I obviously didn’t plan the timing of this pregnancy well, since I now find myself watching the Caps’ playoff run from the comfort of my couch instead of being at the Verizon Center. When you’re 9 months pregnant and less than a month away from giving birth (in total, it actually works out to 40 weeks, or 10 months), and you can’t fit into the seats anymore, it’s time to stay at home. Dear husband Chanuck is at the arena, so it’s just me, the remote, and the Internet. The one key item I’m missing is beer, of course. Don’t talk to me about non-alcoholic beers; they’re pointless. Let’s hope the Caps win so I won’t be wishing I had one.
7:10- Here we go! Can’t get enough of that sea of red. Glad to hear the “Flyers suck” chant is going already.
7:14- How ironic that Brashear gets the first goal against his former team.
7:23- Lousy Vinny Prospal. I hope the Caps shove it up his posterior.
7:29- Here’s the Flyers’ statistically impressive power play. Deep breathing exercises commence: hee-hee-hoo, hee-hee-hoo.
7:36- The GEICO ad with the dancing caveman is actually kind of entertaining- then again, I’m a fan of jazz hands. The Bruno Cipriani ad, however, is not. I think it would be greatly improved if Giuliana or Joe B. used jazz hands.
7:43- End of the 1st period. What’s with the two guys in the crowd wearing Rangers jerseys? They’re clearly confused- why, the Rangers aren’t playing here tonight!
8:05- Joe B. is ridiculing a fan for “scarfing down a little snack” and not sharing his chicken fingers. That guy must be pregnant too.
8:06- Excellent goal by Steckel! That’s a great way to come back from a broken finger.
8:17- Briere is going to sit in the box and feel shame. There is some justice in the world after all.
8:22- So much for that justice- the Magical Spearing Midget (MSM) scores a goal.
Of Alexander Ovechkin’s Friday night performance, Bruce Boudreau on Saturday morning said, “He made the strongest case you can possibly make for MVP.” He also said that the 22-year-old ”hasn’t reached his potential” yet.
Imagine.
You may have heard that just last week none other than the Great One himself claimed that 90 goals could be in one of Ovechkin’s future seasons.
“Ovechkin has the release and hands that Bossy had. He’s got the quickness that Kurri had. And he’s got the toughness that Messier had. He’s the whole package,” Gretzky told Canadian media while his Coyotes were up North. ÂÂ
“He just loves to score. The thing about scoring goals is some guys enjoy it more than others. That’s Ovechkin. It’s like he wants to keep the puck for every one of them.”
“I think he could score 90 in a season.”
But what may be more impressive than Ovechkin’s offensive prowess, which will shatter team and league records, and what may ultimately prove more important to the welfare of his hockey team, is his arrival in the second half of the 2007-08 season as a Messier-like leader. It’s the broadcast stuff of Ovechkin Ovations.
So much attention Friday was focused on his scoring a 60th goal, and yet the goal proved less the turning point in reversing Friday’s 3-1 deficit to Atlanta than Ovie telling his teammates on the bench, “Just get on my back and we’re going to go.” Moments after that sentiment was expressed the Caps unleashed a 23-2 shot barrage the rest of the way.ÂÂ
Saturday morning Brooks Laich said of Friday’s triumph, “it could be a season-changer.” Would the season have been changed if AO was merely a super sniper?
Like many of our readers who left us comments Friday and Saturday about the endearingly jubilant, third-period Caps, the head coach Saturday morning was impressed by the camaraderie he saw in Atlanta.
“I talked to Mike Green and Brooks [Laich] after the game, and I said it was like a Hershey win. Everybody was for each other, everybody was jumping up and down, and that’s how we were when we were winning series [in Hershey] and winning the [Calder] Cup.
“It was a really close feeling as a team,” he added.    ÂÂ
Likely the team didn’t feel quite so close at the end of the second period Friday. Asked if he’d delivered a message of motivation of any sort during the intermission, with his team’s season hanging in its competitive balance by a worn skate lace, Boudreau yesterday said, “I said a word or two.”
Care to share that word, or two, coach?
“No,” he replied with a smile.  ÂÂ
The surging Caps are 7-3 in their last 10 games, and 9-4 since the deadline day deals that delivered Sergei Fedorov, Cristobal Huet, and Matt Cooke. They appreciate the three-day break they’re immersed in now, as they’ve bumps and bruises and travel fatigue aplenty, but they also can’t wait to get down to Raleigh for Tuesday night’s next “biggest game of the year.”
Saturday’s was an optional skate, and coming off three tough road games, and with Sunday being declared a day off, a good many Capitals could have enjoyed a pleasant two full days off. Instead, 19 dressed for the 11:00 a.m. session, including all three goalies. Alexander Ovechkin (nearly 26 minutes of ice time Friday) and Sergei Fedorov took the morning off, as did the injured Donald Brashear, Dave Steckel, and John Erskine. Chris Clark skated by himself prior to the practice session and then went in for treatment.
Out on the ice there were smiling skaters but also some hard drills and a general seriousness of purpose. Even with three days off before resuming the second of Boudreau’s “two road trips,” it was all business. Afterward in the dressing room, Matt Bradley and Brooks Laich and Shaone Morrisonn were quick to shift the focus of their comments away from the feats of 14 hours earlier and toward next Tuesday in Raleigh. The team has had the game “circled” on its calendar for quite some while. Their last visit to Carolina included four power play goals surrendered in a 6-3 wipeout — a loss that moreso than any other in 2008 may have motivated management to make the moves it made three days later.       ÂÂ
A small band of reporters Saturday asked Boudreau if he was satisfied with the points results from road trip no. 1. He was, and he intimated that, while the Caps certainly want to win all three road games ahead, a comparable performance in the week ahead would be dandy. Success this past week was assured in large part because the Caps won the opening toughie in Nashville.ÂÂ
“Tuesday is huge in the standings, but it’s also huge for momentum” for the rest of the trip, Brooks Laich said, speaking in a unified voice for a surging hockey team. ÂÂ
No, we’re not referring to a podcast of the Pacino speech from Any Given Sunday, but a weekly podcast from the good folks at Inside College Hockey.
Here is a snippet from yesterday’s podcast where the guys discuss the Caps’ games from the weekend along with an invitation to join the Brooks Laich Fan Club via email.
If you enjoyed the snippet with the Caps talk, you can hear the whole podcast here:
Just make sure you email Gladdy to join the Brooks Laich Fan Club. Remember, he asked for it.
Thanks to resident INCH expert Nate Ewell for the tip.
The blog photographers at Off Wing do not get the credit they deserve, and Eric’s team of photographers consistently captures images that in quality rival those of the top news organizations.
The Caps met Montreal for the second time in three nights. Given that the early headline on NHL.com was “Habs Go for Home-and-Home Sweep,” the Caps had something to prove Thursday night. They also were seeking to avoid consecutive losses in regulation under Bruce Boudreau.
Good crowd, good ice, two streaking teams, and a crammed press box.
Post-game reactions
During the post game press conference with Coach Bruce Boudreau, Nate Ewell, Caps’ Director of Media Relations, announced that the team had signed forward Donald Brashear to a 1-year extension:
The Washington Capitals have re-signed left wing Donald Brashear to a one-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Brashear, 36, was signed by Washington as a free agent on July 14, 2006. He has appeared in 50 games for the Capitals so far this season, recording six points (three goals, three assists) in his second year with the team. He leads the Caps with 72 penalty minutes.
Holiday partying during Saturday’s you’re-a-dolt-if-you-missed-that-one in Ottawa, I managed to catch Jonathon Warner’s post-game ebullience on 3WT making my way home, and thereby felt as if I hadn’t missed a thing. Confession: I’ve done a terribly poor job of touting Jonathon’s talents, both with his “Saturday Night Caps” program and his superb post-game roundup. This is all the more unforgivable in light of the fact that Jonathon was gracious enough to invite Eric McErlain and me on his Saturday show earlier in the season.
At one point during the post-game show last night Jonathon had Nicklas Backstrom on the phone from the Scotiabank visitor’s room, and at the end of the exchange Jonathon told his listeners, “You could just hear Backstrom’s smile [on the call].” Great radio personalities showcase an empathy with their guests and listeners, and this Jonathon regularly does, most particularly with his callers. ÂÂ
A game like last night’s makes fans want to reach out and connect with the rest of the supporting community, in something more personal than message boards, and a program like Jonathon’s allows precisely that. Perhaps a figure like Jonathon suffers from commerical radio’s larger decline the past decade-plus, but if the Caps make a notable push in the standings in the season’s second half, Caps’ fans are going to want to hitch a ride on this radio program. Bruce Springsteen has a catchy little diddy out these days titled, ‘Radio Nowhere,’ but last night, listening to Jonathon’s program, I felt like I was lodged in Radio Somewhere Warm, Informative, and Fun.
I was Blackberried during the Saturday night family holiday gathering, and the required 36 or 38 third-period updates I could have done without. But once home, I was able to have every goal, and some other notable plays, replayed for me by visiting the Caps’ home page and streaming the video highlights found in the game recap box. I hadn’t been in a position this season to need that before, but now I appreciate it.
Donald Brashear’s now legendary maiming of Chris Neil, however, was not included in the package. I’m going to have to ask the Caps’ communications folks about either the oversight or some more sinister reason for excluding it. I mean, it’s Christmas time.
From my chum Marleen this morning I received not only a faithful blow-by-blow summary of the slow dance — “Brash uncorked 18 straight haymakers on Neil’s head . . . the announcers claimed just 15, but I counted, rewound the Tivo and slow-motion counted, and it was 18 glorious noggin-knockers” — but a powerful sense of my needing to make the YouTube retrieval of this medieval deathmatch my Sunday obligation. It took a bit of digging, but oh was it ever worth the effort, and now it’s recorded, as it should be, forever for posterity at OFB.
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JoeB, previously noted appropriately for his astute call of Alex the Gr8’s greatest-ever goal in Phoenix his rookie year, rises again to the occasion in Scotiabank Saturday night.
“Oh my goodness . . . gracious . . . Chris [Neil] go down already.
“Chris Neil ate about 15 [Donald Brashear] lefts.”
We can forgive JoeB, during all that excitement, for not fact-checking the fist-throw count with Marleen in real time. ÂÂ
Tarik’s lead this morning, I thought, was letter-perfect:
“If Alex Ovechkin was less than 100 percent because of stitches in his thigh, it wasn’t evident Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators.”
One might have attributed last month’s 4-1 triumph in Ottawa to the Sens taking the then victory-starved Caps lightly, but what now? Tuesday’s third matchup of the season between the teams will tell us a lot, I think, about the sort of mettle Bruce Boudreau’s players will take into the season’s second half, for they’ll host one ornery Sens’ squad in a late matinee then. But win or lose Tuesday, the Caps have already delivered an interesting potential storyline between these clubs. If — if — the Caps could somehow scratch and claw their way into the East’s eighth spot at season’s end, they’d very likely face the Sens in the postseason’s first round. And regular season MoJo between clubs often influences playoff karma. An interesting, thought, no?   ÂÂ
I could get used to these kind of winter-time Sunday mornings.
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Out at Kettler Capitals this past July during Rookie Camp, Tim Leone of the Patriot News pressed the case for Nicklas Backstrom spending his first year getting acclimated in North America under Bruce Boudreau. Wednesday’s Washington Post Express profiled Backstrom and his flourishing under Boudreau — 10 points in 10 games. Turns out, Tim was right.
I thought it was important to be at Verizon Center for all of this week’s games in order to gain a clear portrait of what a Bruce Boudreau Caps’ team looked like, their having been properly introduced to one another for more than half a month. I wanted to see them live in action and listen to them talk afterwards. Now I’m of the belief that I’m witnessing a notable turnaround in what was initially a terrible season, as well as Boudreau making an indelible impression toward transitioning from interim to unqualified Head Coach of the Washington Capitals.
Yes, that sentiment, that aura, was palpable in Verizon Center late last night. It was there because the Caps have strung together three straight wins over quality opponents; scored 14 goals in the process; done so without their captain, one of the game’s premiere playmaking centers, and one of the game’s best defensive forwards; and authored comebacks in two of the three victories.
Here is a theme quickly taking hold with the Bruce Boudreau Caps: secondary — and tertiary — scoring. Joe Motzko flirting with a hat trick? After the game Boudreau said all the right and polite things about Motzko having “good hands” and contributing to a Stanley Cup winner last season, but in the end, he’s a journeyman forward. But playing for Boudreau, in Boudreau’s system, motivated by Bruce Boudreau, Joe Motzko can hurt you. Tonight, he hurt the Rangers. As did Donald Brashear. And if you take a look back at Bruce Boudreau’s Hershey Bears, and Bruce Boudreau’s Manchester Monarchs, you won’t find rosters laden with top-heavy scoring. I’m not smart enough to be able to tell you why, basically, only Alexander Ovechkin could score under Glen Hanlon this season and why, three weeks later, everybody is scoring under Bruce Boudreau. But it’s happening.
Five goals against Henrik Lunqvist! And Steckel hit a pipe shorthanded, and Ovechkin missed on a breakaway. More musings:
The Brashear-Orr slow-dance: watching it made me think that the opponents of fighting have an uphill battle insofar as arguing against its entertainment value. Orr unleashed a flurry of fury early on, most of which didn’t land, then Brashear went bombs away in blowback.A certain husband stopped by Kettler today to catch some of the Caps’ practice. He took video of Donald Brashear playing instructor (and generally being silly) to some of his fellow teammates. Imagine if all of the Caps started to fight like Brashear- the Flyers would have nothing on them. (For additional video from today’s practice, check out this link.)
Here are a few pictures from Tuesday’s outdoor practice at the Chevy Chase Club.
(more pictures after the break)
Donald Brashear has answers.
Tonight, the ESPN Zone will host the first in a series of four Q&A sessions with Capitals players. Fans will be able to ask Donald questions from 6 to 7pm followed by an autograph session. You will also have the opportunity to answer trivia questions to win tickets to an upcoming game.
The remaining Q&A sessions are currently scheduled for January 10th, January 30th, and February 11th. Guest for these sessions will be announced later.
The ESPN Zone is located at 555 12 St. NW.
Somewhat ferocious and foul fall weather descended upon Washington late Monday evening. A propos given the dark clouds clinging to HockeyWashington these days. ÂÂ
Monday delivered a brief bit of good news: The Caps inked 2007 second-round pick Josh Godfrey. He of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League and a 99 mph slapper. Problem is, he won’t be bringing it from the point in our red, white, and blue soakers this season. ÂÂ
The Ilya Kovalchuk slump is over (in resounding fashion). Tonight’s game in Atlanta isn’t televised. Sound like mercy to you?ÂÂ
Washington Capital Donald Brashear is dropping the gloves… because it’s hard to type while wearing hockey gloves. Read more about his upcoming blog at the DC Sports Bog.
Federal Air Marshals are one way to ensure security … Donald Brashear looming over passengers is quite another. And definitely do not call him Shirley.
Chris Clark, Donald Brashear, Brian Pothier, Mike Green, and Nicklas Backstrom “will assist the team’s official airline, Southwest Airlines, by becoming Southwest employees for the afternoon on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport” from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM.
Per the Capitals’ press release, the hockey players will be trading the ice for the tarmac: loading bags, helping passengers board flights, and even helping guide planes on the runway (!!). Slapshot will also be at BWI, distributing peanuts and playing games with travelers. For once, flight delays may not be as painful as usual.
 |
||||||||
| 2007 WASHINGTON CAPITALS OPENING NIGHT ROSTER | ||||||||
| FORWARDS | ||||||||
| # | Player | Ht. | Wt. | Shoots | Born | Birthplace | 2006-07 Club(s) | League(s) |
| 19 | BACKSTROM, Nicklas | 6-0 | 183 | Left | 11/23/87 | Gavle, Sweden | Brynas | SEL |
| 10 | BRADLEY, Matt | 6-3 | 205 | Right | 6/13/78 | Stittsville, Ontario | Capitals | NHL |
| 87 | BRASHEAR, Donald | 6-2 | 235 | Left | 1/7/72 | Bedford, Indiana | Capitals | NHL |
| 17 | CLARK, Chris | 6-0 | 200 | Right | 3/8/76 | South Windsor, Connecticut | Capitals | NHL |
| 14 | FEHR, Eric # | 6-4 | 204 | Right | 9/7/85 | Winkler, Manitoba | Capitals/Hershey | NHL/AHL |
| 43 | FLEISCHMANN, Tomas | 6-1 | 188 | Left | 5/16/84 | Koprivinice, Czech Republic | Capitals/Hershey | NHL/AHL |
| 15 | GORDON, Boyd | 6-1 | 201 | Right | 10/19/83 | Unity, Saskatchewan | Capitals | NHL |
| 25 | KOZLOV, Viktor | 6-4 | 232 | Right | 2/14/75 | Togliatti, Russia | NY Islanders | NHL |
| 21 | LAICH, Brooks | 6-2 | 208 | Left | 6/23/83 | Wawota, Saskatchewan | Capitals | NHL |
| 92 | NYLANDER, Michael | 6-1 | 195 | Left | 10/3/72 | Stockholm, Sweden | NY Rangers | NHL |
| 8 | OVECHKIN, Alex | 6-2 | 216 | Right | 9/17/85 | Moscow, Russia | Capitals | NHL |
| 18 | PETTINGER, Matt | 6-1 | 210 | Left | 10/22/80 | Edmonton, Alberta | Capitals | NHL |
| 28 | SEMIN, Alexander | 6-0 | 181 | Left | 3/3/84 | Krasjonarsk, Russia | Capitals | NHL |
| 39 | STECKEL, David | 6-5 | 215 | Left | 3/15/82 | Westbend, Wisconsin | Capitals/Hershey | NHL/AHL |
| 16 | SUTHERBY, Brian | 6-3 | 205 | Left | 3/1/82 | Edmonton, Alberta | Capitals | NHL |
| DEFENSEMEN | ||||||||
| 44 | EMINGER, Steve * | 6-2 | 217 | Right | 10/31/83 | Woodbridge, Ontario | Capitals | NHL |
| 4 | ERSKINE, John | 6-4 | 216 | Left | 6/26/80 | Kingston, Ontario | Capitals/Hershey | NHL/AHL |
| 52 | GREEN, Mike | 6-1 | 200 | Right | 10/12/85 | Calgary, Alberta | Capitals/Hershey | NHL/AHL |
| 23 | JURCINA, Milan | 6-4 | 233 | Right | 6/7/83 | Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia | Boston/Capitals | NHL/NHL |
| 26 | MORRISONN, Shaone | 6-4 | 210 | Left | 12/23/82 | Vancouver, British Columbia | Capitals | NHL |
| 2 | POTHIER, Brian | 6-0 | 200 | Right | 4/15/77 | New Bedford, Massachusetts | Capitals | NHL |
| 3 | POTI, Tom | 6-3 | 210 | Left | 3/22/77 | Worcester, Massachusetts | NY Islanders | NHL |
| 55 | SCHULTZ, Jeff | 6-6 | 215 | Left | 2/25/86 | Calgary, Alberta | Capitals/Hershey | NHL/AHL |
| GOALTENDERS | ||||||||
| 1 | JOHNSON, Brent | 6-3 | 196 | Left | 3/12/77 | Farmington, Michigan | Capitals | NHL |
| 37 | KOLZIG, Olie | 6-3 | 225 | Left | 4/6/70 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Capitals | NHL |
|  | ||||||||
| Roster as of 2 October, 2007. | ||||||||
| * Injured reserve | ||||||||
| # Non-roster injured player | ||||||||
|  | ||||||||
What did the Washington Capitals accomplish with their preseason this September? A good bit, I think. First and foremost, they accomplished the most important task: they avoided serious injury — we’ve no indication that Alexander Semin’s ankle sprain is serious. The second most significant accomplishment, in my opinion, was seeing a healthy number of fresh faces perform at a high level and well integrate with the returning Caps’ core. Tomas Fleischmann, it appears, has won first line right wing duty. He’ll be centered, at least initially, by Viktor Kozlov. So two-thirds of Washington’s top line is new this season. It looks more playoff worthy than either of its previous incarnations the past two seasons.
Speaking of looking playoff worthy, the Caps break camp boasting one of the most intriguing second lines in all of hockey — assuming Alexander Semin’s ankle is merely a day-to-day ailment. Nicklas Backstrom’s poise and production from his very first exhibition game on exceeded I think even management’s rosiest forecast. Look for him to improve month by month as his freshman season progresses, and for him to be lodged on everybody’s short list of Calder candidates come spring. Like the Caps’ top line, the second, centered by Michael Nylander, is 66 percent new this autumn.
Line three will have a new look as well. Boyd Gordon will center it, and Matt Pettinger will flank him on the left. But another Hershey Bear, Dave Steckel, made real loud noise (especially in the faceoff circle) this training camp. He may best draw man in the entire organization, he plays a smart game, and he partners exceedingly well with Gordon. (Caps’ fans can only hope Gordon and Steckel replicate in Washington their two-way work from Hershey’s postseason run to Calder glory in 2006.) Captain Chris Clark appears to be a bit of the utility infielder for the first three lines — he’s likely to see duty on all three this season. At times he should skate on Gordon’s right, at others — perhaps as with this week, when a teammate up top is injured — he’ll skate in the top 6.
That Caps’ fourth line, just 30 hours before opening night rosters must be submitted to the league, may still have five bodies vying for assignment: Donald Brashear, Matt Bradley, Brian Sutherby, Brooks Laich, and Ben Clymer. In recent seasons the Caps’ roster has had the look and feel of too much muck and grit too high up front. This autumn, a lot of it has been pushed downward, and a logjam has emerged. It’s been at least five years since the Caps could credibly claim three lines capable of producing points with any reliability. They’ll be able to in 2007-08.
There’s considerably less turnover and churn on the blueline: only Tom Poti arrives from outside in the top 6. Caps’ management is looking for its blueline corps to mature and blossom organically, and this September, there were encouraging signs of marked improvement from within. Milan Jurcina returned to Washington brimming with bulging biceps; his teammates coined for him the nickname “Juice.” He doled out dozens of bruising hits last season after arriving from Boston, and 2007-08 could see him stake a legitimate claim as an impact, top-2 physical force.
When the Caps sent Mike Green back to Hershey last spring they instructed him to go offensive. He did. That burst of production from the blueline continued this preseason, when for much of it Green led the Caps in scoring. He was on nobody’s radar for power play point duty three weeks ago; now he may be part of the unit’s second pairing.
Last season Brian Pothier, out of necessity, was forced into roles and minutes he wasn’t accustomed and suited to. Look for him to flourish in a more stable — and within an overall more talented — defensive unit. But he is also capable of performing at a high level — anyone who saw him skate for Mike Sullivan and the United States at last spring’s World Championships would agree.
There were no questions about the Caps in net heading into camp. There are none departing it.
There is health. There is the league-wide sense that while the rest of the Southeast stood pat, the Caps upgraded. There is buzz. There is optimism. All is good. Now, it’s time to drop the puck.
10:55: The task of live blogging from a week two, mid-week morning camp scrimmage has fallen to these incapable hands. I’m reminded of the inscription inside the Habs’ dressing room — “From failing hands to you we pass the torch” (I think that’s right). Anyway, that’s my message to my bloggermates this morning — pick up the torch from me some time this afternoon.   ÂÂ
The salient news of the moment is that the league looks like it’s going to go back to the pre-lockout regular season schedule, though the exact permutation isn’t known. While that means longer road trips for the Caps in the years ahead, it will be nice for fans to see every team in the league, methinks. Consider the current dynamic of select clubs out West getting to see the likes of Ovechkin and Crosby once every three years at home. Or we in D.C. getting to see Jarome Iginla so seldom. Even better, it would seem to mean fewer Southeast Showdowns.ÂÂ
Scrimmage is scheduled to commence around 11:30, incidentally.
I am also very interested in chatting a bit with Donald Brashear about this maybe-story of the new uniform system potentially proving injurious to its wearers (on the ice). The ‘Net is abuzz about the Cam Janssen injury last weekend (shoulder, his uniform system top tore, allegedly easily). I don’t know if I’ll be able to catch up with him this afternoon, but I’ll try. I tend to doubt the view that this is some manufactured, reactionary, knee-kerk conspiracy cooked up by the haters of the new look. I say that because had there been such a scheme, I’d have led it.ÂÂ
Of course we need a heck of a lot more data and analysis beyond this incident to draw any firm conclusions, but if it proves true, can we agree that perhaps, just perhaps, the core aspects of hockey — such as what its players wear — ought to be left in the capable hands of hockey people, and not general sports corporations who are Johnny-come-latelys to our game?
11:20: We have Zamboni. Also, a spartan crowd. Washington professionals, save me, are hard at work today.
11:35: The ice is drying and what was a meager turnout is now close to passably healthy. Maybe 100 folks are in the stands. ÂÂ
I’ll be updating.
11:43: We have scrimmage. Hanlon, at least at the outset, appears to be treating it as a controlled one. Yep, there are whistles and instruction from him. Your faceoff forward pairings:
Flash- Kozlov- Ovy (in blue)
Backstron- Nylander - Semin (in white)ÂÂ
11:48: We have the scrimmage’s first goal — Matt Bradley, a tap-in, on a bit of a seeing-his-linemate (of the moment), eyes-in-the-back-of-head dish from behind the net from Nicklas Backstrom. 1-0 White.
11:54: Another Blue line — CBourque - Wilson - Klepis. It’s from Hershey, obviously. The Sweetener Line?
The crowd continues to grow. Now that I think about it, the scrimmage’s start was close enough to folks’ lunch hour that we’re probably getting a healthy lunch-hour turnout. I saw Ted gazing down on the 10:30 practice for a while. ÂÂ
High Noon: A line in White: Brashear- Clymer - Steckel. I thought Tarik’s file on Clymer this morning heart-wrenching in a sense (for Ben personally) but also healthy in the sense of it as an indicator of the organization’s maturation from a roster of many muckers into more one of skill and speed in the Top 6 followed by two lines of two-way grit and guile. And some skill. ÂÂ
Still 1-0 White, but there has been quality puck movement and some decent chances at both ends. No hitting to speak of, and this has been more or less true since the start of camp. Idle thought: is the chemistry within this organization so strong that the players like each too much too drop ‘em? That’s not a serious question. It’s still reasonably early in camp.  ÂÂ
12:10: Here are some D pairings for you: Erskine - Eminger and Schultz - Pothier in White; Jurcina - Poti in Blue.
I am aware of my privilege in being here and how some of our readers, enconsed in their offices, appreciate the modest slivers of report I’m able to offer, but I’m not sure I’ll be repeating this gig. I am, by virtue of this exercise, acutely aware of Mike Vogel’s long-standing opposition to writing during game action. It’s not just that I’m apt to miss a slick pass or the development of a play from its defensive zone breakout; I am an alien to the overall flow. Still, I’m aware again of all of you poor schleps slaving away for the Man. This will really piss you off: I may chat for like 15 minutes with some of the guys at the scrimmage’s conclusion and then make my way down to Bailey’s for a sinfully early happy hour.ÂÂ
12:17: Another D pairing: Pokulok - Green, in Blue. Foreshadowing of a top 4 unit for Coach Boudreau up in Chocolatetown this autumn?  ÂÂ
A couple of camera crews are in between the players’ benches monitoring the action. I do not know for whom they’re recording.
1-0 still. The play has been crisp, and Hanlon, after initially appearing to be holding the reins in on the guys, has actually allowed a free-slowing scrimmage to take place. There are no refs, so he blows the whistle when he wants lines changed or some situational formation established. But by and large, they guys are just going at it.
12:25: WE HAVE A FIGHT! Clymer and Morrisonn! It’s mostly just a slow dance and a tangle of arms, no damage done, but something set them off (Tarik’s file this morning, in Ben’s case?)
12:30: It’s shootout practice time. Hanlon is pitching pucks out at center ice and guys are taking turns going in on Cassivi and Neuvirth. Kozlov’s backhand tucked behind Freddie was slick.
Good news: a decent number of goals were scored. Or does that say something discouraging about our netminding?
Update (1:30): I was able to get in the room and chat with Brashear about the Janssen-new sweaters intrigue, and basically, right now, he’s not concerned about it. Sweaters that perhaps tear more easily, he pointed out, can actually be beneficial to the valorus members of hockey teams who seek fairness of play and respectful treatment of their teammates out on the ice. Their arms would be liberated sooner, you see. But he also noted that whatever the new enforcement dynamic that’s now in place — and there may well be none — “It’s the same for everybody,” he told me.
So for now at least we can focus on the fact that outside the Caps and only a handful of other teams in both the NHL and AHL, the new look is generally a demonstrable aesthetic downgrade. ÂÂ
As Training Camp slowly (so slowly) approaches, we decided to take a quick look at some of the new faces, returnees, hopefuls and last-chancers that will be vying for a spot in the Caps’ forward corps. Battles at many slots are expected, and this may be one of the most competitive camp in Caps’ history.
First, we’ll examine the forwards, a group that received an infusion of talent down the middle and added a veteran scoring winger:
Nicklas Backstrom – The youngster is seemingly a lock for the big squad. A slick-passing center with hockey sense and puck-control, the most impressive thing about his game at this point may be his attention to the other end of the ice. His awareness and positioning without the puck, coupled with his creativity and vision should be a boon to either of the Caps’ elite left wingers. Foot speed is a concern, and while he won’t arrive in North America to the same fanfare that Alex Ovechkin did, the “Next Great Swede� will have all the eyes of his country upon him.
Herewith, our attempt to devise a depth chart for the Caps to coincide with the recent completion of the team’s annual Rookie Development Camp. It’s important to note that with it we are not forecasting specific line combos but rather attempting to slot players by position according to their professional production and most recent performances in evaluative settings. It’s also important to note that a number of forwards in the Caps’ system play more than one position up front. The Russian elites and Matt Pettinger appear locks on the left side for well into the next decade, whereas the right side seems to carry many more question marks.
We’ve envisioned this as a file hopefully sparking spirited reaction and respectful challenge. We welcome your proposed modifications.
