“Perry, we did it! We actually score on power play!” (Photo credit: Rick Stewart)

After going 1-4 in their last five games — all against Western Conference foes — the Caps headed back to the friendly confines of the east coast on Sunday, hoping to right the ship versus Buffalo. Facing a hungry Sabres team in a nationally televised matchup, Washington was certainly up to the task.

The first period may have been scoreless but it certainly wasn’t uneventful. The Capitals managed 16 shots but Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller was fantastic, making big saves throughout the frame. Washington also had four power play chances in the period, including over a minute and a half on the two man advantage. However, the Caps PP continued their struggles, failing to convert as Miller remained strong.

Mathieu Perreault would finally break Miller’s streak in the second stanza. After an odd bounce in the corner, the puck kicked out to the front of the net. Perreault took advantage, putting the Caps up 1-0. However, after Brooks Laich was called for goalie interference, the Sabres would head to the power play. At 8:20 Jason Pominville converted on the man advantage, getting the puck past a screened Semyon Varlamov to knot the score at one.

Midway through the third, former Cap Shaone Morrisonn was whistled for interference, once again putting Washington on the power play. But this time, it actually worked. Alex Ovechkin skated the puck into zone before firing a shot on Miller who made the stop. However, the biscuit went to waiting Perreault. With a little help from Marcus Johansson — whose deflection awarded him the marker — Perreault put the puck in the back of net, giving the Capitals the lead. Buffalo attempted a rally but Varlamov stayed strong. Caps beat Sabres, 2-1.

• Our first bullet begrudgingly goes to the mighty-haired one, Ryan Miller. Miller was impenetrable as he stopped 16 shots in the first period, 17 in the second, and 37 for the day. Time after time he stood tall in the net. Perhaps his biggest save of the matchup was his robbery of Nicklas Backstrom in the first period. How he stabbed Backstrom’s point-blank shot we don’t know. But it figures he would get special powers on Hockey Day in America.
• As we mentioned earlier, the Caps managed to score a power play goal today — even more on that later — but they did themselves no favors early on, squandering four power play opportunities in the first period, included 1:34 of five-on-three time.  The Capitals may have ratcheted up their shot total during the two-man advantage, but the quality of the shots were poor.  Washington passively stood around the perimeter and created little havoc in the crease. Here’s an idea: we would love to see this team utilize the slap pass more. Opponents have heavily scouted the Caps power play and seem to know where the shots are going to come from. This would help open things up and keep PK’ers off balance.  And let’s make this simple: if you can’t score on a two man advantage you generally will lose the game.  The Capitals were lucky to overcome that.
• Once again, it was a less heralded Caps player that made the biggest difference. One night after having his jersey retired by Blaine High School, Matt Hendricks got a gift from the Hockey Gods in the first period as his dump-in ricocheted off the boards right to Perreault for the game’s first goal. Hendricks also drew an interference call on Morrisonn by working hard and keeping his feet moving in the offensive-zone.  That penalty led to Washington’s game-winning goal.
• The Capitals’ fourth line of Boyd Gordon, David Steckel and Matt Bradley brought the energy today and managed to create four scoring chances at even strength, including an ill-fated breakaway for Gordon. In comparison, the Caps first line of Ovechkin, Backstrom and Mike Knuble only managed three.
• Scott Hannan was on the ice for seven scoring chances and three against — one of which was the screen on Varlamov that led to Buffalo’s only goal of the game. Hannan has been steady in Mike Green’s absence but, dude, please try not to skate in Varly’s sightline when he’s trying to make a big glove save. Then we have to hear other Caps bloggers diss our favorite goalie. And that makes us sad.
• Speaking of Semyon Varlamov, he was потрясающий [English translation: tremendous]. Varly had 28 saves, many of the spectacular variety, and managed not to lose his under-garments when Thomas Vanek came in on a breakaway. As Sergey Kocharov said afterwards, “Varly made a difficult game look easy.” We couldn’t agree more.
• At Neil’s final count, the Caps out-chanced Buffalo 22-13 and 13-11 at even strength. Overall, Washington accumulated seven power play chances.

• 

  Teamwork. (Screencapture by @Caps_Grl)

  Finally, the Capitals game-winning goal (above) came from several excellent individual plays strung together. Ovechkin came into the Buffalo zone with a huge burst of speed, cut to the middle of the ice and slung a wrist shot towards Miller. Miller’s pads didn’t corral the rebound as the puck squirted to Perreault in the far corner. With the net yawning, Perreault made the decision to shoot. Miller would have recovered in time but Johansson was there to redirect six ounces of rubber into the net. Hard work, skating, shots from bad angles and rebounds. That’s how you score on the power play. You don’t just stand around waiting for something to happen.

This was a big win for Washington. Coming off their poor performances against Western Conference, this road-trip could have easily become a disaster. Now, the Caps will salvage at least four points. They can go above .500 for the journey when they face the depleted Pittsburgh Penguins Monday.

The curse is broken. The Capitals have won when I’m on recap duty. Feel free to rip up your hate letters. Caps versus Pens tomorrow. Catch you here afterwards.

Additional reporting by Neil Greenberg and Ian Oland.

[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.

April Fools? Matt Bradley scores the game winning goal. (Photos by Nick Wass)

After spending the last few days discussing if the Capitals are coasting to the playoffs or not, one thing was certain: Washington needed a win in a bad kind of way tonight. With three straight losses under it’s belt and a Capitals Blogosphere filling with doubt for the first time all year, somebody had to step up and yell “Пора взять быка за рога” (It’s time to take the bull by the horns) . And lucky for the Caps, Alex Ovechkin Matt Bradley was equal to the task. Caps THRASH Atlanta 2-1.

Me so punny:

• With the victory over the Thrashers tonight, we can finally wave goodbye to the Capitals 3 game losing streak and usher in the Capitals first back to back 50 win seasons in Franchise History. Oh man, that has a much nicer ring to it. Tonight’s win also marked the third time the Washington Capitals have won 50 game or more in it’s 36 years of existence.
• Dare I say, on a night where RMNB First String Goalie Semyon Varlamov needed to look like the Semyon Varlamov of old to have any shot of playing in the postseason, he in fact did. Varly played spectacularly, stopping 19 shots and diffusing a first period Maxim Afinogenov breakaway that – if converted – could have completely altered the complexion of the game. For the first time in a… really long time… we can say that Semyon looked agile, not fragile in the third period. We salute you, comrade!
• With the Hart Trophy beckoning, Alex Ovechkin once again went goalless. In fact, in the last 9 games, the Russian Machine has managed only two tallies. Is it time to hit the panic button? We’re going to say no. This may be a severe goal drought for the two time MVP, but if you were paying close attention tonight, Atlanta double-teamed him every time he had the puck in the offensive zone, a defensive tactic that has been used ad nauseum over the last few weeks. We think this drought has more to do with his 1st line teammates not capitalizing on their open space, than Ovechkin failing in any way. But maybe we’re the wrong people to ask.
• Mike Green must have been drinking his Muscle Milk because lately he’s been on a roll. Not only did he lead the team with 24:20 of Ice Time tonight, Green’s brilliant slapshot led to Washington’s first goal: a deft deflection by Nicklas Backstrom, his 30th of the year, in front of the net. With the primary assist on the play, Green tied his career high in points, 73, with 5 games to go. It’s nice to see Game Over firing on all cylinders, and at the end of the season for a change.

• Honestly, I’m not sure what was worse, Colby Armstrong’s right cross to the head of Mathieu Perreault or Shaone Morrisonn’s weak defense of his fallen teammate. Was he trying to kiss him? Come on ShaMo, throw some bows, throw a right cross. Just do something man! We also ask Colin Campbell to please make an example out of this cowardly act. I’m all for eliminating blatant head shots with an intent to injure. Can you join me? Armstrong should have been given a 5 minute major for – charging, roughing, elbowing, your choice really – and a match penalty. I’m guessing the NHL won’t suspend him because Perreault is still capable of breeding. But we shall see tomorrow.
• Shaone Morrisonn you also get another bullet for your terrible defensive breakdown with Tom Poti which allowed Tim Stapleton (who?) to score his first goal of the season and also ruin a potential shutout for Varly. Sigh. At least it set up…
• Matt Bradley and his Heroics. In the first period, we learned that Matt Bradley can move a mountain. And by that I mean, he flattened 6’4” 255 lb Evgeny Artyukhin (Thanks CapitaLoL’s). Then in the third period, we learned that Matt Bradley can make a 3 time Norris Trophy Winner cry. As Brads skated out of the corner with Chris Chelios’ stolen puck, a crazed look came to his eyes – a power that I can only surmise came from the hands of God. This holy power boost allowed him to take the puck hard to the net and backhand an ordinary shot past Ondrej Pavelec. Yes, the GWG goes to Matt Bradley. And then for the cherry on top, Bradley described the goal as lucky in the post game interview with Lisa Hillary (HOLLA). This is absolutely ridiculous. It’s really too bad that I still hate him for stealing the Russian Machine’s fight.
• Lastly, it was hard for me to concentrate on the third period after Abram Fox notified me that TSN wrote a column linking to our Barack The Red website. Check it out here. This is truly incredible (if you couldn’t tell by my reaction on Twitter) – and Mr. President – It’s about time you come to a game. James Cybulski is right, if you can pick brackets on SportsCenter, go to a Wizards games and throw out the first pitch at a Nationals Game, you certainly can make time to see the best team in hockey. TSN, thank you for the support.

Anyways, what a game. I can’t really think of a great way to end this post tonight, so I’ll leave you with a hilarious Post Game Live text that I noticed. It read: Caps don’t take no thrashes. WHO NEXT?!?!

Marc-Andre Fleury's dreams will be haunted by Mike Knuble tonight. Photos by Nick Wass.

Wow. Before we begin, I need a cup of apple juice and a good cry.

Okay.  Better now.

The debate prefacing tonight’s game between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins was whether or not this was “just another game”, but that’s just silly. In hindsight we know that any time these two forces meet, something remarkable will happen.

Tonight we rode an emotional rollercoaster through 60 minutes of regulation hockey, another five of overtime, and four shootout rounds before the decision was made. We saw the best and worst of Capitals hockey tonight. But thanks to Old Man Mike Knuble and the Macedonian monster Jose Theodore, the Caps were victorious. Caps beat Pens 4-3 (OT).

BulletsBulletsBulletsBulletsBulletsBullets Mushroom! Mushroom!

• Holy crap, Mike Knuble. You know this guy haunts Marc-Andre Fleury‘s dreams. Kanoobs’ first goal of the night was scored from sanctum sanctorum: behind the Penguins goalie.  His shootout goal, the game winner and the first of Mike’s career, was a bread-and-butter top-shelfer that must have felt to Fleury like a switch-up after Semin’s and Ovechkin’s antics. Like Neil said, can anyone think of a better free agent pickup than the Garbage Man?
• Jose Theodore stopped 39 of 42 shots tonight, and he looked damn good doing it. Jose was not once caught out of position, and made enough smart plays to earn himself the Palm award. Stay away from the crab cakes and the gravy, Theo! Theo’s victory run is beginning to exceed my comprehension. He was only .500 in the month December, but since the new year Theo has gone 17-0-2. He’s the darkest of dark horses, but Jose is playing Vezina-level hockey lately.
• Shaone Morrisonn escapes mention in most game recaps, but not tonight. The blueliner racked up 9 hits and one headlock. S-Mo’s play was a smart reaction to the level of physicality the Penguins brought in the first period, and he may have silently swung the momentum back in the right direction for the Caps.
• I don’t like to brag, but I TOTALLY CALLED the Alexander Semin shorthanded goal. Semin was getting browbeaten for the first forty minutes and was failing to return fire. Turns out Sasha was just waiting for his moment of glory during that third-period PK shift.
• Before Jordan Staal tied it up in the waning moments of the third, Eric Fehr‘s redirection of Mike Green‘s shot gave the Caps the go-ahead goal. The ensuing applause and Joe Beninati’s clipping growl reached a level that we’ve not heard the Verizon, nay, the Fehr-izon Center reach since last Spring. Fehr’s point streak continues!
• Alexander Ovechkin nearly gave us The Goal, Part II.
• I wanted to leave the ignominious officiating out of tonight’s recap, but Ed Francovic convinced me otherwise: “Blind referee night here at the Verizon Center sponsored by the Colin Campbell Disciplinary Program.”
• I’m not among the throng of passionate fans who dislike the shoot-out, but I do appreciate their argument. Even if it’s not an accurate metric for a hockey team, the “gimmick” makes for some excellent drama. After Nicklas Backstrom faltered and the Penguins gained a 2-0 lead, the pressure was on the Russian Machine(s). Neither of the Alexanders are shootout aces and both have earned my scorn, but tonight they were sorcerors of stick and puck. Both teased a poke check out of Fleury, and both flopped the disk like a salmon in the back of the net. Thinking of the hundred-plus writers cooped into the press box at Fehrizon Center tonight, I’m filled with more pity than envy. At these events, the press corps are not allowed to rip off their shirts and skank around their living rooms like I just did.
• Tonight’s win puts the Caps’ points at 108, tied for the best in franchise history. And they’ve got  nine games left. If it were legal, I’d recommend Boudreau bench the team and let the Hershey Bears play the Hurricanes tomorrow.

Let’s not kid ourselves. The story of the Capitals and Penguins is not over. Even after their next meeting in Pittsburgh on April 6th, their paths will likely cross again. As the glow of tonight’s celebration fades, we’ll begin to see more daunting challenges in the distance. But for now, let’s just be grateful that we have such a terrific team to cheer on– a team with passion, character, and a palpable love for the sport that we share. When we’re privy to the play these Washington Capitals provide, there’s no such thing as “just another game.”

Hockey fans everywhere now turn their lonely eyes to the General Managers.  Nearly every club in the NHL wants to make some kind of move, and the Washington Capitals are no exception. Who’s packing a bag? Who’s coming to DC?  Let’s take a look!

On The Block

5. Karl Alzner
Terms:
 $875,000 – RFA in 2012
21 GP 0 G 5 A
Our Analysis:
Karl Alzner – at 20 years old – is the only defenseman from the 2007 draft class to have ten NHL games under his belt– a remarkable achievement. However, King Karl’s Top Prospect status has started to fade with inconsistent performances and a -2 plus/minus rating in his second pro year in the Washington system. In our minds, Alzner’s no longer a sure thing. Is it merely a Sophomore Slump or something deeper? It’s impossible to know, especially when most NHL Players don’t fully master the position until their late twenties. But there’s one thing for sure; with John Carlson’s rapid development, Alzner has been passed as the most untouchable defensive prospect on team. And with the tremendous amount of backline depth in Washington, Alzner’s potential return may never be higher.

4. Shaone Morrisonn
Terms:
$1,975,000 – UFA in 2010
51 GP 1 G 9 A
Our Analysis:
Despite being on the first pairing with Mike Green for most of his Capital career, Shaone Morrisonn never really played the part. Sorry to be so harsh, S-Mo. Sure, there’ve been some good moments. But to be frank, for a stay-at-home defender, Morrisonn’s not that great of a defender. And certainly not worth the $2 million we’re currently paying him. GMGM knows the Capitals still need a gritty defenseman who can clear the crease with a vengeance and physically dominate another team’s top line in the playoffs. Too bad Morrisonn never developed into that guy.

3. Brendan Morrison
Terms:
$1,500,000 – UFA in 2010
62 GP 11 G 23 A
Our Analysis:
The other Morrison had a great start to this season. Almost all of us praised George McPhee for this sage offseason signing!! But we here at RMNB must painfully ask: “B-Mo, what have you done for us lately?” And sadly Morrison’s 2 goals and 9 assists in his last 34 games are not gonna cut it. Though he’s eighth on the team in points, Morrison’s production is a huge problem if you’re considered to be the second line center of the highest scoring team in the league. We think B-Mo is a big candidate to be moved tomorrow. Maybe the Caps can deal him and a draft pick for a 2nd line center. One can dream, right?

2. Tomas Fleischmann
Terms:
$725,500 – RFA in 2010
51 GP 18 G 25 A
Our Analysis:
Flash has quietly turned into one of the Capitals best players this year. And if you watched the Olympic Tournament last week, you’d say the same about his value to the Czech National Team. With two goals in the remaining 20 games, Fleischmann will pass his career best mark for goals in a season (19). We predict it’ll happen by early next week. The best part? Flash has gotten better in every aspect of his game each year. So why would the Capitals consider moving such a valuable player? Because of what he could bring back in return. After Bruce Boudreau experimented with Fleischmann
 at center a month ago, it was evident that Flash was not that second line center the team needed – despite an early string of promising games. Oh, those pesky faceoffs get in the way of everything, right? When the smoke clears however, we here at RMNB think Flash will still be in the line-up against the Sabres tomorrow. Why? 1.) He’s a RFA this year and the Caps can afford to sign him long term; 2) It’s hard to get a fair return on a guy with so much talent and creativity. As Fedor says it, he’s a universal player: one in a million. But those might be good reasons to trade him as well.

Yes, I'm trying to tug at your heart strings.

1. Eric Fehr
Terms:
$771,500 – RFA in 2010
51 GP 15 G 14 A
Our Analysis:
Congratulations Eric Fehr, you’re number one on our list. What do you win? More than likely, a trip out of town to a rebuilding team that won’t make the playoffs in the next three years. Bummer, dude. No wonder you don’t want to pick up the phone tomorrow. Despite owning a Brandon Wheat Kings hat (Fehr’s junior team) and just absolutely loving this guy more than life itself, I think there’s no better player to unload. He’s cheap, he’s an RFA, he’s having his best season as a Capital and he loves country music. What could better unite a troubled lockerroom than that? If the Caps are willing to part with Fehrsie, they should get good compensation back. Could it be that elusive top defenseman we were whining about earlier?

As for our stone cold locks on what’s going to happen tomorrow, we really have no idea. Sorry, we’re not that kind of blog. Honestly, I would never want to play poker with George McPhee. His icey stare would eat me alive.

What we can do is start terrible rumors. We are that kind of blog. Earlier in the day, in the spirit of Eklund, I asked our fans on Facebook (join us!) to submit the most ridiculous trades they could think of for the Capitals. Our submissions: Lecavalier to the Caps for Brett Leonhardt and his DJ’ing equipment. And so desperate for a defensive boost, the Capitals trade the horn guy for Erik Johnson’s skates. They force Tom Poti to wear the skates in the hopes that Johnsons’ aweseomeness wears off on Poti. (Not a bad idea.)

Here were some of our favorite submissions from our followers:

• Neil G: Slapshot and a Simon Cowel Black Smedium T-shirt to OTT for Carrie Underwood
• Michael H: Experience>>potential. John Carlson to Atl for newly signed Chris Chelios
• Manda K: Craig Laughlin for a Filet-O-Fish Sandwhich and a Garden Salad.
• Monika M: Semin for a rinkload of Bongos.
• Peter’s Girlfriend Erin: Trade Peter Hassett to The Pensblog for a years supply of Chipotle. (Blasphemous!!)

Have a better deal? Let us know!

Lastly, if you were in a coma all day, these are the deals you missed on the glorious day before the deadline:

To PIT: Leopold, to FLA: 2nd round pick 2010
To STL: Fallon, to CHI: Toivonen, Richmond
To EDM: 2nd round pick 2010, to NSH: Grebeshkov
To CBJ: Moore, to NYI: Reese
To ATL: Artyukhin, to ANA: Oystrick, Conditional pick 2011
ATL signed Chelios
To BOS: Kampfer, to ANA: Conditional pick
To OTT: Sutton, to NYI: SJS 2nd round pick 2010
To PIT: Ponikarovsky, to TOR: Caputi & Skoula

Have fun refreshing Capitals Insider tomorrow all day waiting for the first deal to land! We’ll be there clicking away too!

Steve Eminger returns. No he still can't play defense. (Photos not by Stevie K)

I’ll admit it– wearing my undefeated Mean, Mean Russian Machine t-shirt tonight, I was a little worried about tonight’s game. It’s not as if the Ducks are a west coast powerhouse or that the Caps are missing players; it’s just that the streak has to break sometime. Why not tonight and against a lesser opponent, the kind the Capitals used to play down against.

It only took forty some minutes for the Capitals to wake up. The home team dominated the first period, but had only a 1-0 game to show for it. The second period was a sleepy affair, and gave the Ducks a chance to tie it up. But early in third period, the Caps reached deep into their bag of tricks and pulled out a game-winning goal from Shaone Morrisonn. Let me state that again: Shaone Morrisonn (0 goals in the last whole-bunch-of games) scored the go-ahead goal tonight. And that’s when the flood gates opened. Within less than three minutes, the Caps delivered two more notches. The Ducks tried to muster up some bluster with some good, old-fashioned hockey violence, but to no avail. Caps beat Ducks 5-1.

Bullets, anyone?

• For real: Shaone Morrisonn? Tonight was the blueliner’s first goal of the season. I want to award the guy some bonus points for making it a crucial one. Shaone’s 25-foot wrister danced around the knees of four or five guys before sneaking past Anaheim goalie Giguere. Wait. Was that really Shaone Morrisonn? Wow. Alright. Whatever. We’ll take it.
• Yeah, yeah. Alexander Semin scored another pair of goals and looked like a pro playing among pee-wees out there. That’s not the story. Here’s the story. @Caps_Girl, she of the “CLICK CLICK BOOOOM!”, provides this revelatory video. That’s Sasha “No speak English” Semin chatting it up with Hershey call-up Braden Holtby on the bench. The guy clearly knows the language. He’s been running a long game on the hockey press for five years now.  Bet you twenty bucks he can rap the first verse from “Ice Ice Baby.”
• Canada’s Best Defenseman Mike Green got manhandled by the Ducks. Bobby Ryan got away with some dirty shots in his bear-hug tackle behind the net. Green’s bad shoulder was smeared into the glass too many times for my taste. And while his offensive contribution was only a single assist, Green was a monster in his own zone. Green spun Ducks on breakaways and secured clears when the rest of the team seemed somnambulant.
• Russian Machine correspondent Steven Kern provided us some blurry photos from his bitchin’ seat behind the goal. Unfortunately, that goal was the Caps’ in the first and third, the Ducks in the second.  Not so much traffic there. But because the Caps scored five goals tonight, I can trade K’s ticket in for free wings at Glory Days Grill.  K, please drop off that ticket ASAP.

Tonight’s game marks the teams 207th goal of the season. No other team has 180. The Caps are tied for first place in the whole league. Washington has won eight games in a row for the first time since I’ve been potty trained. Alexander Semin has ten points in the last five games, five of which are goals. The reign of Captain Alex Ovechkin has seen only one defeat. Enjoy while it lasts, fans, because it cannot. Sorry to pee on the parade, but the Caps will have to find this same strength and greater come April and May. No time for back-patting.

Unless you’re Shaone Morrisonn.   Wow.

The last two Caps games have had us reeling. We suffered a wild beatdown from the Lightning on Tuesday, replete with spats and brawls, and then a soaring come-from-behind win over the Panthers, also punctuated with fights. Returning back to the Verizon Center for a game against Maple Leafs, you’d think the Caps would offer us a reserved performance of surgical offense and careful defense. Instead we got a bronco-busting, goal-splattered free-for-all. We’re not complaining. Before the third period could end, The Caps and Leafs showed us a series of spats that could tide us over for weeks. The final frame of this heavyweight bout devolved into a fight of Greene Turtlian proportions. If our boys weren’t ahead by five goals, we might have been a bit sour on how it played out.

Let’s dissect the fight hockey game:

• The Russian Machine is running on all cylinders. Alexander Ovechkin‘s opening goal would have set the tone for tonight’s game, but he failed to crash the net and instigate a fight while scoring. Four other assists on the night gave Ovie a 5-point game and clenched the Palm Restaurant Player of the Game award. Alex, we recommend their Jumbo Nova Scotia Lobster. The thing is like a massive, butter-covered, prehistoric crustacean. By the way, tonight’s goal puts Ovie ahead of Gaborik and immediately behind Marleau and Crosby for the goal lead. Now if those guys can miss 12 games, I bet we’d have a real horse race.
• Mike Knuble wanted the hat, but the hat did not want him. In yet another multi-goal night for a Caps player, Mike earned both his goals by getting up close and personal the netminder. Given the rest of the teams propensity for angle-searching and sniping, this works great. I think we need to officially retire our criticism of Knuble from weeks ago. He’s had five goals in the last five games, after all. You can’t argue with those numbers.

• I honestly thought we could go a whole season without writing about Shaone “the other” Morrisonn. His minus-3 rating at Tampa Bay made us scornfully quiet, and he rarely gives us much to coo over. But when Colton Orr delivered a crosscheck to Mike Green’s dome, Shaone was on him like a junkyard dog. Shoane got in every hit he could, and allowed Colton only two sloppy sledges to the back. There’s little that can bring a team together like sticking up for one another, and I bet Shaone got his thanks in the locker room. From us at Russian Machine, Shoane, you get a hood pass 4 life.
• In addition to Alex and Knuble, Mike Green, Alex Semin, and Nick Backstrom had a multi-point night. It’s great to see that the top scorers are actualizing, but as springtime draws nearer, we want to see these points spread out among Fehr, Flash, Morrison, and Laich. I have this fantasy of winning the Cup in a 10-0 shutout (Theo in net), where every line scores and Green gets the hat trick. Also, free buffalo wings. What can I say? I’m a dreamer.
• The Leafs put only 29 shots up against Jose Theodore tonight, but he stopped 28 of them. I’m not sure what made one of the NHL’s highest-shooting teams get gunshy tonight, but on behalf of Jose’s fragile ego, THANKS. Even if it wasn’t a good night for the Leafs’ offense, we can’t deny that Theo showed grace under pressure, especially in the waning minutes of the third. He dealt with long stretches of 5-on-3, more than one rush on net, and a heckuva lot of traffic behind him. CSN coverage showed a few Caps patting the netminder on the head at game-end. This pleases us. (Still, get well soon, Varly!)

• After all the fanfare that went with winning our first inaugural “Gordie,” we think Jason Chimera finally understood why we traded for him in the first place: Forecheck, be responsible in your own end, and beat the living crap out of people. While we admire his vigor, Chimmy might want to pick his spots better. He got his coached fined $10,000 and he earned an automatic one game suspension for his fight with Jay Rosehill with 2:38 remaining in the third period. Chimera was assessed an instigator penalty, five minutes for fighting and a game misconduct. Well, there goes our only tough guy for Sunday’s matinee against the Flyers. Freakin’ Great.
• John Carlson was called up late this morning from the AHL Hershey Bears to replace Brian Pothier. Only problem: He arrived at Verizon Center around 6:10 after flying in from Albany. Tarik El Bashir reported that The rookie skated 14:32, put two shots on net and earned the red hard hat from his teammates for the effort. The best part of the night, though, was the ovation he received when the starting lineups were announced. It was a ‘thank you’ for his OT goal in the gold medal game at the world junior championships earlier this month that lifted Team USA to a win over Canada. “It’s pretty cool when you get cheered on like that,” Carlson said. “It’s cool to recognized like that. But you have to make sure to stay focused on the game, so they’re still cheering for you after the game, too.”
• The Capitals are now 1-0-0 when @DookFn wears our Russian Machine Portrait T-Shirt to the Verizon Center. Flippin’ Sweet!! [Photo Here]

The struggle now is to find where tonight’s game fits into the season-long Capitals narrative. Did we witness another freak occurrence, or are the Caps under Ovie’s leadership a team of brawlers? Is The Horn Guy jealous that the Capstronaut got to hang out with Leonsis? How long until the lower bowl of the phone booth is filled only with RMNB t-shirts? My friends, I have no answers for you. We shall find out together.

Our next three games pit the Capitals against the Flyers, the Red Wings, and Penguins. Although most of the remainder of the season will be held at home, the season’s calendar is obviously not getting any easier. Maybe the smashmouth style of hockey we’ve seen this week is what it’ll take to win the Cup. Honestly? I hope not.

One of the great things about the internet is that different people can make advancements in a field (like hockey analysis) that work together, build off each other, and provide new ideas and techniques that everyone can utilize. It’s a very cool phenomenon.

http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2010/1/10/1233023/price-halak-the-stats-december-2009

Chris Boyle compares Montreal Canadiens goalies Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak with some really great, in-depth analysis. He breaks down the quality of the goals each allowed into good, bad, and suspect. There are graphics for where in the net goals where scored, including some breakdowns of the circumstances of some of the goals (who, from where, type of shot, etc). There’s a look at save percentage on shots from various distances. Just fantastic work, all around.

http://www.behindthenethockey.com/2010/1/6/1234466/how-much-do-ufas-and-rfas-cost-per

Hawerchuk looks at the players signed last off-season and their projections for this season to get an idea of the going rate of a win.

For unrestricted free agents it was $2.23 M per projected win, and for restricted free agents it was $1.33 M per projected win.

The 40% discount rate jibes well with my intuition, since in Major League Baseball a player in his three arbitration years will get about an 60%-40%-20% discount off of full market value in successive years. That averages out to the same 40%.

I had been using $3 M per win as the going rate on the free agent market, so it’s good to have that figure updated.

http://www.mc79hockey.com/?p=3288#more-3288

Countering: “Generally, what sets the NHL apart from the far more predictable (and parity-free) NBA is the curious effect that team play and chemistry, coaching and camaraderie can have on results.”

With: “The more opportunities you give to the better team, the more likely skill will win out.

In the other post that I’ve linked, he did some math and concluded that, to have the same reliability in terms of knowing the strength of a given team, you’d need a 32 game schedule in the NBA, a 28 game schedule in the NFL, an 82 game schedule in the NHL and a 162 game schedule in MLB. This, I think, gives rise to an alternate theory to “team play, chemistry, coaching and camaraderie” – we (or those of us who care about basketball) know a lot more about an NBA team from the preceding season’s results than we do about an NHL team… I’m inclined to think that “team play and chemistry, coaching and camaraderie” is a euphemism for variance.”

And throws in an example from Tom Tango: “Suppose, for example, that a tennis match lasted only one set. That is, a set is a match. Would Federer win 88% (or whatever it is) of his matches? No, of course not. If he’s winning 88% of his matches because he’s winning 65% (or whatever it is) of his sets, then having a one-set match means he’d only win 65% of the time. Similarly, if you had 7-game or 9-game matches (spread say over two days) then he’d win 95% or 99% of his matches. He’d look unbeatable (except for when he plays Nadal).”

Yup. Intangibles are what you reference when you don’t have something else to reference to make your point. The NBA isn’t more predictable because of chemistry – it’s more predictable because of the inherent structure of the sport.

http://campbellandwales.wordpress.com/2010/01/09/team-profile-washington-capitals/

“While a compelling narrative could be made for the New Jersey Devils, a quick look at the divisional standings shouts hosannas to the Buffalo Sabres, I continue to hold on to the belief that the Washington Capitals are the strongest team in this year’s Eastern Conference…

Green has ten goals (4 on the power play) and 31 assists. Looking at the advanced numbers, he is currently 2nd in the league (behind only Duncan Keith of the ‘Hawks) in Tom Awad’s Goals-Versus-Threshold (GVT) statistic, comparing a player’s contributions to what would be expected from a non-prospect from the AHL at +11.8. His adjusted +/- is currently +8.2. One thing worth keeping in mind, however, is his Quality of Competition score, as tracked by behindthenet.ca. At 0.021, he is only 5th among Washington blue-liners, suggesting that Boudreau may be shielding him from the best their opponents have to offer, and leaving the heavy defensive lifting to Tom Poti, big Shaone Morrisonn and bigger Jeff Schultz. With a relative +/- of 11.4 (2nd on the team), 23-year-old Schultz, a former 1st rounder may be an unsung hero on the Washington blue-line. Among regular D-men, Schultz also leads the Caps in blocked shots per 60 minutes at 5.6 and has the highest Corsi Rating (measuring the difference in shots on goal for and against while a given player is on the ice), at 7.1 among Capital defenders…

Ovechkin plays with All-World line-mates, generally teaming up with compatriot Alex Semin on the other wing, sandwiching Nicklas Backstrom, possibly the most overshadowed player in the game today…

this depth, in the forward lines as well as the back-line, and the solid goaltending provided by Varlamov, will propel the Washington Capitals to the top of the Eastern Conference in May and to the Stanley Cup Finals.”

Nice.

I also wanted to congratulate to Japers’ Rink on being ranked the top NHL Blog. I look forward to doing so in person next week.