Long long long overdue

Long Overdue

Since the last post, a good deal has happen and we have seen really 3 very different Washington Capitals teams. We start with the typical 2012 Caps. An embarrassing 5-0 loss to Zach Praise and the Devils followed by a 1-0 home loss to the hated Flyers erased all the good vibes the team was sending to fans following the comeback win over Long Island. Then they seemed to get it right against the Hurricanes going up 2-0 early, only to see the Canes fight back early in the 3rd to take the league on an easy goal caused by a dumb and risky play by Wideman.

Then we had the Cardiac Caps. Brooks Laich, who has been leader for the club the last month, tied the Hurricanes game late in regulation to gets the Caps a point they desperately needed in the standings. Unfortunately, another boneheaded, ill timed pinch by Wideman lost the game for DC in bonus hockey. Two nights later, the Cardica Caps were back as MoJo scored late in the 3rd ie the game v Tampa and the Captain won it in OT thanks to the grit and determination of Json Chimera and a sublime hesitation play by stud rookie defenseman Dmitry Orlov

But, the Cardiac Caps were not the only team in the building v Tampa. Following a tounge lashing from Dale Hunter, begging his club not to relying on their skill but rather their desire, the playoff bound Capitals showed up. Thanks in large part to a shutdown Tampa offense, the Caps controlled the 3rd period v Tampa, not allowing the Bolts a shot on cage until the game was already tied. They were the far dominate team, and their hardwork paid off as the game tying goal was on a broken play for Tampa.that dominating and intense hockey carried over to Saturday afternoon as the Caps downed the Stanley Cup Champs in their own barn for their best road victory of the season. And it was a game earlier in the year they would not have won as the late 1st period strike by Lucic would have doomed the Feburary Caps. They followed up their impressive effort back home on Sunday with a convincing 2-0 shutout of the sinking Maple Leafs.

6 games, 3 different Caps teams, 7 points, and no post. So no in depth analysis of any game, but here are some notes and observations from the week behind and the week ahead.

- The next 5 are all on the road, including stops in the Peg, the Joe, the Madhouse, and Philly. That's a murders row. They need to at worst go 2-3 on that stretch to stay on the race, and the Jets on Friday is a must win. I am predicting 3-2, with the Ls being against the Red Wings and Flyers, as Bryz is hot right now. But, if they Caps from Boston show up, who knows.

- Caps seem to be buying into the cycle game to score goals more since the Tampa game. They have had many impressive offensive zone shifts and they are wearing teams down. They also have started to capitalize on mistakes more, with the exception of poor Mike Knuble. Hunter also seems to have settled on some lines that work.

- The Power Play still blows, although the last 2 games have been sightly better. Want to see more Ovechkin on the end board.

- Agree with the suspension, but not the length for Green. I think Connolly put himself in that position and he did return to the ice.

- Three Stars over the last 3:

Number 1 in my mind has been Brooks Laich. He seems to have taken this team on his back, scoring 2 huge goals and making his presence felt in hard to score places. He really should be the Captain of the Caps.
Number 2 is Jay Beagle and his line mates Brouwer and Hendricks. They have been the teams best line the last 3 chipping in physically and offensively.
Number 3 is Orlov, who is playing far beyond his years logging big time minutes and adding another dimension to the Caps offensive attack.

- Caps need Halpern back. They have been outplayed in the face off dot.

- Neuvirth played exceptionally well v the Leafs, but look for Vokoun to get the bulk of the starts down the stretch. He is still number 1.

- Nick Backstrom has started skating. If he can get back this year, the whole outlook can change.

- Consistency is going to be the key moving forward. If the Caps play like they did the last three, there will be games in at least mid April. That means cycling the puck to create offense and generating shots and playing tough man defense. But really, there have been three things that have made the last three good: solid goaltending, minimal mistakes, and familiarity and confidence on the offenseive lines.

- Interesting point made by Brian McNally. If the Caps play over 500 hockey down the stretch, 7-6, they will only miss the playoffs if the Jets or Sabres go 9-3-1, Tampa goes 11-3 or the Leafs go 11-1-1 (or better obviously). Zero % chance it comes close to playing out like that, but those odds look pretty good. Although if the Caps continue their win 3 lose 3 trend and any of those scinerios play out, they would have a must win on Broadway to end the year.

- RG3 is already more popular than the Great 8.

- Don't look now, but the Penuins are on a tear and are a mere 4 points back of the Rangers. That means, if Florida holds on to the SE, we might be in for a Pens/Caps Quarterfinal with a healthy Crosby. Scary thought, but bring it on!

Note: Wrote this before the Islander game but had Internet issues until yesterday. Suffice to say a lot of the same analysis applies, with the addition of Keith Aucoin as a surprise contributor. Caps showing some resilience in being able to comeback, which will be big down the road.