Caps @ Devils 2-29-2008 Post-Mortem

Ok, raise your hand if you saw that one coming... Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...

THE GOOD:

• Once again we get a win and score four goals without A.O. scoring any of them. His goalless drought is now a career high seven games but we've won our last two games. If he gets going and the secondary scoring continues, we could be onto something.
• Sergei Fedorov had a nice debut with an assist on the game winning goal, but the thing that helps is his 10-3 record tonight on faceoffs. I'm not one to put a high premium on faceoffs but he gives us a go-to guy for offensive zone faceoffs late in games we're trailing who won't hurt us offensively after winning the draw.
• Nicklas Backstrom with two more assists getting back into the groove with A.O. and Viktor Kozlov playing with Backstrom again. The top line tonight had only one goal but had 4 points between the three players.
• Even Mr. Donald Brashear got into the goal scoring act tonight.
• 18 shots on goal allowed and 11 blocked shots shows how much the defense stepped up tonight.
• And speaking of blocked shots, we had only 6 of ours blocked tonight.

THE BAD:

• Alexander Semin may have had a goal and an assist tonight, but he's going to need to come up with another move to create shots for himself. I think the entire league and maybe even a few casual NBA fans know that he'll go for the curl and drag into the slot when he's coming in the zone on the rush.
• Sunday we got 15 shots on goal in the first period against the Devils. Today we got just 4 and so it shouldn't be a surprised that we got the same number of goals (which would be none). We can out with passion on Tuesday after the trades and now that two of the three players were in the lineup, that passion was largely gone. Luckily the Devils aren't offensive stalwarts.

THE UGLY:

• Patrick Elias:

NHL.com

Ok, so you're wondering why I haven't mentioned why I haven't mentioned Cristobal Huet's 18 save shutout in his Capitals debut. Well, I have to admit that I thought Olie Kolzig would have pitched the shutout as well. Bruce Boudreau seems to agree only because he announced after the game that Kolzig will get the start tomorrow night at home against the Maple Leafs. Huet only had to make 18 saves and while there were a couple of instances where I thought Huet did something that I didn't think Kolzig would do or does, Huet didn't have to come up with many big saves. His stop on Zack Parise's breakaway was the most impressive. Maybe the Devils were awestruck too by the Caps moves which is why they looked flat all night long but whatever the reason is, we got a solid win tonight.

It has been... A TWO POINT NIGHT!!!

Caps @ Devils 2-29-2008 Preview

Washington Capitals (29-35; 66 points; 2nd Southeast Division, 11th Eastern Conference, 23rd Overall) @ New Jersey Devils (37-27; 80 points; 1st Atlantic Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 3rd Overall):
Caps Game #65, Road Game #33, NHL Game #971

Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, 7:08 pm. Washington TV: Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WWWT 1500-AM, 107.7-FM. New Jersey TV: Fox SportsNet New York. Radio: WFAN 660-AM. NHL Center Ice: Fox SportsNet New York feed.

Tonight the beefed up Caps head up to New Jersey to close out the season series with the Devils. The Caps are looking to forge a split in the season series with their first win in the Prudential Center. The Devils of course won this past Sunday with Martin Brodeur turning almost everything away the Caps threw at him in a 2-1 win in overtime. Like the Caps, the Devils have played just once since Sunday's game and lost 2-1 in overtime in Raleigh to the Carolina Hurricanes.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post. Times: debut night, deadline danger. Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

New York Post. The Record new Devil, up next.

What Do I Expect Tonight?:

Well, the Cristobal Huet era is off to a rocky start because Brent Johnson has chosen not to travel with the team and there's no good way to spin this decision. Johnson's frustration is certainly understandable but ostracizing yourself from the team will not help matters for yourself or the team. There is also the issue of chemistry as to exactly how Sergei Fedorov fits in with Alexander Semin for now. Remember that it took a couple of months for A.O. and Nicklas Backstrom to mesh and last year's deadline acquisition, Jiri Novotny, never seemed to fit in during his 18 games with the Caps. So tonight could be very, very awkward for the Caps against a team that they cannot afford to be awkward against. Of course, the flip side is that Huet stands on his head, Federov and Matt Cooke play like they've been here for the past ten years and the Caps roll over the Devils who are only looking to work in a new defenseman acquired at the deadline. The Caps will need to play like they did on Sunday in order to have chance tonight because the Devils are on a roll right now by not having been defeated in regulation for their last nine games. The Canes loss to the Rangers in regulation last night also means that the Caps are now five points back of the Canes with three games in hand so a win night would be huge.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 1
Devils 2
Winner by Gionta

(34-29 on the season)

The George McPhee Watch: Day 98

If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that General Manager George McPhee's job was in jeopardy with some of the trades he made yesterday. But CW wisdom is at least it is or was according to Tarik El-Bashir. However, with the triumvirate of trades that brought in forwards Matt Kent Cooke, Sergei Fedorov, and goaltender Cristobal Huet the preseason declaration of the making the playoffs has proven to be more than just a marketing gimmick. So let's look at the moves that really mattered for the Caps yesterday (I really don't care about the Motzkoball trade).

Matt "Princess" Pettinger to Vancouver for Matt Kent Cooke:

Simply put, extraneous garbage for extraneous garbage. Both players claim to have had problems with their former Head Coaches but Bruce Boudreau denies the claim and Cooke couldn't be baited into taking a potshot at Alain Vigneault. Cooke is a UFA after this season currently making $1.525 million while Princess was going to be a UFA for us making $1.1 million. I can't see the Caps looking to pay Cooke that same amount or even giving him a raise. Should he leave over the summer it would be disappointing because we gave up a player like Pettinger for nothing almost like we gave up Zubrus for what has turned into only draft picks. But neither player is a long term solution for what ails their new teams.

2008 2nd Round Draft Pick from Anaheim in the Brian Sutherby trade to Montreal for Cristobal Huet:

For Caps fans declaring McPhee incompetent for not having a bridge already in place to get from Olie Kolzig to prospects Simeon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth (conveniently forgetting this guy called "Maxime Ouellet" whom McPhee ripped off from Philly for Adam Oates a few years ago) have nowhere to go expect to grouse "GMGM should have done this sooner." But never the less, Huet has been struggling a bit recently (he was the goaltender on the other end of the singlehanded beatdown A.O. laid on the Montreal a month ago) though he should find the D.C. market a lot friendlier and the pressure considerably lighter than in Montreal. Huet turns 33 in 11 days so he won't give us an unlimited amount of time to groom Varlamov and/or Neuvirth but he should give us some time.

McPhee said last night that this trade does not necessarily mean the end of Kolzig's time in D.C. He further flatly stated this morning on Idiot in Morning that "Olie will be a Cap next year if he wants to be." While the straightforward English translation means that Brent Johnson is the odd man out, it could also be interpreted as "Kolzig will be here next year if he can show he can still get the job done. It's up to Kolzig to show us that and we happen to think he can. If Kolzig can't show us that he can get the job done, then it will be on him, not us because we believe in him." In other words, McPhee is already laying the groundwork to it being Kolzig's and not the team's choice should Kolzig not to return to the Caps next season no matter what.

But watching Kolzig's interview last night after the game you could see in his face that he knew that the management no longer had any confidence in him. John Riggins once said "when you think you're done and management thinks you're done are often two different things" and this is clearly the case with Kolzig. Kolzig has done a lot for this franchise and this town but it is clear he can't carry this team anymore. Some blame GMGM for that because of the defense he's assembled in front of Kolzig but there is no denying that Kolzig has better players in front of him this year than he has the two previous seasons so the question is, why has Kolzig's play gone down this season?

In a perfect world, Kolzig would retire after this season and accept a job in the Caps front office (or replace Ken Sabourin as color commentator on the radio and do the job full time, not just home games). Huet will hold down the #1 job until one of the prospects are ready with Johnson fulfilling the backup role he is better suited for. The key in all of this is resigning Huet who is also a UFA after this season. Huet won't command the $5.45 million that Kolzig does but he is going to see a raise over the $2.75 million he's currently making. This is almost a bigger priority than resigning Mike "BEAM ME UP" Green before July 1st.

Ted Ruth 2nd Round Draft Pick in 2007 for Sergei Federov:

First the obvious observation that 10 years ago this would have been an outstanding move. However, today it is a perplexing move for a couple of reasons. We don't "need" a 2nd line center once Michael Nylander returns. This is the kind of trade made not just to make the playoffs but to go well beyond the first round and there's no way the Caps are going deep in the playoffs and making the playoffs is a very tall order right now with or without Federov. Furthermore, this trade opens McPhee up to the legitimate criticism about not addressing the glaring need for the "rugged defenseman." We have a 2nd line center but he's hurt; those things happen. But our best excuse for a "rugged defenseman" is John "Coach's Pet" Erskine Bowles who only underscores our dire need for a "rugged defenseman."

The Penguin Scum got Hal Gill for a second round pick. We have a couple of extra of those and were willing to part with one to get Huet who is roughly the same age as Hall Gill. Was Toronto's asking price higher for us than it was for the Penguin Scum? Besides who isn't looking for a "rugged defenseman" right now? But McPhee was willing to address a short-term and mid-term need but the glaring need was not addressed.

Adding to the complications is that Federov is another UFA and he'll definitely have to take a nice paycut from his $6.08 million salary to stay in D.C., assuming that he even wants to. Plus at the ripe old age of 38, Federov doesn't have much left in the tank. (Though he does serve a useful purpose in making Kolzig feel younger...)

Should we sign Federov for next season (it would only be a one year contract in my estimation), we will have the opposite problem that we had this year heading into camp. We'll have at least 8 forwards suited for the top two lines and only six spots to fill where this year, we entered camp with just 5 bonafide top two line forwards for six spots.

But what makes all of yesterday's activity odd, is the ownership philosophy on deadline deals. I'll grant you, we held onto our first round pick and the only NHL player lost of the roster was a guy whose future with the franchise had become murky. But we gave up a recent second round pick and another second round pick for what is considered a very deep draft for three players who have the right to walk away after the season is over without any compensation coming in return. If the Caps were 5 points ahead in the Division instead of 5 points behind, I could understand making these trades. But the addition of Federov, Huet, and Cooke do not guarantee us making the playoffs and if the Caps were to make it, they would at best maybe get us to a 5 or 6 game series before bowing out simply because we'll be out of gas should we make the playoffs.

This of course doesn't take into account the damage done to chemistry and team cohesion as Kolzig and/or Johnson could very easily poison the locker room with three NHL goaltenders on the roster. You hope that isn't the case, but you never know.

However, I'll say again, do we even really want to make the playoffs? Look folks, last year this team won 28 games and registered 70 points. Lets assume we make the playoffs and catch fire and win a round or two. What about next year? Look at what happened to Atlanta. They made all kinds of moves just to make the playoffs last year and lasted all of four games. The expectations weighed heavily on them this season and now this year they ended up selling at the deadline. We've already made progress this season but too much progress can be just as bad as not enough.

But what is done is done. McPhee has made his bed and now he needs to lie in it. Whether or not he stays in that bed remains up in the air.

Caps vs. Wild 2-26-2008 Wrap Up

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post: stirred up, help for the push. Times: case for the incumbents, trades made, building momentum. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

Pioneer Press: additional loss, worthwhile trade?, goon gotten. Star-Tribune: flattened, acquiring Simon, brazen.

Final Thoughts

Now the real fun begins as we try to incorporate the new players while chasing down a playoff spot.

64 down, 18 to go.

Caps vs. Wild 2-26-2008 Post-Mortem

Can we trade for Federov and Huet again on Friday??? Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...

THE GOOD:

• Four goals and not a single point tonight for A.O.. Of course that won't last very long but we should mention it as Brooks "and Dunn" Laich ended his time as the second line center with a big bang scoring two goals and registering two assists. Tomas Fleischmann and Eric Fehr also acquitted themselves well as their time on the second line could be coming to an end too. All three players on the second line were a +4.
• I was glad to see John "Coach's Pet" Erskine Bowles walking on the street outside the Phone Booth at 5:50 pm wearing a coat and tie. Though I think it's a little too late to try to showcase Steve Eminger for a trade.
• This is the first Caps win since January 19th where the Caps have won by more than one goal. Furthermore, the Caps once again played well for 60 minutes and weren't scrambling to close out the game. We need to keep this up.
• The Olie Kolzig farewell tour started off on a good note. Kolzig made the saves he should make and the defense stepped up around him and limited the second chances for Minnesota. The one goal he did allow wasn't his fault and there wasn't much of anything anybody could do as it was just a bad bounce for the Caps. Though I will say I would like to see Kolzig get one more shutout and the two more wins he needs to get to 300 before the end of the season.

THE BAD:

• Kolzig certainly won't see another shutout if he continues to have to face 35 shots on goal. A good number of the shots (especially in the second period) were from long distance along the perimeter. However the goal the Wild scored was shot from long distance and deflected in front.
• The first "eggs in one basket" line of A.O., Nicklas Backstrom, and Alexander Semin not only went pointless tonight, they also were each a -1. The only players on the team to post a minus tonight. I don't think that is what Bruce Boudreau had in mind when he put this line together.
• Carolina wins win OT over the Devils so no ground gained tonight.

THE UGLY:

• Interesting game called tonight by Marc Joannette and Francois St. Laurent. The only reason I mention this was because their "let them play" attitude was witnessed in person by Gary Bettman.

As I said this morning, some timely trades could very easily breathe life into a team and make them play better while standing pat or not getting much could drain a team of morale. It really looked to me like the Caps were playing harder tonight because they felt that the management was trying to help them out by bringing in reinforcements. Conversely, after only picking up Chris Simon, the Wild played like a team distraught that no help is on the way to get them out of their tailspin. Tomorrow night I'll comment more on the trades made today by George McPhee but for now we'll just enjoy a much needed win.

It has been... A TWO POINT NIGHT!!!

Caps vs. Wild 2-26-2008 Preview

Washington Capitals (28-35; 64 points; 2nd Southeast Division, 11th Eastern Conference, 24th Overall) vs. Minnesota Wild (34-28; 73 points; 2nd Northwest Division, 6th Western Conference, 10th Overall):
Caps Game #64, Home Game #32, NHL Game #952

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7:08 pm. Washington TV: None. Radio: WWWT 1500-AM, 107.7-FM. Minnesota TV: None. Radio: WCCO 830-AM. National TV: Versus. NHL Center Ice: None.

Tonight the Caps look to get back on track and get their first win against the Wild since February 6th, 2002. It won't be easy but the Wild are starting a three games in four nights swing through the Southeast Division hoping to regain first place in the Northwest Division. The Wild have lost three in a row to fall one point back of Calgary with a game in hand. The last time out, the Flames beat the Wild in Minnesota 2-1 on Sunday.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post. Times. Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Pioneer Press. Star-Tribune: waiting game, game day.

What Do I Expect Tonight?:

In case you haven't noticed, today is deadline day and the Caps are not expected to be major players. Something small could be done but for the most part, what is on the active roster now is what will make the final push over the next 20 games in an attempt to make the playoffs. The Caps, like the Wild could use a little extra help for the remainder of the season but with so few teams looking to sell, the price may be too high and neither team is likely to make a move today. Any move that is made today is not likely to impact tonight's game as any player acquired is very unlikely to dress and play in a game tonight though a player dealt could create a temporary hole in the lineup. How each team handles the activity or complete and total lack thereof tonight could show you how each team will play down the stretch. Remember, last year the Caps were publicly complaining about the lack of talent on the roster, especially after the deadline, and seemingly gave up on the season. Should the Caps stand pat as expected today, will the Caps give up once again? We'll find out tonight.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 3
Wild 2
Winner by Semin

(33-29 on the season)

Attention All Caps Fans

If you happen to have a ticket for the Caps-Penguin Scum game on March 9th, please disregard the start time currently printed on the ticket. The game has been moved up to accommodate NBC and the NHL's incessant "Malkin-Lindros is better than A.O." campaign.

All Penguin Scum fans however will be barred from entering the Phone Booth until the time printed on their tickets.

Caps vs. Devils 2-24-2008 Wrap Up

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post: crushing loss, Caps Report. Times: stoned, not enough. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

Newark Star-Ledger: first place, taking a punch. New York Post. Devils.com.

Final Thoughts:

Marketing to Bhawlmuher is bad enough (try Richmond Ted, you'll do better there) but why am I getting Caps ads on the New York Post website? Anyway, things could be worse, we could be Philly who is on a 10 ten losing streak to fall all the way out of the playoffs and blowing games in the final seconds on home ice to teams from the Southeast Division.

63 down, 19 to go.

Sunday Smorgasbord 2-24

• Had my computer cooperated with me last week I would have asked you if you enjoyed the Redskins coaching search? Well if you did, it will soon be coming to your favorite College Football program. Though there isn't any real enforcement mechanism the "diversify or die" crowd can use to enforce it, you can be rest assured that the politically correct folks who infect our institutions of higher learning will see to it that it is vigorously enforced until the next Ty Willingham disaster is thrust upon them. Strike another victory for the Forces of Tolerance. (Only this time, they won't be able to rightfully blame Jesse Jackson)
• The NHL's trading deadline comes at 3 pm Eastern Time on Tuesday and the big question is which star player on a non-contending team is going to waive their no-trade clause to allow that team to begin a rebuilding process? The Mats Sundin soap opera is getting big play up in Canada but with a new CBA creating a fluctuating system, you can bank on NHL General Managers cutting back on the number of no-trade clauses if Sundin and others refuse to be traded. Even though he's signed with the Caps for the next 13 years, A.O. was given a limited movement clause which allows him to chose which teams he can be traded to and therefore does not prevent the Caps from trading him or having to seek his permission to be traded. Certainly a player with a no-trade clause has a right to refuse to waive it and end up leaving his team high and dry in the long run, but GM's should be smart enough to avoid throwing blanket no-trade clauses at their own players. At the very least it will rob the Press of a story line and that's a good thing.
• Two weeks ago the Caps were dreaming of winning the Southeast Division and are now almost to the point of playing out the string. The Terp Men just one week ago looked to be a lock for the NCAA Tournament but after upchucking one to the Hokey-Pokeys and getting rocked by the Hurricanes, the Terps look to be on the wrong side of the bubble again and will need to come up big in their three remaining conference games and put together a decent run in the ACC Tournament to get back in. To me it looks as if the Terps are just reverting to form after having a stretch of good play. Though James Gist's Disappearing Act (which right now is rivaling my World Famous one) and Greivis Vasquez's just simply out of control play can be remedied to save the season. But like the Caps and the Stanley Cup Playoffs, will a Maryland NCAA Tournament Appearance this season be anything worth remembering?
• And if this cheap East German Surplus pooter had cooperated last week, we would have sent out Congratulations to the Maryland Women's Head Basketball Coach Brenda Frese who dropped her twin boys last Sunday and inspired her team to drop Dook in turn. Despite a great record, the Maryland women still look to be underachieving to me. They've had some close games in the ACC against teams that shouldn't be giving them trouble. While they've avoided the bad loss, the high wire act is eventually going to catch up with them. With their big guns Laura Harper and Crystal Langhorne graduating, this looks to be their best chance of winning another National Championship and making up for the wasted opportunity from last season.
• Yesterday's mail brought me my Washington Redskins Season Ticket Renewal and new for this season is the option to pay online at the Redskins website. Also new is an apparent committment to the draft this offseason. We'll see how that goes though it may have more to do with a limited talent pool than a change in philosophy. However one thing that Dan Snyder will not credit for is leaving ticket prices the same again this year. Instead of raising the prices by a $1 or $2 a year, he prefers to wait five years before hitting people with a $5 -$10 increase at one time. This actually costs him more $$$$$ in the long run because of lost interest and inflation. But the current narrative on Snyder is that he's a greedy somebody all the way around. Never let the facts get in the way of some great demagoguery.
• And speaking of facts in the way of great demagoguery (and diversifying or dying) did you know that Barrack Obama was the only Illinios State Senator who opposed prohibiting the early release of sex offenders? Though I'm sure he now blames his staff for that vote, that's not the kind of change I can believe in.
• This week, the Caps will look to end their three game losing skid when they host the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night at the Phone Booth on Versus. They then head up to Joisey to face the Devils again on Friday night before returning home on Saturday night for a Hockey Night in Canada game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. All three games start at 7 pm. The Terp Men head to Wake Forest on Thursday night for an 8 pm game and are home next Sunday when Klempsun comes in for a 7:30 game on Fox SportsNet ACC Sunday Night Hoops. The Terp Women close out their regular season next Sunday with a game at N.C. State. The Nats start their Spring Training games on Wednesday with the Florida Marlins. They'll play the Whats?, Marlins again, and the B.O.'s to close out the week.
• As always folks, please send all comments, criticisms, corrections, suggestions, questions, and rambling 938 word introductory e-mails to "capsnut" over at gmail dot com.

Caps vs. Devils 2-24-2008 Post-Mortem

See what good goaltending does for you??? Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...

THE GOOD:

• It's been awhile since we can honestly say that the Caps played well for a full 60 minute game. Today we should recognize that the Caps did play well for the entire game.
• A.O. for once had more shots make it on goal (4) than he had blocked (1) or miss everything (2). He also had the primary assist on Alexander Semin's goal (which extended Semin's goal scoring streak to five games) to move into first place overall in the NHL Scoring race (The first tiebreaker is goals scored followed by fewest games, followed by when the first goal was scored). A.O. was also credited with 5 hits and a faceoff win.
• Brent Johnson played a good game today. He didn't have much action but when he did, he looked very sharp.

THE BAD:

• Bounces for one, we didn't get much in the way of breaks today. We certainly handled adversity better today than we did yesterday but still hitting too many posts and not generating enough offense behind A.O. and Semin.
• Get well soon, please, Jeff "Sergeant" Schultz. While Sami Lepisto may have a bright future in Washington, he's more of a liability right now while he's getting NHL experience. If we weren't trying to make the playoffs, you wouldn't mind so much.
• While I'm glad that the improved play has brought out improved crowds to Caps games, do we really need to cramp up the concourses with tables every five feet?

THE UGLY:

• The John "Coach's Pet" Erskine Bowles Bonehead Play of the Game goes to its namesake for the wonderful check he threw on Brooks "and Dunn" Laich while we were killing a penalty in the third period. Supporting the award was his screening of Johnny on a couple of shots and almost deflecting one Devils' shot into his own net. It made me wonder which team he was playing on today. And do you know what the really good news is folks??? He's signed through next year!!!
• After holding the Devils to just 10 shots through two periods, the Caps let up and allowed 18 in the third period. And despite dominating the play in overtime, the Caps were outshot in the extra period 3-0.
• The game winning goal tonight was yet another rebound shot. To the Caps credit, the Devils didn't have many second chances but they got all they needed to win the game.

I know I've said this three games in a row now, but here's another example of what's going to happen should we end up making the playoffs. It's ok to feel frustrated and I wouldn't blame anybody who felt frustrated with the game today. They threw everything they had at the Devils and could only score one goal. They were almost perfect but even then, playing a perfect game would have only led to at best a gimmick win today because this is a regular season game. In the playoffs, you don't skate 4-on-4 and you don't have a chance to win the game with a gimmick. It took all the Caps had just to get a single goal and in some ways they were lucky to get to overtime because after the first period you had a feeling that the Caps would make just one glaring mistake that would cost them the game. That's exactly what ended up happening.

Caps @ Hurricanes 2-23-2008 Wrap Up/ Caps vs. Devils 2-24-2008 Preview

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post. Times. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

Raleigh News & Observer: fired up, trade dividends, turning point, deadline looms. Canes.com.

Final Thoughts:

While it certainly isn't politically correct and will cost Tom Poti some $$$$$, it is nice to see somebody call a spade a spade when it came to what passed as officiating in that game. Sometimes that is the only way to keep it from happening to you again.

62 down, 20 to go.


Washington Capitals (28-34; 63 points; 3rd Southeast Division, 12th Eastern Conference, 25th Overall) vs. New Jersey Devils (36-26; 77 points; 1st Atlantic Division, 2nd Eastern Conference, 4th Overall):
Caps Game #63, Home Game #31, NHL Game #943

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C., 3:08 pm. Washington TV: Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WWWT 1500-AM, 107.7-FM. New Jersey TV: Fox SportsNet New York. Radio: WFAN 660-AM. NHL Center Ice: Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic Feed.

Today the Caps try to stop their current slide when they host the New Jersey Devils. The Caps and Devils have split the season series so far with each team pulling out a win on home ice back in December by scores of 3-2. The Devils are red hot right now. They've won seven of their last eight including a 4-2 win over the Islanders yesterday which was their fourth win a row.

What The Natives Are Saying:

Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Newark Star-Ledger. New York Post. The Record: jinx ended, deadline coming up, preview.

What Do I Expect Today?:

If you're one of the optimists who are pointing to the three games in hand the Caps have over the Canes, today is one of those games and the thing about games in hand is that you have to actually win them in order for them to mean anything. The Caps are facing another playoff tested team and one of the top teams in the league today. And should Martin Brouder make the start as expected, the odds against the Caps grow even longer. It is also worth mentioning that while the Devils have the 11th ranked Penalty Killing, they've been scoring shorthanded goals with ease recently so the Caps might want to keep that in mind and be careful about pinching in with the extra man. After losing both games last week the Caps need any kind of win they can get today with the schedule they have coming up.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 2
Devils 3
Winner by Madden

(32-29 on the season)

Caps @ Hurricanes 2-23-2008 Post-Mortem

This posting may not be suitable for minors... Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...

THE GOOD:

• So much for the Jessica Simpson excuse, A.O. busts his slump with a three assist day to move himself into sole possession of 20th on the Caps All-Time Scoring list tying and then passing Ryan Walter in today's game. He's now 4 points behind Craig Laughlin who is in 19th at 283 points and 1 point off the NHL lead for this season.
• You have to like the start that the Caps got off to today. The players knew how important the game was and what Carolina would be bringing and they were able to match it for the first 15 minutes.
• Despite today's game, we're still not talking about "our problem."

THE BAD:

• Was it me or did the Caps seem to go into "point protection mode" after Brooks "and Dunn" Laich's goal tied it at 3 with almost 11 minutes left in the second period? That's a bad idea in any game lettalone a MUST WIN IN REGULATION game like today's
• How many other Caps forwards would have buried the chance that Tomas Fleischmann flubbed in the second period? Do we even have to count?
• The Penalty Killing today was 3 for 7. The fact that this is in the "BAD" category cannot be a good sign for the "UGLY" category coming up. The Penalty Killers saw their 22 consecutive kills streak come to a horrible end.

THE UGLY:

• Let's start this off with the John "Coach's Pet" Erskine Bowles Bonehead Move of the Game which once again goes to Head Coach Bruce Boudreau who not only continues to insist upon playing the slow footed, dim-witted defenseman, but paired him today with Sami Lepisto who played like a rookie defenseman in his second NHL game. It really makes you wonder just what Steve Eminger has (or has not) done to deserve being a healthy scratch over a rookie for what amounts to a playoff game. Furthermore, the Coach's Pet was a -2 today because he was incapable of clearing bodies and rebounds despite being considered the "rugged" defenseman we desperately need. Lepisto was also a -2 and on occasion did not show the puck moving skills everybody raves about. One thing is for certain though, the Canes are not the Ning and I cannot believe that Eminger would have been worse than either of these guys today.
• Just one week ago after two good performances, everybody was signing the praises of Olie Kolzig and announcing his renaissance. Yet here we are now are these same people going to talk about Kolzig's declining skills again? He didn't let in any soft goals today but he put himself into bad positions because he wasn't controlling rebounds and because the defense wasn't clearing those rebounds for him; the Canes ran away with this game. Sorry Olie, either the defenders have to change or you have to change. Which one do you think will be easier to do?
• A special note for referees Dan O'Halloran and Justin St. Pierre whose officiating today left a lot to be desired and made me wonder just what the NHL was thinking assigning these two to a game this important this late in the season. Their officiating turned the game around in Carolina's favor when they made 5 borderline calls (the last four in a row) against the Caps. The biggest indication of their bias was the high sticking calls they made in the third period against Eric Cole and Viktor Kozlov. A.O. wasn't bleeding so Cole rightfully didn't get a double minor on the play; but neither was Tim Gleason when Kozlov was hit with a double minor. To make matters worse, the only reason why Kolzov's stick hit Gleason in the first place was because Gleason was holding it and Kozlov yanked it away as he went after the puck. Why that wasn't a holding the stick call on Gleason is amazing to me.

There are optimists out there who will point out that the Caps can still make the playoffs, but seriously folks, do you want to see more games like this? Because this is what you're going to see should the Caps make the playoffs this season. Like Wednesday night, this wasn't pretty and any playoff appearance we make this year will be over in four games, maybe five if we get lucky. Would I rather the Caps be on pace for another 70 point campaign, selling off assets at the deadline, and vainly trying to play a spoiler role this late in the season? No, and as a matter of fact, this is about where I thought this team would be. We're good enough to get into the playoff picture and have a chance at making it very late in the season, but not good enough to actually make it into the playoffs. While there is no denying that we've come a long way even in this season, there's a lot of work left to be done on this rebuild and it is far from being over.

Caps @ Hurricanes 2-23-2008 Preview

Washington Capitals (28-33; 63 points; 2nd Southeast Division, 11th Eastern Conference, 23rd Overall) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (31-33; 67 points; 1st Southeast Division, 3rd Eastern Conference, 19th Overall):
Caps Game #62, Road Game #32, NHL Game #933

RBC Center, Raleigh, NC, 5:08 pm. Washington TV: Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic Plus. Radio: WWWT 1500-AM, 107.7-FM Carolina TV: Fox SportsNet South Alternate. Radio: WCNC 99.9-FM. NHL Center Ice: Fox SportsNet South Alternate feed.

Today/This Afternoon/Tonight (whatever you want to call a 5 pm start) the Caps will head down to Carolina to face the Hurricanes for the sixth of eight meetings this season. The Caps have won only two of the five previous meetings with Canes this season and both of those wins came on home ice. The Caps have been outscored 9-3 in the two games in Raleigh this season and lost the last game which was at home two weeks ago, 2-1. Want more bad news? The Canes are on a 4-2 run including a 5-1 run on home ice to open up a four point lead on the Caps in the Southeast Division. In their last game, the Canes dispatched the Atlanta Thrashers on home ice 5-3 on Thursday night.

What The Natives Are Saying:

Caps.com. Times. Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Durham Herald-Sun. Raleigh News & Observer: no clue, Eye on the Canes.

What Do I Expect Today/ This Afternoon/Tonight?:

Bruce Boudreau and Olie Kolzig are right, this is the biggest game of the year. How do we know? The Durham Herald-Sun wrote it up on the weekend. This game is a MUST WIN. The math could still work in the Caps favor should they lose tonight; there will be two games head-to-head against Carolina left on the schedule and the Caps will have three games in hand to "make up" the six point deficit. But any kind of loss tonight will force the Caps to be perfect for the remainder of the season. And not only is this game a MUST WIN, it is a MUST WIN IN REGULATION. The Caps MUST come out of this game only two points back of the Canes. However, the Caps have had trouble winning in regulation recently, four of their last seven wins have come in either overtime or with the gimmick. The Caps have not defeated an opponent by more than one goal since a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers on January 19th. When these two teams met two weeks ago, the Canes gave the Caps a rude introduction to NHL Playoff Hockey. I wouldn't expect any less from the Canes tonight so the Caps will have to show that they can match it on the road. The Caps will also need to take full advantage of the Canes pathetic Penalty Killing if they want to have a chance to win this game. Though of special note, the Caps have only beaten the Canes when my Sainted Mother has been in attendance. Unfortunately for the Caps, she isn't joining the hundreds of Caps fans making the trip to Raleigh today as she is now back "home" three time zones away and isn't scheduled to be back in town until late May.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 2
Canes 5
Winner by Staal

(31-29 on the season)

Caps vs. Islanders 2-20-2008 Wrap Up

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post. Times. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

Newsday: outworking, Simon coming back. Islanders.com.

Final Thoughts:

Even when the Caps were winning recently, they were giving up leads and falling behind in games so this cannot come as much of a surprise as you knew this was going to catch up to them. This is starting to turn into a situation that the Redskins faced at the end of their season, where a well timed run of good play could catapult them into a playoff spot they really don't deserve because should the Caps make the playoffs, who can they beat right now in a seven game series?

61 down, 21 to go.

Caps vs. Islanders 2-20-2008 Post-Mortem

There's a first time for everything... Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...

THE GOOD:

• Matt "Princess" Pettinger picked up his first point in a long time tonight but most importantly, seemed to mesh well on the second line. He's not a full-timer on the second line but he can get himself going up there, he could contribute down the stretch.
• Once Viktor Kozlov replaced Tomas Fleischmann on the first line in the third period, A.O. got over his flu bug.

THE BAD:

• Tell me again why we signed Kozlov? Wasn't it for his ability to score in the gimmick?
• Tell me again why we signed Mr. Donald Brashear? Wasn't it so that guys like A.O. and Alexander Semin wouldn't have to fight?

THE UGLY:

• If blowing a 2-0 lead on home ice isn't bad enough, we managed to do it to a team that overcame a 2-0 deficit in their previous game. We knew these guys could do it and let them.
• The game was decided by a gimmick.

Tonight is a prime example of why I don't think this team is going to make the playoffs. The Caps should have put this baby to bed yet their inexperience and declining goaltending cost them the game. You can't put the blame squarely on Olie Kolzig's shoulders because we know he no longer recovers as quickly as he used to. There's no sense in getting mad at Kolzig because players aren't backchecking as hard as they should or finishing their checks around the net. This was a team loss tonight. Throw in Jeff "Sergeant" Schultz's injury and things get even worse because we either have to play a defenseman we have no confidence in (Steve Eminger) or recall Sami Lepisto back from Hershey. While the spin is going to be that "we picked up another vital point," we also let a team in front of us in the standings get two points after we held a 2-0 lead on home ice. Teams that want to make the playoffs do not do those kinds of things.

Caps vs. Islanders 2-20-2008 Preview

Washington Capitals (28-32; 62 points; 3rd Southeast Division, 12th Eastern Conference, 24th Overall) vs. New York Islanders (28-32; 63 points; 5th Atlantic Division, 10th Eastern Conference, 21st Overall):
Caps Game #61, Home Game #30, NHL Game #913

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7:08 pm. Washington TV: Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WWWT 1500-AM, 107.7-FM. New York TV: Fox SportsNet New York. Radio: WBBR 1130-AM. National TV: NHL Network showing the Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic feed. NHL Center Ice: None.

Tonight two teams on the outside of the playoffs looking in meet as the Caps and Islanders meet for the final time this season. The Islanders have won the last two meetings between the teams with the most recent being a 3-2 overtime win on Long Island back in December. The Islanders have been taking all kinds of hits to their blueline with three regulars now out because of injury but the Islanders have persevered; coming back from a 2-0 deficit on Monday to beat the San Jose Sharks at home 3-2 for their fourth win in a row.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post: top line shuffle, Caps Report. Times. Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Newsday. New York Post.

What Do I Expect Tonight?:

Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue... Or something like that with the flu bug running through the Caps right now. At least the Caps have a light schedule this week with a three day break coming to an end. The Caps also catch another break with the Islanders having their own issues regarding injuries as they come to town tonight. It was an ill-timed flu bug along with injuries that sent the Caps into a tailspin last year and we'll see if history will repeat itself again. The Islanders posted an impressive comeback on Monday because the Sharks had not lost a game it trailed entering the third period all season long before Monday's game on Long Island and the Sharks have one of the best road records in the NHL. So the Caps cannot afford to blow another lead or fall behind especially with Rick DiPietro's numbers vs. the Caps (8-4, 1.99 GAA, .924 Save %, and 2 shutouts).

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 2
Islanders 3
Winner by Satan

(30-29 on the season)

Caps @ Ning 2-16-2008 Wrap Up

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post. Times. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

St. Petersberg Times: wasted effort, scoring race, not for the faint of heart. Tampa Tribune: devastation, expecting too much, Power Rankings.

Final Thoughts:

The best news for the Caps last night is that Carolina won and that Florida and Atlanta lost in regulation which means that there were no three point games in the Southeast Division last night! After playing 5 Divisional games in the last 8 (going 1-4 in that run with 4 of the 5 in 5 games) the Caps have just one Divisional game in the next 11. That one game is a big one next Saturday night in Carolina but between now and March 21st (which is the start of the last seven games of the season which are all inside the Southeast Division just in case you didn't already know that) the Caps are going to be looking for other teams to help them move up and ahead in the standings. Finally, a word about Olie Kolzig. We didn't jump on the "Dump Kolzig" Bandwagon after just a couple of bad starts and we're not going to proclaim him "back to his old self" after just two good outings. There's still good reason for concern despite his good play of late. Kolzig made a number of mistakes that he was able to get away with against the Rangers and last night the Ning missed two wide open nets. The extra rest has certainly helped Kolzig but until you're no longer wondering when the soft goal or two is going to come, you can't say that Kolzig is back where he once was.

60 down, 22 to go.

Caps @ Ning 2-16-2008 Post-Mortem

Nothing is over until we decide it is... Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...

THE GOOD:

• It was the second night in a row that A.O. was kept off the score sheet but the Caps were still able to post three goals and win the game. During this "mini slump" for A.O., the secondary scoring we've been seeking has slowly begun to emerge.
• Tomas Fleischmann is making the two year contract extension look like a good idea with goals in back-to-back games. Playing with A.O. is going to open up the ice for him but because he's not going to the net at all seems to be a lot of the reason why A.O. hasn't had a point since Flash joined the first line.
• One penalty was called on us tonight but that was not the number we committed. We got away with a lot tonight.

THE BAD:

• They say that Olie Kolzig plays better when he sees a large number of shots and boy did he ever see a lot of pucks tonight. 41 for the game and 24 in the second period alone. That second period was ridiculous. At some point in time, with that many shots on goal, something is going to go in no matter how well Kolzig plays.
• Mike "BEAM ME UP" Green had an excellent game in Atlanta on Wednesday night but has followed it up with two lesser performances. He made another bad turnover at the blueline tonight though some of it has to do with the forwards blowing the zone way too early. At least it didn't end up in the back of our net tonight.
• A.O. had twice as many missed and blocked shots tonight than he did actually make it on goal.

THE UGLY:

• I can't reiterate enough just how bad that second period was defensively. The Ning had 17 shots combined in the first and third periods. We've got to get tighter defensively and play well for a full 60 minutes if we want to make the playoffs.
• What to do about Viktor Kozlov? Place him on the first line and the first line is all but unstoppable, put him on the second line and it takes off while the first line continues to produce. However, when he's on the second line, he plays center and stinks up the joint in the faceoff circle. He was 2-7 tonight on faceoffs.
• The last time the Caps were in the playoffs, John Tortorella continually got his top line out against the again St. Calle Johansson and it paid dividends as then Head Coach Bruce Cassidy (and the Sundance Kid) had no answer to St. Calle getting burned by Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis other than benching St. Calle. Tonight Tortorella got his top line out for an offensive zone faceoff against John "Coach's Pet" Erskine Bowles and Steve Eminger in the third period. The Ning quickly scored a goal off a scramble in front and it started a roll where the Ning erased a 2-0 deficit. I know the home team has the last line change but Bruce Boudreau got burned tonight on that one to win the John "Coach's Pet" Erskine Bowles Boneheaded Move of the Game award. There's no reason to put those two (especially Erksine Bowles) out there in that situation.

So the three game road trip ends up with six points and the Caps avoid the Florida wipe out by forging a split. I don't think these new lines are the answer and I'm somewhat disappointed that Eric Fehr has moved into the healthy scratch category so quickly. I thought he was fitting in on the first line and with some time, could have been really productive. However with the playoff race being what it is, I guess there isn't time to let him settle in but A.O. and Nicklas Backstrom need somebody to go to the net. Fleischmann is not that guy and even though he's scored two goals in two games since being moved to the first line, he's actually been less impressive up there than Fehr was who has registered just a single point this season. But again, at least the trip ended on a positive note.

It has been... A TWO POINT NIGHT!!!

Caps @ Panthers 2-15-2008 Wrap Up/ Caps @ Ning 2-16-2008 Preview

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post. Times. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Miami Herald: test passed, Zednik to be released. Panthers.com.

Final Thoughts:

With the way things are going right now; Florida will win in Carolina tonight, Atlanta will fall on Long Island, and there will be a real mess on our hands.

59 down, 23 to go.


Washington Capitals (27-31; 60 points; 4th Southeast Division, 12th Eastern Conference, 23rd Overall) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (25-33; 56 points; 5th Southeast Division, 14th Eastern Conference, 28th Overall):
Caps Game #60, Road Game #31. NHL Game #886

St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL. 7:38 pm. Washington TV: Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WWWT 1500-AM, 107.7-FM. Tampa TV: Sunshine Network. Radio: WDAE 620-AM. NHL Center Ice: Sunshine Network feed.

Tonight the Caps look to salvage this road trip and end their four game losing streak inside the Southeast Division when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Caps have won three of the five previous matchups with the Ning including the last two which were back in December. The Ning are on a bit of a hot streak having won 4 of their last five to get out of last place in the Eastern Conference. Their most recent win was their second in a row when they dropped the sinking Flyers 5-3 on Thursday night in Philadelphia.

What The Natives Are Saying:

Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

St. Petersburg Times: keeping it simple, increasing danger, Ning up next. Tampa Tribune. Ning.com.

What Do I Expect Tonight?:

Well first the good news, tonight will be the first time on this short three game road trip where the Caps will face a team behind them in the standings that cannot catch them under any circumstances should the Caps. In spite of that fact I'm declaring tonight's game a "MUST WIN" for the Caps. The Caps need to end their four game division losing streak which has dropped their record in the division to 9-13. There's no way the Caps can win the Southeast Division if they do not improve their divisional record and no team has made the playoffs that did not have a Gary Bettman style winning record in their division since the lockout (under Bettman we're still under .500 at 9-10-3). Secondly the bigger the dogfight for the top spot in the Southeast, the harder it will be sort everything out. Including tonight the Caps have 10 more games in the division and seven of those are the last seven games of the season. The Ning are six points back of the division lead but have turned it on since the return of Dan Boyle and shouldn't be counted out. The Ning also have a Top Ten Power Play unit so staying out of the penalty box will be key.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 2
Ning 5
Winner by Boyle

(30-28 on the season as I snap my own losing streak last night...)

Caps @ Panthers 2-15-2008 Post-Mortem

Slip slidn' away... Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...

I'm running on fumes here so this will be abbreviated tonight...

• Ever since the introduction of the Regulation Tie/Overtime Loss, games that entered the third period tied were usually snooze fests but with 4 goals scored in the final period of a 1-1 game, that was not the case tonight as neither the Caps or the Panthers got into a "Protect the Point" mode.
• The Caps really need to learn how to play with a lead as it lasted all of three minutes tonight.
• Sure he took out Brent Johnson on the play which lead to the Panthers first goal but give Alexander Semin some credit for at least getting back on defense. How often do we see that?
• However, Semin and Mike "BEAM ME UP" Green had bad clearing passes in the third period which lead to goals against. Some of it Green's and Semin's fault but the Caps have not been doing a good job recently on their breakouts because the forwards allow too many defenders get in front of them on defensive zone breakouts.

With Atlanta's win in another gimmick in Joisey and Florida holding the tie breaker over us, the Caps are now in fourth place after two consecutive losses. The sad part is, with two consecutive wins, the Caps can end up back in first place.

Caps @ Panthers 2-15-2008 Preview

Washington Capitals (27-31; 60 points; 3rd Southeast Division, 11th Eastern Conference, 22nd Overall) @ Florida Panthers (26-33; 58 points; 4th Southeast Division, 13th Eastern Conference, 27th Overall):
Caps Game #59, Road Game #30, NHL Game #876

BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, FL, 7:38 pm. Washington TV: Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WWWT 1500-AM, 107.7-FM. Florida TV: Fox SportsNet Florida. Radio: WAXY 790-AM. National TV: NHL Network carrying the Fox SportsNet Florida feed. NHL Center Ice: None.

Tonight the Caps start a set of back-to-back games in Florida when they face the Panthers in Sunrise. The Panthers are two points back of the Caps and Thrashers who are tied for second place in the Southeast Division after Carolina's win over the Penguin Scum last night. The Panthers can be forgiven for being a little distracted after Richard Zednik's gruesome injury earlier this week. The Panthers have lost three of their last four games and two in row after Wednesday's overtime loss at home to Montreal.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post. Times. Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Miami Herald: scoring snag, improving.

What Do I Expect Tonight?:

The Caps have lost three games in a row in the Southeast Division and now face the one team in the one building that has given them the most trouble in recent years. The Panthers are not an offensive minded club even with Zednik in the lineup and the Caps have been having trouble winning the low scoring games. The Panthers have a Top 5 Power Play unit and once again, the Caps will need to stay out of the Penalty Box. The Caps also need to end this streak of win one, lose one, win one, lose one though another loss tonight will allow people to continue to harp on how the team hasn't lost consecutive games in regulation under Bruce Boudreau.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 1
Panthers 3
Winner by Peltonen

(29-28 on the season)

Caps @ Thrashers 2-13-2008 Wrap Up

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post. Times: stolen point, contract for Tomas Fleischmann. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Lehtonen leads, trade talk, ticket hike. Thrashers.com.

Final Thoughts:

I have to say I can't understand why Fleischmann was not only given a two year contract but a raise that comes close to doubling his salary. I could understand another one year contract but a two year deal makes no sense. He has no incentive to "break out" now and we're all seeing how the two year contract for John "Coach's Pet" Erskine Bowles is working out for this team. Though I don't know what's worse, the fact that Tom Poti was injured in the first period last night or that I didn't notice his absence. Steve Eminger should get back into the lineup but after what happened on Tuesday with Sami Lepisto, who was actually only here long enough for cup of coffee, there's no guarantee of that. You have to think that Erskine Bowles' two year contract has had a lot to do with the scuttling of Eminger this season.

58 down, 24 to go, Magic Number to clinch the division (shared with Carolina and Atlanta, so it won't move tonight no matter what Carolina does) is 47 because of the tiebreaker working against the Caps.

Caps @ Thrashers 2-13-2008 Post-Mortem

Worst ... possible ... outcome... Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...

THE GOOD:

• For those who still think we don't shoot the puck enough, 41 shots on goal tonight; 18 in the first period alone.
• Mike "BEAM ME UP" Green was everywhere tonight. Seriously, defensive zone, neutral zone, offensive zone, he was everywhere tonight. He had an assist and 6 shots on goal but most importantly, he was a +2 which means he wasn't getting burned by being so active.
• I have to go out on a limb here to say that Olie Kolzig had another solid game. I'm out on the limb because I refuse to watch the gimmick but I read that once again, he didn't make a single save in the exhibition. The good news is that should we make the playoffs, we won't have to worry about Kolzig and the gimmick anymore.

THE BAD:

• Once again, the Caps weren't willing to pay the price to score goals. There were only a few spurts of activity right in front of the net but for the most part, there were very few rebound shots and even less guys in front looking for the loose change.
• After a strong first period, the Caps got a lead on a busted play in the second and then let up and allowed Atlanta back into the game. While it is frustrating to take 18 shots in one period and come away with no goals, there's no excuse for trying to sit on a 1-0 lead for almost 40 minutes.
• I fully understand Bruce Boudreau's reluctance to tinker with a lineup after a win. That's why The Human Bruise, Quintin Laing was scratched again tonight in favor of Matt "Princess" Pettinger but it does not explain why Steve Eminger was scratched in favor of John "Coach's Pet" Erskine Bowles. Shouldn't have Eminger remained in the lineup in light of Sunday's win?

THE UGLY:

• And speaking of the slow footed and dim-witted defenseman, Erskine Bowles was almost beaten to a puck deep in his own zone by Marian Hossa in the second period. Luckily for Erskine Bowles, Hossa over skated the puck and it ended up on the end of Erskine Bowles' stick. However, Erskine Bowles felt the need to tap the puck directly onto the tape of Hossa who zipped a pass in front to Eric Perrin for Atlanta's first goal. That my friends is tonight's John "Coach's Pet" Erskine Bowles Boneheaded Play of the Game.
• The game was decided by a gimmick.

And now it's a three-way tie atop the Southeast. Too bad Florida was three points back heading into tonight, they could have made it a four-way tie for first. But instead they lost in overtime and sit two points back of the Caps, Canes, and Thrashers with the Caps having a game in hand on all three teams. The Caps remain in the driver's seat because of their game in hand but a chance to put some distance between themselves and their divisional rivals was wasted with a poor effort in the second period. We knocked a point off the magic number to clinch the division tonight but as it stands right now, the Caps lose the tiebreaker because of fewer wins than Atlanta and Carolina (who have identical records BTW) so the magic number to clinch the division does not move. Now we've got to earn some points playing back-to-back games in Florida which hasn't been easy for this team.

Caps @ Thrashers 2-13-2008 Preview

Washington Capitals (27-30; 59 points; 2nd Southeast Division, 10th Eastern Conference, 21st Overall) @ Atlanta Thrashers (27-31; 58 points; 3rd Southeast Division, 11th Eastern Conference, 22nd Overall):
Caps Game #58, Road Game #29, NHL Game #863

Phillips Arena, Atlanta, GA, 7:08 pm. Washington TV: Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WWWT 1500-AM, 107.7-FM. Atlanta TV: None. Radio: WCNN 680-AM. NHL Center Ice: Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic feed.

Tonight the Caps start a big road trip when they play three games in four nights against Southeast Division teams currently trailing them in the standings. First up is the Atlanta Thrashers who sit one point behind the Caps. The Thrashers lead the season series 3-2 winning the most recently matchup earlier this month 2-0 at the Phone Booth. Ilya Kovalchuk has returned to the Thrashers lineup but Atlanta has lost two of the three games since their February 2nd win over the Caps. However, they did register a 2-1 win over the Ning on Saturday night in their most recent game.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post. Times. Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire

Open Source Intelligence:

Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

What Do I Expect Tonight?:

When these teams met a week and a half ago, the Caps had a chance to pass the Thrashers on their home ice. Now it is Atlanta's chance to pass the Caps on home ice. When Atlanta came to D.C., they switched to a conservative counter-attack game and as a result, have played nothing but one goal games since and have yet to score more than two goals in a game. The Caps had their chances last time but weren't willing to pay the price to cash them in. There's no reason to expect the Thrashers to play any differently but will the Caps be willing to get their noses dirty tonight? Bruce Boudreau is rewarding Olie Kolzig for his performance Sunday with his first start in Atlanta in a long time and is hoping that Kolzig's steady play of late continues.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 2
Atlanta 1
Winner by Ovechkin

(29-28 on the season)

Caps vs. Rangers 2-10-2008 Wrap Up

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post. Times. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

New York Daily News. New York Post. New York Times: no results, Jagr pouting. Rangers.com.

Final Thoughts:

57 down, 25 to go, Magic Number (shared with Atlanta and Carolina) is 47.

Sunday Smorgasbord 2-10

• Well, in the end the Redskins did end up promoting from within when they named Jim Zorn their new Head Coach. Ok, so he's been the Offensive Coordinator for about two weeks but let's not forget folks, it isn't as if Gregg Williams wasn't given a fair shake. He interviewed for four days. Jim Fassel may have been the favorite of Dan Snyder but the Redskins fans were in near revolt over the idea. The fact that Snyder took that into consideration says something because he doesn't have a hard time selling tickets and won't be having one anytime soon. And while the search for a new Head Coach turned into a clunkier than expected mess ending up with a guy nobody ever heard of, the (Com)Post's Sally Jenkins once again found a way to demonstrate her stupidity which rivals Larry Brooks IMHO. I defy anybody to tell me that Snyder was wrong to fire Norv Turner. Turner's coaching career since leaving Washington has proven that while he's a great offensive coordinator, he's not a good Head Coach. Furthermore, let's not forget that Turner was originally hired by Jack Kent Cooke, not Snyder. Marty Schottenhiemer did great things in San Diego after leaving Washington but still can't win the big one. Steve Spurrier was a failure as a NFL Head Coach and is pushing to get the standards lowered at South Carolina so he can compete with Florida and his legacy there. Joe Gibbs was considered a failure until he lead the team into their second playoff appearance in four years and left town with his legacy intact. But for Jenkins to actually write something intelligent... well... let's just say we always believe in miracles.
• Later than usual, the 2008 Maryland Football Schedule is out. The Terps drop West-By-God-Virginia for the next two seasons in favor of a home-and-home with Cal who highlight a 7 game home schedule that ends with F$U on November 22nd. Five road games includes another Thursday night in Blacksburg against the Hokey Pokeys on November 6th.
• Don't look now, but thought for dead (myself included) the Maryland Men's Basketball team is in third place in the ACC and would earn a first round bye if the tournament started today. It doesn't and Maryland still has 7 games before the ACC Tournament begins. Now is crunch time for the Terps as they are more likely to be judged by what they do in these upcoming games and the ACC Tournament that their last seven games. If Maryland can get a clear third place finish and get a win or two in the ACC Tournament, then they should end up in the NCAA tournament. But if Maryland ends up playing on Thursday and can't get past Friday, they'll likely end up in the NIT again.
• This week is a big week for baseball fans, Pitchers and Catchers report in Viera Florida for their first workout this Saturday. The Caps have another three games in four nights with all three games on the road inside the Southeast Division. They start out on Wednesday night in Atlanta against the Thrashers at 7 pm. They then do the deadly back-to-back in Florida when they visit the Panthers on Friday and then the Ning on Saturday night with both games starting at 7:30 pm. The Terp Men have their return bout with Dook on Wednesday night on the Worldwide Leader in Schlock at 9pm. I suggest earplugs if you bother to watch that game because Dookie Vitale is back to work. The Terps then host F$U in the Cable Box on Saturday afternoon at 3 pm. The Terp women host Boston College on Thursday night and then head down to Dook on Sunday for a nationally televised 5:30 pm game on Fox SportsNet.
• As always folks, please send all comments, criticisms, corrections, suggestions, questions, and Valentine's Day Date ideas to "capsnut" over at gmail dot com.