May 22, 2013

Washington Capitals: Seasonal Disappointment for Fundamentally Flawed Team

May 16, 2013 by 8 Comments

The Washington Capitals are 3-6 now in playoff series in the Alex Ovechkin Era, and the franchise has yet to advance past the second round in that time. If you judge the success of an NHL franchise in playoff wins and Stanley Cups, the Capitals have not only been a failure, but a spectacular one at that. Of the six playoff series losses since the ’07-’08 season, the Caps have held a two-game lead in three of them, five have gone seven games and the Caps hosted Game 7 and lost four times. That’s not just losing, that’s losing badly.

Of course, you know all this already.

During the Ovechkin Era, the Caps have been eliminated from the playoffs in eerily similar fashion. They run into a hot goalie, and teams game plan to frustrate the Caps’ talented players by blocking shots and clogging up the neutral zone and passing lanes.

These teams: the Flyers, Canadians, the Penguins, the Rangers — twice (the Lightning sweep in ’11 doesn’t count), have simply shown more patience than the Caps and waited them out.  Eventually, and ultimately, the Caps shoot themselves out and their opponent waits and waits and counterpunches when the Caps run themselves out of the building. It’s not unlike a heavyweight boxing match when a lesser-skilled boxer will allow his opponent to wear himself down punching, then sneak in when he gets tired.

It happened in Game 7 again.

Look no further than the number of shots. Not on goal, but overall number of shots taken. The Caps attempted a grand total of 79 shots. 35 made their way to Lundqvist, and yes, he turned them all away. But Washington also had 27 attempts blocked by Rangers defenders and another 17 missed their mark altogether. The Rangers attempted 47 shots, 27 on goal. Five went in.

Every year the Caps are bounced after a grueling series and we hear the same things from the losing locker room. “We ran into a hot goalie.” “We thought we were the better team.” “We’re frustrated with the result.” I could go back and look up quotes but you know them as well as I do.

Here are this years:

“You can see one guy beat us. Of course they have good team, great players, great defensive team, but the goalie out there was unbelievable. That’s why he’s best in league,” said Ovechkin. “In my mind it was Lundqvist. They have great team, no doubt about it, but Lundqvist was unbelievable. Just unbelievable.”

And:

“It’s the same thing as previous years, I would say,” said Nicklas Backstrom. “We came back regular season then playoff came and we’re not good enough. I can just talk for myself and my effort. Not good enough. No excuses. It’s just a bad effort.”

And:

“We threw the kitchen sink at him at times and he stood there and defended,” Mike Green said. “He’s a great goaltender we knew that, we talked about it before the series how to beat him and the times that we did score was what we talked about. At times I thought we kind of got away from that. I’m at a loss for words.”

But it’s much deeper than that. Yes, Lundqvist is a world class goalie. Yes, Jaroslav Halak stood on his head for three weeks that spring. But the real reason these goalies have so much success over the Caps is that the shots that get through are lesser quality — from farther away — and from less dangerous areas of the ice. Look at the shot chart. You’ll see where the goals are scored during the playoffs.

The Caps got a grand total of 226 shots on goal in the seven game series, an average of over 32 SOG per game. That’s good. But they scored just 12 goals, a shooting percentage of just 5.3 percent. That’s beyond bad. It’s also a testament of where those shots are coming from. In the regular season, the Caps had ten players with a shooting percentage higher than 10 percent. In the series, that number was four.

Ovechkin, obviously, led the team in shots with 30 and scored once, for a shot percentage of 3.3 percent. Ugh. Is that the result of suffocating defense? A hot, world class goalie? An injury? Bad luck? Even during the period of Ovi’s toughest struggles the last couple of seasons, that kind of shooting percentage is simply anomaly.

But here’s the kicker: the next three highest shot totals in the series all came from defensemen. Karl Alzner, of all people, tied for third on the team in shots on goal with 19 (he was 15th on the team in the regular season with 39). Those are shots from the deep perimeter that have a very low chance of going in. And a team with Karl Alzner pacing them in shots on goal isn’t going to win very many series — no offense to Karl. He isn’t paid to light the lamp.

The Capitals are, essentially, a perimeter team. Ovechkin prefers to carry the puck and rush at the goalie, or get fed for one-timers at the face-off dot. Green shoots from the point. He has a wicked shot, but it’s from outside the circles, nonetheless. During the regular season, when defensive players are less apt to “sell out” to block shots during a grueling 82-game schedule, they have success shooting from their outside spots, with talented finesse playmakers like Nick Backstrom and Mike Ribeiro setting them up.

But during the playoffs, the book is out on the Caps. If you clog up the box, put all five skaters inside the circles to jam up the shooting and passing lanes, the Caps will get frustrated. Oh, they have a modicum of success early in the series, winning games early in the series until the opposition realizes the deal and really buys into it. But as the games creep closer to elimination, it works without fail.

There’s not enough room to operate between the circles. That’s one of the big reasons players like Backstrom and Ribeiro are neutralized in the playoffs. That’s often why you see players like Brian Boyle score in the playoffs: they’re willing to go to the net. But the Caps lack enough of these types of players. Just look at the shot totals from the series from the forwards on this team not named Ovechkin. No forward had more than one goal. Jason Chimera was the next highest forward in shots with 15. That’s barely two shots per game. And he was the best of the forwards named Ovechkin.

Look at the goals from the games the Caps won in this series.

– Game 1: Ovechkin scored his only goal of the series on a put-back off the back wall. Marcus Johansson on a breakaway on a great spring pass and defensive breakdown. Jason Chimera though a screen.

– Game 2: Mike Green on the power play in overtime from inside the top of the faceoff circle.

– Game 5: Ribeiro, at the top of the crease.

Only Johansson’s can be called a “pretty’ goal, and that was caused by a spectacular breakdown by the Rangers defense.

Philadelphia. Montreal. Pittsburgh. New York. These are all series where the Caps had home-ice advantage and lost Game 7. They all used the same script against the Caps. It matters not when the book is so clearly out on these Capitals. Stuff the box and they have no other way to score. And the Capitals will be moving into a division with three of the four next season, along with New Jersey and the up-and-coming Islanders. Their path to hockey’s holy grail just got infinitely more difficult.

I’m not advocating the Caps go back to playing Dale Hunter hockey. Far from it. These teams that play hyper-defensively do it because they don’t have the offensive capabilities of the Capitals. You don’t win a Stanley Cup playing that way, you’ll eventually run out of energy or bodies. You need to have a balanced approach, be able to make adjustments when presented with challenges and be willing to sacrifice both in the defensive and offensive zones. The Caps, simply, don’t have enough of those players yet.

The other part I want to mention is the whole “woe is us” mentality following these playoff ousters. Ovechkin’s comments about the officiating, the lack of calls in Game 6, and someone wanting to see a Game 7 were ridiculous and smelled of sour grapes.

“The refereeing… You understand it yourself. How can there be no penalties at all (on one team) during the playoffs?

“I am not saying there was a phone call from (the league), but someone just wanted Game 7. For the ratings. You know, the lockout, escrow, the League needs to make profit… I don’t know whether the refs were predisposed against us or the League. But to not give obvious penalties (against the Capitals), while for us any little thing was immediately penalized…”

For his part, Ovechkin also said that he, the other stars on the team, and the team in general simply didn’t play well enough, but offered no specifics in how or, more importantly, why.

GM George McPhee backed his superstar in his comments to the media Wednesday.

“I don’t think there’s a league conspiracy but it sure didn’t feel right. Alex wasn’t wrong,” McPhee said when asked directly about Ovechkin’s comments. “I talked to them during the series but at some point you stop. They’ll referee the way they want to referee.”

“I didn’t like the refereeing, but if you complain about it during the series and you’re accused of trying to gain an edge. If you complain about it after a series is over, then it’s whining and sour grapes.”

But Ovechkin’s not the only one wondering what happened. Here’s Eric Fehr, talking about both the points I’ve been trying to make.

“The Rangers must have blocked a hundred shots. It was crazy how well they kept us on the outside,” veteran Eric Fehr said. “They do a good job of it, and they are allowed to do a very good job . . . Holding and pushing, they are allowed to do pretty much whatever they wanted to do in front of the net.”

Every year teams complain about the officiating. It’s an NHL tradition as think as growing playoff beards. At some point though, these Capitals have to stop feeling sorry for themselves and take matters into their own hands. The way they collapsed after the power play ran dry at the start of the second period of Game 7 was palpable and disheartening.

The biggest difference between the Caps and the Rangers was evident in the third period. After the fourth goal, the Caps were skating at half speed, trying to get off the ice as fast as they could, and the Rangers were still blocking shots with a four, then five, goal lead.

I think Adam Oates has a pretty good idea what constitutes good hockey. He’s lauded as one of the smartest guys to ever play in the league. It took a little while this season, but he was able to find the way to rejuvenate Ovechkin and get him to play his best hockey in years. And not just scoring, but all-around. He was a better playmaker this year. He brought his physical game back. He skated better. Will that be sustainable? Caps fans have to hope so, because the success of this franchise is directly tied to Ovechkin being the “Great Eight”, not the mediocre or league-average Eight.

I also think that Oates still doesn’t have the roster he wants or needs to be successful. After Ovechkin and Backstrom, there’s a serious drop-off in talent. There’s also a significant lack of power forwards on the team. Why did the Caps turn to 19-year old Tom Wilson in Game 5 of the series to make his NHL debut? His size and willingness to play in front of the net. There is a dearth of that on this team. The Caps hope and pray Wilson turns out to be their Brian Boyle or Milan Lucic, and could stand to add another player or two like him.

This column might sound like I’m down on the Caps. I’m not. The last 35 games of this season showed that they can be a force to be reckoned with in the NHL. They didn’t do it with smoke and mirrors, they did it by outplaying the teams on their schedule. But there are significant holes in the roster. Their level of competition will get higher next season. And they are fundamentally flawed when the ice gets shorter in the playoffs.

The Caps have a little under $6 million available under the cap for next season, and that’s before trimming some dead weight off the roster and evaluating their own free agents. We’ve said this for a while, but it’s a crucial off-season for GM George McPhee. Coming into this year, it looked like the Caps weren’t counting on having a season at all with the lockout. The turnaround showed promise after the near-fatal start, but there’s lots to do this summer.

The almost-free path to the playoffs that the Caps’ Southeast Division schedule afforded them is gone. That playoff revenue is critical to the Capitals organization, and it just became much more difficult to obtain.

Oh, and I didn’t even mention the goaltending, which I’m not completely sold on. But that’s a post for another day.

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OPINION: Why do you root for the Washington Capitals?

May 14, 2013 by 7 Comments

Why do you root?

Do you root for the Washington Capitals simply because they are the home team? Do you root for the specific personalities on the team, and will stop rooting for the Caps when they no longer wear the sweater? Do you follow the Caps because you’re a fan of the NHL and they are the local team?

Do you root for the Caps because you expect them to win?

The Washington Capitals certainly test the limits of fandom. For those of us that have been around since the beginning, the answer might be different than the newcomers that have been rocking the red only since the coming of the Ovechkin Era. Judging by the reactions to Monday night’s collapse against the New York Rangers in yet another Game 7 loss, there’s a lot of anger– maybe even a different kind of anger — than in year’s past.

The situation is the same: Caps take an early lead in the series, fail to close it out early, and allow lesser known role players to beat them when the stakes are highest. Joffrey Lupul. Jaroslav Halak. Arron Asham. The names don’t matter any more. It’s been happening for close to a decade now. No one can be blamed for accepting a defeatist attitude around these parts anymore. It almost seems as much a sign of spring as the cherry blossoms.

In years past, fans have expressed disappointment, frustration, anger. But something’s different this year. The reaction borders on outrage. It’s as if for a certain segment of the fan base, the fact that the Caps lost was a personal affront to their well being, livelihoods or family security.

I get disappointment. We all want our teams to win. I understand frustration, especially when it seems like every year they’re one goal away from advancing. But anger? Outrage?

Maybe the lingering resentment of the lockout is subconsciously fueling this new reaction to getting dumped from the playoffs. Maybe the continuing sameness of the manner in which the Caps exit the game’s biggest stage is to blame.

Sports entertainment is supposed to be an escape, a release from the mundanity of day-to-day life. It isn’t supposed to add to the misery. Fan bases take a different personality in each locality, especially on the east coast. New York fans have an arrogance about them that mirrors the attitude of the city. Philly fans have that special brand of obnoxious that comes from the collective inferiority complex from being wedged between New York and D.C. Boston fans have an insular pride that can only come from Boston.

In Washington, though, a certain segment of the fan base has a sense of entitlement, like they are owed something. Maybe that’s an extension of the over-achiever personality that draws so many to D.C. in the first place. For a city that’s main industry is politics and law firms, I guess that’s not too hard to understand. If you’re accustomed to always getting what you want, and what you want is out of your control, I suppose I’d react with anger when I couldn’t get it as well.

This social commentary isn’t aimed at the fans of hockey. It’s aimed at the fans of winning. Hockey fans know that hockey is hard. Only one team wins every year. People complain the Caps haven’t yet won the Stanley Cup in their almost 40 years of existence. The Rangers have won once in the past 70 years. Seriously?

If you’re angry that the Caps lost again, that’s your right. And I’m not here making excuses for the team. I’ll have a column very soon about my feelings of how the team is constructed and their elemental flaws. But I’m a hockey fan. I enjoyed watching the Caps this season rebound from a seemingly disastrous start to win the final Southeast Division title and the third seed in the Eastern Conference. I enjoy the personalities that make up this team. I enjoyed watching Alex Ovechkin rediscover himself this season.

Maybe I’m just too numb to the losing, I’ve been watching it for almost 40 years.

Am I disappointed the Caps didn’t advance? Sure I am. But am I angry they lost? No. It’s part of hockey.

I’m a fan of hockey, not a fan of winning.

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Washington Capitals Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Game 7: Capitals end season with crushing 5-0 loss to Rangers

May 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment

“All we needed was one, to be honest,” said Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green after the Capitals’ season-ending loss to the New York Rangers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

“Last night, just needed one to get us going. Tonight, we just needed one.”

Sometimes all it takes is the one lucky bounce, one lucky break, one goal, to get a team going. But the Capitals weren’t the beneficiaries of any such thing Monday night. Following a loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden in Game 6 on Sunday, which tied the series 3-3, the Capitals hoped their win streak on home ice would keep going. But it was not meant to be. When it was said and done, the Capitals fell 5-0 to the Rangers, which ended their 2013 season.

The mood in the locker room was somber. A season-ending loss in the playoffs is harder to swallow than a regular season loss. Hockey players know that. The Capitals know that. Many of them have experienced only playoff failure during their careers. Nicklas Backstrom is one of them.

“It feels like deja vu. It happened before,” he said.

Backstrom was asked what lessons the team could take from this season.“Maybe learn how to play in the playoffs, I would say. It’s the same thing as previous years.”

Sentiments were much the same around the room. Things like these take time to process – coach Adam Oates responded to many questions by saying “ask me in a couple days.”

“It’s as tough as it gets right there,” said Eric Fehr. “It’s really disappointing. We played a hard series and we’re not even sure what happened tonight. It wasn’t good.”

He’s right – it wasn’t good. The Capitals weren’t good, and Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers were better.

Oates summed it up the best he could for the moment, but seemed at a loss, like many of the players. “Quite honestly, it’s tough to explain. It’s funny how over the years the seventh game turns into some form of blowout. I wish I had an answer for that. Obviously, we pushed very hard in the first period, even made a lot of great saves. They got a lucky one and every bounce seemed to go their way after that.”

This is playoff hockey, and the nature of the beast. Things could just as easily had gone the Capitals way. Things will surely become clearer for the players and coaches over the next few days, the wound will begin to heal, and they will take these lessons and move on to next season.

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FIRST TAKE, GAME 7: Rangers snuff out Caps offense and dismiss them from playoffs

May 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The Washington Capitals fell to 3-9 all time in Game 7s, 2-7 at home, as the New York Rangers withstood a great first period by the Caps, then took a stranglehold on the game, scoring twice in the second and twice in the third to beat the Caps 5-0. Once the power play expired at the start of the second period, you could see the Caps completely deflate and the Rangers jumped allover them, using their lesser talented players to outwork — and eventually outscore – the Caps.

It was, quite obviously, the second year in a row the Rangers dismissed the Caps from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a Game 7.

– The Caps dominated the first period everywhere but the scoreboard, holding a 32-16 advantage in shot attempts. Only 13 of the 32 attempts made their way on goal though, as the Caps had 13 attempts blocked and another six misfires.

– Ovechkin made his presence felt physically, if not on the scoresheet, with seven hits in the first, including several dramatic open-ice hits. He also pinned Ryan McDonough along the boards with a devastating hit, causing blood to leak from McDonough’s right cheek and forehead. The defenseman had to go to the locker room to get repairs but returned to the ice.

– 19-year old rookie Tom Wilson had a strong period, getting into good position for two shot attempts.

– The goal by the Rangers’ Aaron Asham came as a result of Mike Green getting caught in the Rangers’ end after a rush, but it’s a shot Braden Holtby should have had. You can’t let Asham beat you on a snap shot from the top of the circle, but Holtby whiffed with his glove hand, which made it a 1-0 game after 20 minutes.

– The second period was an unmitigated disaster for the Caps. As soon as the power play that carried over from the first expired, you could see the wind escape from the sails. Both New York goals came as a result of the Caps simply not being able to control the puck in their defensive end, wilting to the relentless forecheck of the Rangers’ lesser-known players. The second goal, Eminger to Dorsett to Pyatt, might be the least offensively gifted goal in a Game 7 in NHL history. There’s no excuse.

– Ribeiro, Fehr and Brouwer was the forward line on the ice for both New York goals in the second period.

– If you give up goals to Aaron Asham (2 goals in 27 games), Taylor Pyatt (6 goals in 48 games) and Mike Del Zotto (3 goals in 46 games), you kind of deserve to lose.

– I’m shocked Holtby didn’t get lifted after the third goal. Oates had every right. His team needed a jump, Holtby wasn’t tracking the puck well, and a 3-0 hole in Game 7 is a dramatic enough excuse. But Oates stuck with Holtby, reinforcing Holtby’s unquestioned status as the No. 1 goalie in town — for better or worse.

– I don’t even know how to describe the New York goal 13 seconds into the fourth period. Erskine way too nonchalant with a soft pass up the boards. No speed to get back. Holtby might as well not even had a stick as he was flailing it about purposeless, allowing a soft backhand to beat him with what was a three-goal deficit. Pathetic.

– To show the big difference between these two teams, the Caps played most of the third period at half-speed, just trying to get the game to end, while the Rangers were still using their bodies to block shots on the Caps’ late power play. It’s in their DNA — both ways.

We’ll have a season recap soon. But for now, hang in there Caps fans. They did some good things this season. Adam Oates looks like a keeper. And Ovi rediscovered who he was. The change of division next season will add to the excitement, even if it seems so far away.

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Washington Capitals Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Game 6 Recap: Lundqvist shuts out Caps to force Game 7

May 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment

If you’re a fan of the Washington Capitals, you had to have figured it would come to this.

The New York Rangers — facing elimination in their own building — drew five power plays to the Caps none, their world class goalie played up to his legendary status, and one bad bounce — a deflection off his own defenseman — slipped past Braden Holtby, and the Caps fell to the Rangers 1-0, forcing an all-deciding Game 7 at Verizon Center Monday night at 8:00 pm.

Derick Brassard, a thorn in the Caps side all series long, was credited with the lone tally of the game — a slap shot from the high slot that deflected off Steve Oleksy’s glove at the top of the crease and caromed past Holtby midway through the second period.

The Capitals did not play particularly well for long stretches of this game, had trouble mounting a consistent offensive attack and, at times, had trouble getting out of their own end due to New York’s relentless forecheck.

But the story of this game, unfortunately, was the officiating. Referees Brad Watson and Marc Joannette called five penalties in the game before the final horn, and all five were against the Capitals. Two of the calls — against Jack Hillen and Mike Green — were for retaliation after a Rangers player instigated the rough play. Another — Eric Fehr’s elbowing call — seemed to actually come as a result of the Ranger player’s own gloved hand making contact with his face — if at all – after the two players collided shoulder-to-shoulder.

There have been two instances in this Stanley Cup Playoffs of the home team receiving all of the power play opportunities in the game. Watson and Joannette were the referees in both contests. That the Caps were ale to kill all five penalties is a testament to their renewed proficiency in the penalty kill — and the Rangers ineptness on their power play. New York is just 2-for-26 with a man advantage in the six games in this series alone. In contrast, the Caps have been successful on three of the 14 power play opportunities they’ve had in the series.

None of this should come to make light of the job Henrik Lundqvist — or Braden Holtby, for that matter — did between the pipes in Game 6. Both goalies were outstanding; Holtby early during the multiple power plays the Rangers had in the first period and Lundqvist particularly late, when the hard-charging Caps had the better of play 5-on-5, and then 6-on-5 in the last 80 seconds of the game when coach Adam Oates pulled Holtby for the extra skater.

It should also not be disregarded that the Capitals should have figured out a way to play physical without taking the retaliatory penalties. If the Caps fail to hold home ice advantage Monday night and lose this series, the biggest story from the Capitals side will have been their inability to stay out of the penalty box the entire series.

That being said, the Caps played a man down for long chunks of Game 6 and it disrupted their line combinations, offensive attack and game plan.

The Rangers were awarded their first power play at 10:01 of the first period. Replays showed Jack Hillen received a blatant and intentional “chicken wing” style elbow to the side of his head by Rangers’ captain Ryan Callahan. Hillen responded with a hard cross-check to Callahan’s chest and was whistled for roughing. The call itself is dubious, as NBC’s color analyst Pierre McGuire described it: “I’m not sure that’s a penalty. I think that’s more of a ‘Captain of the New York Rangers on home ice against a young man out of Colorado College in Jack Hillen’ and that’s one of those where the veteran got more of a break.”

NBC never showed the play that instigated Hillen to retaliate though. However, TSN’s coverage did pick up the elbow, and you can make up your own mind to the nature of it.

Six minutes later, the delay-of-game bug bit the Caps again, with this time normally reliable defenseman Karl Alzner guilty of the infraction. As the Caps were in the process of killing that penalty, Eric Fehr and Brassard came together in front of the Rangers bench. Both players braced for impact and they collided shoulder to shoulder. Fehr, the taller player, followed through and got the better of the impact, with Brassard flailing wildly to the ice. But upon closer inspection, it appears that Fehr’s elbow never did make contact with Brassard and if anything, Brassard’s own gloved hand nicked him as he reeled from the collision.

Regardless, the dramatic fall that Brassard took — along with the heavy hit Fehr doled out — resulted in a 5-on-3 situation (the third of the series, all favoring the Rangers) as the frame wound down, which the Caps killed off deftly.

The third period saw two more calls go the home team’s way. On the first, Joel Ward was called for cross-checking a Rangers back-checking forward into the Rangers goal. Both players had speed and Ward got a good piece of contact. Had the hit happened at open ice, I don’t think anyone would have thought about it, but the Rangers forward went careening into the goal, knocking it from its moorings. Again, the hit was shoulder-to-shoulder, but Ward got sent off for a cross-check.

The final infraction came against Mike Green for a cross-check. He earned it, going two-handed across Derek Dorsett’s mouth, drawing blood on his top and bottom of Dorsett’s mouth. But the play that precipitated the retaliation this time was Dorsett’s check on Green — a dangerous “slew-foot” type maneuver — that so incensed Green to go after Dorsett. After the game, several Capitals’ players talked about what they perceived as the dirty play by Dorsett, a lesser-skilled player on the ice primarily to instigate and “stir the pot.”

Via Capitals Insider: “The one that we all had a problem with, obviously, was the one on Greenie. That’s a play that should be reviewed,” goaltender Braden Holtby said. “It’s only because Greenie’s world-class, one of the best skaters in the world, that he didn’t fall on his back there. It’s a dirty slew foot and we’re short-handed from it. That’s the only one I think any of us have a problem with.”

As a testament to the physical nature of play in the series, and the escalating ugliness throughout Game 6, after the final horn sounded all 11 skaters on the ice came together in the corner to the right of Lundqvist and engaged in some more extra-curricular activity, which ended up with Green on the ice prone, trying to protect his head. Both teams were assessed two roughing minors: John Carlson and Troy Brouwer for Washington, and Derek Stepan and Dan Girardi for New York.

All of this sets up what should be a tense, physical, dramatic Game 7 Monday night at Verizon Center at 8:00 pm. Neither team has a particularly good history in this situation. The Caps are 2-6 at home in Game 7s, the Rangers are 0-5 on road in Game 7s. One organization’s tortured fan base is going to be able to cling to a ridiculous “curse” after Monday night, but you can rest assured those numbers mean nothing to the players.

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FIRST TAKE, GAME 6: Lundqvist stymies Caps; Game 7 Monday

May 12, 2013 by 1 Comment

Henrik Lundqvist stopped every shot that made it through to him, and the New York Rangers escaped Game 6 with a 1-0 win over the Washington Capitals. The Caps were hindered all day by killing penalties, as the refs awarded five power plays to the Rangers but none to the Caps. Regardless, the Caps weren’t able to find an answer for Lundqvist, forcing the seemingly inevitable Game 7 at Verizon Center.

– Though outshot (due to accumulation of power plays for the Rangers) in the first period, the Caps had the much better of play at 5-on-5, penning the Rangers in there zone on multiple occasions.

– Caps had better of play in a rough first 20 minutes, but they were unable to find a way to play physical without going to the box. Both Hillen and Fehr penalties came when physical confrontation was 50/50. Caps lost the whistle in both those occasions at MSG. On the Fehr penalty, it looked like the hit was shoulder to shoulder and the Rangers player hit himself in the mouth with is own elbow.

– Ovechkin lazy on defense? Not in the first period, where on back-to-back shifts he filled the goal crease during a scrum on the far post, then blocked two shots in a sequence when Caps were forced to deal with defensive zone face-off after an icing.

– Obviously, a huge penalty kill at the end of the period with Alzner off for delay of game and then Fehr joining him on the roughing. Killing almost a minute of 5-on-3 then the rest of it is a big boost of morale.

– Rangers scored on a deflection off Oleksy’s glove on a shot from the high slot by Brassard. On the replay, it looked like Holtby had it tracked all the way until the last second deflection. Looked like Oleksy tried to punch at it and just didn’t get enough of it to push it off goal.

– Energized by their tally, Rangers really had the best of play in the last eight minutes of the second. Holtby made several huge saves, including a sequence when he lost his stick, to keep the Caps within one goal. Ovechkin had a couple of chances in the frame only to be denied by Lundqvist.

– The third period was furious, including about 80 seconds of 6-on-4, but Lundqvist was equal every time the Caps got one through.

– Hard to believe the Rangers didn’t commit a penalty in Game 6, but they were not called for one, while getting the benefit of five power plays. Caps are fortunate that the Rangers power play is inept (0-for-5 in the game, 2-for-26 in the series), but fighting off power plays will take its toll — and keep Alex Ovechkin off the ice.

Game 7 is Monday night at 8:00 pm at Verizon Center.

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Washington Capitals Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Game 5: Ribiero nets game-winner in thrilling OT period

May 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Caps celebrate after their game five overtime win in Washington, May 10, 2013 (Photo Courtesy of Brendan Sheridan/Hockeyshopped)

Caps celebrate after their Game 5 overtime win in Washington, May 10, 2013 (Photo Courtesy of Brendan Sheridan/Hockeyshopped)

After dropping the previous two games at Madison Square Garden, the Washington Capitals felt like they had something to prove to the New York Rangers. Losing another game in this series would put the Capitals on the brink of elimination – less than an ideal situation.

Instead, the Capitals triumphed in overtime thanks to a deft shot by Mike Ribiero. It was one of many that almost squeaked past Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist Friday night. It was his first playoff goal as a Capital and his first career playoff game-winning goal. Ribeiro wasn’t too shabby in the faceoff circle either, winning 70 percent of his draws, 19, a game-high.

“It’s obviously a very big goal for him,” said coach Adam Oates about Ribiero’s goal. “He’s played pretty good hockey for us. He’s played well in the series and just hasn’t gotten one to go his way. “

The Rangers tallied the game’s first goal less than a minute into the first period, when Brian Boyle shook loose of the Caps defense. But the Capitals know how to play when they’re behind. If there’s one noticeable and admirable quality about Adam Oates’ Capitals, it’s that they don’t seem to get flustered even when they are down a few goals. The game they play while leading a game is the same one they play when trailing.

Joel Ward, playoff hero extraordinaire, scored on a Washington power play midway through the second period to bring the Capitals even with the Rangers. Not much would change until Ribiero sent the Rangers packing with his overtime game winner.

The overtime period itself was unlike anything seen during the rest of this series – and maybe in the whole of playoffs thus far. Both teams traded chances on either end for 10 minutes. It was end-to-end, adrenaline-pumping hockey. When Ribiero potted the game-winner, the Verizon Center crowd let their pent-up emotion erupt. If the roof could have been blown off the building, it would have happened Friday night.

Caps Tom Wilson makes his NHL Debut during game five in Washington, May 10, 2013 (Photo Courtesy of Brendan Sheridan/Hockeyshopped)

Caps Tom Wilson makes his NHL Debut during game five in Washington, May 10, 2013 (Photo Courtesy of Brendan Sheridan/Hockeyshopped)

Top prospect Tom Wilson made his NHL debut Friday night, at the ripe old age of 19. Postgame, Wilson was all smiles and seemed a bit lost for words to articulate his experience.

“It was everything I imagined. It was just unbelievable,” said Wilson. “The fans, you could hear them, everyone could hear them. It was just the best support we could have. And to have a finish like that – it was just a dream come true and everything I imagined.”

The Capitals now lead the series, 3-2, putting the Rangers on the brink of elimination. A win for the Capitals on Sunday will send them into the second round of the playoffs, but the Rangers could force a Game 7 if they are able to best the Capitals.

Oates says the key for the Capitals is how they start the game. “We talked about trying to have a better start, which we didn’t really have again tonight.”

“Obviously it’s going to be their barn, their building, their people,” said Oates. “It’s going to be electric. We’ve got to handle the first 10 minutes of the game; once we get into the game we’re okay. It’s good hockey, as you saw tonight, but we’ve got to have a good start.”

Game 6 is scheduled for Sunday at 4:30p.m. from Madison Square Garden.

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FIRST TAKE, GAME 5: Ribeiro goes to the bakery to win Game 5 in overtime

May 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment

What, you expected something else in Game 5? No chance, as a crummy start turned into a dominant performance by the Washington Capitals, only to see them frustrated time and again by Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers. But the Caps had the last laugh, as Mike Ribeiro swept home a rebound in overtime to give the Caps a three games to two lead in the Quarterfinals matchup.

– The Caps could not have played worse in the first period. Outshot 10-8, and only a flurry at the end of the frame made it that close. But the chances were heavily in the Rangers favor. Bad penalties, defensive breakdowns and spotty puck possession. A total breakdown by John Erskine and Nick Backstrom allowed Brian Boyle to drift to the top of the crease to bang home a nice pass from Derek Brassard just 53 second into the game. Brassard has been the Rangers best offensive player in the series.

– Jason Chimera was laying the leather in the first couple of periods, and the hit he laid on Ryan Clowe behind the Caps net — which he received two minutes for roughing — knocked Clowe from the game. He skated one more shift and was done for the night.

– The Caps finally got a power play in the second period after Boyle whacked Mike Ribeiro across the back of the legs, and they made the Rangers pay for it. A beautiful tic-tac-toe from Backstrom-to-Johansson-to-Ward in the slot made it 1-1 at 7:44.

– Based on the Rangers having four power plays to the Caps’ one after two periods, Matt Hendricks led both teams with seven blocked shots after two.

– Through two periods, the Caps held a 40-19 advantage in shots attempts in 5-on-5 play, but the SOG total was 15-14 Rangers.

– The Caps owned the third period. Owned. But no goal.

– Ribeiro went to the right spot for the game-winner, earning that position with some uncharacteristic physical play. Eric Fehr did a great job keeping the play alive. He had a great game. Good work with Alzner getting the puck toward the net as well. Good things come when you shoot the puck.

– Ribs was a monster in the face-off circle, going 19-for-27 (70%) overall and 9-for-10 in the defensive zone. Monster.

Game 6 is Sunday at 4:30 pm at Madison Square Garden. Make sure you take your heart medicine between now and then.

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Washington Capitals Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Game 4: Too little, too late as Rangers tie series

May 8, 2013 by 1 Comment

After a strong effort but a defeat at the hands of the New York Rangers Monday night, the Capitals played their weakest game of the series so far, and after spotting the Rangers the lead. Despite a late finish, Washington couldn’t quite recover and saw their 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals evaporate in two games at Madison Square Garden.

Mental lapses dogged the Capitals again on Wednesday, as Braden Holtby’s ill-advised turnover, Jason Chimera’s needless penalty after Washington fought back to tie it and other defensive breakdowns were costly, as New York controlled most of the first 50 minutes and then the Capitals couldn’t pull even with a late kick.

Washington now faces a best-of-three series – with three games in four days – to advance to the next round of the postseason. If they don’t, they likely will remember the squandered lead they lost early this week in Manhattan.

The Rangers got on the board first last in the third period when a bad Holtby clear through the middle of the ice was intercepted by Taylor Pyatt. Hagelin picked up the loose puck and fired, but John Carlson blocked the shot attempt, but Holtby slid through the crease and past the net, allowing Brad Richards to deposit the puck in the empty net with 3:35 left in the first.

Just 2:01 after the Richards tally, Washington got a power play on a Michael Del Zotto penalty, but at the tail end of the advantage, a collision of Alex Ovechkin, Martin Erat and Ryan Callahan resulted in a pair of Washington penalties and a 5-on-3 to end the first period for New York.

Erat left the game after he lost his glove and slid into the cage, and the Caps had more penalty problems after Monday’s early issues.

However, the Capitals were able to kill off the remainder of the two-man advantage at the start of the second, but New York carried the momentum generated by the advantage, outshooting Washington 18-7 five minutes into the frame.

New York took advantage of that surge as Carl Hagelin blasted a pass in the top corner to give the Rangers their first two-goal lead of the series with 10:13 gone in the second.

Although Washington remained flat for most of the frame, Joel Ward gave the Capitals some life late in the second. Ward made a nifty move down the side towards the cage, deking around a sliding Michael Del Zotto and the corner of the net, then fed Matthieu Perreault who was parked at the side of the net for the Capitals’ first goal with 6:52 left in the period.

Washington then got the equalizer in the final seconds of the second thanks to Troy Brouwer, as he broke in with the puck into the Rangers zone and backhanded a shot past Lundqvist with just :18 left in the second period.

Despite being outplayed for most of the contest, the Capitals headed into the second intermission tied 2-2 even though they were outshot 26-15 through 40 minutes. However, a Chimera penalty at the end of the second proved costly early in the third.

With the power play to start the third and looking to turn the tide, New York did, as Dan Girardi used the man advantage to blast a puck past Holtby just 59 seconds into the third.

The momentum generated by the early goal carried over into the frame, as the Capitals were caught scrambling around in their own end and Derek Stepan was left alone by the net and put the puck past Holtby for a 4-2 lead.

Karl Alzner pulled the Capitals to within one just 1:29 later, putting a fluttering shot that deflected off Perreault past Lundqvist to make it 4-3.

However, despite some late pressure, the Capitals couldn’t overcome their early mistakes and now are tied 2-2, with Game 5 Friday at Verizon Center.

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FIRST TAKE, GAME 4: Caps with clunker on the road; series even coming back to DC

May 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The Washington Capitals were out shot, out hit, out played by the New York Rangers and only lost by one. Regardless, they lost, by a 4-3 count. This series is tied at 2 heading back to D.C.

– The Caps had two opportunities with the extra-man in the first period and the troubles they had at the end of Game 3 carried over. With the Rangers all but daring Ribeiro and Backstrom to shoot the puck, overplaying Ovechkin and Green, there was precious little puck movement and few quality chances. They got two shots on goal on the two power plays combined.

– Braden Holtby loves to play the puck, and this time he paid for it. It wasn’t so much coming out of his goal to play the puck — that probably wasn’t the worst thing he could do there. But instead of safely playing up the left wing wall, where John Erskine was waiting without a Ranger to defend, Holtby chose for the home run pass across the crease to the right wing side. Inexcusable.

– The coincidental minors at the end of the period was, simply, a joke. Erat earned the hooking call when Stepan got a step on the winger. But the “charging” call Ovechkin received was bunk. At full speed, the play looked dangerous and all, but the fact of the matter is Ovechkin clipped Stepan when he was off-balance, leading to the collision. Ovechkin didn’t target the head, there was in fact no contact with the head, and there was no reason for the second penalty other than the spectacular looking collision.

– At the time of the Rangers second goal in the second period, they were outshooting the Caps 21-8. Yup.

– Great effort by both Jason Chimera, to win the puck along the boards and pay the price on the hit by Eminger, and Ward with the skill move around the fallen defense, to get the puck to Perreault on the far post for the Caps first goal.

– Beauty backhand by Brouwer on the tying goal, but credit to Ribeiro — without his stick — and Mike Green at the point for keeping the offensive zone. The goal was a culmination of all four lines consecutively keeping possession in the Rangers end. It was the first succession of puck possession for the Caps all game and it resulted in the tying goal.

– On the power play caused by a needless cross-check by Chimera at the end of the second period, Holtby didn’t respect Dan Girardi from the point, half-playing the long shot and he paid for it. Holtby made some incredible saves in this one, but just as many poor ones.

– The Caps top line was caught on the ice on an icing play, could not get the puck out of their own end on the ensuing face-off and the result was the Rangers fourth goal.

– Despite a valiant final 12 minutes when the Caps owned play, they just couldn’t find the equalizer after the two early third period goals. The better team on the ice Wednesday night won.

It was a clunker on the road. Let it go. Step back off the ledge. Game 5 is back at Verizon Center Friday night. Doesn’t get much bigger than that.

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