That Distinguished List Has Gotten Longer

Well the news for the Capitals has not gotten any better, yet again.  In fact, it's worse.  Captain Chris Clark has been put on long term IR again.  Apparently, Clark is suffering from a stress fracture in his right forearm.  This is just the latest in a rash of injuries that have stuck the Caps in the last two weeks. Originally it looked like it was the Carolina Hurricanes that were so badly hit with injuries, well I think that the Caps have topped that.

The list of injuries now looks like this:

Semin: Back

Federov: Ankle

Green: Shoulder

Shultz: Broken Finger (IR)

Clark: Stress Fracture (IR)

Pothier: Post Concussion Syndrome (IR)

Gordon: Back

Erskine: Undisclosed

The injury bug has caused the Capitals to make a bunch of moves and shake up the lineup.  They called up Sami Lepisto and Karl Alzner on defense from Hershey.  They also called up Graham Mink and Chris Bourque, forwards, from Hershey.    The Caps play the last place Atlanta Thrashers tonight in DC.  They will be looking to put an end to their three game losing streak, while looking to remain perfect this season in regulation at home.  The line up for tonight will be :

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Kozlov

Fleishmann-Nylander-Fehr

Bourque-Laich-Bradley

Brashear-Steckel-Mink

Sloan-Poti

Alzner-Jurcina

Lepisto-Morissonn

Theodore

The loss of Clark to IR marks the third time in two seasons he will miss a significant amount of time.  Last year he was struck in the ear with an Ovechkin slap shot and missed a bunch of games.  Then he battled a nagging groin injury all last year and was out for the remainder of the season.  Clark's play this year has had many in DC questioning the ability he once showed as a 20 goal guy.  In fact, there are plenty of people who have been calling for him to be traded. Some believed that a Nylander deal might also involve Clark.  Well, long term IR is gonna prevent him from going anywhere.  

Speaking of Nylander, a deal is apparently in the works for Chicago to send Khabibulin to either Toronto or New Jersey.  New Jersey makes the most sense.  They have salary cap room, and with future hall of fame goaltender Martin Brodeur going down, the Devils are looking for a solid number one to replace him.  The Devils since beating the Caps in a shootout, have gone a scoring spree behind the play of Dainius Zubrus and Patrick Elias.  They are once again looking like a playoff team and Khabibulin brings Stanley Cup winning experience.  Khabibulin to Toronto just doesn't seem to fit into what Toronto is trying to do as a team.  The plan for Toronto is not to be between eighth and twelfth in the east, its to be first or second.  That said, I just don't see where a guy like Khabibulin fits into the rebuilding process that is currently going on in Toronto.  If Nylander is indeed dealt, it is hard to say who would come back from Chicago although a defenseman or two would be a good bet.  Talking to Tarik El-Bashir earlier today, I asked him, "Apparently a deal is in the works for Khabibulin to go to either New Jersey or Toronto. That would make room for Nylander. Who would you see coming back from Chicago if Nylander were dealt? Do you see any other possible moves?"  He responded by saying, "Several teams want Nylander according to my sources, with most of the interest coming from Chicago, Vancouver and St. Louis.   It's also no secret that the Caps would like to move the veteran center and his $4.875 cap hit. The team did fine without him last season, and he's clearly struggling to fit in this year.  But there's a wild card in this equation: He requested, and has, a no trade clause. He confirmed this for me on Monday, and a source in another organization also confirmed this for me.  That said, I could see him accepting a deal to Chicago, where he still has a home. Heck, his Benz still has Illinois plates.  But then the question becomes which players will be involved? I've studied both rosters, and I can't make it work for either team."  So it sounds like, it's possible that more than Chicago maybe involved in the Nylander sweepstakes.  It also sounds like, if he is moved, that the most likely destination is Chicago.  The rash of injuries at this time maybe enough for the Caps to have to hold off on dealing Nylander anywhere.  If Nylander is dealt, what team would you like to see him dealt to and for whom in exchange?  Feel free to post your comments.

Go Caps!

-Bagasome

The List is Long, but Distinguished!

The Caps loss last night was worsened by the news afterward. The Capitals injury list was extended on the Western Conference road trip for the Caps yet again last night. Jeff Shultz left the game in the first period with a broken finger, while Boyd Gordon left with a back problem, and John Erskine also left with an undisclosed injury.

The injuries for the Caps now look like this:
Mike Green: Shoulder
Alex Semin: Back
Sergei Federov: Ankle
Jeff Shultz: Broken Finger
Boyd Gordon: Back
John Erskine: Undisclosed

The Caps will therefore, have to call up another defenseman from Hershey. Probably Sami Lepisto, although with Shultz down now too for a while, maybe Karl Alzner will be called up, as well. They will have to wait and see how serious Erskine is and just how long Green will really be out for. The Caps rash of injuries has really hurt their performances recently as evidenced by the recent road trip out west. They really are missing the clearing ability of Mike Green and the goal scoring potential of Semin. Shultz, a shut down defenseman, will easier to replace in the line-up with a guy like Alzner than will it be to replace a guy as talented on the rush and offensively as Green. Post comments for who you think should be called up.

To all you injured Caps, here's a Get Well Soon Wish from all of the fans. We need you back!

Go Caps!

-Bagasome

Too Little, Too Late

The Capitals have now lost three straight in regulation for the first time in the Bruce Boudreau era. The Capitals waited until 14:43 of the third period to turn it up a notch. Through the first 55 minutes of the game they were flat. Matt Bradley found the net at 14:43, followed by Ovechkin at 16:07, and Nick Backstrom on the power-play at 18:16. Down 4-0 before Bradley's goal the Capitals surge was just too little too late. They were unable to find the net in the closing minute to tie it up, even with the goaltender pulled.

Jose Theodore played well again, stopping 29 of 33 shots. The story for the first 55 minutes, was the play of Niklas Backstrom, goaltender for the Wild. He stopped everything thrown his way, with a little help from his posts. His play is what kept the Caps from getting one early and turning it around. Special teams, as I had said in my previous post, played a pivotal role for the Wild. The Wild scored twice on six power-play opportunities and killed off two of three Caps power-plays. The Wild were lead by their rookie, Cal Clutterbuck, who scored his first two NHL goals against the Caps last night.

Go Caps!

-Bagasome
The Caps will travel home to DC to face the Atlanta Thrashers on Wednesday and the Montreal Canadians on Friday before hitting the road for Columbus on Saturday. The Caps will be looking to protect their home ice and extend their unbeaten streak at home in regulation this season to ten games.

Caps In The Land of 10,000 Lakes

The Capitals head to Minnesota tonight, a place they have not won at since 1993, to face a tough Wild team. The Caps are 11-6-3 and lead the Southeast with 25 points, while the Wild are 11-6-1 with 23 points. The game is an 8pm start on Versus. The Caps head to Minnesota coming off loses at LA and San Jose, while the Wild have also lost two straight.

For yet another game, the Capitals will have to go without Mike Green (bruised shoulder), Sergei Federov (ankle), and Alexander Semin (back strain). The losses of Green, Federov, and Semin really showed the other night as the Caps were demolished by a far bigger and better San Jose team, 7-2. Boudreau said afterwards, "You don't realize how much you miss Mike Green until you don't have Mike Green. He's a one man breakout." Not only that, these three players have combined for 24 goals and 28 assists this season. The 24 goals are 37% of Washington's total as a team. Therefore, it will be up to other guys to start sharing the load. Chris Clark, remains without a goal and tonight would be a good time for him to step it up. Chris's struggles have recently landed him on the fourth line, and if he wants to come off of it, he better start lighting the lamp. The Caps lines will look like this:

Forwards:
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Kozlov
Fleischmann-Nylander-Bradley
Laich-Steckel-Fehr
Brashear-Gordon-Clark
Defense:
Poti-Sloan
Morrisonn-Schultz
Erskine-Jurcina
Goal:
Jose Theodore


The Caps will need a strong start tonight, much like the one in Anaheim, to quite the notoriously sold out Xcel Energy Center. The Wild are one of the lowest scoring teams in the NHL, averaging only 2.33 goals per game. What the Wild lack in offense, they make up for through strong defensive play and great goaltending. The other night the Wild held Pittsburg's Crosby and Malkin to one shot. Niklas Backstrom, the other Backstrom, has been great so far this year for Minnesota and has kept them in a lot of games. He is 11-5-1 with a 2.00 GAA and a .933 SV% with two shutouts. The Wilds special teams are also very good. They are eigth in the league on the PP operating at 20.8% and first in the league on the PK operating at 91.4%. It will therefore be imperative for the Caps to have a strong special teams night, if they want to win.

In other news, Michael Nylander remains a Capital and claims that he has had no interaction with GM George Mcphee regarding a trade or waiving his no trade clause. He told reporters this morning, "Nothing, no, he hasn't talked to me," regarding George Mcphee. He also said, "I play here. That's how I'm approaching the situation. That's the way it's going to be. Whatever it says in the papers, that's out of my control to do anything about it." According to Nylander it all appears to be rumors, the jury however, I would have to think is still out on that one. Coach Bruce Boudreau was recently informed that he will be one of four inductees into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2009. Lastly, in case you missed it, here is a link to the fight Donald Brashear was in the other night against San Jose's Jody Shelley.


-Bagasome

Nylander on the way out, Sundin on the way in?

The reports around the NHL right now are that the Capitals are trying to move veteran center Michael Nylander. Nylander has two goals and ten assists this season and is a minus two. Recently, Boudreau has not been impressed with his play and subsequently made him a healthy scratch last week against New Jersey. He returned to the line up the next game, only because of recent injury trouble to the Capitals. Since his return, Nylander has looked lethargic. He glides around and often appears to be uninterested. Could all of this be because he played with Jagr, notoriously known for taking nights off, too many years?

The rumors are that the Capitals have been trying to send him to Chicago. Chicago is in Salary Cap trouble though and will more than likely have to waive or trade a goalie to make room. In the deal the Capitals apparently only wanted center Dustin Byfuglien, who will make 3 million the next two years. Byfuglien has two goals, four assists, and twenty-five penalty minutes this season. He is a big rig at 6-3 245 lbs. He has always been known as a gritty player who gets under guys skin, a guy like Matt Cooke comes to mind, when comparing Byfuglien to others. Chicago though needs more salary cap space and is trying to move veteran defenseman Brent Sopel too. Sopel is scheduled to make two and a half million over the next two seasons. Sopel has a single goal and single assist this season and is a minus seven, the worst on the team. The problem for the Capitals is that these two players would make no sense, because their contracts combined are higher than what Nylander currently makes. This would not free up any room for the Capitals.

Mats Sundin has been holding out so far this year to sign a contract anywhere. Rumors are though that he should sign soon. The teams in the running are the Maple Leafs, Rangers, Canadians, and Capitals. Yes, that's right apparently the Capitals are in the running for Sundin. How we have no Cap room? That may be precisely the reason they are trying to move Nylander. There is a school of thought that says, maybe Sundin would like to come in and help fellow Swede Nick Backstrom, in a way similar to what Federov did, with guys like Ovechkin and Semin. Sundin wants to win a Stanley Cup and the Capitals are definite contenders at this point. The dollars that he may demand though could be the only thing holding up a deal. At the same time though, he could think the Caps are his best shot and therefore, like Hossa, take less money.

If these two deals are going to be one and one adding to two, than a few things have to happen. The Caps have to take, not much more than a draft pick back from Chicago. This means that Chicago has to move a goalie, in order to make room for Nylander. The Capitals would need to move another player to make room for a guy like Sundin. Chris Clark has not able to find his old stride since missing most of last year. Clark has no goals and two assists and is a minus four. Chris Clark may be a guy who becomes expendable. Ovechkin appears ready in any case to take on the responsibility of Captain. The presence of Tyler Sloan in the line up for more than ten games now, means he will have to clear waivers to be sent back to Hershey. Sloan has played extremely well for the Capitals this season. Alzner is still in Hershey waiting his turn. These two players may make a guy like Morrisonn, who was hard to sign at the end of last year, expendable. Morrisonn was awarded nearly two million in arbitration last year, and he has not played as well this year. Jeff Shultz to me continues to struggle, he looks lost and confused. He also appears unwilling to take the body. He is another possible piece of trade bait. Maybe even a guy like Viktor Kozlov could be moved since there would be no place for him.

Just think of the line up:

Ovechkin-Federov-Semin
Fleishman-Sundin-Backstrom
Laich-Gordon-Fehr
Brashear-Steckel-Bradley

Green-Alzner
Poti-Sloan
Jurcina-Erskine

Theo-Johnny

We will have to see how it all unfolds but it should be interesting none the less.

Thats all for now!

Go Caps!

-Bagasome

All Star Disaster

The NHL All Star Game has turned into a joke. This coming year the game will be played in Montreal. The Canadians and their fans are celebrating their centennial and the NHL felt it only right to reward them with the game during such a historic season. The only problem with the whole game is the process for who will start.

Less than 24 hours after voting began, it came out that there was a voting fraud problem. Mainly, Montreal fans had rigged computers to automatically vote for their players. This was a direct violation of the rules when it comes to how many times one can vote. The NHL in their defense was fast on the scene and apparently remedied the problem and erased all the fraudulent votes. Or did they?

Currently on November 18th at 3 pm the votes for the eastern conference all stars are as follows: At forward: Alex Kovalev 237,212 votes, Saku Koivu 234,857, Alex Tanguay 233,096, Sidney Crosby 121,875, Evgeni Malkin 93,693, Alex Ovechkin 90,300, and Alex Semin 66,390.
On Defense: Andrei Markov 259,547, Mike Komisarek 234,744, Mike Green 84,347, Zdeno Chara 82,032.
In Goal: Carey Price 253,477, Marc Andre-Fleury 64,942, Ryan Miller 51,135, Henrik Lundqvist 45,983, and Tim Thomas (as a write in) 27,381

You are gonna have a hard time convincing me or most any other NHL fans that Alex Kovalev has generated almost a 2-1 vote count over Sidney Crosby. Kovalev has 12 points so far this year and is not even in the top 50 in scoring. Sid the kid has 22 points this year. If there is a player who is more recognizable in the league than Sidney Crosby, I would love to know who it is. To all those who say, but it's Montreal and it's the All Star game so of course their fans are gonna stuff the ballot box, I say BS. Sidney Crosby is the Boston Red Sox/NY Yankees of the NHL, more fans out there know him than any other player. The only way this balloting make sense is through fraudulent votes.

On a separate issue, you have a guy in goal like Tim Thomas, who leads the NHL in almost every goalie statistic this year, and he is not even on the ballot. The only reason he even shows up in the top few vote getter's, is because people have recognized his accomplishments this year and written him in. Thanks to all those true fans, who have recognized his accomplishments.


Mike Komisarek leads Mike Green by a margin of almost 3:1 in votes. First off how did Komisarek even get on the ballot. Yes that's right the NHL wants it this way. Let's stop for a second and think about this. How many points does Komisarek have this year..., yes that's right 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mike Green has 14 points (6G,8A). No real fans out there are really voting this way are they. I didn't think so. If this whole process is allowed to continue the ratings for the All-Star game will be at lower than last years ratings. No one will be interested in watching the Montreal Canadians play the Western Conference.

All of this leads me to two conclusions. One, the ballots are still inaccurate, due to, voting fraud or the NHL has a bigger problem, my second point. Two, the NHL is not where it thinks it is in terms of fan support and therefore Montreal is apparently the only city that cares. I have a hard time buying into the second one conclusion, as fan attendance all over the league is way up, therefore the fans do care. I leave it to you the public to go out and vote and try to correct the problem. I just know there are more Sidney Crosby fans and Ovechkin fans than there are Kovalev fans so go rock the vote!


-Bagasome

Point Taken

Today's post will be a just a random list of points to ponder over, feel free to comment along the way or email thoughts.



-The Capitals earned a point last night that they did not deserve in New Jersey, with the exception of Jose Theodore.

-The recent play of Brent Johnson has motivated Theo to play better and it has shown over the last nine periods or so.

-Theo is still the starter

-Tom Poti's presence in the line up is integral to the Capitals success.

-Ovechkin is back on track with 5 goals and 5 assists in his last 4 games.

-Backstrom continues to improve. Against New Jersey last night he was in on every goal. 1 goal and 4 assists.

-Jeff Shultz needs to be a more physical defenseman. He is costing the Capitals goals.

-Erskine and Jurcina have looked better than I think anyone thought they would.

-Tyler Sloan = Stud!!! He has made very few mistakes and he is not noticed on the ice a positive sign.

-Semin's injury looks like a shoulder issue...Is it more serious than we are lead to believe?

-With last nights shootout loss they Caps are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games and lead the Southeast by 5 points going into today.

-Away games: Caps are 3-4-2. That will have to improve as the Caps go to Anaheim, LA, and San Jose next week.

-Home cookin': The Caps have still not lost in regulation at Verizon Center since March 9th. They are 7-0-1 at home this year. Can you say ticket sales!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Nick Backstrom should be on the All-Star Ballot!

-Tim Thomas, not on the All Star Ballot, who thought this whole All-Star procedure up anyways! Thomas leads in almost every goalie statistical category there is.

-Lightning fire Barry Melrose after 16 games, these new owners are a joke. Rick Tocchet, a criminal for sports betting, replaces him?

-Pens trade Darryl Sydor to Dallas for Philippe Boucher, and the winner is?

-The Caps you feel are missing one small piece... Who or what could it be?

-Bagasome

November

The Washington Capitals in November are 4-1-1. They started out the month with a 5-0 shutout loss to Buffalo and an overtime loss at Ottawa. The offense was sputtering and the defense was committing too many turnovers. The only saving grace was the play of netminder Brent Johnson. The Capitals had all the fans wondering if the ghost of Novembers past were back.

The Capitals returned home from Ottawa to face division leading Carolina, last Thursday. Down 2-1 with under three minutes to play, the magic of last years playoff run seemed to creep back into the lineup and Verizon Center. Alexander Semin and Ovechkin combined to tie it up. They struck again with ten seconds to play and the Capitals stole a win and at least a point from Carolina. The Rangers rolled into Verizon Center on Saturday, and the Caps continued to roll, shutting down the Rangers 3-1. The magic didn't stop there. Olie Kolzig in his return to Washington with the Lightning was welcomed rather rudely, allowing two goals on the first two shots. Kolzig took the loss in Washington, 4-2. Then, last night with first place in the Southeast Division on the line, the Caps played their most complete game of the season, thumping Carolina 5-1.

The Capitals already have more wins than they did last November, when they went a dismal 3-11-1. Since the 5-0 loss in Buffalo, the Caps top line has gotten hot. Ovechkin has two goals and six assists, Semin has five goals and six assists, while Backstrom has one goal and five assists. One has to imagine the Capitals will go only as far as this line goes. Defensively, the Caps have been lead by Mike Green who has two goals and two assists since the Buffalo game and Tom Poti who has two goals and an assist. Brent Johnson has continued his strong play stopping 149 shots out of a 157 faced for a 94.9% save percentage and a just above two goals against a game average. During the stretch, since the Buffalo game, he has gone 4-0-1 as a starter.

Since March 9th of last year, the Caps are 12-0-1, and look to continue that streak at Verizon Center against New Jersey, the only team to beat them at home during the stretch, tomorrow. I will have more later.

GO CAPS!!!!

-Bagasome

Olie the Goalie on Hall of Fame Night

Former Capital great, Olie Kolzig, and Tampa Bay head to Washington tonight to battle the Capitals in the phone booth. This will be the first time since Olie's departure, back in the offseason, that he will not only be back in Washington, but also facing his old mates. In Toronto the new Hall of Fame inductees will be honored tonight at the Hockey Hall of Fame. Should Olie Kolzig, when his playing days are over, end up in the hallowed Hall one day?

The Capitals are coming off two big wins at home against the Hurricanes and the Rangers and looking to ride that momentum against their former netminder. Meanwhile, the Bolts are 1-1-1 in their last three games and are looking to build on their win against Philadelphia on Saturday night. The Caps and Bolts are both chasing Carolina for the Southeast Division lead and tonight's two points will be important in the standings.

The Capitals are facing a rash of injuries. Sergei Federov, Shaone Morrisonn, and Viktor Kozlov will all be out tonight battling various "bodily" injuries. The lines for the Caps have been juggled, yet again, and Chris Clark will be back after a mysterious injury kept him out, Saturday, against the Rangers. Brent Johnson will again get the start, his fourth straight. Johnny has been hot and it appears that Boudreau agrees. Johnny has gone 2-0-1 in his last three games, and he has been a big reason that the Capitals have been in the games at all.

Forwards:
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin
Fleishmann-Nylander-Clark
Laich-Steckel-Fehr
Brashear-Gordon-Bradley

Defense:
Shultz-Green
Poti-Sloan
Erskine-Jurcina

Goal:
Brent Johnson

Alexander Semin remains hot, with eleven goals and ten assists, he is currently second in league scoring behind Malkin. Nick Backstrom's game has finally shown up, and hopefully, his play can elevate line mate Alex Ovechkin to new heights this season. Tampa's special teams play this year has been abysmal, so it will be important for the Caps to take advantage. It will also be important for them to pound Olie Kolzig with shots. For some tips on how to score on Kolzig click here. I suggest glove side high.

I will be back tomorrow with more on the Caps so far this season. I'm off to the game.

Go Caps!

-Bagasome

Here's Johnny (Again)

Brent Johnson will start in goal tonight against the Rangers. It would be an understatement to say that Johnny has played well in his last two starts. He has been on fire and is largely responsible for the three points the Caps have earned in two games. Boudreau has apparently decided to go with the hot hand in net for the foreseeable future. The Caps need another stellar performance from Johnson.

Boudreau has also been forced to change the lineup for tonight's game. Injuries to Sergei Fedorov, Shaone Morrisonn, and captain Chris Clark have made it necessary to call up Tyler Sloan from Hershey and dress both David Steckel and Eric Fehr. Fedorov is suffering from a lower body injury and Shaone Morrrisonn is out with a groin pull. The team is not saying much about Clark's status other than that he is not having trouble with his groin.

Tarik has posted the lines and defensive pairs. Notably, Semin will again skate with Ovechkin and the two will be centered by Backstrom. Tyler Sloan will be paired with Tom Poti.

The Caps need to come out of the gate firing on all cylinders. The team looked lazy and unfocused during the first half of Thursday's game. The team may not be so fortunate against the Rangers and star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist if they don't play solid defense and generate early scoring chances. The forecheck is probably the main key to their success and must set the tone early in the game.

Players to watch:

Nicklas Backstrom - Backstrom was impressive at the end of Thursday's game and was on the ice for the last two goals. If he turns in a similar performance with Ovechkin and Semin, the Caps should not have too much trouble scoring on Lundqvist. If he plays like the out of shape and slightly overweight center we have see far too often this year, the fans at Verizon center will have to suffer through another frustrating game.

Aaron Voros - Voros is a big solid winger who likes to go to the net. During Thursday's game against Tampa, Voros was a force in front of the net and rattled Tampa goaltnender Mike Smith. Smith took several penalties when he tried to chop Voros in half with his stick and the Rangers cruised to a 5-2 victory. Voros is apparently Sean Avery's replacement and he will certainly try to crowd Brent Johnson tonight. The Caps must do a good job of keeping him out of the crease or tieing him up.

This line needs a nickname. (If it works)

Coach Boudreau has decided to change the forward lines for tonight's game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Hopefully the shakeup will spark the Caps struggling offense. The new first line has the potential to make plenty of opposing goaltenders look helpless. And just think of the possible line nicknames. Feel free to send any suggested nicknames to bagasome@gmail.com.

The lineup will be:

Forward Lines
Ovechkin - Fedorov - Semin
Laich - Backstrom - Kozlov
Fleischmann - Nylander - Clark
Brashear - Gordon - Bradley

Defensive Pairs
Schultz - Green
Poti - Morrison
Jurcina - Erskine

Goaltender
Brent Johnson

David Steckel and Eric Fehr are the healthy scratches. Steckel likely remains out of the lineup because of Boyd Gordon continues to play well. Gordon has been an effective fourth line center and has excelled on the penalty kill. Also, Steckel continues to struggle with faceoffs.

Fehr is simply the odd man out. He hasn't seen much action this year and played unremarkably when he has gotten a chance. Hopefully Fehr isn't this year's Steve Eminger. In his defense, he hasn't really gotten the opportunity to distinguish himself. Fehr's speed and conditioning improved over the summer and he still has a good shot and the willingness to go to the net.

The Caps will look for another strong performance from Brent Johnson. Johnson was the only reason the team had a chance to win the Ottawa game and he made several spectacular saves. Johnson looked a little shaky on Ottawa's first two scoring chances but he kept the puck out of the net. After that, he routinely stood on his head and did his best as the Senators shelled him relentlessly. Johnson looks more confident this year and seems to be determined to prove that he can be a number one goaltender. For the most part, he appeared calm in the net and with a little help he could have gotten a shutout.

Tonight's game is a great opportunity for the Caps to gain some ground in the division. Hopefully the team will establish the strong forecheck we all love to see and break out of this offensive slump.

Go Caps.

--- Wanax

Is this the beginning of a goalie controversy?

According to Tarik, Brent Johnson will start Thursday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Johnson played incredibly well against Ottawa and was largely responsible for keeping the Capitals in the game. Boudreau told the press that Theodore was still the team's #1 goalie but Johnson had earned another start. Boudreau also said that both goaltenders will see significant playing time in the future and indicated that whoever was hot would likely start upcoming games. Brent Johnson is definitely the hot goalie at this point.

Theodore has played better lately but he is still inconsistent. He is still allowing easy goals, especially at the start of games, and then making highlight reel stops. It is hard to say if this inconsistency can be attributed to a slow start or difficulty adjusting to a new team and new defenseman. There is also the possibility that Theodore is no longer the goalie he was during his best years. Hopefully Brent Johnson's strong play will motivate Theodore to improve.

Martin Brodeur Out Three to Four Months

Martin Brodeur will apparently be out 3-4 months following elbow surgery. Brodeur was injured the other night in a game against Atlanta. Kevin Weekes his back-up will step in immediately. What does this mean for the Devils?

-Bagasome

The Two Nations' Capitals Meet Up For An Election Day Showdown

The two nations' capitals will square off tonight, at 7:30, in Ottawa on election day across the United States. Both teams are coming off losses on Saturday night. The Capitals were shut out by the Buffalo Sabres, and Ottawa lost a tough game to Tampa Bay in overtime. Neither team has yet to find its true identity yet this season, and both teams will be looking to change that tonight.

The Capitals (5-4-1) are tied for second in the Southeast Division, with eleven points, and trail division leading Carolina by three points. The Senators (4-5-2) are in last place in the Northeast Division, and trail division leading Buffalo by eight points. Two points will be at a premium for both teams in order just to keep pace with their respective divisions.

The Capitals have shaken up the lines since Saturday's disaster in Ottawa. Alexander Ovechkin will be back, after spending the last week back home in Russia. A rejuvenated Ovechkin, could be just what this Washington team needs, to get back on track. The Capitals have been lead by Ovechkin's fellow countryman, Alex Semin, who has eight goals and eight assists for a total of sixteen points. Ovechkin, meanwhile, has two goals and three assists for five points. One has to imagine he is going to break out of his slump soon and in a big way. Ovechkin has always relished the attention he get while in Canada so maybe tonight he will have a big game.

The New Lines
Forwards:
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Kozlov
Fleishman-Nylander-Semin
Laich-Federov-Bradley
Brashear-Gordon-Clark
Defense:
Morrisonn-Poti
Shultz-Green
Erskine-Jurcina
Goal:
Johnson?/Theodore?

For the Caps, the first line will remain virtually unchanged from the way we have often seen it. That is where similarities to other lineups we have seen this year end. Nylander and Fleishman have moved to the second line with Semin. This is not a big surprise with the way that Fleishman has developed this year. He is much quicker, bigger, aggressive with the puck than he has been in years past. He has also had great chemistry with Nylander early on this year and hopefully, Semin can add to it. Federov has moved back to the third line with Laich, while Bradley has moved up to the third line. This line should be Washington's strongest fore checking line, and you should look to see a lot of chances coming from this line, as a result of the fore check. Bradley has skated hard all year and fore checked well, so it's nice to see him get a chance to move up. Clark has moved down to the fourth line with Boyd Gordon and Donald Brashear. Clark has had a slow start this year after missing most of last season with a nagging groin injury. As a result, he has had a hard time getting back into the swing of things early on this season. Boudreau hopes that maybe he can find some chemistry with the grinders, Gordon and Brashear.

The defense has gone through a big shake-up, as the pairing of Morrisonn and Green has been broken up for the first time since Boudreau started with the Caps last November. Morrisonn will play with Poti tonight on the first line, while Green moves back to the second pairing with Shultz. Neither Morrisonn or Green knew why Boudreau made the move and he isn't saying. Erskine and Jurcina remain unchanged.

The goaltender issue remains unchanged, as Johnson is scheduled to start, but Boudreau wouldn't commit. This tells me that Johnny has some sort of nagging injury bothering him. If Johnny can't go, then Theodore will be in.

Ottawa has a highly explosive offense and like Buffalo can skate with anyone in the league. Their issue comes with the play of the defense and goaltender. The Senators have scored 31 goals this year but have been scored on 31 times. Ottawa has the talent with guys like Heatley, Spezza, and Alfredsson, to score in bunches and reverse that trend. Dany Heatley currently leads the team with seven goals and six assists for a total of thirteen points. Defenseman Filip Kuba has been a nice surprise for Ottawa, early on this season, as he has twelve points. Alex Auld the back-up is expected in net tonight for the Senators. He has played well for them this year with a record of 3-2-1. He has a 2.15 GAA and a save percentage of .931%. It will be important for the Capitals to get to him early, especially in Ottawa.

The keys for the Caps tonight will be two fold. One, they have to not allow the Senators to just skate right around them at will. They had a tough time keeping Buffalo from doing this the other night. It will be up to the defense to make sure that they are not getting caught up ice. They will also need to play the body more, in order to keep, the speedy Senators off the sheet. Two, they will need to stay out of the penalty box. Ottawa operates at 25% on the power-play this year and seven or eight penalties against the Caps, would be lethal.

That's all for now.
GO VOTE!
Go Caps!

-Bagasome

Semin named First Star for October

The NHL named Alexander Semin the First Star of the Month. Semin had eight goals and eight assists in October.

Speed Kills: Buffalo Blanks Caps 5-0

The Buffalo Sabres showed the Washington Capitals on Saturday night that speed kills. The Capitals came out flat and got absolutely blown away, 5-0. Apparently, after the game coach Bruce Boudreau of the Capitals was as mad as he has ever been, since taking over the reigns last November.

The Capitals looked flat from the start. Thomas Vanek caught Mike Green napping, just 1:12 into the game, blowing by him for a 1-0 Buffalo lead. It was Vanek's tenth goal of the year. The Capitals went two men down mid way through the first, on penalties by Donald Brashear (tripping) and Jeff Shultz (interference) at 11:09 and 11:32. Just as Brashear was coming out of the box, Buffalo's Derek Roy found the net, beating Theodore on the back side, to give Buffalo a 2-0 lead. Buffalo was not done yet in the first. Mike Green trying to exit the zone, made a bad clear and Jason Pominville and Buffalo made the Capitals pay once more at 19:36 of the first. At the end of one period, Buffalo lead the Capitals 3-0 and out shot them 14-7.

The Capitals in the second period seemed to have calmed down a bit as they out shot Buffalo 14-4. That is, until Mike Green got caught up ice again leading to a two-on-one. Vanek again found the net at 19:57 his eleventh of the year and second of the game. After two periods it was 4-0 Buffalo.

The Capitals just could not get anything going in the third period either. Again, at 11:59 of the third period, Buffalo's Daniel Paille poked a pass to Jurcina around him, catching Washington's defense up ice again and Buffalo made them pay a fifth time on the two-on-one. For Paille it was his second of the season. The final score after three periods was 5-0 in favor of Buffalo.

The Sabres not only outworked the Capitals, but got a strong performance from Ryan Miller in goal, as he stopped all 29 shots he faced. He made a couple beautiful saves on Fleishman, Green, and Semin to not allow the Capitals to get back into the game. The Capitals power-play struggled against Buffalo's strong penalty-kill, going zero for five. The only positive note on the night for the Capitals was their strong penalty-kill work, killing off seven of eight Buffalo chances. The speed of Buffalo and their tenacity for the puck is what ultimately did the Capitals in. The Capitals all night got outworked and they paid for it. As I warned yesterday, it would be important for the Capitals defense to contain Buffalo's speedy offense and they could not do it. The end result, a five to nothing shutout for Ryan Miller and the Sabres.

Mike Green took the blame after the game for his and the teams poor effort. Boudreau from his post game comments seemed to be concerned with the way the whole team played. All I can picture is Herb Brooks saying, "Again," making those USA players work their tails off after a game, where they played poorly in pre-olympic play. I just hope Boudreau doesn't kill anyone today at practice.

Shaone Morrisonn went down in the second, after blocking a shot, with an undisclosed injury. He was apparently taken to the hospital with abdominal issues, but was going to travel home with the team. If he can't go against Ottawa, the Capitals will have to decide whether to call someone up again or put Federov back on defense.

The Capitals will head to Ottawa next to face the Senators on Tuesday night. The Capitals hope to have their star forward, Alex Ovechkin, back and rejuvenated after his trip to Russia to visit his ailing grandfather. The Senators, like the Capitals, have struggled early on this season. Ottawa is currently last in the Northeast division with ten points.

More to come later...

-Bagasome

Saturday's Lineup in Buffalo

Coach Bruce Boudreau confirmed this morning, that Jose Theodore will be in net tonight. It seems that back up net minder Brent Johnson may be nursing an injury, he was scheduled to start both Tuesday against Nashville, and then tonight against Buffalo and will not. For some good notes on tonight's game and comments on what Semin said about Crosby see Tarik El-Bashir's post. That's all for now.

Laich-Backstrom-Kozlov
Steckel-Federov-Semin
Fleishman-Nylander-Clark
Brashear-Gordon-Bradley

Green-Morrisonn
Poti-Shultz
Erskine-Jurcina

Theodore

Go Caps!



-Bagasome