Game 7 Caps vs. Canadiens 4-28-2010 Preview

Series A: Washington Capitals (57-31; 121 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Montreal Canadiens (42-46; 88 points; 4th Northeast Division, 8th Eastern Conference, 19th Overall):
Caps Playoff Game #7, Home Playoff Game #4, NHL Playoff Game #117

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WJFK 106.7-FM. Montreal TV: None. Radio: CJAD 880-AM.  U.S. National TV: Versus.  Canadian National TV: TSN, RDS (French).

Tonight the Caps once again host Game 7 of a playoff series.  This will be the 9th Game 7 in team history and the Caps have hosted all but 1 of them.  However, the Caps have only won 2 of the previous 8 single elimination playoff games in franchise history with the two wins coming on home ice.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post: now the injuries hit, trying to avoid the Whammy.  Examiner.  Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com: Preview, under pressure, lineup change, longer than expected.  AP Wire.  Canadian Press.  ESPN.com.

Open Source Intelligence:

Montreal Gazette:  on a roll, what to do?  Canadiens.com: 5 Keys, down to one.

What Do We Expect Tonight:

Well folks for the Caps to avoid elimination yet again there are a few things that they need to do; first of all, whoever Bruce Boudreau goes with in goal tonight is going to have to come out on top of their game from the start.  The Caps can't fall behind even 1-0 lettalone 2-0 less than 10 minutes into the game like they have in Games 2, 5, and 6.  As a matter of fact with Halak stopping just about everything right now, Semyon "The Saviour" Varlamov or Jose "Alvin, Simon," Theodore are probably going to have to pitch a shutout for the Caps tonight.  Secondly, the Caps need to put the glove on Mike Cammelleri.  With the exception of Game 4, when he's scored a goal, the Canadiens have won.  So stop him from scoring goals and the Caps can win.  The Caps also need to get back to pounding the Canadiens all over the ice.  They did that in Games 1-4 and built a 3-1 lead but stopped doing that in Games 5 and 6 and are 0-2.  Get the puck in deep and get the forecheckers into the corners quickly and Montreal will turn the puck over.  When it comes to Halak however, the Caps need to go for quality over quantity.  Shots from beyond the faceoff circles especially need screens and the guys who are setting screens need to fight for the rebounds that come out.  And when the puck isn't shot from distance, the Caps need to crash the crease and work the puck to the front of the net.  Finally, let's admit something here, the Caps are one of the NHL's marquee teams.  Aside from some of the worst acting you've ever seen, there's a reason why Montreal was finally whistled an unheard of three times in Game 6 for diving after flopping around all series.  When the Caps are handed Power Plays tonight, they MUST take advantage of them.  This doesn't necessarily mean that the Caps have to score right away and on every Power Play chance, but they must use the Power Play to get their offense going.  The NHL needs the Caps in the second round and Hades, the third round to face the Penguin Scum because the NBC's contract is up next year.  Will this all come to pass, we have our doubts because we've been down this road before and there's just something about this franchise.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 1
Canadiens 3
Winner by Gomez
(3-3 in the playoffs, 50-40 on the season with two perfect games)

Game 6 Caps @ Canadiens 4-26-2010 Preview

Series A: Washington Capitals (57-30; 121 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Montreal Canadiens (41-46; 88 points; 4th Northeast Division, 8th Eastern Conference, 19th Overall):
Caps Playoff Game #6, Road Playoff Game #3, NHL Playoff Game #116

Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WJFK 106.7-FM. Montreal TV: None. Radio: CJAD 880-AM.  U.S. National TV: Versus.  Canadian National TV: TSN, RDS (French).


Tonight the Caps take their second crack at closing out their series with the Montreal Canadiens when they head back to Montreal for Game 6.  This is the ninth time in franchise history that the Caps have had the chance to win a series in 6 games and the Caps have accomplished the task 5 times in their previous 8 opportunities.  All-time the Caps are 10-9 in Game 6 with a 7-6 record on the road.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post.  Examiner.  Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com:  Preview, believers, house of horrors.  AP Wire.  Canadian Press:  relaxing, improving.  ESPN.com

Open Source Intelligence:


Canadiens.com.

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

For some reason here recently the Caps seem to play better on the road in the playoffs than at home.  Maybe it is because the Phone Booth Crowd gets so wound up that the players get lost in it themselves.  Of course it would help if our opponents weren't allowed to send six skaters and a goaltender onto the ice for an extended period of time (Seriously, when is the NHL going to do something about its officiating crews?  The guys who work the playoffs are supposed to be the best of the bunch.) but that's too much to ask.  The Caps got caught a little flat footed on Friday night and we figure that won't happen again tonight because while the Caps didn't want to go back to Montreal, they certainly do want to go to a Game 7.  It would also help the Caps to score first tonight, Montreal really packed things in on Friday night after going up 2-0 and Halak plays much better with a lead than he does with a tie or trailing in the game.  Finally, while it would be nice to get the Power Play going tonight, we've already won 3 games in this series without it being much of a factor, we can probably get by without it being a factor tonight but the lineup changes from Bruce Boudreau will be crucial as typically new players in the Playoffs tend to inject more life into the lineup.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 4
Canadiens 2
Winner by Semin
(3-2 in the playoffs, 50-39 on the season with two perfect games)

Game 5 Caps vs. Canadiens 4-23-2010 Preview

Series A: Washington Capitals (57-29; 121 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Montreal Canadiens (40-46; 88 points; 4th Northeast Division, 8th Eastern Conference, 19th Overall):
Caps Playoff Game #5, Home Playoff Game #3, NHL Playoff Game #115

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WJFK 106.7-FM. Montreal TV: None. Radio: CJAD 880-AM.  U.S. National TV: Versus.  Canadian National TV: TSN, RDS (French).

Tonight, the Caps look to close out their series with the Montreal Canadiens and confirm a date in the second round with the Philadelphia Flyers.  Game 5 has not been kind to the Capitals throughout the years.  The Caps are 8-18 in the pivotal game and 5-11 on home ice.  With a 3-1 lead and a chance to put an end to the series, the Caps are 2-6.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post.  Examiner.  Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com: Preview, 5 Keys. stuck in a fog.  AP Wire.


Open Source Intelligence:

Montreal Gazette:  nothing else to lose, staying home, not what they expected, put up or shut up.  Canadiens.com.

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

This current incarnation of the Capitals has a chance for the first time to eliminate a team before Game 7 rolls around.  And with we're brutally honest with ourselves, our performance in the three Game 7's for this bunch have been a little on the flat side.  But looking at the end other side of the coin here, Montreal has to be at their wit's end.  They've thrown everything that they can at the Caps and yet are still down 3-1.  We don't expect the Canadiens to lay down and die tonight (though it would be nice) because if they were going to, they would have done so in Game 4.  But should the Caps get rolling tonight and take a lead, it would be very advisable for the Caps to keep their heads up because Montreal could very well go the cheap-shot route knowing that there's nothing left for them to lose because in the last three games of this series they've lost their cool and have taken penalties that have put them further behind.  So is there anything to make us think that they won't do the same thing tonight facing elimination?  The biggest thing for the Caps tonight though is to demonstrate a killer instinct.  Teams that are on the brink find a way to stave off elimination and it is the mark of a good team to overcome that and put them away.  The Caps should know all about staving off elimination as they've done it seven times over the past three years.  However, just like Game 4, we think it is going to come down to the Caps being just too good for Montreal to get past.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 4
Canadiens 3
Winner by Backstrom
(3-1 in the playoffs, 50-38 for the season with two perfect games)

Game 4 Caps @ Canadiens 4-21-2010 Preview

Series A: Washington Capitals (56-29; 121 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Montreal Canadiens (40-45; 88 points; 4th Northeast Division, 8th Eastern Conference, 19th Overall):
Caps Playoff Game #4, Road Playoff Game #2, NHL Playoff Game #114

Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WJFK 106.7-FM. Montreal TV: None. Radio: CJAD 880-AM.  Canadian National TV: TSN, RDS (French).  NHL Center Ice: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic feed.

Tonight, the Caps, with a 2-1 lead, look to take total control of their first round series with the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4.  The Caps are 14-15 All-Time in Game 4 with a 7-8 record on the road and an 8-6 record with a 2-1 lead in the series.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post: powering up, American Idol, best in the business.  Examiner: simple strategy, keeping up abroad.  Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com: Preview, stealing the show, power outage.  AP Wire.  Canadian Press.  ESPN.com.

Open Source Intelligence:

Montreal Gazette:  red meat, really bad idea, digging up old news, more changes in goal.  Canadiens.com: going hard, 5 New Keys.

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

Well folks, we don't want to go too far in this but it is time for the Caps to get serious and go about putting away the Canadiens tonight.  Yeah, yeah we know that they need two more wins, not one, to close out this series but we're not buying this "calm, cool, and collected" act from Montreal.  They clearly blew a gasket on Monday night after the Caps got out to a 4-0 lead in the second period and they'll do it again if the Caps get out to any lead tonight.  There's no reason why Semyon "The Saviour" Varlamov shouldn't get the start tonight and instead of absorbing the Montreal pressure for the first period, the Caps should look to grab an early lead tonight.  Carey Price is likely to be in net and he has shown that he can't handle the pressure of a playoff game in Montreal.  If the Caps can get out to an early lead tonight, the crowd will do a 180 turn on really come down hard on the home team making their meltdown all the more complete.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 6
Canadiens 2
Winner by Backstrom
(2-1 in the playoffs, 49-38 for the year with two perfect games)

Game 3 Caps @. Canadiens 4-19-2010 Preview

Series A: Washington Capitals (55-29; 121 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Montreal Canadiens (40-44; 88 points; 4th Northeast Division, 8th Eastern Conference, 19th Overall):
Caps Playoff Game #3, Road Playoff Game #1, NHL Playoff Game #113

Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WJFK 106.7-FM. Montreal TV: None. Radio: CJAD 880-AM.  Canadian National TV: TSN, RDS (French).  NHL Center Ice: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic feed.

Tonight, the Caps head to Montreal to play Game 3 of the series against the Canadiens.  The Caps are 11-20 in Game 3 with an 8-10 record on the road.  When the series is tied at 1-1, the Caps are 7-11.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post: two-headed monster, there can only be one.  Examiner.  Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com: preview, moving on.  AP Wire.  TSN.ca.  ESPN.com.

Open Source Intelligence:

Montreal Gazette: not going there, possible return, so far so good.  Canadiens.com.

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

You gotta love the playoffs with all the extra head games going on.  Captain A.O.'s comments about Jaroslav Halak does nothing else but shift the focus away from the Caps goaltending situation for a little bit.  Who Bruce Boudreau goes with in goal tonight will scrutinized from here till the cows come home no matter what the outcome is but at the other end, Halak has allowed 8 goals on 84 shots in the two games so far  Respectable numbers but after allowing 6 goals on 37 shots on Saturday night; there has to be creeping doubts about him too.  But for the Caps, we think Boudreau is going to go with Semyon "The Saviour" Varlamov tonight in part to protect Jose "Alvin, Simon," Theodore from the crowd in Montreal.  The Saviour just hasn't been the same since his knee injury in December so the Caps are likely going to have to go all-offense, all the time in order to win the rest of this series.  And if the Caps can continue to get in Halak's face physically and mentally as they did on Saturday night, they should be able to outgun Montreal.  And if the Power Play gets going, this series will be lights out.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 5
Canadiens 3
Winner by Captain A.O.
(1-1 in the playoffs, 48-38 for the year with two perfect games)

Game 2 Caps vs. Canadiens 4-17-2010 Preview

Series A: Washington Capitals (54-29; 121 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Montreal Canadiens (40-43; 88 points; 4th Northeast Division, 8th Eastern Conference, 19th Overall):
Caps Playoff Game #2, Home Playoff Game #2, NHL Playoff Game #112

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WJFK 106.7-FM. Montreal TV: None. Radio: CJAD 880-AM.  U.S. National TV: Versus.  Canadian National TV: TSN, RDS (French).  NHL Center Ice: None.

Tonight, the Caps look to even the score in their series with Montreal when they host Game 2.  The Caps are 14-17 All-Time in Game 2, 9-8 on home ice, and 6-5 when trying to forge a tie in the series.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post: taking one for the team, reading too much into one game.  Examiner.  Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com: Preview, can only get better.  AP Wire.  CBC.com.  ESPN.com.

Open Source Intelligence:

Montreal Gazette: more work to do, just take it easy, nothings changed, can he keep it up, feeling snubbed.  Canadiens.com.

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

We've said it before and we'll say it again, the Montreal Canadiens are not going to let Captain A.O. beat them.  That doesn't mean Captain A.O. is going to go the entire series without a shot on goal or a single point, but that it isn't going to be as simple as him just turning it on and taking over the series.  As for tonight's game, we think that Captain A.O. will figure out a way to be a bigger factor but if the Canadiens are going to devote three players to stopping him, maybe Bruce Boudreau should put Alexander "Slappy" Semin on the top line to take advantage of the open ice.  No knock against Mike Knuble but Slappy just does better with the open ice.  But the biggest thing we're looking for tonight from the Caps offensively is patience.  For whatever reason in the second period and in overtime on Thursday night, the Caps got impatient in the offensive zone.  Instead of retaining puck possession, the Caps would get across the blue line and fire a shot at the Montreal goal.  Jaroslav Halak would make a routine save and Montreal was taking the puck back the other way.  That allowed Montreal to hem us in our own zone for good stretches.  The times that the Caps did show patience was when they would wait until getting to the top of the circles on the rush before taking a shot.  If the Caps can posses the puck in the offensive zone more, they will continue to wear down this Montreal team.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 4
Canadiens 2
Winner by Semin
(0-1 in the playoffs, 47-38 for the year with two perfect games)

Game 1 Caps vs. Canadiens 4-15-2010 Preview

Series A: Washington Capitals (54-28; 121 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Montreal Canadiens (39-43; 88 points; 4th Northeast Division, 8th Eastern Conference, 19th Overall):
Caps Playoff Game #1, Home Playoff Game #1, NHL Playoff Game #111

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WJFK 106.7-FM. Montreal TV: None. Radio: CJAD 880-AM.  U.S. National TV: Versus.  Canadian National TV: TSN, RDS (French).  NHL Center Ice: None.

Tonight the Caps start their quest for the Stanley Cup when they host the Montreal Canadiens for the first time ever in a playoff series.  The Caps and Canadiens split the season series 2-2 against each other with each team picking up 5 points.  The Caps are 20-11 All-time in Game 1 with a 13-5 record on home ice.  Montreal comes into this game on a three game losing streak and losers of 7 of their last ten games.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post: game changing, in the crosshairs, not missing this one, looking ahead. Examiner: ready to go, get it done. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com.  AP Wire: Preview, calm, cool, collected.  ESPN.com.


Open Source Intelligence:

Montreal Gazette: total effort, clean slate, moving around, not too shabby, going down swinging, it's an even numbered year.

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

Well folks, a journey begins with the first step and tonight is exactly that.  If Bruce Boudreau is looking for extra motivation to get his team up for tonight, he needs to look no further than last night's scoreboard.  Say what you want but at least three heavily favored teams lost last night and the biggest shock of them all was San Jose falling to the Colorado Avalanche.  Many, ourselves included, thought that the Sharks would sweep that series.  The Caps don't want to put any unnecessary pressure on themselves and winning tonight would prevent that and go a long way to putting to rest the ghosts from last season.  A convincing win will start to break down the spirit of the Canadiens.  But getting the 1-0 lead in the series tonight is all that matters.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 3
Canadiens 1
Winner by Steckel
(47-37 on the regular season with two perfect games)

Caps vs. Bruins 4-11-2010 Preview

Washington Capitals (54-27; 120 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs.  Boston Bruins (38-43; 89 points; 3rd Northeast Division, 6th Eastern Conference, 16th Overall):
Caps Game #82, Home Game #41, NHL Game #1,224

Caps "Magic Numbers" (Caps Points Earned+Lost by team named) to clinch:
Playoff Spot: Clinched 3/11
Southeast Division Championship: Clinched 3/11
Eastern Conference #1 Seed: Clinched 3/28
President's Trophy: Clinched 4/4

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 12:15 pm. Washington TV: None. Radio: WJFK 106.7-FM. Boston TV: None. Radio: WWBZ 99.5-FM.  U.S. National TV: NBC.  Canadian National TV: TSN2.  NHL Center Ice: None.

Today the Caps finish off the regular season on home ice against the team that they started it with, the Boston Bruins.  The Bruins are back in town after Monday night's 3-2 loss in overtime.  The Bruins defeated the Buffaslugs on Thursday night 3-1 and the Carolina Hurricanes yesterday 4-2 on home ice to wrap up a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

 What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post:  eyes elsewhere, not slowing down.  Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com.  AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Boston Globe-Democrat: playoff bound, unknown future, not likely to be there.  Boston Herald: goal met, quick flash, big save, better position.

What Do We Expect Today?:

Well folks, we're wondering if the the guys over at NBC who chose this game aren't kicking themselves rather hard right now.  They could have selected a game that actually meant something for today's broadcast, the Flyers-Rangers game in Philadelphia but instead they were left with this game, a meaningless affair with nothing but personal stats at stake.  The Caps and Bruins are locked into their seeds and will learn who their first round opponent will be later today regardless of the outcome of the game they're playing in.  The Caps will watch the Flyers-Rangers game because if Philadelphia wins, the Caps will play Montreal.  Should the Rangers win, the Caps get another first round matchup with the Rangers.  Boston will watch the Buffaslugs play the New Jersey Devils because should the Buffaslugs win in regulation, the Bruins will face the Devils.  If the Devils win or simply get to overtime, then the Buffaslugs will play the Bruins in the first round.  But as for the game on NBC, the only drama is will Captain A.O. play and get the three points he needs to tie Henrik Sedin to win the Art Ross Trophy?  Captain A.O. is also now tied with Steven Stamkos of the Ning at 50 for the Rocket Richard and Stamkos will be playing the Florida Panthers later.  There is of course Canadian Diving Team Captain, Lowblow Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby who could also sneak into the Richard race because she and her team play on Long Island tonight as well.  The Islanders were blown out 7-1 by the Devils last night.  So expect today to be the Captain A.O. Show a little more than usual as the Caps try to get him points and goals he needs for those trophies.  As for how much the Bruins will care to stop him, we don't know.  But we do know that the Bruins have nothing to play for, they've already wrapped up their playoff spot and have no chance of facing the Caps in the first round which must seem like a major victory for them already.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 5
Bruins 1
Winner by Captain A.O.
(45-36 on the season with TWO perfect games now)

Caps vs. Thrashers 4-9-2010 Preview

Washington Capitals (53-27; 118 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs.  Atlanta Thrashers (34-46; 81 points; 2nd Southeast Division, 10th Eastern Conference, 27th Overall):
Caps Game #81, Home Game #40, NHL Game #1,208

Caps "Magic Numbers" (Caps Points Earned+Lost by team named) to clinch:
Playoff Spot: Clinched 3/11
Southeast Division Championship: Clinched 3/11
Eastern Conference #1 Seed: Clinched 3/28
President's Trophy: Clinched 4/4

Verizon Center, Washington D.C. 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WTEM 980-AM. Atlanta TV: SportSouth. Radio: WCNN 680-AM.  U.S. National TV: Versus (Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic feed).  Canadian National TV: NHL Network. NHL Center Ice: None.

Tonight, the Caps look to pad some stats and continue the resting rotation as they host the Atlanta Thrashers for the sixth and final meeting this season.  The Caps have won all five of the previous games including a 2-1 win just 8 days ago at the Phone Booth.  The Thrashers are playing their final road contest of the season and were officially eliminated from the playoffs on Tuesday night when they lost on home ice to the New Jersey Devils 3-0 in their last outing.  That loss was Atlanta's third in a row.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post: options available, scoreboard watching.   Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com.  AP Wire.


Open Source Intelligence:

Atlanta Journal-Constitution:  speaking up, shutting it down, preview.

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

Well folks, there's no sense tap-dancing around the issue, with the Caps being locked into first place overall and the Thrashers out of the playoff picture, tonight becomes a complete and total exhibition game.  There are various personal stats on the line tonight, most notably Captain A.O. is trying to win some more trophies for his trophy case.  The team itself has a chance to sweep the Thrashers in a season series for the first time in franchise history.  And there is also maybe a chance to appease the Ultimate Fighting on Ice crowd and extract a pound of flesh from Colby Armstrong who returns from his two game suspension tonight for his elbow on  "Mighty Mouse" Matthieu Perreault last week.  But that's about it from where we sit.  We don't think either team is going to play particularly hard as Atlanta has shuttered players with nagging injuries and Bruce Boudreau continues to tinker with a lineup that will start the playoffs next week.  Expect to be bored by this game tonight and constantly checking on the Flyers-Rangers game.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 5
Thrashers 2
Winner by Captain A.O.
(44-36 on the season with one perfect game)

Caps vs. Bruins 4-5-2010 Wrap Up/ Caps @ Pengiun Scum 4-6-2010 Preview

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post.  Examiner.  Caps.com.


The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com.  AP Wire.

The Other Side:

Boston Globe-Democrat:  big mistake, thrown into the fire.  Boston Herald: point made, under the weather.

Final Thoughts:

79 down, 3 to go.


Washington Capitals (52-27; 116 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) @  Pittsburgh Penguin Scum (46-33; 97 points; 2nd Atlantic Division, 4th Eastern Conference, 8th Overall):
Caps Game #80, Road Game #41, NHL Game #1,186

Caps "Magic Numbers" (Caps Points Earned+Lost by team named) to clinch:
Playoff Spot: Clinched 3/11
Southeast Division Championship: Clinched 3/11
Eastern Conference #1 Seed: Clinched 3/28
President's Trophy: Clinched 4/4

Mellon, Arena, Pittsburgh, PA. 7:40 pm. Washington TV: None. Radio: WFED 1500-AM. Pittsburgh TV: None. Radio: WXDX 105.9-FM.  U.S. National TV: Versus.  Canadian National TV: TSN2 NHL Center Ice: None.

Tonight, the Caps hit the road for the final time in the regular season when they head up to Pittsburgh to face the Penguin Scum for the fourth and final time this season.  The Caps have won all three games against the Penguin Scum this season with the last two coming beyond regulation.  The Penguin Scum have slipped into a cripple fight with the New Jersey Devils over the Atlantic Division Title, a Title that now may only gain the eventual winner a single seed in the playoffs.  The Penguin Scum have won three of their four games since falling to the Caps in a gimmick 13 days ago with their last win coming in overtime against the Thrashers at home on Saturday 4-3.


What The Natives Are Saying:

Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com.  AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: inward focus, personal goals, what's wrong with him?  Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: priority #1, coming back, Scouting Report.  Penguin Scum.com.

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

If Bruce Boudreau continues to rest star players as the regular season winds down, the first question will be who gets the night off tonight before we can even try to predict what the effect will be.  For instance, Mike "BEAM ME UP" Green's night off produced some unsavory pairings on the blueline.  If the forward combination are tinkered with tonight, it could have a similar effect.  The difference tonight however is that the Penguin Scum are more than capable of taking advantage of the self-inflicted chaos in the Caps lineup.  We hope that there's a greater level of intensity tonight simply because of the rivalry that doesn't exist.  But if Nicklas Backstrom and/or Alexander "Slappy" Semin are given the night off, then don't expect much as Boudreau once again signals to his team that tonight's game doesn't really matter.  Nevermind that the Caps have a chance to sweep yet another potential playoff opponent, one that many think the Caps must go through in order to claim any legitimacy to a Stanley Cup win.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 5
Penguin Scum 3
Winner by Walker
(43-36 on the season with one perfect game)

Caps vs. Bruins 4-5-2010 Preview

Washington Capitals (51-27; 114 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs.  Boston Bruins (36-42; 84 points; 4th Northeast Division, 8th Eastern Conference, 18th Overall):
Caps Game #79, Home Game #39, NHL Game #1,179

Caps "Magic Numbers" (Caps Points Earned+Lost by team named) to clinch:
Playoff Spot: Clinched 3/11
Southeast Division Championship: Clinched 3/11
Eastern Conference #1 Seed: Clinched 3/28
President's Trophy: Clinched 4/4 (San Jose eliminated)

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7:10 pm. Washington TV: None. Radio: WFED 1500-AM. Boston TV: None. Radio: WWBZ 99.5-FM.  U.S. National TV: Versus.  Canadian National TV: TSN, RDS (French)  NHL Center Ice: None.

Tonight, the newly minted Presidents' Trophy Champion Washington Capitals begin the final week of the season against the team that they started the season with, the Boston Bruins.  This is the third meeting between the teams this season and the first time the Bruins have come to D.C. to face the Caps.  The Caps won both games up in Beantown earlier this season.  The Bruins are part of the dogfight for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference which will be the Caps opponent in first round of the playoffs.  Like the Caps, Boston is having trouble building some momentum heading into the playoffs.  They've alternated wins and losses over their last seven games.  In their last outing on Saturday night, they managed a 2-1 win in overtime against the Thug Leafs in Toronto.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post.  Examiner.  Caps.com.


Neutral Views:

NHL.com.  AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Boston Globe-Democrat.  Boston Herald: more injuries, tough nut to crack, Scouting Report.

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

One of our friends is married to a woman from the New England area and she tells us that the folks in Boston are salivating at a chance to take on the Caps in the first round.  Well tonight we can get a preview of what they will look like should it actually happen.  And to those Bruin fans looking forward to knocking off the Presidents' Trophy winners, we say, be careful what you wish for.  Tonight's game should be a contrast in styles.  As everybody knows, nobody even comes close to matching the scoring that the Caps do while nobody scores less than the Bruins.  The CW says that the Caps don't play defense and their goaltending is highly suspect but while the Bruins have the second best Goals-Against in the league, (behind the Devils), the Caps are only 17th and actually have a better GAA that two other playoff qualifiers (but one of those doesn't have any problems at all in the world to worry about because they have a Cup).  So this should be like most of Boston's recent games, low scoring, defensive minded, grind-tit-out hockey.  The Caps have shown at a few different times this season that they can win that way and should use this week to remind everybody of that now that there's nothing left to clinch or team records to break.  Finally, like last Thursday night, the Caps are going to want to send a message to the Bruins that should they end up in the 8th seed, it will not be an easy series for them to play.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 3
Bruins 0
Winner by Backstrom
(42-36 on the season with one perfect game)

Caps @ Blue Jackets 4-3-2010 Preview

Washington Capitals (50-27; 112 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) @ Columbus Blue Jackets (32-46; 77 points; 4th Central Division, 14th Western Conference, 24th Overall):
Caps Game #78, Road Game #40, NHL Game #1,171

Caps "Magic Numbers" (Caps Points Earned+Lost by team named) to clinch:
Playoff Spot: Clinched 3/11
Southeast Division Championship: Clinched 3/11
Eastern Conference #1 Seed: Clinched 3/28
President's Trophy: 3 San Jose (27 of 29 eliminated)

Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH. 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WFED 1500-AM. Columbus TV: Fox Sportsnet Ohio. Radio: WBNS 1460-AM, WWCD 101.1-FM.  NHL Center Ice: Fox Sportsnet Ohio and Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic Feeds.

Tonight the Caps hit the road for the second to last time this season starting a three games in four nights in three different cities when they travel out West to Ohio to face the Columbus Blue Jackets. This is the second meeting between the teams this season and the Caps might have a little revenge on their minds as the Blue Jackets dealt the Caps a 5-4 defeat in overtime at the Phone Booth back on All Saint's Day.  In addition to the defeat, the Blue Jackets targeted Captain A.O., injuring him during the game and causing him to miss the next three contests.  The Blue Jackets however have since fired their head coach, traded off a number of players, including Jason Chimera who was dealt to the Caps along with Milan Juricina whom the Caps sent to Columbus and then Columbus returned, and are now officially eliminated from all Post-Season considerations.  The Blue Jackets however have figured some things out since the deadline and are playing better hockey, relishing their roles as spoilers.  Columbus has won five of their last ten games including 2 of their last three.  In their last outing however they lost in Detroit 3-2 to the Red Wings.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post: homecoming, trying to start a goaltender controversy.  Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com.  AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Columbus Dispatch: unhappy homecoming, more injuries, Game Preview, Southeast Beast.

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

Well folks, if you're expecting some kind of bloodshed because of the incident back in November, Jared Boll of the Blue Jackets is among the six players they have out for the rest of the season.  This also includes former Caps Captain Chris Clark.  Furthermore, goaltender Steve Mason, who has already driven the Caps nuts, could miss tonight's game with an injury he suffered in the Blue Jackets last game.  But there's no point in going into these details.  Yes the Caps can put themselves onto the brink of winning the President's Trophy and setting up a situation where they can win on Monday night at home against the Bruins, but today is Holy Saturday which means tomorrow is Easter.  Us long time Caps fans know that Easter weekend is anything but kind to the Caps.  From that last link we learned that Columbus is a combined 14-3 against the Southeast Division over the past three seasons, including and 3-1 mark against the Caps.  Add in Easter weekend and all the questions about focus and play heading into the playoffs will start flooding back.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 1
Blue Jackets 3
Winner by Nash
(42-35 on the season with one perfect game)

Editorial Note For The Dozens of Readers of This Blog:

As mentioned plenty of times above, today is Holy Saturday, and while it may seem like we've given up all hope already, we would still watch tonight's game if we we're attending the Easter Vigil Mass tonight.  Therefore, there will be no Post-Mortem after tonight's game.

Caps vs. Thrashers 4-1-2010 Preview

Washington Capitals (49-27; 110 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Atlanta Thrashers (34-43; 80 points; 2nd Southeast Division, 9th Eastern Conference, 22nd Overall):
Caps Game #77, Home Game #38, NHL Game #1,152

Caps "Magic Numbers" (Caps Points Earned+Lost by team named) to clinch:
Playoff Spot: Clinched 3/11
Southeast Division Championship: Clinched 3/11
Eastern Conference #1 Seed: Clinched 3/28
President's Trophy: 5 San Jose (Phoenix eliminated, 27th of 29)

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C., 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WFED 1500-AM. Atlanta TV: SportSouth. Radio: WCNN 680-AM.  U.S. National TV: Versus (Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic feed outside of the D.C. Area)  NHL Center Ice: None.

Tonight, the Caps looks to end a three game losing streak when they finish off their quick three game homestand by hosting the Atlanta Thrashers.  This is Atlanta's second vist to D.C., though their first almost ended up keeping them here until today, and the fifth of six meetings this season.  The Caps have won every single meeting so far this season by a combined score of 22-10.  The Thrashers are trying to make a run at the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference so that they can face the Caps even more this season.  They currently sit two points back of the Boston Bruins and are even in games played.  However the Bruins have the tiebreaker over the Thrashers and Atlanta faces the Caps once more after tonight, the Devils, and the Penguin Scum twice to close out their season.  The Thrashers have won six of their last nine games and are coming off a 3-2 win in Toronto on Tuesday night.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post.  Examiner.  Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com.  AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

Well folks, we know we're beating a well-beaten dead horse here but if Bruce Boudreau scratches Brooks "and Dunn" Laich again tonight, you will know how the Caps will come out and play tonight's game.  However, if Laich is inserted back into the lineup, expect the Caps to actually show up in the first period.  Either way Semyon "The Saviour" Varlamov, who is expected to start in goal tonight, will be under siege to start tonight's game.  Atlanta is in total and complete desperation mode right now trying to make it into the playoffs.  The Thrashers know that they have their work cut out for them with their remaining schedule and will be pulling out all the stops to get any points that they can muster.  The Caps would be well advised to take advantage of their chances and play sound defense against the Thrashers.  Complicating matters for the Caps tonight is the Atlanta Penalty Kill which has killed off every Power Play in the last eight games so the Caps will need to use their dominance 5-on-5 to win this game tonight.  Finally, if the Caps were looking for extra motivation, since tonight's game is a potential first round preview the Caps don't want to give Atlanta any thoughts that they could possibly compete with them in the first round should they sneak into the playoffs.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 4
Thrashers 3
Winner by Captain A.O.
(41-35 on the season with one perfect game)


Editorial Note For The Dozens of Readers of This Blog:

We're having some trouble with our pooter at the Command Center which we think is related to Comcast's servers which is why this preview is so late this morning.  However, even though we hope the problem will be fixed this evening, today is Holy Thursday which means there are much more important things than a hockey game where the Caps can put the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks onto the brink of elimination from the President's Trophy race.  Therefore folks, despite the pooter problems at the Command Center, there wasn't going to be a Post-Mortem tonight anyway.

Caps vs. Senators 3-30-2010 Preview

Washington Capitals (49-26; 109 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Ottawa Senators (41-35; 87 points; 2nd Northeast Division, 4th Eastern Conference, 13th Overall):
Caps Game #76, Home Game #37, NHL Game #1,136

Caps "Magic Numbers" (Caps Points Earned+Lost by team named) to clinch:
Playoff Spot: Clinched 3/11
Southeast Division Championship: Clinched 3/11
Eastern Conference #1 Seed: Clinched 3/28
President's Trophy: 7 Chicago and San Jose (26 of 29 eliminated)

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C., 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WFED 1500-AM. Ottawa TV: Rogers Sportsnet East. Radio: CFGO 1200-AM.  Canadian National TV: RDS (French)  NHL Center Ice: Comcast SportNet Mid-Atlantic and Rogers Sportsnet East feeds.

Tonight, the Caps, who will not be able to clinch anything at all, look to get back on track when they host the Ottawa Senators for the fourth and final meeting between the teams this season.  The Caps have had some trouble with Ottawa this season, winning only once in three tries, but the home team has won all the games so far this season.  Ottawa is once again on one of their patented streaks this season.  After losing 5 in row, the Senators are currently on a 4 game winning streak after beating the Florida Panthers 3-2 at home on Saturday night in their last game.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post.  Examiner.  Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com.  AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Ottawa Senators:  new kid, look forward to the chance, heating up, twins.  Ottawa Sun.


What Do We Expect Tonight?:

After a bad loss on Sunday the Caps should come out tonight ready to play and wanting to prove what a fluke the last two games have been.  However of the walking wounded, only Shaone Morrrissonnn is slated to be back in the lineup tonight.  That alone should help the Caps but we still don't believe that Brooks "and Dunn" Laich and Brendan Morrrissonn would still be sitting out as well if this was a playoff or some other game that the Caps had to win.  So is the key to ending the Caps current two-game skid simply a better first period?  Against a team on a four game winning streak, it certainly is.  But for some reason with this franchise, the Easter season is Caps own Bermuda Triangle and in case you heathens haven't noticed, this is Holy Week as Easter is this coming Sunday.  We understand why Bruce Boudreau doesn't want to push guys who are a little banged up right now.  After all the Caps expect to be playing hockey for another 10 weeks but as long as the Caps aren't facing any real pressure, we just have a gut feeling that they aren't going to play the way they need to here with seven games left in the regular season.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 2
Senators 5
Winner by Alfredsson
(40-35 on the season with one perfect game)

Caps vs. Flames 3-28-2010 Preview

Washington Capitals (49-25; 109 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Calgary Flames (37-37; 83 points; 3rd Northwest Division, 9th Western Conference, 14th Overall):
Caps Game #75, Home Game #36, NHL Game #1,122

Caps "Magic Numbers" (Caps Points Earned+Lost by team named) to clinch:
Playoff Spot: Clinched 3/11
Southeast Division Championship: Clinched 3/11
Eastern Conference #1 Seed: 1 New Jersey (Buffaslugs eliminated on Friday 13th of 14)
President's Trophy: 9 Chicago (Vancouver eliminated last night 25th of 29)

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C., 3:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WFED 1500-AM. Calgary TV: Rogers Sportsnet West. Radio: CFAC 960-AM.  NHL Center Ice: Comcast SportNet Mid-Atlantic and Rogers Sportsnet West feeds.

Today the Caps have a chance to officially secure the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference without any help from anybody else when they open up a three game homestand by hosting the Calgary Flames. This is the first and only meeting between the two teams this season, last year the Caps lost to the Flames 2-1 in Calgary.  The Flames however have not won in D.C. since March 13th, 1999.  The Flames had been in a battle with Detroit for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference but have picked a bad time to go into a slump.  The Flames have lost three of their last five games including both games on their 3 game east coast trip which wraps up today in D.C.  Yesterday they were beaten badly by the Boston Bruins, 5-0.


What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post.  Examiner.  Caps.com.


Neutral Views:

NHL.com.  AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Calgary Herald.  Calgary Sun: faith no more, new leadership, sending a message, dead man talking.

What Do We Expect Today?:

When a team takes a severe tongue lashing in the press like the Calgary Flames did today, there is only two things that can happen.  They can either come out and play some of the most inspired hockey anybody has ever seen or they can fall completely apart and skate zombie-like through the rest of the season.  Right now we have to think that the Flames are going to choose the latter rather than the former based upon the comments from the Calgary players themselves over yesterday's beatdown in Boston by the Bruins.  The Flames know that they laid a major egg and yet there was not a single hint of anger in the quotes published.  Not even by Head Coach Brent Sutter.  Maybe some anger set in on the flight from Boston to D.C.  Maybe some anger will form as they slept last night.  But it is not likely the case here.  In addition to coming off two ugly losses, the Flames are playing their third game in four days on the road.  They made the trip from West to East which is always harder and shouldn't have much in the tank for today's game with the Caps.  The key for the Caps today is to jump on the Flames early and often.  The Caps cannot afford to allow the Flames to stick around because the longer the Caps do, the more likely it will be that the Flames come to life and give the Caps a fight.  Today is a good chance for the Caps to hone their killer instinct in taking out a team that has already given up which is something they'll need when they playoffs start in two and half weeks.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 7
Flames 1
Winner by Knuble
(40-34 on the season with one perfect game)

Caps vs. Penguin Scum 3-24-2010 Wrap Up/ Caps @ Canes 3-25-2010 Preview

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post: gimmick win, new heights, all cleared.  Examiner: had a feeling, slowly improving.  Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com.  AP Wire.

The Other Side:

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: can't win, out again, holding back.  Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: frustrated, guys out.  Penguin Scum.com.

Final Thoughts:

Kind of what we thought, the Penguin Scum played as well as they could but just came up short.

73 down, 9 to go.


Washington Capitals (49-24; 108 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) @ Carolina Hurricanes (30-43; 69 points; 5th Southeast Division, 13th Eastern Conference, 27th Overall):
Caps Game #74, Road Game #39, NHL Game #1,100

Caps "Magic Numbers" (Caps Points Earned+Lost by team named) to clinch:
Playoff Spot: Clinched 3/11
Southeast Division Championship: Clinched 3/11
Eastern Conference #1 Seed: 3 New Jersey (Pittsburgh eliminated, 12th of 14)
President's Trophy: 11 Chicago (Colorado eliminated 22nd of 29)

RBC Center, Raleigh, NC, 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WFED 1500-AM. Carolina TV: Fox Sportsnet Carolina. Radio: WCMC 99.9-FM.  NHL Center Ice: Fox Sportsnet Carolina feed.

Tonight, the Caps can clinch the #1 overall seed in the Eastern Conference with a little help when they travel down Tobacco Road to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the sixth and final meeting between the teams this season.   The Caps have taken three of the five games so far this season, earning seven points in the process.  The Caps and Canes have so far split the games in Raleigh.  The Canes won the last matchup, last Thursday in Raleigh, 4-3 in overtime.  The Caps blew a third period lead and fell behind late in the third period but however managed to tie the game back up even later in regulation before falling late in overtime.  Since last Thursday's win, the Canes got more magic late in overtime to beat the Penguin Scum in Pittsburgh on Saturday but have now lost two games in a row.  The Canes fell 5-3 at home to the Buffaslugs on Sunday night and 3-2 to the Ning in Tampa on Tuesday night in their most recent game.

What The Natives Are Saying:

Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com.  AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Uh, we don't see anything folks...  Sorry...

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

Typically after playing the Penguin Scum, we would be on watch for an emotional letdown.  However, as we noted in the Post-Mortem last night, we didn't see as much emotion as we expected to see last night.  So if there's any emotional letdown, there isn't very far to fall off from.  The Canes currently sit 9 points away from the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference and have just 9 games left and five teams to get past in order to make the playoffs.  While Carolina may not officially be playing out the string here, they are getting pretty close.  With any win tonight and any loss by New Jersey to the Rangers, the Caps can clinch the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference.  If the Caps lose tonight, they'll still be waiting to claim the top spot in the East.  But if there is a theme for tonight it would be redemption.  It has been a week since Semyon "The Saviour" Varlamov has played in Raleigh.  The Saviour would undoubtedly like to have a couple of the late goals he gave up last week back and what better way to redeem yourself than against the last team to beat you?  A win tonight would also be the The Saviour's second win in six games since returning from injury.  The Caps are playing on back-to-back nights for the next to last time this season but have had three days off before last night's game and will have two days off before their next game on Sunday.  There should be enough in the tank tonight to get the win to break the franchise record for points in a season (a record set just last year) and be no more than one point away from securing the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference.  Yes, the Canes are always a tough out for us, but not a team we can't handle.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 3
Canes 2
Winner by Backstrom
(40-33 on the season with one perfect game)

Caps vs. Penguin Scum 3-24-2010 Preview

Washington Capitals (48-24; 106 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Pittsburgh Penguin Scum (42-31; 90 points; 2nd Atlantic Division, 4th Eastern Conference, 7th Overall):
Caps Game #73, Home Game #35, NHL Game #1,091

Caps "Magic Numbers" (Caps Points Earned+Lost by team named) to clinch:
Playoff Spot: Clinched 3/11
Southeast Division Championship: Clinched 3/11
Eastern Conference #1 Seed: 5 New Jersey (11 of 14 eliminated)
President's Trophy: 13 Chicago (Nashville eliminated 20th of 29)

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C., 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WFED 1500-AM. Pittsburgh TV: Fox Sportsnet Pittsburgh. Radio: WXDX 105.9-FM.  U.S. National TV: NHL Network (Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic feed) NHL Center Ice: None.

Tonight the Caps are back in action after a three day layoff to face the Penguin Scum at the Phone Booth in the third meeting of the teams this season.  The Caps are back on home ice for the first time in 12 days, have seven of their final ten games at home, and have beaten the Penguin Scum in both games so far this season.  Pittsburgh has lost two in a row after losing in Detroit Monday night to the Red Wings 3-1.  It was their fourth loss in their last six games.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post: puck to the head, interviewed.  Examiner.  Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com.  AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: just another game, the pain of a loss, Q & A.  Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: MVP race, link to arrestee, scouting report.  Penguin Scum.com.

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

Well Ladies and Gentlemen here, we go!  The players and coaches certainly have a point about the media over-hyping this game tonight as the NHL Network is treating this game in the middle of the week in late March as a Stanley Cup Finals game with wall-to-wall coverage including a one hour pre-game show.  The truth of the matter is, there isn't much at stake as both teams will meet again in Pittsburgh in about two weeks and the Caps and Penguin Scum will have 8 and 7 other games respectively left on their schedules.  Yes, the Caps can eliminate the Penguin Scum from the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference and President's Trophy race with any kind of win tonight but that is just a mere formality.  The Penguin Scum have been a in a rut recently, their two wins in the last six games came over a punchless Bruins team and Tampa Bay.  If this game has any importance to the Penguin Scum, it is that it will be one of their last tests against an elite team heading into the playoffs.  Of the Caps remaining ten games, only Carolina and Columbus are out of the playoff hunt with two games against Atlanta who is sitting on the fringe.  Pittsburgh however still has the Ning, the Islanders twice, and the Maple Thug Leafs on their schedule and two dates with the Thrashers as well.  The Penguin Scum are running out of measuring sticks and they didn't measure up very well against the Red Wings on Monday night.  The key here for the Caps tonight is to put the cliche of "it's just another game" to work for them tonight.  The Caps and Penguin Scum have already faced each twice this season.  The Caps have established their dominance in both games and know that they don't need their best effort to get past the Penguin Scum.  There is also the game in two weeks for the Caps to exact any revenge that might be necessary after tonight's game.  If the Caps can establish a business-like manner and not try to deal a knockout blow right away, they will come away with the win.  The teams shouldn't be flat as the crowd at the Phone Booth will provide plenty of energy and the new ice sheet should cut down on the toe-picking that occurred earlier this month.  The biggest question though we have for tonight is, how many hats do we need to bring?

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 6
Penguin Scum 3
Winner by Captain A.O.
(39-33 on the season with one perfect game)

Caps @ Ning 3-20-2010 Preview

Washington Capitals (47-24; 104 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (28-42; 68 points; 3rd Southeast Division, 11th Eastern Conference, 25th Overall):
Caps Game #72, Road Game #38, NHL Game #1,063

Caps "Magic Numbers" (Caps Points Earned+Lost by team named) to clinch:
Playoff Spot: Clinched 3/11
Southeast Division Championship: Clinched 3/11
Eastern Conference #1 Seed: 8 New Jersey (11 of 14 eliminated)
President's Trophy: 16 Chicago (18 of 29 eliminated)

St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL, 7:37 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WFED 1500-AM. Tampa TV: Sunshine Network. Radio: WDAE 620-AM.  NHL Center Ice: Sunshine Network and Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic feeds.

Tonight, the Caps finish off their last extended road trip of the season when they head back into Florida to face the Ning for the sixth and final time this season.  The Caps have won three of the five games so far this season but the Ning won the last matchup last Friday 3-2 in the Phone Booth.  However, since that win, the Ning have embarked on a three game losing streak, all at home, and wrap up a four game homestand tonight.  In their last outing, the Ning got blasted by the Buffaslugs by the tune of 6-2.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post.  Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com.  AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

St. Petersburg Times: keep it simple, stupid, Game Preview.  Tampa Tribune: top talent, Scouting Report.  Ning.com.

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

Well folks, he's back.  With his latest suspension over, which Captain A.O. is going to show up tonight?  The tentative Captain A.O. who doesn't hit as much and looked to avoid further suspension?  Or the Captain A.O. of old who went all out on every shift, hitting everything that moved, and a few things that didn't?  Hopefully the latter and not the former.  Furthermore, with the return of Captain A.O., the rest of team will continue to pick up the slack instead of giving him the puck and watching him go.  If Captain A.O. plays with "reckless abandon" and the rest of the team carries their weight, this won't be a close game.  However Bruce Boudreau has a tough choice to make tonight because with Captain A.O. coming back, somebody has to come out of the lineup.  The nominal third line of Jason Chimera, Eric B. Fehr, and Brendan Morrrissonn have been too good over these last two games to be broken up.  Tomas Fleischmann, who filled in for Captain A.O. on the first line, has shown that he can't handle the second line center position and is a bigger waste than usual on the fourth line.  But, expect Fleischmann to go back on the second line and Eric Belanger to either go to the fourth line or get scratched.  One of other thing we'd like to note, this is the first time since the Captain A.O.-Steve Downie incident back in January that the Caps return to Tampa.  Yes, the Caps and Ning have played twice since then without incident but remember The Code...er...Crock.  It calls for something like this to be settled on the home ice of the aggrieved party which in this warped case would be Tampa.  Downie tried and failed to do everybody a favor and take out Canadian Diving Team Captain, Lowblow Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby on Sunday (and oddly enough, escaped any supplemental discipline) on home ice.  We expect him to try a similar stunt with Captain A.O. tonight.  Matt "Omar" Bradley needs to be on standby tonight to bleed all over Downie.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 5
Ning 1
Winner by Semin
(38-33 on the season with one perfect game)

Caps @ Canes 3-18-2010 Preview

Washington Capitals (47-23; 103 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) @ Carolina Hurricanes (28-41; 64 points; 5th Southeast Division, 14th Eastern Conference, 28th Overall):
Caps Game #71, Road Game #37, NHL Game #1,044

Caps "Magic Numbers" (Caps Points Earned+Lost by team named) to clinch:
Playoff Spot: Clinched 3/11
Southeast Division Championship: Clinched 3/11
Eastern Conference #1 Seed: 10 New Jersey (8 of 14 eliminated)
President's Trophy: 19 San Jose (12 of 29 eliminated)

RBC Center, Raleigh, NC, 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WFED 1500-AM. Carolina TV: Fox Sportsnet Carolina. Radio: WCMC 99.9-FM.  NHL Center Ice: Fox Sportsnet Carolina and Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic feeds.

Tonight, the Caps continue on their road trip when they head on over to Raleigh to face the Carolina Hurricanes for the fifth time this season.  Despite being stuck in the bottom of the Southeast Division all season, the Canes have given the Caps a bit of trouble this season earning points in three of the four games so far this season and all three Caps wins over the Canes have been by just one goal like last weeks 4-3 win in overtime.  After that game, the Canes rebounded to beat the Penguin Scum in overtime to start a four game homestand but have lost their last two games.  First 4-0 to Phoenix on Saturday night and then 5-2 to Boston on Tuesday night to just about snuff out any thoughts the Hurricanes might of had about going on a run to make the playoffs this season.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post.  Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com.  AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Raleigh News & Observer.

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

It will be interesting to see which Carolina team the Caps face tonight in Raleigh.  Will it be the Canes team that has played them tough all season or will it be the one that is playing out the string?  It looks as if the Chicago game and the Captain A.O. suspension have given the Caps a wake-up call late in the season.  If that is the case, the Caps could end up making quick work of Carolina rookie goaltender Justin Peters who is expected to get the task of taking on the Caps tonight.  But even if the Caps don't make quick work of Peters, who stopped 37 of 40 shots last week against the Penguin Scum to get the 4-3 overtime win, the Caps again simply have too much for Carolina to deal with.  However, the Canes can and will make it close if the Canes play as loose in their own zone as they did on Tuesday night.  Semyon "The Saviour" Varlamov is the expected starter in goal for the Caps tonight so the Caps will need to protect in front of him better.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 3
Canes 2
Winner by Walker
(38-32 on the season with one perfect game)