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.