Capitals Set to Play Montreal in First Round of the Playoffs

The Washington Capitals found out yesterday that they would face eighth seeded Montreal in the first round of the playoffs. The series will start in DC on Thursday at 7. With a final sigh of relief, the Capitals can now put the regular season behind them, a season in which they achieved every goal possible weeks ago, and look forward to the ultimate goal, the Stanley Cup.

The Bad News:

Montreal has played the Caps tough this season with a split season series. The teams met for the first time on Nov. 20 at the Verizon Center and the Caps lost in regulation 2-3. They met again in Montreal on Nov. 28 this time with a 4-3 shootout win for the Caps. The Caps won the third match in DC on January 5, 4-2 and Montreal took the final game in Montreal on February 10 in a 5-6 overtime game. The Canadiens have the second ranked power play in the league scoring 5 power play goals in those 4 games. Montreal found themselves in the number eight seed last season as well and forced seven games against Boston. Such a long series is not what the Caps will be hoping for this year. For the last two seasons, the Caps have opened the playoffs with a seven game series, losing one and winning the other. Both years the Caps had very slow starts and had to come from a 3 game to 1 deficit in order to force that game seven. After such a dominant season, a seven game series may hurt the confidence of a Capitals team that is ready for a long post season run. It may also fatigue the team as we saw last season against Pittsburgh. After opening the series with two wins, the Caps lost 3 of the next 4 games, 3 of which went to overtime. The team then collapsed in game 7 with a 2-6 loss. The Capitals will certainly be hoping for a very dominant and quick series against the Canadiens to start.

Montreal is one of the original six hockey teams. In the city, hockey is king. The Caps can expect a fiery fan base when they visit Montreal in games 3, 4, and possibly 6 if the series goes that long. This is goaltender Jose Theodore's former team and is one that he traditionally does not play well against. His record against them is 2-1-0, but his GAA is 4.05 and save percentage is .877. Head coach Bruce Boudreau seems to be aware of this as Theodore did not start any of the 4 games against Montreal this season. There is also some question as to who the number 6 defensive player will be. Milan Jurcina was picked up at the trade deadline for this role, but he has been out with a sport's hernia and will most likely be out for a few weeks. The Caps brought up prospect Jon Carlson who has played well, but lately his game has looked off especially yesterday against Boston. Tyler Sloan sat out with a minor injury and Jon Erskine is not as good as either player and takes far too many unnecessary penalties, something the Capitals cannot afford against such a potent power play.

The Good News:

The Capitals have just completed one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory. With the experience of the last two seasons and the the added motivation of having to watch Pittsburgh hoist the Cup last season, their big rivals and a team the Caps feel they should have beaten, the Caps feel driven more than ever to go all the way. While the Caps have gotten off to slow starts in the playoffs, they have been looking ahead to the playoffs for quite some time, feeling relieved after yesterday's game ended just so they could start. Two years ago the Caps had to go on an incredible winning streak just to make the playoffs. It took a lot out of the team and they came into the series flat. Last season the Caps coasted into the post season finishing the regular season with a string of games against teams that had nothing to play for. This season with games against Boston, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta, and with the division, conference, and President's trophy locked up, the Caps could cruise the last few weeks while still playing important games against tough teams. It was a great combination that should help the Caps. Montreal meanwhile is limping into the playoffs losing 8 of their last 11. They looked to have the 6th spot locked up weeks ago but instead fell all the way to 8th.

Montreal may have the second best power play in the league, but the Capitals have the top powerplay and set a franchise record this season for fewest penalty minutes, and that includes those big penalties Alex Ovechkin took. While all eyes, including those of the referees, will be on the great 8 during the playoffs, especially in Montreal, it is unlikely Montreal will find themselves in a position in which their powerplay can keep up with Washington's high powered offense.

Jose Theodore has had one of the best seasons of his career. He hasn't lost in regulation since January going 20-0-3. After the death of his infant son this summer, Theodore rebounded with a great season. Since he is such a mental goaltender, two opening games at home should build up his confidence enough to face his old team. If not, Boudreau's playoff history both in the AHL and NHL last season show that he's not afraid to switch goaltenders. Semyon Varlamov's first start in the NHL was at Montreal and he came away with a 2-1 victory. While he has struggled at times this season, he has proven he is not easy to intimidate. This will be the first playoff start for Montreal's probable goaltender Jaroslav Halak. Defending against the Capitals may be a tall order and the Caps may see a lot of Carey Price if Halak falters.

The Capitals' defense also has a major size advantage over Montreal's offense. Not one of Montreal's forwards are over 6 ft. tall while none of the Capitals' defense men are less than six ft. tall. Montreal will have to rely on speed more than strength to score meaning that Montreal will struggle to get goals from their third and fourth lines, lines supposed to be for more physical players. This also means the Caps defensemen should be able to keep screeners away from in front of Theodore giving him a much easier job protecting the net.

Ultimately, most analysts do not give Montreal much of a chance saying that fans should be happy that they were able to make the playoffs in the first place. If the Capitals are firing on all cylinders then they will be tough to beat. I believe the key to the series and the entire playoffs for Washington will be games 1 and 2. The Capitals have the best team in the league, the best offense in the league, the best goal differential in the league, and the best player in the world. If they cannot win both of their opening home games against probably the weakest team in the playoffs in either conference, I don't think this team is ready for the Cup just yet. If, however, they win both, then it shows how focused they are and how much they have matured from last season. Their confidence will grow and they will be tough to beat. If they win their first two games, it is going to be a long and deep playoff run for the Caps which might just end with them hoisting the Cup.

USA Pulls Off Huge Upset over Canada

Despite high expectations and home ice advantage, team Canada was not able to beat their rival neighbors Sunday and USA skated to an improbable 5-3 win. While Americans may not be huge hockey fans, its important not to lose sight of the importance of this win. USA has not beaten Canada in the Olympics since 1960. When something hasn't happened for 50 years, that's a big deal. This loss really stings Canada because . Americans are coming to their country and beating them at their sport. Imagine if Canada were to beat USA in basketball in Los Angeles. It would be pretty humiliating. This is a game the NHL needs to take note of because it is games like these that can spark interest in the sport. It may be brief, but excitement over American hockey team can translate into interest in the NHL. National rivalries simply wouldn't be the same without the talent that makes them so competitive and the NHL would really miss out on some free publicity.

The short term implications of this win are all very positive for this surprising USA team. With 3 wins, USA heads into the knockout round with the number one seed and a lot of confidence. The draw for the knockout round was as good as you can get and have a real shot at gold or silver. USA cannot face Russia, Canada, or Sweden until the gold medal match. They will face Switzerland in the quarterfinals tomorrow who is certainly not a team you can sleep on, but that should ultimately be a win. In the semis they will face (most likely) either Finland or the Czech Republic who are both good teams, but both are preferable to any of the three powerhouses on the other side of the bracket. The Candaians, who look like they will easily advance over Germany, will have to face Russia in the quarterfinals. Ovechkin vs. Crosby yet again and there is no silver or bronze for the loser. One of these powerhouses will walk away from Vancouver empty handed. Yet another blockbuster Olympic matchup that the NHL for some reason says they wouldn't mind getting rid of.

USA begins their knockout round at 3 tomorrow. If they can beat Switzerland they are guaranteed at least 4th. USA has not won gold since the famous 1980 Olympics (the greatest moment in sports by far, nothing comes close). While the win over Canada was impressive, they won't beat another powerhouse playing like that. Canada dominated but couldn't capitalize on their many chances while USA was able to take advantage of Canada's few mistakes. But now USA has a lot of confidence and know they have the ability to win. Let's hope their streak continues so USA can celebrate another miracle on ice.

As Puck Drops in Vancouver, Owners Clearly Upset

Tonight was the first night of men's Olympic hockey in Vancouver. USA won their opener over Switzerland 3-1 and Canada looks like they are running away with their opener against Norway. The bigger story? Whether or not we will see a tournament with so much talent again. These Olympics mark the last year of the NHL deal to break the season for two weeks and allow NHL players to play in the Olympics. Most owners clearly can't wait for this to end.

"From an ownership stand point, in the middle of the season, we would just as soon skip it," said Blackhawks owner, Rocky Wirtz. "It doesn't add any more to our sport."

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager, Brian Burke, also echoed some of the owner's sentiments. "We've done it three times; the only time we got any kind of bang out of it was in Salt Lake. Nagano, Torino, we didn't get anything out of that. So there's a lot of sentiment that this should be the last Olympics that the players play." The problem for the owners is that the Olympics are high risk for them with little reward. In the middle of the season the best players are being sent to play in a different tournament that generates little excitement and no revenue. High Olympic ratings and attendance put no money in their pockets. What if Alex Ovechkin were to get injured? Or Sidney Crosby? The chances of many Stanley Cup contenders can be significantly hurt by injury or fatigue and the owners will have gained nothing from it.

The owners have voiced very valid arguments and concerns, but it's time for them to wake up to reality. It's true that Olympic hockey doesn't seem to draw much attention unless it is played in Canada or America. To continue the season, however, makes no sense. Right now, Olympic hockey is not shown on NBC, but is rather relegated to CNBC. Only a few games are shown on prime time. The rest of the Olympics do very well in the ratings. If owners think people are going to watch NHL hockey during the Olympics, they are sadly mistaken. Low ratings for Olympic hockey doesn't mean low interest in Olympic hockey, it means low interest in hockey. What owners don't seem to realize about the Olympics is that while they may not be gaining anything from them, they aren't losing anything either. NHL ratings during the Olympics if they chose to continue with the season would be a complete disaster. It would be a real reality check when owners find out more people are watching figure skating than regular season NHL games, which I guarantee would happen.

If playing during the Olympics doesn't make sense, what about not playing? The NHL could keep its Olympic break even if it doesn't allow NHL players to play. It would allow players to rest, but this is an even worse set up. Halting NHL play while not allowing players to go to the Olympics would be a slap in the face. If they aren't going to continue the season, there's no reason to not go to the Olympics. The NHLPA has already made it clear that this is extremely important to players. They want to play. Ovechkin upped the ante a few months ago during an interview in which he said that he would play in the Olympics even if the NHL season continued. "Nobody can say to me, 'You can't play for your country in the Olympic games.'" While players have an obligation to their NHL teams, they clearly have passion for these games. Why stifle that? There are various other international hockey competitions, but none with the same spotlight and prestige as the Olympics. This is really the only major international stage for these players. To deny attempt to deny them of that chance is pretty rotten. Imagine trying to tell David Beckham that he can't play in the World Cup because of his obligation to the LA Galaxy. He would walk too.

Ok, so the Olympics don't give the NHL much of a boost. That's nothing compared to the hit they'll take if they stupidly try to continue playing. Can players get injured? Sure, but the international game is not nearly as physical. Hitting is not as much a part of the game and fighting is absolutely not allowed (which will be true in the NHL in the next 5-10 years, but that's an issue for another blog). There are no enforcers on these Olympic rosters. Of course the possibility of injury is still there, but it's much less likely. The NHL can learn a lot by studying a much more skilled style of hockey as we saw when they adopted many rules from Olympic hockey after the lockout. When there is growing fear that European leagues such as the Russian KHL league will begin taking away NHL players (Jaromir Jagr, Viktor Kozlov, Sergei Federov) why deny the players something that they have made clear is extremely important to them? Why risk stars like Ovechkin walking out on the NHL to play Olympic hockey? Owners may be focused on the cons of Olympic participation, but if they really thought about what would happen if they were to try and continue with the season, they would realize what a complete disaster that would be.

Ovechkin Expected Back in the Lineup

Alexander Ovehckin is expected to return to the Capitals lineup tonight against the New York Rangers. The Capitals have won four of the six games without Ovechkin staying near the top of the conference. The New York Rangers tend to play a physical style of play so it will be interesting to see how the two teams matchup against one another especially with enforcers Donald Brashear and Sean Avery. No doubt they will be gunning for Ovechkin all night long. Since Ovechkin never backs down from a hit, he may see less playing time then he is used to in order to prevent reaggravating his injury.

The Capitals have also recalled forward Joe Beagle and goalie Michal Neuvirth from AHL Hershey. What the Capitals have proven thus far is that even with shaky defense and goaltending, they will still most likely win their division and finish among the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Right now, they are six points ahead of second place southeastern foe, Tampa Bay, and tied for first in the conference with New Jersey and Pittsburgh. While it is important that they continue winning, they must also focus on tweaking the team in preparation of the playoffs. With Ovechkin back, the Caps can afford to experiment with younger players such as Beagle. Neuvirth was expected to split time with Simeon Varlamov and Jose Theodore at the beginning of the season, but was held back because of injury. With the added scoring boost Ovechkin brings, Bruce Boudreau will most likely give Neuvirth a few tries in goal.

Even though the regular season is only a quarter of the way through, it is never too early to think about the playoffs. The Capitals have shown they are still a very competitive regular season team, but success now does not always mean success in the post season. With the Capitals' sights set on a Stanley Cup, don't be surprised to see a lot of younger players called up especially with Michael Nylander most likely headed to the KHL in order to free up cap space. Look for numerous appearances by Hershey regulars Karl Alzner, Michal Neuvirth, Jay Beagle, Keith Aucoin, Alex Giroux, Mathieu Perrault, John Carlson, Sean Collins, Kyle Wilson, Boyd Kane, and Oskar Osala.

Will Sean Avery Please Just Leave the NHL?

Bruce Boudreau's biography "Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer" came out last week reflecting on the life and incredible chance of coaching the Washington Capitals. The buzz surrounding the book, however, was not on Boudreau's achievements or shocking revelations, but on a tiny blurb almost 200 pages in on Sean Avery. In the playoffs last season, the Capitals faced the New York Rangers. The series went the full seven games. Sean Avery was a constant thorn in the Capitals' side, more so for his ridiculous behavior than his skills. In one game, he decided to trash talk with young goalie Simeon Varlamov and got right up in his face before pushing him. Not only did I feel this warranted a suspension (you don't touch the goalie) but it reflected the baffling stupidity of Avery since Varlamov does not speak a word of English. Boudreau's book, however, revealed another encounter with Avery that was not previously known. During game seven, Avery skated to the Capitals' bench. "He told me I was the biggest, fattest bleeping pig he had ever seen.....He told me I was fatter than bleeping Ken Hitchcock. He told me I was going to die because I was such a fat bleep." I credit the Capitals for not clearing the bench and pounding Avery's face into the ice although I would have loved to see that. It speaks a lot to their character that their response was to win the game and send Avery's butt home. Yet, one cannot help but feel more must be done.

Avery's antics have been public before. In 2008 after a comment that several NHL players like his "sloppy seconds" he was suspended by the league for six games. Both the Dallas Stars organization and his team mates condemned the comments and his time in Dallas was over. In the previous season, the NHL passed what is known as the "Sean Avery" preventing players from blocking the goalie's vision. While screening is a common tactic in hockey, Avery was facing goalie Martin Brodeur and waving his hands and stick in his face. The rule was passed the very next day. After the series Brodeur refused to shake Avery's hand causing Avery to remark "I guess fatso forgot to shake my hand." The comments Boudreau writes on also sheds more light on other comments that Avery denies saying. In 2005, Black Canadian player Georges Laraque of the Edmonton Oilers claimed that Avery called him a monkey. In 2007, a fight broke out during the pregame warm up between Avery and Darcy Tucker of the Toronto Maple Leafs. A Toronto radio station alleged that the fight started because of a remark Avery made regarding player Jason Blake's Leukemia diagnosis. Avery vehemently denies saying either of these comments and even brought a libel suit against the Toronto radio station. While we may never know what exactly Avery said to Laraque or to Tucker, I have no doubt it was something extremely offensive and out of line.

Trash talking will always be a part of hockey and of most other sports. What Avery is doing, however, crosses the line. It is disgusting and there is no place for him in the league. Avery has been cast aside by every organization he has played for except the New York Rangers. While Avery does have some skill, he is frequently scratched by the team. He is simply not worth it. He shows no remorse for his outrageous comments and will continue making them. In the offseason, the Rangers added enforcer Donald Brashear to their lineup in what I hope to be an effort to eventually replace Avery. Let's hope that the story of Sean Avery will end with him realizing that a thug like him, who has no respect for his opponents, is not welcome in the great sport of hockey.