Sometimes I Hate Being Right, Game 7 and Series Reaction

I may not have been right about game 7, which I thought the Caps would win, but I was definitely right about the importance of game 1 and 2. Before the series began I said that if Washington lost either game 1 or 2 they would not challenge for the Cup this year. I was not expecting to be that right, but I was right. The reason I said that is because the Capitals were the best team in the league and Montreal was the worst team in the playoffs in either conference. Sometimes top seeds lose at home to bottom seeds, but in a series with a team that has been so dominant this could not be the case. If the Caps could not win their first two games at home against such an outmatched opponent, then I felt they were not mentally prepared for a deep playoff run. They lost game 1 and now find themselves out in the first round. I'm not trying to take anything away from what Montreal accomplished, it was a tremendous upset, but if the Capitals were firing on all cylinders and playing to their full potential then this never would have happened. Montreal just doesn't stack up.

What this series also showed was the importance of finishing a team off when you have the chance. Montreal had their backs against the ropes in game 5 and neither team played particularly well. The third period was especially terrible as the Caps played with zero sense of urgency, knowing they still had a game 6 and 7 to close it out. Game 5 should have been an easy win. Had they stepped up, we would be talking about game 1 against Philadelphia right now instead of wondering what if.

Jaroslav Halak, of course, played incredible...for two games. People should study this series as an example of why you win when you have the chance. The Caps didn't seem to have any trouble with Halak in the beginning of the series as he was pulled in game 3 and did not even play in game 4. He only got hot in game 6 and 7. When goalies gain confidence, they can go on these kind of streaks even if the goalie himself is not a superstar talent. I'm not saying Halak is not a great goalie, I'm just merely pointing out that sometimes goalies can overachieve in the playoffs and then fall off next season (anybody remember JS Gigeure?). Whether Halak can continue playing at this level remains to be seen.

Game 7 itself got off to a great start. Again, as in game 6, the Caps came out and dominated the play. Alexander Semin had a great opportunity in the first period to take the lead and end his scoreless streak. In a 3 on 1 opportunity Brooks Laich skated on the left and chipped it over to Semin passed a helpless Halak. Semin had an empty net and tried to deflect the pass in, but it hit the post. Frustrating, but it still semmed as if the Caps were in control until late in the period when Mike Green stepped in. Now I like Green, he has superstar talent. This postseason, however, he has been the worst player on the team. Some will argue that Semin was worse, but Semin was not detracting from the team in his frustration. He led the league in shots in the postseason and it really seemed like it was only a matter of time before he put one in. The bounces just were not going his way. Green was clearly frustrated with his inability to score and it really affected his play. He was widely criticized after game 2 when he was directly responsible for 2 of Montreal's 5 goals. His poor defensive play really affected the team. His frustration also put him into penalty trouble as he had 6 penalties in the series including 2 in game 7.

Towards the end of the first period during 4 on 4 play, Green had the puck and skated into the offensive zone. He lost the puck and it trickled to his right. Standing in front of him away from the puck was defenseman Andrei Markov. Instead of going directly for the puck Green skated forward, cross checked Markov, then turned and got the puck. It was an obvious penalty and a big time mistake. Montreal's offense is at its best when its on the powerplay and a 4 on 3 penalty gave them a lot of room to work with. Marc-Andre Bergeron made the Caps pay and Washington went into the locker room down 0-1 after dominating the period. In the third period Montreal dumped the puck into the Caps' zone. Green was the closest man to it, but did not seem to be in much of a hurry to grab the puck. Seeing that Green was taking his time, Hal Gill sprinted after it, beat him there, and chipped it behind Green to a waiting Dominic Moore who beat a helpless Semyon Varlamov to give Montreal a 2-0 lead. This was an easy mistake to avoid and one the Caps could not afford.

While Green remains one of the best offensive defensemen in the league, his defensive play constantly comes into question. It has kept him out of the all star game, off the Canadian Olympic team, and has cost him a Norris trophy. The fact that he puts so many points on the board shows me he has great offensive instincts. He knows where the puck is going and where he needs to be. He has yet to translate those instincts to his defensive play. If he knows where he needs to be to score, he should know where the opposing forwards are going to go. Being a defenseman, he needs to be thinking defense first, offense second. It was clear, however, that his lack of offense was weighing heavily on his mind and it really took away from his defensive play.

The most frustrating moment, perhaps of the series, came early into the third period. About 30 seconds in, Ovechkin finally managed to put one past Halak and tie the game. The goal, however, was immediately waved off by the referee who determined that Mike Knuble had interfered with Halak. Later on in the period, Montreal also had a goal waved off so it balanced out, right? Wrong. While I may be a die hard Caps fan, let me try to explain this as objectively as possible. The official rule on goalie interference according to nhl.com is "Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper's ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal; or (2) an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goaltender, inside or outside of his goal crease." So to be clear, players are allowed in the crease and contact itself does not necessarily constitute a goal being disallowed. In the Caps' goal, Knuble was in the crease next to Halak. He stood shoulder to shoulder with him (contact), Ovechkin shot, Halak went down in his stance in an attempt to block the shot, and it got passed him. Knuble's contact in no way impaired Halaks ability to defend the goal. It may have looked like Knuble's contact knocked him down, but he went down in an attempt to save the shot. Even if you felt Knuble's contact was illegal, which it was not, at best it was a 50/50 call. This is the third period in game 7 of a playoff series. You do not make game changing calls off of a 50/50 call that late in a game 7. There is no call for the "Bush Push" and there's no push off foul on Michael Jordan. Likewise, you do not disallow a goal in the third period of a game 7 because of a 50/50 call.

As for Montreal's disallowed goal, Varlamov had the puck, it was not visible, and the Montreal forward raised both arms and literally pushed Varlamov into the net. Sounds like "deliberate contact with the goaltender" to me. Watch the replay, no one could argue that it was not a deliberate push into the net. Had Ovechkin's goal been allowed, 30 seconds into the third period the score would have been tied at 1. This was a huge game changing decision, it was incorrect, and disallowing a Montreal goal that was clearly illegal does not compensate for such a terrible call.

Now, in the aftermath of a terrible upset, it's not time get drastic. Of course we are going to hear all sorts of criticism against Ovechkin and negative comparisons to Crosby and the Penguins, but let's keep things in perspective. I've already heard several criticisms against Ovechkin and the fact that he's a terrible leader and that's why the team is out. This is completely unfair. First, off, do not site the Olympics. From what I saw from team Russia, they were completely mismanaged by their coach. Just a quick example, Ovechkin played cleanup during powerplays, meaning he played in the center to screen the goalie and catch rebounds. This is a complete waste of his talent as he has the best shot in the world and you have him chipping in rebounds which any player can do. That's just a quick example, I could go on for days about why Russia's coach was laughably awful so the fact that Russia did not win a medal is more a result of their coach's terrilbe management more than it is a reflection of Ovechkin's leadership. The fact is that Ovechkin was named captain midseason and now people are using this as an excuse for the team's early exit. No one seemed to be question him in the regular season when he led the Caps to the best record in franchise history. While I will be the first one to say the Caps should have made it farther in the playoffs, to blame it on Ovechkin's leadership is unfair, especially when he was thrust the captaincy mid season with the unexpected trade of Chris Clark.

Also, to characterize Ovechkin as a Tracy McGrady or the Capitals as the next San Jose Sharks is a bit premature. While the last three postseason performances have been underwhelming, people are forgetting just how young this team is. Backstrom is 22, Eric Fehr is 24, Tomas Fleischmann is 25, Ovechkin is 24, Green is 24, Jeff Schultz is 24, and Varlamov just turned 22. Two years ago, I felt that while the Caps had home ice, Philadelphia was actually the favorite. Last season, we saw a huge rebound to defeat New York and make it to round 2. Yes with each year the expectations are raised as they should be and the Caps did not live up to those expectations this year, but this is a young team and this will be an experience that will help them in the future.

What does this series mean for the future? It really shows why the Caps need a defensive star. Granted, at the trade deadline they picked up Joe Corvo, who was fantastic in the playoffs, and Milan Jurcina, who had a sports hernia and has yet to play a game with the Caps since his return. Jon Carlson was one of the best players for the Caps in the series and looks to be a regular next season and Mike Green will undoubtedly rebound. The problem is that Corvo, Carlson, and Green are all offensive minded defensemen. The Caps' philosophy this season has been to outscore the opponent, not keep them off the board. As a result the team found themselves playing from behind a lot more often than they should have. Perhaps the game of the year was the 3 goal comeback against Pittsburgh on Super Bowl Sunday in which the Caps scored 4 straight to beat their hated rivals in OT 5-4. This kind of thing seemed to happen a lot to the Caps this season and as they kept winning, they began to develop bad habits. The Caps were either tied or losing at the end of the first period in EVERY game in the Montreal series. Coming from behind is MUCH harder in the playoffs as we all saw. The Caps also allowed a powerplay goal in 6 of the 7 games. Allowing a powerplay goal every game is not acceptable. Carlson and Karl Alzner do not provide a reasonable excuse to ignore the blue line this summer.

Finally, this series has given the Caps an important lesson in playoff hockey. The past two season have taught the Caps why it's important to start strong and this season is a lesson in finishing strong. It also is a blatant reminder of how much different playoff hockey is than regular season hockey. All important lessons for this team to keep in mind for next season's playoff push.

Ovechkin Suspended 2 Games for Hit, Cooke, Downie Get Nothing

Alexander Ovechkin has been suspended for 2 games due to a hit on Chicago's Brian Campbell during Sunday's game. This coming in the wake of the Matt Cooke and Steve Downie hits in which both players received ZERO suspension. Let's cut to the chase. I'm pissed. The NHL has messed up big time and it is inexcusable.

Take a look at this hit. Campbell has the puck about one second before Ovechkin hits him so a physical play is still legal in this situation. Ovechkin is skating straight on while Campbell is turning to skate around the net, meaning Ovechkin probably expected Campbell to turn completely which would have made Ovechkin's hit legal. Instead, Ovechkin hits him from behind, which I will readily admit is an illegal play. Watch Campbell's feet when he is hit. One of them lifts up off the ice while the other doesn't move. It certainly appears that either Campbell's skate was stuck in the ice or he was already stumbling when he is hit which may have caused him to fall as awkwardly as he did. Something important to note is what happens after the play: nothing. No retaliation from Chicago against Ovechkin. When a player gets what a team feels is a dirty hit, they try to stand up for their teammate and go after the guy. These situations frequently turn into a brawl, yet no one goes after Ovechkin. Watch Ovechkin's reaction. It's clear he had no intent to hurt Campbell and was shocked that he went down as hard as he did.

My opinion may be biased for Ovechkin, but three analysts at the Chicago game commented that they felt an ejection was unwarranted. I've read several articles on ESPN.com and none of those analysts thought a suspension was warranted either. Still, I could understand why the NHL would suspend him if they had suspended Matt Cooke and Steve Downie who just committed very dangerous hits. Yet, they received nothing and Ovechkin is out. Earlier this month, Cooke skated up to Marc Savard who was not looking, lifted his elbow, and hit him full force in the HEAD. This Sunday Downie skated behind Sidney Crosby who was nowhere near the puck, wrapped himself around Crosby's knee, and took him down. Neither player received even a penalty in game. Wait, what's that? Ovechkin is a repeat offender this season so that should warrant a harsher punishment? Oh, ok, well Colin Campbell, the NHL executive in charge of discipline commented after reviewing Cooke's hit that "I can't suspend Matt Cooke for being a repeat offender, I have to find a reason." Apparently elbowing someone in the head or wrapping around someone's knee in what has to be one of the cheapest, dirtiest, most dangerous plays I have ever seen isn't enough of a reason.

Some may also believe a suspension is warranted because Campbell broke his collar bone as a result of Ovechkin's push. Cooke's latest victim, Marc Savard, received a grade 2 concussion and is out for the rest of the season. Downie's hit on Crosby luckily did not result in any injury, but it easily could have sidelined him for the season or longer. So now it's open season for headhunters to hit whomever they please where ever they please as long as it's not in the back and the other player doesn't get anything worse than a concussion. That policy is going to lead to a lot of dirty plays and some serious injuries.

Not only is this a dangerous precedent for the NHL, but it is unfair to Ovechkin who has had to face criticism that he is a dirty player all season long. Being a fanatical Caps fan, I have studied Ovechkin's play extensively and can say without a doubt that he is not a dirty player. I have never seen him hit someone with the intent to injure. He's like the big kid in the playground who sometimes hurts other kids not because he's mean or a bully, but because he doesn't know he's bigger than the other kids. Ovechkin skated up to a 200+ lbs. professional athlete and pushed him with his arms, not even a full on body check, and the guy goes flying into the boards. He plays with reckless abandon and while he clearly needs to learn when to pull back on the reins, he never means to hurt anyone.

So while players are being elbowed, tripped, speared, blindsided, and wheeled off in gurneys, Colin Campbell is patrolling against the menace that is Alexander Ovechkin. With that philosophy it may be safer for NHL players to play in the middle of a highway than in the NHL.

Caps Top Penguins in a Game for the Ages

The stage was set Sunday for another typical Capitals/Penguins matchup. The Caps always seem to play real well when nothing important is on the line, but the Penguins always win the important matchups. The Caps won three straight games against Pittsburgh last season and with the season sweep on the line, the Caps lost. They opened the playoff series with two wins before losing the next four out of five to lose the series. This season, the Caps won the first matchup, but with a 13 game streak on the line, they came into the game flat. Nothing went their way. The Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin rivalry wasn't going well as Crosby scored the first two goals of the game. Penalties were not going their way and late in the second the Caps saw themselves down 4-1. Everyone in the stadium dressed in red gave a collective groan as yet again, the Caps could not get over the hump. How far can we go in the playoffs if we can't win the big ones?

And then, things began to turn. Eric Fehr got the Caps within two before the period ended and that was all Ovechkin needed. He refused to lose and gave the intrepid Caps' fans something to cheer about as he netted two goals to tie the game. Then, a blistering shot off the post led to the Mike Knuble overtime winner. It has already been declared the best game of the season and I believe it was the greatest game I have ever personally been to.

Improbable comeback aside, this game was great because of the history and the way it was played. Long time Caps fans love to hate the Penguins because of the disastrous playoff history between the two. The Caps have faced the Penguins eight times in the post season and have won the series only once. More recently the rivalry has been reignited by the Crosby, Ovechkin rivalry. All of that was on display, but there was something else that just really taunted the Washington faithful, and that was Pittsburgh's style of play. Crosby has faced criticism since he entered the league for his lack of physical play and his constant complaining to the refs. An example was last season when he complained to the refs about how many hats were being thrown onto the ice after an Ovechkin hat trick. Unbelievable. It's why Ovechkin is the better player. I have never seen Crosby score a goal that I thought Ovechkin couldn't score. Forget about the insane behind the back and over the head goal against Phoenix and there are still numerous goals and performances by Ovechkin that Crosby couldn't match because he won't play phyical. If Crosby breaks his nose, can you see him scoring four goals including the overtime winner like Ovechkin did against Montreal? Nope. How about the dozens of Ovechkin goals that he scores while pushing the defender away with one arm including the spin around goal last season? Couldn't happen.

Both players are models for their team's style. What we saw on Sunday was a Capital's team with great offensive talent that plays a quick, physical game and that isn't afraid to fight. What we saw from Pittsburgh is a team with great offesnive talent that will complain every time they get hit, but then will throw cheap shots at you. It is an infuriating style of play because that is not how hockey should be played and yet they win with it. It's like that guy in college who never studies or does work, but gets straight As. You hate him because that's not the way it should be done, but he is still doing just as well if not better than you are. Early in the first period Ovechkin drove to the net and after the whistle blew the Penguins' defensmen slashed his knee and then pushed him up high. No call. Pittsburgh drove the net and Chris Kunitz skated up to Jose Theodore and checked him as if he were a regular skater. Theodore did a little flip in the air and went down hard. He was given a minor penalty. Later on Ovechkin was pushed by Craig Adams from behind onto the ice and driven into the boards hard. Mike Knuble came to his defense and was given a minor penaly for instigating, a major penalty for fighting, and a 10 minute misconduct. Adams? Just a fighting major. This all happened just in the first period. There was more of the same in the second. After Jordan Staal gave the Penguins a 3-1 lead, Caps defenseman Brian Pothier was pushed into the celebrating Penguins who, all five of them, proceeded to beat on Pothier. The Caps came to his defense. What team would have done any different? The Caps and Penguins were given matching minors and misconducts despite the fact that it was all started by Pittsburgh and Washington was just trying to defend their teammates. Sometimes the calls just don't go your way, but how can a team play the way the Penguins do and get no calls? By the end of the second period the Caps were down 4-2 and had been called for six minor penalties, one major, and two misconducts. In that second period, each Capitals' penalty was preceded by a worse Penguins' infraction that was not called, and that is not an exaggeration or biased take. I talked to a Pittsburgh fan who agreed with me. Frustration in the building was felt everywhere not just because of the rivalry, not just because it was Crosby, or because the streak was on the line. We were frustrated because there was no justice. A hockey team was playing a non physical, dirty game and they were winning while we were getting thrown into the penalty box.

After the Caps roared back to tie it, the refs made their presence known yet again when with 4:08 left to go in regulation, Matt Cooke's stick broke and Jeff Schultz was called for slashing. No one, regardless of whether they were wearing black and gold or red and blue, could argue that the right call was made. Cooke's stick simply broke. But, at a pivotal point in the game, the Caps were going shorthanded. In overtime, Brooks Orpik was called for a high stick on Alexander Semin. What did he do? He argued with the ref so profusely that he was given a misconduct penalty. Afterwards he complained about how Semin took a dive and about how he always takes a dive. Are you kidding me? YOU PLAY FOR THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS!!! Not only was it the right call, but no one from Pittsburgh can ever complain about diving. That's half the Penguins game plan. This is why we hate the Penguins. This is why it was important to win. Not only is it good for DC, but it's good for the game of hockey. When one player can complain about the refs even after they gave the other team seven minor penalties, two majors, and two misconducts, then you're an idiot and a cry baby. His team had their chance to win when the Caps went shorthanded with four minutes left. They didn't take advantage. The Caps did. Learn the game of hockey and deal with it.

The Caps went down 4-1, Crosby had two goals, the refs were terrible, and Pittsburgh was playing dirty. What happened? The Caps won 5-4, Ovechkin had a hat trick, they won off a power play goal, and they did it playing the game the way it should be played. Playoff success may not be guaranteed, but the Caps took one major step forward by getting over the Pittsburgh hump and doing it by playing real hockey. Well done.

Hey Refs, Where is the Consistency?

The Washington Capitals extended their win streak to 9 games last night with a 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers. But the Caps walk away with a sour taste in their mouths because of a hit on Mike Green that sent the star defenseman sprawling.

In the second period while pursuing the puck, Green was hit hard by Dmitry Kulikov in a knee on knee collision. Green looked up just in time to see Kulikov coming and tried to avoid him. Kulikov then reflexively extend his knee in an attempt to catch Green. The result was a scary hit that looked exactly like those that got Alexander Ovechkin into trouble. Green dropped onto the ice and had to be helped off by his teammates. He did not return. He says the injury is not serious and that he wanted to return, but he was kept out by the trainers who decided to err on the side of caution. His status for Sunday's game against Tampa Bay remains uncertain.

Knee on knee hits are considered very serious by the NHL because they can easily lead to very serious injuries. Ovechkin threw two similar hits earlier in the season and was ejected from both games. He was then given a two game suspension. The message was clear. You're not a dirty player, but you need to tone it down a bit. Since then, it has not been an issue. So what happened to Kulikov? Nothing. No suspension, as of yet, no ejection, not even a penalty. The result of the play was a minor penalty against the Capitals for retaliating. This was not a dirty hit, but it was serious one that deserved serious consequences. The most important part of officiating is consistency. Officials must make consistent calls. This no call was absurd.

Who doesn't remember the sudden outcry against Ovechkin? People all over the league questioned whether Ovechkin was a dirty player. Much of the criticism was completely unwarranted. Now there's no outcry at all. There's nothing. One reason of course is the fact that Ovechkin is the best player in the world, and Kulikov is not a big name. That fact is made irrelevant by the seriousness of the crime. Knee on knee hits are serious. That is the most troubling part of this. Inconsistency on minor penalties is annoying, but players are not in physical danger when another team is allowed to hold or trip at will. When a player can collide into another player's knee, especially against a player as prominent as Green, and there is no penalty at all, that's serious. Neither Ovechkin's or Kulikov's hits were dirty, but they were serious none the less. While Green's injury does not appear to be serious, it easily could have been. Will lesser known players be allowed these kind of hits until someone gets hurt? I am outraged that someone like Ovechkin can be called dirty, while Green can be sent flying without a penalty. If that's the way the officials will call the Caps then Ted Leonsis should give the trainers a raise and furnish the penalty box. We are going to see a lot of injuries and a lot of retaliation penalties as the refs continue to turn a blind eye.

Caps Dominate First Match with Penguins, What Next?

Last Thursday the Capitals marched into Pittsburgh and dominated in every aspect winning 6-3. The Capitals were clearly in control from start to finish. Despite a fluke goal let in early by Jose Theodore, he outplayed former Capital Brent Johnson in net, Alex Ovechkin outscored rival Sidney Crosby 2-1, the Caps killed all four of Pittsburgh's power plays and scored on both of their own. It was a great all around effort.

This was a huge win for the Caps coming not just against the defending Stanley Cup champions in their own home, but also against their rivals. What does this game mean? Well, it depends. After the embarrassing game 7 loss in the playoffs last season, the Caps really needed to respond against the hated Penguins the first chance they got. It's great for the team's confidence not just in the regular season, but going forward. The Eastern conference may well come down to another Washington/Pittsburgh matchup and the Caps will need games like this to help them forget last season.

It is also important to keep this game in perspective. Most teams look at matchups against defending champions as a benchmark for their own chances, so let's analyze this game. The Penguins were without top netminder Marc Andre Fleury who has a broken finger. Johnson played admirably and the Caps have put up big numbers against Fleury, but you have to believe his return to the lineup would give Pittsburgh a boost. While all three of the Caps goaltenders have have played really well this season, a rotating trio isn't a good playoff setup. Pittsburgh will have an advantage in net if someone doesn't establish himself as the top (and healthy) netminder. More importantly, the Penguins are a proven playoff team. The Caps won 3 out of 4 games against the Penguins last season in much the same fashion. Yet, after game 3 in the playoffs the Caps really struggled to put their rivals away. Including the post season the Caps started 5-1 against Pittsburgh and finished the season 1-4. The Caps struggled in the first round as well going down 1-3 to a much weaker New York team before storming back to a game 7 win. Playoff experience counts for a lot. The Penguins have more of it and it shows in April and May.

What this all means is that we don't know what it means. The Caps have the talent and skill to beat any team in the league which they showed on Thursday and almost every night in the regular season. With growing experience and maturity this team is building itself up for a playoff run, but the Caps need big wins over their rivals in May as well as January.

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.