Offseason Questions for the Capitals

The Washington Capitals find themselves cleaning out their lockers and heading into the offseason much earlier than they would have hoped this year. Now they face the numerous questions regarding coaches, free agents, and how they expect to go farther in the playoffs next season. Here are the most important questions facing this team in the offseason.

Coach: In the wake of their improbable first round upset, management hinted that changes would be coming this offseason. Immediately, people assumed this meant head coach Bruce Boudreau. Owner Ted Leonsis and general manager George McPhee have already put those rumors to rest. "He's a really good coach," McPhee said, "He's going to be here a really long time. No need to raise those issues because he's not going anywhere." Talking about coaching changes are certainly premature at this point, but if the Caps have an early exit next season it will be an option that is at least discussed.

Nicklas Backstrom: The biggest priority for the Caps heading into the offseason is Nicklas Backstrom. Backstrom's entry level contract expired at the end of this season and he is now a restricted free agent. Backstrom seems happy in Washington and has never indicated he is considering going elsewhere, and as the Caps have the right to make him an offer I expect they will do whatever it takes to keep him. I would be surprised if signing him is a major issue, but what the Caps have to pay him will be. Make no mistake, they will pay him what he wants. The problem is that his previous contract was entry level and since then he has established himself as a superstar. Signing him now is going to cost a significant amount of money and this could impact who the Caps try to sign when free agency begins. Listed below are the other restricted and unrestricted free agents on the Caps' roster:

Restricted- Eric Fehr, Boyd Gordon, Tomas Fleischmann, Jay Beagle, Andrew Gordon, Chris Bourque, Jeff Schultz, Michal Neuvirth
Unrestricted- Brendan Morrison, Scott Walker, Quintin Laing, Eric Belanger, Alexandre Giroux, Boyd Kane, Kyle Wilson, Shaone Morrisonn, Milan Jurcina, Joe Corvo, Jose Theodore

Goalies: The big name here of course is Jose Theodore, who I am not expecting the Caps to sign. While he has been a tremendous asset to the team and has put together two impressive regular seasons, he has not been a reliable playoff goalie. Twice he has gone in as the starter and failed both times to last two full games. Boudreau told reporters prior to the series against Montreal that Theodore would not have a short leash this season and he was still pulled early in game two. While confidence in him is not high, Boudreau has shown a lot of confidence in young Michal Neuvirth. When Varlamov went down with injury in the regular season, it was expected that Theodore would take over as the primary goalie. Boudreau, however, started Neuvirth in 16 games. He will be a major priority for the team to sign this summer. Theodore will walk and the money the team will save from his contract will go to Backstrom.

Defense: Defense really needs to be a focus for the Caps this offseason. They were ranked 1st offensively and 16th defensively. More importantly they were ranked 25th on the penalty kill. As good as they were, the Caps had to play from behind constantly this season. While they were able to overcome numerous deficits in the regular season, it really hurt them in the playoffs. The first thing the team needs to do is talk to Mike Green. Last year he was widely criticized for his lack of conditioning in the playoffs and he spent the entire offseason trying to get in better shape. Now he needs to work on his defensive game. It is the only thing holding him back, but it is a serious problem since he is a DEFENSEman. His offensive skill does not excuse his poor defensive play. Regarding the team's free agents, they will not allow Jeff Schultz, who won the plus-minus award this season and seems to be finally coming into his own, to leave. They will also attempt to re-sign Shaone Morrisonn, one of the few defensive minded defensemenon the team. Milan Jurcina will not be back. As the team already traded him once, I do not think there will be much urgency to sign him again, especially with the emergence of Jon Carlson. Joe Corvo looked tremendous in the postseason, but signing him will be expensive and my guess would be that the team let's him go. My biggest fear regarding defense will be that the team decides to rely solely on the emergence of Carlson, Tyler Sloan, and Karl Alzner and do not attempt to sign a more defensive player. If they cannot sign Shaone Morrisonn, then they MUST sign a defensive minded defenseman to help the Caps keep the puck out of the net.

Forwards: The biggest question besides Nicklas Backstrom is not actually a free agent, but is Alexander Semin. Semin's contract was set to expire at the end of this season, but he signed a one year extension. Semin has the talent to be a top line left winger on most NHL teams, but happens to be on the same team as the best left winger in the world. Being that talented, he will expect a large contract. With the other superstars on the team, he might be just too expensive. Now that the team is fully focused on building for the playoffs, Semin's failure to produce in the postseason makes him expendable. The fact that he only signed for an extra year tells me the writing is on the wall and he will part ways with the Caps after the 2010-11 season. The Caps will not allow a player of Semin's calibur to leave without getting something in return and I will expect an offseason or a deadline trade. If the team acquires a notable left wing this summer, then Semin's tenure in DC will end sometime soon. More likely, however, is that the team will wait until the trade deadline to deal Semin when teams are more desperate for scoring talent. I felt Brendan Morrison was a fantastic free agent signing last summer and will be sorry to see him leave, but the Caps will not pursue him this offseason. Morrison is a second line caliber forward, but was a healthy scratch frequently in the regular season and twice in the team's seven playoff games. This tells me that the team will not sign him and signing Eric Belanger will become very important. He seems to enjoy playing in DC, saying after the team's improbable comeback against Chicago "We didn't do that in Minnesota" so my guess would be that he will be back in DC.

The Caps will try desperately to trade Michael Nylander again, but I doubt any team will be willing to pick up his large contract. Lending him out so that he does not contribute to the salary cap as they did this year is the most likely scenario for 2010-11 which is the last year of his contract. Boyd Kane is 31 and unlikely to make an impact at the NHL level, so unless the team wants to sign him for Hershey, he will be gone. The team is likely to sign Eric Fehr, Boyd Gordon, and Tomas Fleischmann, especially Fehr after his breakout season this year and these players seem unlikely to go anywhere else. Scott Walker was a deadline deal and I expect the Caps will not pursue him unless they want him to replace Jon Erskine (fingers crossed) as the team's fighter. As for the rest, the Caps will definitely want to sign Jay Beagle, Andrew Gordon, Chris Bourque, Alexandre Giroux, and Kyle Wilson. The only one I think could leave would be Giroux who has become an AHL superstar. Signing a big contract to 28 year old minor league player who rarely gets called up to Washington is not the direction the team will want to go in. Either he accepts a minor league, low contract, or he'll have to find himself another team.

Likely Lineup: I expect most of the free agents on the Caps' current roster that they pursue will sign with Washington again. A championship contender offering a chance to play with the best player in the world makes recruiting a lot easier, especially when most of these players developed in Hershey and Washington together. As for bringing in players, my best guess is that the team will pursue a center to replace Brendan Morrison and to help on the penalty kill, a left wing to replace Semin and provide an offensive threat both in the regular season and the playoffs, and a defenseman because even the Caps cannot ignore their defensive woes this season (I hope). If they are about to hand the reins over to Varlamov and Neuvirth, they will need will more help on the blue line. Unless the team expects Karl Alzner to turn into Chris Pronger this offseason, a defensive minded defenseman is a must. So here is my projected lineup for October without specific guesses as to what free agents the Caps bring in:

1st line: Ovechkin, Backstrom, Knuble
2nd line: Semin (gone by trade deadline), Morrison's replacement, Laich
3rd line: Semin's replacement, Belanger, Fehr
4th line: Chimera, Steckle, Fleischmann

Defense Pairings: Green and Schultz, Carlson and Poti, Morrisonn and Sloan or Corvo's replacement (hopefully)

Goalies: Varlamov, Neuvirth

Other Roster Players: Bradley, Gordon, Laing, Erskine, Alzner

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.

What a Difference Two Games Make...

Two games into Washington's playoff matchup and you can already throw out all of the analysis and predictions regarding what would happen in this series. Montreal came into the playoffs with the 23rd ranked offense but has managed 8 goals in two games against the Capitals and only two have come from their 2nd ranked power play. Many Washington sports analysts expected the Capitals to advance in five games while many Motnreal sports analysts expected the Capitals in advance in four. Yet Montreal stunned the best team in the NHL in game one in overtime and looked in control for most of game two. Things have gotten off to a weird start.

Montreal goaltender Jaroslav Halak looked fantastic in his first playoff start stopping 45 of 47 shots and leading the Canadiens to an improbable game one win. In game two, however, he seemed to struggle allowing 5 goals on just 37 shots. Alexander Ovechkin even stated he saw Halak's arm shaking late in the game. With Washington's potent offense, Halak has to be better. If we see another 6 goal game for the Capitals, I wouldn't be surprised to see Carey Price in for game four.

The biggest surprise for Montreal has to be their offense. They averaged 2.65 goals per game during the regular season but have managed 8 so far in just two games. Heading into the playoffs, I thought the Canadiens' strategy would be to try the weather the storm, agitate and try to force penalties, and win through powerplays and counter attacks. Now, however, Montreal is proving that their offense can win on its own. That could spell trouble for the Capitals who are having some troubles in goal and on defense.

Game one had to be absolutely baffling for the Washington Capitals. Looking at this series it was believed their two biggest weaknesses were their goaltending and 25th ranked penalty kill matching against the second best power play. If you had told me that the Capitals would get great goaltending and allow 1 power play goal in 4 opportunities in game one, I would have thought "mission accomplished." Not so. Despite Theodore's heroics, the Capitals dropped game one in overtime. Then, the Capitals found themselves down 0-2 twelve minutes into game two after allowing only 2 shots. To allow only 2 shots in 8 minutes of play is impressive, but it is meaningless if the other team scores on those 2 shots. Now Boudreau has a choice to make for game 3. Theodore may have had a bad game, but he has played great since January going 20-0-3. Would starting Semyon Varlamov, who had an average game after replacing Theodore, really be the right move? Short answer, yes. You have to go with the goalie that wins and Varlamov won the game. It may not have been pretty, but he got the job done. Putting Theodore back in for game three in a city he has not played well in would be a disaster. What would happen if Theodore started and played terribly? Boudreau would be lambasted over the decision and the team would find itself in a 2-1 playoff deficit with their confidence shaken. Varlamov's first NHL start was at Montreal and he allowed only 1 goal. Starting Theodore would have long term playoff implications as well. Whether Boudreau will confess to it or not, I believe he came into these playoffs expecting to use both goalies. Analysts may not like it, but he has done it for years in the AHL with success. If Theodore starts tonight and does not play well, that ship has sailed. He can't play Theodore again in Montreal period, even if Varlamov doesn't play well either. If Varlamov plays, Boudreau at least has the option of playing Theodore again. I expect Boudreau will play Varlamov until he has a bad game and then go back to Theodore as he did for most of the regular season. It's a risk, but with this system the Capitals managed the best record in the league and the most dominant regular season in recent memory.

Defense for the Capitals is also a major issue. Remember when I said maybe Jon Carlson should sit? Scratch that. He's been one of, if not the best, defenseman for the Capitals so far in the playoffs. The worst? Mike Green. It's not because he has 0 points so far, it's because defensively Green has downright stunk. You can blame Green for at least 2 of Montreal's 5 goals in game two. If Green isn't producing offensively it really doesn't hurt the team that much. They can score without him. When a defenseman plays poorly defensively, however, it always hurts the team. What we've seen from Green so far has been unacceptable. Boudreau already took him off the powerplay as a message, but Boudreau has to make sure Green is thinking defense first, offense second.

Tonight another major factor will be introduced into the series. Montreal's stadium, the Bell Centre, provides probably the biggest home ice advantage in the NHL. Hockey is king and Montreal has won more Stanley Cups than any other team in the NHL and as a result the Canadiens have developed quite a following. It will be interesting to see how both teams react to the crowd tonight especially in such a critical game.

The Capitals were the better team in game one for the first 40 minutes and in game two for the last 20 minutes and 30 seconds. This team knows they can be the better team for 60 minutes so let's hope we start to see that tonight.

Capitals Face Tough Questions on How to Prepare for Playoffs

With the regular season set to end for Washington on April 11 against Boston, the Capitals have already sealed the Southeast division and the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Now the Capitals have five games remaining and are facing the same questions that plagues the best teams in every sport every year regarding how to best prepare for the playoffs. Should they rest their best players, take these last few games seriously, show the playoff lineups...? Every situation has been tried and has worked or not worked at some time. The question really is what is the best policy for this team specifically?

When studying the Capitals, one realizes that when this team is firing on all cylinders, it's scary. This team has beaten Pittsburgh twice including a game in which they trailed 4-1 in the second period and Chicago in a game in which they trailed 3-0 and they did it without Alexander Ovechkin who had been ejected. In fact, this team is so deep that they still have a winning record in games without Ovechkin (7-2). They have an 18-3-2 record within the division. While it may be true that the Southeast division is one of the weakest in the NHL, this is still impressive because these are the teams that know the Capitals the best. Washington leads all teams in the NHL in points with 112. They have scored 31 more goals than any team in the league and have a leading goal differential of +78 which is 26 higher than second place. Of course every team has their weaknesses, and for the Capitals it's their defense. But Washington was the best team in the league before the trade deadline and they still managed to get better with the acquisition of Scott Walker, Eric Belanger, Joe Corvo, and Milan Jurcina.

The Capitals certainly look like the team to beat heading into the playoffs, but there are some problems surfacing. A problem the Capitals have had all year is letting in early goals. Even in the midst of their incredible 14 game winning streak the Capitals constantly had to play from behind. While they have proven repeatedly that they are never out of a game until the clock hits zero with numerous multi goal and last minute comebacks, they cannot continue this trend in the playoffs. Many may ask why it matters if the Capitals continue to win and the answer is that the playoffs are a completely different game. Of the last 23 Presidents' trophy winners (team with the best record in the regular season which the Capitals will most likely win this season) only 7 have won the Stanley Cup. The Capitals won't get points for forcing overtime anymore, they will still have to win the game. It was clear at the end of that 14 game winning streak the emotional toll was having an affect on the team, now imagine adding the intensity of playoff hockey. That kind of pressure will cripple most teams. One reason for the Capitals' collapse in game seven against the hated Penguins last season is that they could not sustain the pressure and intensity for two straight seven game series after beating the Rangers by the skin of their teeth. A team as good as the Capitals should not be playing from behind. The longer you allow a weaker team to remain competitive in a game and in a series, the harder it will be to take control. The Capitals just cannot rely on last minute comebacks in the playoffs, they need to put teams away early which they can easily do with their overwhelming offensive power.

One thing that head coach Bruce Boudreau has to keep in mind is this team's recent playoff history. In the last two seasons the Capitals lost three out of their first four games. They managed to force a game seven both times, but neither series should have come to that. Recent games, including their season trend of letting in early goals, show that this team sometimes has trouble turning on the switch. If this team takes the next few weeks off, then they could find themselves again dropping a few games to start the playoffs this year. This cannot happen. The Capitals really need to prove to themselves more than anyone else that they are good enough to win. A four or five game series will get that message across. A seven game series against the 8th team in the east would not. Resting the players really is not an option here.

Of course, if you don't rest you risk fatigue late in the playoffs and the Capitals want a deep playoff run. Since the trade deadline, Boudreau has not been shy about scratching every player on the team minus the stars Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Knuble, Alexander Semin, and Mike Green. This is a perfect situation. Boudreau needs to let every player know that playoff spots are at stake. If you want to play in the playoffs, you're going to have to show what you've got. Players will play hard when they get the chance, but you can still scratch players and rest them. A few injuries are making that a bit difficult, but the players sitting out now are the players that will need the most rest to be at 100% come the playoffs. As for the stars, you can't scratch them, but you can reduce their shifts. Give them less playing time and they will give you everything they've got during those shifts. Also, he needs to make winning the Presidents trophy a goal they need to strive for. This team struggles when they have nothing to play for.

This is also a time to start putting together the playoff lines. One problem of course is that the remaining five games include two against possible first round foe Boston, one against possible first round foe Atlanta, and one against Pittsburgh. You may not want to show your hand to teams you may be facing, but you may also want to feel out who works in what situations against teams.

Boudreau now has a unique situation in which he can scout first hand against his probable first round opponent. It's important that the Capitals do not sleep walk through the first few games of the first round and cannot hold back on the reins too much for the rest of the season. There are ways for Boudreau to continue pushing and keeping his team strong while still not pushing too hard. This could be the year for the Capitals if they do things right!

Questions for the Capitals for the Playoffs

With the regular season set to wrap up in a month, the Washington Capitals have already clinched their 3rd straight Southeast Division title. Their 14 point lead in the conference also is likely to hold barring a massive collapse from the team, but there are still a lot of questions surrounding this team going forward that coach Bruce Boudreau will have to figure out in the remaining month. The acquisition of four players at the trade deadline has given this team a lot of depth. An NHL team is allowed to dress 18 players ( 12 forwards and 6 defenseman usually) and 2 goalies. The Caps now have 15 forwards and 9 defensemen for a total of 24 players. Should injuries creep up on some players the Caps won't have to rely on call ups from minor league affiliate Hershey, but it also means good players won't be getting jerseys. Boudreau has been switching lines up a lot to see what matchups he likes the best and no doubt will continue to do so to prepare for playoffs.

Offesive Lineup: You won't see a change in the Caps top line of Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Knuble. They have played well together all year and they have been the one consistent so far during Boudreau's recent mixing and matching. The questions begin with the three big right wingers Brooks Laich, Tomas Fleischmann, and Eric Fehr. All three are good enough to play on the second line, but are really too good to be delegated to the fourth line. The Caps have had an abundance of right wings who they previously managed by playing some at center and left wing. As a result the Caps really struggled at times without natural left wings and centers. This is something McPhee tried to address all season with acquisitions of center Brendan Morrison in the offseason and then left wing Jason Chimera and center Eric Belanger during the season.

So how do the second, third, and fourth line stack up? Of course the Alexander Semin will play left on the second line. He has super star talent and could start for most NHL teams, but plays behind the best left wing and best hockey player in the world. Although Morrison has slumped as of late, he will most likely remain the center for the second line. He has shown he still has talent and scoring capabilities and the second line needs a natural center as an achor and playmaker. Chimera and Belanger were brought into the team to be positional players for that third line so I have a hard time believing either of them will be put back on the fourth line so a right wing can take their position. Where do the right wingers go? I think Laich is still seen as the best of the three and the best crease-crasher and will be put on the second line. Despite a great season, Fehr will be put on the third line. Since Fleischmann has some experience at center he will be put on the fourth line with Scott Walker and Matt Bradley on either side. This leaves Dave Steckle, Boyd Gordon, and Quintin Laing on the outside looking in. On the one hand, you hate to sit any of these players, especially since all 3 are good penalty killers and the Caps really seem to struggle with that. On the other hand, to have a fourth line as good as Walker, Fleischmann, and Bradley is impressive. Putting a 20 goal scorer on the back line makes every line dangerous. It will really stretch opponents defenses very thin.

Defensive Lineup: The top pair on defense, like the top offensive line, is unlikely to change. Boudreau really likes Mike Green and Jeff Schultz playing together. Schultz provides a very good defensive anchor for the always offensive Green. Joe Corvo is just too good to not receive a spot and they wouldn't have given up Brian Potheir, Oskar Osala, and a draft pick if they didn't think he was a key player come playoff time. The same goes for Milan Jurcian who, despite a hernia that will keep him out for a few weeks, the Caps would not have traded for at the deadline without the intention of playing him. One thing the Caps are clearly concerned with is keeping the shot hands relatively equal. This is the key going forward. John Carlson was unexpectedly recalled from Hershey to provide the Caps with another right handed shooter to call on if they need him and he has played well so far.

Like the offense, it is impossible to look at these defensemen and single out six players who are head and shoulders above the rest, so they'll have to work backwards. The obvious first scratch for me is John Erskine. He can fight and that's it. With the acquisition of Walker, I really don't think the Caps can justify playing Erskine who just is not good enough. Tyler Sloan is also, unfortunately, on the outside looking in. Despite an impressive offseason tryout that earned him a regular spot on the team, he doesn't yet have the talent to take a slot away from any of the others. This leaves 7 players for 6 slots. As the Caps have made clear they are concerned with keeping an even number of left and right handed shooters. Of the seven left Shaone Morrisonn, Tom Poti, and Jeff Schultz are left handed shots. As these three are also very good I think it's a safe bet that they will be playing. Corvo and Green will definitely have spots and this leaves one spot left. I think if Jurcina is healthy he'll play despite how well Carlson has done. Most likely he was called up because the other two scratches, Sloan and Erskine, are left handed shots.

Goalies: With how well Jose Theodore has played so far this season, Budreau can't really justify playing Simeon Varlamov. To start the season both were playing exceptionally well which gave the edge to Varlamov who played so well in the playoffs last year. His groin injury, however, has really taken a lot out of him. Since he came back he has let in a lot of soft goals. What he still had going for him was the fact that he still never loses with only one career regulation loss in the regular season, but he can't even hide behind that anymore with a loss last night to Tampa Bay. Playing Theodore has its risks of course. Theodore's history is to do well in the regular season and taper off in the playoffs. Remember last season? Game one against the Rangers Theodore looked awful and a much better Washington team went down 1 game to 0. If Boudreau's history in the AHL is any indication, he's not above a two goalie system in the playoffs. While Theodore may start, Boudreau would be quick to put in Varlamov if Theodore were to play poorly.

All of this of course is my speculation. A lot can change in the next month as Boudreau tweaks the lines. With one month left the Caps can really make sure they have the best lineup possible for a run at the Stanley Cup.

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.