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.

Caps Struggling For a New Identity

One period through Wednesday night's game in New Jersey, the Capitals seemed to be on the right track. They had frustrated the New Jersey Devils allowing only six shots on goal which came mostly from outside. They were easy saves for goalie Semyon Varlamov and the Capitals had a 1-0 lead. There wasn't much offense as the Capitals seemed to struggle with the idea that it's not one or the other, offensive or defensive, that they can play strong on both ends. This, however, was not a major concern because it is assumed by everyone that Ovechkin will bring offense back with him when he is able to suit up again. The goal for the next few games is to instill a defensive mindset in a team that had practically none. Through one period, the Caps seemed to have done just that. The final period of the game told a very different story.

The Caps still seemed to be in control at the end of the second period. They had allowed 11 shots, but the Caps defensive style of play was clearly frustrating the Devils who were constantly forced into offside calls and outside shots. The Devils did manage to tie the game, but it was off a fluke goal by Brian Rolston who's pass was blocked by defenseman Mike Green into the net. The only penalties the Caps had taken to that point was a slashing call to Alexander Semin and a fight by Chris Clark. The team then proceeded to implode in the third period. The stalwart defense was gone as the Caps allowed 15 shots. The discipline was certainly out the window as the Caps took four penalties, including two awful, unnecessary penalties by Semin. The Devils proceeded to score twice on the power play and Washington found themselves in a hole they could not climb out of, losing 3-2. Varlamov's good performance in net was wasted as he received the first regular season loss of his career.

Many may walk away from this game unconcerned. Ovechkin's out and we lost by one, who cares? There are several reasons why this game was a bad sign for the Caps. First, even without Ovechkin, I would argue this team is a playoff caliber team. This team is full of talent and there is no excuse to lose a game that they had control of for two periods. Second, the complete lack of discipline is very troubling. Key penalties have really been a problem for this Caps team and last night is a good example of how quickly these penalties can change a game. The Caps allowed the Devils to take control with these penalties. Semin's performance was especially bad. With Ovechkin gone, Semin needed to step up his game by picking up some offensive slack and not committing the dumb penalties that have plagued his career. His response, three penalties including one with less than four minutes to go in the game while the Caps were down by two. He simply skated past Travis Zajac in the neutral zone and tripped him for seemingly no reason. Bruce Boudreau was clearly upset as Semin was not on the ice at the end when the Caps pulled Varlamov in an effort to tie. It is performances like that that make NHL analysts speculate about trading Semin come the trade deadline. With the salary cap going to be a problem over the next few years, if Semin won't step up and contribute more than just dumb penalties, you could see him moved for a defensemen the Caps proved again they desperately need.

Discipline and defense. Without either of these things the Capitals will not win a Stanley Cup. What they showed last night is that with absolutely no offensive spark, they can still take control of a game against a good team as long as they stay out of the penalty box and play strong defense. Add Ovechkin to that mix and you have a very dangerous team. Add Ovechkin to what we saw in the third period, you have team that will still win their division, but probably not much else.

Important Time for Caps With Ovechkin Injured

The Washington Capitals have listed Alexander Ovechkin as week to week with an upper body injury. After a hit by Columbus' Jason Chimera, Ovechkin missed the last two periods of the game on Sunday night. While it appears the injury is not too serious, Ovechkin is likely sit out at least three games. An injury to your star player is never a good thing, but this is a pivotal time for the Capitals to change their game and become serious contenders.

The Capitals currently play an offensive heavy style of play. Everyone knows they can score and with playmakers like Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Brendan Morrison it's hard to stop. The Capitals, however, struggle defensively. Until they get consistent goaltending and stronger play from their defensemen, they will not be able to win the Stanley Cup.

The Capitals' defensive lineup has about average skill. Mike Green is the most talented, but he is often criticized around the league for his lack of motivation and conditioning. Green's biggest problem, however, is his mentality. He has always approached the game with an offense first, defense second mentality. Tom Poti is probably the best defensive talent on the team but at 32 years old, his game has taken a step back. John Erskine is just plain awful and takes stupid penalties, a major problem for this team. Jeff Schultz and Shaone Morrison are inconsistent. And worse yet, this team gets pretty much no help from their offense. The Capitals struggle to clear the puck out of their defensive zone because of poor back checking. Two defensemen can't do it alone.

While it is clearly the weakness of this team, the problem has seemed less pressing since the Capitals still have the second best record in the east. With Ovechkin out the Capitals have lost a major edge in their style of play. Now that the best scorer in the NHL is injured, the Capitals should focus on their defense. Sure, there is plenty of offensive talent in DC and they could continue playing their offensive scheme, but they will have missed a major opportunity to change the mindset of this team. Until the Capitals become defensively stable as well as offensively talented, they will never really compete for the Stanley Cup.

Possible Moves by the Caps May Provide Spark

After a 2-2-2 start for the Washington Capitals, rumors are already flying about possible moves as ESPN.com reports. This is not surprising considering the high expectations for the Caps heading into this season. In the 2008-2009 season, the Caps finished with a franchise record 108 points and won their second straight Southeast Division title. After watching the rival Pittsburgh Penguins hoist the Stanley Cup, this Caps team was very motivated heading into this season. The organization demanded results as well. In the home opener, the Caps celebrated their 2008-2009 division championship with an intentionally abbreviated ceremony. A short video was followed by the unfurling of the banner from the rafters rather than the slow ceremonial raising seen the season before. The message was clear, a division championship is no longer good enough. The season, however, has not gone according to plan thus far. After winning their first two games, the Caps have lost their last four. Last season the Caps did not lose a game at home in regulation until December. This season it took only two games.

Why the drop in play? While they did lose Sergei Federov and Viktor Kozlov, they were able to acquire Mike Knuble and Brendan Morrison which are suitable replacements. The Caps did little else in the off season expecting their young players to develop. At this point in the season, however, it seems that they did not develop quit as much as the team hoped. Goalie Simeon Varlamov has shown that while he has potential to be an all-star player, he is not yet ready to take over the team. Jose Theodore has performed well thus far as the number one. The real concerns come from the young players on the third and fourth lines and on the blue line. The Caps have gotten very little secondary scoring this year from their bottom two lines, who have contributed one goal and four assists. Defensively, the Caps have allowed 3.33 goals per game. Not exactly the performance they were looking for.

While there may be some talk about possible moves for the Caps, rumors are still...well, rumors until something happens. The Caps have shown repeatedly that they are very reluctant to give up any of their young prospects for any type of trade. Trading Theodore seems unlikely given that Varlamov has struggled so far this season. If they are considering a trade at the moment, then Michael Nylander is most likely the guy on the table. It will be interesting to see what the Caps can get for him at this point in the season since he comes with a huge price tag. Then again, a change for the Caps may not mean a trade. AHL affiliate Hershey is full of prospects. Coach Bruce Boudreau might be thinking of bringing up players like Karl Alzner. He may just be thinking of shaking up the lines. Alex Semin played on the second line in the last game against New Jersey after being a top liner to begin the season.

Whatever is being discussed in DC, it is a step in the right direction. It shows a real desire to win the Cup and a recognition that the window of opportunity will not be open forever. The last time the Caps made a move early in the season, the Caps fired coach Glen Hanlon on Thanksgiving Day and promoted Boudreau, then the coach of the Hershey Bears. As a result, the league's worst team went on the win the Southeast division. While I'm not saying a coaching change is needed, I certainly believe that some sort of change is needed that can provide the same kind of spark. This will let the team and the fans know that the Caps are playing to win. Let's hope they think of something quick, or a season filled with a lot of potential may be wasted.

Defense Questions Still Remain For The Caps

Last night, the Capitals took on the Philadelphia Flyers. Both teams are expected to be major competitors for the Eastern Conference Championship. In the off season, Philadelphia picked up all star defenseman Chris Pronger to shut down teams' top scoring line and goalie Ray Emery. How'd they do? Both Alexander Semin and Alexander Ovechkin scored twice and the Capitals were able to put up five total goals against the revamped Philadelphia defense. So mission accomplished for Washington? Not quite. The Caps still lost 6-5 in overtime highlighting the major problem facing this team. While the Caps have no trouble scoring (15 goals through 3 games) they still are having trouble keeping the puck out of their own net (11 goals allowed in 3 games).

The Caps made no off season acquisitions to fix this problem choosing instead to rely on the development of their younger players to full the void. The results? Karl Alzner was reassigned to Hershey during the off season, and Tyler Sloan has yet to play a game. Neither, it seems, will be making much of an impact on the blue line this year. Instead the Caps will rely on the questionable play of Jeff Schultz (physical but often inconsistent) and John Erskine (who contributes fights and bad penalties and not much else). The Caps made the right move in the offseason by letting go of enforcer Donald Brashear who was a great fighter but could barely skate. If, however, that means Erskine gets a full time spot on the roster, then the Caps have taken one step forward and two steps back.

And let's not forget about the goaltending. Simeon Varlamov got the start last night, but after allowing four goals in the second period, he was pulled for Jose Theodore. While I do believe Varlamov is the future of this franchise and on the verge of becoming a great goalie, I do think he needs to get it going. The Caps have made it clear this year that they want to compete for the Conference championship and the Stanley Cup. If they hope to do so, they will need stronger goaltending.

Luckily the Caps can fix this pretty easily with Michael Nylander. No I'm not talking about playing the forward at center, I'm talking about trading him. For whatever reason, the Caps' center has fallen out of favor with Coach Bruce Boudreau and has been a healthy scratch for all three games this season and most of last season. Nylander is the second highest paid player on the team (behind guess who). The Caps have already expressed concern over cap space next season as many young players are going to be looking for raises due to their development and maturing play. Despite not playing, Nylander still has some value. By trading him, the Caps can gain a 2nd or 3rd line caliber defenseman while freeing up a lot of cap space.

The fact is, the longer they sit Nylander down, the lower his trade value becomes. He's too good and too expensive to just sit on the bench, so why not trade him? The Caps still need some defensive help and this seems like a pretty simple solution.