Photo credit: Patrick McDermott

The 2012-2013 Washington Capitals are no more. Felled in seven games by Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers, the Caps have done the thinkable: an early-round exit from the playoffs for the fifth straight year. Some will call that a pattern, some will call it a curse. Some will call it karmic justice or the inevitable victory of a superior team over a bunch of preening Eurotrash, but those guys are dicks. Screw them. This is our goodbye, and we’re doing it our way.

Goodnight, sweet Caps. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.

Maybe this game could have gone differently. If Arron Asham didn’t get that end-to-end slapshot past Holtby’s short side, we might’ve been in for a fun one.  But he did, and we weren’t.

Some other goals followed, but my rage blackouts came in waves and I might have actually passed out for a short portion of the second period. I do have vague remembrances of John Erskine doing some amoebic version of defense at some point– perhaps deciding to solve a 2-on-1 rush by turning himself into a pylon or engaging the rare “here, you take the puck” technique against Zuccarello early in the third period. After overperforming for most the season, Erskine eventually did what I feared he’d do: crash back to earth. And then he opened up a freaking sinkhole in front of Braden Holtby, who after a number of lovely games this series looked significantly less studly in game seven.

Sad dad.

Alex Ovechkin had a couple bad games in Madison Square Garden, but I reject the notion that he was the big problem in this series. Ovi generated a bunch of shots– even on the road in game six, and was clearly (at least, clearly to this writer) playing through an lower-body injury since game three. He’s the team’s all-time best playoff performer. Ovi rules, and I’m eager to see if he can keep it up next season. I don’t know if he can, but that’s hockey I want to see.

But sticking it to the Caps players isn’t what is called for here. The Rangers did some brilliant strategic stuff– choking the Caps in neutral (whose system under Oates should’ve been capable between the blues) and keeping shots far away of Lundqvist’s cage. Oates got out-coached. He’s new; he’ll improve.

Though it’s time to make an observation. For all of the manifest improvements to the Caps this year, particularly the phoenix-ish rise of Alex Ovechkin, they’re not much better than the Dale Hunter team. Is that roster, coaching, luck, or something else?

One excuse I don’t enjoy very much is personality-based. Starting with the fact that so few of the Caps players have been that first playoff disappointment in 2009, I have a hard time swallowing that there’s some kinda attitudinal cancer that waits until May to metastasize.

The New York Rangers win the privilege of playing the Boston Bruins in the second round. I don’t envy them that. The idea of the Capitals going another 4 (but probably 7) games with the Bruins is wearying. The last 21 Capitals playoff games have been buttoned-up affairs that have done much in the way of hypertension, but they’ve haven’t been fun in my opinion. The hockey the Caps were playing at the end of the season was fun, but it seems to me that the Caps let the Rangers dictate the pace of this series.

The last Joe B suit of the night

Whatever, I’m really proud of these Caps. Consider where we were in October: nowhere. Consider where we were in January: dead last. Then: .500 hockey. Then a division championship and a scoring title and bracing streak to finish the regular season.

And now here they are: going a full seven against a team that could make a Cup run. I didn’t even think they’d make the playoffs, but they kicked a fair bit of ass along the way.

The rollercoaster Caps are done. I don’t know what’s next, but it won’t be like this one again. Not sure if I’m grateful about that or not.

On a personal note, thanks for reading RMNB this year. It’s been our biggest year by a wide margin, and that’s due to you guys– a terrific and kind community of genuinely good people. We should probably party together sometime, right?

It’s been a privilege writing hockey for you. We’ll have a lot more coming soon, and the improvements and expansions we’ll be introducing next year will be. Uh. Huge.

Crash the net.

Peter Hassett
Frederick, MD

Photo credit: Scott Levy

We should have known better. We should have been more cynical. We should just have assumed this series was going to seven and enjoy Mother’s Day.

But nooooooo. We watched the Caps play an undisciplined-yet-solid game on enemy ice, giving up five power plays. No one’s saying the Caps are angels, but this is silly. The Rangers did nothing with their big chunk of man-advantage time, but one lucky bounce off Steve Oleksy’s arm made this a perfect afternoon for New York: a shutout without any penalties committed*.

Rangers beat Caps 1-0.  Game seven tomorrow night.

• Well, we kinda knew it would happen like this. Mathieu Perreault took a clean– but way late– hit by Michael Del Zotto. No whistle. Ryan Callahan lured Jack Hillen into roughing, and the Caps killed the penalty. Then, Eric Fehr put an elbow into Derek Brassard‘s shoulder, whose master thespian skills got the attention of the refs. The Caps killed all their first period penalties (including a long 5-on-3), but it was taxing. The whole bad-referee conspiracy theory thing is tiresome, but I don’t see how some of these calls are defensible. I really do think the Caps are doing more naughty things in this series, but not this many. And as the team who has had the puck most of the series, they’ve committed a curious number of offenses. That’s all I have to say about it.
• So I made a big deal last week about how articles slamming Alex Ovechkin’s defense are out of proportion. Alex probably didn’t read those articles, but he did feel like throwing me a bone, blocking two big shots in a first period shift. I appreciate the gesture, but I’d really rather not have my team’s $10-million superstar throwing his body in front of ballistic vulcanized rubber. If you disagree, I have two words that end the debate: Sidney Crosby.
• The Rangers came out of the first intermission motivated, tilting the ice for 10 minutes before Derek Brassard got a shot past Braden Holtby by way of Steve Oleksy‘s deflection. Rick Nash didn’t get a piece of it– no matter what the NHL scoresheet says.
• Alex Ovechkin‘s line got caught out in a long shift at the tail end of the second period. Most of that time was spent scrambling in their own zone, though Ovi did break out for a pretty chance on Henrik. That 96-second shift was just one portion of a fast-going second period, which the Rangers dominated.
• After a few days of chatter over possible injuries and defensive match-ups, Alex Ovechkin was electric on Sunday afternoon. 5 shots, 12 attempts– but nothing hitting the back of the net. He’s due.
• Remember that time in the third period when the Caps got away with a too-many-men penalty? That was nice for a second, until Joel Ward was whistled for a light crosscheck that sent Dorsett into the Rangers’ net. Ugh, I said I wouldn’t kvetch about penalties anymore, but here we are. At least New York is garbage on the power play– 2 for 20-something (and climbing) this series.
• 28 saves for Braden Holtby, plus the one behind his back. Beast.

Joe B suit of the night

*UPDATE: Stepan and Girardi were given roughing penalties for the scrum at the final buzzer. Carlson and Brouwer also got tagged for it. This is completely inconsequential, but putting an asterisk on NYR’s “perfect” game is the closest thing I have to joy right now.

Everyone’s been saying that the Caps have to stay out of the penalty box. It’s no less true now that it was then, but we haven’t really seen any effort to make that happen yet. We have seen an exemplary penalty kill unit, so there’s that at least.

Okay, game seven. We’re used to this by now, right?

Listen: no team has lost on home ice in this series. The Caps have outplayed the Rangers in probably five of these six games, and they can do it again. Dial down the passion, pull a couple power plays, and stay the course. No sweat.

Crash the net.

P.S. – Call your mom if you’re lucky enough to have one. Mine is great, and I’ll be bummed out that she won’t answer the phone tonight with a cheerful “happy hockey!”

See you guys tomorrow.

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.

Photo credit: Scott Levy

I don’t know how you guys are coping, but I am doing poorly. A playoff series between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers seems constitutionally incapable of being stress-free. Game three’s penalty problems continued in game four, and the Caps struggled with special teams and other complex ideas such as shooting and passing. The Rangers seemed to be able to summon a lead on a whim, leaving the Caps to mount a comeback pretty much throughout.

Despite the Caps getting better (and more desperate) as the clock wound down, the Rangers won another game on home ice.

Rangers beat Caps 4-3. Series is tied 2-2.

• Braden Holtby dun goofed. Handling a loose puck, Holtby eyed a saucer pass to neutral, but instead found Pyatt Pree‘s stick hanging in the air. Brad Richards got on the puck and scored on a mostly vacant net to make it 1-0. Holtby’s been both lauded and criticized for his eagerness to play the puck, and he’s been burned more than once for it. This was the worst of al. This was worse than what Jonathan Quick did last week. Because it happened to real people.
• The Capitals’ first period power plays were rancid. The Caps allowed three shorthanded chances, the third one leading to total troublefunk in front of Braden Holtby. Martin Erat and Alex Ovechkin closed in on Derek Stepan– Erat reaching from behind while Ovi was picking up steam. The three collided in a tangle, with Erat landing wrist-first in the net and Ovechkin skating back to the bench before getting beckoned to the box. A hooking penalty for Erat was reasonable, but — inconceivably– Ovechkin was given the old wild-card penalty: charging. Pierre McGuire, who has yet to master the name Oleksy, proclaimed it an obvious headshot. It was not, but the Caps still had to kill a 5 on 3– which they did excellently, but the penalty was more fuel to the Gee willikers! These refs are atrocious! fire. Erat did not return to the game, replaced on the second line by the similarly awesome Eric Fehr.
• From the circle, Carl Hagelin got a knuckley puck past Holtby’s glove side halfway through the game– at which the Caps had just 5 shots on goal during even strength. D’oh.
• But thank goodness for Joel Ward and Mathieu Perreault, who teamed up to put the Caps on the board. Ward had some pretty moves to put the puck on net, and then Perreault crashed it like a tiny French Canadian Knuble.
• The Caps tied it before the end of the second period with a nifty Troy Brouwer backhand while the Rangers got a bit indolent on the breakout. Brouwer was due, and it was greatly appreciated.
• After the Caps improved their possession (as measured by even-strength shot attempts) through the last three games, the Rangers stole it back decisively on Wednesday. Even with a man-up, the Caps were unable to generate offense as the Rangers refused to take the bait of Washington’s fancy passes. The Caps were thus kept on the outskirts and generated no real power play chances.
• A Charmin soft interference penalty on Jason Chimera at the buzzer of the second period led to a Girardi PPG in the first minute of the third, putting Caps back in their one-goal hole, but only temporarily as Marcus Johansson’s inability to clear the zone gave NYR’s Stepan space and time to make it 4-2.
• Ovi was pretty much nullified. Most of his (scarce) shot attempts were blocked, and he — and this is weird– seemed to get hit more than he hit others. I’m not really used to that, but hats off to the Rags for sticking it to him. I’m not sure they’ll be able to do that back in Verizon Center, where the Caps will get last line change.
• Karl Alzner kept it close with an outside slapper (that have got a piece of Perry) with just a bit over 12 minutes left. Because apparently this series was too relaxing for some people.

Joe B suit of the night

Aaaalright, the Caps may have gotten a bit off their game there.

You can chalk some up to the refs, but we can’t pretend like this game was stolen from the Caps. Mysterious decisions on defense and some bad moves on the breakout sort of doomed the effort. The Rangers won the physical game and seemed to have figured out the Oates’ power play. That might make the rest of this series difficult. Or at least interesting. It’s as if the gauntlet has been thrown.

That doesn’t mean it’s undoable. The Rangers have no advantage whatsoever. All they have done is restored the series to neutral. The Caps own on home ice, and they’ll have to flaunt it to win this series.

Friday. Be ready.

Okay not the psyche-up song I wanted. I’ll try again later.

Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

Game three of the quarterfinal series between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers was an opportunity for a statement. The Capitals could have played just as they had last week and put NYR in a headlock. That didn’t happen. Instead, the Capitals got drawn into a quagmire on rocky ice– a penalty-punctuated, back-and-forth battle that they could not win despite dominating the even-strength game.

Rangers beat Capitals 4-3. Capitals still lead the series 2-1.

• The Caps got off to a rollicking start, killing off Alex Ovechkin’s penalty for gregarious hockey-hugging and then scoring the game’s first goal when Nicky Backstrom deflected John Carlson‘s shot past Henrik Lundqvist. MSG went silent, but it did not last.
• Joel Ward high-sticked Derick Brassard– wait, seriously? Again? Ugh this was like the worst part of last year except for the entirety of Dale Hunter’s coaching decisions. Brian Boyle scored a gorgeous goal as the man-advantage expired– beating both Mike Green and Braden Holtby near-side.
• And then came the too many men whistle, which was completely appropriate, but applied to the wrong team. (Pic by hockeyshopped)
  
  So that’s a travesty right there. Some folks said that possession is necessary for an excessive manliness whistle, but these folks are incorrect. Any of those Rangers players more than five feet from the bench (n=7) could and should have been assessed for the call.
• The penalties kept coming in the second period, as it took the Rangers just 7 seconds to convert Braden Holtby‘s trip of Nash into a lead.
• The Madison Square Garden ice is not known for its pristinity (checked: actual word) in early May. While there was some fancy finesse play in each period’s opening minutes, the back half devolved into chippy junk. That was bad for the Capitals’ game, particularly since the Rags’ wrangled up a lot of power plays in the first half of the middle frame.
• Mike Green filled in the one-goal hole late in the second with a really pretty wrister to the top shelf, where mama hides the double stuff Oreos. I’m just gonna keep on harping on the “healthy Mike Green is scary Mike Green” thing until the lamestream media (fake snark) picks up on it.
• The Caps defense rolled out the red carpet to Aaron Asham, who caught a pass from below the goal line to re-establish the Rangers lead early in the third. Yucky D too much tonight.
• Jack Hillen, whom we all love so hard, sent a flubbery wrister off the faceoff that ballooned past Lundqvist (after a Jay Beagle tip– I called it!) like so many Gummy Bears cartoons. Do you remember when cartoons were about a food product that was literally all sugar? Ahh, childhood.
• John Carlson and the top line were not able to clear the zone during a sustained Rangers possession, giving Derek Stepan the opportunity to put the Rangers up a goal with six and a half minutes left. That lead stuck.
• Alex Ovechkin drew a high stick with two minutes left in regulation. The resulting power play was a little too hesitant considering the state of the ice. Crash the net, y’all.

Joe B suit of the night

That’s okay. A Caps-Rangers series isn’t supposed to be a walk in the park. They’re supposed to be torrid, evenly matched, heart-rending affairs, and this was one of those.

If any lesson can be taken from this, it’s that Madison Square Garden ice sucks, and the Caps must simplify to succeed there. That means less passing and more shooting– hoping against hope to get the puck elevated and towards Lundqvist, who frankly enjoys an unfair advantage on home ice.

I’m not filled with negativity or disappointment after this one. It’s hard to be bitter when Eric Fehr played like such a stud. I don’t think bad whistles were the sole culprit, and I do think the Caps deserved most of those calls. If they play the same game over again with a bit more discipline, they’ll get the win.

The Caps will be coming back to Verizon Center this weekend. The only question is whether they’ll be bringing a win home with them. I think so.

Let the boys play. Hahaha RT @mfiller90: @russianmachine twitter.com/MFiller90/stat…

— RMNB (@russianmachine) May 7, 2013

Gorgeous pic by Greg Fiume

Hockey hypertension. The Washington Capitals and New York Rangers played a high-tension matinee game that had everyone watching in conniption fits. Superb performances by goalies Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby kept the game scoreless through regulation despite some dazzling chances at both ends. I’m trying to think of a non-cliched way to say we were on the edge of our seats, but I’m way too wrapped up in this to be clever right now.

Braden Holtby refused all offers, and the Capitals dominated overtime until Mike Green ended it on the power play.

Caps beat Rangers 1-0 (Overtime). Caps lead the series 2-0.

• John Erskine did not play his best game. While he contributed a few muffins and cannons from the blue line, he looked overwhelmed in his own zone, particularly when playing below the goal line. Braden Holtby bailed him out at every turn, but Ersk could use a bit more confidence and deliberation with and without the puck.
• The Caps have a localized epidemic of Swedish Passing Disease. Nick Backstrom and especially Marcus Johansson had some prime chances to score squandered due to reticence to shoot. I think the feeling is that Henrik Lundqvist cannot be bested without some brilliant passing sequence, but he’s just mortal and will stop somewhere around 92% of shots over time. Gimme volume over quality, though crashing the net never hurts.
• John Carlson was everywhere, driving play more than any other player and leading the team in shot on net.
• Rick Nash had a semi-breakaway in the third period that went off the goalpost. We really owe that goalpost a thank you card. Someone get on that.
• Eric Fehr is good everyday, but today he was extra special good. His penalty killing in overtime nearly led to a SHOTGWG, and he immediately followed it up with a diving block. Unreal play by the Caps’ unsung hero.
• Mike Green, my baby. We’ve never seen Green play healthy in the playoffs until now. It’s a marvelous sight.
• Braden Holtby made 24 saves in his shutout, and he needed every one.

Exclusive Joe B suit of the afternoon

Holy shit, guys. We made it through this one. That was as tense as anything I’ve ever seen. I had to take off my shirt during OT because I didn’t know how to cope. I still don’t. These may not be sentences I’m writing right now– and my hands are shaking so bad my TYPOS REL/60 is probably off the charts.

The Caps really came through in this one. They owned the puck, played physically, and got their power play converting when it matters most. It wasn’t the team effort we saw on Thursday– this was a hero thing. The oft-maligned Mike Green had a very big day, and Braden Holtby did what we’ve come to expect from him– nigh perfection.

As far as I’m concerned, I’m houseruling Braden Holtby perfect through two games. That game-one goal against was a fluke. He’s been ideal– something of a postseason habit for Holtby.

The Caps now head to Manhattan to curbstomp the Rangers. I think they can do it. Every chump who picked Rangers in 4 or 5 is looking a bit silly right now. If the Caps stick to their game, they’re going deep.

Good game guys!

The camera zooming in on Pierre is how most nightmares start

— RMNB (@russianmachine) May 4, 2013

Photo credit: Greg Fiume

Oh god. Oh god. Oh. God.

I’m a bit wrapped up in the Washington Capitals this year. I thought I’d be cool, analyzing the game with the sober distance of an expert, but I’m not that at all. I’m a basket case, and I bet I’m not alone. It’s the gosh-darn playoffs, and the Caps are off to a hot start.

Washington bombarded NYR goalie Henrik Lundqvist in the first period, but the Rangers somehow got the early lead anyway. The Caps didn’t change their style though and responded with three goals in the second period. Holtby withstood an enfilade in the third and earned a wonderful game-one win.

Caps beat Rangers 3-1. Caps lead series 1-0. Boom!

• The Caps owned early. They peppered Henrik with shots and kept the Rangers without one of their own until darn near the 10-minute mark.
• After 14 or so minutes of Caps domination, the Rangers untilted the ice with a fruitless power play. Then Carl Hagelin locked up possession after a Caps icing and then used John Erskine‘s skate to put NYR on the scoreboard.
• Alex Ovechkin took the Capitals franchise lead in playoff goals with his second period power play scoar. Ovi sunk it after a deliberately wide shot made its way into his wheelhouse. Never let it be said Ovi doesn’t show up in the postseason. The man is a rock.
• Joe Beninati made a point of touting Martin Erat‘s playoff experience in Nashville, which is an odd thing to say this year as the only action Nashville is seeing right now is between Rayna and Deacon. Hell yeah, I watch that show.
• Marcus Johansson got the lead, beating Lundqvist after a sweet stretch pass from Steven Oleksy. Who was that blog all down on Marcus Johansson? Surely wasn’t us. Jokes aside: Unlike in January, Johansson is healthy and pulling his weight like a good little Swede.
• 46 clicks later, birthday boy Jason Chimera connected for goal number three. I predict a Jason Chimera goal pretty much every game, and recently I’ve been right more often. Of all Caps players, I think Chimera has the most Druce potential. Tell me I’m wrong
• Steve Oleksy did the rarely seen and even-more-rarely recommended cheek shot-block at the tail end of the second period. He went down to the ice like a pile of hot laundry, but came back out soon after because hockey. Because. Hockey.
• The Capitals’ power play yielded one very important goal, but for the most part it was uglier than Oleksy’s beat-up face. The Caps gave up mucho shorthanded chances, and if not for the wall-like qualities of Braden Holtby, this would’ve been baaaaaad. On the other hand, the usually disciplined Rangers surprisingly committed a big ol’ bucketload of penalties– giving the Caps plenty of chances to workshop those shorthanded chase-kills.
• Braden Holtby was nigh perfect. That goal against in the first period was a freak accident– a thing made purely out of happenstance. Every goalie is gonna give up a goal like that– a flukey cross-crease pass that bounces off a friendly skate. Holtby was unfazed by it and proceeded to stop 35 shots, many of them coming in furiously dense bunches– including a weird one with four minutes left that the boys in Toronto had to peep. He’s a pro. He’s a cucumber. Basically what I’m saying is this: 2013 Braden Holtby looks a lot like 2012 Braden Holtby, and there is no better news than that for Caps fans right now.

Joe B suit of the night

Uhh… HELL YEAH.

I had some anxiety about how the Caps would perform against a stout team like New York and after a billion day layover, but Alex Ovechkin set those anxieties at ease with that pretty PPG. But this wasn’t a star thing (except for the hairy guy in net); this was a team effort. Jason Chimera, Mathieu Perreault, Eric Fehr, and The Wagon all contributed to this win in significant ways.

As much fun as it would be to see a hat trick from Ovechkin or Nick Backstrom raking up points, a solid team win like this is even more encouraging for the rest of the series. If the Caps play as well as they did tonight, I think they can win all seven games!

Saturday morning (on *groan* NBC) will be big time stuff. Let’s all be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for moar net crashing.

p.s. I’m still not over Fred Weasley.

Photo credit: Greg Fiume

Saturday night revealed the Capitals’ playoff foe, and that foe is really, really familiar.

The New York Rangers locked up the 6-seed and will be headed to Washington early this week to begin the quarterfinal round. This will be the seventh time the teams have met and the third time RMNB will have written about a WSH-NYR series. The John Tortorella Rangers are a shot-blocking, workaday-type crew– but this year they’ve added convincing possession to the mix (they’re ranked sixth in unblocked shot attempts at even strength when the score is close). The Rangers may be a better match-up for the Caps than the Senators (whose Craig Anderson posted the best goalie stats this year) and the Isles (whose John Tavares is a convincing young star), but the Rags are no slouch either.

If you’re already anxious, you’re not alone. But this is the playoffs, where the gentle hum of anxiety is your stalwart dance partner.

Like I said above, NYR directs 53.81% of shots at the enemy’s net, whereas the Capitals tilt the ice against them with just 47.85% possession. That could be trouble in facing a goalie like Henrik Lundqvist, who can be trusted to stop 92% of shots with some regularity.

Montreal blog Habs Eyes on the Prize illustrated how that puck possession correlates with postseason success. The top-right quadrant are very low-possession teams, who never make the postseason. The top-left, where the Caps fit in, contains slightly stronger teams, but ones who rarely go far in the playoffs and have won just one Cup out of 70 attempts (and I’d put an asterisk on that winner if I could). The bottom-left quadrant is strong possession teams, who make the postseason with regularity and often make it far. And the bottom-right is full of the rare ice-tilting crazies, who are your perennial favorites to win. You might wanna zoom in on this one.

The Caps would be at top-left, and the Rangers at bottom-left.

This week will see Rick Nash return to postseason play for the first time since 2009. In his 10-year career, Nash has played just 4 playoff games. The Jackets got swept by the Wings that year. He’ll be eager to produce in a Game That Matters– though the raw shock of playing hockey in the month of May might be enough to confuse him into irrelevance, which will at least be fun to watch.

Unlike the Caps-Rangers series this year. As J.P. pointed out last night, the Caps couldn’t beat the Rangers this year except by the shootout. (Point of order: there are no shootouts in the postseason.) Those games were punishing to watch.

On February 1, the Caps got some excellent ‘tending from Braden Holtby (20 shots against in the first period alone), but the offense was MIA. The March 10th loss was one of the worst games of the season, possibly due to Mike Milbury’s inane jeremiad during intermission. The March 21st shootout win was the first time I was willing to consider the Caps making the postseason– although they did surrender a two-goal lead in that one.

That triad of games isn’t by itself encouraging for the Caps’ chances next week, but there are some reasons to feel bullish.

The Capitals’ magic bean, an extraordinarily effective power play, will be crucial to a win– but getting those penalties might be a problem. The Rangers were one of the least penalized teams in the league this year– going shorthanded just 148 times compared to the Caps’ 163. Once a man-down, the Rangers killed 81.1%– right around league average. The opposite (inverse? contrapositive?) is also important: Washington’s PK is in the league’s bottom-5 at 78%, although New York isn’t quite deadly on their own power play, converting just 15.7% of the time– the 8th worst conversion rate in the league.

Of course, the secret to the power play is getting them in the first place. Drawing penalties usually requires that your team has possession of the puck and is doing something scary with it. This will sound trite, but it’s true: the Capitals’ clearest path to victory is based on shot volume– putting as many shots a possible on Lundqvist with traffic up front fighting for rebounds and drawing penalties. Once penalties are drawn, the Caps need only feed on Adam Oates‘ magic trough of power play oats. Adam’s oats.

Speaking of Adam, though the Caps and Rags will be meeting for the third time in recent memory, this will be the third head coach we’ll see behind Washington’s bench. Bruce Boudreau’s trap-Caps made quick work of New York in 2011 when Jason Chimera delivered the fatal blow. And just one year ago, Dale Hunter’s coin-toss Caps lost their final toss in a taut, seven-game series. The 2013 Capitals may share some personnel with those earlier iterations, but this is not the same team.

The Oates Caps are still inchoate, still defining their identity. They’re dynamic on the breakout, deliberate in zone entry, and devastating on the power play– but those are conclusions drawn from the scant evidence of a 48-game season. If the Caps are overly reliant on their top line and the man-advantage to score, then this may be an un-fun series. If the Caps expect to score one goal for every ten shots on net, they may be disappointed.

You’ve probably heard this part before, but I’m certain the Caps can win this if they crash the net. It’ll take secondary scoring, a deluge of shots from Alex Ovechkin, Braden Holtby playing like we know he can, Mike Green at 100% health, and a whole lotta dirty goals from guys like the Wagon– unafraid to plant themselves in New York’s paint and scrap for the puck. It can be done.

Photo credit: Paul Bereswill

The Washington Capitals came to Manhattan on a tear. They brought everything they had against the New York Rangers in the game’s first ten minutes, only to see the home team nullify a two-goal lead before the first intermission. Two periods of tight hockey and excellent goaltending followed– earning the Caps one point for surviving regulation. That second point had to wait until the shootout– the Caps’ first of the season.

Holtby poked Nash. Hendricks failed to paralyze Lundqvist. Callahan went wide. Ovi scoared. Stepan roofed it. Ribeiro got denied. Richards got swatted away. And Backstrom sunk it!

Caps beat Rangers 3-2 (Shootout)

• The Capitals came out of the gates figuratively on fire. They definitively tilted the ice in the first– putting 16 more even-strength attempts towards Lundqvist. That earned them two goals– captain Alex Ovechkin involved in both– before the ten-minute mark. It didn’t last.
• The Rangers fought back with a very pretty two-on-one goal by Arron Asham, who was playing in his first game since February 19. Then, just 7 seconds into a 5-on-3, Derek Stepan snuck the puck into the net. It was a low-angle shot that went off the back of Braden Holtby‘s stick.
• The Caps had a great chance to even things up in the second period as the Rangers gave them an extended 5-on-3 power play… which the Caps squandered with a few low-percentage long bombs by John Carlson (only one on target) and some brownian motion in the interior.
• Late in the second, Mike Ribeiro unleashed a slapshot zeroed in on Henrik Lundqvist‘s facemask. Lundqvist was dazed, but he wasn’t needed at the moment– Karl Alzner‘s next shot went off the post.
• Alex Ovechkin and Marcus Johansson had a dramatic two-on-one in the third period. In too many occurrences this season, Johansson has opted to pass when he should shoot. Tonight he shot… and missed by a mile.
• We couldn’t expect the Caps to maintain their momentum from early in the game, but they dropped off way too much. They hardly challenged Lundqvist after the first 10 minutes. Possession teams are good teams, and the Caps showed glimpses of being both tonight.
• Related: The Rangers’ masochistic obsession with shot blocking has not diminished. No one tell them that blocking outside shots is futile and dangerous, okay? Let’s just let ‘em figure it out on their own.
• Eric Fehr left the game after the 7-minute mark of the third period. He suffered an upper-body injury and did not return. Knowing Fehr’s history with shoulder injuries, this could be very very bad news. Think positive thoughts, everybody. Fehr has been the Caps’ best surprise this season, and if healthy he’s certaintly deserving of a new contract.
• Wojtek Wolski should have a sweater every night. Scratching him for the Caps’ first shootout makes his absence even more painful.
• Sorry about all the #thebank tweets. It should have been #thebankstrom.

Joe B suit of the night

Alex Ovechkin has been a tremendous leader for this team when they needed it most. He’s been a point machine, scoring important goals, leveling big hits, and finally pitching in on the shootout. He deserves a ton of credit for getting 3 Ws out of the last 4 games.

That’s a pretty solid road trip. Just getting the OTL point from the Rangers would have been a big deal, but Nicky and Ovi made it a decisive win. We’ll check the stats in a bit, but it looks like the Caps have a real chance to make the playoffs right now.

So what does that do to all that mess I wrote yesterday? What’s your take?

Photo credit: Patrick McDermott

After a misstep on Long Island, the Washington Capitals hoped to regain their footing while hosting the New York Rangers on Sunday. After a quick start, the Caps lost control of the game. A snazzy goal by Steve Oleksy in the first period gave the Caps the lead, but the Rangers retaliated with four goals– two of them scored after penalties by Alex Ovechkin. Holtby was chased from the net, and the Caps never really mounted a palpable comeback.

Rangers beat Caps 4-1.

• Possession predicts victory. The Rangers outshot the Capitals at even strength 29 to 19. The Caps can still win games like that, but they can’t do it often. This team has to own the puck, or else they’ll remain a bottom-10 team.
• Steve Oleksy continues his fairy tale. His first period goal exhibited his best virtue: the dude shoots. From anywhere and anywhen, Oleksy doesn’t have the meekness that kept Dmitry Orlov from getting noticed last season. Hip checks are great and all, but if you can put rubber on net, you have a better chance at a future in the big league.
• New York’s first goal was a Derek Stepan softy that banked off Holtby’s skate. Braden Holtby should have locked down that post. That’s what happened, but here’s what you heard on NBC:
• Alex Ovechkin‘s missed hit on Stepan at neutral ice was the cause of both that goal and the momentum shift in the first period. No, NBC, that’s bullpucky. Stepan stepped outside of Ovechkin’s path, so for Ovi to make the hit he’d have to stick a knee out and risk both injury and suspension. Ovechkin already got whistled for interference on a late hit earlier this week; he was smart not to push his luck today. That said, any Caps fan would prefer that Ovi hauled ass afterwards, but to say that this non-event precipitated the goal is absurd. It just exposes Jones and Olczyk as dilettantes who can’t speak intelligently about tactics, so they have to compensate with ad hominem nonsense.
• Alright, this is basically an all-Ovi recap. Ovechkin committed two penalties before the Rangers’ second goal: a hold and a trip (the trip is not on the game summary). The Rangers converted on the delayed penalty and then again on the power play. I’m really baffled as to how Ovechkin committed the hold, but either way: not a sterling shift by the Caps captain. At least he attempted a block on the Boyle goal.
• Let’s suppose for a second that the Capitals truly are hated by the refs– and maybe that’s true– I dunno. How do the Capitals rehab that image? How do they get the calls they want? This is not a rhetorical question; I really want to know.
• Marcus Johansson returned to active duty since his concussion/interminable benching. 1 shot, 1 assist, 15 minutes on ice, and some strong play along the boards. I think he was pretty awful on the Rangers’ fourth goal, but overall it’s good to see him back and building trade value. Sorry, that was snide.
• Still, I wonder why Wolski and Perreault were in the press box today while fellas like Joey Crabb and Aaron Volpatti get sweaters.
• Braden Holtby was relieved before the game’s halfway mark, but not before he surrendered three goals on 19 shots. It was not Holtby’s best day. Michal Neuvirth took over in net, appearing for the first time since February 7th, which I’m told is NOT actually Valentine’s Day. After too many setbacks, it’s great to see Neuvy healthy and given the opportunity to stop some pucks again.
• Alex Ovechkin is still stuck at 699.
• Is anyone else strangely fine with the new Fall Out Boy song getting played at Caps games? That song was basically designed to be played in arenas, and pretty much anything is better than Gary Glitter. Feel free to call me names in the comments.

Dammit, world. Stop making me defend Alex Ovechkin. I am NOT happy with his play either. Still, there are good ways and bad ways to have this conversation.

For example, if your argument includes the phrases “like a man” or “European-style”, you may benefit from some inward reflection before you turn your gaze out. If your point alternates between demanding that Ovechkin become a pure goal scorer and becoming a two-way forward, there may possibly be some coherence problems. And if your point is just an excuse to advance your own Q-rating or get some ad impressions, you are probably not intellectually honest.

But if you are prepared to acknowledge the inevitable decline that comes with age while leveling criticism at Alex’s backchecking speed, have at it. If you are cognizant of the lower level of talent skating with Alex since 2010 while you question the merit in him handling the puck so much at neutral ice, now we’re on to something. That’s how we’ll have a good discussion– by understanding and internalizing the opposition’s points while refining our own.

Alright, I’m off the soapbox. I am burning the soapbox along with the game tape. This game — this whole weekend– was a stinker, but it’s over now.

This coming week will be the most important of the Capitals season. A home-and-home series with the Carolina Hurricanes could launch them closer to the division leader, or it could put the division title safely out of reach.

No pressure.