Photo: Chris Gordon. Guy on TweetDeck: Adam Vingan

The Washington Capitals had only a 38% win percentage on the road this season, so getting the W Thursday night is crucial; they just can’t depend on victory away from Verizon Center. But Monday’s home loss to the Bruins was an ugly affair, and the once well composed team fell to shambles. To win Game Four, the Caps are gonna have to dig deep.

I have compiled a series of modest steps the Capitals should take to make it happen. And then we threw in the secret weapon. (Okay, we’ll tell you: more posters.)

For Alex Ovechkin: Shots > Hits

On November 13th, Alex Ovechkin said his job is “to score goals, not make the hits.” But through three games this postseason, Ovechkin has leveled 17 hits and scored just one goal. Your boy Neil Greenberg crunched the numbers and confirmed what Boudreau said: the more Ovechkin hits, the less he scores.

Being physical is great, but the Ovi’s purpose should be obvious: SCOAR MOAR GOALS. This is a big stage for Ovi, so we’re looking for a another moment that gets people making this face:

Extracurriculars Gotta Go

The Boston Bruin know their game. Sure, they play physical between the whistles, but it’s the interim where they truly shine. Whether it’s Milan Lucic Game of Death-ing Brooks Laich before a faceoff, Milan Lucic ragdolling Nick Backstrom after the first period buzzer, or Milan Lucic biting Jeff Schultz’s brittany spaniel at the botanical gardens on Wednesday, its clear that they’ve got the edge when it comes non-hockey dickishness. The Capitals would be wise not to engage the Bs in their creeping.

They’ll win instead by being what Alan May called “thick and proud”–a tough and united team that finishes their checks and knows how to get gritty — but only during the course of the normal hockey game. But when Julien’s guys want to play the pest after every play, the Caps should be ascetic. Silent, focused, tough as nails. Just walk it off.

Roll the Roster Over

Finally found an excuse to post Erskine's dog

The Caps will be without star center and cross-checking phenom Nick Backstrom in Game Four, but that’s no reason to fret. NB19 played exactly none of the Caps’ three regular-season wins over the Bruins, so we know the guys can do it without him. But while Hunter is filling Nicky’s slot, maybe it’s time to shake the whole roster up.

I love Jeff Schultz and Dennis Wideman, but the dudes have been on ice for four of the six Bruins goals. Perhaps it’s time to give the rookie Dmitry Orlov his first taste of the playoffs. Or better yet, let’s get Big John Erskine in the lineup so he can give Looch what-for one more time.

In Backstrom’s place? You already know the answer. #FreeKnuble. Mike Knuble‘s experience, leadership, and cool head can only help a Caps team that may be frazzled after getting beaten up so ferociously last time. But putting him on the fourth line to grind it out does no one any good. Kanoobs is best deployed as a net-crashing compliment to a playmaker like Alex Ovechkin or Alex Semin.

Further down the lineup, Jeff Halpern may serve as another injection of experience in relief for either Keith Aucoin or Mathieu Perreault, who cannot match the Bruins in size and don’t have the elite faceoff chops of the former Caps captain. Plus: box check.

Defense First

Paille all alone with Holtby

The Capitals weak-sauce possession game has had me queasy since December, but it doesn’t matter anymore. Results are the only thing that mean anything now, and the Caps proved that a tight defensive game can win. It’s the kind of hockey Dale Hunter said he wanted to play since the day he arrived, and now he’s getting his chance.

But Monday was ugly. The Caps surrendered four goals– many of them due to poor defensive decisions. Justin Bourne at Backhand Shelf took the Caps defense (and Mathieu Perreault in particular) to task for blowing assignments, looking clueless, and generally making it easy for Boston to get at Holtby’s net.

To win on Thursday, the Caps must recommit to defense. They’ve gotta stick to JJ’s plan and execute without the slightest deviation. If they can keep the Bruins cadre of 20-goal scorers off the boards for another game, they can steal this series.

About the penalty kill? Shh. No jinxing.

Win It For Nicky

And finally, the emotional dimension. The Capitals survived without Nick Backstrom for a huge chunk of the season, and they’re gonna have to do it again on Thursday as Backstrom serves a one-game suspension for cross-checking Rich Peverley after Game Three.

The Caps should remain cognizant of their loss and use it as fuel to perform. Just as the Caps sans Alex Ovechkin summoned a hat trick out of Mathieu Perreault against Boston, so too should their role-players emerge as goal-scorers in Game Four. The team has been wronged, aggrieved by a feckless foe, deprived of their glory. Now they must be righteous and indignant. That’s their fuel.

They’ve gotta win this one for Nicky. They don’t even need us fans antagonizing Tim Thomas this time around, they just need a united front for Our Team.

Pursuant to that goal, blog maestro Ian Oland has cooked up some crucial posters.

Same deal as always. The links below will download PDFs, which will fit snug on a 8.5″ x 11″ page. Take a reasonable amount to Chinatown, hand some out to strangers, and then camp out in front of the glass during warm-ups. Let the boys know who they’re fighting for.

RMNB’s Free Nicky Signs

Download	Download

If that doesn’t work, you can always go to Kinkos and print out a giant seagull head. That’ll really creep out Seguin.

Crash the net.

Posters by Ian Oland.

Credit: welshhockeyfan.tumblr.com

Because this is apparently A Thing now, and because our comments are inundated with semi-literate Boston fans, here’s an animated GIF of Karl Alzner taunting Milan Lucic.

As an antidote, Beccah at Japers Rink wrote a very smart article about how playing the pest won’t work against the Bruins. And there’s a special treat behind the jump for The Alz-Stars (which is our new name for Karl’s fan club).

The dogs’ names are Charlie… and Murphy.

Photo credit: Stephanie Hakim

We almost feel like we’re watching some kind of bizarre social experiment in this series, as we observe Bruins forward Milan Lucic‘s temper simmer, simmer, and boil over more and more frequently as his line continues to be rather ineffective versus the Caps. These bursts of temper saw Lucic collecting 8 PIMs by the end of the night, though– puzzlingly- the refs seemed to think that it was always necessary to tack a Washington penalty on top, perhaps so Lucic wouldn’t get so lonely in the box. The refs have seen this behavior — he’s acting out for attention– and should know better.

Lucic got into a scuffle with Matt Hendricks late in the third period, and then Karl Alzner, when Alzner tried to intervene. There were words exchanged, and Alzner didn’t seem too impressed by them, to say the least.

Let’s just say, Alzer could be on our charades team anytime.

Photo credit: Valtteri Kivinen

Milan Lucic Responds to Alzner’s Taunt

Photo credit: Patrick McDermott

Game Three: The Washington Capitals treated the Boston Bruins to a quiet night of conversation and sport. And then all these damn rowdy Caps fans showed up and spoiled what could have been a pleasant night. It was ugly, it was loose, it was the opposite of those first two games, and it ended tragically.

With Brooks Laich screening up front, Alex Semin converted a first period penalty play while Chara was in the box. Rich Peverly tied it up, but who cares because Alex Ovechkin scored 13 seconds later. Daniel Paille was left all alone in front of Holtby, tying the game at two. Brian Rolston exploited some bad Caps D early in the third and gave the Bruins their first lead of the night. Nick Backstom set Brooks Laich loose for a breakaway to beat Tim Thomas and tie it with six minutes left.

On a late-game 4-on-4, Zdeno Chara’s slapshot caught a little bit of Hamrlik and got past Holtby. Bruins beat Caps 4-3.

UPDATE 10:45 pm: Nick Backstrom’s high hit after the final buzzer earned him a match penalty. He is automatically suspended from Game Four, but that may be waived later tomorrow.

• The first period ended with a frustrated Boston team roughing up your precious Capitals. Milan Lucic un-helmed Nick Backstrom and roughed up his noggin while Zdeno Chara manhandled a little boy who wandered out on the ice wearing a Mike Green jersey. For some reason, Backstrom served a roughing penalty, which is utter jive. The Looch and Backy stuff is a chronic problem, and it needs to end before this series turns into Pens-Flyers.
• This series has been tighter than we Caps fans are used to, but the magic of 4-on-4 hockey temporarily enchanted it at the beginning of the second period. Those two goals in 13 seconds were special: Ovechkin chasing a bouncing puck into Thomas’ domain, and Peverly sailing a puck at the tip of Holtby’s glove. For the second time in two bullets, this game looked a bit like the battle of Pennsylvania for a moment.
• How does Milan Lucic get Caps to go to the penalty box with him? He’ll slewfoot Laich and then Laich gets an unsportsmanlike. That’s… really impressive actually. Dale Hunter has to appreciate that, although I’m sure he hates it as much as I do. We’re thankful that the refs are calling obstruction penalties by the book now, but Zdeno Chara should not allowed to powerbomb and then spoon Brooks Laich without consequence.
• Two-point night for Captain Alex Ovechkin, who found new ways to get away from Chara’s coverage. Dale Hunter paired Ovi with Jason Chimera, whose speed and aerodynamic head shape kept spinning around the massive Boston D squad. Ovi is still carrying the puck too much– which means he doesn’t trust his line to create the plays for him. Gotta fix that.
• The fourth liners were basically erased from the second period, as Dale Hunter did his shortened bench routine. That meant very little ice for Ward, Beagle, and Aucoin.
• The Capitals defense that was so mindblowingly excellent last game inevitably declined. Fell off a cliff really. The turnovers that had all but gone extinct made a coelacanthic comeback, and the D-corps couldn’t get loose pucks away from Braden’s net before Rolston could swat one in. Tighten up, boys.
• After Braden Holtby shut down the Bruins power play, Milan Lucic started the s-word again. This time he suckerpunched Matt Hendricks. Again, he drew Hendy into the penalty.
• Gorgeous breakaway goal on Brooks Laich, whose got a bit of grit, a bit of skill, and enough charisma to lead a pack of corgis on the iditarod.
• In both Capitals’ losses this series, the game-winning goal has came off of a defender’s stick. In Game One it was Dennis Wideman. Tonight it was Roman Hamrlik. Awful way to lose.
• Braden Holtby, eh? If  you were expecting another nigh-perfect effort, this attenuation of your expectations is probably healthy. One softie got past him, but that happens to everybody sometimes. 25 saves on 29 shots.

Joe B suit of the night

Series record: Bruins 2, Capitals 1

Well, at least it wasn’t a goalie duel.

The Capitals earned a lead and then gave it up. The blame rests squarely on the Caps D, who couldn’t be perfect forever.

All credit possible to the fans who brought signs, both homemade and prefab, to Verizon Center tonight. We’re gonna need that same fury on Thursday night.

The Bruins are playing their brand of hockey with elaborate flourishes after each hit. The Caps are too eager to play along, especially on their home turf. But how is Dale Hunter gonna ask the Capitals not to play the way he did for so long?

Thursday night will be huge. The Capitals had a chance to steal this series, and they blew it. If they can tie the series on Thursday night, there’s a good chance they can pull this out– although they’re gonna have to do it on the road now.

Huge disappointment, but that’s playoff hockey for ya. Crash the net.

#FreeKnuble

As of Thursday, the Washington Capitals are officially embarking on a quest for sixteen wins and a big, shiny trophy. There will be many obstacles along their way, the first of which is the scariest team in the entire world, the Boston Bruins. You may have heard stories, legends, even epic ballads about the infamy of the Bruins, especially their scary power forward, Milan Lucic.

Doubtless you have heard from many Boston fans and members of the media since Saturday that Milan Lucic is a pretty big deal, and that the Caps will need to watch out for him. We’re here to second that assessment, and to offer a profile that we hope can come close to touching the sheer awesome power that is the Bruins forward. Don’t eat us, Mr. Lucic.

Photo via: Sportress of Blogitude

Milan Lucic has been racking up many accomplishments this year in the National Hockey League — he’s injured Ryan Miller, fought Mike Komisarek, and even survived a dust-up with notorious goon Karl Alzner.

In fact, Lucic has not lost a fight this season, despite going toe to toe with heavyweights such as Paul Gaustad, Patrick Kaleta, and Matt Carkner. Luckily, the Caps can rely on tough guys such as Alzner and Cody Eakin to contain him.

The Caps will also have to be protective of young goalie Braden Holtby, given Milan Lucic’s reputation for impressively targeting the most immobile players on the ice. As we know, Holtby is a fragile blossom incapable of defending himself, and terribly susceptible to harm from aggressive forwards.

If you need even more reason to fear him, Milan Lucic once broke the glass at the TD Garden with a body check. Can you imagine that? Broke the glass! Why, only such comparable monsters as Jamie Benn, or Caps players casually shooting pucks at practice have ever done that! Truly chilling.

We wish the Capitals luck in dealing with this uncontrolled hockey monster. We can only hope they can find the courage to leave the locker room to face him.

Additional reporting by Ian Oland.