Caps vs. Thrashers 10/29/09

Result:

4-2 Caps Win

My Player of the Game:

Alexander Ovechkin

2 Goals
1 Assist

Wow, I just realized this is the first time I'm made "Alex the Great" my player of the game. What can I say he earned it today doing what he does best, creating opportunities. Yes he was cheating the zone and dropping out of the play to get break aways but that's what he's here for.

Thoughts:

Strong game, I really don't have much to say on it today. We have been playing better defense of late. We have allowed 2 or fewer goals in 5 of the last 6 games. That being said we still let up late in the game and allowed 41 shots. At least 2 of thoes games all the credit should go to the goalies (this game included). I'm not going to harp on it too bad though because we are letting up with a good lead (3-0) tonight. It's something we need to fix by the playoffs but for now...In Bruce we trust.

Caps Homework:

We need better defense on the PK.

Scoring Predictions

Ok, I thought it might be fun to take a look at the roster and predict how many goals each player will score. Have fun and comment.

Alex Ovechkin
60
Nicklas Backstrom
20
Alexander Semin
40
Mike Green
20
Brooks Laich
20
Brendan Morrison
20
Mike Knuble
25
Matt Bradley
15
Chris Clark
5
Dave Steckel
5

Even with the injury I still think Flash will pull out 10-15 but I won't commit to that yet.

Caps vs. Flyers 10/27/09

Let's see if I can get back into the swing of things after some time off.

Result:

4-2 Caps Win

My Player of the Game:

Jose Theodore

41 Saves

I know what you're thinking and I thought hard about giving this to Backstrom's 4 point night. However, Theo came up big when it counted and when the Flyers were pouring on not just shots, but solid shots. Theo gets my vote.

Thoughts:
With the exception of about 4 min. to start the second period i saw a solid game. No there wasn't any secondary scoring (you won't believe I'm saying this) but it doesn't always matter. Look we all know I'm big on secondary scoring but the top line is the top line for a reason. The secondary lines still had a good game keeping up intensity and a strong fore-check.

I know I already said it under the player of the game but great game for Theo. More games like that and maybe our goal tending will finally get some respect.


Caps Homework:

Still a few unnecessary penalties late in the game with a lead.

Image by Getty Images

Caps vs. Thrashers 10/22/09

Result:

5-4 Caps Win

My Player of the Game:

Jeff Schultz

1 Goal
2 Assists
+3 Rating

Hands down. I've been reading fan comments on various news sources and there has been a lot of hate for Schultz, this game should quiet that down.

Thoughts:
The second period was as great as the third was terrible. Let's take the one at a time.

The second; nothing wrong here. The Caps allowed no goals and played passable defense. The key tonight was secondary scoring. Any game the Caps can put up 5 goals and Ovechkin doesn't score one of them things are going well.

The third; not much good here. I hate; no wait LOVE to say I told you so. I said in my last post that the PP was dangerous (giving up 2 breakaways). We got lucky then, but not tonight. I'm frankly amazed we won a game when the opponent had more short handed goals than we had PP goals. Varley did well considering a break down in the defense but he showed his inconsistency and why Theo should be our number 1.

On the plus side, we showed that we are not a one (or two) trick pony. Good job for Clark, Schultz and Brads picking up their games with one of our major gunners out of the game.

Caps Homework:

60 minutes in a game fellas...

Image by Getty Images

Semin Out vs. Atlanta

Due to illness Alexander Semin will not be on the ice tonight against Atlanta.

Jose Theodore is expected to start in net.

Boyd Gordon and John Erskine are also likely to be out. We may see Shaone Morrisonn back in action.

Keith Aucoin and Alexandre Giroux have been recalled from Hershey.

Image from WashingtonCaps.com

Flash is back on ice!

Thomas Fleishmann practiced on ice with the team yesterday. The coaching staff still says he is a week to 10 days from returning to the active roster. READ MORE HERE.

Image from WashingtonCaps.com

LOLCaps 10/22

Sorry Backstrom fans...too good to pass up.

Source image by Getty Images

Nylander 1 step closer to GONE

Michael Nylander waived his no-move clause to accept a conditioning assignment with Detriot Red Wings AHL affiliate the Grand Rapids Griffins. By rule a conditioning assignment can last only 2 weeks and does not relieve Nylander's salary cap hit but it may be a move to get him in game shape with the hope of moving him to another team. Read more HERE. Nylander may be easier to move to another NHL team or to the KHL if teams can see him in game shape.

Image by Getty Images

Injury Updates

Theo, Erskine and Shaone Morrisonn all practiced with the team yesterday.

Boyd Gordon also started practice but did not finish.

Caps vs. Predators 10/17/09

Result:

3-2 SO Caps Win

My Player of the Game:

Semyon Varlamov

22 Saves
3 SO Saves

It was a tough one since Ovechkin did all the scoring for the Caps but I'm a goalie so I'll side with him.

Thoughts:

Ugly win tonight. The PP was too fast and loose and we relied far too much on Varly to pull out some great saves. That said he did let through a softie but made up for it in the third period, OT and the SO. The PP scored again and the PK didn't look bad. I've said it once and I'll say it again, you can't play D from behind.

Let's get Ovie off the blue line on the PP. Semin has a very dangerous long range shot and can D-up better than Ovechkin. Just my thoughts.

Caps Homework:

Once again, DON'T PLAY DEFENSE FROM BEHIND.

Image by Getty Images

Update on Theo

Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post has provided an updat on Theo's condition HERE. Varley will likely get the start tonight at the "Phone Booth" against Nashville.

For all the Jose Haters out there..read here please

First off....I would like to introduce myself for those of you who don't know me. My name is Sean Otterson, but everyone knows me as Ott..I have been friends with Kris for a while now....I think my sophmore year of high school I met him in Drama class...and then over the next 3 years were "drama nerds" together...skits and writing scenes and all that stuff...After high school we kept in touch for a year or 2 and then as with most people who I went to school with...We grew apart...But the Capitals brought us back together and I talk to him on the regular..When he tagged me on his first recap of the home opener...I knew instantly this would be something I would look forward to reading after every game...And I'm happy that he asked me to write a lil something in his new blog a few times a month, or once a week, or when I have something on my mind..So here goes nothing....be advised..I don't like using commas, so you will see a lot of ....'s...So please...NO ENGLISH TEACHERS GIVING ME NOTES ;)


I'm not sure how to start this...but last summer when the Caps let Cristobal Huet go...I knew it was a good thing...I might have been the only one...but something about his career just didn't fit with me. He was in his 30's and the NHL doesn't have many late blooming goaltenders who turn out to be stars(Tim Thomas is one of the only exceptions I can think of) Huet had never played(and still hasn't) more than 42 games in a season before 07-08, when he started the year as Montreal's #1...and was pushed out of the job by rookie 20 year old Carey Price, when you look at the numbers between Huet and Price that year...they are almost identical, but GM GM made a deal to bring Huet here thinking that Olie couldn't get it done(which I agreed with) and Cristobal was brilliant(11-2 record with a 1.63 GAA and .936 SV%) to complete the Capitals comeback and win the division from the hated Carolina Hurricanes. Everybody was up in arms about why they didn't resign him...Well last year AGAIN he was bumped out of his starting Goaltending role by Nikolai Khabibulin, and only played in the playoffs due to an injury...Well I am getting off topic here...but he's losing his job again this year to a rookie Antti Niemi...but back on topic...July 1, 2008 the caps signed Jose Theodore hours after Huet signed with Chicago...People were excited...but at the same time....a bitter taste was in some people's mouth knowing he had just given up 11 goals to the Detroit Red Wings in 4 games in the 2008 Conferance Semi-Finals...I knew the guy had plenty of talent...and also knew that he was only a stop-gap for the future goaltending the Caps had in Hershey and South Carolina(Varlamov, Neuvirth, and Holtby)

Last year he had some ups and down...Granted giving up 4 goal in 29 minutes in his first game as a Cap was pretty low, He won 6 games in a row in December after probably his worst game of the year in Philly(4 goals in relief of Brent Johnson) The first game of that winning streak was a fluky as it gets...He gives up 3 goals early, a flu ridden Johnny relieves him the rest of the 1st..Jose comes back to start the 2nd and the Caps come back and win it 5-4 in OT and Shaone Morrison's birthday winner...He responded after that game with 3-2, 4-1, 4-2, 2-1 and 2-1(SO) wins over Buffalo twice, Toronta, The Rangers again and Philly(which might have been one of his best games of the year..33 saves) he also had two more 3 games winning streaks and a 4 games streak at the close of the year. After the Philly 7-1 game...He gave up 3 goals or more in back to back games ONLY ONCE(a 5-4 SO win over Carolina and a 5-1 loss to Atlanta 2 days later) I'm no expert, but for a team that scores more than 3.5 goals a game...That's not the worst.

Yes he gives up his share of weak goals, as he pretty much single handedly gave away the Rangers game last week on identical shots from Gaborik. But the guy won an MVP award in 2002 as the best player in the game, and it's a contract year(like it was in 2002) The defense isn't a top 10 defense in the league, so he's going to give up his share of goals....If he can minimize the weak ones and learn how to cover a rebound when their is traffic in front of the net(I really don't mean learn, but start to) then he'll be fine...As I said...it's his contract year and he has something to play for, he just turned 33 so he has 3 or 4 more years left and there are teams out there that are going to want to sign a veteran goaltender with playoff experience

Also on a side note....Jose has never.....NEVER lost a 1st round playoff series his whole career ;)

Hope to give ya more stuff next time....Let me know if ya like what i gave ya or hated it...where I can improve or what not...Add me on facebook if you'd like...Follow me on twitter at: ott92680

Everyone have a great weekend(or week depending when ya read this)

LETS GO CAPS

Image by Getty Images

Theo Hurt

Jose Theodore was pulled from the game after the first period due to injury. Bruce called the injury "back spasms" in his post game press conference last night. No new news yet...

Varley did a great job in relief.

update:

No word on Theo but the caps called up Braden Holtby from the ECHL South Carolina Stingrays. With calling up a goalie one has to expect that Jose will be out for a while.

LOLCaps

Source image by Getty Images

Caps vs. Sharks 10/15/09

Result:

4-1 Caps Win

My Player of the Game:

Mike Knuble

2 Assists
3 Take aways

Knuble MADE both of OV's goals, one with a great pass and one with a steller job (or maybe a dandy if I was Locker) of keeping the puck in the offensive zone.

Thoughts:

What can I say, the Caps looked like the team we all know they are tonight. Great PK, good D, 2nd and 3rd line scoring. I'm liking the new line combos. I said before I thought you needed to seperate the young guns and make us more than a 1 line team. It was nice to see Varly play well but let's not forget that Theo was continuing to play at top level before he got hurt.

I liked seing Brads on the score sheet tonight (he's on pace for a 22 goal season so far, 60-1 against he'll make it to 15, any takers?). Our deep line scoring only looks to get better as the season progresses and we get Flash back.

Now with the bad. I would have liked to see at least 2 goals in the first given the number of PP's the Caps had. Dispite that, the PP was effective in throwing the Sharks off tempo and wearing down their marquee players which had a huge effect on the rest of the game.

Caps Homework:

I still saw a little bit of playing D from behind (see the San Jose goal). Other than that, build on this beat Nashville and get ready to face a division team (finally).