Capitals 7 - Maple Leafs 1: Brought To You By the Number...

5

Which is the number of players who struck for their first goals last night to propel the Caps to their fifth win. That group included Jeff Schultz (who notched his first NHL goal), Matt Bradley, Brian Sutherby, Boyd Gordon, and Matt Pettinger (who scored the game-winner). Together those players collectively accounted for 9 points.

The Caps have needed for their secondary scoring to improve, and after weeks of the brunt of the offense being accounted for by Michael Nylander (11 points on the season, 3 assists last night) and Alex Ovechkin (15 points on the season, 2 goals last night), the rest of the team found their swing, getting scoring from some unlikely sources.

- Gordon has the games opening goal and another assist. He came into the game with 0 points.
- Pettinger had 1 goal, a power play strike, his first of the year.
- Schultz's first NHL goal was also his first point for the year
- Bradley scored a shothanded goal (Washington's first on the year) and had 2 assists for 3 points. Not only was it his first 3-point game in his career, but his first 3 points of the year.
- Sutherby had his first goal of the year in his first game of the year.
- Tomas Fleischmann notched his second assist of the year, while John Erskine got his third.

So the seven players with less than 5 points recorded a point last night, and four of them recorded their first point(s) of the year. The added scoring depth has allowed the Caps to snap the brief slump and climb back closer to .500.

5 Game Benchmark: Games 6-10

06-07 Record: 1-2-2 (4 points)
07- 08 Record: 1-4-0 (2 points)

06-07 Record Total/Projection: 3-3-4 (10 points)/25-25-32 (82 points)
07-08 Record Total/Projection: 4-6-0 (8 points)/33-49-0 (66 points)

06-07 Goals For (Period/Total): 14/31
07-08 Goals For (Period/Total): 13/24

06-07 Goals Against (Period/Total): 18/33
07-08 Goals Against (Period/Total): 17/29

06-07 Shots For/Game: 28.5 (285 Total)
07-08 Shots For/Game: 27.9 (279 Total)

06-07 Shots Against/Game: 36.6 (366 Total)
07-08 Shots Against/Game: 29.3 (293 Total)

06-07 Power Play Efficiency: 16.7% (9 goals, 54 opportunities)
07-08 Power Play Efficiency: 14.0% (7 goals, 50 opportunities)

06-07 Penalty Kill Efficiency: 80.3% (12 goals, 61 opportunities)
07-08 Penalty Kill Efficiency: 78.9% (11 goals, 52 opportunities)

So the Caps are off to a worse start than last year. They've lost more games, though they have won 1 more than last year, and are scoring few and fewer goals (particularly on the power play). Luckily, the defense is better this year and they are taking (relatively) fewer penalties. Still all that matters is the points and the Caps need to start winning and accumulating some more if they want to be fighting in the spring.

Washington Capitals Player of the Week: Brian Pothier

Games: 2
Goals: 1
Assists: 2
Points: 3
PIMs: 2
+/-: +4

Honorable Mentions:
Michael Nylander
Games: 2
Goals: 0
Assists: 2
Points: 2
+/-: +1
PIMs: 2

Chris Clark:
Games: 2
Goals: 2
Assists: 0
Points: 2
+/-: +1
PIMs: 2

Alex Ovechkin
Games: 2
Goals: 1
Assists: 2
Points: 3
+/-: +1
PIMs: 2

Caps 5 - Lightning 3: Brought To You By the Number...

26.3

That would be the percentage of goals scored by the Capitals this season that were recorded in last night's game. That's right, the Capitals scored for than 1 quarter of this season's goals in one game. It was a significant game for a number of other reasons, including a few players notching their first goals of the campaign. David Steckel scored his first of the season, which also happened to be his first NHL goal! Chris Clark, back on a line with Alex Ovechkin (who notched the clinching empty netter with 4 seconds left) scored twice last night, recording his first two goals of the year. Brooks Laich also got his second of the year.

26.3% makes it seem like the Caps put up huge numbers last night, but they only scored 5 goals, their first game with more than 3 goals offensively this year. The remarkable thing is that the Caps have only scored 19 goals (2nd fewest in the Eastern Conference) without ever being shutout this year. Also incredibly, they are 4-4-0 despite scoring few goals.

The return of Alex Semin (who didn't record a point) definitely alleviated the pressure from Ovechkin, but the return of Clark to the top line was really what sparked the "O." The Power Play still remains woeful with another 0fer night (they had an extended 4-minute PP they were unable to cash in on). The fact is, having Ovechkin out there with Nylander on the PP would allow for the Caps to have better balance on their top line and finally put Ovie with a player who could distribute to him.

Still, the Caps looked good last night, snapped the streak, and came away with a huge win.

Pens 2-Caps 1: Brought to You By the Number...

1

It's a lonely number that represents the total number of shots on Marc-Andre Fleury on the Power Play. The Capitals had 5 chances on the PP and generated 1 shot. This can in part be due to Joe Motzko's fumbling of the puck on the point, or the power play setup of having Alex Ovechkin sitting out in space rather than moving into a shooting channel. It could be because two of our best set-up men, Nicklas Backstrom (5 assists) and Michael Nylander (3 assists) are on the second-line of the Power Play passing to each other. Perhaps it's because Mike Green (4 points), who's shown flashes of offensive brilliance is still being confined to the second line behind a career AHLer who's perceived to have a "hard shot."

In any case, this game against Pitt was the epitome of the Cap's offensive woes. Inability to cycle the puck, no movement without the puck, and the inability to set up a clear shot. This season, the Caps are 4-35 with the man advantage and have NEVER scored on a 5-on-3, despite having several extended chances. Even though the Caps have added the offensive talent, it does not appear to be used correctly. Viktor Kozlov (2 goals) hasn't gotten a point since the Caps' last win and seems to be useless as a set-up man to Ovechkin. Meanwhile, that top line is without a premiere right wing (Motzko and prospect Tomas Fleischmann, which has allowed other teams to gang up on Ovechkin.

If the Caps want to snap their losing streak and find their offensive identity, they must generate more offensive chances then they have.

In Honor of the Pens-Caps Rivalry, Some Little Known Facts About Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby

- Alex Ovechkin can score a hat-trick with two goals...Sidney Crosby misses a shot and asks the referees for a do-over.
- Ovechkin's slapshots are faster than most Indy cars...Crosby's have barely beaten a Jalopy down the ice.
- Alex Ovechkin loves to hit guys, especially if they are in his way...Crosby will also hit guys, but only if he is sure they will not retaliate, if he's within short skating distance of the bench (aka, his "safey safe") and as long as the other player is in the 5th grade.
- Before games, Ovechkin listens to hip-hop, rap, and hard rock...Crosby listens to the soundtrack from "Annie."
- Most guys get up and eat a bowl of nails for breakfast. Ovechkin eats the entire hardware store, no milk, then washes it down with motor oil (to keep him skating fast). Crosby skips breakfast to watch his weight.
- Alex Ovechkin has been speared by opponents in the groin often, yet he keeps playing. This is not because Ovechkin wears a cup or because he is just tough. He has an extra grapefruit so he plays knowing he will always be able to reproduce...Crosby wimpers to the bench when his foot falls asleep.
- Ovechkin's tears contain the cure to HIV, unfortunately he's never cried...Crosby's sperm have the cure to cancer, unfortunately he has no balls.
- Chuck Norris once challenged Ovechkin to a roundhouse kick vs. slap shot showdown. The force of the collision caused a rift in the space time continuum. Freddy Kruger challenged Crosby to a slap fight. Unwittingly, Crosby accepted and was shredded to pieces.
- Satan blessed Alex Ovechkin with an incredible slap shot in exchange for Alex's soul. Ovechkin agreed, and then fired a puck off Satan's head and snagged his soul back. Satan later laughed, admitted he should have seen it coming and now Ovechkin and Satan have a regular card game together...God once told his son that he planned on blessing Sidney Crosby with incredible hockey skills. God's son's answer was "I'd rather be nailed to a two by four." The rest is history.

*Editors note: these are all humorous comparisons, many taken from Chuck Norrisisms. I'm not denying that Crosby is a fine player, but merely pointing out all the ways in which Alex Ovechkin rocks.

Brian Pothier...Go Fall in A Volcano!

I spend a lot of time perusing the Washington Capital's Message Boards and was stunned to find a thread entitled "Brian Pothier Go Fall in a volcano." I was surprised that the fan base was being so cruel towards one of our better defensemen. At $2.5 million a year, Pothier was brought in to be a stable point man on the Power Play and to solidify the back line. While he didn't do so last year, it can largely be attributed to a significant jump in his minutes, causing him to get overtired. I hoped that I could show that Pothier, now playing less minutes (15:55 per game, 13th on the team) his production would rise. But just 5 games into the season, the signs don't look good.

• Pothier has only recorded 2, count 'em, 2 hits in 5 games. Ahead of him are, of course, hitting machines like Donald Brashear, Alex Ovechkin and John Erskine. But also ahead of him are some not known as much for their physical play: Matt Pettinger, Mike Green and Viktor Kozlov. To put it in perspective, Joe Motzko and Brian Sutherby, who have each played 1 game, have as many hits as does Pothier.
• Brian Pothier has also only blocked 3 shots. Ahead of him are the defensive-minded Milan Jurcina (10) and Shaone Morrisonn (5), as well as new addition Tom Poti (9). But Pothier is last in terms of defensemen with blocked shots.
• But Pothier does lead the team in one category...giveaways. He has 6 on the season, 2 more than anyone else on the team (John Erskine and Tom Poti have 4 each).
  
• Luckily, Pothier doesn't hold the distinction of being the worst defenseman in terms of takeaways...Poti holds that honor (Pothier has 2, Poti has 1).
• There are 4 defensemen who consistently play on the Power Play: Pothier, Poti, Jurcina and Green. EACH of the others have at least 1 PP point.
  

So there you have it. It may be early in the season and this is a correctable problem, but Pothier must improve from his horrific last season and current start if he wants a shot at winning the hearts of Caps fans. Until then BP...avoid Hawaii. A stray Caps fan might push you over the edge.

Washington Capitals Player of the Week: Alex Ovechkin

Games Played: 2

Goals: 2
Assists: 0
Points: 2
+/-: 1
PIMS: 2

Notable Mentions:
Olaf Kolzig
Games Played: 1
GAA: 3.00
Shots Against/Saves: 38/41
Save Percentage: .927

Mike Green
Games Played: 2
Goals: 1
Assists: 1
Points: 2
+/-: 2
PIMs: 2

5 Game Benchmark: Games 1-5

05-06 Record: 2-1-2 (6 points)
06-07 Record: 3-2-0 (6 points)

05-06 Record Projection: 33-16-33 (99 Points)
06-07 Record Projection: 49-33-0 (98 Points)

05-06 Goals For: 17
06-07 Goals For: 11

05-06 Goals Against: 15
06-07 Goals Against: 12

05-06 Shots For/Game: 30.4 (152 total shots for)
06-07 Shots For/Game: 27.2 (136 total shots for)

05-06 Shots Against/Game: 33.6 (168 total shots against)
06-07 Shots Against/Game: 35.4 (177 total shots against)

05-06 Power Play Efficiency: 11.1% (4 goals, 36 Power Play Chances)
06-07 Power Play Efficiency: 15.4% (4 goals, 26 Power Play Chances)

05-06 Penalty Kill Efficiency: 77.8% (6 goals, 27 Times Shorthanded)
06-07 Penalty Kill Efficiency: 81.5% (5 goals, 27 Times Shorthanded)

So Ted wasn't exactly right that the rebuild is over, since the Caps apparently got off to a comparable if not better start, last year. But this year, the Special Teams have gotten off to a better start. The Capitals need to especially work on limiting shots and getting more rubber on net (which will lead to more goals). Still, the Caps were competitive until December of last year, so getting off to the same pace isn't a bad thing. They just need to keep it going past New Years.

Stats of the Week: October 13

The Good: Goaltending

• 1.25 Goals Against Average (3rd in the League)
• 85.0% Penalty Kill Percentage (13th in the League)
• 27.5 Shots For/Game (16th in the League)
• 1.000 winning percentage when leading after 1 period
• 1.000 winning percentage when outshooting their opponent
• .750 winning percentage (5th in the League)
  

The Bad: Scoring and Defense

• 2.00 Goals For Average (25th in the League)
• 31.0 Shots Against/Game (25th in the League)

The Ugly: The Power Play

• 14.3% Power Play Effectiveness (20th in the League)

Rangers 3 - Capitals 1: Brought to You by the Number...

37

Which is the number of shots Washington allowed in the first 2 periods of Friday night's game. Washington, who had looked good in their first two games defensively, has now forced goaltender Olie Kolzig to stand on his head and keep the team in the games in two straight. Against the New York Isles, they forced Kolzig to stop 30 of 31 shots. Tonight though, Olie was mortal, allowing 3 goals on 41 shots total (still a .926 save percentage).

Again, the Caps had trouble scoring, only mustering 25 shots against the Rangers, despite having 6 power plays (they mustered only 2 power play shots). Also, the penalty killing, which had been perfect so far this year, surrendered 3 power play goals to the Rangers who hadn't scored on the PP until last night.

On a positive note, Alex Ovechkin scored his 100th goal last night on a gorgeous move to beat Henrik Lundqvist and tie the game at 1 in the first. Unfortunately, the team played flat in the first as they did against the Islanders and weren't able to come back. The 37 shots alone were more than Kolzig or Johnson have had to face in previous games and the 16 shot deficit is the worst the Caps have had this year.

Washington Capitals Player of the Week: Olie Kolzig

Games Played: 2
Wins: 2
Goals Against Average: 0.50
Shots Against/Saves: 54/53
Save Percentage: .981

Notable Mentions: Brent Johnson (G)

Games Played: 1
Wins: 1
GAA: 1.00
Shots Against/Saves: 29/28
Save Percentage: .966

Viktor Kozlov (C)
Games Played: 3
Goals: 2
Assists: 1
Points: 3
+/-: 2
PIMs: 0

Capitals 2 - Islanders 1: Brought to You By the Letter...

O

"O" is for Olie Kolzig, who followed up a shutout performance against the deadly Carolina Hurricanes with a 1-goal showing against the Isles. What's even more impressive is that the boys from the Island don't, on paper, appear to have the same offensive pop (comparing Satan and Guerin to Staal and Brind'Amour), they have 3 players in the top 15 points scorers this year: Mike Comrie (6), Ruslan Fedotenko (5), and Bill Guerin (5). None of those players recorded a point against the Capitals today.

But the Capitals especially needed "Olie the Goalie" today, as they gave up the most shots in their first 3 games, 31. Kolzig only had to 23 shots Saturday against the Hurricanes, meaning Kolzig's stopped 53 of 54 shots so far. The Caps also took 4 penalties and only managed to put up a slight offensive effort (12 shots, 6 in the last two periods). Kolzig faced more shots in the second period (17) then the Caps put up in the whole game. Still, Olie made key saves, including a few nice ones down the stretch, a critical one being a stonewall on Miro Satan in the dying minutes.

So while the "O" was not potent for the Caps, and the "Big O" (Ovechkin) wasn't able to muster a single shot (a feat not many defenses can claim) "O"lie was able to keep the Capitals in the game and managed to author the team to their first 3-0 start since the 02-03 season.

Capitals 3 - Thrashers 1: Brought to You by the Number...

29

The number of shots allowed by the Capitals, against a team in the Atlanta Thrashers who was known mostly for their offense last year. The Caps out shot the Thrash 40-29 in their win, dampening the spirits of Atlanta on the night they raised their Southeast Division Champions banner. Nylander, Erskine and Kozlov each recorded goals for the Capitals.

Last year, Washington was 2nd to last in the league in shots allowed per game (33.3), a far cry from the year before when they allowed 35 per game. This pre-season, though, they allowed 28 per game, and showed a great deal of improvement in puck possession and defensive positioning. Atlanta was 11th in the league last year in shots per game and 16th in goals per game with 2.92 goals per game. By contrast, the Caps allowed 3.35 goals against last year, 5th worst in the league.

Last night, the Capitals drew more penalties (though they were unable to convert on 2 5-on-3's), moved the puck efficiently and kept good positioning in the defensive zone. Brent Johnson looked good last night and could have had a shutout if not for Bryan Little's fluky goal in the 2nd. But the Caps shut down the dynamic offense which included Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa. Even without Alexander Semin, Washington peppered Kari Lehtonen with 40 shots and got the win.

The Southeast Divsion: How They'll Fare

1. Tampa Bay
2006-07 Record: 44-33-5, 2nd Southeast

Who Came In?
- D Brad Lukowich
- F Michel Ouellet
- F Chris Gratton

Who Went Out?
- F Ruslan Fedotenko
- D Cory Sarich
- F Eric Perrin

Why They Will Finish 1st:

The three-headed monster known as Lecavalier, St. Louis and Richards will rise again. Even though the Lightning have been without a star goalie since their Cup run in 04, they have made the playoffs both years. They might not have the stellar goalie that teams that have won this division had the past few years (Ward and Lehtonen), but they still have the talent to make the playoffs, while other teams have regressed.

Why I might be Wrong:

If that three-headed beast fails, the Lightning don't have a lot of depth in scoring. Tampa lost top defenseman Sarich which will hurt Tampa's already weakened defense (Tampa finished 7th worst in the league with a 3.16 GAA last year). The bigger question is will one of their goaltenders, Holmqvist or Denis, be able to keep them in games?

2. Washington Capitals
2006-07 Record: 28-40-14, 5th Southeast

Who Came In?
- F Michael Nylander
- D Tom Poti
- F Viktor Kozlov

Who Went Out?
- F Kris Beech
- F Jiri Novotny

Why They Will Finish 2nd:

Because of all the teams in the Southeast, no team has improved more than Washington. They added free agents Nylander, Poti and Kozlov while discarding the rubble of Beech and Novotny. The Caps improved in key areas and fortified a squad containing established superstars Alex Ovechkin and Olaf Kolzig. The Caps can also count on scrappy performances from Alex Semin and Chris Clark as well as rookie Niklas Backstrom.

Why I Might Be Wrong:

The Capitals failed to adaquately address defense, only adding Poti. Washington was fifth worst in GAA last year 3.15 even with Kolzig and Johnson protecting the nets. Washington is also banking on players like Backstrom, Fleischmann and Green stepping up and playing key roles in Washington's line-up. Maybe some of the prospects aren't as good as they thought. Worst yet, if the free agents and young players don't gel, it could be diasterous.

3. Atlanta Thrashers
2006-07 Record:
43-28-11, 1st Southeast

Who Came In?
- D Ken Klee
- F Todd White
- F Eric Perrin

Who Went Out?
- F Scott Mellanby
- D Andy Sutton
- D Shane Hnidy
- F Eric Belanger
- F Greg de Vries
- F Jean-Pierre Vigier

Why They Will Finish 3rd:

Atlanta lost the most quality players of any team in the Southeast and made only modest gains. Captain Mellanby, as well as two quality defensemen are now gone and now the Thrash will require some young-uns to step in. The Thrashers don't fall too far because of the incredible talent on the front line (Kovalchuk and Hossa) and Kari Lehtonen will look to have another stellar year.

Why I Might Be Wrong:

I don't think Atlanta will fall too far, unless the injury bug catches some key players. If the players gel and the stars can continue to lead the younger players (Atlanta does have a LOT of younger depth) and Lehtonen plays outside his mind, Atlanta might be able to challenge for the Southeast crown. It's a lof of "if's."

4. Carolina Hurricanes
2006-07 Record: 40-34-8, 3rd Southeast

Who Came In?
- F Jeff Hamilton
- F Matt Cullen

Who Went Out?
- F Josef Vasicek
- D Anton Babchuk
- D David Tanabe
- F Eric Belanger

Why They Will Finish 4th:
Only modest gains from last year, where they were close, but not close enough to making the playoffs. A lot of other teams in the Southeast have gotten a lot better, while Carolina still doesn't have the dependability on the back line that they did once. A lot of Carolina's success will depend on how well Cam Ward plays, especially now that his backup is Michael Leighton, and he still has not shown to be a dependable goaltender.

Why I Might Be Wrong:
Either Florida plays better than I think, or one of the teams above them plays worse. Either way, Carolina needs Eric Staal and Ward to play well. The days of the Stanley Cup lore are far behind them, but if Erik Cole and some of the younger kids can step up their games, Carolina could finish higher.

5. Florida Panthers
2006-07 Record: 35-31-16, 4th Southeast

Who Came In?
- G Tomas Vokoun
- F Richard Zednik
- F Radek Dvorak

Who Went Out?
- G Ed Belfour
- F Martin Gelinas
- D Alexei Semenov
- F Chris Gratton

Why They Will Finish 5th:
Florida lost a lot of quality talent from a team that was not very good last year. Many think that Vokoun will bring Florida to the playoff level, but the Panthers weren't winning back when they had Roberto Luongo. Olli Jokinen is a superb player, but around him are a lot of "maybes" (Weiss, Stumpel, Horton). In short, Florida doesn't have the everyday talent and they lost a lot of it over the summer.

Why I Might Be Wrong:
If those "maybes" step up and play well, and Vokoun is indeed the missing piece of the puzzle, then the Panthers might be the surprise team that many believe they are. If Florida can manage to somehow bolster that struggling defensive core, and the offense gains some consistency, they could make a push.

Capitals Team Preview Part 3: Offense

If we're talking offense, we'd be hard-pressed to not mention the "Alex and Alex Show." Ovechkin and Semin were the driving force behind the Caps' offense last year. With a combined 84 goals and 165 points, the Alexes were probably the NHL's best 1-2 punch in terms of forwards. The biggest problem was the falloff after the Alexes.

But the Alexes had the misfortune of playing alongside less than stellar centers and were surrounded by few scoring threats. Dainus Zubrus, Ovechkin's long-time pivot in the middle, again only put up modest numbers last year before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres. Kris Beech proved emphatically that he couldn't feed off a slick scorer like Semin. Beech only recored 26 points in 68 games last year.

Beyond the centers, no one else on Washington could put the puck in the net. Chris Clark was the only other Capital to have more than 30 goals or 50 points (30 goals, 54 points) and Matt Pettinger recorded 16 goals as the only other member of the team to have more than 10 goals. Of the 210 goals scored by Capitals last year, the Alexes recored 40% of them.

But the Caps have added offesnive prowess this year through free agency. Michael Nylander comes to the Capitals after a career year in New York centering Jaromir Jagr. Nylander recorded 26 goals and 83 points last year and is Washington's top free agent. Nylander was expected to center Ovechkin, but has been playing more with Semin and newcomer Niklas Backstrom. Hopefully, playing with Nylander will boost Semin's fabulous numbers and give Backstrom the opportunity to learn from a top Swedish playmaking center. But Ovechkin will also get some help in the form of Viktor Kozlov, who just finished a 25 goal season on the Island. Many are skeptical of whether Kozlov can bring that goal touch he acquired last year to DC, but as many (Clark and Zubrus) will attest, playing with Ovechkin is a great thing for one's numbers. The real surprise is Tomas Fleischmann, who has earned a spot in the top 6, presumably playing with Ovechkin and Kozlov. Whether this will give Flash a boost or merely drag down the other two remains to be seen.

The checking line, which will likely consist of Boyd Gordon, Pettinger and Clark, could be a deadly one. With a combined 53 goals and only -13 rating, those three could provide one of the most deadly checking lines in hockey.

The fourth line is likely to be occupied by Donald Brashear and Brian Sutherby (unless he is traded), but the other spot(s) is up for grabs. Dave Steckel made a good showing at camp, while Brooks Laich and Matt Bradley have provided small chunks of poise during their tenures in DC.

One thing is for certain: Washington's biggest problem last year was not scoring, and it won't be this year. With great offensive depth and a balanced line-up, the Caps should expect to exceed their 2.85 goals/game average from last year (17th in the league). The newcomers (Backstrom, Nylander, Kozlov) should provide great assistance and aid to the Alexes and become a deadly offense.