Saturday Open Thread

Two points down, two to go.

Maybe Dainius Zubrus's iPod can fire the Devils up.

Stat Of The Day

From the fine folks at Elias Sports Bureau (via the NHL) comes this gem:

"The Maple Leafs beat the Canadiens, 6-3, on Saturday and all nine goals were scored by European players: Toronto’s Niklas Hagman (Finland, 2 goals), Mikhail Grabovski (Belarus), Nik Antropov (Kazakhstan), Pavel Kubina (Czech Republic) and Alexei Ponikarovsky (Ukraine), and Montreal’s Robert Lang (Czech Republic), Tomas Plekanec (Czech Republic) and Saku Koivu (Finland).

"The nine goals equaled the most ever in an NHL game in which all the goals were scored by players born outside North America. The only previous instance was the Maple Leafs’s 5-4 win over the Capitals in Nov. 26, 2002. The goal scorers in that game were Toronto’s Nik Antropov, Tomas Kaberle, Robert Reichel, Mikael Renberg and Robert Svehla, and Washington’s Dainius Zubrus, Calle Johansson, Mikael Nylander (sic) and Ivan Ciernik."

Saturday Miscellany

Rookie camp opens one week from tomorrow, but for now, it's still "Potpourri for $200, Alex."

Allan Muir wonders if Jose Theodore is a net loss (get it?) between the pipes for the Caps. You know my thoughts on both Muir and Theodore's prospects for success.... It recently occurred to me that Caps' goaltending prospect Braden Holtby is playing for coach/GM Lorne Molleken in Sasktatoon of the WHL. Yes, that Lorne Molleken.... The WTimes makes the bold assertion that Alex Ovechkin is "gonna set NHL records ... well, anything Wayne Gretzky hasn't put out of reach." Which is every one of 'em. Sweet.... Viktor Kozlov has been skating with several Kitties players down in Coral Springs. Hopefully their lack of offense isn't contagious... Dainius Zubrus (remember him?) will wear the number eight this season for the Devils. My guess is that on a scale of one to ten, he regrets not accepting the Caps' last offer about 12.... Sticking with former Caps, NHL.com has a piece on Olie Kolzig and his return to Germany.... Finally, when the Caps and Pens merge, here's what their logo will look like (scroll down). Wait, I wasn't supposed to release that news? Never mind.

Friday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ Devils

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview]

Two players skate onto a rink. Player A has 3 goals, 12 assists, 8 PIMs, 78 shots on goal and a minus-1 rating on the year. Player B has 5 goals, 10 assists, 8 PIMs, 32 shots on goal and an even rating on the year. They've each played 27 games, their first 27 for new teams. If Player A is considered a disappointment who is not yet living up to the expectations that come with his $2.5 million per year, what would you call the $3.4 million per year Dainius Zubrus, err, Player B?

What would Zubie do? Apparently not all that much.

Despite a lack of production from their big free agent acquisition, the Devils are appropriately on fire, winning eight straight games and racing towards the top of the Atlantic Division after a dreadful (for them) start. How are they doing it? Goaltending (of course), but also strong special teams and an offense that's been rejuvenated by the return to the lineup of now-captain Jamie Langenbrunner (11 points in ten games). During the winning streak, the Devs are out-scoring opponents by two goals per game (3.5 to 1.5), have connected on 23.5% of their power plays and have killed off 90% of opponents' extra man advantages.

And then there's Zach Parise and his 32 points. Indulge me this moment to cry over spilled milk and what nearly might have been, would you? Thanks. Let's take a quick look back at the middle of the first round of the 2003 Entry Draft:

Each of the guys flanking Eric Fehr has 126 career points. Fehr? Three. Ouch.

Speaking of injuries, the Caps will play tonight without Chris Clark, Boyd Gordon and now Michael Nylander. That's the team's top right wing, top defensive forward (and faceoff guy) and top center. Sweet. Oh, and the three goals Alex Ovechkin has scored in his career against the Devils is the fewest he has potted against any Eastern Conference opponent other than Montreal (against whom he has scored twice; AO also has just three against Pitt and Boston).

All that said, it's time for Alex Semin to start filling the net. Having most of this week off, number twenty-eight has had a chance to both shake off the rust and get healthy. No excuses. Step it up. And bring Viktor Kozlov with you.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

The organization's injury woes aren't limited to the NHL, as Chris Bourque is Hershey's latest injury (Josef Boumedienne, Dean Arsene and, of course, Fehr are already on the shelf), sidelined with "concussion-like symptoms." That's potentially worrisome for a guy who missed eight games in 2005-06 after suffering a concussion and being "unconscious for 45 seconds while he was carried off on a stretcher."... With the Caps likely to recall someone from Hershey today (could Ben Clymer return to D.C. or will the Motzko Motzko Man era resume?), the Bears have called up Owen Fussey (but hopefully not his acne) from ECHL Columbia.... The hockey world's most famous mullet will be in attendance for tonight's game.... Prior to tonight's game, the Devils will honor Scott Stevens' Hall of Fame induction. It's nice of them to wait until the Caps came to town to do so - or is it just being done now to rub it in our faces? Hmmm.... If you're dying to know what former Cap Yogi Svejkovsky's up to these days, click here....Finally, some Caps trivia: three players have scored 200 goals in a Caps jersey. The first two are easy (Peter Bondra and Mike Gartner). Name the third (hint #1: he scored his 200th for the Caps 14 years ago tonight; hint #2: it's not Svejkovsky). Click here for the answer.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Nik Antropov (3G, including the game-winner, 3 SOG, 4 hits, 2 blocked shots)
  
• Ross: Anze Kopitar (4 points)
  
• Norris: Tom Preissing (2G, including the game-winner A)
  
• Vezina: Johan Holmqvist (W, 23 saves on 24 shots against)
  
• Richard: Nik Antropov (3G)
  
• Calder: Kyle Chipchura (G, 2 SOG, 62% faceoffs won)
  
• Aiken: Jocelyn Thibault (L, 4 goals allowed on 14 shots against in just one period of work)
  

Semin Still Out; Checking In On Zubie

Another day, another absence from practice for Alex Semin. Granted, this is practice we're talking about, but it's still very much a concern.

In less concerning news, the New Jersey Star Ledger reports that Dainius Zubrus has been dropped to the second line in Jersey. The phrase "look out below" comes to mind (as does the far less-widely used "you paid $20.4 million for that?").

UPDATE (12:28): Semin is out for the weekend and Jakub Klepis is on the verge of signing with Hershey.

Who Made Who

Question: How do you stop Daniel Sedin from scoring goals?
Answer: Deny his brother the puck.

Question: How do you stop Alex Ovechkin from scoring goals?
Answer: You can't.

Or at least so posits The Forechecker, who has compiled two lists, one which shows a goal scorer's "reliance on a particular teammate for the 1st assist on their goals" and the other which details who relied the least on a specific teammate setting him up.

The theory that follows, then, is that in order to shut down the scorers on the first list, perhaps it's best to stifle their set-up men, while the guys on the second list "seem to be more adaptable in creating shots for themselves and deserve the full attention of an opposing defense."

The results are interesting, especially the Caps-related findings. For example, Dainius Zubrus was the sixth-most reliant goal scorer, with AO getting the primary assist on 11 of his 24 goals (45.8%). We knew that leaving Alex's side would hurt Zubie's assist totals, but look for his goal total to take a bit of a dip as well.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Caps' two Alexes scored their goals no matter who was feeding them the biscuit, as Ovechkin and Alex Semin finished 10th and 13th, respectively, on the "independence" list (and second and third amongst 30+ goal scorers). Chris Clark also made that second list.

Of course, chemistry is by no means a bad thing, and I'd expect both Ovechkin and Semin to become more reliant on their new pivots in the season ahead. After all, that's the idea, isn't it?

Old Friends In New Places

Alright - which of the following deals is funniest?

A. Ken Klee to Atlanta (2 years, $2.5 million)
B. Robert Lang to Chicago (2 years, $8 million)
C. Jiri Novotny to Columbus (2 years, $1.5 million)
D. Dainius Zubrus to New Jersey (6 years, $20.4 million)

I'm going with Zubrus. Six years of fumbling the puck and pinning it against the boards? Not good times.

Zubrus Likely To Hit The Free Agent Market

It looks as though Dainius Zubrus won't be back in Buffalo next year and instead will test the free agent waters come Sunday.

The Sabres, of course, are presumably trying to figure out a way to keep one (or both) of their unrestricted free agent captains, Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, and restricted free agent revelation Thomas Vanek, so you'll forgive them for not focusing their attention on resigning a winger-turned-center-turned-winger who scored a mere four goals in 34 games for Buffalo after being sent north from D.C. at the trade deadline.

To save you the keystrokes, yes, Zubie (at the right price and contract length) could be a good fit on the right wing of one of the Caps' top two lines next year. But if he was willing to come down to reasonable terms for the Caps, you'd think he almost certainly would for the Sabres as well, and that he'd already have signed there.

Then again, both Dainius and the Caps have gotten a bit of a reality check since the two parties last negotiated (the Caps by seeing the Scott Hartnell contract, for example, and Zubie by seeing what life is like without having the best left wing on the planet on his line), so who knows?

The bottom line, it would seem, is that barring a "hometown discount," someone out there will pay Zubie too much for too long. Let's hope it's not the Caps.

Zubrus Update: One Man's Perspective

Tom L. over at Sabre Rattling (a personal fave of mine, despite its subject matter), offers this assessment of former Cap Dainius Zubrus's play of late (Zubie scored his second goal in the past three games - and second since being traded - in last night's win over the Panthers):

Is anyone still complaining about having given up Jiri Novotny [and a first-round pick] for Danius Zubrus? If so, I’m personally revoking your hockey credentials. This guy is a horse. If anything he plays the game a little too cautious, but that said, he’s been our best fore-checker now for the past 5 games. When [Ales] Kotalik returns we’re going to have a much more physical team up front as we’ll have 2 guys who can tie up 2 guys along the boards and still win the puck. Zubrus has better vision than Al and softer hands.

Sounds like the Zubie we all knew and loved/tolerated/were frustrated by, doesn't it? But if Zubrus has softer hands than Kotalik, that must be the latter moonlighting as the blue robot in those Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Dodge ads.

Old Faces (And One Back) In New Places

Wednesday Roundup: Denouement EditionPanthers 6, Caps 5 (SO)

[SeSo Open Thread]

Playing without their captain and just hours after one of the alternates (and a trio of other roster players) was shipped out of town, the Caps shook off an awful start and rode their superstar all the way to a shootout loss to Florida. Feel free to comment on the game, but I know all you want to read about is more fall-out from deadline day, so here we go:

• Tarik has some quotes from Dainius Zubrus, GMGM and Coach Hanlon, including the coach saying that Zubie "helped [Alexander] Ovechkin more than you'll ever know, he's helped [Alexander] Semin more than you'll ever know." Weep.
• Steinberg feels bad for Jamie Heward's wife [must... resist... cheap shot], which in turn makes me feel like a jerk for yesterday's caveman post... OK, I'm over it. Thank god that passed.
• The Maven "was in Washington on Sunday and the Caps insiders assured [him] that Zubrus would return next year after his rental period ends. The key: Zubrus and Al Ovechkin are buddies. If The Big O wants Dainius back, he’ll get him."
• Masisak with this on newly-acquired Jiri Novotny: "He is a great guy, and I can't wait to see him," said Caps forward Tomas Fleischmann, who played with Novotny on the Czech Republic under-20 team at the World Junior Championships in 2003. "You can expect a lot of skill from this guy."
• TSN.ca: "Considering Zubrus is headed for unrestricted free agency, the Capitals get good value for the future with a couple of assets to put towards the rebuilding process. However, the only way that the Caps are going to get out of the rebuilding process is by adding more skilled players, not trading them away for prospects and draft picks."
• USAToday: "The Sabres, overrun by injuries up front, get a gifted center. Zubrus is 6-4, and he's been a 20 goal scorer. Even on this talented Sabres team, Zubrus can play on the second line. There is a possibility that Novotny could be as good, or maybe better, than Zubrus is today. He's big and skillful."

Finally, a lot is being made of this quote from GMGM (from Tarik's article):

"He's a big strong kid who's ready to play in the NHL now," McPhee said of the 2001 first-round draft pick. "He's good defensively and he's got some offensive upside. So we think he can fill that third-line hole for us, but he could be better."

While I know everyone's knee-jerk reaction is "Don't the Caps already have 47 third-line centers?" the fact is that Brian Sutherby, Brooks Laich and Kris Beech (as well as Novotny, for that matter) are not signed past this year and I think that this quote is an indication that the team will go out and get a first-line center, expect Nick Backstrom to center the second line and Boyd Gordon the fourth. Therefore, Novotny will battle for ice-time on the third-line. Or, put another way, would you rather have had GMGM say, "We think he can be our first-line center"?! It's called managing expectations. Relax, people.

I'll post more as I stumble upon it, and you can read reaction from around the Capogosphere at Washington Hockey Daily.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Martin Brodeur (31-save shutout win at Pittsburgh)
• Ross: Jason Blake, Alex Ovechkin (4 points each)
• Norris: Derek Morris (2A, +1)
• Vezina: Martin Brodeur (see above)
• Richard: Jason Blake, Olli Jokinen (3G each)
• Calder: Clarke MacArthur (G, 2A, +3, 2 hits, 2 SOG, 2 takeaways, 1 giveaway)
• Aiken: Brent Johnson (4 goals allowed on 15 shots against in just 20 minutes of work)

Trade Deadline Open Thread

...And down the strech they come!

I thought it would be a good idea to put up an open thread to discuss anything and everything trade-related - rumors, breaking news, whatever. It's your thread - have at it.

Caps Trade Tracker

• Richard Zednik to NYI for a 2007 second round pick
• "A good pick and pretty decent return for an underachieving player, who could walk in the summer for nothing. " - The Score
• Lawrence Nycholat to OTT for defenseman Andy Hedlund and a 2007 sixth round pick
• "Hedlund is a career minor leaguer who will shore up Hershey's blueline in the AHL. The sixth-round pick is also decent." - The Score
• Dainius Zubrus and Timo Helbling to BUF for Jiri Novotny and a 2007 first round pick
• "Novotny's potential, the inclusion of a first rounder and the uncertainty surrounding Zubrus beyond this season make this move a slam-dunk victory for the Capitals down the road." - The Score
• "Add Buffalo to the list of teams overpaying for proven talent. They can afford to, but Novotny is an NHL player and the Sabres were built on draft picks. Good for Washington, but Buffalo is going for the Cup." - Sportsnet
• Jamie Heward to LAK for a conditional 2007 2008 fifth round pick

Caps 2007 Draft Pick Tracker (by round)

1. WSH, BUF
2. WSH, NYI
3. None
4. WSH, NYR
5. WSH
6. OTT
7. WSH, CGY

Caps Trade Zubrus, Helbling To The Sabres

The Caps have traded Dainius Zubrus and Timo Helbling to Buffalo for Jiri Novotny and a first round pick.

More on Novotny - an RFA at year's end - here and here.

KB relates this paraphasing of TSN's Pierre McGuire: "I want the bandit mask that George McPhee is wearing."

Market Price Update: Dainius Zubrus

The St. Louis Blues have traded Keith Tkachuk to Atlanta for Glen Metropolit, 1st and 3rd round picks in 2007 and a 2nd round pick in 2008.

Tkachuk, a natural wing who plays quite a bit of center (evidence by the 678 faceoffs he's taken this year), is on pace for 27 goals and 31 assists this season.

Dainius Zubrus, a natural wing who plays quite a bit more center (evidence by the 1085 faceoffs he's taken this year), is on pace for 27 goals and 44 assists.

The haul that St. Louis got for Tkachuk (and Metro is worthless, I know) should be encouraging for Caps fans hoping to maximize the return on Zubie, no?

Greasing The Wheels #3: Zubrus For Seabrook

According to the Chicago Daily Herald, the Blackhawks "have been asking clubs what they might be able to offer for defenseman Brent Seabrook in hopes of snaring a No. 2 center." Did somebody say No. 2 center?! The Caps have one that could be on the move. How does Dainius Zubrus for Seabrook sound?

What Chicago needs: Everything other than a No. 1 rightwing. But apparently they're willing to start with a No. 2 center.

What Chicago gets: A No. 2 center.

What Washington gets: Seabrook, a former #14 overall pick, "[o]wns a nice combination of size and skating ability," "[h]as plenty of offensive upside and could emerge as a power-play quarterback down the road." As an added bonus, the Caps just drafted his little brother last June.

Recent trade history: In November of 2002 the Caps sent Andrei Nikolishin and Chris Simon to the Windy City for Michael Nylander (hopefully the Hawks aren't still bitter about that one). Earlier that year, the Caps had sent Joe Reekie to Chicago for a pick.

The Bottom Line: The 'Hawks are likely looking for someone who's already signed through at least next year, but if they're convinced that they can sign Zubrus to a long-term deal (or if a sign-and-trade can be pulled off over the weekend) and they're ready to move Seabrook for a No. 2 center, this deal would seem to fit the bill.

Greasing The Wheels #2: Zubrus And Nycholat For Prucha

For our second installment of Rink Deadline Matchmaker, I thought I'd tackle the big name - Dainius Zubrus. As we know, Zubrus believes that he'll find some team to pay him more than he's worth. There's one team out there with a history of doing just that, so why not make a match - Zubrus and Lawrence Nycholat to the Rangers for Petr Prucha.

What New York needs: a versatile forward who can center or play wing on a scoring line and depth on the blueline. The Rangers are in danger of missing the playoffs, and with Brendan Shanahan's availability uncertain for the near future, they have to do something soon.

What New York gets: one of the top point-producing forwards on the market who can center the #1 line (and allow Martin Straka to continue to play his more natural wing) or play the wing on the second line in Shanny's absence (or center the second line and allow Michael Nylander to center the first), as well as a depth defenseman with offensive skills that spent significant time in the Rangers system and whom they openly covet.

What Washington gets: Prucha, a 24-year-old right wing, had a surprisingly good 30-goal rookie season in 2005-06, but has seen his ice-time and responsibility drop precipitously in 2006-07 (to the point where guys like Blair Betts are getting more minutes). Prucha, who "owns a sweet pair of hands, and plenty of shiftiness to go along with it," and "plays a feisty game and never backs down from opponents" was rumored to be headed to Pittsburgh in exchange for Ryan Malone earlier in the season, but that never materialized. A restricted free agent at year's end, the Rangers may not want to risk having to pay for Prucha's 30-goal rookie year rather than his 14-goal sophomore follow-up. And, as noted before, at this point in the Caps' rebuild, the focus has to shift from acquiring picks to acquiring players.

Recent trade history: The Caps and Rangers made a trade back in January of 2004, but I can't recall the particulars thereof.

The Bottom Line: The Rangers need to do something or they're going to miss the playoffs. Much of the change must come from within, but some of it, especially in light of Shanahan's injury, probably needs to come from outside the organization. The team likely won't move blue-chippers Marc Staal or Al Montoya, but with the recent emergence of Marcel Hossa and the acquisition of Pascal Dupuis, Prucha may be expendable for a veteran forward who's both more versatile and cheaper than the big names on the market. And who knows - maybe the Rangers will give Zubrus the 5-year/$22.5 million contract he thinks he deserves.

As for the Caps, as I've said before, if they can't re-sign Zubrus, they absolutely must trade him. They cannot risk losing him for nothing, and a talented, young right-wing is a lot more than nothing.

What Is Fair?

I'm now fairly convinced that Dainius Zubrus (who apparently does not represent himself, contrary to previous belief) will not be a Washington Capital at the outset of the 2007-08 season. You will recall that I made the argument in this space that the team should trade and re-sign their Lithuanian pivot, but even that seems like perhaps a long-shot now, with Zubie's agent uttering the following:

"As long as the Caps are fair to Dainius, he would like to remain in Washington for the rest of his career. He has a lot more value than just what he does on the ice."

This quote tells me two things. First, that Zubrus wants to get paid. When agents say "fair," they mean "overly generous." After all, like Latrell Sprewell, Zubie no doubt has a family to feed. You want fair? See how Zubrus produces centering the third line, then come with your contract demands.

The second thing the quote tells me is that Zubrus recognizes that his numbers alone aren't enough to justify receiving what he's going to demand (hence the "a lot more value than just what he does on the ice.") While it should be noted that I agree wholeheartedly with this statement, it will be the major point of contention in any contract talks with Zubrus. Further, there's only one team in the NHL that has a real clue about this "off-ice value" that Dainius adds, and that's the Caps (do you expect, say, Columbus to pay a premium for the mentoring skills Zubie has shown the team's young Russian stars?). So the Zubrus camp is, in essence, selling a product with a component that really has only one buyer, and they're going to try to hold that buyer hostage as a result. Is that fair?

The bottom line is that you have a player who wants big bucks but knows he's not worth them, so he inflates his overall value via intangibles that few buyers even care about. The problem is that these unquantifiables are where negotiations fall apart and where feelings get hurt.

With just days before the trade deadline, the team needs to take stock of its assets and make some tough calls, and there is none tougher than Zubrus. Hopefully Zubrus's agent is just posturing and the team and it's top center can agree to a truly "fair" deal that helps the team build for the future and the player secure his financial well-being as well. But I am sure that the team will not overpay (much) for a guy they regard as a second- or third-line center, and from the looks of it, Zubie will be seeking first-line money, bolstered by this amorphous "lot more value." I'm obviously not privy to contract negotiations, but it would seem to me that the team would perhaps be wise to ship him out and see what they can get for his decent numbers and all that "off-ice value" he's pushing so hard. If Zubrus is worth what he and his agent seem to think, it should be quite a windfall for the Caps.

UPDATE: According to Tarik:

Zubrus is looking for a long term deal, four to five years. Money-wise, somwhere between 3.5-4. So it's going to come down to his will to compromise.

Obviously those numbers are too high, and if Zubrus doesn't bend significantly, it's unlikely he'll be a Cap come February 28 and probably even less likely he'll be one in 2007-08.

Thursday Roundup/Gamenight: Caps @ 'Ning

[SeSo Open Thread]

And so begins the [Brent] Johnson Administration, on the road in Tampa against the surging Bolts. Quick trivia: who is the winningest goalie in the NHL since January 7? Martin Brodeur? Bzzt. Marc-Andre Fleury? Good guess, but no. It's Tampa 'tender Johan Holmqvist with 11 wins, precisely 11 more wins than you and I... and Brent Johnson. Some numbers to chew on:

• The Caps are 0-4 in their last four games as underdogs. The Bolts are 4-0 in their last four as favorites. Guess who's favored in this one.
• The line of Vinny Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Vaclav Prospal has 14 points in Tampa's last two games.
• Brian Sutherby is pointless in his last 14 games.

But there is good news that has nothing to do with saving money on auto insurance - both Brian Pothier and John Erskine have been cleared to play, so expect at least Potsy back in the lineup against the Bolts. Hopefully his return can help get the atrocious-of-late power-play back on track.

Sorry for the abbreviated preview, but the weather has conspired to give me limited (and intermittent) internet access. Head on over to SeSo for more analysis throughout the day, and, as always, check out Washington Hockey Daily to see what everyone else has to say about the Caps.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

• Thanks to Dan Steinberg for getting on the case of AO's artwork. He's like the love-child of Nancy Drew and Tarik El-Bashir, that Steinberg.
• Shane Doan, who is on pace for fewer than 30 goals and 55 points, signed a five-year deal to remain in Phoenix on Wednesday. I'm sure Dainius Zubrus smiled when he heard that Doan's deal is worth more than $4.5 million per year, and that collective "Are you kidding me?" you heard was from owners and GMs, League-wide.
  
• Wanna waste a lot of money on crap you don't really need? Go here.
• I usually stick to hockey around here, but I've gotta ask - am I really to believe that a salad dressing cures homesickness? And if so, why didn't the Caps just hook Petr Sykora up with some Hidden Valley Ranch?
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Henrik Zetterberg (GWG, 2A, +3, 4 SOG in 3-2 win)
• Ross: Patrik Elias, Henrik Zetterberg (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Brian Rafalski (2G, including game-winner, 6 SOG, 2 hits, 1 takeaway, 0 giveaways)
  
• Vezina: Martin Gerber (28-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: David Backes (2G)
  
• Calder: David Backes (2G, including game-winner, +2, 2 SOG, 2 hits)
  
• Aiken: Vesa Toskala (L, 2 goals allowed on 5 shots against in just 10:02 of work)
  

Ovechkin The Artist

Thanks to KB for the pointer to NavyGF's picture of some of the Caps' sticks (for a larger version, click here). Note Alex Ovechkin's art work on his twigs and the notches on Dainius Zubrus's (goals scored with that stick, perhaps). I also wonder whose sticks are marked with the #12 (someone said those are Brent Johnson's, but why would he mark his sticks with that number?). Maybe Brooks Laich is dyslexic.

Friday Roundup/Caps 4, Kings 3 (OT)

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

Two point nights are so much more enjoyable than one point nights - far more than twice as enjoyable, in fact (but, interestingly enough, not quite infinitely better than zero point nights). Despite an awful first period in which they managed only five shots on goal (and no shots in goal), a marginally-better second period shot-wise (seven), and a better-yet third (ten shots on goal), the Caps managed to pull out a 4-3 overtime win against the Kings. If that shot pattern held, incidentally, and the game went 20 periods, the Caps would have had 214 shots on goal in that last frame. Now that would have been impressive.

Some thoughts on the game:

• If all I have to do is suggest the team trade a guy in order to get him going, then I suggest they trade Matt Pettinger and Richard Zednik next. Even with his big game, though, Dainius Zubrus did miss a gaping open net late in the second.
• I really like Boyd "Muffins" Gordon. Almost "buy-a-jersey" like, but not quite. Yet. He led all Caps in ice time and deserved every second he got.
• The Kings sure do dive a lot, and the referees seemed to encourage it by buying in. A pox on your house, Don Van Massenhoven.
• I'll resist (for now) the urge to say that Jamie Heward is terrible and instead say that he's had a string of pretty terrible games dating back to last season. How he finished last night with a plus-two rating is a mystery to me.
• On a somewhat-related note, why isn't Milan "Jerky" Jurcina getting more power-play time?
• Two shots and no hits for Alex Ovechkin, but he finished the game with a helper and a plus-three rating. I'm not sure yet how I feel about these numbers. Actually, I am sure - with a "normal" game out of AO, the team wouldn't have needed overtime to win.
• Anze Kopitar was as advertised - very impressive (and with his size, smoked visor, and rushes down the left side, reminded me of someone, but I can't quite put my finger on who). How he slipped to 11 in the Cheater Draft of '05 is beyond me.
• The Kings' goaltending was also as advertised - awful.
• Aaron Miller must be the slowest skater on the planet, as he made The Donald look like Apolo Anton Ohno (minus the soul patch) on one race for a loose puck.
• At one point during the game, "Capitals Salute The Military" night became an uncomfortable mash-up of the volleyball scene from Top Gun and an evening at Pete Townsend's house when "Flex Cam" made an appearance and males of all ages started shedding clothing.
• Big night in the dot for the Caps, who took 62% of the night's draws (Zubrus and Gordon were both right at 62% and Brooks Laich was all the way up at 78%).

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

• When are people going to learn not to mess with Stephen Colbert (and Saginaw, for that matter)?

Daily Awards

• Hart: Ray Whitney (3G, including the game-winner, A, +3, 7 SOG)
• Ross: Ray Whitney, Slava Kozlov, Marian Hossa (3 points each)
• Norris: Ryan Whitney (2A, +2, 3 SOG, 2 blocked shots)
• Vezina: Martin Brodeur (25-save shutout win)
• Richard: Ray Whitney (3G)
• Calder: Joey MacDonald (L, 29 saves on 30 shots against)
• Aiken: Jose Theodore (3 goals allowed on 11 shots against in just 20 minutes of work)