FEAR THE WEAGLE

Trade Deadline Blog

2009-03-04T08:55:00.052-06:00

A run down of deadline day:

8:45 AM - Arrive from breakfast, seems that nothing has happened as of yet that is earth shattering.

8:51 AM - Filip Kuba re-signs with Ottawa 3 years 11.9 million.

8:56 AM - Columbus trades goaltender Pascal Leclaire and 2nd round 2009 draft pick to Ottawa for center Antoine Vermette. First trade of the day. Better than Cam Jansen for Bryce Salvador. I guess you can scratch Columbus off the list of potential destinations for Nylander.

9:06 AM - Offer made to Tim Connnolly 2 years 4 million dollars by Buffalo. Connolly has left HSBC Arena early, raising questions of his trade eligibility..

9:08 AM - Cory Woron reports that contract negociations between Toronto and Dominic Moore have broken down. Look for him to be traded.

9:14 AM - Scratch the Connolly rumor, TSN has confirmed that his 2 year contract offer is still on the table.

9:21 AM - Andy Strickland reports that Keith Tkachuk is likely to stay in St. Louis, as he is receiving minimal interest around the league. Boston was the front runner for Tkachuk, but it appears both teams cannot agree to a deal.

9:30 AM - The Fourth Period reports that Washington is looking for a second tier player, either forward or defenseman.

9:36 AM - Brian Burke talks with TSN. It appears that both Dominic Moore and Nik Antropov are likely to be shipped out today, although there is no indication where either may land.

9:44 AM - Tim Connolly has re-signed with Buffalo for 2 years 9 million.

10:04 AM - Absolutely nothing going on right now, I have been reading Jay Onrait's blog to get me through this slow patch.

10:07 AM - Sean O'Donnell has re-signed 1 year 1.25 million in Los Angeles. Scratch another player off the Capitals wish list.

10:15 AM - Computer hijacked.

10:20 AM - Jokinen rumored in deal with Flames.

10:37 AM - HockeyBuzz rumors that Nylander could be on the move to Vancouver in a multi-player deal (e2).

10:38 AM - Biggest trade of the day: Lawrence Nycholat, prospect Ryan Wilson, and a 2nd round draft pick in 2010 were traded to Colorado for Jordan Leopold.

10:38 AM - Andy Wozniewski traded from St. Louis to Pittsburgh for Danny Richmond.

10:54 AM - Lots of action on the phones right now, all that can be said is that Toronto is finalizing their first deal of the day. New York, Tampa Bay and Calgary are all very active in talks right now.

11:00 AM - Eklund reports that Montreal is making a last ditch effort on Olli Jokinen. It appears that Vincent Lecavalier will stay in Tampa Bay.

11:02 AM - Phoenix has traded Michael Tellqvist to Buffalo for a 4th rounder.

11:04 AM - Toronto claims Martin Gerber off waivers. Brendan Morrison was claimed by Dallas. Things maybe looking up for Washington to unload Nylander.

11:05 AM - Tim Brent has been put on waivers by Chicago. Pittsburgh claimed Craig Adams and Toronto claimed Eric Reitz.

11:11 AM - TSN's James Cybulski is in Washington to cover the Capitals. He has spoken to Michael Nylander who said he cannot comment on whether or not he has been asked to waive his NMC.

11:20 AM - Looks like another lull, back to Onrait's blog.

11:22 AM - Small stuff, Erik Ersberg re-signs in Los Angeles Erik Ersberg to a 2 year.

11:34 AM - Looks like Calgary is getting Olli Jokinen now, there are some salary cap constraints involved, but it looks like Matt Lombardi and a 1st round pick are going back to Phoenix.

11:38 AM - Boston has traded Petteri Nokalainen traded to Anaheim for Steve Montador.

11:39 AM - Lombardi, Prust and a 1st to Phoenix for Olli Jokinen, confirmed as per TSN.

11:45 AM - Philadelphia is pressing hard for the services of Derek Morris.

11:50 AM - Beer run.

12:23 PM - Boston has acquired wily veteran Mark Recchi from Tampa Bay to Boston. Still unsure of what's going back to Tampa Bay, probably a low end draft pick.

12:32 PM - Wow, I was wrong, Recchi and a 2010 draft pick to Boston for defenseman Matt Lashoff and Martins Karsums.

12:38 PM - Internet failing me, trying to provide updates. Switching solely to TSN.

1:00 PM - Last hour of the trade deadline, Washington has yet to make any moves.

1:06 PM - Bill Guerin to Pittsburgh for a Conditional Draft Pick.

1:10 PM - It looks less and less likely that Washington is going to be able to make a deal. Too much salary locked up at the moment. Pothier could be the Capitals deadline acquisition.

1:10 PM - Eklund reports Nylander to Chicago (e4). Things brewing in Caps land. Pierre McGuire reports that Vancouver is still heavy on Jay Bouwmeester.

1:31 PM - Starting to drink more, I think May got re-signed by Toronto, apparently Edmonton is working hard on Jay-Bo.

1:51 PM - Nik Antropov traded to New York Rangers for a 2nd round pick and a conditional draft pick.

1:59 PM - Derek Morris has been traded to the New York Rangers for Nigel Dawes, Dimitri Kalinin and Petr Prucha.

1:59 PM - Forgot to report that Scottie Upshall is off to Phoenix for Daniel Carcillo and a pick.

2:04 PM - Cory Woron is reporting that Dominic Moore has been traded to Buffalo for Carolina's 2009 2nd round draft pick.

2:06 PM - Jay Bouwmeester is officially staying in Florida. Despite good offers from Vancouver, Philadelphia and Edmonton, Florida has decided to keep Jay-Bo.

2:08 PM - Atlanta traded Eric Christiensen to Anaheim for a prospect.

2:15 PM - Tampa Bay trades Steve Eminger to Florida for Noah Welch and a 3rd round pick.

2:23 PM - Edmonton has apparently made a trade, as well as Carolina. They could have possibly been trade partners.

2:43 PM - San Jose has acquired Kent Huskins and Travis Moen for goaltending prospect Tim Philmeyere and forward prospect Nick Boniono.

2:44 PM - Tarik El-Bashir has confirmed that Washington has stood pat today. Washington had been looking to add a player on the blue line, but the combination of Michael Nylander's contract as well as the inflated value of players like Derek Morris caused Washington to walk away from possible trade talks.

2:49 PM - Three way deal with Los Angeles, Carolina and Edmonton. Justin Williams will end up in L.A., Edmonton will receive Patrick O'Sullivan and Carolina will receive a player to be named. It is speculated to be Erik Cole.

2:59 PM - It is confirmed that Erik Cole is on his way to Carolina.

4:15 PM - A little late, but former Capitals Olaf Kolzig and Jamie Heward are on their way to Toronto, along with prospect Andy Rogers and a draft pick for prospect Richard Petiot.

I may follow up on further information as it comes in, if anything big goes down I will report it.

So it looks as though the Capital's deadline acquisition will lie in the health of Brian Pothier, who has been cleared to resume playing by team doctors.

Although I'm not entirely sure this will be enough to make the Stanley Cup Finals, his addition is welcomed.

Only 11 trades have been made today (so far) which marks the lowest total in quite some time, certainly post lock out.

Cherry bashes Ovechkin.

2009-03-01T01:33:00.002-06:00

Don Cherry openly rips AO tonight on CBC. As a Canadian, I typically don't mind Cherry. But in his weekly segment, it almost sounds as if he champions the thought of someone laying out Ovechkin for how he celebrates goals.

The thing is, Ovechkin and Cherry aren't that different. While AO may be "excessive" in his on ice celebrations, Cherry is much the same in how he handles himself on the Coaches Corner.

Mr. Pot, please meet Mr. Kettle.

Don, your shtick is growing old.

Capitals PP: So hot right now!

2009-02-26T18:22:00.003-06:00

The Capitals power play has been completely on fire, scoring in 14 out of 43 (32.1%) attempts over the past 12 games.

Washington leads tonight's game versus the Thrashers 2-0 at the moment, on the strength of two power play goals (Semin, Laich). Go figure.

Also, please stay tuned for our trade deadline feature where we will run down minute by minute updates in our morning and afternoon recaps of the Trade Deadline on Wednesday, March 4th, 2009.

Check in over the weekend for our thoughts on the movers and shakers come Wednesday!

Then versus Now; You decide.

2009-02-19T19:19:00.005-06:00

Here are clips from Alexander Ovechkin's highlight reel goal against the Coyotes as well as last night's beauty at home versus the Canadiens.

Which do you prefer?

AT Phoenix 05-06

VS Montreal 08-09

Caps high on Carlson

2009-02-19T18:04:00.006-06:00

After a season in which he only played 20 regular season games, 25 year old Steve Eminger was shipped to the Phialdelphia Flyers along with the 84th overall pick of the 2008 draft, for the 27th overall.

Eminger - a first rounder in his own right - never quite developed into the all around defenseman he was projected to be after winning a Memorial Cup with the OHL's Kitchner Rangers (until becoming a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning).

Since young blue liner was never able to find his grove as a Cap, he was moved so that GM George McPhee could select a new defensive project, in 18 year old John Carlson.

Carlson was pegged as a late first round pick with the potential to go as high as the late teens. After selecting Anton Gustafsson 23rd overall and seeing that Carlson was still available, McPhee did all within his power to get another pick to use on Carlson.

So far it appears that the draft day move is paying off in spades.

After being selected in last year's draft, Carlson committed to the London Knight's of the OHL who selected him 33rd overall in the 2007 OHL Draft.

This year he has been able to play with the likes of fellow Capitals prospect Justin Taylor, Michael Del Zotto, and future NHL draft pick John Tavares; just to name a few.

It is there that he has flourished into a versatile defenseman who can take care of himself in both ends of the rink.

Through 49 games, Carlson has registered a whopping 61 points (13G, 48), which ranks second in the league in both points by a defenseman and points by a rookie.

Not only that, but he is asked to play big minutes on the Knight's penalty kill as he is one of their most sound defenders, all while logging upwards of 30 minutes a night.

The Midwest Division leading Knight's are looking to make their way to winning their second Memorial Cup in 4 years, and will rely heavily on Carlson to get the job done in all facets of the game.

His success in all areas of his game has Assistant coach Pat Curcio gushing over his NHL Potential.

"That's why he's a No. 1 NHL pick," Curcio said. "The only thing you can say is elite, he's elite as well."

It isn't too much to fathom that Carlson could be NHL ready as soon as next year. He showed great promise in preseason camp this past fall with the Capitals, and one could believe that if he can continue to impress, he could go professional next season.

Time will ultimately tell, and Carlson still has time left to develop his game in London. But right now, George McPhee is sitting in his office...

Smiling.

FEAR THE WEAGLE temporarily down.

2009-02-18T09:24:00.004-06:00

Just a quick note to the followers that FEAR THE WEAGLE has been down the past few days due to a bout of the flu. I'm hoping to get things back up and running at some point tomorrow, depending on my health.

We're working on some articles at the moment, with our main feature on the play of London Knights defenseman John Carlson.

Stay tuned for more!

note: For information on tonight's game, check out what The Peerless Prognosticator has to say.

Record setting night in Sunshine state.

2009-02-15T11:40:00.005-06:00

It took Mike Green just under 35 minutes to re-write the record books. The Caps defenseman has been red hot lately, leading all NHL players in goals over the past few weeks. Last night, he put himself in a position no other rearguard has ever been.

Eight straight games with a goal. A new NHL record, which will likely stand for awhile. As previously noted by FEAR THE WEAGLE, Mike O'Connell set the record at seven games in the 83-84 season with the Boston Bruins. Other notable defensemen on the list were Ray Bourque (7) and Bobby Orr (6).

A throng of Capitals came off the bench to celebrate the monumental achievement set by the 23 year old blue liner, and his father David was also in attendance. Green had a chance for back-to-back multi-goal games, but rang one off the post in the third.

However, Green was not the only one setting records last night.

Michael Neuvirth - a Caps rookie - probably never thought he'd get a sniff of NHL action this season. An ECHL All-Star with the Capitals affiliate South Carolina Stingrays, Neuvirth was recalled by the Hershey Bears when both Darren Machesney and Simeon Varlamov were unable to suit up due to injury. While in Chocotown, Michael posted a modest 4-3-2 record with a 3.03 GAA and .890 SV%.

When it became clear that Brent Johnson was hampered by a season ending hip injury, Washington was forced to turn to their young net minders to play in spot duty down the stretch. Varlamov would have most likely gotten the call for last night as he already has two NHL games under his belt this year with a 2-0-0 record. Varlamov however, is still ailing from a knee ligament injury, which he hopes to return from this week. The Capitals took a chance with Neuvirth hoping for the best.

Last night, Neuvirth looked calm, cool and collected, stopping 23 shots en route to a 5-1 Washington victory. The win marks Neuvirth's first of his NHL career, and hopefully one of many in his young career.

It seems as though the Capitals future in goal looks bright with both Varlamov and Neuvirth showing the ability to play at the NHL level at a young age. The test will be if they can carry a heavier load in the years to come, with successful results.

GM George McPhee has been unclear about any plans in goal past this season, saying only he plans to spell now starter Jose Theodore with Neuvirth and Varlamov. It is unclear whether or not they will re-sign Brent Johnson through next season, or give his job to one (or both) of these young net minders.

But the main story of last night's action was the play of Mike Green. We at FEAR THE WEAGLE would like to extend our congratulations to Mike on a milestone that may never be eclipsed again. He is definitely now looking as a legitimate Norris Winner, and we wish him the best.

Green will try to extend his record to nine games as the Caps take on the Panthers tonight.

Neuvirth and Kronwall to make Capitals debuts.

2009-02-14T14:05:00.004-06:00

Just a quick note on tonight's game in Tampa Bay:

Michael Neuvirth will start in goal against the Lightning, making his NHL debut. Neuvirth will look to follow in the steps of fellow rookie goaltender Simeon Varlamov, attempting to win his first game of his young NHL career.

Also making his first start as a Capital will be Staffan Kronwall. Kronwall was claimed 8 days ago by the Capitals and finally has a grip on the system as well as his immigration status cleared.

Both Karl Alzner and Milan Jurcina will not play in tonight's game on the Capitals blue line.

Other additions to the line-up are Alexander Semin returing from injury as well as John Erskine getting back on the ice and out of the press box, as he has been a healthy scratch the past two games.

Mike Green ties NHL record in shootout loss to Rangers.

2009-02-11T23:23:00.005-06:00

Mike Green led the charge for the Capitals while vaulting himself into the NHL record books.

The offensively gifted defenseman tallied twice in the second period, tying the record for consecutive games with a goal by a blue liner, set by Mike O'Connell in 1983-84.

However, it was not enough, as the Capitals came up on the short end of a 5-4 shootout loss to the Rangers.

Green, along with Fehr and Fleischmann all notched two point performances for the Capitals, while Ryan Callahan and Lauri Korpikoski each scored once for the Rangers, who were in need of a win.

Alexander Ovechkin managed only an assist in the loss, but also registered a whopping 13 hits - his highest single game total this season.

Viktor Kozlov and Alexander Semin both did not dress tonight as they are nursing minor injures. Defensemen John Erskine and Staffan Kronwall were healthy scratches for the Caps. It has been hinted that Kronwall could play in this weekends Florida road swing, as the Capitals coaching staff is confident that he is learning the teams system to their liking.

Jay Beagle was called up for tonight's game, making his NHL debut for Washington. He logged 7:41 in minutes and was an even plus minus on the game.

For the Rangers, they are now 4-5-1 in their last 10 games, trying to secure a playoff spot down the stretch. They were 0-5 on their power play, (the second straight game in which the Caps have managed to ice a spotless PK) and most notably were 0-4 in the third period, including a brief 5 on 3 as well as a four minute double minor to defenseman Shaone Morrisonn.

Washington on the other hand were awarded only one power play throughout the game, and also did not capitalize on their man advantage.

The Capitals will now head to Florida for a weekend back-to-back with the Lightning and Panthers, trying to distance themselves from their Southeast opponents.

Race for "The Rocket" heats up.

2009-02-09T20:46:00.008-06:00

Last year, the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk, Jarome Iginla, Evgeny Malkin and Henrik Zetterberg all challenged for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, which is awarded to the player who finishes the regular season with the most goals. However, in spite of gallant efforts by all those forenamed, it was all for not, as the stupefying campaign of Alexander Ovechkin left all his opponents in the dust.

By the end of the season "Ovie" had opened a 13 goal lead on fellow countryman Ilya Kovalchuk, while setting an NHL record for most goals by a left wing (65) previously set by Luc Robitaille in the 1992-93 season.

Notwithstanding, this years race is shaping up much differently, and features some fresh new faces - and of course that of Alexander Ovechkin's still sits as the front runner.

So far, Alex has his work cut out for him, slugging it out with other members of the NHL's youth movement in his bid to take The Rocket in back-to-back seasons. While registering 6 goals in his past 4 games, Ovechkin has moved atop the scoring leaders with 37 on the year.

But not so fast. With plenty of games to go, Ovechkin is anything but a slam dunk to take top prize. Here three reasons why.

Jeff Carter notched his 100th career goal Sunday in Atlanta, and added his 101st for good measure. Carter is on pace to break 100 points for the first time in his career as he has carried the load in goal scoring for the Philadelphia Flyers. He currently sits behind Ovechkin with 34 goals through 52 games.

Since entering the NHL, all Thomas Vanek has done is score goals. Now in his fourth NHL season, Vanek has never finished with less than 20 goals in a year. He was on pace to challenge for a 50 goal season before breaking his jaw against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night. The Austrian born winger will be out of the Sabres line-up for 3 to 4 weeks, which will most likely take him out of the running. With 32 goals, Vanek sits third overall in scoring.

Former Washington Capital Bobby Carpenter became the first American-born player to reach 50 goals when he scored 53 for the Capitals in 1984-85. This season, Zach Parise hopes to duplicate that feat for the New Jersey Devils. The son of former Minnesota North Star J.P. Parise, Zach is starting to make his name as a legitimate scoring threat in the NHL. Parise netted two more goals tonight in a 3-0 shutout win over the New York Rangers and is now tied with Vanek for third in scoring (32). Parise is coming off two 30+ goal campaigns and hopes to add his name to the 50+ club come April.

What's astounding about this group of players is that none of them are over the age of 25. Suffice to say that these names could appear atop the leader boards for few years to come, something which is great news for NHL fans and GM's alike.

Thinks finally coming up "Fehr"

2009-02-08T14:46:00.005-06:00

It took Eric Fehr only 33 seconds to wrist his 6th goal of the season past an unsuspecting Tomas Vokoun in last nights 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers. His latest tally has doubled his past two seasons in combined scoring, as he only put in 3 goals between the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.

Fehr began his professional career with Washington's AHL affiliate in Hershey, where he scored 53 points in 73 games, as well as potting 11 points in 19 playoff games en route to Herhsey's 2005-06 Calder Cup Championship.

The following season, the 6'4" 212 lbs forward battled through injuries while putting up a point per game average for the Bears (41pts in 40 games and a ridiculous +20 rating).

However, last year put a halt to Eric's professional hockey career as he suffered from a hip problem which doctors could not treat as they were unable to find the source of the problem.

Fehr was shelved for the majority of the season when he finally met a specialist who concluded he suffered from a lower back injury which was causing the symptoms in his hip.

He was able to suit up for 34 games last year, splitting time between Hershey and Washington, with mild success. It was evident that he was still not in peak condition to be an every day NHL player.

This past off season, the Capitals resigned Fehr to a one year $735,000 deal, hoping that he could prove he was worth the 18th overall selection in the 2003 draft.

The signing seems to be paying off in spades, as Fehr is on pace for 25 point season, which is one shy of the 26 which fellow Capital Tomas Fleischmann registered in 2007-08.

The Winkler, Manitoba native has really turned on his game as of late, contributing 5 points in his past 5 games, while making good on his opportunity to return to the line-up after Chris Clark has been placed on IR for the remainder of the season.

Evidently, Eric's campaign won't match the point production he saw with Brandon of the WHL or his rookie season in Hershey, it is certainly a step in the right direction for the 23 year old winger.

He still projects as a top six forward in this organization, and with this being a contract year for Viktor Kozlov and Sergei Fedorov, it will be interesting to see if Fehr is given the opportunity to step into the role in which he was drafted.

As for now, at least Fehr can take solace in the fact that for the first time in three seasons, things finally seem to be coming up "Fehr".

Capitals shouldn't take Panthers lightly.

2009-02-07T13:26:00.006-06:00

On Thursday night, Washington Capitals followers saw what can happen when you don't fully prepare for an opponent.

Multiple defensive breakdowns, a handful of breakaways and a 5-4 loss to the .500 Western Conference L.A. Kings.

And while tonight's opponent - the Florida Panthers - are a full 12 points behind the Capitals in the Southeast Division, it would behoove the Caps not to look past them as an easy victory.

In their last ten games, the Panthers are temped 6-2-2 and now sit alone in 8th position in the East.

The last time these southern felines made the playoffs? Get out the archives and look up the 1999-00 season when they lost in the first round to the New Jersey Devils (who wound up winning the Cup).

But this year, the Panthers seem poised to erase the demons of seasons past and have all the right tools to win the division still.

Sound familiar? Well it should. Last year at this point, the Capitals were 26-24-5 before going on their unconscionable streak that saw them win the division in their final regulation game. This year, the Panthers are well ahead of that mark with a 25-18-8 record and plenty of games against their division left to go.

To this point, Florida is 8-3-2 against teams in the Southeast and have only played the Caps in one of their six meetings this season (which they won 5-3).

Their youth movement is leading the charge offensively with Stephen Weiss, Jay Bouwmeester, Nathan Horton, David Booth and Michael Frolik leading the charge for the Cats.

As a plus, their young legs could prove quite the advantage once the grind of the final weeks of the season set in.

Washington's task tonight will be to silence the critics who say they aren't nearly successful enough against the NHL's second tier teams, and take the Panthers to task on home ice.

These divisional games could prove to be the difference come April, and if the Capitals don't wish to go the way of the Carolina Hurricanes of last year, it's best they take care of business starting tonight.

Kronwall vs Dorsett

2009-02-07T10:12:00.001-06:00

Just a quick fight between the Capitals newest acquisition and Columbus tough guy Derek Dorsett.

Capitals claim Kronwall

2009-02-07T00:08:00.007-06:00

Today the Capitals claimed defenseman Saffan Kronwall off of entry waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Jarfalla, Sweden product (and younger brother to Detroit's Nicklas) has posted solid numbers this season with the Leafs AHL affiliate, leading all defenseman in scoring (25 points in 42 games).

Kronwall will not be in the line up for tomorrow night's game against the Panthers as he has immigration issues to clear up. He will also have to play a minimum of 10 games, or spend the next 30 days on the Capitals roster before he becomes waiver exempt, giving Washington the opportunity to send him to Hershey without risk.

"He played real well in his first year pro in North America, but then he's had some setbacks with injuries the past few years. He's a puck moving defenseman who might have some upside. So we'll take a look." - GM George McPhee

The Capitals have also recalled Karl Alzner and Alexandre Giroux for tomorrow night's game.

The Mike Green Debate

2009-02-04T23:12:00.007-06:00

NHL.com be damned. That's as good a way as any to start this blog, voicing my displeasure for having a story ripped away from me.

This afternoon, I was sitting at my cubicle contemplating a new blog entry focusing around the rising star of defenseman Mike Green, and thought to make the point that he could be a potential Norris Candidate (and dare I say winner) at season's end.

So imagine the shock when I finally thought that I would finally deliver some unique food for thought; only to be beaten to the punch by Mike G. Morreale and the fat cats at NHL.com.

Well doesn't that just beat all.

But at least in the grand scheme of it, this is a topic that can be delved into further, and FEAR THE WEAGLE has never had a problem being second best. So here's what we think of Green for Norris in 09.

Green has been on a torrent pace as of late, posting an incredible 20 points in his last fifteen games for the Southeast leading Capitals.

He ranks first amongst defensemen in goals scored (16) as well as in points (42), while averaging roughly 25 minutes a night on a young Washington blue line.

Oh, and did I mention that he's done all of this while missing 13 games?

The 23 year old Calgary, Alberta native is well on pace to eclipse last years point totals of 56, on his way to potentially being a 70 point scorer by seasons end.

The only defenseman to accomplish such a feat in the past decade is the Detroit Red Wings Nicklas Lidstrom who has scored 70 points or better on four separate occasions during his illustrious career.

And here's the kicker: Each of those years he was awarded the Norris Trophy as the NHL's most outstanding defenseman.

While the award goes to a defenseman who shows outstanding excellence in both the offensive and defensive parts of his game, it is hard to refute the facts in Green's case.

At the moment, he's on pace not only to lead the league in scoring for all defensemen but he is also ranked 5th in plus minus (19), a stat which holds it's weight in gold when considering the winner of this award.

Granted, last season Lidstrom was an outrageous plus 40, Green will be able to keep his name in the mix by staying amongst the leaders in this category.

And though he may not win the award - as Zdeno Chara seems like the popular front runner at the moment - it would be asinine to not at least give Green a nomination should he continue his current output the remainder of the year.

I'm sure if you asked Green the only trophy he wants to hoist come spring time is the Stanley Cup. And you could probably through the Conn Smythe in there as well.

But hey - the NHL's most outstanding defenseman has a nice right to it too. Only time will tell if Green cashes in on what has been a spectacular season to date.

How do you like them apples, Michael Morreale?

Clark to go under knife, done for season.

2009-02-02T18:14:00.006-06:00

Washington Capitals captain Chris Clark has not been able to shake the injury bug since his 30 goal campaign two seasons ago.

Last season the South Windsor, CT native played in only 18 games during the regular season, before a groin injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year.

Clark, who has only made 32 appearances this season will now require forearm surgery and will miss the remainder of Washington's regular season.

"He went to see a doctor today and the wrist has been bothering him all here. He'll probably have to have something done on his wrist -- have some surgery."
"It just got to the point where he wasn't the player we know he is," he added. "He was hurting himself and hurting his team. So we're probably going to go [the surgery] route instead of playing through it without getting any results." - GM George McPhee

Because Clark opted for the surgery, there is a good chance that he could return in time for the post-season, but that it's not set in stone.

What is certain, however, is that Clark will now go on LTIR which will open up a little wiggle room financially for the Capitals to recall personnel from Hershey, or even make a trade.

Luckily for the Capitals, elder statesman Sergei Fedorov will take over the reigns as interim captain, though he will retain his assistant captaincy patch.

Fedorov was signed this past off-season on a one year 4 million dollar contract to provide veteran leadership for a youthful club. Coach Boudreau has assured that when Clark regains his health, he will maintain his role as team captain.

"Clark is our captain, there's no controversy there. When he gets healthy, he'll come back and be our captain."

Washington will face the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night at the Prudential Center in Newark.

Simeon Varlamov - Most Exciting Prospect

2009-02-01T12:26:00.004-06:00

FEAR THE WEAGLE followers have voted Simeon Varlamov as the most exciting prospect in the Capitals orginization.

Varlamov took 40% of the vote, while defenseman John Carlson and pesky forward Stefan Della Rovere tied for second with 25% a piece. Hershey Bear wingers Oskar Osala and Francois Bouchard both received one vote.

Capitals shine versus Red Wings

2009-01-31T22:32:00.003-06:00

It's official, I don't comprehend this team.

As I sit here, watching the tail end of a full Saturday of hockey (Mats Sundin looks like a poor investment of ten million dollars), and type this entry on my ITouch, I am dumbfounded by how Jekyll and Hyde this team is.

Two weeks ago, these same Capitals were scratching their way past the Islanders and dropping games to the Senators.

This week they managed a gutsy overtime point against the East leading Bruins, and today dusted off the Detroit Red Wings in impressive fashion.

What gives?

Needless to say it seems that the Capitals have been able to play well against playoff caliber teams, which bodes well for them come May.But it will be interesting to see if they can keep up in the race for the number one seed in the East with Boston and New Jersey currently standing in their way.

Washington's schedule the rest of the way is much lighter than the first half which may not be advantageous, as their record versus poorer teams in the league is less than stellar. However, they will have a lot of face time with divisional foes, who are are playing well at the moment.

Whatever comes of the rest of their season, one thing is becoming clear. You won't find many Eastern Conference teams excited to face Ovechkin and the Caps once 82 games are in the books.

Pundits may mock, but NHL needs All-Star Game

2009-01-25T22:45:00.010-06:00

Now that the 2009 All-Star festivities which have enthralled the city of Montreal have come to a close, players will return to their respective teams and continue on with the regular grind of the 2008-09 season.

On top of that, sports writers everywhere will submit their articles to their editors dubbing the ASG "a waste of time", or better yet that "The All-Star thrill is gone".

Really, are you sure about that?

I think that Alexander Ovechkin gave fans multiple handfuls of "thrill" this weekend.

Shoot, is it too late for a re-write?

Not to mention the writers will fail to acknowledge that when you get down to it, the NHL needs this weekend for market revenue. Simple as that.

Since Thursday, the NHL was able to generate a whopping $10 million dollars in sponsorships, which is vital for a league struggling to keep it's head above water in multiple markets.

But no, the writers would rather talk about the suspension hooplah surrounding the league and Detroit Red Wings rather than how the fans were actually treated to an entertaining 12-11 shootout victory by the East; undoubtedly one of the best performances in recent memory.

They won't write on how hometown hero Alexei Kovalev was awarded player of the game, nor will they tell of the stellar performances put on by Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Alexander Ovechkin, just to name a few.

In all honesty however, the NHL made very well be their own worst enemy. The whole weekend swirled in controversy and gave off a morose vibe to many of the leagues most passionate followers, who claim this weekend should be nothing more than an after-thought, something which these sports writers just can't pass up.

But what the pundits don't realize is that they are the ones who prohibit this sport from reaching the mainstream again.

They are the ones who keep new fans away from the product with their overall negativity.

Who wants to invest time and money in a sport that everyone claims is floundering?

I wonder what would happen to these guys should the league ever had to fold?

Oh well, whatever keeps you in the headlines; right?

Note: Kudos to our friends from A View From the Cheap Seats for sounding off on this as well.
Their article can be read HERE.

Wait, what just happened!?

2009-01-25T01:04:00.009-06:00

This photo was just the beginning of what many would call the most creative breakaway attempt of the night.

Ovechkin along with Patrick Kane, Martin St. Louis, Ryan Getzlaf, Alexei Kovalev and Steven Stamkos took part in the 2009 Honda Skills Competition's Breakaway Challenge.

And while all competitors put on a rather good show, it was Ovechkin's theatrics that won the crowds vote in runaway fashion.

In what turned out to be his final attempt, Ovechkin circled back to center ice where he was met by fellow Russian phenom Evgeni Malkin.

Malkin then dawned him with a fishing cap featuring a Canadian flag to rile the crowd, as well as a pair of high profile sunglasses and a swig of gatorade.

From there Ovechkin grabbed an extra stick and proceeded down the ice stickhandling between the sticks in his left and right hands before firing a shot on net (left handed mind you), as well as a follow up on the rebound, which he deposited in the back of the net, and garnished roars from all those in attendance.

The attempt was the most creative of all the competitors, and was noticed by the fans who awarded him major style points.

"The Great Eight" took 42.8% of the fan vote. Finishing a distant second place was fellow Russian Alexei Kovalev with 19.7% of the vote.

Ovechkin however did not fair as well in the Elimination Shootout, where he was brick walled by Tim Thomas on his first attempt and eliminated from the event.

Former Winnipeg Jet Shane Doan was named victor of the shootout event, which was celebrated by this former fan of the now defunct franchise.

But now we will segway back to Ovechkin, who seems to have made peace with rival Evgeni Malkin (picture shown above). Both players have had a falling out after Ovechkin allegedly took a swing at Malkin's agent.

The two superstars will most definitely be teammates on Russia's 2010 Olympic roster, and it was nice to see them get along in what was surely one of the brighter spots of the night (right up there with Zdeno Chara's 105.4 MPH blast).

All in all it wasn't necessarily a memorable Skills Competition, as it lacked much of the excitement that made this event popular through the 90's and early 00's. There were technical difficulties in regards to the Fastest Skater relay, as well as the elimination of the cone relay which was one of the more exciting events.

Not to mention the multiple flubs by CBC tonight when it came to the presentation of the event. This was mostly apparent in the Young Stars Game where the camera would switch from showing a breakaway attempt to re-airing highlights from moments before.

But at least it seemed like fans and players alike were having fun during tonight's festivities.

And in the end, that's what this is all about.

Ovechkin to take part in Honda Skills Competition tonight.

2009-01-24T13:41:00.004-06:00

Like many NHL players, the staff at FEAR THE WEAGLE were planning on using the All-Star Break as a chance to recharge and spend time with family and friends.

However, we feel that we have a duty to the fans of Capitals Nation and are here to pass along a brief piece of news.

In case you've been living under a rock, Washington Capitals forward Alexander will be taking place in this weekends festivities.

Tonight he will take part in both the Breakaway Challenge as well as the Elimination Shootout.

For more information on both of these events and where they take place in the schedule, please visit this LINK.

Apparently Alex has something special planned, you can follow the weekend through his eyes by accessing his Twitter account.

As for your friends at FEAR THE WEAGLE, we will return next week with anything and everything Washington Capitals related.

Keep your sticks on the ice.

Nylander wants out?; Plus other Capitals notes.

2009-01-21T23:55:00.008-06:00

After being scratched from the Capitals line-up for last nights game, Michael Nylander vented to Capitals Insider Tarik El-Bashir about the situation.

"I feel good on the ice, but it doesn't matter. We'll have to see what we can do, what happens."

When I asked him if his struggles were the result of his playing style not meshing with Boudreau's, Nylander said: "I don't know. I am not the coach. What can I say? This is the way he wants to do it. I just have to figure a way around it."

"I know how the system works," he added. "I don't have a problem with the system. The system is quite easily played."

His comments may hint at the fact he wants to be traded to a team that uses him more effectively and give him more ice time.

Nylander is in the second year of a 4 year term, and his $4,875,000 contract could prove difficult to unload at the trade deadline.

Also of note, Bryan Helmer, Karl Alzner and Daren Machesney were all returned to Hershey today. It is likely that Alzner could return to the Capitals line-up after the All-Star festivities have ended.

Also, Nicklas Backstrom will fore go the All-Star Young Stars game citing that he "felt like it made more sense to give someone else that opportunity and use this time to rest and prepare for the second half of the season with the Capitals."

He assured the press that his decision is not injury related.

Finally, Capitals prospects Michael Neuvirth and Travis Morin took their part in the ECHL All-Star game tonight in Reading, PA. The American All-Stars (Morin, Neuvirth and co.) topped the National Roster 11-5.

Morin finished the game with 2 assists while Neuvirth stopped 19 of 20 shots in the third period of the contest.

Caps may not win pretty; but win nonetheless

2009-01-19T19:13:00.014-06:00

The Washington Capitals have faced two glaring obstacles this season. The first being a rash of injuries that decimated the roster through the early part of the season. The second would have to be their inability to beat inferior opponents.

However, in spite of their marginal victories against the leagues bottom dwellers, the Capitals still manage to win. It might not be a pretty headline, but it's pretty in the standings column.

Capitals fans need to realize that this team is not going to play lights out hockey for an 82 game season. That is just not realistic.

Nor is believing you're going to get a quality offensive output from your star players game in and game out. Sorry, the NHL just doesn't function that way (unless your name is Alexander Ovechkin).

Capitals fans are spoiled by the talent level their team possesses, and their ability to explode for six goals on an opponent any given night. And no, any given night should not to be confused with every given night.

Every NHL team will go through a slump, or play down to their opponents. This is not a Washington Capitals exclusive. Scorers will go through droughts, while defensemen and goaltenders can go hot or cold within a moments notice. Thus is the parody of the NHL.

To illustrate my point, earlier today, Boston lost to the lowly St. Louis Blues (15th in the West) in shootout.

Yesterday the Calgary Flames got hosed 6-2 by the Colorado Avalanche (11th in the West).

Hell, even the Tamp Bay Lightning (12th in the East) trounced the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 last week.

While it is true the Capitals normally play down to the bottom tier of the league, the same can be said of them playing "up to" the standards of elite teams.

The Boston Bruins lead the East, but have fallen twice so far to the Capitals. Washington is also 2-1 in games against the Montreal Canadiens, 3-0 against the Atlantic leading Rangers and 2-0 against the rival Pittsburgh Penguins.

As the second half of the season gets underway, there are already a handful of teams that are destined to miss the playoffs. But be sure that when the Capitals, Bruins, Sharks or Red Wings come to town, they're going to give them their best.

So please, don't be upset how the Capitals won today's game.

Just be glad they won.

NOTE: With his two goal performance, Alexander Ovechkin has taken over the lead league in scoring (31).

Alzner continues to grow as member of Capitals

2009-01-18T23:38:00.008-06:00

Over the past few games, rookie defenseman Karl Alzner has seen a drop in ice time.

Part of that has to do with line management, as coach Bruce Boudreau doesn't want to see Alzner, along with defensive partner Bryan Helmer out against the opponents top lines.

The other part of the receding minutes equates to the lack of confidence Karl has played with lately. It started becoming apparent that his game had changed since his call up in November, and that he was struggling.

Then I read up on Tarik's blog and it all made sense.

[Bruce] Boudreau had a heart-to-heart with defenseman Karl Alzner a few days ago after suspecting that the rookie was becoming distracted by the possibility of being sent back to Hershey for salary cap reasons. (When Poti returns, unless the GM George McPhee manages to clear space some other way, Alzner will likely have to go down.)
"I talked to him because you can't do that - it'll kill you," Boudreau said. "Trying to control things that you can't control is murderous on your psyche. If it just so happens that there's an issue, that will happen anyway, whether you scored five goals tonight or didn't score five goals tonight or played 35 minutes. I told him to just go out an play."

"He struggled there for a few games, so I knew something was bothering him," he added.

Alzner said: "I was worrying about getting sent down much too much earlier. About a week ago, that's what I was thinking about. I know the situation. I know who is going to be coming back and approximately when. If it happens, it happens. Not too many guys get to play a full season, or even a half season, when they are 20 years old. My focus now is to make it hard for them."

Since their chat, Alzner seems to be regaining the confidence he showed through the month of December. His minutes are still in the 13 minute range, but his play has been noticeably better.

Case in point, Saturday night's home game against the Bruins. Washington was nursing a one goal lead late in the third period, when John Erskine took an unnecessary elbowing penalty.

With their goalie pulled, the Bruins had a 6-4 man advantage and were controlling the play rather effectively, when Karl Alzner made a crucial defensive play to eliminate a cross ice pass to David Kregci, one of Boston's leading scorers. After intercepting the pass, Alzner calmly dumped the puck the length of the ice ending Boston's chances at a comeback. (video available HERE)

Despite his effective play, it is widely believed that Alzner will be sent down once the defensive corps regains it's health, but it will be strictly driven by the financial position that the Capitals find themselves in.

At the very least, the young Burnaby, BC native got a taste of the NHL this year. Next year will be his chance to step into a more influential role with the club and grow from there.

It is of my personal opinion the Alzner has all the tools to be amongst the top 10 defensive rearguards in this league. It's up to him to continue to build on them, whether in the NHL or not.

Bruins injuries mount; Rival those of Caps

2009-01-17T14:02:00.004-06:00

Call the nurse, we have a bleeder.

It appears that the hemorrhaging that the Capitals suffered at the hands of the injury bug through the month of December has now befallen on other teams.

Most notably the Boston Bruins (and Pittsburgh Penguins).

Boston will limp into the Verizon Center tonight without the likes of Patrice Bergeron, Marco Sturm or Phil Kessel. Bergeron is suffering from his second concussion in as many years (Brian Pothier called to say hello), while Sturm underwent surgery on his meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament, and will be out for the season.

Kessel, meanwhile, has a case of mononucleosis (more generally known as mono). While it is unclear when Bergeron will return to the line-up, Kessel is tabled to be back in mid-February.

The Bruins will also be missing shutdown defenseman Andrew Ference, who's broken tibia will keep him sidelined at least a few more games.

Aaron Ward will also be out until at least the 19th with a charley horse.

Finally, Milan Lucic rounds out the list of the battered and bruised with an undisclosed injury that is keeping him out of the line-up.

Sound familiar? Well, if you've been following the Capitals it should.

I for one cannot recall the last time the Capitals played with a fully healthy line-up, but I would have to assume it wasn't long into the month of October before the injury carosel was fired up.

However, for the most part, Washington is begining to get healthy for the second half of the season.

Tom Poti is close to making a return while Brian Pothier will be seeking clearance to return to the ice next week. Boyd Gordon and Shaone Morrisonn are both out, but neither of them are suffering from anything too serious.

The key to success will be staying healthy down the stretch as teams such as Boston, Pittsburgh and Montreal all seem to be going through the motions that this team saw in December.

Washington, so far- has weathered the storm. Only time will tell if these other Eastern Conference teams will be able to do the same.

NOTE: In Wednesday night's game, the Capitals took four (Crosby, Letang, Talbot, Scuderi) Penguins out of the line-up, and all are questionable for tonight's game versus the New York. Rangers

Ovechkin chips in as Capitals break losing streak.

2009-01-14T21:22:00.006-06:00

Nothing remedies a losing streak better than a six goal outing. Tonight the Capitals were able to break out of their recent funk, notching a 6-3 victory over rival Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Capitals continued the trend of falling behind early as an Evgeni Malkin power play marker had the Pens take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

It didn't take long for the Capitals to cut the deficit, as Viktor Kozlov scored his 10th of the season 1:06 into the second frame. Miroslav Satan and Alexander Semin traded goals through the midway point of the period, as both clubs hit the locker room knotted in a 2-2 tie.

However it was in the third period that Alexander Ovechkin took over.

Ovechkin marked his 27th goal of the season midway through a Capitals power play early in the third. Soon after Pittsburgh had tied the game again, he provided the primary assist on a Tomas Fleischmann goal that turned out to be the game winner. And for an encore, he scored once more off the skate of Pittsbugh defenseman Brooks Orpik to give Washington a comfortable 5-3 lead.

Jeff Schultz would later mark a short-handed empty net goal, his first on the campaign.

For the most part, Washington's defense was able to keep the duo of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin silent, as they managed only 3 points combined in a losing effort.

Crosby left the game twice with an apparent leg injury.

Jose Theodore was sharp, stopping 26 shots in the victory, including some clutch saves on a Pittsbugh man advantage in the third.

Nicklas Backstrom tallied three assists while the afformentioned Tomas Fleischmann finished with a goal and an assist. Brooks Laich also had a productive game, registering 5 shots and 2 assists.

The Caps next action is set to take place Saturday as they will clash with the Eastern Conference leading Boston Bruins at the Verizon Center.

Chalk another one in the "L" column.

2009-01-13T22:56:00.006-06:00

Two home losses in five nights. Heck, the Capitals had only lost one regulation game at home all season up until this past weekend!

Tonight they were handed their third consecutive loss in an unenthusiastic performance against the Edmonton Oilers who will battle for a Western Conference playoff spot these next few months.

Tomorrow Washington is right back at it, heading to Pittsburgh to try to avoid their - collective gasp - fourth straight loss.

For head coach Bruce Boudreau, the effort presented by the Capitals these past few games has just not been up to snuff.

"It gets to the point where everybody wants to be the scorer but nobody wants to be the mucker and you're not going to do anything," Boudreau said. "Everybody's waiting for somebody else to do the work. They want to finish."

The fact of the matter is this losing streak is but a small blip in the standings, and has been a long time coming. One simply could not realistically expect the Capitals of continuing the torrent pace they were on, and seem to have crashed hard dating back to Friday. Their recent fall from grace as anointed darlings of the East seems to have proven unfavorable with the fan base.

But lets keep in mind that this team is more than capable of returning to the form they showed merely a week ago. One can only hope that coach Boudreau will have them ready to go tomorrow night, where they won't need much added inspiration while facing a long time foe in Pittsburgh.

Fans will just have to remain patient, and above all else - "Don't Stop Believin'"

Time Capsule: January 17th, 2008 : Washington Capitals vs Edmonton Oilers

2009-01-12T23:07:00.007-06:00

Almost a year to the day (four days short), the Edmonton Oilers came to D.C. and took on the Capitals in what turned out to be an epic battle.

Edmonton took a 2-0 lead into the second, but Washington was able to rally, scoring four in the period and protecting a 4-3 lead going into the games final stanza.

Midway through the period, Shawn Horcoff scored his 21st goal of the year, and the game remained tied until the dreaded shootout.

It was tweleve rounds in that the Capitals found their hero - unlikely as he was - Matt Bradley hoped over the boards on a whim and put a backhand shot passed the blocker of Oilers goaltender Dwayne Roloson.

"He just said, 'I'm going to score, put me out there,' and he jumped over the board and he went in," Boudreau said. "He told me, he didn't ask."

Washington will look to break a two game losing streak as the Oilers return to the Verizon Center tomorrow night.

Journey to the Center of the Phone Booth

2009-01-10T10:41:00.005-06:00

FEAR THE WEAGLE has come across a great read for all Capitals fans.

Our friends over at Capitals Kremlin recently got an inside tour of the Verizon Center and provided a detailed write up off all the inner media workings of the Phone Booth .

Again, this is a great read, especially for those of us who will never grace the walls of the home of the Capitals.

Check out the article HERE.

Capitals prove mortal against Blue Jackets

2009-01-10T10:11:00.005-06:00

Deja-vu all over again.

The Capitals went into last nights game hoping to keep to streaks in tact. Firstly, the club was going for it's tenth straight home victory, which would tie the record set by the 2000-01 team.

Secondly, Jose Theodore was vying for his 7th straight win which would tie his all time record which he set in the 2001-02 season.

Neither statistic was achieved as the Caps were blanked for the second time this season by Calder Trophy front runner Steve Mason.

Mason warded off all 45 shots he faced, notching his 14th win and 6th shutout of the season.

The 20 year old Oakville, Ontario native leads the NHL in GAA (1.74), SV% (.938) and shutouts (6)

Meanwhile the Capitals had Sergei Fedorov and Tomas Fleischmann return to their line-up last night, both of whom had rather pedestrian outings. Jeff Schultz is back on the shelf as he is still struggling with his broken finger. Tyler Sloan was recalled for yesterday's game, and will suit up again tonight in Montreal.

Washington has not lost in back-to-back games since their injury riddled western road trip in November when they dropped games to Los Angeles and San Jose.

Let's hope that this streak continues. As they say, "one outta three ain't bad."

Backstrom and Green get All-Star snub.

2009-01-08T18:01:00.011-06:00

As usual, Fear the Weagle is late to the party. But this topic - which has been churned over the course of the day in Capitals Nation - was just too juicy to pass up.

So here's the short of it: Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green have been left off the Eastern Conference's All-Star roster, the only Capital to be named to the squad was superstar Alexander Ovechkin - a "gimme" of a pick.

Apparently someone at the NHL's head office didn't get the memo regarding the Capitals being one of the leagues elite teams this first half, not to mention the individual success of both Backstrom and Green.

This is just another prime example of how badly the NHL mismanages the way they market their game, and how it prohibits them from gaining any points in the popularity column in their attempts to win over new fans.

Backstrom ranks fourth in the league in assists this season with 33. Sorry NHL fans, but he won't be displayed at this event. Instead you can enjoy the underwhelming play of Carolina Hurricanes center Eric Staal who is on pace for a less than astounding 64 points, which would be his lowest output since his rookie campaign, when he marked 31.

Yep, he's an all-star folks. Granted he's all Carolina has to offer in terms of sheer talent, wouldn't it be better to give the spot to someone more deserving?

This brings us to Mike Green.

Green comes into the midway point ranked 3rd in Eastern Conference defenseman, tallying 26 points in 28 games. His 10 goals are good for 4th overall in the NHL. Well again, our apologies, but you'll have to make due with Mike Komisarek, the epitome of a defensive defenseman (albeit it one of the best in the NHL). Komisarek will undoubtedly put on a show in this exhibition, as his 3 points in 20 games speak volumes for his gifted offensive game.

Please.

The NHL needs to stop these nonsensical tactics, allowing the fans to pick their starting line-up. Time to give the vote to the coaches of the NHL who ice rosters much more flattering in showcasing what the NHL has to offer. Montreal fans only managed to get one starter right, defenseman Andrei Markov who is having a stellar year for the Habs.

Saku Koivu? Honestly? He's hardly a second line center on his own team let alone an All-Star starter.

Carey Price? Well excuse me but Tim Thomas and the stat book beg to differ.

In the NHL, the stats don't always tell the whole story, but rarely do they lie (exception being +/- in a handful of cases).

Hopefully fans of the NHL will enjoy watching the Montreal Canadiens, plus Sidney Crosby take on the best of the Western Conference, because I for sure will not.

But hey, hopefully George McPhee will be able to use this as leverage when negotiating contracts and awarding bonus incentives.

Be that as it may, Jose Theodore was able to put it best:

"The league really should review the system, especially for the starting lineup," he said. "Ovie not in the starting lineup takes away from the selections. The league needs to do something about it."

I think all fans of the game can agree with that. This has gone way past a popularity contest and is now bordering on a new definition for sad.

Enjoy you stuffed ballot Habs fans.

George McPhee's take on SDR

2009-01-07T21:53:00.006-06:00

If you are looking for a little more insight on Washington Capitals prospects at the recent World Junior Hockey Championships, head over to Corey Masiak's blog In the Room.

In his most recent entry, he sits down with Capitals General Manager George McPhee to get his take on Capitals prospect Stefan Della Rovere.

"Loved him -- I love the way he plays. He's a little over the edge a few times, but that's understandable. That looks like a heck of a pick. He's really competitive, tough, goes to all the hard areas -- he is one of those heart-and-soul guys you like to have."

Della Roveve was the Capitals final pick in the 2008 draft.

Read more of the article HERE.

Scorching Caps finish first half strong.

2009-01-07T20:45:00.006-06:00

The Washington Capitals played their 41st game of the year last night, and in a game that mirrored the atmosphere of a playoff game they were able to notch their 27th victory of the season over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Washington defeated the Flyers by way of a shootout, as Jose Theodore stopped all three shooters, and Viktor Kozlov scored what turned into the game winner.

Their record now sits at 27-11-3, including a 12-1-0 run in their past 13, which is a far cry from where they were at mid way point last year.

Just to take you on a quick trip down memory lane, the Capitals were 12-17-2 at the same point last year, and were sitting in the basement of the Eastern Conference before their miraculous turn around.

What has been more impressive than last years playoff drive is how well the Capitals are preforming this year despite a slew of injuries to core players.

Many nights this season, the Capitals have more so resembled the Hershey Bears, as nearly half their AHL roster has played at least one NHL game this season.

But despite the bruised bodies the Caps have gotten it done, and now sit at 57 points on the year, good for fourth overall in the league.

Impressive? Rather. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. Washington cannot afford to let their egos be stroked on merely half a years work.

Some would call last nights game a Litmus Test for the Capitals, considering they were playing one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference. The real test will be how they fair the remainder of January, as it will be their toughest schedule to date.

Remaining on the calendar this month are trips from the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings, as well as road trips to Boston and Pittsburgh.

This month also features three back-to-back sets, the most the Capitals will see all year.

So lets keep it all in perspective. What the Caps have done so far this season is impressive, and there's no reason not to believe that they won't be able to continue it into the second half of the season, especially if healthy bodies start returning to the line-up.

However there is much work to be done for the Capitals to maintain their image as an Eastern Conference powerhouse.

Hold off the Stanley Cup parades just yet.

Della Rovere and Kugryshev both making names at WJHC's

2009-01-04T23:52:00.006-06:00

As the World Junior Hockey Championships are set to conclude tomorrow night in Ottawa, I can safely say that both Washington Capitals prospects have made a name for themselves.

Well, sorta.

Being from the hockey hot bed known as Canada, it is difficult to go more than five minutes without being referenced to the sport. Once the World Juniors start, that number decreases to two minutes.

I have had the luxury of watching both Canada and Russia play in three games a piece, most recently a Saturday night affair that pitted these two rivals against each other in their most epic battle in recent memory.

Long story short, Canada won 5-4 in a shootout.

But what has really stuck out for me this tournament was the play of prospects Stefan Della Rovere (7th round, 204 in 2008 draft) and Dimitry Kugryshev (2nd round, 58th overall in 2008 draft).

Della Rovere is Canada's leader in penalty minutes. He has totaled 22 over a span of five games, including a ten minute misconduct against Germany. Throughout the tournament he has lived up to his billing as a super pest. However it has come at a price, as head coach Pat Quinn benched him for the final two periods of their match versus the USA, which they eventually won 6-4.

SDR has delivered an "in your face" brand of hockey, but unfortunately has crossed the line on a handful of occasions while doing so. Because of this, his ice time has been reduced greatly, but when he has been out there, bone jarring hits have been the status quo.

His success on the score sheet has not transferred over from the OHL as he has only managed a goal and an assist in those five games.

If he is able to keep his emotions from getting the better of him and continues to fill out his game, there will be room for him on the Capitals roster down the line as they will lack the grit which he possesses.

On the other side of the spectrum, Russian born Dimitri Kugryshev has really given Capitals fans something to salivate over. His slick stick work has been some of the best in the tournament, and has generated many chances on a line with Pavel Chernov and Sergei Korostin.

While he has only produced one assist all tournament, in watching his game there is much to love. As previously mentioned, his stick work is incredible and he is not afraid to play along the boards and in front of the net. His speed is not exceptional but it is close to NHL worthy.

Both Della Rovere and Kugryshev will return to their CHL teams once this tournament is completed and will hopefully continue to give Capitals fans something to look forward to in the upcoming years.

Canada will play in the gold medal game versus Sweden tomorrow night while Russia will be pitted against a very underrated Slovakian team for the bronze in a matinee.

Footnote: If you wish to follow Dimitri Kugryshev's blog, please follow THIS link.

NHL's Fight of the Year.

2009-01-04T01:43:00.006-06:00

Tonight Capitals fans and Rangers fans alike witnessed what I believe to be the fight of the year.

Five minutes into the third period of a 2-1 Capitals lead, Washington forward Alexander Semin got into an altercation with Rangers defenseman Marc Staal.

Hilarity ensued.

Washington went on to win their sixth straight game, and will try for their seventh on Tuesday when the Philadelphia Flyers visit the Verizon Center.

Philadelphia was the last team to beat the Capitals before their six game run in a 7-1 drubbing on December 20, 2008.

Hopefully Semin will be keeping his gloves on. although I can say with certainty that he would be an excellent drummer for any "up and coming" rock band.

Journalistic Integrity is going the way of the Dodo Bird.

2009-01-02T17:53:00.014-06:00

Last night I found myself browsing the blog-o-sphere in search of anything newsworthy to kick off 2009 with. It did not take long for me to stumble upon a blog linked to the OC Register, managed by staff writer Al Balderas who covers the Anaheim Ducks.

What I saw there drove home a point that I've been making for almost a full year now: journalistic integrity is going the way of the Dodo bird.

The article in question is entitled "Does the NHL really need the Blue Jackets?" and delivers much of what you'd expect; a writer ragging on a team who's star has yet to peak in the NHL.

Here are some excerpts from his column:

"When the Blue Jackets were in town earlier this season, I asked some of the fans at Honda Center to name a Blue Jackets player. One gentleman said Rick Nash. The rest looked as if I’d asked them to recite the lineups of one of the Soviet Union’s Red Army team."

"I attended a Blue Jackets game several years ago and, true to form, Columbus was blitzed by Patrick Roy and the Colorado Avalanche."

"If the Blue Jackets were to go away, I seriously doubt they would be missed. At least Ducks fans would have fewer players to try and recognize."

It is evident from the early going that Balderas is out to shamelessly disgrace a fan base and franchise without any factual or statistically based information.

The article brings forward no points regarding the economic situation the Blue Jackets find themselves in, nor does it provide an alternative for the Blue Jackets to call home. The article does not even delve into the history of the Blue Jackets and some of the set backs they have faced. It's only purpose is to take pot shots at all those who have ties to this Ohio based team.

These kind of posts are a reoccurring trend now in the world of online sports news that has been fueled by the insurgence of the blogging community. While blogs are supposed to raise conversation and healthy debate, this "blogger" in particular goes out of his way to draw attention to himself and his media outlet while discrediting whomever he seems fit.

Not only does this rub Blue Jackets fans the wrong way, but it also reflects poorly on the fans of Orange County, whom are undoubtedly getting an unwarranted bad wrap in this mix.

Sports writers across the the continent are losing their grip on their craft to meaningless tripe as referenced above. News papers are becoming less and less relevant, as we are now in an age where information is at the ends of our fingertips - just one mouse click away. Unfortunately, that information is not always pertinent, nor does it always tell the full story. And lets be honest, Balderas is not the only one ruffling feathers in an attempt to pass it off as information of actual importance.

It's only a matter of time before rants like this become commonplace, and another media outlet will have become extinct. Now litterally anyone can sit down, give their two cents and call themselves a journalist.

Scary stuff.

Clark wins vote for most disappointing Capital

2008-12-29T21:48:00.004-06:00

Chris Clark is the winner of FEAR THE WEAGLE's second poll of the season, taking the title of most disappointing Capital this season by a wide margin (65%). Coming in second was off-season acquisition Jose Theodore (34%), who is finally starting to come into his own, going 3-0-0 in his past three starts.

This was the first and only time this season the french-Canadian 'tender has been able to string three victories together.

He will start again tomorrow night as the Capitals head into Buffalo, hoping to beat them for the second time in five days.

FEAR THE WEAGLE will be down the next few days for the remainder of the holidays, and will be back to covering the Capitals effective January 2, 2009.

Happy New Year to all those who follow the blog, and may 2009 be kinder to the Capitals infirmary than was 2008.

Holiday Season update

2008-12-20T11:51:00.005-06:00

Sorry to all the followers, I have been intensely busy lately with the Holiday's quickly approaching. Here is the low down on the Capitals right now.

Alexander Semin did not make the trip to Philadelphia for tonight's game as he has re-aggrivated his back injury in Thursday nights game. St. Louis forward David Backes delivered a cross check to the small of Semin's back mid-way through the third period, and he did not return to the game.

Simeon Varlamov has been returned to Hershey after two solid games between the pipes for the Capitals. Varlamov owns a 12-3-0 record since coming to North America, and with his brief stint in Washington, seems to have accelerated his development level, and could be NHL ready as soon as next year.

Continuing in that vein, there are three methods that would allow Varlamov to play in the NHL next year. Firstly, Brent Johnson's contract is up at the end of this year, so there is the option to not pick it up and spell Varlamov in his place next season. Secondly, they could buy out the remainder of Jose Theodore's 4.5 million dollar contract (which would be paid out over two years). Finally, they could pay Jose his 4.5 million as he plays in the minors for Hershey.

I'm not sure how probable any of these scenarios actually are, in my mind they are best to re-sign Johnson and ride out the last year of Theodore's contract, unless they are positive that Varlamov has what it takes to win a Stanley Cup at 21 years of age.

The last point I want to make is that the Capitals are in the midst of a five game win streak, and just reached their 20th victory of the season. I have noticed that they haven't really received full credit for their accomplishments to date and that teams like Boston, Pittsburgh, New York and Montreal are getting a lot more air time.

Here's an interesting tidbit for you:

If Washington beats Philadelphia tonight they will be the only team of the Big Seven (NYR, NJ, PIT, PHI, BOS, MTL, WSH) to hold wins of each of the other teams.

Boston: 2-2-2 with 2 wins over MTL (has not played PHI or NJ)
Montreal: 4-4-2 with 2 wins over PHI; 1 over NYR, BOS (has not played PIT)
New Jersey: 7-5-1 with 2 wins over WSH, PIT; 1 over NYR, MON, PHI (has not played BOS)
New York Rangers: 6-3-0 with 2 wins over PIT, NJ; 1 over PHI, BOS
Philadelphia: 4-3-3 with 2 wins over NJ; 1 over MTL, PIT (has not played WSH or BOS)
Pittsburgh: 4-3-3 with 2 wins over PHI; 1 win over BOS, NYR (has not played MTL)
Washington: 6-0-2 with 2 wins over MTL; 1 win over BOS, NJ, NYR, PIT (has not played PHI)

"KHL Attacks"

2008-12-16T07:24:00.004-06:00

A story that is unrelated to the Capitals, but an interesting piece none the less.

The following video chronicles the creation and development of the Russian KHL League and the impact it will have in not only Europe and Asia, but also North America, as the new league attempts to compete with the NHL.

The video deals with some of the trials and tribulations of the new league and talks about how it could affect the future NHL draft status of many European born players.

It's a little long, so make sure you have time to watch the whole piece.

Della Rovere named to Team Canada

2008-12-15T20:19:00.003-06:00

Barrie Colts forward Stefan Della Rovere was named to Team Canada's World Junior Hockey Championship roster early this morning. Della Rovere was one of 22 junior players to make the team, and the only Washington Capitals prospect.

You can catch a quick clip of Stefan HERE.

In selection camp, he notched 2 goals in 3 games.

It has also been confirmed that Russian prospect Dimitri Kugryshev will suit up for Team Russia at the tournament.

Kugryshev will be looked to for his offense and will most likely fit on his teams top two lines.

Canada, Russia, Sweeden and the USA are the favorites going into the tournament.

The WJHC's open on December 26th, 2008, and will be covered by TSN.

Caps down Habs 2-1.

2008-12-14T08:51:00.006-06:00

It wasn't pretty, but I'm sure that if you asked the Washington Capitals, they wouldn't have much to complain about in Saturday's victory.

The Capitals entered a hostile environment on a national stage and were able to gut out a 2-1 victory over an ailing Canadiens team, facing the same ordeals which plagued Washington up until Friday.

Washington was first on the board as Nicklas Backstrom netted a power play goal mid way though the first. They finished 1-4 on the mad advantage for the night.

Montreal meanwhile could not get things going offensively throughout the first part of this game. Stars like Alexei Kovalev, Alex Tanguay and former Cap Robert Lang were largely ineffective - especially on the man advantage - going 0-8 on the night. Montreal's power play has struggled greatly, and is now ranked 26th overall in the league, a unit that has been a league leader the past two years, now stagnant.

Les Habitants tied the game late in the second period on a Patrice Brisebois rocket which beat rookie goaltender Simeon Varlamov over his shoulder.

The game would remain deadlocked until the final five minutes of the third period when a slumping Michael Nylander potted his third goal on the year, and his first in 26 games off the left pad of Jaroslav Halak.

Varlamov went on to stop 32 of 33 shots in his NHL debut.

Notes:

-Nicklas Backstrom, Tyler Sloan and Sergei Fedorov all left the game with injuries. Backstrom seemed to be ailing from migraines, something he has had in the past, which is believed not to be serious. The status of Sloan and Fedorov is uncertain, and should be updated tomorrow.

-Simeon Varlamov looked rather impressive in his first National Hockey League game, and personally left me wishing I would be able to see more from him. He has a very aggressive style of play as he likes to get way out of his crease to challenge shooters and it worked like a charm last night as he was named the games first star. I was taken aback by the calm yet intense demeanor that he displayed, playing in arguably the toughest arena to start a professional career in, not to mention the most important night of the week in Canada. Nothing fazed him, most notably in the third period when he stopped all 14 shots he faced. The future seems bright for this young net minder.

-Washington will head to Long Island on Tuesday for their next game with the Islanders. If you are a fan up in Canada (like me), the game will be available on TSN2.

Varlamov will start on National Stage

2008-12-13T12:58:00.003-06:00

This morning Bruce Boudreau confirmed that rookie goaltender Simeon Varlamov will start in tonight's game in Montreal. The game will be broadcast nationally across Canada on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada.

"My thought was, 'Let's see what he's got'," Coach Bruce Boudreau said. "The last time I saw him [in Hershey] he was great. If it's baptism under fire, well then it's baptism under fire. We'll see how he reacts to it."

Varlamov has posted a 10-3-0 record in Hershey this year, as well as a 2.34 GAA and .909 SV%.

He was selected by Washington in the first round, 22nd overall in the 2006 draft.

Also, take a gander over at www.capitals.nhl.com and have a look at their roster page. Brett Leonhardt has been added to the list of their goalies.

The WEAGLE will return tomorrow with thoughts on Varlamov's first professional start.

Leonhardt lives every hockey fans dream.

2008-12-13T09:34:00.007-06:00

Just when things couldn't get any wackier for the Capitals, they did.

A rash of injuries forced Washington to morph into a hybrid NHL/AHL team, which featured a dozen call ups over the past month.

And yesterday, things got a bit hairier.

During a Thursday afternoon practice goaltender Jose Theodore tweaked a hip flexor, ironically the same injury which has hampered Brent Johnson through the early part of the season.

On game day things went from bad to worse as Theodore was forced to leave practice early as his injury persisted.

Summon Brett Leonhardt.

Leonhardt, a web designer and media personality for the Capitals had been called in to practice with the on Thursday, as he played Division 3 collegiate hockey with Oswego State and Neumann College.

While Friday rolled on, it became more and more apparent that Leonhardt might have to suit up for that nights game. Hershey Bears goaltender Simeon Varlamov was stuck in San Antonio, Texas and had a devil of a time getting both himself and his equipment to D.C.. South Carolina Stingrays goaltender Michael Neuvirth couldn't get a flight out of Fort Myers, Florida and as game time approached the Capitals were forced to turn to Leonhardt.

Dawning his unmarked stall in the locker room was the cherry red Capitals jersey. Number 80. Leonhardt. A dream come true for any hockey player, regardless the level they competed.

As Leonhardt took to warm ups, the team anxiously awaited the arrival of Varlamov from Texas. He arrived at the 10:57 mark of the first period, putting an end to Leonhardt's brief tenure as the Washington Capitals back-up.

This was not the first time a similar situation has arose in the NHL. In December of 2003, the Vancouver Canucks were set to host the Pittsburgh Penguins when goaltender Dan Cloutier went down with a groin injury.

With the Manitoba Moose on the east coast, it was impossible for Alex Auld to be called up in time for the game.

The Canucks were forced to roll the dice with University of British Columbia back-up Chris Levesque, who almost had to play in the game as Johan Hedberg was shaken up.

While Levesque and Leonhardt never played in their respective games, they both will be able to tell their NHL stories, which will resonate with them for their lives.

"[My teammates] were pumped," Leonhardt said. "(Sergei) Fedorov said: 'This is why I love this organization, this is great.' Mike Green just started laughing his head off then put his arm around me and said 'Let's go.' Even (Johnson) who doesn't talk before games came over, went through warm up with me said 'Hey have fun out there.' It couldn't have been more perfect."

And perfect it was.

Taking it all in stride.

2008-12-12T00:15:00.004-06:00

Karl Alzner never could have imagined his NHL debut being quite like this.

Alzner would join a Washington Capitals defensive corps featuring of Tom Poti, Mike Green, Jeff Schultz and John Erskine - or more like replace, as all those aforementioned have been out of the line-up.

This has paved the way for Alzner and his AHL mates to display their skills at the NHL level, which so far has been impressive.

On paper it doesn't take a skeptic to point out the flaws on the Capitals blue line. Having a whopping five AHL players - none of whom have played a lick of NHL hockey - as well as lacking offensive production as Alexander Semin and Sergei Fedorov are still shelved, would lead many to believe this team is in trouble.

However, quite the opposite has transpired.

The Capitals have been able to remain a respectable .500 club the past 8 games, as they've worked tediously at patching the holes as the number of man games lost continues to climb.

All of which came to a crescendo Tuesday night as the Capitals toppled the Eastern Conference's hottest team, the Boston Bruins, 3-1.

Alzner and company have proven they should not be judged by their pedigree - but more so - by their undiscovered talent.

In fact, Alzner has begun drawing comparison to the great Calle Johansson, as one of the Capitals more stable defenders in recent memory. He, like Johansson, displays a blend of patience, skill, smarts the ability to simplify his game, all of which has shown the veteran savvy that this 20 year old possesses.

Sean Collins, a 25 year old rookie, continued his solid play since being called up last week. He has proven that if necessary, he could handle loads of ice time.

Tyler Sloan has been hit or miss, but can be effective so long as he can minimize mistakes in the defensive zone.

With the return of Tom Poti on Tuesday night and that of Mike Green on the horizon, it seems only fitting to give credit to this rag-tag bunch that managed to keep the team afloat in their absences.

Alzner, Collins, Sloan, Helmer, Lepisto. All have played a large part in this teams success these past few weeks, and there's a good chance that fans will look back on this stretch of games come April and reflect on how valuable playing .500 hockey was.

There's an old saying that adversity doesn't build character, but reveals it. If so, Capitals fans can rest assured that if their team faces another set back - they'll be in good hands.

Green and Poti eyeing a return to Capitals lineup

2008-12-08T18:54:00.007-06:00

Finnish defenseman Sami Lepisto has been re-assigned to Hershey today, giving Capitals fans hope that either one of Mike Green or Tom Poti could be returning to the teams line-up for Wednesday nights game with the Eastern Conference leading Boston Bruins.

Poti has suffered from a nagging groin injury which has sidelined him for eleven games, while Green has not played since November 19th, when he suffered an upper body injury.

The lack of Green has been a hard hit on the Capitals as the Calgary product had put up 16 points (7G, 9A) in 18 games played.

Also thrown into the mix of returnees could be defenseman Tyler Sloan, who took warm-ups yesterday in Raleigh but did not dress for the game.

Lepisto will now return to the Hershey Bears who are in the midst of an eleven game winning streak, despite the amount of players who were recalled by Washington.

Lepisto had been instrumental on Washington's power play, playing the point along with Russian sensation Alexander Ovechkin.

In seven games Lepisto marked 4 assists and was a -3 rating.

Fehr injured in Capitals victory

2008-12-06T22:25:00.003-06:00

Right wing Eric Fehr left Saturday night's game with what appears to be a shoulder injury. His status is now day-to-day. Fehr's injury now brings the laundry list of wounded Capitals to 11, as the amount of man games lost is soon approaching 300.

Also, Karl Alzner notched his first career NHL goal tonight, while also adding an assist on Milan Jurcina's game winning goal in the third period.

He finished the game with a +2 rating while leading all Washington defensemen in ice time, logging a remarkable 23:06 minutes.

Washington rolls in to Carolina tomorrow and there may be another call up from Hershey coming, most probably one of Chris Bourque, Oskar Osala or Quintin Laing.

Speaking of Hershey, tonight they won their franchise record tenth game in a row, defeating the Hartford Wolfpack 4-2. Goaltender Simeon Varlamov notched his tenth win of the season, stopping 26 of 28 shots.

Bruce Boudreau; A holiday gift that all Caps fans can cherish.

2008-12-05T18:21:00.008-06:00

Bruce Boudreau made his NHL coaching debut November 23rd, 2007 in a matinee with the Philadelphia Flyers in which Washington left with a 4-3 overtime victory.

It seems as though the employment of Boudreau was an early Christmas gift for the organization and by the looks of it - is a gift that keeps on giving.

Since that fateful day, Capitals fans have been blessed watching their team sky rocket in the standings and are now back on the scene in the NHL.

According to the Nielsen Report, Capitals local television ratings are up 140 percent over 2007's numbers, which represents the biggest jump in the NHL.

A lot of that has to do with the offensive system implemented by the new bench boss, which captures the blend of firepower and finesse that the Capitals possess, a style that speaks to a new generation of hockey fans.

Since the departure of head coach Ron Wilson after the 2001-02 season, the Capitals saw they're record plummet to a somber 119-156-61, which includes a playoff drought that spans back to the 2003-04 season.

Bruce Cassidy and Glen Hanlon both preceded Boudreau, but neither saw much success.

Last year, the Capitals were supposed to turn the page. Hanlon was into his third year, and this team had nowhere to go but up.

Except they didn't. In fact they crashed and burned.

6-14-1 to be exact. And that was after starting the season 3-0-0. Management had finally seen enough and took a chance on a very successful career minor league player and coach to see if he could right the ship.

And right it he did.

The remainder of the season, the Capitals went on a torrent pace going 37-17-7 to clinch their division and a playoff spot on the final game of the regular season.

This year Boudreau is upping his game a notch going 14-9-3 despite lacking offensive talents such as Alexander Semin, Sergei Fedorov and highly skilled defenseman Mike Green.

In the 2003-04 season, the Capitals blueline was a revolving door which featured names from the past such as Brad Norton, John Gruden, Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, Todd Rohloff, Steve Eminger, Rick Berry, Jason Doig and Joel Kwiatkowski - just to name a few.

This year? Try Bryan Helmer, the AHL's leader in games played with over 800. Tyler Sloan, another career minor leauger making his rookie debut. Karl Alzner, a 20 year old rookie who leads all defensemen in ice time since his call up. And most recently Sean Collins, who will be filling in for Sloan in the Capitals next game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 25 year old Collins is just another one of the many blueliners who will get his first sniff of NHL action this year.

But yet this rag-tag bunch manages to get it done.

Yes, there is a method to Bruce's madness. Part of it is strategy, but the other part of it is an unexplainable charisma that his players seem to feed off of. One that stresses the fortune these players actually have to be playing in the NHL, and that they should not take it lightly.

"I'm not used to losing, quite frankly, and I've come to the conclusion that I really don't like it. If I'm fired up I've found out that they follow my lead pretty well and I want them to be fired up."

Bourdeau, unlike his predecessors has proven that he can ice a competitive squad, and regardless the set backs that the team faces, he'll have them ready to play.

And let's not forget that with his chubby stature and glowing cheeks, he strikes a glaring resemblance to jolly old Saint Nick, all the while bringing joy to the hearts of Capitals nation.

Stefan Della Rovere, Dimitri Kugryshev given camp invites.

2008-12-03T14:02:00.009-06:00

Stefan Della Rovere continues to revel in his third OHL season. Today the Barrie Colts forward was named to the Team Canada World Junior Hockey Championship invite list, along with the likes of Jonathan Tavares, Zach Boychuk and Jordan Eberle.

Della Rovere has had a very productive season to date, leading his team in scoring, totaling 27 points in 26 games, while amassing 88 penalty minutes.

Absent from Canada's invite list is Saskatoon Blades goaltender Braden Holby. The Llyodminster, SK product has been among the WHL's best this year, posting a record of 17-6-1 with a .909 SV%.

Last year's CHL Goaltender of the Year, Chet Pickard of the Tri-City Americans is a front runner for the number one spot with Tyler Sexsmith challenging him.

American born John Carlson (drafted 1st round, 27th overall in 2008 draft) was also omitted from the USA roster, as they tend to favor juniors who play for the NTDP program, which Carlson opted out of to play in the CHL instead.

Carlson though didn't seem to take the omission to heart stating that it was no big deal to be left off the squad.

"If I don't get named, then I'll just go home (to New Jersey) for Christmas. That's fine. We have a big dinner. It's a lot of fun."

Team USA did however decide to extend an invite to defenseman Ted Ruth, who was traded by the Capitals at last years trade deadline for Sergei Fedorov.

Alas, it appears that Della Rovere will the the Capitals lone hope to attend the 2009 World Junior Hockey Championships, a tournament which they have well represented in terms of prospects the past four years.

EDIT: Not yet official, but there are reports that Dimitri Kugryshev (drafted 2nd round, 58th overall in 2008 draft) has been selected to play for Russia's World Junior squad and is set to join his teammates in Ottawa on December 18th.

Kugryshev, like Della Rovere is amongst the team leaders in scoring for the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts.

Sean Avery stirs the pot.

2008-12-02T18:12:00.003-06:00

Most Caps fans are well aware of the situation of this team, and quite frankly, I'm tired of updating the body count.

That's why today's installment deals with the lighter side of sports, as public enemy number one Sean Avery has been suspended indefinitely regarding comments made this morning.

The Dallas Stars forward is being suspended in regards to comments he made directed to Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf and ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert.

"I am really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada. I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about. Enjoy the game tonight."

Sources close to the Dallas Stars say that if the NHL hadn't suspended Avery, that the Dallas Stars would have, as he has since been sent back to Dallas to face the terms of his punishment.

NHL Notes tonight:

The Tampa Bay Lightning are playing the Philadelphia Flyers on Versus tonight, dawning their 1974 team jerseys, which should remain locked in the 70's with the Beegee's and John Travolta.

Karl Alzner has returned after missing the third period in Saturday night's game in Columbus.

The Capitals have also recalled Graham Mink for tonight's match versus Florida as the number of man games lost this year creeps up to 250.

Roster Shake-Up for tonight's game.

2008-11-26T17:59:00.003-06:00

As predicted, Jeff Schultz was placed on LTIR today and Sami Lepisto was called up in his place.

However, there was more juggling that followed as team captain Chris Clark was also placed on LTIR with a forearm injury.

This also allowed the Capitals to call up Karl Alzner, Chris Bourque and Graham Mink.

Tonight's rosters will look like this:

Forwards
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Kozlov
Fleischmann-Nylander-Fehr
Bourque-Laich-Bradley
Brashear-Steckel-Mink

Defense
Sloan-Poti
Alzner-Jurcina
Lepisto-Morrisonn

Goalies
Theodore
Johnson

FEAR THE WEAGLE will be shutting down for American Thanksgiving and would like to wish their American readers a safe and joyful holiday.

The Walking Wounded return to D.C.

2008-11-25T23:20:00.008-06:00

Just when things couldn't get much worse for the Capitals in terms of injuries, they did.

Closing out a five game road trip that saw the club go 1-3-1, including losing the last three in a row, Washington suffered their biggest blow last night in Minnesota, losing three more players in a 4-3 loss.

Jeff Schultz, Boyd Gordon and John Erskine all left the game due to injuries. Schultz suffers from the most serious ailment, breaking a finger which will sideline him for 4-6 weeks.

Gordon and Erskine are now both listed as day-to-day, joining fellow teammates Mike Green, Alexander Semin, and Sergei Fedorov.

Both Green and Semin should be ready to return to the line-up for either Wednesday or Friday's games, while Fedorov is still uncertain.

The loss of Schultz is particularly concerning, given the total lack of cap space and healthy defenders. It is rumored that he will be placed on LTIR (Long Term Injury Reserve) where he will join Brian Pothier who is suffering a career threatening concussion.

Being placed on the LTIR would mean that Schultz must remain out of the line-up for both 24 days and 10 games, slating his return for late December.

It is likely that Erskine will play through his soreness as Sami Lepisto is the likely candidate to be called up from Hershey to fill in for Schultz.

The Capitals now return home to face the Atlanta Thrashers in the hopes of breaking a three game regulation losing streak, the longest in Bruce Boudreau's tenure as coach.

More information on the Capitals injury bug can be followed on Tarik El-Bashir's blog, an excellent source for up to date team news.

Hershey, PA: A Breeding Group for Future NHL Stars (Part 2)

2008-11-19T17:37:00.010-06:00

In today's edition we will take an in-depth look at Hershey rookies that are turning heads early this season.

On the Rise

Francois Bouchard - Center - Drafted 2nd Round, 35th Overall in 2006 Entry Draft

Francois is the younger brother of the Minnesota Wild's Pierre-Marc Bouchard, and it shows as they both play a very similar game.

Francois tore through the QMJHL with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, putting up back to back 100 point seasons in 2005 and 2006. Last season was a bit of a drop off as he only managed 92, but he still lead his team in points.

This season he has made the jump to the AHL and is showing no worse for wear putting up 14 points in 16 games.

Bouchard is considered a shifty play making winger who can also find the net. His future with the Capitals is still atleast a full year away, but his ability to produce at every level he has played have the Capitals high on Bouchard's future.

Oskar Osala - Left wing - Drafted 4th Round, 97th Overall in 2006 Entry Draft

Continuing with the theme of 2006 draftees, Oskar Osala is a breath of fresh air in the Capitals orginization. Selected out of Missisauga of the OHL, the rugged Finn brings a blend of grit and a set of gifted hands.

Washington has very little on the radar in terms of a power forward, and they are hoping that Osala can fill that role, while still contributing to the score sheet on a consistent basis.

After his junior career had been completed, he jetted back to Finland where he played a season with the Espoo Blues, where he earned rookie of the year honors as he was among his team leaders in points scored.

This year he has returned to North America and since joining the Hershey Bears has set the AHL ablaze, leading his team in goals with 13, and being nominated as AHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 2, 2008.

With any luck, Capitals fans could see Osala "rocking the red" as early as next season, though with the teams financial leverage being tight, it could take a little longer.

Matthieu Perreault - Center - Drafted 6th Round, 177th Overall in 2006 Entry Draft

The story of Matthieu Perreault's journey at the 2006 draft is one that not many players share. Matthieu made the cross country trip to Vancouver where he sat agonizing for 2 full days on whether or not he would be selected. Finally with their last selection in the draft, the Washington Capitals approached Perreault and informed him that they would be selecting him 177th overall.

Needless to say he has returned the favor tenfold and is another of Washington's many prospects who will be pushing for a roster spot in the near future.

Perreault, like Bouchard, played his junior hockey in the QMJHL, where he also put up two consecutive 100 point seasons with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

He is listed at 5'9", but in fact, is probably a tad smaller, which some consider to be a knock against him. However, he is proving that making the jump to professional hockey is not as difficult as the pundits predicted it would be for a player his size.

Perreault has assumed the role of set up man, playing a very Adam Oates-esque style of game, while ranking third on the Bears leaders in assists.

His speed isn't quite at the caliber of Chris Bourque's but he comes a close second, which is very adventageous for his style of play.

In the past he has had great success centering a line with Francois Bouchard, and with Oskar Osala on his left wing, you could potentially see this line assemble in D.C. in the next coming years.

Hershey, PA: A Breeding Group for Future NHL Stars

2008-11-18T18:14:00.008-06:00

After sweeping through their weekend schedule, I felt it was due time to take a look at the state of affairs with the Hershey Bears.

So far this season they have left nothing to the imagination of fans, racing out of the gates to a 12-5-0-1 record, while blowing out their opponents in the process.

Case in point: Saturday November 14th, 2008 and Sunday November 15th, 2008. The Bears took on the Philadelphia Phantoms and the Binghampton Senators and beat them soundly; 7-4 and 9-0 respectively.

This is nothing out of the ordinary, as they have already beaten Wilkes-Barre 8-4 on Opening Night, as well as a 7-1 drubbing of the Syracuse Crunch.

Needless to say, the offense has been tantalizing to date, and indicates the bright future ahead for the Washington Capitals.

On the Cusp

Karl Alzner - Defense - Drafted 1st Round, 5th Overall in 2007 Entry Draft

Alzner has exceeded the monumental expectations bestowed upon him rather effortlessly. Playing for the most part with Sami Lepisto (as well as Josh Godfrey), Alzner has been a staple on Hershey's blue line, and is tied for first in rookie +/- (fourth in the entire AHL) with fellow teammate Oskar Osala. Though he will never be leaned upon to produce the numbers of an offensive defenseman, he is still able to find the score sheet (8 points in 16 games) as well as log quality powerplay time. It appears that it is only a matter of time before this budding prospect gets his crack at the NHL.

Chris Bourque - Left wing - Drafted 2nd Round, 33rd Overall in 2004 Entry Draft

Since arriving at Capitals training camp in September, the former Boston College product has been a man on a mission. Despite his lack of size, Bourque is following up a record year stats wise with one that's been equally impressive to date. A late cut from Capitals camp, Bourque clearly has dazzling offensive talent and when put to use, he ranks amongst the Elite in the AHL. If he is able to increase his statistics, he will have a legitimate chance to make Washington's roster next season.

Sami Lepisto - Defense - Drafted 3rd Round, 66th Overall in 2004 Entry Draft

It took Sami a little longer than expected to make the trek to the North American rinks. A major shoulder surgery set him back half of a season with Jokerit in 2005-06, but he showed no ill-effects the following season, as he finished the year with the most points of any Bears defenseman. His defensive partner Josef Boumedienne has since left the organization, now playing with the Toronto Marlies, forcing Lepisto through a transition period. After a sluggish start, he is now starting to find his stride and is returning to the form he showed last year. With the lack of depth on the Capitals blue line this season, there is a chance they could make a trade to involve both Lepisto and Alzner in their immediate plans.

*Sunday's installment of THE WEAGLE will focus on the abundance of rookies whom are on the rise.

OBS: A Recipe for Success

2008-11-13T23:19:00.005-06:00

OBS. If you were to describe the acronym, words like dazzling, sensational or maybe just sick.

Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin.

Last year it was known as the OBK Line (Ovechkin-Backstrom-Kozlov) which was leaned on heavily for offensive production in the second half of the season, and were large in part the reason that the Capitals won the Southeast Division.

However early on in the season, OBK was not generating the success that it saw last year. Ovechkin was off to a slow start, as was Kozlov. As for Backstrom, there were extended periods where you were unsure if he was still in the line-up.

Merely a few weeks ago, Kozlov went down with an injury, Ovechkin was returning from a trip to Moscow and Backstrom was demoted to third line duties. When very little seemed to be working offensively, coach Bruce Boudreau decided it was time to put all his eggs in one basket.

Before Sergei Fedorov went down with an injury, he was given the duty of centering the first line. But with him out of the line-up, Backstrom was given a chance at some redemption.

So far the decision has been paying huge dividends, and is making Boudreau look like a genius.

Alexander Semin has been a monster this season. With 13 goals and 14 assists (27 points) in only 15 games this season, is well on his way to surpass his 43 point season last year. He has been leaned on almost exclusively to fashion points for the Capitals as they found ways to win tough games. Since being united with Backstrom and Ovechkin 4 games ago, he has 5 goals and 5 assists.

Semin, however is not the only one benefiting from the new line combos.

Alexander Ovechkin is back with a vengeance. He has scored goals in back to back games, and seems to be getting back on track with his offensive production, marking 2 goals and 6 assists with his new line mates.

Most impressive however has been Backstrom who has been stagnant early on this season. Being moved to the third line seemed to have lit a fire under him as he has put up 1 goal and 5 assists in his last 3 games, most notably a four point showing at Carolina on Tuesday.

It seems that the Capitals are an entirely different team with the newly assembled OBS Line, and Washington has been putting together complete performances from top to bottom, something which has been lacking to this point.

Tonight the potent OBS Line will take on the Martin Broduer-less New Jersey Devils, which has the Capitals fan base eager to get this one started.

Making the Most of your Opportunites

2008-11-12T00:20:00.008-06:00

Since the 2002-03 campaign, Brent Johnson has never started more than 35 games in a year. The past 5 NHL seasons, Johnson has been a career back-up, as well as a journey man, making brief stops in Phoenix and Vancouver before being claimed off waivers by Washington in October 2004.

A gamble that paid off for the Capitals, as former "sure bet" prospect Maxime Ouellet never paned out and now finds himself playing in a Senior A League in Quebec.

But ever since his inception to the NHL ranks with the St. Louis Blues, Johnson has always been pushed by competition in the pipes. Whether it was Roman Turek, Fred Brathwaite or Chris Osgood, Johnson was never able to take the reigns as a legitimate number one starter. In his time in The Gateway City, he never received more than 58 starts in a year, but also never registered a GAA of over 2.50.

Johnson was finally moved the year before the lockout as the Blues continued trying to straighten out their goalie carousel. When he finally landed in Washington, he came to a team in the early stages of a rebuilding process [his stats show how grueling the rebuild was] and at this point was looked at as no more than a career back-up.

Finally this season, Brent Johnson is getting the chance to fuel a competition for the starting job.

Jose Theodore was signed by the Capitals this summer and has failed to meet expectations up to date. His .885 SV% has been less than adequate and his 2-3-0 record is not what Washington is looking for coming out of the gates.

In an attempt to inspire his team, coach Bruce Boudreau called on the 31 year old Johnson to start a handful of games, and Johnson accepted the role and hasn't look back.

To date he has registered a 4-1-2 record, his only regulation loss coming in the Capitals season opener where he came in relief of Jose Theodore.

His scintillating .931 SV% is ranked 3rd in the league as he ranks 5th with a GAA of 2.11.

It might be early yet, but it certainly seems that Johnson still has all the tools to become a number one goaltender, and that he is finally being given the chance to put them all together.

"I think its confidence," Boudreau said of Johnson. "He's in the last year of his deal. He loves the area. He loves being a Capital. He knows he's got a great chance and a great opportunity. A new guy has come in, and granted, he's probably going to be the No. 1 guy when it's all said and done. But it's not like Olie, where you knew he was always going to be the guy. So Johnson kind of has that spring in his step." "I want to get Jose back in there, but it's tough to take [Johnson] out when he's playing that well," he added.

While there is little certainty at this point, it appears this will be an interesting season in the crease.

Same Faces in Different Places: Kolzig returns to D.C.

2008-11-10T01:17:00.007-06:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning are only a Brian Willsie away from assembling the Washington Capitals of 2005-06.

Going back to last years trade deadline, the Lightning have acquired Jeff Halpern, Matt Pettinger, Jamie Heward, and Steve Eminger; all via trade or free agency.

Of these players, only recently acquired Steve Eminger will be in the line-up when both these Southeast Division foes meet on Monday night. However, there is one other familiar face who will make his way back to D.C., and the media attention surrounding his return will be bigger than the game itself.

Never in their wildest dreams would Washington Capitals fans expect to see their franchise goalie over the past 16 years suit up for the opposition, but in tonight's contest, Olaf Kolzig will do just that.

Drafted 19th overall in the 1989 draft, Kolzig enjoyed a fruitful career as the Capitals tender winning a Vezina award along with a trip to the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals. But the relationship between Washington and Kolzig went sour last season as Washington decided their rebuild was completed and his services were no longer needed. They went out and traded for Cristobal Huet.

Kolzig spent the remainder of the season as the teams back-up goalie, and after their Game 7 playoff loss to Philadelphia, it was widely believed that he would then retire.

When July 1st, 2008 rolled around it was quite a shock for many to see Godzilla trade in his red white and blue for the black and blue of Tampa Bay.

Most Capitals fans said "good riddance" to Kolzig and some went as far as losing respect for his decision to continue his playing career.

Some chose to forget the five 30+ win seasons in a Capitals uniform, others chose to forget the 38 shutouts as a member of the franchise.

And yes, some went as far as forgetting his total dedication to a team going through a rough rebuilding process, as he stuck with the organization as opposed to signing with a playoff bound team in search of his first elusive Stanley Cup Championship.

Not to mention his unwavering devotion to the city of Washington and the many charitable foundations he belongs to.

The truth of the matter is that the Washington Capitals quit on Olaf Kolzig long before Kolzig quit on them. And that is a true test of his character as he always found a way to remain a "team first" player.

In this day and age of the NHL, neither Kolzig nor the Capitals are to blame for the fallout that transpired last season. It was simply a case of two sides having two differing expectations of Olaf's role within the organization, and neither side should be chastised for the decisions they made.

There is a very good chance that Kolzig will never win the Stanley Cup he has longed for his entire career, as his new gig in Tampa puts him into the role of mentor as the Lightning try to hone Mike Smith into a serviceable NHL starter.

Kolzig could have easily rode off into the sunset as a Washington Capital and he would have been enshrined as the greatest goaltender in the teams history. No one else can hold a candle to Kolzig's tenure, and he holds many team records that will most likely never be broken. But instead of hanging them up, he believed that he still had something to give to the NHL, comparable to all that he gave to Capitals fans over 16 seasons of service.

Tonight night isn't about the Tampa Bay Lightning visiting the Verizon Center to take on the Capitals. It's a story of perseverance and the love of the game making it's way back to the nations capital.

Tonight it is Olaf Kolzig versus the Washington Capitals.

Tomas Fleischmann : Winner of Inaugural FEAR THE WEAGLE Poll

2008-11-08T15:21:00.007-06:00

In a close race, Tomas Fleischmann edged out Karl Alzner for which Washington Capital you think will have the biggest impact this year.

Here is how the polls closed:

Tomas Fleischmann - 38% (13 votes)
Karl Alzner - 35% (12 votes)
Chris Bourque - 14% (5 votes)
Eric Fehr - 8% (3 votes)
Sami Lepisto - 2% (1 vote)

A new poll will be up soon, keep checking in.

Alexander Ovechkin: Image of the Invisible

2008-11-05T23:28:00.004-06:00

Since his 2005-06 rookie campaign, no one in the NHL has scored more goals than Alexander Ovechkin. The only player who comes close to the Russian superstar is Dany Heatley of the Ottawa Senators, and there is still a gap between the two.

The fact of the matter is that each year Ovechkin has set his sights on a higher goal and a new standard for himself. Last season he broke Luc Robitaille's record for goals in a season, finishing with 65, which eclipsed the previous mark of 63 set by the long time King. Those 65 goals also won him the Maurice Richard Trophy.

Alex has proven that neither the hype, nor the pressure the pressure, or even the opponent can stand in his way as he has been a one man wrecking crew for as long as he has been a Capital.

That's why his start to this season has been so disappointing.

Ovechkin has played in nine games so far this year, putting up a modest five points (2G, 3A). His two markers came in the same game versus the Blackhawks in the second game of the year.

The team has sputtered out of the gates, and the lack of production from number eight is largely the reason for their 5-4-2 mark.

Lets be honest, Nicklas Backstrom, Chris Clark and Viktor Kozlov haven't been the best line mates this year, however that's never stopped Alexander in the past. Dainius Zubrus and Jeff Halpren are still thanking him for the payouts they received in the free agent market due to their inflated point production with Ovechkin.

There is no reason why he shouldn't be able to succeed despite those around him, yet he is. He's shooting less. He's driving the net less. Sometimes you can go a few shifts without noticing him at all.

Nevertheless, the season is still young and Ovechkin does have a history of slower starts, and you also have to factor in that he spent a week in Moscow, Russia with his ailing grandfather.

His play may be lacking but his dedication should never be questioned. He has always played through adversity and has always played for his teammates above himself.

In his recent trip to Russia, he slept during the day and stayed up during the night so to not become jet lagged. That speaks volume for not only his character but also his love of the game.

Alexander Ovechkin is no Kevin Bacon in the sense that you'll never go a hour and a half without seeing him at all (see 90% of Bacon's terrible films, or Hollow Man). He will hit the score sheet more frequently as this season goes on and the Caps will benefit from it as he is still heavily depended on despite the insurgence of his counterpart Alexander Semin.

He will get the job done. It's only a matter of time.

Make Sure to Vote!

2008-11-04T00:36:00.004-06:00

That's right Caps' fans, time is running out.

Make sure to vote on which player will have the biggest impact for the Capitals this year, as the poll is closing in only TWO days.

Make sure your voice is heard.

Also, residents of the United States of America, please take the time to do your part for your country by voting in your Presidential Election!

Pre-Game Thoughts: 11/04/08 Washington Capitals at Ottawa Senators

2008-11-04T00:32:00.001-06:00

The month of October has not been as kind to the Washington Capitals as their fans had hoped. Granted, they are 5-4-1 and are still above the .500 mark, the bar coming into this season was set at a rather lofty level, which as previously mentioned, has yet to be achieved.

I have previously stated the the Capitals are a slow starting team and this season bears no exception. It will be important to rack up points early in November before heading on a west coast road trip which has the team visiting Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose in a three night stretch.

Not to mention the hot start from the Carolina Hurricanes who seem to be able to plug anyone into their battered line up and still consistently win games. It will be important for Washington not to fall too far behind early as it a repeat of last years heroics would be fairly unlikely.

Lets take a look at some of the positives for Washington. Tonight, star forward Alexander Ovechkin will be back in the line up after heading back to Moscow for a week to visit his sick grandfather. Contrary to reports posted on www.life.ru, Ovechkin's grandfather is still alive in hospital, and Alex was glad to have been given the opportunity to see him.

"My mind was already back in Moscow," he said. "I called George [McPhee] and said, 'George I need to go back to Russia and see my grandpa because I don't know when he is going to die. Thanks to the Capitals. They said go there and be with your family. It helped me a lot."

Ovechkin's presence has been missed in the line-up and hopefully he is able to return rejuvinated and into mid-season form as the Capitals will try to turn up the heat and prove they were not just a one year wonder.

Also of note is the demeanor of Coach Bruce Boudreau, who I felt had let his players away with a lot so far. A shutout at the hands of the Sabres on Saturday changed his complex as he skated his players into the ice on Sunday and stated there will be no free rides this season. Perhaps this tough love is what players like Mike Green, Chris Clark, Shaone Morrisonn, Nicklas Backstrom and Jose Theodore need to kick start their game.

The Senators, too, are having a rocky start to the year with a 4-5-2 record so far. Alex Auld will be their starting goaltender and he possesses a 3-2-0 record with a .931 SV% this year.

The Caps will need to be able to capitalize on the power play and prove that they can play a full 60 minutes worth of hockey if they intend to win this game. So far they have taken untimely penalties which have cost them goals against.

It is clear that the Caps will have to make their own break as November's schedule is not kind. They cannot afford to repeat last years mishaps.

Boudreau Sounds Off

2008-11-02T23:34:00.003-06:00

In today's blog on the Capital Insider, Bruce Boudreau was not a happy man, probably as disgruntled as he has been in his coaching stint with the Capitals. Washington players were skated up and down the ice for the full 50 minutes of practice following their 5-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres the previous night. Here are a few excerpts from the interview.

"If they're not going to work to our standards during the game, then they're going to work that hard during practice," he said. "I've been through a lot of those, and they're not fun. I'm trying to send a message that the coaching staff was displeased with the effort."

"We didn't compete. I'm not used to it. Here we had a chance. We see everyone else in our division losing."

"It's the first time where we went end-to-end for 50 minutes, nonstop. I don't want to use the word punishment. Everyone would have loved to have had Sunday off and relax and enjoy themselves. But this isn't a country club. If you come to work you're going to get rewarded. If you don't come to work then you will pay the price."

Hopefully Washington is able to turn their game around in time for Tuesday nights game against the Ottawa Senators.

Pre-Game Thoughts: 11/01/08 Washington Capitals at Buffalo Sabres

2008-11-01T13:53:00.002-05:00

It seems as though the Capitals have been able to shake off the rust of their 1-2-0 road trip as they had a strong performance in a 4-3 shootout win versus the Nashville Predators on Tuesday evening.

The score didn't properly indicate of the Capitals play, who heavily out shot their opponents 26-11 through two periods. Dan Ellis was the reason that the Capitals didn't cake walk their way to their 5th victory of the season as he made key saves early to keep his team within reach.

Tonight they will take on the high flying Buffalo Sabres, a team that Capitals fans have grown accustomed to hating lately. The Sabres have started out the season an impressive 6-2-2 and goaltender Ryan Miller ranks fourth in the league for GAA with a 2.02 average.

For Washington, they will have to go another game without Alexander Ovechkin who is still in Russia visiting his grandfather. However, they will get a much needed presence back on the blue line as Tom Poti will return from nursing a slight groin injury tonight. That means Tyler Sloan has been sent back to Hershey.

Not much else really going on with the Capitals as they've been off since Tuesday.

Here is an interesting little piece from TSN where Alexander Semin sounds off about Sidney Crosby.

Coming into November 1st 2007, the Washington Capitals were 5-6-0, and soon found themselves 6-14-1. Hopefully they will be able to start off November on the right foot with a win in Buffalo.

Pre-Game Thoughts: 10/28/08 Washington Capitals vs Nashville Predators

2008-10-28T17:45:00.002-05:00

No big write up for this game, just small tidbits. The Capitals are coming of a 1-2-0 road trip, their win coming in a 6-5 offensive clinic with the Dallas Stars. They now return home to face the Predators Tuesday, and then having four days off before their next game against Buffalo Saturday.

This game will not be televised as Versus has the feed, and are instead airing the Philadelphia at Atlanta game.

Alexander Ovechkin will be out of Washington's line-up until Sunday as he has returned to Moscow to be with his ailing grandfather.

Caps fans thoughts and prayers go out to the Ovechkin family.

Pre-Game Thoughts: 10/25/08 Washington Capitals at Dallas Stars

2008-10-25T02:22:00.008-05:00

If there is a team that parallels the Washington Capitals early into this 2008-09 season, it would be the Dallas Stars. Both teams are entering this season with tremendous expectations on their shoulders, many of them involving hosting the Stanley Cup come June.

But if the first seven games of this season have shown us anything, it's that both these teams have failed to deliver on the pre-season hype.

This may be taken as an overstatement, and understandably so, considering the season is not even 1/10th completed, but with the buzz around these teams, their records thus far do not sit well with fans.

Lets also keep in mind that both teams are missing star players at key positions. Both Tom Poti (Capitals) and Sergei Zubov (Stars) are veteran leaders on their respective blue lines, and command crucial ice time in their teams pursuits of victory. Furthermore, both pivots are injured, Poti nursing a sore groin and Zubov out with a hip injury which has him sidelined until at least sometime into November.

If that wasn't enough add Viktor Kozlov, John Erskine and Donald Brashear to the list of Caps injuries, while noting the Stars are without the services of Steve Ott, Jere Lethinen and Doug Janik.

Suffice to say, both teams have gotten out to a sluggish start largely due to the holes in their line-up as they fail to ice a complete team.

Stars goaltender Marty Turco has not been able to get on track so far this year and limps in with a 3-4-1 record along with the third worst GAA (4.04) in the league. The only starter worse than him statistically is Martin Biron (4.50 GAA), who the Caps could not solve often enough last spring.

For Washington, their starting goalie has yet to be confirmed, but with back-to-back solid performances, I would give the nod to Jose Theodore. Theodore, like Turco, started off the season a tad bit rusty but is now beginning to regain his form from last year. Hopefully tonight the Capitals will be able to play well enough for him to earn his third win of the year.

Washington's song and dance this year has been the lack of consistency. Alexander Ovechkin has marked a quiet 4 points (2G, 2A) so far this year, and Swedish center Nicklas Backstrom has a measly two points (2A) this year, which puts him way off the pace of another 69 point campaign.

But also bare in mind that the Washington Capitals are historically a slow starting team, no matter what their expectations. Last year they were a feeble 6-14-1 before righting their ship en route to the Southeast Division Championship. Moreover, both Ovechkin and Backstrom had particularly slow starts to the year in 2007-08 as well, only to kick it in to high gear come the month of September, while Alexander Semin (6G, 5A and team leading scorer) was in and out of the line-up with an injured ankle.

Right now it's simply a case of players feeling sorry for themselves and squeezing the sticks too tightly. In their 2-1 loss to Phoenix on Thursday, the Capitals registered 31 shots on Michael Tellqvist in a losing effort. Most nights, 31 shots is good enough for three goals let alone one, but things will smooth themselves over in time.

If you are a fan of the Capitals, you have to believe that at some point, this team with gel and return to the form that dazzled fans last year. The key will be not to rehash last years struggles by repeating a 6-14-1 record through the first quarter of the season. As long as they are able to sit around .500, they will be in fine shape.

Hopefully, Boudreau can succeed where Hanlon failed.

In Bruce we trust.

The Winnipeg Jets: A Time Capsule of my Youth.

2008-10-23T22:43:00.014-05:00

It was almost two months shy of my 10th birthday when the Winnipeg Jets skated off the ice at the Winnipeg Arena for the last time.

The Jets had just lost a best of seven series 4 games to 2 against the vaunted Detroit Red Wings a team on the up rise and loaded with NHL stars.

I remember the empty feeling of dispair, which was magnified due to my age. This was the end of the NHL for me.

Since then I have been able to move on and am fortunate that I stuck it out with a league that turned its back on me. I can honestly say that I don't know where I would be without hockey in my life.

While watching tonight's game between the Washington Capitals and Phoenix Coyotes, I can't help but look back to my youth and the role that this team - 13 years removed from my hometown - had on me.

I came from a typical middle class family, living with both my parents and two younger sisters. Being the only male child gave me many perks, one of which was attending sporting events with my dad. We didn't get to see them often, but just enough to fuel my obsession with the NHL, and more importantly with Teemu Selanne; my idol growing up.

Most opposing players that have come through Winnipeg are lost on me, as are many of the teams. I know that I have seen the Red Wings, Flyers, Islanders, Stars and Whalers for certain, but after that it's hazy.

What I do remember was the atmosphere. The roar of a Winnipeg crowd is a distinct one, a cheer that I could differentiate from any other. The fans were passionate for their team, and the players enjoyed our raucous nature.

The Winnipeg Arena, built in the 1950's was usually full, which is an impressive feat considering some of the pitiful rosters this team assembled. Year after year, Winnipeg made sure to go off the board with their first round selections, drafting the likes of Jimmy Mann and Sergei Bautin, while passing up the Martin Brodeur's and Jaromir Jagr's of the league. In the pre-salary cap era, the Jets didn't have much money to spend, and proved this by rarely making a splash on upcoming unrestricted free agents.

Alas, the NHL finally reached their breaking point, and the team was forced to relocate in the spring of 1996. I dabbled in the teams fortunes in the early years after the teams move, but after much of the 95-96 Jets roster moved on with their careers, so did I. My last surviving tie to the Jets lies with 32 year old Shane Doan, drafted 4th overall in the 1995 entry draft out of Kamloops of the WHL.

Winnipeg will most probably never have the luxury of an NHL franchise returning to our turf, to try rebuilding the shattered dreams of a city that never really recovered from their loss.

But while watching tonights game at Jobing.com Arena, the Coyotes in their brick coloured jerseys, this hockey fan can't help but relive some of his most cherrished childhood memories.

Watching a hockey game with my father.

Pre-Game Thoughts: 10/23/08 Washington Capitals at Phoenix Coyotes

2008-10-23T00:41:00.006-05:00

Jose Theodore could not have played much better in a 2-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night.

Theodore stopped 26 of a possible 28 shots in a losing effort, as the Capitals fell to 3-2-1 on the season.

Tyler Sloan also played a gritty 9 minutes in the loss, laying the hit of the year (to date) on an unsuspecting Daymond Langkow midway through the first period. The hit ended up granting the Capitals a 9 minute power play as Rene Bourque racked up an astounding 19 minutes in penalties in trying to atone for his teammate.

Both will remain in the line-up for the Capitals Thursday night game in the desert against an up and coming Coyotes team.

After watching his power play go 0-4 on the power play, including a lack luster effort on a nine (yes NINE) minute power play, Coach Bruce Boudreau is stressing his players to get traffic in front of the opposing goalie to generate scoring chances on the man advantage. This will come as a relief, as those who follow the Caps feel they have been much too cute in trying to concoct masterful tic-tac-toe plays rather than just putting the puck on net. The Capitals rank 16th (5-32) in the league so far on the power play, which is somewhat of a disappointment considering the talent they bolster.

For the Coyotes, they will send Michael Tellqvist to oppose the Capitals. Tellqvist was a modest 9-8-2 last year with a 3.07 GAA.

Phoenix sits 25th overall in goals per game, averaging at only 2.43.
They are also 23rd in goals allowed per game at 3.40, which marks almost a full goal difference per game. The Coyotes have relied on the mentality of scoring by committee as Shane Doan, Olli Jokinen and Kyle Turris are their team leaders in points.

Washington will have to come out stronger than they did on Tuesday night, and also show more discipline as they took 10 penalties throughout their game with the Flames, including four 5 on 3 opportunities.

The last time that Alexander Ovechkin was in Phoenix was in his Calder Cup year (05-06) when he scored only what can be referred to as "the goal". We will see if Ovechkin can duplicate this feat in tonight's match as he desperately seeks to get his season on track.

Michael Neuvirth headed to the Czech Republic

2008-10-21T18:26:00.003-05:00

As reported by Mike Vogel, goaltender Michael Neuvirth will be going to play with Trinec in the Czech League.

More information will be provided as it comes in.

Pre-Game Thoughts: 10/21/08 Washington Capitals at Calgary Flames

2008-10-20T23:53:00.009-05:00

For 27 year old defenseman Tyler Sloan, Hollywood itself could not have delivered a better script. The rugged Calgary, Alberta native has been a career journeyman through the ECHL and AHL ranks, not yet having a chance to suit up for NHL action, excluding preseason.

Until tonight.

And what better way for Sloan to get his first crack at the bigs than in his home town in front of his family and friends.

"I didn't think it was going to be this soon, but I'm ecstatic," Sloan said of the call-up. "I'm going to Calgary, my hometown, you can't ask for any more than that."

Sloan will indeed have his work cut out for him, joining a depleted defensive corps who is without the veteran leadership of Tom Poti. Poti is sidelined with a groin injury and will not suit up for tonight's game. This will give Sloan an opportunity to see ice-time both at even strength, and most probably on the penalty kill as well.

Sloan will not be the only home town boy in a Capitals uniform tonight fellow defensemen Mike Green and Jeff Schultz also hail from The Stampede City.

Washington will be taking on a Calgary Flames club that hasn't quite lived up to their standards so far this season. A team that prides itself on defense has yet to find a way to put it all together, sputtering out to a 1-3-1 start to their year.

However the off-season acquisitions of Todd Bertuzzi and Mike Cammalleri seem to be paying off as they are both producing at a point per game status.

It will be important for the Capitals to perform as they did against Vancouver, in regards to using their offense as their best form of defense. In that game they held the Canucks to only 10 shots on goal, and coasting to an easy 5-1 win. Given the injures to not only Poti, but Viktor Kozlov and Donald Brashear, Washington will have to use their strong fore check and team play to cover for their lack of man power.

So far this season, Jose Theodore has paralleled A Tale of Two Cities, a Charles Dickens classic to many a Caps fan. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." That has essentially summed it up for the French Canadian net minder who has shown flashes of brilliance, but also hasn't erased the memories of the last three seasons of the Olaf Kolzig era (1995-2008). His play has been indicative of his confidence, which seems to fluctuate as the game progresses. It will be interesting to see if he can put in his first well rounded performance of the season tonight.

For the Flames, word is that Curtis McElhinney may get the start tonight, but that has yet to be confirmed nor denied, so for the time being we will assume it will be Mikka Kiprusoff in the pipes.

Here's hoping Tyler Sloan writes himself into the record books in a very special way.

Washignton Capitals Quick Hits 10/20/08

2008-10-20T17:53:00.009-05:00

A couple quick hits before tonight's pre-game thoughts:

Tyler Sloan has been recalled by the Washington Capitals. Coach Bruce Boudreau plans on playing Sloan in tomorrow nights game in Calgary. Washington's line combos in practice today were as follows:

Ovechkin-Fedorov-Clark
Laich-Backstrom-Semin
Fleischmann-Nylander-Bradley
Brashear-Steckel-Fehr/Gordon

Morrisonn-Green
Sloan-Schultz
Erskine-Jurcina

Sloan, a native of Calgary, Alberta will suit up in his first ever NHL match, so it will be a great career milestone for the 27 year old defenseman. He played a handful of preseason games with the Caps back in September

Tom Poti will make the trip out west with the rest of his teammates, but will not play Tuesday as he is still nursing a sore groin.

The Hershey Bears recalled goaltender Michael Neuvirth, though he is not expected to play. It appears that he will in fact be loaned out to another AHL squad after all. Simeon Varlamov is also nursing a slight injury but should be fine.

Finally, the Washington Capitals signed goaltending prospect Braden Holtby today. From Tarik's blog:

"The Caps have signed goaltender Braden Holtby to a three-year entry level contract.
The 19-year-old fourth round draft pick (2008) is 6-3-0 this season for the WHL's Saskatoon Blades. He's also got a 2.23 goals against average and a .922 save percentage."

Pre-game thoughts on tomorrows game in Calgary will be loaded later tonight.

Pre-Game Thoughts: 10/18/08 Washington Capitals vs New Jersey Devils

2008-10-18T11:58:00.006-05:00

Usually when Alexander Ovechkin is in a slump, so are the Washington Capitals. For the most part, it seems to go hand in hand.

However the 2008-09 season has been quite distinct early on, as the Capitals have established the fact that this is not the same team from a year ago. Sure, most of the players you see out there were a part of the 2007-08 Southeast Championship team, but this is a different Capitals squad. They have a different swagger, a charisma that has aided them in all four games this year. In three of said games, they have trailed by atleast two goals, only to come back and make a game of it. They are 2 of 3 in those games.

Tonight they are taking on the same 3-1-0 New Jersey Devils. So far this year, the Devils have had trouble putting up points, as their leading scorer is Zach Parise with three points (2G, 1A) in four games.

In comparison, Washingtons leading scorer is Alexander Semin who has eight points (4G, 4A) in four games.

Brian Rolston, New Jersey's prime off-season acquistion will be out of tonight's game, so they will be even more pressed to score.

On the flip side, the Capitals will be lacking defenseman Tom Poti, who has been a staple on their blueline. John Erskine will dress again tonight and Sergei Fedorov will play on defense as well. Chris Bourque has been called up from Hershey for the game as well.

If the Capitals are able to jump out to an early lead on goaltender Martin Brodeur they should be able to cruise to their fourth win of the year.

Update: Washington assigned goaltender Michael Neuvirth to the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL. It was speculated that he might be loaned to another AHL squad, but it appears that never materialized. More information will follow.

Caps scratch past Pens as injuries mount

2008-10-17T17:33:00.008-05:00

Even the great Harry Houdini wouldn't have found his way out of the mess the Washington Capitals found themselves in last night.

Washington, who was in Pittsburgh to face the rivaled Pens, fell flat on their face early on as Pittsburgh took a commanding 3-0 lead early in the second period. Adam Gologoski, Evgeny Malkin and Petr Sykora all scored on the power play for the Pens who looked as though they were going to continue their domination of the series.

The Caps, however, had different ideas and stormed back to score four unanswered goals by Fleischmann, Semin, Nylander and Gordon. Jose Theodore had another rough start but finished strong stopping 23 shots in the 4-3 final.

Washington's penalty kill was "off" to say the least last night with only a 50% succession rate (3-6). So far this year they are 17-24 (70.8%) which puts them 25th in the league. They will have to be more successful on specialty teams in order to live up to their projections this season.

Adding to the bad news, the Capials lost defenseman Tom Poti early in the first period with what is being diagnosed as a groin injury. It is unclear how long he will be out of the line-up.

Poti now joins the likes of Viktor Kozlov and Donald Brashear who are also out with injuries. Brashear's status for tomorrow night in New Jersey has yet to be determined, while Kozlov is diagnosed as "week-to-week".

Washington called up winger Chris Bourque earlier today, meaning that Sergei Fedorov will be playing defense for their next match-up, while Bourque will fill in for Fedorov up front.

Brent Johnson will get the start in Saturday's game as coach Bruce Boudreau continues to flip between his two netminders.

So far the Capitals have looked the the cat with nine lives. Just when you think they can't possibly come back, the do; in stunning fashion. The question now becomes how long until they run out of magic in their bag of tricks?

Pre-Game Thoughts: 10/16/08 Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins

2008-10-15T21:51:00.009-05:00

Game by game. Period by period. Shift by shift. The Washington Capitals have progressively improved their play all year.

Granted, we are only three games in, but if Monday nights victory is any indication of what lies ahead, the Capitals are in good hands.

The team was firing on all cylinders against Vancouver, allowing only 10 shots against all game. Tonight they will take on an old foe in the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Crosby versus Ovechkin. Or if you prefer, Ovechkin versus Malkin.

Both teams feature an arsenal of stars, which provided fantastic games between the two last year. Let's hope this is case tonight.

Pittsburgh won last years season series 3-1, while three of the four games were separated by only one goal.

Pens defensemen Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney are nursing long term injuries, which should mean that Ovechkin will see a frequent dosage of Brooks Orpik, Pittsburgh's most sound defenseman. This should bode well for the second line of Semin, Nylander and Laich who should be able to capitalize on the lack of healthy defensemen.

For Pittsburgh it will be important for their superstars to get on the score sheet. They gutted out a 3-2 win against Philadelphia on Tuesday, without Crosby or Malkin registering a point.

However, the goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury has been superb and is to thank for the teams early season success.

Washington will counter with Jose Theodore in net. Theodore sat in place of Brent Johnson on Monday, who notched his 100th win in the process. Theodore is 1-0-0 on the season with a 4.00 GAA and .842 SV%.

Capitals fowards Viktor Kozlov and Donald Brashear will be out of tonight's contest, due to injuries. Kozlov's status is week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, while Brashear is healing an injured hand.

Washington has not had very much success against Pittsburgh lately, and tonight will serve as the first test of the year. A chance to turn the tables on this bitter Patrick Division match-up.

A chance at redemption in this series.

The Puck Stops Here: Caps beat Luongo and Canucks 5-1.

2008-10-14T17:47:00.010-05:00

Roberto Luongo loved playing the Washington Capitals. After winning eleven straight against the Caps, he had good reason to.

However, last night was not as planned for the outstanding net-minder as Washington hung five goals in two periods on their way to a 5-1 win. Luongo was pulled in favor of Curtis Sanford for the remainder of the game.

Alexander Semin continues to build on his rampant start to the season, scoring twice more in last nights win. He now sits third overall in NHL scoring with three goals and three assists for six points (3G, 3A), trailing Ranger forwards Brandon Dubinsky and Aaron Voros.

The Capitals were able to limit Vancouver to only 10 shots on goal (though Bruce Boudreau felt it to be more like 15), which set a new team record which was previously 11 shots.

Another player who had a good game was center Michael Nylander who had a four point night (1G, 3A), including a penalty shot goal after Willie Mitchell shot an errand stick to prohibit a pass on the power play. Credit to WeRocktheRed for the nice shot!

Brent Johnson recorded his 100th career win last night, and Bodureau has yet to divulge who will get the start in Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Sergei Fedorov showed Caps fans and management that he can be relied upon to play defense, with another good showing on the point; the first being during the preseason. Last night the 38 year old Selke Winner tallied an assist and was a +3 rating to finish the game.

Fedorov's position for Thursday's match-up is still undetermined was back at center position in practice today. However, Corey Masiak of the Washington Times reports that it was due in large part to the lack of fowards in practice today as Alexander Semin, Donald Brashear and Viktor Kozlov did not skate today.

"No real updates on Sergei Fedorov's position for Thursday night. He practiced at forward today, but Boudreau said it was because they were short up front. Fedorov seemed OK with playing either position, which has been his stance all along."

Other notes:

-Viktor Kozlov will be out a couple of weeks with an undisclosed injury suffered in last nights game.

-Capitals General Manager George McPhee stated today that they are close to loaning out one of Simeon Varlamov or Michael Neuvirth to another AHL team. More news will most likely be made available tomorrow.

To read up on either or both of these notes, you can check out Tarik's blog for more information.

Tomorrow will be an off day at The Weagle as we'll be working on some articles on Capitals Prospects for this weekend.

Our next write-up will preview Thursday's contest in Pittsburgh.

Here is a video of the Washington Capitals 2007-08 Southeast Championship Banner run posted by the Washington Capitals YouTube Crew.

Remembering Alexei Cherepanov

2008-10-13T23:04:00.006-05:00

Here is a video posted by KoVy71 on YouTube of some of Cherepanov's career highlights, as well as an excerpt from New York Rangers General Manager Glen Sather's press conference today:

“We are extremely saddened by the tragic passing of Alexei,” said Sather. “On behalf of the New York Rangers organization, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his family. Alexei was an intelligent, energetic young man, with tremendous talent and an extremely bright future.”

New York Rangers Prospect Alexei Cherepanov dies at 19.

2008-10-13T15:37:00.003-05:00

Confirmed by an article appearing on TSN.ca. Read the article HERE.

"He set the RSL record for goals by a rookie with 18, beating the previous mark held by Pavel Bure (17 goals), during the 2006-07 season. His total of 29 points in his rookie campaign was more than Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk during their first initial RSL seasons."

Cherepanov was selected by the Rangers with the 17th overall draft pick in 2007.

Pre-Game Thoughts: 10/13/08 Washington Capitals vs. Vancouver Canucks - UPDATED

2008-10-13T10:08:00.004-05:00

A sigh of relief was all that could escape Capitals fans mouths after Alexander Ovechkin notched his second goal in Saturday nights game to give Washington a 4-2 lead with under five minutes left to play.

For the second game in a row the Capitals struggled early, and were forced to prove their resilience as they erased a two goal deficit early in the second period. Tonight they will face a Canucks team and a familiar foe who will look to shut the Caps down.

Roberto Luongo has faced this team as a member of the Florida Panthers, and now as a Vancouver Canuck. He is 15-9-3 with two shutouts, a 2.14 GAA and a .933 SV% lifetime against Washington. Luongo, in all likelihood will shut the door on the Capitals should they stumble out of the blocks again, so it will be imperil that they play a full sixty minute game.

Washington will have to get more production out of their third line of Fleischmann, Nylander and Clark. Not only have they yet to show up on the score sheet, but with the exception of Fleischmann, more resemble the ghosts of the Montreal Forum.

To put it into context, the Canucks third line of Alexander Burrows (2G, 1A), Ryan Kesler (1G, 2A) and Rick Rypien (2G) have ammased 8 points combined, compared to the one assist Michael Nylander marked against Atlanta.

Bruce Boudreau runs an up-tempo offense that relies on each line doing their part. They key to Washington's success tonight will be to ensure they can play a full team game and put up points early. If Luongo is provided a two goal lead, it could be curtains for the Capitals this evening.

Update: Tarik El-Bashir reports that Fedorov will be playing defense tonight. I will continue to update as news becomes available.

"With a game against Roberto Luongo and the undefeated Canucks looming tonight, Coach Bruce Boudreau appears to have changed things up. Sergei Fedorov wearing a black jersey this morning and he's working with the defensemen. Michael Nylander, meantime, has replaced him as the second line center, while Boyd Gordon is centering the third line."

Also of note, Jose Theodore has a career record of 17-7-1-2 with three shutouts in head-to-head match-ups against Roberto Luongo.

Update 2: Here are the line-ups for tonight:

Washington Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 19-Backstrom, 25-Kozlov
21-Laich, 92-Nylander, 28-Semin
14-Fleischmann, 15-Gordon, 17-Clark
87-Brashear, 39-Steckel, 10-Bradley

Washington Defense
26-Morrisonn, 52-Green
3-Poti, 55-Schultz
91-Fedorov, 23-Jurcina

Brent Johnson will get the start in goal tonight, which according to Boudreau "was the plan from the start".

Quick Hits - Weekly Edition No. 2

2008-10-12T14:40:00.005-05:00

The following is a list of news and notes for the Washington Capitals organization from October 4 to October 12.

Stefan Della Rovere for the OHL's Barrie Colts was named the OHL Player of the Week. Della Rovere earned the award after scoring four goals and three assists (4G, 3A) in his last two games. He was selected by the Capitals in the 7th round of the 2008 Entry Draft.

Also in prospect news, Brett Leffler has returned to the Regina Pats line-up after suffering a concussion last week. In his first game back he notched two goals and one assist (2G, 1A) in a 5-4 win over the Kootenay Ice.

"One player whose effort wasn't lacking was right-winger Brett Leffler, who scored two goals and added one assist in his first game back after missing three due to a concussion. However, Leffler also contributed to a near implosion in the second period ."
"I'm very happy with (Leffler's) effort in terms of putting the puck in the net and making some plays and hits, but you have to be more disciplined than that," said Derkatch."

You can read the article HERE.

Russian goaltender Simeon Varlamov won his first professional hockey game last night, as the Hershey Bears beat the Norfolk Admirals in a shootout. Varlamov will be splitting time with starting tender Daren Machesney this season.

I hope that all Capitals fans get a chance to read the October 21, 2008 edition of The Hockey News magazine, where they recognize the Capitals as the most exciting team in the NHL.

Caps "Rock the Red": 4-2 win over Blackhawks.

2008-10-12T00:07:00.014-05:00

As the Washington Capitals raised their 2007-08 Southeast Division Championship banner to the rafters, 18,277 rabid fans were hoping to put yesterday out of their memory and turn the page on their 2008-09 campaign. And then the puck dropped.

Oh no. Not again. Not tonight.

That's all one could think as 26 seconds into the game, Washington found themselves down 1-0. A Kris Versteeg shot squeaked through Jose Theodore's pads on what many would call a routine save opportunity to put the Capitals behind the eight ball. At the half way point of the first, the Caps were down 2-0 as sophomore Jack Skille slapped a puck through Theodore's five hole again.

Deja vu.

For the second night in a row, Theodore was off to a rough start and the team would have to claw back to earn the win. Moments after falling behind 2-0, Theodore was called upon to make two desperation saves, denying the Hawks of a 3-0 lead.

It was then that the game started to change.

Washington's gritty fourth line of David Steckel, Donald Brashear and Matt Bradley provided the first spark of the game as Steckel made a nice feed to Bradley on the doorstep for a tap in goal. Just after the five minute mark of the second, Alexander Ovechkin scored a classic Ovechkin-esque goal, shooting through the legs of defenseman Brian Campbell and through the pads of screened Nikolai Khabibulin. This wasn't the first time that Ovechkin abused Campbell for a goal.

For the second game in a row, the Caps came back from an early deficit to tie the game. But unlike last night's short comings, tonight's home opener at the Phone Booth would be different.

Late in the third, Alexander Semin drove to the net and deposited the puck on the stick of Brooks Laich who netted his first of the year. Referee Bill McCreary had to go upstairs to make sure the puck had completely crossed the line, but after only a few minutes of deliberation, it was ruled a goal.

Then with under five minutes left in the third, Alexander Ovechkin sniped a shot low blocker side on Khabibulin to seal the game, his second of the night.

As for Theodore, he seemed to find his game in the second period and was helped out by his defense, who gave up only eleven shots through the remainder of the game. This allowed Theodore to get into the game, and he finished the game stopping 19 of 21 shots for the win.

Also of note was the play of winger Tomas Fleischmann. Fleischmann was a standout in my eyes making nice dekes and smart plays with the puck to try to generate scoring for an otherwise stagnant third line. He was praised for his play by Bruce Boudreau in his post game interview.

The defensive pairing of Milan Jurcina and John Erskine (better know as JURSKINE) played as good as a Caps fan could expect, logging a modest 15 minutes of ice time a piece. The duo was split up for last nights game, but Bruce Boudreau decided it would be best for his top four defensemen to play together while Jurcina and Erskine would fill in where needed. I have ragged on both of them as of late but their play in tonight's game was rather impressive.

The Capitals will now host the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night at 7:00 PM.

New Banner: Props Time!

2008-10-11T12:58:00.004-05:00

Major props go out to my man Dark Producer over at www.hfboards.com, who hooked us up with the awesome FEAR THE WEAGLE banner. DP is also to thank for Washington Capitals GDT (Game Day Thread) layouts which you can see HERE.

Pre-Game Thoughts: 10/11/08 Washington Capitals vs Chicago Blackhawks

2008-10-11T11:07:00.005-05:00

The atmosphere leading up to last nights game was tense, as all Caps fans fidgeted, intent on the puck drop to start the season. And in the span of a few hours, it was the equivalent to letting air out of a balloon. A depleted sinking feeling. Doom and gloom.

And for some, it is doom and gloom. This was a team who was expected to come out of the gates fast and strike it's opponents the same way a puma goes for the jugular of the defenseless gazelle. But last night that was not to be.

The Caps gave up three early goals; and, after clawing their way back to a 4-4 tie they blew up in the third, giving up three more goals for a 7-4 finale.

Mike Green and Alexander Semin both had impressive games, putting up 6 points and scoring 3 of the Capitals 4 goals.

Tonight, they take on a talented lineup, featuring the likes of fellow Winnipeger Jonathan Toews, last years Calder Cup winner Patrick Kane and newly acquired Brian Campbell on the blue line. The Blackhawks bolster a much deeper squad than the Thrashers do, so it will be important not to slip tonight.

There are 4.5 million reasons why Jose Theodore has to be more consistent in net. After a decent preseason, Theodore blew up last night allowing four goals over the span of two periods; a few of them being Olaf Kolzig specials (check dictionary under "softies") and was pulled for back-up Brent Johnson who didn't end up fairing much better.

Chicago will ice a dangerous powerplay unit, so it will be important for Washington to limit their trips to the box.

Defense will also have to buckle down as tonight they face a very agile, aggressive and speedy club. This won't bode well for the JURSKINE duo (a combination of Jurcina and Erskine), who are two of the slower defenders in the bunch. To some it may seem like I pick on them but food for thought:

In two AHL games, Karl Alzner has 3 assists and is a +2 rating. I know it is still early in the year but I'm sticking by my convictions that he should be up here and a shake up will be needed to do so.

But to the doom and gloomers, here's even more food for thought:

I unfortunately do not have the stats handy, but I can assuredly say that under the Bruce Boudreau reign (dating back to last November for people just joining the party) the Capitals have rarely lost in back to back contests.

Bruce will have these guys ready to go. In Bruce we trust.

Alexander Ovechkin: "The Rockstar"

2008-10-09T22:59:00.000-05:00

No posts coming for Friday so I'll leave you with this.

Pre-Game Thoughts: 10/10/08 Capitals at Thrashers

2008-10-09T22:52:00.002-05:00

As the clock pushes it's way past 12 A.M., the dawn of the 2008-09 Washington Capitals season will be upon us. This off-season has been relatively busy for the Caps, all while trying to mold a Stanley Cup contender. Out are goalies Christobal Huet and legendary Olaf Kolzig, heading to Chicago and Tampa Bay respectively.

Washington's big acquisition this year is Jose Theodore, who is expected to carry a heavy load this year if the Capitals are to succeed.

The fowards and defense remains much the same, Mike Green, Brooks Laich, Shaone Morrisonn, Boyd Gordon, Eric Fehr, Sergei Fedorov have all signed contract extensions, and it appears this team is heading in the right direction.

The opposite is the case for Atlanta. After trading away superstar Marian Hossa at last years trade deadline, and failed to replace his scoring touch during the free agent period. They do not possess a particularly deep roster, and will look to rookie defenseman Zach Bogosian to play important minutes with the rest of this pitiable defensive corps.

That being said, Washington will still have to find a way to limit the playing time of John Erskine and Milan Jurcina in order to succeed. Both had disappointing pre-seasons and were vastly outplayed by rookie Karl Alzner, but the team felt it was best for Alzner to play more minutes in the AHL.

The clock will be ticking on the JURSKINE combination and it might not be long before either; or both, are replaced. But if the past 7 games are any indication, we should be in for a high scoring season from these upstart Caps.

It begins now.

Hershey blows out Wilkes-Barre 8-4.

2008-10-08T20:55:00.007-05:00

The Hershey Bears AHL season began tonight with a bang. In front of 7459 fans, Hershey showed why they are being predicted to have a big season. It didn't take long for the scoring to get underway as veteran Keith Aucoin netted a rare even strength goal 1:36 into the first period. By the end of the stanza the Bears had racked up a 4-1 lead on the strength of three power play goals.

The trend continued through the rest of the game as Wilkes-Barre put in back up goalie Adam Berkhoel to weather the storm. He didn't. By games end both Penguins goalies had given up 4 goals a piece.

Hershey finished the game an incredible 5-7 on the power play, with Graham Mink netting a hat trick with the man advantage. He would finish the game with 3 goals and 2 assists, good enough for first star of the game.

Chris Bourque didn't have much time to get ready for the game, being sent down only two days ago, but the let down from being cut from the Capitals roster didn't seem to phase him. Bourque made an incredible individual play off a Penguins turn over to notch the second goal of the game, proving that his pre-season play was no fluke. He ended the game with 1 goal and 2 assists.

The Bears will now head to Norfolk where they will play Friday night.

Other notables: Keith Aucoin 1 goal and 4 assists, Alexandre Giroux 1 goal and 2 assists, Andrew Gordon 1 goal and 1 assist, Josh Godfrey 1 assist, Karl Alzner 1 assist and +2 rating, Matthieu Perreault 1 goal.

Random Quick Hits, October 7, 2008

2008-10-07T17:46:00.006-05:00

Nothing detailed today, just a few quick updates.

Check out the Capital Insider to view Tarik's interview with George McPhee. They talk a lot about the status of Karl Alzner and the decision to send him to Hershey.

Also be sure to head over to www.onfrozenblog.com to read this heart warming piece on Capitals fan Collin McKinney. Don't forget to catch Part II as well. Collin truly redefines the meaning of the word dedication.

And to leave on a humorous note, watch Washington coach Bruce Boudreau in his second ever acting performance (first being Slapshot!) This video will be sure to put a smile on your face!

Alzner, Bourque and Laing assigned to Hershey; Opening night rosters set.

2008-10-06T17:43:00.016-05:00

Just a quick update today; Karl Alzner, Chris Bourque and Quintin Laing were all sent to Hershey today, cutting the Capitals roster to 23 players. You can read more about it in Tarik's blog, but I will post a few excerpts of Bruce Boudreau's comments on the situation.

"They were the toughest cuts I've ever had to make. Because they did everything they could. It's just not in the cards right now, for whatever reason. We know they are going to play games for us."

"One of things we thought was Mike Green started down there [Hershey] and Jeff Schultz started down there and we didn't rush either one of them. We felt the same with Karl. He can develop playing 25, 27 minutes a night [for the Bears] and we know he'll be better for it. We believe he's going to have a great NHL future. But right now, at the start of the NHL season, it wasn't in the cards."

"I don't think anyone was shocked. They were all very professional. Chris said he did everything he could to make this team. He will play for the Washington Capitals. Karl Alzner did everything he could."

"Quintin, he was so proud to be a Washington Capital, he probably took it the hardest."

Here is how the roster will look for Opening Night in Atlanta.

Forwards
#  Player             Height  Weight  DOB           Age  Birthplace
19  Nicklas Backstrom 6' 0"   183     Nov 23, 1987  20   Gavle, SWE
10  Matt Bradley      6' 3"   201     Jun 13, 1978  30   Stittsville, ON, CAN
87  Donald Brashear   6' 3"   234     Jan 7, 1972   36   Bedford, IN, USA
17  Chris Clark(C)    6' 0"   196     Mar 8, 1976   32   South Windsor, CT, USA
91  Sergei Fedorov(A) 6' 2"   207     Dec 13, 1969  38   Pskov, RUS
14  Eric Fehr         6' 4"   212     Sep 7, 1985   23   Winkler, MB, CAN
14  Tomas Fleischmann 6' 1"   190     May 16, 1984  24   Koprivnice, CZE
15  Boyd Gordon       6' 0"   201     Oct 19, 1983  24   Unity, SK, CAN
25  Viktor Kozlov     6' 4"   232     Feb 14, 1975  33   Togliatti, RUS
21  Brooks Laich      6' 2"   210     Jun 23, 1983  25   Wawota, SK, CAN
92  Michael Nylander  6' 1"   195     Oct 3, 1972   36   Stockholm, SWE
8   Alex Ovechkin(A)  6' 2"   220     Sep 17, 1985  23   Moscow, RUS
28  Alexander Semin   6' 2"   205     Mar 3, 1984   24   Krasnojarsk, RUS
39  David Steckel     6' 5"   222     Mar 15, 1982  26   Milwaukee, WI, USA

Defensemen
#  Player             Height  Weight  DOB           Age  Birthplace
4   John Erskine      6' 4"   216     Jun 26, 1980  28   Kingston, ON, CAN
52  Mike Green        6' 2"   208     Oct 12, 1985  22   Calgary, AB, CAN
23  Milan Jurcina     6' 4"   233     Jun 7, 1983   25   Liptovsky, SVK
26  Shaone Morrisonn  6' 4"   210     Dec 23, 1982  25   Vancouver, BC, CAN
2   Brian Pothier     6' 0"   200     Apr 15, 1977  31   New Bedford, MA, USA
3   Tom Poti          6' 3"   210     Mar 22, 1977  31   Worcester, MA, USA
55  Jeff Schultz      6' 6"   221     Feb 25, 1986  22   Calgary, AB, CAN

Goalies
#  Player             Height  Weight  DOB           Age  Birthplace
1   Brent Johnson     6' 3"   199     Mar 12, 1977  31   Farmington, MI, USA
60  Jose Theodore     5' 11"  182     Sep 13, 1976  32   Laval, QC, CAN

Godfrey notches hat trick as Bears beat Pens.

2008-10-05T15:15:00.009-05:00

Rookie defenseman Josh Godfrey scored his first professional hat trick last night as the Hershey Bears steam rolled the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins 8-2 at the GIANT Center. Godfrey, a 2nd round draft pick of Washington in 2007, had just recently been reassigned to the Bears earlier last week after a successful Rookie Camp, as well as a few preseason games in D.C. Godfrey is coming off a 51 point season for the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, where coach Craig Hartsburg (now coaching the Ottawa Senators) stressed the importance of playing a well rounded defensive game to compliment his offensive side. Godfrey will log heavy minutes this year in Hershey where he will try to develop his game at the pro level. He was named first star of last nights game.

Also contributing on the score sheet last night were off-season acquisition Keith Aucoin who tallied 3 assists, and Alexandre Giroux who had 2 goals and 2 assists. Aucoin was named third star while Giroux was named second. Daren Machesney stopped 35 of 37 shots in the victor.

The Bears will open up their regular season against these same Pens on the road this coming Wednesday.

Opinion: Bourque and Alzner will make the team.

2008-10-04T13:18:00.007-05:00

After closely following the Capitals preseason, it is of my opinion that both speedy winger Chris Bourque and rookie defenseman Karl Alzner will both be on the teams opening night roster.

The 22 year old Bourque is having a tremendously proficient preseason statistically, notching 2 goals and 3 assists in 4 appearances. Last night he tallied a primary assist on Tomas Fleischmann's power play goal and at only 5'8", he was a noticeable force making plays all over the ice.

Alzner was drafted 5th overall in the 2007 draft and his play thus far should have Los Angeles Kings fans questioning the selection of Thomas Hickey, who was picked 4th overall. Though Alzner has been held off the stat sheet, he has been very effective defensively. His calm and cool demenaor with the puck allows for a smooth up ice transition and he rarely turns pucks over. He has a very long reach and is extremely effective with his stick against the oncoming rush. Last night he showed some grit against Philly, getting aggressive with Flyers forwards in the corners. His passive nature on defense had some comparing him to Jeff Schultz, but last night he proved he can get physical. In 4 preseason games he has logged on average 19:35 minutes a game and seems to have chemistry with Capitals veteran Tom Poti. Also, Jeff Schultz has proven so far that he is able to play independently on the blue line and not rely on his partner to bail him out, which benefits Alzner.

Of the two, Alzner is more likely to make the club as it seems to be a numbers game at forward. Both players are waiver exempt and risk being assigned to Hershey so the Capitlas don't have to expose another player to waivers. Also you would have to consider the fact that Washington is teetering up against the salary cap and it will be a difficult task to fit both these players in their lineup. However, no matter what happens, both these young prospects will be first call ups when the time arrives.

Quick Hits - Weekly Edition No. 1.

2008-10-03T17:37:00.016-05:00

The following is a list of news and notes for the Washington Capitals organization from Septebmer 26 to October 3.

Capitals prospect Joel Broda (selected 5th round, 144th overall in 2008 draft) has been named CHL Player of the Week. In 4 games this year, Broda has tallied 6 goals and 2 assists, putting him fourth overall in WHL scoring. The Moose Jaw Warriors center was one of the standouts at Rookie Camp only a month ago and hopes to continue making strides towards his professional career.

Sergei Fedorov will be playing defense in tonight's preseason game against Philadelphia, and will be paired up with 6'5'' Jeff Schultz. Don't read too much into the scenario as Bruce Boudreau says it's just an experiment. "If Sergei can play defense, we wanted him to get some sort of an idea of how we play on defense," the coach said. "Nothing more than that. We might try him on defense for [today's] game, just to get him a feel for it in case he has to go back there someday. I was just thinking outside the box."

Goaltender Simeon Varlamov and defenseman Sami Lepisto were part of the latest batch of players to be assigned to Hershey to start the year. Omitted from the list were winger Chris Bourque and defenseman Karl Alzner who continue to try to crack the opening night roster. Bourque will play on a line with Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom tonight -- a spot I previously thought was reserved for Eric Fehr. If Bourque is able to have a solid game tonight he could very well make the roster. As for Alzner, he will again be paired up with Tom Poti, which could foreshaddow that they will start the season together.

Regina Pats Brett Leffler suffered a concussion last Saturday's game, as the Pats lost 3-2 to Prince Albert in a shootout. Leffler will be out of the line up for atleast a full week while trainers diagnose the severity of his injury. He was selected by Washington in the 5th round of the 2007 Entry Draft.

The Hershey Bears defeated the Norfolk Admirals 5-4 in their first AHL preseason match up. Michael Dubuc scored twice, while Francois Bouchard and Ben Boudreau each potted a goal in the win. The moment was extra special for Boudreau, son of Washington Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau, who scored his first ever professional goal with his father in attendence. The Bears will open their season September 8 in Wikles-Barre Scranton.

Business as Usual?

2008-10-02T17:35:00.010-05:00

The Washington Capitals plans today involved a 2:30 PM EST practice at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, VA. However, there was a slew of events today that made it anything but business as usual for Capitals fans. The following is a time capsule on the days comings and goings.

12:32 PM EST - An article published by Sportsnet.ca is brought up by Caps' fans regarding the possibility of Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin heading to Russia to play in the KHL. Terms are being arranged where as a KHL club would pay the final year on Khabibulin's contract, worth US$6.75 million, which would be cleared off Chicago's salary cap. It is a widespread rumor that the Blackhawks have been inquiring on the services of center Michael Nylander, whom the Caps would possibly deal to make room under the cap.

12:40 PM EST - A rumor breaks on HFBoards.com that there could be a deal in the works between Washington, Chicago and Boston. The deal would send Nylander to Chicago, defenseman Brent Seabrook to Boston, while Washington would end up receiving Marc Savard.

1:04 PM EST - An article out of the Boston Herald notes that Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli denies the notion that Savard will be moving, but doesn't rule out the possibility of another trade happening. “We’re not looking to trade Marc Savard. There’s a chance [that another deal could be made]. I’m looking to improve the team. I’ve had a couple of discussions, more than a couple.”

1:48 PM EST - The Capitals make four more roster cuts, the most notable being defenseman Sami Lepisto. Lepisto had suited up in two preseason games and received praise from coach Boudreau regarding his performance. The move was intriguing considering John Erskine and Milan Jurcina still hold roster spots given their poor performances to date. Granted, Lepisto was most likely sent to Hershey due to his waiver status, but it would appear a spot still remains open for a defenseman outside of the organization.

2:24 PM EST - Practice beings with very peculiar line ups. Eric Fehr was put on a line with Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Fehr has been slumping lately and this could be an attempt to get him producing.

Sergei Fedorov dawned a black jersey today, which means he was playing with the defensemen. Fedorov was paired up with Jeff Schultz on the back end, while rookie Karl Alzner remained in camp and practiced with veteran Tom Poti. It is unclear whether or not Alzner will crack the opening day line up, but if in fact he does, it could spell trouble for one of Erskine or Jurcina.

The decision to put Fedorov on the blue line could mean that they will try to squeeze under the salary cap by keeping a 22 man roster with 6 defensemen, while having Fedorov as a fall back in case of injury

Update - Capitals blogger Tarik El-Bashir caught up with Sami Lepisto after practice, who left the complex seemingly upset. "Obviously, it was not thing I wanted to happen. But now it has. I'm just going to work hard to get back here. I'm a little bit upset, but who wouldn't be?"

There was clearly plenty of action for the Caps' today who were supposed to be gearing up for a dress rehearsal of opening night through their final two preseason matches. If anything, today's events leave fans sitting on their hands wondering what kind of team we will see come October 10.

Capitals lose to Flyers as preseason winds down.

2008-10-02T00:47:00.007-05:00

The Washington Capitals have had a rather successful preseason up to this point. The team has managed to stay healthy on their way to a 4-1-0 record after tonight's loss in Philadelphia. The Capitals first loss came at the hands of a familiar foe, Joffrey Lupul, who ended their playoff run back in April with an overtime goal in game seven of their opening round series. Sophomore Nicklas Backstrom marked Washington's lone goal in a 2-1 contest. These two teams will be back at it on Friday evening at the Verizon Center for the Caps' second last preseason matchup.

Though held off the scoreboard, 22 year old Chris Bourque had another strong performance, as he tries to make a case for the opening night roster. In his four preseason games, the son of legendary Bruins' defenseman Raymond Bourque has amased 2 goals and 2 assists, while playing plenty on special teams.

In his post game press conference, coach Bruce Boudreau was quoted to have singled out a few players for praise: Chris Bourque, Chris Clark, Karl Alzner, Jay Beagle and Sami Lepisto. Bourque, Alzner and Lepisto are all vying for a spot come opening night at Atlanta.

The defensive pairing of Milan Jurcina and John Erskine will be feeling heat after another sub par performance on the blueline. Both Alzner and Lepisto are pushing hard for roster spots and both Erskine and Jurcina could find themselves out of the lineup. Judging by their performances so far, that might be a welcomed change as they have both done everything in their power to play themselves out of a starting spot.

Goaltender Brent Johnson (22 saves) had another solid performance and seems to have put to bed any notion that he will lose his back up job to rookie sensation Simeon Varlamov, who now appears destined for the AHL.

Boudreau also noted that the teams last two preseason games will be dress rehersals for opening night, so it will be interesting to see who finds themselves omitted from the lineup for Friday nights game.