Pick SPG

Our buddies up at Pension Plan Puppets play a little game to coincide with each Leafs game in which they predict who will register the first Leafs shot, penalty and goal for each period (I believe the Caps ran a similar game through their website years ago). Friend of the Rink Gary Perez designed a website and wrote the code to automate the gathering and tracking of all the relevant info. The result? PickSPG.com - you pick your team loyalty and take it from there.

I'll defer to PPP for some more of the deets, but given how easy it is to register and play, every one of you should join up, not only to show everyone how smart and numerous Caps fans are (especially relative to Leafs, Pens and Sabres fans), but also because at year end, the Caps fan with the most accumulated points will get some yet-to-be-determined-but-snazzy prize courtesy of The Rink.

Try it. You'll dig it.

Welcome, Leafs Fans

I figure it's time to formally welcome all the Leafs fans who have hopped aboard the Caps bandwagon over the past few days (PPP, Chemmy and others) - there's always room for more in the battle of good versus evil (and feel free to snag and post the image above).

And Caps fans, throw some love back their way in PPP's Game 1 Open Thread.

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/Gamenight: Caps @ Leafs

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

With 50+ comments yesterday, you guys have earned yourselves an Open Thread. Now don't let me down...

More Popular Than Britney

The NHL can build a "state-of-the-art flagship store" in downtown NYC, they can attempt to make a big splash overseas in the E.U., and they can even garner endorsements from the most unlikely of celebrities. But how do you really generate buzz among the web-savvy hoi polloi? Naked pictures of professional hockey players.

Yes, Jiri Tlusty's tlusty piqued the curiosity of online users everywhere yesterday, grabbing the numbers 1 and 2 spots for the most searched terms on Technorati, topping "Britney," "Ron Paul," and "BBW" (just missing in the screenshot below, my apologies).

If this story turns out to be part of a viral campaign for "Breakfast With Scot," it's brilliant. And if it's not, well, Capri Films should get on it.

Tuesday Roundup/Caps 7, Leafs 1

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

Last November, the Leafs played the part of the rude guest when they visited the Verizon Center and hung a 7-1 whooping on the host Capitals. Last night, the Caps returned the favor.

Washington came out guns a-blazin', outshooting the Leafs 13-6 in the first period and scoring four times on starter Vesa Toskala before he made an early exit. The power play clicked, the penalty kill did it's job... really, it was nearly picture perfect.

The other day I intimated that the early rollercoaster Caps have left most of their faithful with entirely different world views on an almost-nightly basis. So how's it looking today? Time to start icing the champagne? Alright, maybe not quite yet.

Some notes on the game:

• For those of you keeping score at home, that's four straight multi-point games for Alex Ovechkin (and is there anything better than the sound of a packed house on the road collectively "ooooh"ing at one of AO's flashy stickhandles?).
• It's easy to overlook the winning goaltending in a game like this, but Olie Kolzig certainly deserves mention, especially for his glove save on the Bates Battaglia mini-breakaway.
• Fantastic (and efficient) night for Matt Bradley, who had his first career three-point night in just 10:35 of ice time. Pro-rate his ice-time to equal Ovechkin's and he would have had two goals, four assists and a plus-six rating last night (easily attainable numbers, I'm sure, if he'd just gotten the playing time).
  
• What a nice deflection by Andy Wozniewski on AO's second goal. Hey, someone had to step up in Bryan McCabe's absence.
  
• The Caps got worked in the faceoff circle, winning only 44% of the game's draws.
• Regardless of what you think of his play, you've gotta love Brian Sutherby getting on the board (upping the trade value, baby!).
• Kudos to Ted in yesterday's comments for calling Petty's goal, which came early in what was easily his best game of the year so far.
• According to the CP, "By the time the third period started, at least one third of the Air Canada Centre was empty and one small section could be heard chanting 'Let's Go Raptors!''' Heh.
  
• It wasn't three seconds after I said, "Alright, no stupid penalties before intermission" before Brian Pothier took his tripping penalty at 19:49 of the first.
• If I had an intern, I'd tell you the last time the Caps had five different guys score their first goal of the year in a game. As it is, I don't have the resources to devote to such research and I have to make my own coffee.
  
• What I can tell you is that the last time the Caps scored more than three goals against a team from a city that doesn't start with a "T" was February 27, 2007. Since then, they've score four or more against Tampa and Toronto a total of five times.
• Finally, here's today's discussion topic: it has been suggested that the "players only" meeting after Saturday night's loss to St. Louis resulted in the players deciding how they want to play going forward, Glen Hanlon's system be damned. Did you see anything last night that would indicate such a mutiny?
  

Next up, a return engagement with the Broadway Blueshirts in Manhattan and a chance to get back to .500.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

If you'd like a side of schadenfreude with your eggs this morning, recall that Leafs Breakfast can be heard here (or, if you're the reading-type, read all about last night's game here and here. Oh, and here).... Monday power rankings are out, with the Caps at 21 and 27.... Nicklas Backstrom has a mentor on the team, but it's probably not who you think.... The Caps are the sixth-cheapest ticket in hockey (the Leafs are the most expensive).... Karl Alzner has been named captain of the Calgary Hitmen.... Finally, check out the kudos for my buddy Greg Wyshynski. If you're not reading him regularly, make sure to drop everything and start doing so here and/or here. Oh, and sorry, ladies - he got married earlier this year.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Matt Bradley (G, 2A, +3)
  
• Ross: Matt Bradley, Michael Nylander (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Jeff Schultz (First NHL goal, +3, 2 SOG, 2 blocked shots)
  
• Vezina: Olaf Kolzig (W, 32 saves on 33 shots against)
  
• Richard: Alexander Ovechkin, Devin Setoguchi (2G each)
  
• Calder: Devin Setoguchi (2G, including the game-tying and -winning goals in the third period, +2, 5 SOG, all in his first NHL game)
  
• Aiken: Vesa Toskala (L, 4 goals allowed on 13 shots against in just 13:56 of work)
  

Monday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ Leafs

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

With wins so hard to come by in the U.S. of late, let's see if the Caps can't find a win north of the border in Toronto, shall we? After all, the ACC has been somewhat hospitable to visitors because, as Leafs blueliner Pavel Kubina put it, "[W]e make stupid mistakes at home." Here's hoping that trend continues (though it might be hard with Bryan McCabe out of the lineup).

The Leafs come into Monday night's game with a two-game win streak after a pair of three-goal wins over the Penguins and Rangers. They're second in the League in goals per game (3.83), but have the third-worst team goals against average (3.67). Surprisingly, they're scoring all those goals with a power play that has somehow been worse than the Caps', clicking only 13% of the time. They shoot a ton and give up the most shots on goal against in the League. And here's a fun fact: the Leafs have won a League-worst 25% of the games in which they've scored first (only the Leafs and Sabres have won less than half of the games in which they've registered the initial tally).

In other words, expect some high-scoring, firewagon hockey (it's a damn shame Alex Semin is likely to miss this one, isn't it?).

Then again, Olie Kolzig was 2-0-0 with a 1.51 goals against average and a .958 save percentage against the Leafs last year, while Andrew Raycroft was 2-2-0, 2.26, .916 against the Caps in 2006-07 (likely Leafs starter Vesa Toskala has never faced the Caps). The Caps offense has struggled, but the goals against is still good (especially if you throw out that Buffalo debacle).

In other words, expect some low-scoring, tight-checking hockey (it's a damn shame Chris Clark is likely to miss this one, isn't it?).

Now that my bases are thoroughly covered, I'll leave you with one thought: it's really a damn shame Bryan McCabe is likely to miss this one, isn't it?

Update: Vesa Toskala will be in net for the Leafs.

Why The Leafs Will Win:

"Because our defensive liability (McCabe) is out for the game while yours (Poti) will be playing 25 minutes." - Pension Plan Puppets

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Check out Leafs Breakfast, Leafs Lunch, and Bill Waters here.... Orland Kurtenblog (and Willie Mitchell) on AO.... The latest on Patrice Bergeron (and feel free to "Guess the Suspension" on Randy Jones).... The Times has a piece that should be read by anyone who believes that putting an NHL team in Las Vegas is a good idea.... Finally, check out Sam Gagner's game-winning shootout goal from last night. Smooth.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Corey Perry (G, A, 5 SOG, 4 hits, 2 takeaways, 0 giveaways)
  
• Ross: Joes Sakic, Ryan Smyth, Corey Perry, Mikael Samuelsson (2 points each)
  
• Norris: Niklas Lidstrom (A, +2, 5 SOG, 2 blocked shots, 2 takeaways, 0 giveaways)
• Vezina: Mathieu Garon (W, 27 saves on 29 shots against in shootout win)
  
• Richard: 13 players tied with 1 goal apiece
  
• Calder: Andrew Cogliano (Game-tying shorthanded goal with 1:27 left, 2 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Henrik Sedin (0 points, -2, 1 SOG)
  

With Young Guns Like These, Who Needs Veterans?

"So far, the talk of Leafs camp has been the play of young guns like Simon Gamache, Tony Salmelainen, Kris Newbury, Ben Ondrus, Jiri Tlusty and Bryan Muir." ¹

Muir is 34. Only Tlusty is younger than 25.

Young guns indeed.

H/t to Mirtle on the link

Hoping For A Muir-acle On Ice In Toronto

"Bryan Muir hopes he still has something in the tank to crack the Maple Leafs defence.

"The 34-year-old, a veteran of seven different NHL teams and 97 games with the Washington Capitals the past two years, has signed a pro tryout agreement with the Leafs."

Muir hopes he still has something in the tank?

New Logos And Jerseys Part VI

CBC.ca has a video feature up on what to expect when the Maple Leafs reveal their new sweaters. Lose the shoulder patches, enlarge the logo, add some piping (in silver, no less!) and voilà...


... one of the League's best sweaters, ruined.

H/t to Novaron on the link

Playing The Blame Game In Toronto

You might think you know why the Leafs missed the playoffs this year (lousy goaltending, terrible penalty killing, etc.), but you might be surprised where the blame's being laid today.

Quote Of The Day

"The price for mediocrity has risen for Toronto Maple Leafs season ticket holders."
- Randy Starkman, Toronto Star

Of Tim Horton And Bill Barilko

I've posted over at the FanHouse about two really cool stories, one new and one old (the latter being one of my favorite hockey stories of all-time), and the nexus between them. Check it out.

Friday Roundup/Bruins 4, Clark 3 (SO)Gamenight: Leafs @ Caps

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

With all due respect to The Captain's hat trick and The Phenom's vintage shootout goal, the most spirit-lifting aspect of last night's 4-3 shootout loss to the Bruins was the return and stellar play of netminder Olie Kolzig. The team simply plays with more confidence and accountability in front of him, and though the song remains the same in the results column, I now firmly believe the Caps will actually win another game this season (and soon).

On the other end of the spectrum, however, was the return of the stupid penalty, including four different stick penalties (for ten minutes in the box, since it includes Shaone Morrisonn's high-sticking double-minor). These penalties took their toll on the team, leading to three Boston powerplay goals in a span of just over three minutes of game time sandwiched around the second intermission and that, as they say, was pretty much the ballgame.

Some thoughts on the game:

• Kolzig was great for 65 minutes. You could have had Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo in net and I'm not sure they would have stopped the three Bruin goals. In the shootout, however, Olie looked a little rusty (maybe the result of the Zdeno Chara shot to the knee cap at the end of overtime), and was beaten twice.
• Alex Ovechkin's shootout goal was a flashback to early in the 2005 season. It was breathtaking. Alex Semin's effort? Not so much. And when you play a full game and one player has accounted for 100% of your three goals, why not let him take a shot in the shootout, if for no other reason than to reward his contributions? Besides, could Chris Clark have done worse than Brooks Laich?
• Speaking of the shootout, I'll have to check, but I think that only Alexander Hamilton has a worse shootout record than the Caps.
• According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Clark was the first NHL player to score the first three goals of a game his team did not win since Dec. 11, 1996, when the Blues' Al MacInnis did that in a 5-5 tie at Dallas. On a sidenote, I can't decide whether being a researcher at Elias would be the best job in the world or the worst.
• Steve Eminger rebounded from an awful game to have a very good one (with the notable exception of his high-sticking penalty.
• Morrisonn and Milan Jurcina continue to just crush people (though last night had to be one of Mo's worst games of the year).
• Only 6:52 of ice time for Mike Green after his rough game against Atlanta. That'll help the confidence.
• Ben Clymer left the game with a groin injury.
• I've said it before and I'll say it again - Marc Savard and Patrice Bergeron are a joy to watch.

For some reason, last night's loss - despite it's 3-0-lead-blowing atrociousness - left me encouraged, as you can tell. Was it Clark's hattie? Ovie's deke and finish? Olie's play? For sure. But there was more to it than those individual performances, something cosmic, and I have finally put my finger on it. The fact of the matter is that one can't help but have a restored faith in the universe and everything therein on a night when Duke is bounced from the NCAA Tournament in the first round - it's truly soul-refreshing.

Anyway, the Caps return home to face Toronto, another team desperate for points and a playoff berth, tonight at the VC, and I'll be doin' the press box thing so if you've got any (legitimate) questions for any Caps or Leafs let me know and I'll try to get 'em answered. But be forewarned: I will not ask Darcy Tucker how he sleeps at night (because I already know the answer - on the crushed bones of little children).

That's all I've got for now, unless you want to see a picture of Carmen Electra dropping the ceremonial first puck at last night's Kings game. Enjoy your Friday, all.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Chris Clark (3G, +2, 7 SOG)
• Ross: Joe Thornton (4 points)
• Norris: Brian Campbell (3A, +3, 6 SOG, 3 hits, 2 blocked shots)
• Vezina: Niklas Backstrom (W, 22 saves on 23 shots against)
• Richard: Chris Clark (3G)
• Calder: Drew Stafford (2G, +2, 3 SOG, 2 hits)
• Aiken: Ed Belfour (L, 5 goals allowed on 20 shots against)

Wednesday Roundup/Washington 129, Toronto 109

[NHL.com Recap - WashingtonCaps.com Postgame]

I know, I know - pretty much the same lame Wizards/Raptors joke I made yesterday (I think I used all my good material up by mid-January). Anyway, the Caps dropped another one last night, this time making Andrew Raycroft and the Leafs look like legitimate playoff contenders. They're not. They should have blown the Caps out of the building last night, but instead were a post and a great save on Alex Ovechkin away from sweating that one out.

Some thoughts on the game:

• The first half of the first period almost made me hate hockey. No flow, no pace, no good.
• The Alexes were flying last night, but it didn't translate to the scoresheet. I'd give it another game or two before passing judgment, but some secondary scoring has to emerge, and since that's not terribly likely and Chris Clark is due back real soon, I'd be surprised if AO and AS get many more games together.
• Freddy Cassivi has a very calm on-ice demeanor.
• Mike Green was brought back so he could skate a team-low 12 shifts?
• Jiri Novotny was invisible. He's Novechkin (told you I'm comedically spent).
• Was the Caps penalty killing that much better than Saturday night or was the Leafs powerplay that bad? Both? Thought so.
• I like Al Koken, just not as a play-by-play guy, and I love Joe Beninati... on Versus (much less flirting with the color guy).

So it's back home for a season-ticket holder meet n' greet tonight and a chance to play spoiler against the 'Canes on Friday. Hopefully the Caps get their Captain back and the ship starts righting itself soon.

Oh, and let me address a quote that I'm sure will send the Chicken Littles of CapsNation into a tizzy:

"We have to sign good players and I hope we do," [Ovechkin] said yesterday. "I want to play on a good team. Don't get me wrong. We have good guys in this dressing room and we have a lot of fun. But the team has to get better."

The quote is significant for a few reasons - it's AO, it expresses some measure of frustration and it's in a Toronto paper. But it's insignificant for more reasons - because the team has said it will bring in "good players" and all it really shows is that AO wants to win and he wants to win in D.C. After all, as he said moments later, "When you win, it's such a good feeling. When you lose, it feels like someone has died." Besides, can it hurt to have the superstar putting the same pressure on the organization to get better that we fans try to?

Daily Awards

• Hart: Evgeni Nabokov (26-save shutout win at Minnesota)
• Ross: Craig Conroy, Jarome Iginla, Ilya Kovalchuk, Patrik Elias, Scott Gomez (3 points each)
• Norris: Kevin Bieksa (GWG, A, +2)
• Vezina: Evgeni Nabokov (see above)
• Richard: Craig Conroy, Keith Tkachuk, Jeff Cowan, Patrick Sharp (2G each)
• Calder: Jordan Staal (SHG, A, +3)
• Aiken: Marc-Andre Fleury (3 goals allowed on 7 shots against in just 20 minutes of work)

Tuesday Roundup/Gamenight: Washington vs. Toronto

[NHL.com Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Pregame]

Washington is finally healthy heading into tonight's game with Toronto, and both teams are looking to improve their respective playoff positioning. Unfortunately, that's the preview for tonight's Wizards/Raptors game. Back to the world of hockey, we've got a March matchup of teams on the outside looking in at the playoff picture, with the Caps needing binoculars to see it.

Rather than pour my heart and soul into a preview, I'll just note that Mike Green has been recalled and predict that the Caps pull the upset at the ACC tonight (how's that for in-depth analysis?).

As for other Caps news, Ted Leonsis is sticking to the rebuilding plan, but acknowledges that now's the time to start filling in gaps with free agents:

"Payroll will be increased," Leonsis said, "as will financial losses. We will fill holes, and add depth and skill, some additional veteran leadership.

"We must keep improving without changing the culture and core of the team that is still young and developing. But it is time now for us to plug the holes in our lineup. We will use all means to improve. We have lots of assets to help us come trade time in offseason."

That's encouraging, no?

Finally, be sure to check out Vogs on the road working the ECHL circuit. It's a good read, and great to hear what seems to be positive news (at least off-ice) about Caps prospect Viktor Dovgan.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Matt Cullen (Game-winning shootout goal, assist, +1, 4 SOG in 2-1 win)
• Ross: Matt Cullen, Petr Prucha, Jed Ortmeyer, Tom Poti, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Jason Blake (1 point each)
• Norris: Marc-Andre Bergeron (A, 3 SOG, 3 blocked shots)
• Vezina: Rick DiPietro (56 saves on 57 shots against in 2-1 shootout loss)
• Richard: Jason Blake, Petr Prucha (1G each)
• Calder: Daniel Girardi (played in the game)
• Aiken: Frederick Meyer IV (-1, 0 points, 0 SOG, sissy name)