Meanwhile...

...in Philadelphia last night:

The Bears knocked off the Phantoms, 4-2, in Game 1 of the AHL East Division semifinals. They finished strong, scoring three goals in the third period for the win.

Michal Neuvirth turned aside 30 of 32 shots for Hershey (Caps fans will no doubt clamor for him to be called up to start Game 2 in Washington, tomorrow).

The scoring was led by the kids. Of the under-25 brigade to get on the scoreboard...

Kyle Wilson: 1-1-2, +1 (first star)

Andrew Gordon: 1-1-2, +1 (second star)

Oskar Osala: 1-0-1, +1

Jay Beagle: 1-0-1, even

Chris Bourque: 0-1-1, even

Francois Bouchard: 0-1-1, +1

Andrew Joudrey: 0-1-1, +1

Mathieu Perreault: 0-1-1, even

And, Karl Alzner was a plus-2, helping hold the Phantoms to an 0-for-7 performance on the power play.

Game 2 is in Philadelphia tomorrow.

Apparently, Defensive Defensemen Need Not Apply

To the AHL All-Rookie Team, that is.

The six rookies named to the elite squad are:

Goaltender: Nathan Lawson, Bridgeport Sound Tigers (30gp, 18-9-2, 2.13gaa, .929sv%, 2so)

Defenseman: Mattias Karlsson, Binghamton Senators (67gp, 8+41=49pts.)

Defenseman: Yannick Weber, Hamilton Bulldogs (66gp, 14+27=41pts.)

Forward: Justin Abdelkader, Grand Rapids Griffins (71gp, 22+27=49pts.)

Forward: Nathan Gerbe, Portland Pirates (50gp, 26+24=50pts.)

Forward: Tim Kennedy, Portland Pirates (66gp, 16+43=59pts.)

We don't have a problem with the forwards (especially since two of them are fellow Michigan State alumni), although the criteria there appear to be points-based. We don't have a problem with Nathan Lawson as the top rookie goaltender, seeing as he is second in the entire league among all goalies in GAA and save percentage.

Our problem is with the defensemen. Mattias Karlsson and Yannick Weber happen to be the top two scorers among rookie defensemen. However, Karlsson is a -11 on a likely playoff team (Binghamton is fourth in the East Division), and it is a mark that is exceeded by only two other players on the Senators' roster.

As for Weber, he plays for a playoff participant (Hamilton has already clinched a spot), but his +9 is surpassed by eight other players on the roster, including a pair of fellow rookies, and is matched or exceeded by five other defensemen on the roster. One could make a case that these are the two best offensive defensemen in the rookie class.

We can appreciate there being few statistics that shine a bright light on defensemen, and plus-minus is a statistic that can be abused if taken out of context. But there is a rookie defenseman who is currently third in the AHL in that statistic. If you look closely, you would find that his +27 for the season is roughly the same as a number of teammates. On that basis, you might say -- with reason -- that his mark is the product of his surroundings. However, he accomplished his feat in a mere 42 games, not the almost-70 of his teammates and similar AHL leaders. And, he has a mere 10 penalty minutes taken this season, which speaks to his discipline as a player. His 19 points in 42 games apparently was not enough to convince the voters that he was one of the top two defensemen, without respect to adjective, in the league.

Karl Alzner, we're thinking you wuz robbed.

"Guys are going to start losing their penalty killing jobs if they don't start getting with the program.."

That's what Bruce Boudreau had to say about the penalty killing for the Caps after the team gave up three in a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators last night. Small wonder - that's eight straight games giving up at least one power play goal.

32 for 44 over that span -- 72.7 percent.

16 Caps have been on the ice for at least one power play goal against over the last eight games.

Four Caps have been on the ice for at least five of the 12 -- Karl Alzner (eight), David Steckel (seven), Brooks Laich (five), and Jeff Schultz (five). Steckel (healthy scratch against the Islanders) and Schultz (two games missed with an injured finger) have missed time in this stretch. Schultz, though, has been on the ice for all of his five power play goals against in the last four games -- on ice for five of the last six power play goals scored against the Caps.

All four of the players mentioned have been on the ice for at least one 5-on-3 power play goal scored against; Laich has been on for two of them.

In terms of goals allowed-per-minutes played on the penalty kill, Steckel has had the worst number, on ice for one power play goal for every 4:10. Schultz isn't far behind (4:18), nor is Alzner (4:35). Laich has been on for a power play goal against approximately every six minutes of penalty killing ice time.

Is it their fault? Penalty killing is as much a team effort as anything in hockey, but the fact remains that bad things have happened -- often -- when these four have been on the ice in that role. But we're not sure which is worse, the high numbers these four have or the fact that 16 different skaters have been on the ice for at least one power play goal against in the last eight games.

The coach is right...""If the [penalty kill] doesn't start getting better, [they're] not going nowhere."

Abuse of Equipment

Tarik El-Bashir reports in Capital Insider...

"It's well known that Milan Jurcina has one heck of heavy shot. Today, after a challenge from Karl Alzner, Jurcina took aim at the cross bar at one end of the rink at KCI. The result? He broke two sections of plexiglass. Wonder if that will be coming out of his check?"

I'd just as soon Jurcina take it out of goaltenders' hides. The defenseman has 25 shots on goal (two goals) in 31 games. But when he unloads...geez, it hurts from where I sit, and I sit in the balcony.

The Hershey Savings and Loan

Worried about the stock market these days? Concerned you can't get a loan? Well, there is one investment institution that is looking "bullish." Or is that "bearish?"

We start with Tarik El-Bashir's article in this morning's Washington Post, chronicling the fate of Karl Alzner, Chris Bourque, and Quintin Laing, all of whom (assuming Laing clears waivers) will be headed up Route 15 to Hershey to start the season tomorrow night in Wilkes-Barre to face the Baby (infantile, childish) Penguins.

But here is what caught our eye in the report...

Because of a quirk in the collective bargaining agreement, there is no 7.5 percent cushion for bonuses this season, so all of Alzner's $1.675 million in compensation (his base salary plus performance incentives) would have counted against the Capitals' salary cap figure. By sending Alzner, 20, to the minors, the Capitals will save one day of his cap hit for every 24 hours he is in Hershey, thus allowing the team to build space under the salary cap should the team want to recall him or make an acquisition at the trade deadline.

So, the Caps save about $9,000 a day in salary cap hit by sending Alzner to Hershey. And, Chris Bourque (not to mention a few others) will be spending time at Hershey, honing his game, available for a loan on E-Z terms, so to speak, should the need arise.

At a time when our 401(k)'s are in the dumper, when we're finding loans at decent terms harder and harder to find, it's nice to know that there is still one place nearby that has the potential to pay nice dividends.

2008-2009 Previews: Prospect Defensemen

We’re closing our preview of defensemen by asking a question…which prospect is most likely to stick with the team come opening night? The possibilities…



Karl Alzner

Drafted: 2007 Entry Draft, 1st round/5th overall

What’s his claim? WHL Player of the Year, CHL Defenseman of the Year, Team Canada captain for the 2008 World Junior Hockey Championship.

Sami Lepisto

Drafted: 2004 Entry Draft, 3rd round/66th overall

What’s his claim? Logged seven games in 2007-2008 (0-1-1, -1, averaged more than 13 minutes a game), highest scoring defenseman in playoffs (Finland) in 2005.



Josh Godfrey

Drafted: 2007, 2nd round/34th overall

What’s his claim? He was eighth among OHL defensemen in scoring (17-34-51 in 60 games) and finished +31, a substantial improvement over the previous year (minus-2).

Feerless’ Take: Alzner clearly has the inside track of this group. He’s done everything he can do in juniors, and in the prospect camps in which he’s participated, he’s looked like a veteran compared to the other hopefuls. Realizing he’s never played a shift at NHL speed, he looks to be rarely out of place and seems to make the right decisions at the right times. He’s not flashy, but he’s got “cornerstone” written all over him for the next 12-15 years.

As for Lepisto, he had a fine year at Hershey, which argues for his getting a long look. He’s added some bulk, which he clearly needed to do when he was drafted, so perhaps he won’t be prone to abuse as much at this level. He gave a good account of himself in his cup-o’-coffee with the club last year, but seven games isn’t a six month season, either. You’d have to think he’ll be in Hershey (probably on the top pair) on opening night.

Godfrey has that booming shot, but that +31 stands out as a signal of maturity, too, that he’s taking both ends seriously. He’s a long shot to make this club out of camp; it would seem to be a function of others playing off the team more than him onto it that will be the factor. And Alzner doesn’t impress us as being the sort to play himself off of a team.

Cheerless’ Take: None of these guys are ready. It’s always easy to overrate the guys you’ve seen or that are in your own organization, especially since you’re not a scout, cuz. Since 2000, 16 defensemen have been selected in the top ten overall picks in the entry draft. Two of them – Rostislav Klesla and Jay Bouwmeester – saw action in their first year with their club after being drafted. Another eight saw NHL action in their second year. But here is the thing; through that second year, only Bouwmeester, Joni Pitkanen, Mike Komisarek, and Erik Johnson saw more than 10 regular games in a season with their respective clubs. It doesn’t seem to argue for a long stint with the Caps this year for Alzner, despite his pedigree. As for the others, Lepisto could be an injury call-up (for that matter, so could Alzner) from Hershey. Godfrey is a ways off yet.

The Peerless’ Take: At the moment, the Caps have six roster spots for defensemen encumbered: Mike Green, Shaone Morrisonn, Tom Poti, Milan Jurcina, John Erskine, and Jeff Schultz. If Brian Pothier were to suddenly get healthy, that’s a seventh position. There is a roster spot available, assuming Pothier’s health does not improve sufficiently (one, since the Caps are on record as having traded Steve Eminger because carrying eight defensemen is tough on the players). Many would like to see the Caps trade for a defenseman to give the blue line a bit more grit. The current state of the salary cap argues against that. So, there is an opening that a prospect defenseman can skate through.

Alzner will be the early favorite to make that leap. But in doing so, it is a reflection of the state of the “rebuild” (we know, it’s supposed to be over). Alzner, not to mention Lepisto or Godfrey, would be well served with getting 70-80 games of experience at Hershey, where they could log a ton of minutes in a lot of different situations. One of these guys getting third pair minutes or being the odd suit in the press box on many nights will not do much for their development. If this was to work out nicely and cleanly, Alzner (or Lepisto) might get ten or so games at this level this year, the rest in Hershey. This would be consistent with the experience of a number of top-ten drafted defenseman this decade – Jack Johnson, the late Luc Bourdon, Brian Lee. It might have been the pattern for the likes of a Dion Phaneuf, Braydon Coburn, or Ryan Suter – all members of the class of 2003 – had there been a 2004-2005 season.

Of the prospects, Alzner would be the favorite. But we have a suspicion that there is one more deal to be made before opening night. As hard as it is for defensemen to move via trade these days, we think that something along those lines will happen.