Crash the net! (Photo credit: Brian Babineau)

The Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins had split wins in each other’s cities. Saturday afternoon’s bout in Boston was the first of two games within 30 hours, and another example of how tight this series has been.

After a scoreless first, Alex Semin wristed the puck past Tim Thomas while Joe Corvo writhed in pain in the periphery. Jay Beagle sent a loose puck dribbling past Thomas to make it 2-0– the first time either team has had a two-goal lead all series. Dennis Seidenberg got some space from Ovechkin and beat Holtby near-side to get the Bruins on the scoreboard. Just a few seconds later, Marchand (with help from Peverley) pushed the puck through Holtby’s five-hole and tied the game.

And then…. in the third period…

KANOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOBLE!

Yes. Mike Knuble crashed the net to make it 3-2 for the Capitals. Johnny Boychuk tied it up while Dennis Wideman was in the penalty box. On the Brouwer Play, Troy Brouwer scored a brouwer play goal, his first brouwer play goal and the game-winner. Caps beat Bruins 4-3.

• Braden Holtby is mortal. We all knew this, right? Those two goals he surrendered within half a minute were the product of bad defense (Ovechkin getting smoked in neutral, Erskine and Wideman not clearing the crease), but Holtby still should’ve stopped either or both. It’s the playoffs, and we expect the world. We expect him always to do stuff like that full-split toe stop on Tyler Seguin in the third period that had gentlemen across the continent going “Eeeesh!”
  
• John Carlson was penalized for running Tim Thomas in the first period, despite his being flanked by three Bruins guiding his way in. Here’s a quick lesson in physics: Inertia says things in motion stay in motion; ice has a very low frictional coefficient; and momentum is shared among connected bodies. The Bruins didn’t have to extend their arms to push Carlson into Thomas, they just had to be there, moving steady.
• Blocker punch from Thomas on Carlson in case you’re keeping track.
• Jay Beagle! Scoring goals, blocking shots, killing penalties, writing in diaries, doing outdoorsy things on off-days!
• Alex Ovechkin had no patience for Zdeno Chara‘s post-whistle nonsense, which is to say he had all the patience in the world. When Chara got dirty with his stick, Ovechkin did not retaliate. Boom: power play. Meanwhile, Chara tried to cream Jason Chimera into the glass at the end of the first period, but only got the wind knocked out of him instead.
• We don’t root for players to get hurt. Ever. But losing Joe Corvo is like losing weight. Get well soon, Joe!
• We’ve called Alex Semin some variation of “vanished” for the past few postseasons. He’s got goals in three straight games. We’re shutting up now. His tally on Saturday was the result of being tough in the crease. Just for clarity: we’re talking about Alex Semin, number 28, being tough in the crease.
• The two-goal lead: the Capitals have seen them disappear all season. It happened again in a blink today as the Bruins converted on consecutive shifts. Dennis Wideman, playoff goat, was on-ice for both of those goals and gave the Bruins a big power play in the third. He’s been on for 7 of the 9 Bruins’ goals this series, and all of their goals at even strength. If he plays Game Six, it’s on the coaches.
• Johnny Boychuk‘s power play goal was the first such the Caps have given up this series.
• Patrice Bergeron missed a good portion of the game after absorbing a big hit from Alex Ovechkin. He stayed on the bench, but missed shifts. Add Corvo’s injury to that, and Claude Julien was working with a depleted lineup. Bergeron returned late in the third.
• Give Mike Knuble ice time in the offensive zone and he will crash the net. Crash the net enough and he will score. These are Dependable Things that everyone should know.
• So many bullets today.

Series record: Capitals 3, Bruins 2

One small note: without getting to say goodbye, we’ve already see our last CSN broadcast of the year. There were whispers of Sunday’s broadcast getting on the station, but that didn’t happen. Thank you to Joe Beninati and his phalanx of suits. Thank you to Craig Laughlin and his hockey smarts and weird accent. If you go right now, you can check out their post-game on CSN.

The difference maker, again, is special teams. The Capitals’ penalty kill is nigh-perfect, and they’re the only team in this series getting plural goals with a man-up.

Tim Thomas, rebound factory, didn’t have the wherewithal to shut down an egalitarian Capitals offense. When goals come from guys like Beagle and Brouwer and Knuble, the opponent really has to dig deep. The Bruins couldn’t do that, and now they stand on the verge of elimination.

Sunday’s game is early. 3PM back in DC. Fans, the challenge has been issued: bring it like it’s never been broughten before.

We’re gonna prove the hockey pundits wrong.

Wideman grimaces in pain after being laid out by Tuomo Ruutu. (Photo credit: Chris Gordon!)

Cam Ward celebrates the victory. Click to enlarge. (Photo credit: Chris Gordon)

After an extended 10 day break to rest an undisclosed injury, the Capitals welcomed their kapitan back to the lineup Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes. During the three game stretch in which Ovechkin sat out, the Caps went 2-1-0, their most dominant win coming Saturday night in Montreal when Braden Holtby shutout the Canadiens.

Alex Semin’s Canadian Ice Dad, Jason Arnott, also returned from injury, forcing Jason Chimera to the press box. Pre-game, head coach Bruce Boudreau told CSN that while it was great that two of his top six forwards were returning, he also had a fear that there would be a letdown. “You know, the guys have been working so hard while [Ovechkin and Arnott] have been out. I’m scared they’ll look at them returning and go ‘they should carry the load now.’”

In the first period, however, Boudreau would have nothing to worry about. Led by a determined Russian Machine, the Capitals as a team hit everything that moved and rifled 16 shots at Cam Ward, feeding off the energy of a Verizon Center crowd they hadn’t played in front of for sixteen long days. The Caps would not see their hard work be rewarded, and the game would remain scoreless until early on in the second period. After Nick Backstrom took a tripping penalty at 1:06, Joe Corvo brilliantly found Jussi Jokinen wide-open in the slot for a one-timer. Jokinen converted and the Hurricanes would take a 1-0 lead.

The Capitals would answer back twelve minutes later. After Carolina turned it over in their defensive end, Brooks Laich fed Alex Semin the puck along the boards. Sasha Minor then curled around four Hurricanes, went in alone on goal and accurately placed a wrist-shot over Cam Ward’s right shoulder. The goal was certainly of the highlight-reel variety, even though you wouldn’t of noticed by Semin’s celebration.

Marcus Johansson then capped the second period’s scoring off by notching his 13th goal of the year three minutes later.

The Capitals then came out a bit complacent for the third period. 18-year old sensation Jeff Skinner pierced Semyon Varlamov for a softy — his 27th goal of the year  – 1:48 into the period, and the Capitals lost any momentum they had built previously. Both teams traded chances for the rest of the third period and overtime, but a victor could not be decided. In the shootout, the Hurricanes were allowed to shoot first. Skinner and Tuomo Ruutu would score, while both Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom missed on their opportunities. Canes beat Caps, 3-2 (SO).

• Let’s be honest with ourselves, Carolina just wanted this game more in the end.
• The circus might have left town, but it seems as if they left one of their carnival acts behind. I’m just kidding, Tuomo Ruutu. Not really. Despite Cam Ward and Jeff Skinner being named the first and second stars of the night, in this writer’s opinion, there was no more effective and valuable player on the ice for Carolina than the young Finn. Ruutu had eight hits, including one which knocked Dennis Wideman out of the game, and he also potted the shootout game-winner. Let’s not forget too that he had a secondary assist on the game’s first goal and got under the skin of Alex Ovechkin to the point where the Great Eight was targeting him in the third.
• Yeah, about that Wideman hit. It was most certainly a dangerous play, as Ruutu unnecessarily accelerated towards Wideman in open ice, looking for the knockout. Ruutu clipped the Capitals defenseman awkwardly, injuring what looked to be his right leg, and connected on a glancing blow to his head. Regardless on if the hit was clean or not, the play was irritating because of how completely unnecessary it was. But I guess that’s the type of stuff Ruutu does.

• Bruce Boudreau told the media after the game that Dennis Wideman was “okay” and he’s listed as “day-to-day.” I’d be shocked, however, if we see Wideman Thursday. Really, D-Wide. No rush!
• 

  Ovi reacts in frustration as Cam Ward stops his shootout attempt. Click to enlarge. (Photo by Chris Gordon)

  Alex Semin scored his 28th 27th goal of the year, had the primary assist on Marcus Johansson’s tally and then was benched for all five minutes of overtime. That noise you’re hearing right now is me applauding Bruce Boudreau. With 3:19 left in the third period, Semin senselessly took a hooking penalty in the neutral zone. The Hurricanes would not score on the resulting power play, but that’s besides the point. In the playoffs, you cannot take stupid penalties like that or you will lose games. I think we’ve all been frustrated at Bruce for rarely putting his foot down over the past few years with Semin. But tonight, this discipline could not have come at a better time. Play smart or don’t play at all.
• A word for you readers as well. An Alex Semin Hat Trick is when Sasha Minor scores a goal, a goal and a goal. Not a goal, an assist and a penalty. Really, let’s not glorify his laziness. I can assure you, Gordie Howe is not impressed by his stick infractions.
• The Capitals out-chanced the Hurricanes 25 to 14 overall, and 23 to nine at even strength. A dominant offensive performance if not for Cam Ward. One troubling stat however was that Carolina had just as many chances short-handed as the Caps did on the power-play: two. Chad LaRose was even awarded a penalty shot — which Semyon Varlamov poke-checked away — in the second period.
• Karl Alzner was the Capitals best defenseman, as he was on the ice for 14 scoring chances-for and only four against! He also blocked five shots. And I bet you didn’t even notice him on the ice! (Well, minus him slicing Eric Staal’s face up with an inadvertent high-stick.)
• Mike Knuble looked like a junk yard dog tonight. He was everywhere! Knuble had six shots, blocked a shot on a Hurricane’s four on three power play and looked to have the legs of a 22-year old.
• Eric Fehr had one scoring chance for, one against and rifled one shot on goal. Fehr was also not effective at the point on the power play. Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly the statement game he needed with Jason Chimera scratched.
• Scott Hannan was on the ice for seven scoring chances for and nine against. He also had two giveaways, took a minor penalty and had a minus-one in 26:12 of ice time.
• Alex Ovechkin didn’t score, but he had five shots — one of which broke Cam Ward’s stick in overtime — and five hits. Ovi had this to say, as quoted by The Washington Times’ Stephen Whyno:
  

  Joe B. Suit of the Night

  “It was pretty hard when you’re coming back after three games sitting out. But every shift, every period I was feeling better and better.” That’s good news. Ovi’s energy burst is back!

The Columbus Blue Jackets come to town on Thursday, a team that’s just playing the rest of the season out. Will the Capitals bring the intensity and win a game that they should win? With five games left, it’s time to start putting this machine into overdrive. We’ll see you then!

Additional reporting by Neil Greenberg.

Nicky calmly celebrates his second period goal while Ovi spazzes out. (Photo credit: Gregg Forwerck)

Brads bleeds. No big. (Photo credit: Gregg Forwerck)

Unquestionably, the Washington Capitals came into tonight’s tilt against Carolina facing adversity for the first time all year. They had lost three consecutive games, two of which pathetically, and had generally looked careless and sloppy throughout each. After Monday’s 5-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils, their jolly Captain faced questions about his leadership after showing a lack of tact during Bruce Boudreau’s press conference with Caps media. 

The Caps also came into tonight’s game a bit bruised up. They would be forced to pick themselves off the mat without early-season standouts Michal Neuvirth and Mike Green, who were nursing lower-body and upper-body injuries respectively.

So in came the recently-rehabbin’ Semyon Varlamov, Tom Poti, and a reinvigorated Russian Machine.

Tonight, it only took two minutes to realize that our beloved Caps came to play. Alex Ovechkin laid out Chad LaRose with a fiery open ice check. Unequivocally, that hit set the tone of the game.

Nicklas Backstrom then decided to celebrate his birthday in fashion – albeit a day late – scoring in both the first and second periods. Semyon Varlamov made all the big stops when needed and our heroes dug deep and prevailed despite third period momentum-changing tallies by Sergei Samsonov and Eric Staal. Thanks to Brooks Laich, the Caps beat Carolina 3-2. LOSING STREAK OVAHHH!

Your Wednesday night extra-thankful bullets are right this way:

• Matt Bradley spilled blood on the ice in a humbling exchange with Troy Brodie in the first period. The bleeding is nothing new, but boy this guy deserves all the superlatives he gets. Brads is a super-hero, the very definition of a hockey player. When I watched Kevin Kaminiski get repeatedly pummeled as a kid, I always wondered why he dropped the gloves in the first place. It always seemed to zap the team of energy and you always wondered if Killer was actually dead on the ice or not. Eventually, he’d pick himself up and struggle over to the box. The big difference here is that when you see Bradley powerfully stride off the ice with blood rushing down his face, you see a guy who looks like he took the beating of his life and it’s no big deal. Bradley’s fights – especially because he’s so beloved by his teammates – always light a fire under this team and narrow its focus. Tonight was no different.
• That Nicky Backstrom guy sure can play. His first goal of the game was a clever put-back off a powerful Alex Ovechkin shot that Hurricanes back-up goalie Justin Peters simply could not corral. His ninth goal on the season came after he reached into his giant, blue Ikea bag full of tricks. Backstrom shifted around a Tim Gleason poke check, used the faked-out defenseman as a screen, and threw the puck off the post and into the far corner of the net. When Backstrom plays like this, the first line is hard to stop, regardless if Ovi’s on or not.
• Oh, but friends, Ovi was on. With 8 shots through the first 37:30 tonight, Alex Ovechkin matched his single-game high for this season. In Ovi’s 21:55 TOI, he finished the night with 3 assists, +2, 10 shots, and 5 hits. But that wasn’t the whole story.
• Bruce Boudreau asked the left winger before the game to skate on the right side. This change seemed to allow Ovi to simplify his game. And admittedly, Brooks Laich might be a good match for this line while they work out their struggles.
• Semyon Varlamov was sensational, especially when you consider his long layoff from NHL action and his average starts over the weekend for the Bears. At points tonight he was rusty. At others he was impenetrable. The part that matters, however, is that he made the big saves when the Capitals needed him to. As the weeks go by and he gets back into his groove, he must improve upon his rebound control and regain the agility and explosiveness that he’s known for. Then we’ll really have a goalie controversy.
• Though they didn’t show up on the scoresheet tonight, David Steckel (11 of 15) and Boyd Gordon (13 of 17) quietly dominated in the face-off circle. And dude, that’s a big deal. The two combined to win approximately 75% of their draws. Well done.
• Joe Corvo finished the night a -2, the worst amongst all skaters. I guess it didn’t really help that he knew what Ovechkin was going to do. Why did we trade for you again, last year??
• Marcus Johansson played only 8:37 tonight. The only other skater who got less time was Brads (8:23) who missed half of the first period getting stiched up.

Joe B.'s suit of the night!

Tonight’s game was certainly a welcome change from the past three stinkers we were served with. And Friday, the Caps will have to be on their toes as they host Steven Stamkos and the white-hot Tampa Bay Lightning at the Verizon Center at 5pm. That should be one dandy of a game.

Until then, have a great Thanksgiving everyone. And make sure to be thankful. The Capitals are 15-6-2 right now. They have the most points in the league. I know it doesn’t feel that way. But things could be a lot worse!

Mike Green needs help (Rick Stewart/Getty Images).

This week, the Caps free agent picture became clearer as the organization announced they will not be renewing the contracts of defenseman Joe Corvo and forwards Brendan Morrison and Scott Walker, and Tarik El-Bashir reported that José Theodore‘s tenure with the Washington Capitals may be over.

All this leads to more speculation as to what the roster will look like next year. ESPN and the writers of Puck Prospectus have addressed the offseason needs for all 30 NHL teams and surprised no one by stating that the Caps need a shutdown guy on defense.

The Bruins signed defenseman Dennis Seidenberg to a four-year contract extension, taking off a likely target unrestricted free agent acquisition during the offseason and leaving only a few top four shutdown defensemen left in the UFA pool.

The Caps need as close to a sure thing as you can get. They can’t afford to let age (Sergei Gonchar) or injuries (Paul Martin, Willie Mitchell, and Mark Eaton) detract from the production of their top four defensemen during next year’s inevitable Cup run.

With Tarik El-Bashir reporting “the team does not, in fact, plan to pursue the Ottawa blue liner [Volchenkov],” that leaves just two defensemen that can fill a Top 4 spot. And more specifically, the top pairing with Mike Green:

Zybnek Michalek

Michalek has proven to be an effective shot-blocker in the NHL. His 14.2 Blocked Shots For, On Ice, per 60 minutes is more than both Mike Green and Jeff Schultz while playing against MUCH better competition.

Michalek earned $1.5 million last year, which makes him a very affordable option.

Henrik Tallinder

GMGM said both John Carlson and Karl Alzner will be full-timers in Washington next season so it would be nice to have a veteran with experience in helping rookies, similar to what Tallinder did for Tyler Myers in Buffalo.

Described as “more Poti-lite than like Poti” by Corey Masisak, Tallinder averaged over 20 minutes per game for the fourth time in the last five years. Tallinder would bring durability, shot-blocking ability and 36 games of playoff experience.

Tallinder made $3.25 million in 2009-10, which may be a tough fit financially, but having a defensive mentor for the youngsters may be worth the extra cash.

It’s true the pool of UFA defenseman is deeper than it has been in years past, but I think with Volchenkov reportedly off the table, the Caps’ needs are specific enough that there are not too many quality options available.

Now to find a second-line center…

[UPDATED BELOW]

Our favorite beat reporters, Tarik El-Bashier (The Washington Post) and Corey Masisak (hired gun), are on the scene in Montreal, confirming what we feared last night: Joe Corvo and Shaone Morrisonn are not practicing with the team today.

I haven’t gotten a clear message on Corvo’s exit, but Shaone took a nasty swipe to his wrist/hand area in the second period and did not return.  Corvo had a goal in game one, and ShaMo had been playing great hockey so far.  Both will be missed.

Will we see John Erskine and Tyler Sloan tomorrow night?  Can anyone in Hershey catch the red-eye up to Canada?  Please?  Pretty please?

RMNB will keep you posted.

(And by that, we mean we’ll just repeat what someone else said and then put a joke in there.)

Update 12:18 pm Corey Masisak has the scoop on Corvo’s absence:

Looks like the pirate faction of the Washington Capitals will be represented tomorrow night after all!

Update 2:27 pm Via Tarik we learn that Shaone Morrisonn is expected to play tomorrow as well.  Somewhere, John Erskine and Tyler Sloan are weeping.

I know that photo isn’t from our game, but it’s too cool to pass up. (Photo credit Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Ian “Bloglethorpe” Oland joined me for tonight’s game at Russian Machine Never Breaks World Headquarters, located miles under the Alleghany Mountains and adjacent to a combination Pizza Hut/Taco Bell. You’d think this would be occasion for celebration, as the top-ranked Caps should be able to stomp the Canes even without Ovechkin, still suspended after having been caught riding dirty. And while the Capitals showed some shimmer with Joe Corvo’s two goals, their laziness and disinterest allowed the Hurricanes to exploit one too many plays. Sad to say it, but the Hurricanes beat the Capitals in overtime 4-3.

Game notes, quickly before Ian falls asleep on my couch:

• 

  Joe Corvo, sans goatee, sometime before he blows it for the Caps in the 3rd (Scott Pilling/Getty Images)

  Earlier, Neil Greenberg pronounced that tonight was the night Joe Corvo would become Joe “Scorvo”. Corvo’s 2 goals showed a scrappiness that we’ve not yet seen, but with that spirit also came a goof that cannot go unmentioned. Corvo’s giveaway led to Chad LaRose‘s breakaway go-ahead goal. Not only did Joe show us one of the “Oh No! Corvo!” moments we had been warned about, but he didn’t even hustle to get back into the play. With these thrilling highs and lows, Joe Corvo has truly become a Washington Capital.

• The bad boy bullet once again goes out to the officials. After hiding their whistles somewhere for the first period, the zebras finally pulled them out to give Mike Knuble goalie interference for being cross-checked into Carolina goalkeeper Justin Peters. The Caps would go on to have two goals washed out, one a dubious glove swat from Knuble and another from a marginal too-many-men-on-the-ice technicality. That second cancelled goal led to a power play and then a goal from Eric Staal. Bottom line: the Caps got hosed.
• It’s important to find the bright spots in a dreary performance. The power play units spent most of their time in the offensive zone, and the point men were excellent at keeping the puck in front of the blue .
• Eric Fehr‘s tying goal at the end of regulation was a thing of beauty. A quick set up from B-Mo and Backy allowed Eric to unleash a lovely sweep that Peters had no chance to stop. That the Capitals leave Carolina with any points at all is a testament to Eric’s tenacity.
• Fehr’s goal tonight also gives the Caps their seventh players with 20 goals or more. If Mike Green can muster three tallies in the next 11 games, that’ll make eight. I don’t know how that count stacks up against the rest of the league, but I bet Nate Ewell will let us know.  Hook us up, Nate!
• What happened to Jeff Schultz and Mike Green before Ray Whitney‘s overtime game-winner? Their mutual, unspoken, nearly telepathic decision to empty out the slot will haunt my dreams tonight. That kind of dumbassery is the reason why the Caps took away a -2 rating for the first time in a while.
• I’m confounded as to why The Capitals continue to struggle with 4 on 4 situations. During regulation the open ice is more likely to yield a goal against than a goal for the team. The Caps have now lost six of ten games that ended in overtime. We’re hoping someone in the organization is making a note of this before the playoffs.
• The big debate for this game will be about  the performance of Semyon Varlamov. It is our opinion that they were mostly high-quality shots that escaped Varly’s grasp, although some may call them soft. A more aggressive move against LaRose’s breakaway might have saved one score, but Semyon can’t be faulted for Eric Staal‘s 5-on-3 goal (That was Tom Poti‘s boner) or Ray Whitney‘s point blank slapshot in OT. Even Varly would agree, however, that he is not yet back at his pre-injury level of play. At least for the immediate future. it looks like Theo’s our guy.  And what a guy he is, eh, ladies?

Bruce Boudreau said that tonight’s game will at least have produced some “good video”, and he’s right. This defeat provides lessons, especially for lackadaisical veterans, that may prove invaluable when the stakes are raised in the playoffs.

I just wish the Caps could have eked out the win so Ian and I could do some crazy high-fiving  up in this piece.

Oops. Russian Machine screw up big time. (AP Photo)

At around 2:00pm, after Alex Ovechkin was tossed and Chicago was starting the third period with a 3-0 lead, I got a call from RMNB lead writer Peter Hassett who’s currently spending his last day in California for a weekend wedding. He said and I quote:

“I thought the Tampa Bay Game was the disaster game of the season. I guess it’s this one now.”

I reminded him that there was still 1 full period of play left- which is a lot of time for the Capitals even without Ovechkin – and that Chicago blew a similar 3-0 lead to the Flyers the day before. Undeterred, Peter replied “Dude, It’s Over.”

So of course, the Capitals were victorious and won in Overtime over a stunned Chicago Blackhawks team, 4-3. SORRY PETER. We’re just going to warn you now, we’re not in the mood for happy bullets.

• Everyone wants to talk about Alex Ovechkin and his ejection. We will too. But we first want to point you to a potential reason for the Caps terribly slow start: With daylight savings the night before and the team flying to Chicago – which is an hour behind on Central Time – the Capitals actually lost two hours. Thus, for them, it felt like the start of the game was at 10:30am. If you’ve ever played a Varsity Sport in High School, we’ll just tell you – it takes awhile for the body to wake up that early. Which is a perfect segway into…
• Alex Semin. WTF dude? You must be misunderstood, because if I went by your body language today, no part of you wanted to be playing hockey. First, you take a horrendous obstruction penalty in the first period. Then in the second, you try to lean in on an imaginary defenseman on a breakaway and go hurling towards the net out of control. The result? Semin AGAIN goes careening head first into the goaltender on a breakaway. No goal, offensive zone penalty number two. Fedor’s comment on AIM: “stupidest penalty in hockey ever for Semin.” It’s hard to disagree. Our favourite Siberian must love soccer, because he keeps trying to bring the “header” into hockey. Finally, when you lose your best player, someone else must step up. And that my friends wasn’t Alex Semin…
• It was Nicklas Backstrom. The unassisted overtime winner was delicious, yes, but Nicklas Backstrom’s first goal of the night – the Capitals second – came at the tail end of a 5 on 3 powerplay and right after one of his most ill-advised turnovers of the year (saucer to Brooks Laich on 2 on 3). Without a goal there, momentum swings back to the Blackhawks and the game’s over. When asked post game about the team’s victory without it’s best player, Lars responded: “It’s a strong sign, especially now at the end of the season. We know he [Ovechkin] is a key to our team and he scores a lot of goals. We have shown that we can play, that our other key players can play, too.”
• Who else can really play when a big game’s on the line? How about David Steckel? We’ll just come right out and say it, Stecks is the type of player you need to win a Stanley Cup. Period. On Fehr’s game tying goal, Steckel hustled to beat out an icing call and deftly threw the puck out to his open teammate. Not only that, all game long he played good defense, finished his checks, and won a bunch of faceoffs. And if it wasn’t for…
• Joe Corvo blowing a terrible assignment off a faceboff on the Blackhawks second goal, Steckel would have ended the game with a +1. We’ll be honest, Corvo’s freelancing is starting to piss us off a little. Yeah, he’s a good defenseman, and he can really move the puck well. But with his brain farts accumulating by the week and the ladies’ already questioning the effectiveness of his goatee, Corvo is close to losing Caps fans complete support already. COME ON CORVO. GET IT TOGETHER.
• It’s hard not to enjoy a game when NBC’s Mike Emrick is calling it. He said two flat out hilarious things. First he said “LAICH GETTING UNSIGHTLY WITH PATRICK KANE.” I’m not even sure what that means. And then Emrick described a ho hum blocker save as Jose Theodore “WAFFLE-BOARDING [THE PUCK] AWAY.” Oh Mikey, you so folksy.
• And oh yeah, how can I forget that Alex Ovechkin guy? We said it on Twitter. And we’ll say it here again. We all know that the Ovechkin hit was not worth a 5 min boarding major with replay. But live – it looked really dirty, Brian Campbell had his back turned and was in a vulnerable position, & Campbell ended up getting badly injured on the play. Sometimes there are hits that are too risky to make. And the Russian Machine needs to stop putting himself in this position. Blame his passion, blame whatever you want. But it’s got to stop. He’s already starting to gain a reputation as a dirty hitter. Since we get to watch him every game, we as Capital Fans know there’s no malice involved here. But in a day of age where video clips of these types of hits are so easily accessible – and you’re the most talked about player in the game – this is going to be another bad black eye.
• NHL head disciplinarian Colin Campbell has already clarified the Ovechkin automatic suspension talk: “The knee [suspension from Dec. 1] does not apply as he was suspended for that. If you get two boarding game-misconduct penalties, you get an automatic suspension if 41 games have not lapsed. In [Ovechkin's] case, 41 games have lapsed since his last boarding [game misconduct], so he is not suspended automatically.” We here at RMNB predict an Ovechkin suspension anyways.
• Ovechkin on the hit: “I didn’t hit him hard. I pushed him, but he fell bad. It probably looks bad.” Um yeah.
• If President Obama saw the game today and wants to be associated with a winner, there’s no doubt who that should be anymore. The Capitals were pretty awful for 40 minutes + and still managed to beat his hometown team. So now, let’s make that transition as easy as possible for him, by you joining our rapidly growing Facebook Petition.
• Finally, the Washington Capitals now have 101 points through 69 games and have gone over 100 points for the 6th time in franchise history!!!! Oh? You don’t give a crap? Bigger goals you say? My bad.

Anyways, today, was just a flat out weird game. Brooks Laich’s goal in the third period made me feel like this victory was inevitable however. And that’s a bad sign. This team spoils us hardcore, and I hope we don’t rely on these crazy comebacks later in the year. Because in the playoffs. It’s Not. Gonna. Happen.

Stay tuned to RMNB this week. We’ll have some fantastic, exclusive Barack The Red content, and hell, we might even get Peter back … sometime. But while we have you now, we just wanted to say that we have been humbled by the incredible amount of attention we’ve received the last few days because of our Obama site. Our success here wouldn’t of been possible without trailblazers like Japers’ Rink and On Frozen Blog leading the way. It’s more of a testament to their awesomeness than anything we ever did. So we say thank you to you and to them and we state emphatically that we realize our place. Which is still the worst blog ever.

The Washington Capitals added depth on NHL Deadline Day, acquiring forwards Scott Walker and Eric Belanger, and blueliners Joe Corvo and Milan Jurcina, who returns to Washington after being traded, along with then team captain Chris Clark, to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Despite these moves paying off immediate dividends, questions remain about the Caps goaltending: specifically, is it enough to keep pucks out of the net in the playoffs?

“No matter how fearsome their attack, they’re just OK at keeping pucks out of their net. They’ll enter the playoffs, likely as the top seed in the East, entrusting the most critical position on the ice to the likes of Jose Theodore, Semyon Varlamov and/or Michal Neuvirth.” – NBCSports.com

So what type of goaltending does it take to win the Cup, and do the Caps have it?

If we look at the Stanley Cup winners over the last decade, some patterns emerge:

1. As of 3/5/10, The Caps have a Goals Against per game (GA/Gm) of 2.84, which would be only the third worst of Cup Winning teams since 2000. 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins were at 2.91 and the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes were at 3.17.
2. The 2010 Washington Capitals are scoring machines. Their 4.0 Goals For per game (GF/Gm) would lead all Cup winners since 2000. So while it is true they let goals in the net, they make up for it by burying the biscuit themselves.
3. The expected winning percentage of the 2010 Caps would also be the second best of the Cup teams since 2000. Based on the Pythagorean winning percentage, The Caps are expected to have a win % .652 – despite giving up 2.84 goals per game. Only the 2008 Detroit Red Wings (.651) and the 2001 Colorado Avalanche (.653) come close.

RMNB believes it's found the secret to Jose Theodore's recent success...

Jose Theodore, who I believe has found a real life Hot Tub Time Machine, has shown he is capable of being close to the Jose of 2001-2 when he won the Hart & Vezina Trophies. Exhibit A is his goaltending during the Caps 14 game win streak.

Varlamov is coming back from injury, and his playoff experience from last year will only bolster his confidence going forward.

Caps’ fans should have a deeper concern: the PK:

Since 2000, no Cup winner has had a PK% less than 81.8% (2006 Carolina Hurricanes). 2010 Capitals are currently 78.91%.

But that’s an article for another day.

The trade deadline came and went, and while the Caps made some changes, a lot stayed the same. Most importantly: Hershey was virtually untouched. And it is probably because of this that the Caps didn’t make the “big move” most of the fans thought they would.

Trade Deadline Recap

• 2010 7th rounder for Scott Walker.
• 2010 2nd Rounder for Eric Belanger.
• 2010 6th rounder for Milan Jurcina.
• Brian Pothier, prospect Oskar Osala and 2011 2nd rounder for Joe Corvo.

A theme runs through all the players acquired today: They all have prior experience with Boudreau and/or GMGM.

• Boudreau had Belanger in Lowell.
• Scott Walker once represented himself in contract talks with Vancouver, where George McPhee was the assistant GM.
• I heard Milan Jurcina played for Boudreau AND McPhee (at the same time!), but am still Googling to find out where.
• Joe “Oh No” Corvo the Turnover Machine was coached by Boudreau in AHL.

RW Scott Walker gives the Caps some leadership, some “grit” and 29 games of playoff experience (18 of those coming in 2008-9 with Carolina) for the Cup run. Walker has a respectable 2.33 GAON/60 at even strength on a team that averages 3.14 GA per game.

Eric Belanger (this Belanger, not this Belanger. Sorry ladies.) is a decent two-way 2nd/3rd line Center option on

Eric Belanger is sadly not a model.

pace for career-best numbers in goals and assists. Plus, he brings 30 games of playoff experience. Looks like he and Chimera have some history, where Chimera felt Belanger’s check was dirty and merited a suspension. I don’t expect this to be an issue, but it just shows the comfort level of BB and GMGM to bring a player in with this type of “bad blood.”

Milan Jurcina. Based on Twitter reports, Jurcina was Plan B in case trades for other D-Men fell through. In the end, it’s the devil you know, and the Caps bring back someone that knows the system for the playoff push. Not the “Top-4 D Man” fans were looking for, but a familiar face nonetheless.

And then we have the deal that came in almost at the buzzer, and one that is sure to be debated: Joe Corvo. It is probably a bad omen when one of the first tweets seeks to clarify if Corvo’s nickname was “Oh No” or “Uh Oh”, but I like this trade.  It has nothing to do with him receiving a three-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty in Boston to assaulting a woman in a restaurant when he was with the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL. I like gaining Corvo because he represents an improvement to the defense. Specifically, Corvo plays tougher minutes at even strength than all of the Caps defensemen with the exception of Tom Poti. And Corvo’s GAON/60 of 2.75 is better than Carolina’s 3.14 GA per game – the hallmark of a good defenseman. Some may argue that Pothier, for whom he was traded, has a better GAON/60, but those come against both significantly worse competition and in fewer minutes per game.

RW Scott Walker. Practically a freebie.

All in all, the Caps did not give up much:

Brian Pothier was a defensive non-factor for the club at best, and the Caps certainly upgraded with Corvo. Prospect Oskar Osala had a limited future with the Caps, and now he gets a chance with another club.

A 6th rounder averages 73 games in the NHL with 13 Goals and 20 Assists, for their career. A 7th rounder averages 47GP/7G/13A, and that drops significantly if you pull Henrik Zetterberg‘s numbers out.

The second rounders (in 2010 and 2011) have future value, and an argument has been made that it is advantageous to trade a bona fide NHLer for an unlikely draft pick, but I think it is a smart move for the Caps. They have already bucked the odds with the talent they have in Hershey and South Carolina and can afford to sit out the second round the next two years for a serious run at the Cup.

Right now is like the part of the lap dance right after the song stops:  the anticipation and empty promises are gone, and we’re left with reality.  We’re married to the roster as of 3 PM, and they’ll either take us to the cup or damn near it.