Sabres 5, Caps 0

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Event Summary]

I didn't get a chance to see much of tonight's game, but figured you all might need a place to vent, so have at it.

Oh, and in case you missed it, Shaone Morrisonn is hurt.

Saturday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ Sabres

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

When Alex Ovechkin misses games, nearly everyone misses him. The Caps miss his offense and his leadership. Those watching miss the chance to see perhaps the greatest player in the game. And, in Buffalo, fans miss the chance to jeer one of their favorite villains (too bad Puck Daddy didn't ask Alex Semin what he thought of Thomas Vanek, eh?).

But missed the Great Eight will be tonight when the Caps take on the Sabres, and that's unfortunate - the Caps sure could use him. Buffalo comes into the game at 6-2-2 (but losers of three straight) and should be salty after an embarrassing 5-2 home loss to the Bolts on Thursday. Vanek leads the League in goals, Ryan Miller is 5-1-1/2.07/.928, the Sabre power play is humming along at 21.4% (so discipline, as we talked about yesterday, will be key if the Caps are going to have any chance), neither Caps goalie has a career save percentage above .900 against the Sabres, and the Caps are 1-5 in Buffalo since the lockout.

So, um, yeah... tough test tonight (and for more from the other side, be sure to stop by our good buddies at BfloBlog).

But here's your "glass is half full" stat of the day: Jose Theodore's career GAA and SV% in October are worse than any other month of the year. We all changed those calendars overnight, right?

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Following a 38-goal campaign, Alex Semin's 26-goal 2007-08 "made you wonder just a bit" (presumably about whether he was any good or not), according to Pierre LeBrun. LeBrun's cursory look at Semin's stat line made me wonder just a bit whether or not he realized that Semin scored at a 41-goal pace over his last 47 games last season (i.e. once he was healthy).... Speaking of Semin, more fallout from his comments on Sid the Kid here (and still no one mentioned the word "blog" in their story).... TH has the translation on a Sergei Fedorov interview from a few days ago.... And speaking of Sid, Fark has an update on his injury.... DMG catches us up on how a bunch of Caps prospects are doing so far this season.... A Kris Beech Calgary Hitmen sweater is my confession/entry into this conversation (h/t Caps Message Board).

Thursday Roundup/Caps 3, Sabres 1

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Box Score - WashingtonCaps.com Recap]

When the Caps get good goaltending, a Hart-worthy performance from their Hart candidate and a Calder-worthy performance from their Calder candidate, they're difficult to beat. Add to that the luck of catching a fairly passion-less, unfocused, banged-up and tired (but apparently squeaky clean) Sabres bunch, and it was a recipe for two points (and, thankfully, no points for the opposition). Some thoughts on the game:

• Bad news up front: David Steckel broke his finger and is out for 2-3 weeks (Vogs on Stecks: Steckel entered Wednesday’s game with a face-off win pct. of 56.3, seventh best in the league among those centers with 600 or more draws taken on the season. The Caps will miss Steckel’s prowess in the circle, and also his knack for penalty killing. Steckel averages 3:46 per contest in shorthanded ice time, fourth among all NHL forwards.) Now would be a good time for Chris Clark to get healthy. Fast.
  
• The Caps have outscored their opponents 24-9 in their last six games.
  
• I know Sabres fans aren't going to complain about the no call on Alex Ovechkin that sent Steve Bernier to the ice after what they got away with the night before in Philadelphia, so let me just say this - it's an unfortunate reality of NHL officiating that when one team has had all three of the game's power plays to that point, the other team is given some leeway. It ain't right, but we all know that it is what it is.
• Speaking of Ovechkin, we know the milestones he hit last night, but let's not lose focus on the big (individual) picture - Ovie now has 54 goals, 38 assists and a plus-17 rating. Yowza.
  
• Is it me or did Alex Semin suddenly go shot-shy? He seemed to be force feeding Sergei Fedorov a bit much, and ended the game without a single shot on goal for the first time since January 24. The entire second line, for that matter, was fairly invisible.
  
• Maxim Afinogenov repeatedly undressed Caps' blueliners, most notably (and repeatedly) Jeff Schultz and Milan Jurcina. Oh, and Schultz's breakaway? Not so good.
  
• Olie Kolzig was stout, bailing out the defense time and time again for his 299th career win (don't you get the feeling that everything possible is coming together for Sunday's game?). Glad I suggested he start this game. On a sidenote, I don't get worked up over the "3 Stars," but denying Olie a spot amongst the three was silly.
  
• The Caps absolutely dominated the dot, winning 65% of the game's faceoffs. Boyd Gordon led the way with 10 wins out of 12 draws.
• Sticking with faceoffs, Fedorov has won 70.6% of his draws since being acquired.
  
• Tom Poti is +13 with 11 points since January 13 (the day after he returned from a three-game absence).
  
• Viktor Kozlov now has 14 goals, 32 helpers and a team-leading plus-21 rating. Anyone still think he's a bust?
  

That's all I've got. Frankly, I didn't think the Caps played terribly well, which says a lot about the state of the team - that they can have an off night in one of the tougher buildings in the League and still leave with two points.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Alex might catch Dennis Maruk, but someone else already has (caught up with him, that is).... One year ago today we previewed that night's Caps/Leafs game and two years ago today we previewed that night's Caps/Isles game and indulged in some uber-meta self-promotion.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Alexander Ovechkin (2G, +3, 4 SOG, 5 hits)
  
• Ross: Eric Staal, Frantisek Kaberle (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Frantisek Kaberle (3A, +3)
  
• Vezina: Corey Crawford (19-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Alexander Ovechkin, Eric Staal, Pavel Dastyuk, Jason Spezza, Patrick Marleau (2G each)
  
• Calder: Corey Crawford (19-save shutout win)
• Aiken: Kari Lehtonen (L, 4 goals allowed on 22 shots against in 33:39 of work)
  

Wednesday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ Sabres

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

The last time the Caps travelled to Buffalo to face the Sabres, they were 3-1-0 (and about to get waxed). Nearly five months later, the Caps head north again with a record just above the Bettman .500 mark (the Caps may have racked up more than half of the standing points available to them, but they do not have a winning percentage above .500 - they've won 31 of 67 games. But that's a topic for another day.) and a much greater sense of urgency.

The big question for the Caps is whether or not Cristobal Huet (back spasms) will be able to go. If I had to bet, my money would be on "nuh uh," which would be unfortunate, as Huet is 2-2-0 with a 2.01 GAA and .932 SV% against the Sabres this year. Olie Kolzig? 0-2-0/3.56/.877. Brent Johnson? 0-1-0/7.00/.867. Yikes.

At the other end of the ice, even though he played last night in Philly, expect to see Ryan Miller in net (Jocelyn Thibault has become more or less unstartable - he hasn't started since January 21 and has only made four appearances all year in which his GAA was under 4.14).

You know what the Sabres bring to the table - depth and speed (and tonight, some desperation to boot). The Caps, when they're on their game, can skate with (or right past) anyone. When they're off, however, this Buffalo squad is exactly the kind of team that can blow the Caps out of a building. Which Caps team shows up will determine the outcome of tonight's game - we have a pretty good idea which Sabres team will be there.

Oh, and Sabre fans - please boo Alex Ovechkin. He really hates it. It gets him way off his game.

Finally, on a personal note, a very good buddy of mine is from Buffalo (Lewiston, actually) and is a huge Sabres fan. Yesterday, we received a gift from he and his wife for our newborn. Included in the box was a Sabres outfit for the baby. I told him we're not really using cloth diapers, but I'd be happy to make an exception in this case.

Why The Sabres Will Win:

"Because of the history so far this season.The Sabres have outscored the Caps, 15-7, winning all three games. In those three games, Ovechkin has three goals, but is carrying a plus/minus of -3. Of course, he'll also get booed for the Danny Briere incident." - Dispatches From The Aud

"They have to. Simple as that. If they want to stay in the playoff picture, they have to beat the Caps." - Top Shelf

"Two reasons. One, who was the second-leading goal scorer behind Alexander Ovechkin last month? Thomas-$52 million dollar baby-Vanek. And defenseman Henrik Tallinder's injury means that Andrej Sekera (Brian Campbell who?) will be logging almost thirty minutes. Chock up another win for the blue and gold." - In the Crease

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

It may be a four-way Calder race, but there can be only three finalists. Who goes? I say Jonathan Toews (though some may disagree - h/t to EMac on the video link).... Speaking of Toews, it's good to see Matt Pettinger's making friends out West.... A Joe Finley profile in a local paper? Are we dreaming?... Here's today's Hockey Name du Jour.... Finally, one year ago today we discussed some stomach-churning gossip, saw a Caps prospect get some props, and were lied to by statistics.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Craig Anderson (40-save shutout win)
  
• Ross: Martin Erat, Maxim Afinogenov (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Ville Koistinen (G, A, +4, 2 BkS)
  
• Vezina: Craig Anderson (40-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Martin Erat (3G)
  
• Calder: Ville Koistinen (G, A, +4, 2 BkS)
• Aiken: Martin Biron (L, 5 goals allowed on 13 shots against in 45:57 of work)

The "[Expletive] Stupid Ice Bowl"

Apparently not everyone was excited to play in the snow. But hey - at least you didn't have to sit there and listen to three-plus hours of non-stop Sid love, Brian Campbell.

Saturday Roundup/Sabres 5, Caps 3Gamenight: Caps @ Bolts

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

This morning's post is more or less an open thread. Think Olie Kolzig cost the Caps a point (or two) on Friday night? Want to talk about how good Nicklas Backstrom is? Or which defenseman had the worst game? Or what Michael Nylander's return to the lineup means? Fire away on these or anything else in the comments.

Photo: AP

Daily Awards

• Hart: Dion Phaneuf (Game-winning goal, A, 3 SOG)
• Ross: Matt Cullen, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Nik Antropov, Brian Rolston (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Dion Phaneuf (Game-winning goal, A, 3 SOG)
  
• Vezina: Vesa Toskala (24-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Alexei Ponikarovsky (2G)
  
• Calder: Josh Harding (W, 28 saves on 30 shots against)
  
• Aiken: J.-S. Giguere (L, 3 goals allowed on 9 shots against in 26:15 of work)
  

Friday Roundup/Gamenight: Sabres @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Since the lockout, the Caps have had a rough go of it against the Buffalo Sabres, tonight's opponent, posting a 2-8 record with only one win in the last nine meetings between the teams (that win, of course, being the infamous "checking from behind" game). In six of those nine games Buffalo lit the lamp at least five times. And I can't even use my go-to "But those were Glen Hanlon's Caps," since game three of the Bruce Boudreau era was a 3-1 home loss to the Sabres.

But those were Bruce Boudreau's Caps before he implemented his system (that dog'll hunt, right?).

At this point, I'm pretty confident that we know what we'll get from the Caps - a strong, confident effort that may or may not translate on the scoreboard. The Sabres, on the other hand, are a total crapshoot - their last six games include 8-1 and 7-1 wins, an 8-2 loss and a pair of 4-1 losses. Buffalo is still scoring in bunches, but they're giving up too many goals and have been every bit as mediocre overall as their .500 record would indicate. But their record is a little deceiving (at least as it applies to tonight's game), as they've managed a 7-4-0 record against Eastern Conference opponents not in the Northeast Division, including a 6-2-0 mark against the Southeast.

Still, it's impossible to predict which Sabre team will show up tonight - flip a coin... and bet the over.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Tarik profiles Mike Green's breakout season in today's WaPo, and includes an interesting quote from GMGM (similar to one he had in Wednesday night's pregame show on Comcast): "You just never know when a player is going to break through. We thought it might be last year. But it seems to be happening this year." Question - how much of that was Hanlon and how much was Green, and if the former was a significant factor, has the development of other prospects been similarly stunted by having Hanlon at the helm for so long? Discuss.... Here's your Eric Fehr update (Jan), and it seems to be pretty good news.... Could the Caps have an embarrassment of riches on the blueline in a few years? Both Karl Alzner and Josh Godfrey made the Canadian World Junior team. Mathieu Perreault, however, was cut.... Speaking of the Caps Junior prospects, Hockey's Future provides an update on 'em.... The first player in Caps history to score on a penalty shot is being inducted into the Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame (slow news day, JP?).

Daily Awards

• Hart: Jarome Iginla (3G in the third period, including the game-winner, A, +5, 9 SOG)
  
• Ross: Dion Phaneuf, Kristian Huselius (5 points each)
  
• Norris: Dion Phaneuf (5A, +3, 3 SOG, 4 hits, 3 blocked shots)
  
• Vezina: Tomas Vokoun (33-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Jarome Iginla, Kristian Huselius (3G each)
  
• Calder: Carey Price (31, 30 saves on 31 shots against)
  
• Aiken: Johan Holmqvist (4 goals allowed on 6 shots against in just 13:05 of work)
  

Tuesday Roundup/Sabres 3, Caps 1

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

I'm a bit conflicted about last night's game. In some ways, it was good that the Caps gave up the game's first goal. Along the same lines, it wasn't the worst thing in the world that they trailed by two heading into the third period. Why? Because it was important to see how this team would respond in such situations. And, for the most part, they responded pretty well. Outside of a couple of absolutely miserable turnovers around the midpoint of the second period, the Caps played well enough to be in the game until the end, dominating the game for stretches at a time (though I can't recall exactly how, given more than a few awful performances). I know that we're well beyond the point where "close" counts for much, but this dose of reality should clarify what - and perhaps more importantly who - needs work.

Some other thoughts on the game:

• If there's worse ice in the League than that at the VC, I haven't seen it.
  
• Alex Ovechkin's goal was another one for the highlight reel - what an individual effort.
  
• Speaking of sensational, Olie Kolzig's third period stop on Jochen Hecht might be his save of the year so far.
• Is Alex Semin's passing accuracy so atrocious because he passes so infrequently or vice versa? Someone ask the owl.
• Five bucks says Matt Bradley is wearing a suit and not a sweater for Wednesday night's game.
• Then again, the entire second line had scratch-worthy games themselves. How Michael Nylander, Tomas Fleischmann and Semin were credited with only three giveaways among the three of them is beyond me (and when is last year's Semin going to show up - this year's stinks so far).
  
• Nicklas Backstrom was awesome again last night. He might need to scoot up to the top line again soon.
  
• The John Erskine-Steve Eminger pairing made me shudder every time they took to the ice, and it wasn't because of Emmy (who notched his first assist of the season on the Ovechkin goal).
• Andrew Peters is quite the tough guy, challenging Donald Brashear when the latter was at the end of a long shift and begging off when they were both fresh.
• Tom Poti played 31 very solid minutes on the blueline. As I said the other day, new coach, new Poti.
• AO had nine shots on goal and only three that were blocked or missed the net. He's locked in right now, which is amazing considering how little help his linemates are providing.
• The Caps won 40 of 66 draws (61%) and out-hit Buffalo by a similar ratio, 15 to 10.
• The third line had a pretty solid night, as evidenced by the fact that the top line of Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy and Ales Kotalik was held off the score sheet.
• For a Cornell guy, Versus' Darren Eliot sure does say some stupid things.
  

So while Bruce Boudreau figures out which of GMGM's players are "his guys" and the team learns a new system, there will be some bumps along the way. Unfortunately, the Sabres are a team that makes you pay for your mistakes, and they certainly did so last night. Wednesday night's opponent, however, is much more forgiving, and that game against the Panthers is just about a must-win for this Caps team. And if they play like they did tonight (and the second line bounces back from this stinker), they should win.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

On this date in 1985, Bengt Gustafsson set a team record with an assist in a ninth straight game.... Another week, another Flyer likely headed for Suspensionville. Anyone want to guess on for how long?... The Rangers have dropped the team option on Jaromir Jagr's contract for next year, meaning the only way the Caps will be on the hook for a dime of his '08-'09 salary is if he hits his performance incentives (and check with The Peerless to see how he's doing on that front).

Daily Awards

• Hart: Jochen Hecht (2G, including the game-winner, A, +2, 3 SOG)
  
• Ross: Marc Savard (4 points)
  
• Norris: Zdeno Chara (2A, +4, 3 SOG, 2 hits)
  
• Vezina: Dwayne Roloson (W, 36 saves on 37 shots against)
  
• Richard: Mike Modano, Jochen Hecht, Glen Murray (2G each)
  
• Calder: Andrew Cogliano (Game-winning goal, +1, 4 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Martin Biron (3 goals allowed on 14 shots against in just 23:42 of work, and he would've had the loss if NHL scorekeeping rules made any sense)
  

Another Milestone: Boudreau's First NHL Loss

Photo: AP

Monday Roundup/Gamenight: Sabres @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Game Three A.H. brings a familiar foe to town tonight, namely the defending New York State Champs. Call it a hunch, but I'm guessing there won't be as many Sabres fans in attendance at tonight's game at the Verizon Center as there were back on April 7. Granted, it's a Monday night this time around (as opposed to a Saturday afternoon), but a .500 Buffalo team just doesn't bring 'em out of the woodwork the way a 30-games-over-.500 Sabres team does.

Anyway, the Sabres have been rolling of late, winning four straight (three of which were victories over Montreal) and outscoring their opponents 15-5 in those games to get back to .500 (10-10-1). Their power play has gone 4-for-12 and their penalty kill has been 12-for-14 over that stretch, which has certainly helped in piling up the wins. And, like the good Sabres teams of recent years, balanced scoring is the name of the game - despite being in the top third of the League in goals per game, they don't have a single player in the League's Top 70 scorers (Derek Roy's 17 points leads a team that has nine double-digit point-getters - contrast that with the Caps' four).

The Sabres have had trouble winning away from home - their three road wins is tied for the second-fewest in the League - but they'll face a Caps team whose three home wins are tied for the fewest in the League. Then again, the Caps are undefeated at home under Bruce Boudreau. Let's see if they can't keep the streak - and hope - alive.

Why The Sabres Will Win:

"Because Thomas Vanek has started taking over games and controlling play, even when he's not on the scoresheet. Because the penalty kill just held the top PP in the league to 1/9 over the course of two nights. And because the young guys are finally starting play like they really believe they don't need Drury and Briere instead of just saying it." - Top Shelf

"The Sabres will win the battle of the basement-dwellers for one reason: the turnaround has begun. Four games really is a winning streak. Lindy, and the Sabres will beat the Caps on the back of Thomas Vanek to move above .500." - In The Crease

"The Caps are on a coach-killing high...which might be cause for alarm if the Sabres weren't on an even more potent rediscovering-their-moxie-after-recovering-from-a-bad-break-up high. The Caps' journey toward self-discovery is just beginning, but the Sabres are back in the game for reals." - The Willful Caboose

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Michael Nylander isn't worth what the Caps are paying him. At least that's what a guy at ESPN.com says, so you know it's true.... Boudreau's just like John Tortorella with less hair.... Since was already throwing a Larry Brooks piece (of garbage) at you yesterday, I decided it would be too much to also make you read something from Bruce Garrioch, so I saved it for today. Apparently GMGM is the next in line to be fired (not that I wholly doubt the veracity of what Garrioch says on this point), and Olie Kolzig will soon be an Oiler. I'm sure.... Ten years ago tonight the Caps sent Rod Langway's number five to the rafters prior to the final game to be played at the Capital Centre in Landover. In that game, Peter Bondra became the second player to score 250 goals with the team (Mike Gartner, of course, was the first).... Finally, I think I stumbled upon a new marketing opportunity for Coach Boudreau(x) and, perhaps, Jeff Schultz.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Ryan Getzlaf (2G, +2, 4 SOG, 2 hits, 83% faceoffs won)
  
• Ross: Jamal Mayers, Todd Bertuzzi, Ryan Getzlaf, Francois Beauchemin (2 points each)
  
• Norris: Francois Beauchemin (2A, +1, 3 hits, 2 SOG, 2 blocked shots)
  
• Vezina: Roberto Luongo (27-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Jamal Mayers, Ryan Getzlaf (2G each)
  
• Calder: Mike Smith (W, 39 saves on 41 shots against)
  
• Aiken: Alex Tanguay (0 points, -2)
  

Sunday Roundup/Sabres 7, Caps 3

[AP Recap - Boxscore - Super Stats]

Hey, Cox customers who are petitioning to get more Caps games televised: maybe you should be sending your cable provider "thank you" notes this morning for sparing you from having to watch last night's blowout.

While I'm not in a position to comment on individual performances (I was at a wedding last night and my TiVo decided not to record the game), the trends that have formed are way to obvious not to mention. Consider the five games so far:

1. Dominate a crappy team, outshooting them 40-29
2. Beat a good team, outshooting them 33-23
3. Beat a good team, despite being outshot 12-31
4. Lose a close game to a good team, outshot 41-25
5. Blown out by a good team, outshot 53-26
   

What's next - mercy-ruled by a good team, outshot 65-20?

Despite this lost weekend in the Empire State, the sky is not falling quite yet. And if the Caps can win three of every five games this season, they'll make the playoffs (of course if they lose three of every five, they won't). Things will get better as the team gels more and gets some key players back from the injured list. Plus, they're 2-0-0 within the Southeast Division with 30 more intra-divisional games to go.

But the disconcerting stats are there for all to see - 24th in goals per game, 19th in power play efficiency and DFL in shots against per game. Other key indicators are in the "acceptable-to-good" range - shots for per game, penalty kill percentage, faceoff percentage and goals against average - but through five games it's evident that though the rebuild may be over, the immediate need is for some readjustment.

The Caps have a few days off to get healthy and work on some things before the Isles come to town on Thursday, and there's that Pens game Saturday looming on the horizon. Like these past two games, both of those matches will provide the Caps with tough tests - let's hope they can earn at least a passing grade.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Joe Sakic (3G, 3 SOG, 4 takeaways)
  
• Ross: Brian Campbell (4 points)
  
• Norris: Brian Campbell (4A, +1, 6 SOG, 2 hits, 2 blocked shots)
  
• Vezina: Martin Gerber (W, 36 saves on 37 shots against)
  
• Richard: Joe Sakic (3G
  
• Calder: Tobias Stephan (L, 2 goals allowed on 40 shots against in OT loss; lost shutout with two seconds left in regulation)
  
• Aiken: Chris Mason (L, 6 goals allowed on 23 shots against in 47:36 of work)
  

Saturday Roundup/Rangers 3, Caps 1Gamenight: Caps @ Sabres

[AP Recap - Boxscore - Super Stats - AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Five first period penalties (including a bad tripping penalty by Alex Ovechkin ten seconds in, a double-minor to John Erskine and a Too Many Men bench minor) tell you most of what you need to know about last night's 3-1 loss to the Rangers. Olie Kolzig's 38 saves on 41 shots against and Henrik Lundqvist's 24-for-25 tells you the rest.

The Caps looked rusty coming out of the gate last night, as they were outshot 20-7 and outscored 3-1 in the opening stanza. The second period saw more discipline from the visitors but a similar result on the shot counter (the Rangers had a 17-7 edge in second-period shots), and Kolzig kept the game close enough for the Caps to have a reasonable chance at tying the game.

The teams played even five-on-five, with the Caps out-shooting the Rangers 22-20 in those situations, but Washington's penalty-kill struggled, with all three goals coming down low (Erskine and Tom Poti were each on the ice for two of the goals against, and Brian Pothier didn't exactly distinguish himself either). Does the PK miss Boyd Gordon that much? Maybe so - Chris Clark was out there for each of the Rags' goals.

All that said, if the puck bounced a little differently at the very end of the second period, it may have been a different game altogether. But the bottom line was that the Caps didn't deserve to win and, unlike on Monday on the Island, they got what they deserved - their first loss of the season. The new look power play looked a lot like the old one, registering only two shots on goal in 7:29 of work with the extra man (the power play did click in one of its four opportunities - more on that in a second - but that was on a busted play and a great effort by Mike Green to get the puck to AO), and the shots against were obscenely high. For all the talk of an improved defense, the Caps find themselves in familiar territory, near the very bottom of the League in shots allowed per game, and if not for other-worldly goaltending through four games, things would look a bit different right now, to say the least.

Finally, despite his self-described "terrible" penalty, AO was able to score his 100th career goal and move past Jaromir Jagr on the Caps' all-time scoring list, but that's cold comfort on a night on which Jagr assisted on all three Ranger goals.

Now it's off to Buffalo, where a well-rested Sabres team was been waiting (and scouting) after putting up a touchdown against the Thrashers on Thursday (Scott Norwood must've missed the extra point). If the Caps don't fix certain things (and fast), they could be in for a long night.

For more from the Sabres side of things, check out my virtual pals (at least until tonight) at BfloBlog and Sabre Rattling.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks (and Beyond):

In a QMJHL matchup of top Caps prospects last night, Francois Bouchard and Mathieu Perreault each had a pair of assists in Baie-Comeau's 3-2 win over Acadie-Bathurst.... We're not really doing Saturday Open Threads now that the season has started, but be sure to grab a Guinness and check out this clip that Allsmoke sent along. Killer tune (and teeth).

Daily Awards

• Hart: Phil Kessel (3G, A, 5 SOG, +2)
  
• Ross: Marc Savard (5 points)
  
• Norris: Zdeno Chara (2A, +2, 3 SOG, 4 hits)
  
• Vezina: Manny Legace (W, 24 saves on 25 shots against)
  
• Richard: Phil Kessel (3 goals)
  
• Calder: Milan Lucic (Gordie Howe Hat Trick, including the game-winning goal, his first in the NHL, 3 SOG, 4 hits)
  
• Aiken: Jonathan Bernier (L, 7 goals allowed on 30 shots against)
  

What Hell Frozen Over Will Look Like

While you might have read that the "Ice Bowl" New Year's Day outdoor game between the Sabres and Penguins sold out in a mere 10 minutes, I thought I'd pass along this rendering of what Ralph Wilson Stadium might look like on that day (less the 75,000 or so fans, of course):

Courtesy NHL.com

I don't yet have an artist's rendering of what Sidney Crosby's lips might look like at game time, but rest assured they'll be bright purple.

Did They Have A Parade For This?

Congrats to the Buffalo Sabres for winning the NHL's fictitious 2007-08 New York State Championship. I'm sure all their fans are clamoring to buy these shirts to commemorate last year's Championship season:

No word yet on where to purchase your "Washington Capitals: Chesapeake Bay Watershed Champs" gear.

H/t to Allsmoke on the link

Why We're Fans

Kevin over at BfloBlog has today's must-read post deconstructing the recently-concluded season not from an X's and O's perspective, but from the fan's point of view. The season may have ended disappointingly, but fans of most teams can only hope for a ride like the Sabre faithful had from October through mid-May. Kudos to Kevin for seeing that.

The View From Your Playoff Seat

Rhett Warrener and Pierre Turgeon root for their former team at Ventnor Cafe.
Sent by KB. Washington, DC.

The VFYPS photo album can be viewed here. Send us your playoff pictures here.

Chin Up, Sabres Fans...

... At least Rick Jeanneret will be calling your next game.

Let's Go Buff-A-Lo!

No, not really. But this (courtesy Tom) sure is inspiring... or something:

Actually, this whole post was just an excuse to tell y'all that Ken and I will be watching the game tomorrow afternoon at the closest thing to a hockey bar in Washington, D.C., Ventnor Sports Cafe in Adams Morgan. Stop by if you're in the neighborhood.

Who's The Man?

Over at The FanHouse, I've identified the one player who, more than anyone else, will determine the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals. Agree? Disagree?

As for a prediction, I've been lousy at these so far (picking Ottawa and Tampa in the first round and Jersey in the second), but I guess I've got to go on record, so I'll take... Buffalo in seven.

How The Sabres Got Screwed - Instant Reaction

Here's presumably the best shot the video replay officials had of the goal/no-goal in question:

The puck appears to be right up against the line in that shot (and actually goes further towards the back of the net, though obscured by Henrik Lundqvist's pad). But since the camera is not directly above the goal, you don't even need to make the assumption that it crossed fully in the next frame. Look at these two pics - the puck is in the same exact position in each shot, but the first picture is taken from an angle similar to the goal cam and the second from directly above:


As you can tell, the slightest change in camera angle tells a very different story of the same situation. I understand that the reviewer must see "conclusive evidence" that the puck has crossed the line (i.e. white between the puck and the goal line), but how can the combination of the screen cap above, the fact that the puck continues to move forward after that, the angle of the overhead camera and a simple understanding of spatial relationships and the laws of physics not combine to form conclusive evidence?

On a somewhat-related note, how expensive could it be to have pucks with RFID chips in them and sensors along the goal line (and it's a lock that you see an article on that topic within the next 36 hours)? For that matter, how expensive would it be to have super slo-motion cameras like they have at so many other sporting events (is it a question of in-house versus for-television production)? Something after the freeze frame and before the puck disappears under Lundqvist's pad would have been nice.