...don't do anything great if you can't handle the congratulations."
-- John Madden
Photo by Len Redkoles/Getty Images
Showing posts with label fedorov. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fedorov. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
"You know, there's a rule in sports...
...don't do anything great if you can't handle the congratulations."
-- John Madden
CAPS WIN! CAPS WIN!! CAPS WIN!!! Game 7: Caps 2 - Rangers 1
The old man had one left in him, after all.
With the clock ticking down to midnight on the Caps’ season, Sergei Fedorov snapped a shot over the left shoulder of New York Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist and into the net, propelling the Capitals to a 2-1 win in the deciding Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal. The digits 2 and 1 figured heavily in this oddly entertaining game…
21 – the number of years since a team – any pro sports team – has won a Game 7 in Washington (yes, including Landover, MD).
21 – the age of the winning goaltender, Semyon Varlamov, who turned that number just yesterday.
2 – the second shot of the game, by Nik Antropov, on a breakaway that Varlamov stuffed. If that shot goes in – 42 seconds into the game – the result might have been very different.
2 – the number of shots the Caps registered in the first period, when they were almost run out of their own building.
1 – the number of shots on goal registered by the Rangers in the third period, when the Caps almost ran them out of the building.
1 – minor penalty taken by the Caps (Mike Green)
2 – minor penalties taken by the Rangers (Nik Antropov, Dan Girardi)
Some other stuff…
- We noted above that the clock was ticking down to midnight on the Caps’ season when Fedorov scored the game winner. Why? In the last three instances in which the Caps were eliminated from the playoffs, it happened in overtime: 2008 to Philadelphia, 2003 to Tampa Bay, and 2001 to Pittsburgh. We weren’t terribly enthusiastic about this one heading to extra time.
- This game completed the symmetry started in Game 4 – a 2-1 win by the Rangers that featured an odd, multi-deflection goal to get the Rangers on the board. This time, it was Nicklas Backstrom leaving the puck for Alexander Semin, who tried to curl the puck around defenseman Dan Girardi, but the Ranger maintained good position. Semin managed to get a shot off, but it appear to deflect off the stick of Ryan Callahan, which served to deaden the puck as it popped into the air. It floated past Girardi and goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who looked to have difficulty picking up the biscuit as it floated in the air.
- John Tortorella said of his team in the post-game, “we checked our ass off.” Did they ever. Credit is due the Rangers, who could have just packed it in after the dominating performances the Caps laid on them in games five and six. But to a man, they hounded the Caps in their end of the ice, especially in the second period, when the frustration at their inability to get the puck past their own blue line threatened to turn the crowd against them. It was one of the most dominating checking performances under the Verizon Center roof this season.
- Before the game, Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said of Chris Clark, “"There's a difference between being fresh and being rusty -- if [Clark] plays. Anybody who is put into a Game 7, they're not feeling any rust. They're feeling energy. They're feeling excitement like the rest of us." Well, Clark’s hands were rusty. He had a couple of glorious chances to pot a goal, including one where he had a virtually empty net staring at him, and he couldn’t get the hands to work quite quickly enough.
- If the absence of Blair Betts for the Rangers was to be felt most keenly on the power play, then that was a non factor. The Caps had two power plays and a total of 3:28 in ice time. In a sense, it was old-tyme hockey – the refs weren’t calling much of anything.
- That Fedorov game-winner?...”high glove.” In fairness to Lundqvist, though, he had to be aware of who it was barreling toward the net while Fedorov was settling into the right wing faceoff circle to take the game-winner… Alex Ovechkin.
- Ranger fans kept waiting for it, but Scott Gomez never really showed up in this series. Tonight… no points, one shot on goal, and he lost nine of 15 draws.
- On the other hand, say what you want, but when Sean Avery is not a flaming a**hole, he is a helluva hockey player. He was just about the only Ranger who consistently and assertively took the puck to the net. He had no support for his efforts. An assist, six shot attempts, four hits, and he even won both the draws he took, pretty much by just bull rushing Boyd Gordon and David Steckel, neither of whom is a slouch in the circle.
- John Erskine might not give Caps fans a warm and comfy feeling on the blue line on some nights, but it is hard to argue with the guy’s compete level.
- Caps fans might never say it out loud, but we’ll bet they were thinking it in the first two periods – the Caps were playing scared. Guys were getting rid of the puck as soon as it hit their sticks, and they spent 40 minutes chasing the Rangers all around the Caps’ zone to no good end.
- In the post-game radio show, Brooks Laich said that Chris Clark said something to the effect of, “win 20 minutes, win a series.” That was the last 20 minutes in a nutshell. The Caps outshot the Rangers, 13-1. They out-hit the Rangers, 13-6. They won nine of 17 draws. They had seven blocked shots to four for the Rangers.
- Henrik Lunqvist had a two-headed game. One could look at his saving 22 of 24 shots and conclude that he found his game after a couple of relatively poor ones. On the other hand, the Caps did not pound him on the glove side the way they did in games five and six. It’s worth repeating that the Fedorov game-winner was over his glove hand. As things turned out, 13 of the Caps’ 19 goals were scored to that side.
- The Rangers had the look of a team that had expended so much effort in the first 40 minutes that their tanks ran dry in the third. They had no shots on goal in the last 10:31 and could not get out of their own end in the last 90 seconds in an effort to pull Lundqvist for an extra attacker.
- Seven goals in six games. If you’re looking for a frame of reference for that performance by young Mr. Varlamov in goal, the 1998 playoff run is an interesting comparison. In the four series that spring, Olaf Kolzig’s best was in allowing seven goals in five games against Ottawa, in an era when goals were much harder to come by. A 1.17, .952 set of numbers is quite an inaugural for Varlamov. Consider that in that spring 11 years ago, Kolzig’s numbers were 1.95, .941.
- Of 18 skaters for the Caps, 16 registered hits (Alexander Semin and Tom Poti held off that column of the score sheet).
- Now, here’s an odd one. Number of hits registered by Paul Mara in the series for the Rangers… four. The number for the Caps’ Tomas Fleischmann… four.
- Alex Ovechkin missed 21 shots in the series. No Ranger had that many shots on goal (Ryan Callahan had 19).
Well, now it’s Pittsburgh for the second round, thanks to some late game heroics by Carolina in defeating New Jersey in their Game 7. Pittsburgh presents an entirely different set of challenges – an opportunities – than did the Rangers, but that’s a conversation for another day. Tonight was a case of a lesson learned from last year, and the lesson appears to have been titled, "Resiliency."
With the clock ticking down to midnight on the Caps’ season, Sergei Fedorov snapped a shot over the left shoulder of New York Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist and into the net, propelling the Capitals to a 2-1 win in the deciding Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal. The digits 2 and 1 figured heavily in this oddly entertaining game…
21 – the number of years since a team – any pro sports team – has won a Game 7 in Washington (yes, including Landover, MD).
21 – the age of the winning goaltender, Semyon Varlamov, who turned that number just yesterday.
2 – the second shot of the game, by Nik Antropov, on a breakaway that Varlamov stuffed. If that shot goes in – 42 seconds into the game – the result might have been very different.
2 – the number of shots the Caps registered in the first period, when they were almost run out of their own building.
1 – the number of shots on goal registered by the Rangers in the third period, when the Caps almost ran them out of the building.
1 – minor penalty taken by the Caps (Mike Green)
2 – minor penalties taken by the Rangers (Nik Antropov, Dan Girardi)
Some other stuff…
- We noted above that the clock was ticking down to midnight on the Caps’ season when Fedorov scored the game winner. Why? In the last three instances in which the Caps were eliminated from the playoffs, it happened in overtime: 2008 to Philadelphia, 2003 to Tampa Bay, and 2001 to Pittsburgh. We weren’t terribly enthusiastic about this one heading to extra time.
- This game completed the symmetry started in Game 4 – a 2-1 win by the Rangers that featured an odd, multi-deflection goal to get the Rangers on the board. This time, it was Nicklas Backstrom leaving the puck for Alexander Semin, who tried to curl the puck around defenseman Dan Girardi, but the Ranger maintained good position. Semin managed to get a shot off, but it appear to deflect off the stick of Ryan Callahan, which served to deaden the puck as it popped into the air. It floated past Girardi and goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who looked to have difficulty picking up the biscuit as it floated in the air.
- John Tortorella said of his team in the post-game, “we checked our ass off.” Did they ever. Credit is due the Rangers, who could have just packed it in after the dominating performances the Caps laid on them in games five and six. But to a man, they hounded the Caps in their end of the ice, especially in the second period, when the frustration at their inability to get the puck past their own blue line threatened to turn the crowd against them. It was one of the most dominating checking performances under the Verizon Center roof this season.
- Before the game, Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said of Chris Clark, “"There's a difference between being fresh and being rusty -- if [Clark] plays. Anybody who is put into a Game 7, they're not feeling any rust. They're feeling energy. They're feeling excitement like the rest of us." Well, Clark’s hands were rusty. He had a couple of glorious chances to pot a goal, including one where he had a virtually empty net staring at him, and he couldn’t get the hands to work quite quickly enough.
- If the absence of Blair Betts for the Rangers was to be felt most keenly on the power play, then that was a non factor. The Caps had two power plays and a total of 3:28 in ice time. In a sense, it was old-tyme hockey – the refs weren’t calling much of anything.
- That Fedorov game-winner?...”high glove.” In fairness to Lundqvist, though, he had to be aware of who it was barreling toward the net while Fedorov was settling into the right wing faceoff circle to take the game-winner… Alex Ovechkin.
- Ranger fans kept waiting for it, but Scott Gomez never really showed up in this series. Tonight… no points, one shot on goal, and he lost nine of 15 draws.
- On the other hand, say what you want, but when Sean Avery is not a flaming a**hole, he is a helluva hockey player. He was just about the only Ranger who consistently and assertively took the puck to the net. He had no support for his efforts. An assist, six shot attempts, four hits, and he even won both the draws he took, pretty much by just bull rushing Boyd Gordon and David Steckel, neither of whom is a slouch in the circle.
- John Erskine might not give Caps fans a warm and comfy feeling on the blue line on some nights, but it is hard to argue with the guy’s compete level.
- Caps fans might never say it out loud, but we’ll bet they were thinking it in the first two periods – the Caps were playing scared. Guys were getting rid of the puck as soon as it hit their sticks, and they spent 40 minutes chasing the Rangers all around the Caps’ zone to no good end.
- In the post-game radio show, Brooks Laich said that Chris Clark said something to the effect of, “win 20 minutes, win a series.” That was the last 20 minutes in a nutshell. The Caps outshot the Rangers, 13-1. They out-hit the Rangers, 13-6. They won nine of 17 draws. They had seven blocked shots to four for the Rangers.
- Henrik Lunqvist had a two-headed game. One could look at his saving 22 of 24 shots and conclude that he found his game after a couple of relatively poor ones. On the other hand, the Caps did not pound him on the glove side the way they did in games five and six. It’s worth repeating that the Fedorov game-winner was over his glove hand. As things turned out, 13 of the Caps’ 19 goals were scored to that side.
- The Rangers had the look of a team that had expended so much effort in the first 40 minutes that their tanks ran dry in the third. They had no shots on goal in the last 10:31 and could not get out of their own end in the last 90 seconds in an effort to pull Lundqvist for an extra attacker.
- Seven goals in six games. If you’re looking for a frame of reference for that performance by young Mr. Varlamov in goal, the 1998 playoff run is an interesting comparison. In the four series that spring, Olaf Kolzig’s best was in allowing seven goals in five games against Ottawa, in an era when goals were much harder to come by. A 1.17, .952 set of numbers is quite an inaugural for Varlamov. Consider that in that spring 11 years ago, Kolzig’s numbers were 1.95, .941.
- Of 18 skaters for the Caps, 16 registered hits (Alexander Semin and Tom Poti held off that column of the score sheet).
- Now, here’s an odd one. Number of hits registered by Paul Mara in the series for the Rangers… four. The number for the Caps’ Tomas Fleischmann… four.
- Alex Ovechkin missed 21 shots in the series. No Ranger had that many shots on goal (Ryan Callahan had 19).
Well, now it’s Pittsburgh for the second round, thanks to some late game heroics by Carolina in defeating New Jersey in their Game 7. Pittsburgh presents an entirely different set of challenges – an opportunities – than did the Rangers, but that’s a conversation for another day. Tonight was a case of a lesson learned from last year, and the lesson appears to have been titled, "Resiliency."
Well done, guys!
photos: Len Redkoles/Getty Images
Friday, April 24, 2009
Not Getting It
The Caps have played in 11 post season games in the last two years. In those games, they have scored a total of 28 goals (27 by players on this year's roster, Steve Eminger having departed). Of that number, 24 have been scored by players aged 25 and under.
Four goals by "veterans" -- David Steckel (27), Donald Brashear (37), Sergei Fedorov (39), and Viktor Kozlov (34). Except for Kozlov's goal, the other three were scored in the Flyers' series last year.
It's one thing to rely on young talent, and the Caps certainly have an abundance of such talent. But the veterans need to chip in more than they have. We're not looking for a lot from David Steckel, whose talent lies more in preventing other teams from scoring, and less from Donald Brashear (who has only dressed for two games in this series).
But for Fedorov and Kozlov -- a combined 2-8-10 in 11 playoff games the last two years (a combined 1-1-2, -2 in four games in this series) -- more isn't needed, it's to the point now where it is required.
edit: As reader Blanket points out, we missed Tom Poti in this little scribble, but it doesn't really affect materially the argument that the Caps aren't getting a lot from the vets. At the risk of making the usual (and usually abused) comparison, the Penguins have gotten two goals and eight assists from the veteran quartet of Bill Guerin, Sergei Gonchar, Chris Kunitz, and Matt Cooke through five games of the Flyer series that they lead, 3-2.
Four goals by "veterans" -- David Steckel (27), Donald Brashear (37), Sergei Fedorov (39), and Viktor Kozlov (34). Except for Kozlov's goal, the other three were scored in the Flyers' series last year.
It's one thing to rely on young talent, and the Caps certainly have an abundance of such talent. But the veterans need to chip in more than they have. We're not looking for a lot from David Steckel, whose talent lies more in preventing other teams from scoring, and less from Donald Brashear (who has only dressed for two games in this series).
But for Fedorov and Kozlov -- a combined 2-8-10 in 11 playoff games the last two years (a combined 1-1-2, -2 in four games in this series) -- more isn't needed, it's to the point now where it is required.
edit: As reader Blanket points out, we missed Tom Poti in this little scribble, but it doesn't really affect materially the argument that the Caps aren't getting a lot from the vets. At the risk of making the usual (and usually abused) comparison, the Penguins have gotten two goals and eight assists from the veteran quartet of Bill Guerin, Sergei Gonchar, Chris Kunitz, and Matt Cooke through five games of the Flyer series that they lead, 3-2.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
A TWO-point night: Caps 5 - Canucks 1
Dom'-i-nate: v. tr.
1. To control, govern, or rule by superior authority or power
2. To exert a supreme, guiding influence on or over
3. To enjoy a commanding, controlling position in
4. To allow one even strength shot on goal in each of the first two periods to the Vancouver Canucks
OK, we made that fourth one up, but you get the idea. The Capitals treated their fans to a franchise record-setting night that was not of the offensive variety in a 5-1 win over the heretofore undefeated (whaddya mean it’s only two games?) Vancouver Canucks. Ten official shots on goal represent the fewest ever allowed by a Caps team (they twice allowed as few as 11, in both instances against the Florida Panthers).
Almost as amazing, the Caps registered five goals on a night when the top line of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Viktor Kozlov didn’t have a point. Kozlov was injured in the second period and did not return for the last 28:39 of the game.
Sergei Fedorov lined up on the blue line for this one, and even though the puck seemed to be misbehaving on his stick early – four giveaways – he gave (as one would expect…he’s done this before) a good account of himself, earning the second star for a one assist, four shot, plus-three effort.
Alexander Semin had one of his best all-around games for the Caps…two goals, six shots, four takeaways, one hit, and he was strong on the puck, standing up to some abuse the Canucks tried to inflict upon him.
Tomas Fleischmann continued a string of solid efforts with an assist, a plus-1, and a good effort on the forecheck (he was credited with no takeaways, but we think that is in error).
Milan Jurcina registered his highest shot total since February 6, 2007 (his third game with the Caps after arriving in trade from Boston, when he had five). The post-game radio report noted that Sergei Fedorov was encouraging Jurcina to shoot more, and it paid off with a goal.
Bruce Boudreau thinks the official scorer missed a few shots on goal for the Canucks. Well, The Peerless thinks the official scorer missed a ton of blocked shots for the Caps. Few (obviously) made their way through to Brent Johnson, who played in place of Jose Theodore.
Brooks Laich…one assist, plus-2, two SOG, one hit, two takeaways, a blocked shot, four out of five on draws. That’s called “sampling the scoresheet buffet.”
And what was that Donald Brashear no look through-the-legs back pass from behind the Canuck goal, right onto the tape of a Cap speeding to the net? If that had converted, the place would have gone nuts.
Remember when Michael Nylander was signed as a free agent, folks said he could help the Caps with their abysmal shootout conversion rate? Well, folks saw why on the penalty shot he converted when he deked Roberto Luongo to the ice and tucked the puck behind him.
Oh, and if you’re wondering about why Nylander replaced Alexander Semin for the penalty shot (after a lengthy review), it’s right there in Rule 53.6…”When any member of the defending team, including the Coach or any non-playing person, throws or shoots any part of a stick or any other object or piece of equipment at the puck or puck carrier in his defending zone, preventing a reasonable shot or pass, the Referee shall allow the play to be completed and if a goal is not scored, a penalty shot shall be awarded to the non-offending team. This shot shall be taken by the player designated by the Referee as the player fouled.”
Neither Sedin had a shot on goal, although Henrik had an assist on the Vancouver goal scored by Alexander Edler.
Alexander Semin is 3-3-6, +3 after three games…Mike Green is 3-2-5, +3…Alex Ovechkin is 2-0-2, +2. The Young Guns are firing pretty well (although it would be nice to get Backstrom going).
This is the kind of night a team with lofty aspirations has to have to make sure their aspirations can be met down the road. Other guys contributed, and even though the OBK line was shutout, they contributed in other ways – Ovechkin had five hits (several of the thunderous variety) and Backstom had a pair of takeaways, looking a lot less lost than he did in his first two games. Through three games, 17 different players have points (only Shoane Morrisonn and John Erskine have yet to register a point).
1. To control, govern, or rule by superior authority or power
2. To exert a supreme, guiding influence on or over
3. To enjoy a commanding, controlling position in
4. To allow one even strength shot on goal in each of the first two periods to the Vancouver Canucks
OK, we made that fourth one up, but you get the idea. The Capitals treated their fans to a franchise record-setting night that was not of the offensive variety in a 5-1 win over the heretofore undefeated (whaddya mean it’s only two games?) Vancouver Canucks. Ten official shots on goal represent the fewest ever allowed by a Caps team (they twice allowed as few as 11, in both instances against the Florida Panthers).
Almost as amazing, the Caps registered five goals on a night when the top line of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Viktor Kozlov didn’t have a point. Kozlov was injured in the second period and did not return for the last 28:39 of the game.
Sergei Fedorov lined up on the blue line for this one, and even though the puck seemed to be misbehaving on his stick early – four giveaways – he gave (as one would expect…he’s done this before) a good account of himself, earning the second star for a one assist, four shot, plus-three effort.
Alexander Semin had one of his best all-around games for the Caps…two goals, six shots, four takeaways, one hit, and he was strong on the puck, standing up to some abuse the Canucks tried to inflict upon him.
Tomas Fleischmann continued a string of solid efforts with an assist, a plus-1, and a good effort on the forecheck (he was credited with no takeaways, but we think that is in error).
Milan Jurcina registered his highest shot total since February 6, 2007 (his third game with the Caps after arriving in trade from Boston, when he had five). The post-game radio report noted that Sergei Fedorov was encouraging Jurcina to shoot more, and it paid off with a goal.
Bruce Boudreau thinks the official scorer missed a few shots on goal for the Canucks. Well, The Peerless thinks the official scorer missed a ton of blocked shots for the Caps. Few (obviously) made their way through to Brent Johnson, who played in place of Jose Theodore.
Brooks Laich…one assist, plus-2, two SOG, one hit, two takeaways, a blocked shot, four out of five on draws. That’s called “sampling the scoresheet buffet.”
And what was that Donald Brashear no look through-the-legs back pass from behind the Canuck goal, right onto the tape of a Cap speeding to the net? If that had converted, the place would have gone nuts.
Remember when Michael Nylander was signed as a free agent, folks said he could help the Caps with their abysmal shootout conversion rate? Well, folks saw why on the penalty shot he converted when he deked Roberto Luongo to the ice and tucked the puck behind him.
Oh, and if you’re wondering about why Nylander replaced Alexander Semin for the penalty shot (after a lengthy review), it’s right there in Rule 53.6…”When any member of the defending team, including the Coach or any non-playing person, throws or shoots any part of a stick or any other object or piece of equipment at the puck or puck carrier in his defending zone, preventing a reasonable shot or pass, the Referee shall allow the play to be completed and if a goal is not scored, a penalty shot shall be awarded to the non-offending team. This shot shall be taken by the player designated by the Referee as the player fouled.”
Neither Sedin had a shot on goal, although Henrik had an assist on the Vancouver goal scored by Alexander Edler.
Alexander Semin is 3-3-6, +3 after three games…Mike Green is 3-2-5, +3…Alex Ovechkin is 2-0-2, +2. The Young Guns are firing pretty well (although it would be nice to get Backstrom going).
This is the kind of night a team with lofty aspirations has to have to make sure their aspirations can be met down the road. Other guys contributed, and even though the OBK line was shutout, they contributed in other ways – Ovechkin had five hits (several of the thunderous variety) and Backstom had a pair of takeaways, looking a lot less lost than he did in his first two games. Through three games, 17 different players have points (only Shoane Morrisonn and John Erskine have yet to register a point).
It was the right start for a week in which a number of demons are on the schedule. The Caps have dispatched Roberto Luongo, who had won ten consecutive decisions against the Caps. Next up, Pittsburgh. Then, Brodeur and the Devils.
Busy week.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
2008-2009 Previews: Sergei Fedorov
And now…
Sergei Fedorov
Last Year: 11-30-41, -5, 6 PPG
Career Average (per-82 games): 32-46-78, +18, 10 PPG
Fearless’ Take: After suffering 191 games in Columbus over almost three seasons, looking as if he was going through the motions on the last lap of his career, he was sprung loose to join a bunch of frisky Russians and an otherwise young group with promise. He didn’t look like an old man in the 18 games he dressed for the Caps after the trading deadline. He did not put up big numbers (2-9-11, -2) in those 18 games, but he didn’t have to be the big, go-to guy. He won’t have to play that role on this team, either. He’ll probably get work to start the year centering Alexander Semin and, it would seem, Brooks Laich. It took Semin a while to get accustomed to Fedorov late last year, but scored four goals in the last six regular season games, all of which which included an assist from Fedorov. This could be as intriguing a pairing as the Backstrom-Ovechkin pair on the top line.
Cheerless’ Take: 83-65-44-42-41. That’s the last five seasons’ worth of points for Fedorov. Call it the effect of playing on bad teams (the last four years were on teams that finished below .500), but that’s not a trend you want to see, even if it is part of the hall-of-famer to be’s career winding down. And, in the last three seasons, he’s missed a total of 38 games (in the previous six seasons he missed a total of 31 games). The dip in goal-scoring Fedorov has experienced in recent years isn’t so much a function of his shot-taking as it is his shot-making. From the 1998-1999 through the 2003-2004 season, Fedorov scored on fewer than ten percent of his shots only once and was 11.7 percent overall. Since then, he has been over ten percent once in three years and was 9.1 percent overall. Is he, at this point in his career, a second line center over the long haul of 82 games?
The Peerless’ Take: The Capitals have, by their franchise standards, remarkable depth at forward in terms of scoring ability. That means Fedorov doesn’t have to be the point-plus-per-game player he was for more than a decade in Detroit. The Caps could have half a dozen players with more than 50 points this year (they had four last year), and Fedorov figures to be one of them. Something to watch, based on recent history, is that Fedorov has been a bit of a power play specialist. Of his last 29 goals over two seasons, 13 have come with the man advantage (he also has a pair of shorthanded goals). What Fedorov might no longer have in terms of high-end scoring ability, he will make up for in experience (and that which he imparts to the youngsters on the club) and versatility. With the Capitals keeping 22 on their roster – and only six defensemen – Fedorov is what amounts to the “emergency” defenseman, having played that position from time to time in his career. Once Michael Nylander went down last year, the Caps lacked an effective second line center. Specifically, they lacked a credible playmaker there to take more advantage of Alexander Semin’s finishing skills. That should not be a problem this season.
Projected: 14-38-52, +2
Sergei Fedorov
Last Year: 11-30-41, -5, 6 PPG
Career Average (per-82 games): 32-46-78, +18, 10 PPG
Fearless’ Take: After suffering 191 games in Columbus over almost three seasons, looking as if he was going through the motions on the last lap of his career, he was sprung loose to join a bunch of frisky Russians and an otherwise young group with promise. He didn’t look like an old man in the 18 games he dressed for the Caps after the trading deadline. He did not put up big numbers (2-9-11, -2) in those 18 games, but he didn’t have to be the big, go-to guy. He won’t have to play that role on this team, either. He’ll probably get work to start the year centering Alexander Semin and, it would seem, Brooks Laich. It took Semin a while to get accustomed to Fedorov late last year, but scored four goals in the last six regular season games, all of which which included an assist from Fedorov. This could be as intriguing a pairing as the Backstrom-Ovechkin pair on the top line.
Cheerless’ Take: 83-65-44-42-41. That’s the last five seasons’ worth of points for Fedorov. Call it the effect of playing on bad teams (the last four years were on teams that finished below .500), but that’s not a trend you want to see, even if it is part of the hall-of-famer to be’s career winding down. And, in the last three seasons, he’s missed a total of 38 games (in the previous six seasons he missed a total of 31 games). The dip in goal-scoring Fedorov has experienced in recent years isn’t so much a function of his shot-taking as it is his shot-making. From the 1998-1999 through the 2003-2004 season, Fedorov scored on fewer than ten percent of his shots only once and was 11.7 percent overall. Since then, he has been over ten percent once in three years and was 9.1 percent overall. Is he, at this point in his career, a second line center over the long haul of 82 games?
The Peerless’ Take: The Capitals have, by their franchise standards, remarkable depth at forward in terms of scoring ability. That means Fedorov doesn’t have to be the point-plus-per-game player he was for more than a decade in Detroit. The Caps could have half a dozen players with more than 50 points this year (they had four last year), and Fedorov figures to be one of them. Something to watch, based on recent history, is that Fedorov has been a bit of a power play specialist. Of his last 29 goals over two seasons, 13 have come with the man advantage (he also has a pair of shorthanded goals). What Fedorov might no longer have in terms of high-end scoring ability, he will make up for in experience (and that which he imparts to the youngsters on the club) and versatility. With the Capitals keeping 22 on their roster – and only six defensemen – Fedorov is what amounts to the “emergency” defenseman, having played that position from time to time in his career. Once Michael Nylander went down last year, the Caps lacked an effective second line center. Specifically, they lacked a credible playmaker there to take more advantage of Alexander Semin’s finishing skills. That should not be a problem this season.
Projected: 14-38-52, +2
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Fedorov Signs...Things Get Complicated
TSN.ca is reporting that the Capitals have signed forward Sergei Fedorov to a one year contract for $4.0 million.
That is about $1.5 million more than we thought Fedorov would (could) be signed for. While it lends some depth and stability to the center position, it suggests that the Caps are not done with personnel matters. Based on the numbers at nhlnumbers.com, the salary cap burden now looks like this for next season (updated for Brooks Laich and Eric Fehr signings, and correction for buyouts)):
The math no longer works for keeping the team together, unless Brian Pothier’s injuries prevent him from returning to the club. This could mean that an RFA is not going to be re-signed (we’re thinking that the player is Brooks Laich...ok, maybe not).
The roster look something like this, with Morrisonn awaiting arbitration:
Even with signings, things seem to get more complicated...
UPDATE: Fehr and Gordon signings included.
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