Ribs salutes the fans after his overtime goal in game five. (Photo credit: Patrick McDermott)

For perhaps the final time in DC, Mike Ribeiro is #swag. (Photo credit: Chris Gordon)

The Washington Capitals have been searching for a second-line center for years. Last summer, they finally got one. In a shortened season with the Caps, Mike Ribeiro was excellent — even when his team wasn’t. He anchored Washington’s power play, turning Alex Ovechkin – a guy the Caps have invested $123 million in — into a lethal threat.  He stabilized the top six. He led the league in points on the man advantage, a huge source of the team’s scoring. He will soon be a free agent. The captain wants him back, though, and so does the coach.

“The most important thing is to re-sign Ribs,” Ovechkin told Slava Malamud. “It will be tough without him.”

“You all saw how valuable he was to our team,” Adam Oates added. “Hopefully the parties will work it out because we love him.”

After Ovi heaped praise on Ribs for his work this season, I asked Ribeiro what he learned by playing with the Russian. Seeing clips of him on NHL Network, of course, is different from sending him a cross-ice pass on the power play. Until this season, Ovechkin never depended on teammates. Instead, he’d take the puck into the offensive zone and try to create the play by himself. As we saw the last two years, that stopped working. Oates got him to change that, but in March Ovechkin demanded Ribeiro give him the puck in the neutral zone. Though Ovechkin is superstar, Ribs said no. By the end of the season, Ovechkin was a Hart Trophy finalist.

“He’s still a young player who has a lot to learn about the game and how to play it,” Ribeiro told me of Ovi. “He’s a powerful player.”

“His English was better than when I saw him on TV,” he continued. “Sometimes I was like ‘What is he saying?’ I used to be like that. Guys used to laugh at me the way I speak.”

Losing Ribs would be a difficult loss for the franchise, but it may be a necessary one. The team only has about $5.6 million in cap room for next season. While they could probably get Ribeiro for that, they’d have to shake up the roster a little or consider not re-signing RFAs Karl Alzner and Marcus Johansson. Considering Ribeiro is 33 and wants a four- or five-year deal, that’s a tough sell. (Ribeiro, for what it’s worth, said he “can only get better.”)

“It’s important to be hard on the merits and soft on the people and do it right,” Caps GM George McPhee said, before adding that he doesn’t talk about specific negotiations.

Still, Ribeiro reiterated that he likes the area and is hesitant to move his family again. He also wants to win. Until two weeks ago, he had missed the postseason in five straight years. That may have been justification to get the heck out of DC in February, but now it’s a reason to stay.

“Once you make the playoffs, you want to go back,” he said. “You see the potential that we have here.”

“I don’t want to be selfish by signing too much and not being able to get other guys here or re-sign guys here,” Ribeiro added. “If I stay here I want to have a chance to win. … You cannot just re-sign me and have the same kind of team. You want to improve your team.”

Soon, the Caps and Ribeiro will have to make their choices. On July 5, the center is no longer the team’s property. From the coaches to the media, everyone at Kettler Capitals Iceplex Wednesday morning knew they may be seeing him for the final time. Then, Ribeiro emerged. He strode to the podium outside the Capitals locker room wearing a fedora, a diamond earning, and a large chain. A reporter asked him about his opulent look.

“I’m allowed to do what I want to do now,” he quipped.

We’ll see if that includes staying in Washington.

Photo credit: Patrick McDermott

Game five of the Capitals-Rangers series was just as taut as the preceding four, but the Caps seemed to have the upper hand from the second period on. Still, it took until overtime for the game to be decided– and by none other than the Caps’ much-maligned bad boy, Mike Ribeiro.

Often known as a hot-head weak on the faceoff dot and prone to bad penalties, Ribeiro was the opposite of that on Friday night. Ribeiro won 70% of his faceoffs– many of them crucial defensive-zone draws– and drove play better than any other Caps forward. His pestering of Brian Boyle drew the penalty that led to Joel Ward’s tying goal, and his relentless occupation of Lundqvist’s net led to a pivotal game-winner.

You wanted CRASH THE NET? I give you MIKE RIBEIRO.

Video

GIFs

GIFs by official-nhl

GIFs by welshhockeyfan

Photo credit: Patrick McDermott

Ack. I’m all jammed up like a Phish live record over here. This series is not good for people, plants, or other living things. The corrupted bastardization of hockey the Rangers have foisted upon the Capitals is some perverse thing not spoken of in polite circles. Where’s all the end-to-end action? The shot totals in excess of 40? The goalies giving up goals like Galileo dropped the orange? The Rangers forced the Caps into a constipated brand of hockey that is actually making my back seize up as if I were eating pancakes. Everything is all tensed up, and it goes on way too long. We’re supposed to enjoy it, but it’s really just survival.

The Rangers grabbed a lead in the game’s first minute, putting the entire DMV area’s bowels on red alert, but playoff hero Joel Ward tied it up in the second. The Caps leaned in during the third period, but we headed to overtime anyway– where Mike Ribeiro became a Capitals legend.

Caps beat Rangers 2-1 (Overtime). Caps lead the series 3-2. Sunday is an elimination game for New York.

• One minute in, Brian Boyle scored. I really don’t wanna talk about it, but if you MUST know, John Erskine and the top line were not doing their jobs — either in clearing the zone or taking defensive assignments. It was a pretty goal– a hard-around to behind-the-net to the open man in the slot. And it set a very bad precedent for the game.
• It wasn’t just that goal: John Erskine was a mess all around. He gave up a (soft?) elbowing penalty, had one nearly disastrous giveaway in the defensive zone, and was diagnosed with chronic anaphylaxis when exposed to opportunities to clear the zone. After a long season of overperforming, Erskine might be coming back down to Earth. He was a particularly stinky part of the malodorous palate that was the first period, in which the Caps– despite winning possession– failed to make a clean breakout or zone entry once.
• Mike Ribeiro (and we will come back to him) has been known for his hot head all season, but it worked tonight. He goaded Brian Boyle into a slashing penalty, which Joel Ward used to equalize just 11 seconds later. The power play was led by Marcus Johansson doing the Gretzky thing below the goal line. Really pretty stuff (Craig Laughlin called it “tic-tac-joel”), and not at all what New York was expecting. Joel Ward is a playoff rock and a credit to his team. Keep that stick low, Wardo!
• P.S. Ribeiro was a monster on the faceoff dot.
• The Caps were roughed up in the first period, but still got a narrow edge in possession. In the second period, the Caps turned that into a monster advantage during even strength that would lead to a blowout against  a team not so dedicated to shot-blocking (shot-blocking (n.) a way to lose, just less pathetically) and backstopped by the ‘Qvist.
• John Carlson post noooooooooooooooo. That’s all the “”analysis” I can muster right now. Dude beat the other dude, but the metal thing and then nooooooo. I should be upping my game for the playoffs, but this is really hard, you guys.
• The Capitals dominated the third period with mucho shot attempts, but we had to go to overtime anyway. Alright, let’s keep it short and sweet.
• The Caps kept piling on the icing penalties– indicating a weak breakout and neutral-zone play, but the defensive-zone faceoffs were solid.
• Mathieu Perreault had THE chance of overtime, seemingly beating Lundqvist until the Swede put a meaty leg out to kick the save.
• AND THEN: Mike Ribeiro, your player of the game by a country mile, won the game in overtime, scoring a point-blank slapshot. Ribeiro was the Caps’ best player tonight even before the OTGWG. He won 19 of 27 faceoffs and led forwards in possession (plus-16), but the goal clinched it. What a stud!

Joe B suit of the night

We always knew Sunday would be an elimination game, but yay it’s not for our team.

Let’s all just forget that first period. That sucked. Let’s linger on the convincing game the home team played in minutes 20 through whatever time it was when Ribeiro slapped in that one past Lundqvist. The Caps rule at five-on-five, and if they can– FINALLY– get their asses out of the box, they will mollywhomp-curbstomp the Rangers on Sunday afternoon (4:30).

I love this team. Have a great Friday night.

Let’s end this on Sunday.

Martin Erat is a skilled guy. He’s registered 49 points or more in the last eight seasons and when the Capitals acquired him in a trade for Filip Forsberg a few weeks ago, he was Nashville’s leading point-getter. Consistently putting up that many points can be a sign of good hands, which is exactly what Erat showed off on Thursday, assisting on the Capitals’ only goal in the team’s 3-1 loss to Ottawa.

Holy moly! (GIF by welshhockeyfan)

As Jack Hillen took a shot going wide of the net, Erat knocked the puck out of the air with the knob of his stick. The puck bounced higher in the air, and that’s when Erat’s instincts took over. Erat choked up on his stick and swung at the puck like he’s Matt Wieters or something. The biscuit went straight for Mike Ribeiro, who deflected it home.

Erat has three points in his last three games, including his first goal as a Capital. This was one amazing assist.

Photo Credit: Nick Wass

The Washington Capitals think they have a shot at the Stanley Cup. This season began with a pitiful start under new head coach Adam Oates, but the team is better now. They’re used to his system, they’re healthier, and they’re picking up pieces to help them in the short-term.

“We weren’t going to be sellers,” said George McPhee yesterday. “You never know once you get in. Let’s see what happens.”

“We have a good thing going here,” said Mike Ribeiro. “We know how good we can be.”

“I have complete confidence in the guys in this room,” said Troy Brouwer. “We have the ability in here to make a splash in the playoffs.”

“I want to play for the Stanley Cup,” said Martin Erat. “Washington is one of the places where you have a chance.”

On Thursday, the Caps moved into playoff spot for the first time this season.

The Capitals want to win now. They don’t want to endure another rebuild, albeit a smaller one, that might help win them a Cup in five years — that’s why they traded an elite prospect to fill a hole in today’s lineup. Washington may have been in 10th place in the Eastern Conference when they made the trade for Erat, but they are going for it. That plan, though, requires one thing: that the Capitals are the team they think they are, not the team we’ve seen so far this season. Thursday, they were a little bit of both — not without fault, but good enough for now. With a loss by the Winnipeg Jets (3-7 in their last 10), the Capitals moved in first place in the Southeast Division and third in the Eastern Conference.

The Erat Era — okay, that’s a bit of hyperbole — has just begun in Washington. His debut was solid, if uneventful. He skated on the third line with Mathieu Perreault and former Nashville teammate Joel Ward. Erat didn’t register on the scoreboard, but made a couple nice plays. The Caps beat the Islanders 2-1 in a shootout. Soon he will get a bigger role, perhaps as the first line left wing.

“It’s kind of hard for me you know with all the crazy stuff that comes with the trade,” Erat, who woke up at 4:30 am today, said after the game. “My plane was leaving at six o’clock in the morning which means I didn’t get enough sleep. I was so excited to be here, and excited to be in this city.”

After watching him for a little under 15 minutes on the ice, Erat’s new coach had glowing things to say about his game.

“I thought he did a great job, I really did,” Adam Oates said. “Getting traded is not always easy. He played with that franchise a long time, he had to go out the door and say goodbye, meet new guys, step into a lineup; it’s nerve-wracking, it’s stressful.”

One thing stood out the the first year coach the most: “his IQ.”

“He knows how to play his position, he knows how to play in the game,” Oates added of Erat. “He didn’t put himself in bad positions.”

Erat’s play, though, will not be the judge of this deal. Instead, the move will hinge on what the Capitals do this season and the two after that, the years left on Erat’s $4.5 million yearly contract. If Washington makes a deep playoff run, the deal will seem smart. If they don’t, George McPhee will look short-sighted. For Erat’s perspective, it’s the same. He didn’t request a trade to play in a bigger market or get more ice time, he came here because he thought the Caps were an elite team.

“That’s why I came here, that was my goal, to come here and play for the Stanley Cup,” Erat said.

Photo credit: Scott Levy

Mike Ribeiro is a hot topic surrounding the Washington Capitals lately — not just because he’s been the team’s best player. Instead, Ribs is looking for a five-year deal in a market where free-agent forwards get big money, even with the salary cap decreasing by $6 million next year (from $70.2 million to $64.4 million).

Ribeiro is 33-years-old and is on the last year of a five-year, $25 million dollar deal. His next contract will certainly be the last big one of his career, and he wants his family to have a good, stable home. We shouldn’t expect his production (11 goals, 35 points in 33 games this season) to stay this way as his enters the latter part of career. On the other hand, however, the Caps haven’t a quality second-line center in years.

Within the next few games, the Caps may figure out if they want to– or even are able to– re-sign Ribeiro for a price that’s reasonable. Ribeiro told me he would have discussions with the team about a new contract before the trade deadline on April 3. Presumably, if his demands are too high for Washington, they may trade him.

“If it’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen,” Ribeiro said of a possible extension in Washington. “We’ll talk, obviously, before trade deadline and see where they’re at, where I’m at. We’ll go from there.”

Other than re-signing him or dealing him, there is a third option: letting him play out his deal in Washington before Ribeiro goes to the open market. That would be the worst-case scenario — especially if the Caps miss the playoffs with no prospect or picks gained along the way. Preferably, Washington would sign Ribeiro to an affordable deal. But considering the massive contracts Alex Semin, Corey Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf have gotten recently, that might not be possible. Capitals General Manager George McPhee will have to decide which side he’s on soon.

On Tuesday, Ribeiro continued to increase his value, adding his 11th goal of the season. Halfway through the game, he unleashed a sizzling wrist shot past Islanders goalie Evgeny Nabokov. As with many of Ribeiro’s plays, it was a demonstration of pure skill.

“I’m not worried about it and I just want to win games,” Ribeiro said after Washington’s 3-2 loss. “When the time comes, if there’s a deal to be made it will be made.”

Photo credit: Patrick McDermott

As the Washington Capitals returned home to face the New York Islanders, they were likely pondering the 6 points out of a total 8 they earned on their recent road trip. That pondering may have led to some absent-minded play in the first period, but the Caps recovered in the second to put forward one of their strongest possession games of the season. But possession was exactly what Mike Green didn’t have when his goof-up allowed the GWG for John Tavares.

Islanders beat Caps 3-2.

• The Islanders grabbed an early lead off goals by Michael Grabner and Josh Bailey. Both of those goals were due to some hard work by the Isles along the boards– plainly outworking the Caps. The Islanders took Verizon Center out of the game early, a palpable blow to a big homecoming game.
• In general, the Capitals aren’t a strong possession team when they’re behind on the scoreboard. Tonight was different. The second period Caps worked their way back, establishing a plus-11 even-strength shot attempt differential after 40 minutes. And, oh yeah, two goals.
• The first came from Mike Ribeiro, who doesn’t shoot until he sees the whites of the goalie’s eyes. Ribs caught a really smart pass from Troy Brouwer that created space and speed for the scorer. Ribeiro is scoring on more than a quarter of his shots on goal, which is laudable. No player has a bigger incentive to win games right now than he, so it makes sense.
• The second goal was a (possibly tipped) shot by John Carlson, who was moving laterally along the blue line like Oleksy is so wont to do. Yeah, Oleksy appears to be rubbing off on the tactics of others. Is that more awesome or weird? I can’t tell.
• Al Koken says “Literally!” more than Chris Traeger.
• Dmitry Orlov does not shoot enough. He’s been on the ice for over 75 minutes this season and has put just one puck on the net. Deliberately wide shots have their time and place, but Orly can make a real career for himself if he makes like Carlson and takes Oleksy’s lead: shoot early and often!
• The Capitals expertly killed Matt Hendricks‘ interference penalty in the third. As Hendy escaped the box, he drew a penalty from the Isles. A good turnaround of fortune, but the ensuring power play was shotless– despite some Ovechkin solo heroics.
• Late in the third, Mike Green lost track of the puck between his skates. Matt Moulson got that loose puck to John Tavares, who transmogrified it into the game-winner.
• Alex Ovechkin‘s point streak hits 6 games. His 32 on the season is more than Mike Milbury got in all but his two best years– when he played 70-80 games.

Joe B suit of the night

That was disappointing. Rough start, big comeback, and then one innocent goof costs the Caps the game. That was a very valuable pair of points the Caps let go. When the final standings show a margin of one or two points, remember how they bobbled off the blades of Mike Green back in late March. And then reach for an adult beverage.

But don’t get down on the Caps though– this was a well-played game lost by a slim margin. That’s hockey, the sport we usually love but tonight we hate.

P.S. Joe B and Locker in plaid over there sorta has an “early days of Monday Night Football” vibe to it, right? Only thing missing is, well, fedoras, scotch, and seething misogyny.

[Ed note: Hockey Hemingway Jason Rogers is back for you to love and adore. Talk to him via the Tweetaz at @HeyJayJRogers. Any and all credit goes to the PuckBuddys.]

15 minutes of ice time

Andy Warhol Says*: Everywhere you look, you see Pittsburgh fans. In Andy’s view, “…it’s all so beautiful.” Of course, he was hopped up on horse tranqs.

But this is Pittsburgh. And at the first insinuation of bandwagon chasing, they all claim family ties to the city. First of all, you cannot all be from there. It is just not a big enough city for every Yuengling-guzzling bar rat to crawl back to. And even if they did all somehow come from Pittsburgh, you know why they’re here now? Because they got the hell out of Pittsburgh as soon as they could. There’s even a website devoted to the phenomenon. And so with the sacred camaraderie of refugees from a land not worth returning to, the Penguins wander about the NHL landscape. On Tuesday the Capitals take the fight to them, and you can bet they’ve had their road Whites mustard-proofed.

The Morning Skate:

Besides giving you an occasion to air out your novelty #87 custom Capitals jersey with the name CRSBYSX, this game will be a barometer for the rest of the Caps’ season. [Nerd Alert!] Are the Penguins relatively on fire? Yes. Are the Capitals relatively on Hoth? You betcha. But the Caps need to win about 75% of their remaining games to make the playoffs, and like those valiant infantrymen of the Rebel Alliance, the Caps can’t expect every battle to be against hapless storm troopers or to get help from the Wampa-like Erskine.

Anyone can beat up on Florida. Hell, even the Supreme Court did it in 2000.(Look it up, noobs!) But Washington will have to beat the good teams, too. If the Caps want to be counted among the best eight teams in the conference come May, they’ll have to blaze a winning trail through cities like Pittsburgh, Montreal, and Boston. That trail will then be cordoned off and burned to prevent cross-contamination.

Secondly, the Caps could use a gut check to find out how bad they want it. Like mayonnaise left in the sun, the Capitals have a problem with consistency. Let’s start from the net out. Like a talented escort with low self-esteem, Braden Holtby can do remarkable things with this hands and legs, but lets in a lot of softies too. He keeps them in a lot games they don’t deserve, but has a bad habit of spotting opponents an easy goal or two in otherwise winnable games.

Holtby makes a lot of saves he shouldn’t, but not enough that he should. Add that to the streaky-deeky of crucial role players like Marcus Johansson and Mathieu Perreault and the Capitals’ odds of making the playoffs start to look like a random number generator. A random number generator that only cycles between “SLIM” and “NIL.” [Fake Ed Note: Slim just left town.] There are guys that contribute night-in and night-out, guys like Mike Ribeiro, Troy “Manimal” Brouwer and –yes—Alex Ovechkin. But with such a dearth of true talent, the Capitals need the rest of their roster to overachieve. Now is when we start to see how long this team really wants to keep playing.

And with that dazzling analysis complete, we now turn to the segment UNESCO designated a World Heritage site:

Fascinating

Liable to Libel: A Baker’s Dozen Lies About Today’s Opponent:

• Marc-Andre Fleury often stops people mid-sentence and says, “Please, ‘Marc-Andre’ is so formal. Call me Marc-Andy.”
• Matt Cooke was cast as Achilles in the Pittsburgh Players’ theatrical production of Troy, but dropped out when he couldn’t cut it. Get it?!
• Looking for a mascot to strike fear into the hearts of their opponents, Pittsburgh chose a docile flightless bird easily killed by seals, whales, and anything with thumbs.
• When asked his opinion of Crosby, Mike Milbury smiled and blushed and giggled, “Why, did he ask about me?
• In a recent survey, 94% of Pittsburgh residents shown Mario Lemieux’s name written out pronounced it “Luh-MEE-ucks.”
• The concession stands at Consol Energy Center now sell a “Pittsburger,” consisting of a beer-soaked Hines Ward jersey on a trash bag.
• Tomáš Vokoun was thrilled to move to Pittsburgh after so many years of living in boring, dreary Miami, and with so many strange thingees over his name.
• When asked whether he resents playing second fiddle to superstar Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin said, “No way, just like plenty of people like Luigi better than Mario….right?” (Really. PuckBuddys’ truth.)
• Marc-Andre Fleury has the best hyphen-to-soul-patch ratio of any starting goaltender in the eastern conference.
• Pittsburgh residents claim the Pirates, Penguins, and Steelers all wear the same colors for city identity. It’s really so residents don’t have do all that hard reading.
• Yuengling is releasing a limited-edition brew called “Crosby’s Tears.” When you pull the tap, it claims you hooked it and chirps to the ref.

Yup. Yup. Just that.

The Puck Drop:

• Fleury and the Beast: I mentioned earlier that the Caps need their goalie to not give away games. Well Marc-Andre Fleury could be honored by Toys For Tots for his generous donations. Le Fleur plays the puck about as well as Stephen Hawking plays the drums (heya!)  He’s less comfortable in the trapezoid than a geometry student with agoraphobia, and Captain Chrysanthemum can be counted on to generate one or two juicy chances a game. With scrappy boards men like Chimmer and Beagle, the Caps could really give Tulip some headaches. Oates should have his boys playing more Dump and Chase than a Taylor Swift album.
• The Best Defense Is a Good Defense: Though you wouldn’t know it to watch the Caps play, most NHL teams play with six defense-men on their bench. And typically, those six defense-men have played in the NHL before. Riddled with groinitis mayuer and DPS (Degenerative Poti Syndrome), the Capitals defense has been saved only by the rich chocolaty depths of the Hershey system. If not for whatever is in the water in the barn where they keep the Hersey goalies and defense-men, guys like Alzner, Carlson, Oleksy, and Orlov would not be able to step up so capably. The fairly seamless transition these AHL blue liners have made to the big leagues is not typical, and as deep as Hershey may be, eventually they’re going to run out of good defensemen to send up when we have injuries. And when that happens, the only blue line in Washington making stops will be the one that runs from Georgetown to U Street.
• Read Between the (Top) Lines: Much has been made about the Capitals’ lack of true top-six talent. I don’t necessarily buy all of it. I’ll take two lines of Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer, Ribeiro-Laich-Fehr. Ribs is a center-man but he can’t win face offs, so move him outside and keep him on the ice. Brooks-and-Done has been hurt for a long time but will eventually recover, potentially soon. That gives the Capitals two pretty dynamic top lines, and like a good conga party, two solid grinding lines behind them. They may not win any President’s Trophies with this roster, but I don’t see the same barren offensive wasteland that some in the city seem to. I believe the Capitals are an average team in a terrible division that average is good enough to win. They have 20 games left to prove who’s averagest-est.

So that about does it. Puck drop is 7:30 in the Steel City. See you there, and Go Caps.

*Ed note: We really don’t really think Holtby is that remarkable with his hand and legs…or if we do, we’ll just not discuss it.

*”Don’t pay attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches.” — Andy Warhol.

Har har. Bruins fan taunts Ribs. (Photo credit: Emily C.)

The Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins have developed an intense rivalry since their back-and-forth seven-game series in the first round of the playoffs last year. From the Olympic-quality dives from Brad Marchand to Nicky Backstrom’s cross-check to the face, it’s apparent these teams hate each other.

That’s why on Saturday, as they played each other for the second time in 16 days, all hell broke loose. First, Mike Ribeiro fought Brad Marchand, and Matt Hendricks laid down the law with Nathan Horton. Then, in the third period, as Shawn Thornton tried to get Hendricks to drop the gloves, Hendy bloodied his fists in a fight with Adam McQuaid.

Let’s recap all the crazy.

Mike Ribeiro Fights Brad Marchand

As Mike Ribeiro skates out of the defensive zone, Marchand drops his gloves and starts throwing haymakers. What’s the point of the instigator penalty if it’s never called? The two exchange punches. This was Ribeiro’s first NHL fight. Way to go, Ribs.

Matt Hendricks Fights Nathan Horton

The Capitals, incensed that the Bruins would fight one of their skill players, immediately look for retribution. Before the period ends, Hendricks finds Nathan Horton at the blue line, drops gloves, and bloodies his face. As Hendricks skates off to the locker room, Shawn Thornton tells him he’s going to eff him up.

Mike Ribeiro vs. Taunting Bruins Fan

While Ribs serves his major in the box, a Bruins fan does the crybaby face to him. Uhh, that’s Karl Alzner’s move, dummy.

Matt Hendricks Fights Adam McQuaid

As Thornton coaxes Hendy into a fight, the Blaine, Minnesota native instead chooses the man taking shots at him all day, Adam McQuaid. Hendricks bloodies his knuckle during the bout.

Matt Hendricks Puts Boston Fan In His Place

Finally, as Hendricks skates off the ice for repairs, a Boston fan grabs at him and yells something probably impolite. Hendy points at the fan, warning him that if he doesn’t stop, justice will have to be served again.

Photo via @ChrisLicodo

All in all, there were 42 penalty minutes, three fights, and one Capital player yelling SUCK MY F!^#&^ D!^& on live TV. Oh, hockey. You’re the best.

Photo credit: Brian Babineau

The Boston Bruins are the best team in the East. I think they’re the East’s best chance at winning the Cup this year, but that doesn’t mean I’m rooting for them or that I didn’t want the Washington Capitals to crush them on Saturday afternoon. That didn’t happen though. The Caps struggled on defense, and their offense needed help to get the puck behind Anton Khudobin. The game got a little wild in the second and third periods, which is just how the Bruins like it.

Bruins beat Caps 4-1.

• I’m not sure who should catch the blame on the Nathan Horton goal. Matt Hendricks goofed on a dump-in, but Troy Brouwer‘s deflection gave Lucic the opportunity to pass it up the slot. And of course no one marked Horton at all. Horton had a clean one-timer from high in the slot, and he absolutely nailed it. David Krecji followed it up by sinking a loose puck. It was a bad way to cap off a pretty tight first period.
• So maybe next year the Capitals should put together an NHL-quality blueline. Jack Hillen and his unenthusiastic D was responsible for Krecji’s goal — perhaps expected after he sat so long on the shelf. Steve Oleksy was on-ice for both first period goals and Ference’s tally in the second.
• Marcus Johansson opened up the second period with a casual pass from behind Boston’s net. The puck was deflected through the slot by a Boston player and then deflected into the net by David Krecji‘s skate. lulz. That was Marcus Johansson’s second goal on the season (13 games played) and also the closing arguments of any essay about why puck possession is more important that goals when predicting future success.
• That wasn’t totally fair. Johansson really was the Caps’ best forward. He had 4 shots and possession score in the black (plus-7 Corsi, unlike most of his teammates). I’ve still got my eye on him, but even if his goal was unearned he absolutely deserves credit for a great game.
• Basically counts as a shutout for Anton Khudobin as far as I’m concerned. Tell me I’m wrong.
• Andrew Ference scored as four-on-four play expired with a wristshot that was not adequately covered by the Washington D (stop me if you’re detecting a theme).
• The Capitals– or really just Matt Hendricks– kinda got suckered into playing Bruins-style puck. Lots of scrums after the whistle, troll-y provocation, and ding-a-ling measuring going on. That doesn’t really seem to be a good fit for the Caps roster.
• But the Caps roster doesn’t seem to fit anything. Case in point: Aaron Volpatti, a waiver-signing who one week later finds himself skating with Ovechkin and Backstrom for portions of Saturday’s game. Volpatti got a sweater instead of Perreault and Wolski for reasons mysterious and got a spot on the top line because he has the correct dominant hand. Oates seems to summarily eliminate wingers from top-line eligibility for such a reason, regardless of how much they (and really we’re just talking about Eric Fehr) can drive play.
• Ian was so bored by this game that he read the CBA. It was that bad.
• Alright, let’s try to unpack the end of the second period. Alex Ovechkin gave Brad “Cupcake” Marchand some grief, but somehow Mike Ribeiro got pulled into a fight. A noble enterprise by Ribs, but maybe unwise considering he weights 110 pounds and had never been in an NHL fight before. Matt Hendricks was so moved by the bout (or pissed that it happened) that he attacked Nathan Horton. Hendy got the best of him there, though Horton did earn a Gordie Howe for his blood.
• Hendricks had to choose between Thornton and McQuaid for another fight in the third period. Hendy chose McQuaid, tearing his jersey and bloodying his hand. Thornton drew an unsportsmanlike for his role in the run-up. The Caps did nothing with the resulting power play.
• Jason Chimera? Hahaha no.
• The Bs needed all of 8 seconds to convert a third period power play (Hillen for slashing). The Caps PK is rotten, but no one seems willing to take out the trash.
• Usually the team behind in the score starts shooting more to try to come back. That didn’t happen. The Caps, who rank in the bottom 10 in possession while trailing, actually saw their offense decline. Mind-bottling.

Joe B suit of the night

The Bruins are a better team than the Caps right now. It hurts to say it, but it’s true by every measure. The only virtue in games like this is what lessons the team takes away. Hopefully, that means acuity in the dangers of signing and playing sub-NHL defenders, the continued and desperate need for linemates for Ovechkin who actually drive play, and the futility of playing the goon game against a goon team.

At least the Caps get to feed at the trough of Buffalo tomorrow. That team is scorched earth.

I think tonight is when everyone celebrates St. Patrick’s Day. Please be safe. The Capitals’ Mike Vogel called this holiday “Amateur Night,” and he ‘s totally right. Try to avoid the dummies and be careful on the roads. Make sure you’re here for tomorrow night’s game at home.