Norris: Marc-Andre Bergeron (2A, +2, 2 SOG)
  
• Vezina: Tomas Vokoun (W, 22 saves on 23 shots against, A)
  
• Richard: Ryan Malone (3G)
  
• Calder: Phil Kessel (2A, +2, 2 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Marc-Andre Fleury (L, 6 goals allowed on 30 shots against)

Friday Roundup/Caps 5, Habs 1

[NHL.com Recap - WashingtonCaps.com Postgame Coverage]

At 19:01 of the first period of last night's 5-1 Caps win over the visiting Canadiens, Alex Ovechkin was nailed with a double-minor for unintentionally high-sticking Montreal blueliner Andrei Markov. Almost immediately, a chorus of "Ref, you suck" rained down from the rafters at the V.C. By the middle of the second period, the fans undoubtedly held the officials in much higher regard (though I didn't here any chants of "Ref, you rule").

Waving off the Habs' apparent game-tying power-play goal because Saku Koivu had gotten tangled up with Olie Kolzig, the ref (I forget which one) sent the Canadiens' captain to the penalty box for interference. The Caps scored twice (Lawrence Nycholat and Alex Semin) on the ensuing four-on-four and that was, more or less, all she wrote. A few notes:

• I was wrong - the game didn't come down to special teams or which team started better (though the Caps did have the lead after one period). How 'bout that?
• There's been talk that when Bryan Muir comes back, he'll be a man without a spot due to Nycholat's strong play. I'm fine with that, but wonder if when John Erskine comes back whether he or Jamie Heward will be the next odd man out - Nycho's been that good (not that displacing a Heward or Erskine is great measuring stick for competence).
• AO had three assists (and on the second one, he really put the "ass" in "assist"), but is now goal-less in his last five. I'm not worried.
• Steve Eminger had two helpers and continues his (dare I say?) stronger play of late.
• It was nice to see Dainius Zubrus back in the goal column and doubly nice to see him there twice.
• Speaking of two-goal getters, is there a more non-chalant skater in the League than Alex Semin? Everything he does looks effortless, and that's only partially a compliment.
• Maybe it's the win talking, but I wouldn't be shocked if Boyd Gordon won a Selke Trophy some day.
• Mike Green's defense on the Alex Kovalev partial-breakaway was beautiful and his rush earlier in the game was also splendid, though less spectacular.
  

That's it for now. Great to get back to .500, great to get healthier and great way to get ready for Atlanta on Saturday. The roller coaster ride continues...

Daily Awards

• Hart: Alexander Steen (3G, including the game-winner, 2A, +4, 6 SOG)
  
• Ross: Alexander Steen (5 points)
  
• Norris: Ian White (2A, +6, 2 blocked shots)
  
• Vezina: Curtis Joseph (29-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Alexander Steen, Martin Straka (3G each)
  
• Calder: Ian White (2A, +6, 2 blocked shots)
  
• Aiken, Pt. I: Tim Thomas (L, 8 goals allowed on 31 shots against in 47:54 of work)
• Aiken, Pt. II: P.J. Axelsson (0 points, -5)
• Aiken, Pt. III: Dominik Hasek (L, 8 goals allowed on 28 shots against in 51:38 of work)
• Aiken, Pt. IV: Evgeni Nabokov (3 goals allowed on 12 shots against in 11:20 of work)
  

Separating The Contenders From The Pretenders

Jeff over at Sisu Hockey has a great post on how even though tonight's Caps' opponents, the Habs, look like a legitimate contender in the East on the surface, dig a little deeper and they've still got a lot of work to do (hint: Al Iafrate wouldn't be too impressed with this year's Habs). If you like numbers, check it out.

Also interesting to note is that Carolina would seem to be the worst Cup Champ of the past seventeen relative to the rest of the League. Parity? Fluke? My inability to understand statistics?

Thursday Roundup/Gamenight: Habs @ Caps

[NHL.com Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview - Official Gameday Thread]

Didn't the Caps just play these guys? Yup. You know what that means, don't you? I get to be lazy and rehash my preview and recap from that game (and while I'm at it, I might as well rehash my Sheldon Souray Jersey Night idea). Killer.

So what's changed in a week (other than the Caps positioning in the Eastern Conference standings)? Not much. The Caps are a bit healthier, and perhaps The Donald will be a little better behaved (Aaron Downey sure hopes so), but everything keeps coming back to three main points: the need for better special teams, a 60-minute effort (especially a strong start), and better success in the faceoff circle. If the Caps fail in any of these three areas, that five-game losing streak will become six games real fast.

Google Search of the Day:

• I'm often amused at how people stumble upon The Rink. I get a ton of Lindsay Czarniak searches, some fairly bizarre searches (btw, nice hockey blogosphere roll call on that one), and some damn funny ones (NSFW... at all, though the second item in the search results is an absolute riot). I figured I'd start sharing them with y'all from time to time, and today's is certainly a gem.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

• Semen Varlamov and his Rooskie mates get to take on Canada for the gold at the World Juniors. Nick Bäckström and the Swedes will play the Yanks for bronze.
• Vogs has a nice piece on Eric Fehr and C-Bo up at Caps.com.
• Newsflash: the Caps' attendance bites but will be cured by winning more games.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Dany Heatley (3G, including game-winner, A, +2, 6 SOG, 3 takeaways, 2 giveaways, 1 hit, 1 blocked shot)
  
• Ross: Dany Heatley (4 points)
  
• Norris: Lubomir Visnovsky (G, A, +1, 2 SOG)
  
• Vezina: Roberto Luongo (W, 39 saves on 40 shots against through OT and four saves on five shots against in the shootout)
  
• Richard: Dany Heatley (3G)
  
• Calder: Loui Eriksson (G, +1, 2 SOG in 2-1 shootout loss)
  
• Aiken: Ryan Miller (L, 6 goals allowed on 36 shots against)

Thursday Roundup/Habs 4, Caps 1

[NHL.com Recap - WashingtonCaps.com Postgame Coverage]

At the end of the first period of last night's 4-1 Caps loss to Montreal - a period in which the Caps outshot their opponents 14-7 and dominated play save for two defensive breakdowns that turned into Canadien goals - I turned to my wife and said, "I hope you liked that effort because that's likely to be as good as it gets tonight." I was more or less spot on, as the undermanned Caps ran out of gas and were able to muster up only a very late 5-on-3 goal to break Cristobal Huet's shutout bid.

A few noteworthy points:

• The Caps were again dominated in the faceoff circle, losing 57% of the 53 draws and a whopping 78% in the offensive zone. Dainius Zubrus (who has to be in the top ten in the League in being thrown out of faceoffs) and Kris Beech - the Caps' top two centers - combined to go 2-for-10 on offensive zone faceoffs. It's hard enough to score on the Habs when you have to gain the offensive zone first; not being able to take advantage of the opportunity to start in the zone makes life even more difficult. Boyd Gordon, who had an otherwise strong game, was 6-for-17 on draws.
• Brooks Laich looked good. I don't have any stats to back that up, but he was noticeable in areas other than the penalty kill, which has been rare for him.
• On the flip side, Mike Green was bad. I don't know if he's hitting some kind of wall, but his last two games have been among his worst this season.
• The line changes, especially in the second period, were particularly sloppy. At least twice, a Cap forward carried the puck across the blueline and dropped a pass to a teammate who had gone to the bench for a change, leading to a Canadien rush the other way.
• Olie Kolzig couldn't be faulted for any of the Hab goals (except for the empty-netter, for which Olie was horribly out of position). Saku Koivu's tip-in nail-in-the-coffin was a thing of beauty.
• Montreal's defense corps is everything the Caps' isn't - experienced, decisive and skilled at the break-out pass.
• Yesterday I mentioned the Habs' special teams and they were the difference last night as the Habs were 25% effective on the power play and 87.5% effective on the kill.
• It was a surprisingly large crowd for a mid-week game (during the holidays, no less), announced at 15,609 but didn't seem packed with Montreal fans. Huh. Could it have been the 7:30 start time (a half-hour later than usual)?
• The Donald absolutely soaked Aaron Downey's melon with haymakers (see video below - h/t to Off Wing). Psst... Aaron... he's left-handed.

After generating little offense against Huet and Les Habitants, it's off to the swamp to face Marty Brodeur and the Devils - that sure ought to cure what ails the team.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

• NHL.com has a little piece on Nick Backstrom playing in his final junior hockey tournament.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Jeff Halpern (Game-winning goal, 2A, 4 blocked shots)
• Ross: Jeff Halpern, Marian Hossa, Jere Lehtinen, Daniel Sedin, Mattias Ohlund, Wojtek Wolksi (3 points each)
• Norris: Mattias Ohlund (3A, +1, 2 blocked shots)
• Vezina: Cristobal Huet (W, 30 saves on 31 shots against)
• Richard: Kristian Huselius (2G)
• Calder: Wojtek Wolski (G, 2A, +1, 4 SOG)
• Aiken: Jose Theodore (L, 5 goals allowed on 22 shots against in 41:52 of work)

Wednesday Roundup/ Sabres 6, Caps 3Gamenight: Habs @ Caps

[NHL.com Recap - NHL.com Preview - The Score's Tale of the Tape - WashingtonCaps.com Preview - Official Gameday Thread (en Français, no less!)]

Well that didn't go exactly according to plan. Bad bounces, bad coverage and bad preparation all contributed to a 6-0 Sabres lead before the game was eleven minutes old. And while the Caps chipped away a bit to make the score respectable, the game was by no means as close as the final count - Buffalo looked like they could have hung 20 on the visiting Caps had they wanted to (and they probably would have had it not been for some outstanding goaltending in relief by Olie Kolzig).

A few notes, then we'll try to forget this one and focus on tonight's match-up against the almost equally-tough Montreal Canadiens:

• Memo to Brian Pothier: shoot the damn puck around the boards or carry it - don't tap it ahead ten feet towards the backside of your own goal so that when your man beats you to the puck (which he will) he can feed it out front for an easy tap-in goal.
• The forwards were seemingly unaware of the late man into the zone and Buffalo's affinity for hitting him and this led to several scoring opportunities, including the Brian Campbell goal.
• Someone tell AO that you don't do the Hulk Hogan hand-to-the-ear move when you're down 6-2. It's nice to embrace the role of villain, but at that point the goal was little more than lipstick on the pig.
• The Sabres took their foot off the pedal a bit and if it weren't for a few great saves by Ryan Miller (especially the one on Dainius Zubrus), the game could have gotten much more interesting.
• Diveial Briere's spear into AO's yambag wasn't very cool.
• The Caps got killed in the faceoff circle (40-24 or 63%-37%), perhaps an indication of how unprepared they were for the game.
• According to Sabres bench boss Lindy Ruff, AO "has a lot of jam." Out of context, I wouldn't have the foggiest idea what that means.
• Even with last night's loss, the Caps have been great on the road, to the tune of 8-5-4. That means that in better than 70% of their road games, they've gained at least a point in the standings.
  
• Maybe it was because the Caps were down big early, but Ovechkin and Alex Semin played together on Zubrus's wings more often than usual. I'd love to see that combination come out for a couple of shifts each period, particularly after a penalty kill.
• Read this follow-up to the father-son story I mentioned yesterday - truly heartwarming. Oh, and on a somewhat-related note, do me a favor and don't click on links here just to go trolling. If you want to be an asshole, do it on your own blog.
• According to Elias, only two teams have ever reached six goals in a game faster [than 10:57, the amount of time it took Buffalo to do so last night]. The Maple Leafs versus the Red Wings (10:33) on Jan. 12, 1946 and the Canadiens against the Blackhawks (10:35) on March 10, 1951. But...
• Buffalo became the fifth team in NHL history to score at least six times in the first period and be shut out the rest of the game. Take that!
  

But enough about Buffalo, let's talk Montreal, one of only six NHL clubs that weren't in action last night. Sweet.

Montreal enters tonight's game with a 21-9-5 record that's good enough for third in the Conference (ignoring seeding) and t-sixth in the League, and that sparkling record is the direct result of great special teams - the Habs have the NHL's best power play and second-best penalty kill. Interestingly, they've had the second-fewest power play opportunities in the League. Do I have to tell you how important discipline and taking advantage of whatever power play chances come their way will be crucial to a Caps win. If so, just re-read this paragraph.

As you know, the Caps are in the middle of a brutal stretch of games and have to get points when and where they can. With a day off before heading up I-95 for games at the Devils and Rangers on Friday and Saturday nights, two points tonight would be absolutely enormous.

Daily Awards

• Hart: David Vyborny (2G, including OT game-winner, A, all on the last three goals of the game, +1, 7 SOG, 2 hits)
  
• Ross: Chris Drury (4 points)
  
• Norris: Brad Lukowich (+3, 3 blocked shots in 3-0 win)
  
• Vezina: Rick DiPietro (28-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: David Vyborny, Sergei Fedorov, Chris Drury, Nathan Horton, Daniel Sedin (2G each)
  
• Calder: Travis Zajac (GWG, +1, 2 hits, 2 takeaways, 0 giveaways)
  
• Aiken: Brent Johnson (L, 4 goals allowed on 6 shots against in just 7:30 of work, one stick shattered on the crossbar)

From Le Department Promotionale

Always thinking about how to increase ticket sales for NHL games, I had a brilliant idea for a promotional giveaway for the Canadiens to use. Now, I know that the Habs sell out every game, so maybe this promotion can be used by other teams when the Habs are in town. For instance, how many people are going to go to the Verizon Center on Wednesday, December 27 to see the Caps host the Canadiens? Probably around 12,000. But employ this giveaway and the place will be packed to the rafters.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you Sheldon Souray Jersey Night:

This one's free, NHL. From here on out, I'll be billing you.