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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Washington Capitals

Sep 15

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | No Comments

Alexander Ovechkin in Bauer Gear

Alexander Ovechkin looks to lead the Caps deep into the playoffs this season

Key Offseason Additions: Joel Ward, Tomas Vokoun, Roman Hamrlik, Jeff Halpern, Troy Brouwer

Key Offseason Losses: Matt Bradley, Scott Hannan

Last Season Ranking:1st in East

Offense: The Washington Capitals will continue to depend on three men to carry the offense this season: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Alex Semin. Since the 2008-09 season, those three have lead the Capitals in scoring, in that same order. This year should be no different.

Alex Ovechkin is leaning on a new brand this season, dropping CCM and going with a trusted product in Bauer Hockey. That renewed trust in gear should help him near the 100 point mark, if not top it, for the season. As Ovechkin excels, so does linemate Nicklas Backstrom. Centering Ovi gives Backstrom the opportunity to pile on the assists, and add a few goals here and there as well. Semin, in the last year of his contract, has a lot to prove to this team. He’s been called out by former teammate Matt Bradley for not caring, and this is his season to prove that he’s a devoted team member. If these guys can all get on the right page again, and put forth their top effort, you’re going to see an incredible hockey club.

The Capitals have a lot of depth to go along with their top three scorers, beginning with Brooks Laich, who can be counted on for roughly 50 points per season. After a bit of a scoring slump last season, where he scored fewer than 20 goals for the first time since 2006-07, Laich will look to rebound and break the 20 goal mark once again. Joining Laich to provide depth will be guys like Mike Knuble, Jason Chimera, and the newly acquired Jeff Halpern and Troy Brouwer. These guys will all put up the depth points to help Washington continue to dominate the East.

Joel Ward, another off-season free agent signing, will be counted on to maintain his excellent scoring touch when he suits up for the Capitals this fall. Ward, who only managed 29 regular season points last season with the Predators, was virtually unstoppable in their playoff run. In 12 games played, Ward tallied 7 goals and 6 assists for 13 points. This run included two separate five game point streaks. Ward brings a big body to the team, and is also an underrated talent that could help the Caps get over that difficult hump come playoff time.

Finally, keep your eye on Marcus Johansson this season. In his rookie campaign last season, Johansson posted a solid 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points in 69 games played. These numbers certainly aren’t bad considering the guy was fighting for playing time with an already extremely talented team. The way this kid can skate, pass, and shoot, he’s going to get plenty of opportunities playing alongside Washington’s top three.

Defense: Defensively, the Capitals continue to be lead by the offensive minded Mike Green. During an injury plagued season in 2010-11, Green piled up 24 points in 49 games. These numbers were certainly far below his expected output, but providing he’s healthy this season, watch for that output to approach 70 points once again.

Following in Green’s footsteps is the young John Carlson, who helped lead the Caps defense last season. Carlson is a young defender, at only 21 years old, but he’s growing up quick and has the talent to be a top defender in the league. He’ll be joined by another youngster, Karl Alzner, in carrying much of the load defensively for the Caps this season. Jeff Schultz, who has a few years under his belt, will add a bit of stability to the blue line.

Rounding out the defense will be free agent pickup Roman Hamrlik, along with a trade deadline acquisition from last season, Dennis Wideman. Both are very solid defenseman, who add a bit more experience and leadership to a young defense. The leadership they will add could be the key in developing a defense that not only leads the team through the season, but carries the team past the first two rounds of the playoffs as well.

Goaltending: Tomas Vokoun will join the Capitals this season after signing as a free agent over the summer. Vokoun turned down an offer from the Detroit Red Wings, among other teams, to have the shot at being a guaranteed starter out of the gate in Washington. Coming in at 35 years old, Vokoun could be coming right into his prime here as he joins the Caps. His numbers have been good playing for a sub-par team in Florida, so imagine what he will be able to accomplish with a team of all-stars in front of him. Michal Neuvirth will be on back-up duty this season, but should see a fair amount of games to ensure Vokoun stays well rested.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Playoff Bound. As usual the Caps have what it takes to get land a high seed. With a number of key off-season acquisitions, the Capitals management looks to have assembled a team that has the potential to make a serious run at the Stanley Cup this season. We’ve seen them implode early in years past, but something tells me this season will be different.

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Washington Capitals in Do-or-Die Game

May 3

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

The series between the Washington Capitals continues tonight for game 3 in Tampa Bay. The Lightning however, with much amazement, are currently leading the series two games to none. Tonight’s game will be either a make or break for the Washington Capitals, possibly leaving them to be exiting the playoffs much earlier than anticipated by most.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are seeing their big names player put points on the board. Currently, Steven Stamkos and Vincent Lecavalier have a game winning goal each. Together, they combine for 3 goals, 2 assists and 12 shots. The Lightning supporting casts of Martin St. Louis and Teddy Purcell have contributed for 1 goal, 4 assists and 11 shots. Where do the Caps stand?

The big three, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and Alexander Ovechkin only have a combined 2 goals and 1 assist. Skating the majority of minutes of the Capitals offense, the stats are well below what is to be expected of them. Focusing on defense, offensive defenseman Mike Green is a -2 rating.

With the saying, “Defense wins championships”, Head Coach Bruce Boudreau tweaked the offensive juggernaut in the regular season to focus more on defense and less on the run and gun style they use to play. Sure, the Capitals played close 1 goal difference games in the regular season, but the change was for the playoffs, for the now. In the first round the Capitals were capable of maintaining their defensive minded better back-checking play style to take out the New York Rangers in 5. In this series though, the team have resorted back to their offensive, defensive lacking,  play.

The game tonight is expected to be a high flying, high intensity game, with the Capitals having their backs against the wall. If they wish to take out the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team needs to get back to their play that won them the first seed in the East. The person that needs to lead that charge is Alexander Ovechkin. If however Ovie is unable to tame his urge to take every shot, the team will follow and expect the series to go to 3-0 Lightning, with a possible sweep in sight.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: Washington Capitals

Sep 15

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Eric Belanger, Milan Jurcina, Brendan Morrison, Shaone Morrisonn, Jose Theodore

Key Offseason Additions: Dany Sabourin

Last Season Ranking: 1st in East

Backstrom, Ovechkin and Semin could all break the 100 point mark this season for the Capitals

Backstrom, Ovechkin and Semin could all break the 100 point mark this season for the Capitals

Offense:

The Washington Capitals bring arguably the NHL’s most prolific offense to the ice again this season. Alex Ovechkin has reached at least 50 goals and 100 points in four out of five NHL seasons so far. He’s a dynamic player, moves very well on the ice, has a terrific shot, and just knows how to put the puck in the net. Of course it doesn’t hurt when the man centering you is one of the most talented playmakers in the league. Nicklas Backstrom has continued his growth year after year in the league, tallying 33 goals and 68 assists last season, breaking the 100 point mark for the first time in his young career. He should be right back around that mark this season as he and Ovechkin will continue to dominate. Finishing out the triple threat is Alexander Semin. He’s playing in the final year of his contract and will more than likely become a free agent next summer, so expect his production to be steady or increase. By the way, Semin notched 40 goals and 44 assists of his own last season, so any more production out of this guy could lead him to a 100 point campaign as well.

While it may seem like there is quite a weight on the backs of those three players, the depth of the Washington Capitals forwards has been growing in recent years. The most promising, I believe, is Tomas Fleischmann. His production has increased in recent seasons as he continued to work hard and earn more ice time. He started last season on IR, but then came in hot, scoring 11 points in his first 10 games back (including a 9 game point streak). He churned along the rest of the season and finished with 51 points in 69 games, including 20 points on the power play. Continuing down the line you have Brooks Laich and Mike Knuble, a couple of veteran scoring wingers who can do some damage of their own. This team should have no problem leading the league in goals for again this season.

Defense:

Overall, the defense is one year older and wiser. We’ve seen the past few seasons that the run and gun style of the Capitals can be highly successful in the regular season, but come playoff time, you’re lost if you don’t have great defense. Fortunately they bring back a solid one-two punch with Mike Green and Jeff Schultz. Green is an offensively gifted defenseman, putting up 70+ points in each of the last two seasons. Shultz is more of a big bodied, laid back defenseman. It allows the two to work smoothly with the likes of Ovechkin and Backstrom, and remain effective in getting them the puck. Both are still young, however, and after experiences last season, they should come in this season ready to play the way it takes to win a championship.

Beyond that, the Capitals have a couple veteran defenders in Tom Poti and John Erskine. They should have also learned from frustrating playoff losses, and be able to help the young guys make the transition with their leadership. It will be especially useful for the likes of John Carlson and Karl Alzner, both of whom are young and talented, but have yet to see a full season in the NHL.

Goaltending:

After deciding to part ways with Jose Theodore, the Capitals look to finally hand the reigns over to the young Semyon Varlamov. While Varlamov showed promise in the 2008 playoffs, he wasn’t able to fully grab the starting job after struggling with injuries last season. Overall, however, his numbers were good. He finished the year 15-4-6 with a .909 save percentage and a 2.55 goals against average. Varlamov is a very talented and athletic goalie, moves well in the net, and should be able to hold on to his number one role this season.

Backing up Varlamov will be another young goalie, Michal Neuvirth. He started 16 games last season for the caps, filling in when injuries plagued the other netminders. He’ll see some more time this season, but could be splitting back up duties with recently acquired Dany Sabourin, who was a nice offseason depth signing by the Capitals.

Season Outlook:

The reigning President’s Trophy winners should be tearing up scoresheets once again this year. Their offense is the NHL’s best as teams still struggle to contain their top scorers during the regular season. It’s likely that Washington will run through the competition in 2010-11 and finish the season among the leaders in the standings, with a good chance of repeating as the winner of the President’s Trophy. The real test will come playoff time again. Do the Capitals have what it takes to win low scoring games with lots of battles? Can the defense and goaltender shut down the opposition? And finally, can players like Mike Green and Alexander Semin, who were seemingly absent in the 2010 playoffs, show up and be as productive as they are during the season? The Washington Capitals are one year older, wiser, and hungrier. With the lessons they’ve learned, expect them to go far this season.

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Fantasy Hockey Draft Preparation 2010 – Centers

Aug 26

Posted by Chris in Fantasy | No Comments

With NHL training camps set to begin about four weeks from now, it’s time for fantasy hockey managers to start reengaging their brains and begin planning for their upcoming Fantasy Hockey Draft. Most drafts will take place in the latter-half of September, but it’s never too early to start looking for that gem of a late-round pick, the underrated talent who is set for a breakout season or the veteran presence who is due for a rebound year.

Today’s position: Center

The bad news is that not everyone can have Sidney Crosby on their team, but the good news is that Center is probably the deepest position in Fantasy Hockey, which means that there are plenty of other very talented Centers available to pick that will help your team thrive. While there is such a deep pool of talent at Center, here are a few names to consider when you’re making your draft preparations.

If You Have a Top 3 Pick – Take Crosby. While he may have dropped 20 or so assists from his previous season, he added those points back in goals. Crosby also tallied 78 penalty minutes and a plus-15, which makes him a very versatile player.

If You Can’t Take Crosby – Consider Joe Thornton. Twenty or more goals and 60 or more assists in each of his past five seasons. Thornton has also playearticle_29887_2d in all 82 games in three of his past four seasons. Just call him Mr. Consistent and take him without hesitation is he’s available.

The Secret Is Out On – Nicklas Backstrom (pictured). Thirty-three goals and 68 assists are impressive, but a plus-37 makes him a huge threat. Look to take Backstrom early, probably in the first round, because he won’t fall very far after his breakout campaign last season.

Still Under the Radar Is – Mikko Koivu. Koivu has steadily been increasing his production year after year and has become the new face of the Minnesota Wild. With 22 goals and 49 assists last season, Koivu still flies under the radar behind some bigger, meaner talent.

Look for a Rebound Season From – Jason Spezza. Okay, so 57 points in 60 games isn’t much of a drop off as much as it is bad luck with injuries, but Spezza is capable of 90+ points in a full injury-free season. With a puck-moving defenseman like Sergei Gonchar now on the point for Ottawa’s power play, expect Spezza to shine again.

Look for a Breakout Season From – Bryan Little. After a successful 50+ point campaign two years ago, Little suffered a bit from the dreaded sophomore slump. Expect Little to be a big part of Atlanta’s young offensive core this season as the team looks to stay competitive in a post-Ilya Kovalchuk era.

Keep An Eye On – Tyler Bozak. Bozak spent a lot of his time centering Phil Kessel on the top line last season and tallied eight goals and 19 assists in 37 games. Definitely put Bozak on your watch list and keep an eye out for good things to happen if he gets to play alongside Kessel for a full season.

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Nicklas Backstrom Signs Long Term Deal With Capitals

May 17

Posted by Matt in News, Soap Box | 1 Comment

Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington CapitalsThe Washington Capitals and center Nicklas Backstrom have agreed to a long term contract that will keep Backstrom with the Capitals for the next 10 years. His deal is worth $67 million over that time, marking a cap hit of $6.7 million per season. This is certainly a well deserved raise for the 22 year old who posted 101 points as Alexander Ovechkin’s center, in only his third season in the NHL.

While the Capitals have to be happy to have two thirds of their top line locked up long term, management certainly has some work to do. There are still quite a few roster spots to fill before next season, with a limited amount of cap space to work with. Beyond that, the team clearly has adjustments to make on defense if they plan to make a run in the playoffs. Their limited offensive focus might have proven effective in the regular season, as the Capitals became the Presidents’ Trophy Winners, but it will not cut it during the playoffs.

The biggest question mark that remains is the future of Alexander Semin, who was mostly absent during their first round playoff exit. Semin, who posted a career high 40 goals and 84 points this season, has one year remaining on his contract, and could be used as trade bait to bring in a top-tier defenseman at next seasons trade deadline. The future of the Capitals looks to be centered around Ovechkin and Backstrom, with no room left over for Semin.

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Daniel Carcillo One Punches Matt Bradley

Dec 5

Posted by Matt in Media, News | 2 Comments

Daniel Carcillo tried to provide a little energy for the Philadelphia Flyers tonight, but it ended up working against him big time. After Matt Bradley delivered a hit on Carcillo against the boards, Carcillo gave a few cross checks back to Bradley. Carcillo was quick to drop his gloves after that, and knocked Bradley down with one huge punch before Bradley’s gloves even hit the ice.

Bradley did not return to the game after the punch. The Capitals, however, avenged the punch as they scored three goals on the resulting power play. The game finished in a blowout as Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and four assists, and Mike Green added two goals and two assists in the 8-2 victory.

Update: Carcillo has received a four game suspension from the incident.

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Washington Capitals

Sep 15

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | 1 Comment

Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will repeat as Division Champions this season

Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will repeat as Division Champions this season

Get ready it’s our time.

This tagline, along with a picture of the Stanley Cup, was featured on a shirt worn by none other than Alexander Ovechkin during the Washington Capitals Media Day. Despite losing two key veteran leaders, Sergei Fedorov and Donald Brashear, in the off-season, the Capitals are very confident in their abilities this upcoming season.

Young players such as Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green and Ovechkin are all ready to make the jump to that next level. They can all score, and are each capable of putting together 75+ point seasons. With the experience developed by these young guns over the past two seasons, its going to be hard for anyone to stop them come playoff time.

On top of that, add in the free agent signings of Mike Knuble and Brendan Morrison to the roster. Last season for the Flyers, Knuble chipped in 27 goals along with 20 assists for a 47 point campaign. Brendan Morrison, splitting time between Anaheim and Dallas last season, totaled 31 points on 16 goals and 15 assists. Clearly offensive production should not be a problem for the Caps this season.

Defensively the Capitals are just as strong as last year. Mike Green will lead the way with a terrific plus/minus and strong skating and scoring abilities. Shaone Morrisonn, Tom Poti and Milan Jurcina are big, strong, gritty defenseman who will work well to shut down the opposition.

Between the pipes, Bruce Boudreau has given the starting role back to Jose Theodore heading into training camp. Theodore had a poor showing in last seasons playoffs in which Semyon Varlamov relieved him. Boudreau and the Capitals never looked back as Varlamov continued to play well, posting a .918 save percentage and 2.53 goals against average in 13 games. Varlamov is sure to see more time this season than he did in 2008-09, however.

The Capitals should cruise through the regular season to a first place finish in the Southeast Division. Their best games will be those against Boston, and the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Come playoff time, however, the Capitals will make a huge push. Don’t be surprised if you see them playing into June next year.

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