Pasado, el coche reconoció que él había tenido una conversación privada y muy personal con Olie Kolzig. He didn’t offer much about its substance, but he did say, “[Kolzig's] one of the classiest men I’ve ever met in this game.”

The goaltender’s Kettler locker, for what it’s worth, still had his nameplate in place.

Filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Bruce Boudreau, George McPhee, Kettler Capitals Iceplex, Matt Cooke, Nicklas Backstrom, Olaf Kolzig, Stanley Cup Playoffs, The Big Deal, Tom Poti, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (15)

Postcards from a Championship Night

By Gustafsson
Sunday, April 6, 2008
SE Champs
Don't Stop Believin
Warmups
Your Washington Capitals

Continue reading ›

Filed in 2 Points, Alexander Ovechkin, Bruce Boudreau, Cristobal Huet, Dmitry Chesnokov, National Hockey League, Nicklas Backstrom, Sergei Fedorov, Southeast Division, Tom Poti, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (9)

Five Keys to Postseason Qualification

By pucksandbooks
Monday, January 7, 2008

Morning Cup-A-JoeIn inventorying the season’s first half with an eye toward what the Caps must do with their second to break through to the postseason, one must divide October through December into their own halves: Glen Hanlon’s and Bruce Boudreau’s. It’s a fair bet that we won’t see the likes of a 6-14-1 run in 2008 — particularly if elusive roster health ever arrives. There is good reason for optimism, some key weak areas to remedy, and the overarching task of playing exceptionally winning hockey ahead. More specific observations:

(1) The Lightning have the look of a cellar dweller. It appears to be a four-team race in the Southeast for the postseason.

(2) The surest way to the postseason is to finish first in the Southeast. The Caps are 7 points back of the Hurricanes, who are 4-5-1 in the their last 10. A significant but hardly daunting endeavor.

(3) There is cause to be seriously concerned with the Atlantic division. It is the division of the losing streak thwarters: Lundqvist and Brodeur. And Sidney. All five teams within have credible shots at 90-plus points this season. The sturdy Atlantic could gobble up five postseason berths, and with Ottawa and Montreal looking as strong as they have, this would leave only the Southeast division winner with a dance card.

(4) Olie Kolzig needs rest. A rather serious rotation with BJ seems imperative. The Caps’ final seven games of the season are against the Southeast division — four on the road at the end of March and the final three at home. You have to figure that if the Caps are still in the postseason hunt come March 25, Kolzig would get all seven of those starts. He needs R & R and he needs it soon.

Kolzig needs rest, but he also needs improved play no matter what his second-half workload requires. This morning there are 35 goalies in the league with better numbers than his. Most glaring is his .890 save percentage. You gotta figure that if it’s not above .900 come late March the Caps will not have leapfrogged a half dozen teams in the East and surged in or near the conference’s eighth spot.

Only Montreal among East teams can match the Caps’ 5-2-3 run in their last 10 games, but the Caps’ competitiveness under Bruce Boudreau is all the more impressive in light of the fact that it’s occurred sans the team captain, and recently without the likes of Alex Semin, minutes-eater Tom Poti, and a viable backup netminder. The Caps are 20th in the league in power play efficiency, at 16.7 percent. If they can move that up just a percentage point or so they’d enter the league’s top half of extra-man excellence. This would help the team accumulate more points in the second half.

On the penalty kill, the Caps are again in the bottom third — 21st in the league, at 81 percent. Clark and Poti are key performers here, and both should be returned soon. It would be both wise and beneficial to move up to say 17th or 18th in the league here.

First periods tell us a good bit about this Caps’ club. When they trail after the first period, they come back to prevail just about 27 percent of the time. When they lead after one, they win about 70 percent of the time. Fast starts should be a motto to the second half.

Now for the rough stuff. The good news for the Caps is that they’ve encountered only two shootouts thus far. The bad news is they lost both. The worse news is that they’re virtually certain to see more of them in the second half. The Caps are simply going to have to find a way to win two out of every three shootouts they confront in the second half, elst they’ll merely tread water in the East, picking up a point in the setbacks while a conference rival earns two. This really could be the team’s undoing in the back half: the Caps last won a shootout on February 4, 2007, against the Isles.

So five keys to postseason qualification:

(1) Health. Bumps and bruises are inevitable in NHL life, but bad ones in bunches are not. It’s immensely appealing to ponder the impact that the fresh and repaired bodies of Chris Clark and Alexander Semin could have on a stretch run.

(2) A rested and rejuvenated Olie Kolzig. Today he has the numbers of an overworked 37-year-old netminder.

(3) Modest but important uptick in specialty team performance.

(4) Turnaround in shootout suckitude.

(5) Go serial killer on the Southeast. Four games remain against each of Florida, Atlanta, and Carolina; three remain with Tampa. At a minimum, you’d think, the Caps would have to go something like 8-4-3 in this slate. Clearly, they’re going to have to pass Florida and Atlanta to have a plausible shot at the postseason.

Turns out, Leonsis was right — the rebuild is over. The Caps are winning about 60 percent of their games under Bruce Boudreau. They’ll need to do even better in the second half if they want more fun with Ottawa.

Filed in Alexander Semin, Bruce Boudreau, Former Coaches & Players, Mike Green, Morning cup-a-joe, Nicklas Backstrom, Olaf Kolzig, Ted Leonsis, Tom Poti, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (11)

Knee-jerks & Notes: New Years Fun Indoors and Out

By The OFB Team
Wednesday, January 2, 2008

We followed two big games on Tuesday.

Outdoors:

  • NBC opened its broadcast with Peter Gabriel’s instrumental “It Is Accomplished” from the Passion soundtrack—an excellent choice on many levels. Then the network returned to predictable form with Foreigner’s “Cold As Ice.” At least the network didn’t play “Ice Ice Baby.”
  • There was an awful lot of smiling players’ faces on the benches in camera close-ups immediately before the game. Of course all of them were going to be diplomatic and supportive of the event in the lead-up, but in the moment, this display of enthusiasm sure seemed authentic and organic and evocative of the heart of the matter.
  • The snowballing of the Pittsburgh team bus arriving at the Ralph — executed by hordes of Sabres’ fans — argued well for continuing this event in the future.
  • Outdoor GameIt would be easy to pan the event on the basis of the inclimate conditions — visibility was generally poor for players, spectators, and home viewers; trainers and players dealt with a litany of equipment challenges; Zambonis were on the ice as frequently as fourth-liners; and league Ice Tech Dan Craig may as well have been in the game program as often as he was on the ice. But our sense is that the event’s overall atmosphere earned the game’s first star, and that the league scored an overtime game-winner with this idea and its general execution. The overall effect was one of a compelling Season’s Greeting showcasing sports’ most under appreciated athletes in their embrace of winter’s elements.
  • In a very real sense this was a maiden run in terms of the league establishing outdoor ice quality. Buffalo’s football field is pitched at nine degrees! There was never going to be an issue with ice quality in Edmonton for the Heritage Classic in 2003 — Alberta skies were clear that night, and temps were below that of Cryogenics. The league will learn a lot from Tuesday afternoon in Buffalo, and apply lessons learned to any future outdoor engagements.
  • You’re a liar if you thought in the third period, while he skated on a sheet of snow, sleet, and patched-up makeshift ice, Sergei Give-it-away-when-and-where-it-hurts-most Gonchar would escape the tied game unscathed. By Divine Intervention he did, but no sane human being would have predicted it.
  • Some fantastic hitting, in corners and in open ice, and NBC cameras captured it superbly. Hockey played outdoors in snow with hatred and heavy hitting between the teams, in high definition: four unfiltered Marlboros for the OFB team, please.
  • There is something special to Kris Letang and shootouts. He actually lost control of the puck twice while bearing down on Ryan Miller and still managed to beat him.
  • Fitting that Sidney Crosby ended the game. He was its best player.
  • The NHL’s All-Star Game continues to suffer from both an identity crisis and any sense of relevance/importance. What about taking it outdoors, and perhaps even marrying it to a regular season game between a rotation of two teams each year? Make a Winter Weekend of it all.
  • The Commish, afterward: “This obviously is something we’re going to look at doing again. This is the type of event we certainly will be looking at doing in the future.” Think the league might be pleased with the results? A color photo of celebrating Pens appears on A1 of today’s New York Times.

Indoors:

  • Question for the New York Post’s Larry Brooks and the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, both of whom recently have opined that Alexander Ovechkin shouldn’t bother negotiating a new deal with the Caps and instead move on via restricted free agency to a “real” hockey market: one such market can’t be Ottawa, right, seeing as how the Sens are futile in all attempts to defeat the Caps?
  • Ovechkin on the Faceoff - Photo by G. KriebelSpeaking of MSM, WUSA’s Brett Haber has the title of Sports Director. He labors in Washington, D.C. It would be charitable to say that he is seldom seen in the press lounge of Verizon Center. It would be understandable by Washington MSM standards were he to have ignored hockey on his New Years Day evening sportscast and instead directed all his energy at the playoff-bound Redskins. That’s par for the course in these parts. Instead he man-loved Sir Sidney to no end, calling him the best player in hockey. We won’t call this an egregious offense but rather one of breathtaking tone deafness; in legitimate sports towns in which there is a lead athlete credibly creating dispute about such a point, the hometown athlete typically earns the decision.
  • Ottawa played a shockingly undisciplined game fueled by out-of-control emotion in the determinative first period. A novice fan making his or her first-ever visit to an NHL game at Verizon Center yesterday, pressed to identify what team had spent the entirety of this decade in the NHL postseason, and winning about 70 percent of its games the past eight years, and what one hung up the gear more or less every April, would have guessed Ottawa the golfers and the Caps the savvy vets.
  • Martin Gerber may not be the Sens’ solution to confidence-inspiring, trustworthy, big-stop-when-you-most-need-it postseason netminding.
  • The Mike Green Express — an Amtrak Acela toward what should be an All Star selection. He’s still remarkably young, still prone to the occasional error borne of limited big-league experience, but he’s a jewel of his draft class and a lynchpin of Caps’ playoff teams for years to come.
  • Little noted but imperative: Ovechkin had to execute some magical footwork to remain onside on Mike Green’s end-to-end virtuoso tally.
  • Serious sigh of relief: the Caps got off the O-fer collar with 5-on-3 man-advantages.
  • Think about how formidable the five-game stretch that began in Pittsburgh on December 27 looked and consider where the Caps are now: 5 of a possible 6 points earned, with beatable Boston up next.
  • It’s frigid outside in Washington, D.C., early in 2008 and the city’s hockey team is hot. Expect your other-sports loving friends this week — even a few donned in burgundy and gold — to begin leaning against AO’s @ss-Kicking Express, eying empty seats within. Welcome their interest. We don’t know yet if the proverbial corner has been turned for this hockey team, but right now it feels very hockey healthy in Washington, and it feels wonderful.

Must reading:

** “Best in Snow,” Ross McKeon, Yahoo!Sports **

** “A Thrilling Snowball Effect,” Kevin Paul Dupont, Boston Globe

** “Ice Bowl Is One for the Ages, with NHL Record Crowd,” John Bonfatti and Gene Warner, Buffalo News

** “Want the ultimate outdoor rink? Dan Craig makes it so,” Scott Burnside, ESPN.com

Filed in Alexander Semin, Brooks Laich, Buffalo Sabres, Gary Bettman, Hockey Rinks, Hockey Weather, Ice, Knee-Jerk, Mike Green, National Hockey League, Old Time Hockey, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pond Hockey, Sidney Crosby, TV, Tom Poti, Viktor Kozlov, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (22)

Knee-jerks and Notes: Buffalo, 11/27

By The OFB Team
Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Knee-Jerk ReactionsIt’s becoming plainly obvious that Verizon Center is home to the worst sheet of ice in the entire NHL. This was Mike Vogel’s question to Tom Poti in the Caps’ locker room after Monday night’s game: “In the second period it looked like you were playing ball hockey out there.” This was Poti’s reply:

“That’s how it is every night here . . . it’s pretty embarassing, to be blunt.” 

  • “We beat ourselves tonight,” Tom Poti told media in the locker room after Monday’s 3-1 loss to Buffalo. Coach Boudreau amplified: “We played as hard as them, just not as smart as them.” A team can rarely turn the puck over as the Caps did Monday night against a “great transition team” in Boudreau’s words and survive.  
  • Game 3 in the Boudreau regime, and the 3rd game with a fire in the bellies of the boys. This night, however, there was a copious amount of turnovers accompanying the desire-fire.
  • The Erskine-Peters dance card: pretty effective job by Erskine . . . narrow decision to Erskine?
  • The most impressive aspect of Ovechkin’s goal was his refusal to give up on the play. What do you call this power surge move he makes from the wing, racing in, legs churning, defenders often perfectly positioned, which ends with his willing himself to score a goal? We the OFB team and our readers need to put our creative thinking caps on and try and name this seemingly unprecedented, fast-action scoring swoop of determined desire and pure prodigy.
  • Is it beginning to look to anyone else besides us that Mike Green is emerging (already emerged?) as this hockey’s team’s most dynamic presence on the power play point? And not by default, either.
  • Kolzig with a five-bell, four-alarm fabulous stop on Hecht in the third.
  • It pains us to say it, but Michael Nylander pulled an Esa Tikkanen late in the third. (Admittedly with the stakes not quite so high.) It was that kind of night for Michael Nylander. he authored two deadly turnovers in the second period that facilitated Buffalo’s lasting 3-1 lead. Then, deep in the third, while in the crease behind Ryan Miller, he maneuvered the puck everywhere but into the net, off a rebound of an Alexander Semin shot. You might not see such ill-timed infamy again the rest of the season. After the game, Boudreau told the press that had the Caps gotten that second goal, he felt the momentum achieved from it would have willed them to a tying goal. 
  • Viktor Kozlov: an enigma wrapped in a mystery. So much skill, so much size, so much sizzle accompanied by too much fizzle. His numbers this season aren’t bad at all, but you consider what’s in his toolbox, and you’re left puzzled by the frequency with which he authors impact-free shifts.

Now more than a quarter of the way through the season, the Caps have four players in double digits in scoring. The Montreal Canadiens, picked by no small number of forecasters to finish outside the Eastern conference’s top eight but currently fifth, have nine players in double digits in scoring. Such balance is difficult to defend.   

Filed in Buffalo Sabres, Eastern Conference, Knee-Jerk, Michael Nylander, Mike Vogel, Tom Poti, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (16)

Knee-jerks & Notes: @ Carolina, 11/05

By pucksandbooks
Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Knee-Jerk ReactionsSomewhat ferocious and foul fall weather descended upon Washington late Monday evening. A propos given the dark clouds clinging to HockeyWashington these days.  

  • It would have been easy — knee-jerkish, even — to absorb a 3-0 first-period dark well dwelling and react with “Another flat effort from the Caps,” or “Olie stunk it up,” but that’s not quite what happened. The Caps blasted 18 shots at Cam Ward in the opening stanza, and a reasonable number of them were of the quality variety. Well,  Ovechkin’s were anyway. As the game worn on, the Caps had shots from all angles and proximity, and none came close to besting Ward. He was the Cam Ward of the ‘05-’06 postseason: positionally solid at every turn, Cool Glove Hand Luke.
  • 5-0 actually could and should have been 8-0 had not both Capitals’ goalies made OMFG stops in tight.
  • So what did happen? The Canes’ forwards sliced and diced their way through a cement-in-their-skates looking blueline corps of Caps in period one. Often, it wasn’t instances of Caps’ defenders getting caught up ice out of position; Washington defenders often were perfectly positioned in front of Canes’ forwards only to be juked and darted around in silly fashion. Kolzig was hung out to get his goals-against battered. Again.
  • The Hurricanes have a corps of forwards that for about three years now has ranked among the best collective set of passing forwards in all of hockey, and it was on vivid display in tonight’s opening period. They aren’t blindingly fast, they do not play a bruising game of dump and dig down low; instead, they distribute the puck magnificently, in all areas of the ice, placing one another in consistently excellent scoring chance slots. It’s really rather magnificent to watch.
  • The Comcast broadcast Monday night illustrated the balanced minutes Carolina’s blueline nightly achieves. This also highlights the absence of a true no. 1 blueliner there (he departed for Los Angeles last season in one of the worst trades in NHL history). Interesting that Carolina also lacked such a shutdown stud the year they won the Cup. This team is beginning to look an awful lot like that one. The addition of Tom Poti certainly addressed the Caps’ meager offensive firepower on the blueline, but it did not address the absence of a legit no. 1 guy. The Carolina goals tonight were all scored in tight — the Caps’ greatest area of vulnerability in their own end. I think the ‘Canes prove that a team can win a lot of games — and even a Cup — without a Pronger-like stud on the back end, but if it’s blueline defense by mid-sized committee, you need savvy vets to carry it off shift after shift. The Canes have those in spades. The Caps are trying to develop them.   
  • The second period kill of the Canes’ third power play of the game was the most impressive I’ve seen from the Caps’ PKers this season. In fact, in generated better scoring chances than many of the team’s man-up chances this season.  
  • Donald Brashear’s defenders have their work cut out for them this season. He played limited but accountable minutes for the Caps last season. Not this one. Last Friday night he took a needless and stupid penalty early in the third period that ultimately led to the Flyers’ winning goal. Monday night, with his team valiantly taking the play to Carolina in the first half of period two, he earned a well-deserved boot for head-ramming, and the major penalty and resulting Hurricanes’ goal ended any little remaining doubt as to the game’s outcome. Often in NHL hockey the difference between winning and losing hinges on the slightest of mistakes at crucial times, and the Caps these days can’t afford the mental errors Brash has regularly made this season.  

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.  

The Ilya Kovalchuk slump is over (in resounding fashion). Tonight’s game in Atlanta isn’t televised. Sound like mercy to you? 

Filed in Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Donald Brashear, Knee-Jerk, Tom Poti, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (11)

Courage Caps

By Gustafsson
Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Courage CapAt a news conference yesterday, Washington Capitals chairman and majority owner Ted Leonsis spoke of how professional athletes are often lauded for their courage. He noted that courage can take many forms, from the heroism of our military and first responders to our children battling disease. To find a way that their whole organization and fans could show their support, they created Courage Caps.

The Courage Caps are team-issued and branded hats which will be sold, starting October 26th, for $20 at the community relations table at Capitals home games and online at WashingtonCaps.com and NHL.com. “When our fans wear these hats”, Leonsis continued, “they show their support for the courageous people throughout our community.”

Whereas, the wearing of the Courage Caps hats shows support, the sale provides financial support. 100% of the sale price will go benefit the CureSearch National Childhood Caner Foundation. CureSearch is a Bethesda-based nonprofit “and an NHL charitable partner that focuses on raising funds for the Children’s Oncology Group, the world’s largest cooperative cancer research organization that treats 90% of children with cancer.”Caps Care / Children's National Medial Center

The team chose an old friend to help debut this new program, for the press conference took place during the team’s annual visit to the Children’s National Medical Center. The entire team, Leonsis and partner Raul Fernandez were at the hospital for the press conference.

For years I have heard of the team’s visit to Children’s National Medical Center, but this was the first time that I was on hand to watch the players and the children interact. As a father of a four-year-old with a second on the way, the visit was heartwarming and tear-jerking. The players — all of them — sat down at tables and colored with the children that were well enough to leave their beds and be exposed to unmasked visitors and untold germs. It broke my heart to see these children, some in wheelchairs, others with numerous IV tubes and bandages, and wonder what sort of hell they and their parents are living. But then you see the smiles on their faces when Chris Clark autographs a hat for them, or Brent Johnson asks what color he should color the hockey player’s helmet, or when a little girl runs over to Olie Kolzig as he says “Hi there pigtails, how are you?” There is also a simple joy of seeing these larger-than-life hockey players sitting down with their favorite Crayola hue and trying to stay in the lines.

Ovechkin and Semin color with the kids

I was speaking with the hospital’s manager of public relations, Emily Dammeyer, who told me that this is the hospital’s favorite event of the year. “They really spend time with the children, not just make an appearance, especially upstairs where the cameras are off.”Kolzig signs a Courage Cap

Which made me think of Olie, who not only has been coming to Children’s National Medical Center more than anyone else in the organization, but is also a father. I asked him how this experience has changed from before he was a dad to after.

“I’ve always had a fondness for kids, and been a big believer that being a kid and being sick shouldn’t go hand in hand … then you become a father and then you realize how vital it is to have a facility like this.”

The only thing missing from yesterday’s event was the media. Press releases announcing the event and photo op were sent out by the Capitals and the Children’s National Medical Center. Perhaps I missed some faces and names, but I believe only I, a Comcast SportsNet TV Cameraman, and two photographers attended. How such tremendous works by an organization and its players can go unnoticed or with little interest is repugnant.

My thanks go out to the Capitals and everyone at Children’s National Medical Center, especially Emily Dammeyer and Mark Miller, for affording me the privilege to witness this annual event of kindness and caring.

A few more pictures of the event can be seen after the break.

Continue reading ›

Filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Brent Johnson, Chris Clark, John Erskine, Media, Michael Nylander, Nicklas Backstrom, Olaf Kolzig, Steve Eminger, Ted Leonsis, Tom Poti, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (8)

Opening Night Roster

By The OFB Team
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Washington Capitals Primary Logo
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
 
Filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Boyd Gordon, Brent Johnson, Chris Clark, Donald Brashear, Matt Pettinger, Michael Nylander, Milan Jurcina, Nicklas Backstrom, Olaf Kolzig, Players, Shaone Morrisonn, Tom Poti, Viktor Kozlov, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (5)

It’s All Good (but for the playing of the games)

By pucksandbooks
Monday, October 1, 2007

Cup'pa JoeWhat 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.

Filed in Alexander Semin, Boyd Gordon, Brian Sutherby, Brooks Laich, Chris Clark, Dave Steckel, Donald Brashear, Front Office, Matt Pettinger, Michael Nylander, Milan Jurcina, Morning cup-a-joe, Nicklas Backstrom, Players, Tom Poti, Tomas Fleischmann, Training Camp, Viktor Kozlov, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (4)

A New Season Begins

By pucksandbooks
Thursday, September 13, 2007

Capitals Training Camp 2007Some dominant themes swiftly emerged at players’, coaches’, and the general manager’s media conferences this morning out at Kettler Capitals:

  • What a difference a year makes in terms of training facilities. I asked Chris Clark what he thought were his responsibilities as captain to his teammates this summer, and quickly he noted how in past seasons “we didn’t have anything to come to,” but that this summer, with Kettler, “we had almost a full team skating here days ago.” He said that he wanted to get everybody settled in town, early, to get the off-ice distractions related to moving and adjusting to new surroundings out of the way, and Kettler and its amenities was an easy sell to his teammates early in the summer.

“This is the best facility in the league,” George McPhee said. “It’s a place players want to be . . . it makes everything that we do better. It helps [with] community relations, media relations . . . It helps you keep your players and it attracts free agents.”

A year ago in Ashburn, Va., training camp was conducted in makeshift and cramped quarters. “Last year we were vagabonds [out at Ashburn],” Olaf Kolzig said.

“What the [team's] trainers went through last year is a story in itself,” Glen Hanlon said.

  • “These are the better days.” This came straight from Kolzig’s mouth early on in his session with the media. The first thing out of Kolzig’s mouth, as he moved before cameras and microphones, was “This is the Caps [press event]?” Both he and Hanlon were struck by the size of the media contingent attending Media Day. As we’ve seen in recent days, there is an intensity of media interest in the Capitals, particularly among local mainstream media, relative to that of recent years at this time.

Some reporters were discussing a quote Jason Spezza gave the Canadian Press this week: ”I think Washington could be a darkhorse team that could get into the playoffs. They made some good acquisitions in the off-season and they had a pretty good base of young guys so they could be kind of a team that might sneak up and make the playoffs.”

Cap after Cap came forward Thursday morning with the word “playoffs” on his lips. It’s not an entitlement, it’s something they must earn, but Captain Clark made the mission as plain as could be: “We have everything we need to get there.”

The good karma around this team now has had a clear impact on Kolzig. “My enthusiasm and energy level is at an all-time high,” he claimed.

  • Yes the new guys are important, but don’t overlook our core. Hanlon noted that the Caps finished 25 points shy of the playoffs last season. “The free agents [by themselves] can’t make up 25 points,” he said. There is a tendency to overvalue high-priced, free agent newcomers as saviors swooping in to lead a surge in the standings. Hanlon pointed to the emergence last season of so many young players on Pittsburgh’s roster, guys who, like the young Caps of the past couple of seasons, played together through rough times. Like Therrien in Pittsburgh last season, Hanlon is looking to his core to come through this season. “Our remaining 16 or 17 players have advanced,” he said.
  • It’s AO’s planet, we just share it with him. “Your English has gotten better,” one reporter observed after Alex answered the first question posed to him, and the reporter wondered if AO had worked on it during the summer.

“I practice in the [night] clubs,” he replied, sporting a devilish grin.

The starting goaltender offered a passing observation about the superstar left wing’s unkept hair. A reporter brought this to Ovechkin’s attention.

“It’s gangster style,” he responded, grinning again.

The general manager offered a number of insightful assessments related to the present and the recent past. He acknowledged that beyond the signings of the three big free agents, he added bodies with pro experience — guys like Boumedienne and Lepitso — in response to the experience that the team went through last December, when injuries and illness assailed an above-.500 club that was sniffing a playoff spot then. He also offered the view that chemistry with three significant new faces in the room is less an issue or concern than it was when the league was first experiencing significant free agent movement. Relatively few teams were making most of the significant acqusitions early on, he noted, but today “every team is acquiring [free agents].”

Where are the Capitals at the dawn of training camp 2007?

“A couple of years ago, we were looking [just] to fill boots. Now we have good players to fill a few number of [open] positions,” McPhee claimed.

Filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Front Office, George McPhee, Glen Hanlon, Kettler Capitals Iceplex, Media, Michael Nylander, Nicklas Backstrom, Olaf Kolzig, Sami Lepisto, Tom Poti, Training Camp, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (3)

Summer State of the Team - The Defensemen

By OFB
Monday, August 6, 2007

Washington Captials - secondary logo“Offense sells tickets, but defense wins games� is how the old adage goes, and in our on-going offseason look at the organization, we examine a blueline corps with a new face, an old face returning, and a bunch of fresh faces looking to make some noise.

Competition for the 7 projected defensive spots should be fierce, and even a few bad practices or scrimmages may be the difference between suiting up for an NHL club or returning to Juniors or Europe.

Karl Alzner – Washington’s first-round pick in June’s 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Alzner plays a surprisingly mature game, with high panic threshold and excellent on-ice awareness. Not a big banger, nor prone to unleash a slap shot from the point too often, Alzner plays a reliable, steady game that will eventually eat up big minutes in the NHL. For now, it seems, he’s slated to return to the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, though there is speculation that he may get a taste of NHL duty at the start of the season before being returned to his junior club.

Continue reading ›

Filed in Jamie Hunt, Joe Finley, Karl Alzner, Milan Jurcina, Sami Lepisto, Shaone Morrisonn, Steve Eminger, Tom Poti, Training Camp, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (0)

Washington Capitals Depth Chart, Summer 2007

By The OFB Team
Friday, July 20, 2007

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.

OFBs take on the Washington Capitals Depth Chart

Filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Andrew Gordon, Boyd Gordon, Brent Johnson, Brian Sutherby, Brooks Laich, Chris Bourque, Chris Clark, Dave Steckel, Development Camp, Donald Brashear, Francois Bouchard, Frivolous Summer File, Hershey Bears, Joe Finley, Karl Alzner, Mathieu Perreault, Matt Pettinger, Michael Nylander, Michal Neuvirth, Milan Jurcina, Nicklas Backstrom, Olaf Kolzig, Players, Prospects, Sami Lepisto, Shaone Morrisonn, Simeon Varlamov, Steve Eminger, Tom Poti, Tomas Fleischmann, Travis Morin, Viktor Kozlov, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (15)

Meet the New Guys

By OFB
Monday, July 2, 2007

The Washington Capitals have proved good on their publicly-stated intentions of spending some money and bringing some veteran talent into the fold, signing right wing Viktor Kozlov, center Michael Nylander, and defenseman Tom Poti. The three represent an influx of offensive talent to a club that has grinders to spare, but had a definite need for high-level talent.Michael Nylander - photo from TSN.ca

Nylander’s return to the Nation’s Capital immediately fills the 1st line center spot and should set Alex Ovechkin to licking his lips in anticipation of some of the feeds he’ll be getting in scoring areas. The 12-year vet is coming off a career-high season, and his tutelage should help promising youngster and fellow countryman Nick Backstrom adjust to the realities of the NHL. At 4 years, the term may a bit on the long side for a 34-year-old player, but the Caps have a legitimate 1st line center to work with their talented wingers named Alex, and that’s a big positive.

Tom Poti - photo from TSN.caPoti’s skill in moving the puck and being able to work the power play should improve the special teams unit, though the big blueliner is not known for his defensive acumen or physical game. He eats minutes, though, and was Isles’ coach Ted Nolan’s go-to guy on the backline. His nearly 600 games in the NHL will hopefully provide some veteran leadership to a young defensive corps that has talent, but not much experience.Viktor Kozlov - photo from TSN.ca

Kozlov can play center, but is more comfortable on either wing and should get plenty of minutes. The Russian is another big boy who may not use his size in an overly-aggressive manner, but possesses a wicked wrist-shot and plenty of puck skill. It’s assumed he will play on the right side for the Caps, though on which of the top two lines seems up in the air.

In the end, agree with the choices or not, the Caps did what they said they would do — add players assertively to the club to upgrade the talent. The sore-spot of the power-play, in particular, is looking much better on paper, with three skilled participants added.

There still seems to be a bit of a void as far as a solid, veteran defensive defenseman goes, but overall the Caps have delivered on what they promised: change.

Update: Tarik El-Bashir reports that Nylander will be paid $5.5 million for the first three seasons, and then less in the fourth season. Expensive, to be sure, but maybe not outrageous.

Filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Michael Nylander, Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Poti, Viktor Kozlov, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (2)