The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR! -- Caps vs. Thrashers, November 3rd

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!

Well, the boys are back in town for a tilt with the Atlanta Thrashers tonight after a successful (2-1-1) road trip to the great Northwest. Fine goaltending was the key as Caps goaltenders turned away 148 of 159 shots – 93.1 percent. By the same token, that’s 39.8 shots allowed per game and that . . .

“See, what do I tell ya, they don’t get no respect, no respect at all . . . “

Rodney? How the hell are you? I thought you were dead.

“Yeah, well, a lot of people tell me that these days.”

So, what brings you here?

“Hey, the Caps are doing okay, ya know? And I just wanted to see the boys play . . . I really like those boys, especially that Ovechkin kid. He’s hits harder than a bottle o’ bad booze. And whatta wrist shot, whatta wrist shot . . . he’s so fast, by the time the puck is in the net, it’s last week . . .”

How did you like the road trip?

“Oh, a great road trip, a great road trip. I tell ya . . . I thought when they started out they’d be giving up goals like they were AOL subscriptions, but that Olie the Goalie . . . whatta goalie. He made more stops than the 23 bus to Crystal City.”

But what about the Thrashers, tonight, Rodney?

“What are ya tellin’ me, Thrashers . . . a pigeon with an agent, that’s all a Thrasher is. What do they have, anyway. Marian Hossa . . . what kinda name is Marian for a hockey player? And Jonathan Sim . . . sounds like he ought to be in one o’ those English movies on PMS . . . you know, that public station.”

They’re mighty good, Rodney. They’re leading the Southeast by five points this morning.

“Ah, who cares? It’s November for cryin’ out loud. The only things I count in November are how many helpings of stuffing I have at Thanksgiving dinner.”

But what do you think about our kids?

“Oh, they’re so young, so young . . . when Hanlon calls for a change, the assistant coach breaks out a box of Pampers.”

What about the Alexes?

“Are you kiddin’ me? . . . These Russian kids are so good . . . they’re going to make people forget about vodka, I tell ya.”

Well, what do you think about tonight . . . how will it all fall out?

“It’s gonna be a great game, a great game. Here’s Atlanta, they’re doin’ everything good, ya know? Sixth in scoring . . . ninth in power play . . . ninth in penalty kill . . . you look at every stat, and they’re right about there, ya know? They do everything pretty good . . . they’re more regular than I am after a bran muffin. And that Koval- what, ‘chook’…’chuk’…’chick’ . . . hey, just write me the check, huh? He’s something else . . . and that Kozlov . . . don’t get to a shootout, he’s better than Wyatt Earp at the OK Corral . . . “

They’ve had a great start . . .

“Yeah, well it’s not how ya start, it’s how ya finish . . . I learn that every time I go to the track.”

What about the Caps, tonight, Rodney?

“I’m going to be watching that Pettinger kid. I really like that kid, a real go-getter. He got 20 goals last year, and I think he’s gonna get his first tonight. Buy, hey, the third time’s the charm, I tell ya . . . the Caps lost a couple o’ hard ones to these guys already. Tonight, that Ovechkin kid is going to make them pay . . . bring a hat, I tell ya. You’re gonna need one.”

So you think it’s going to be a good night for the Caps?

“It’s gonna be a great night, a great night, I tell ya . . . hey, these kids get no respect, no respect at all. I turn on the local sports show to get Caps highlights, and they’re showin’ me commercials with a guy smilin’ and somebody talking about ‘male enhancement.’ It’s about time these kids got some respect . . . like that Zednik kid, had a couple o’ goals last game . . . and that defenseman, Pothier – tied for third in assists for defensemen, a nice kid, nice kid . . . and that young guy, Gordon – looks like the kid next door who steals apples off your tree, a hard worker . . . hey, these kids are pretty good, ya know?”

So who are you picking?

“Well, Caps fans are gonna have a great time, a great time . . . Caps 6 – Thrashers 2 . . .


. . . I just hope I’m better at pickin’ hockey games than I am pickin’ horses at the track.”

The Peerless' Morning After -- Caps vs. Flames

2-1-1 . . . If anyone had anticipated that the Caps would go 2-1-1 against . . . a club that had 43 wins and 95 points last year . . . a club with a goaltender that has given the Caps fits in recent outings . . . and Stanley Cup finalists in the last two seasons . . . I daresay folks would have been thrilled.

For the record . . .

- The Caps held Colorado, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary to an 11-11 standstill on the scoreboard (Vancouver would get an extra “goal” by virtue of a shootout).

- The Caps were 3-for-15 on the power play (20.0 percent). They killed off 21 of 25 shorthanded situations (84.0 percent).

- The 11 goals were spread among six players . . . Dainius Zubrus (4), Alexander Ovechkin (2), Richard Zednik (2), Chris Clark, Mike Green, and Matt Bradley.

- Olaf Kolzig went 2-0-1 on the trip, 2.27, .947. Brent Johnson, even though he took the only regulation loss, wasn’t too shabby, either. He turned aside 24 of 27 shots.

- 15 different Caps registered points on this trip. Alexander Ovechkin led the group with 2-3-5; Dainius Zubrus was next at 4-0-4.

- Your plus-minus leader for the trip? . . . Donald Brashear at +3.

As for the Calgary game, that was a mighty fine road win. Let’s leave out that Olaf Kolzig had to face 39 shots. That is – and remains – a troubling statistic (that’s 43.7 shots faced in his last three games). The Caps did not panic when they gave up the first goal; they did not panic when Jarome Iginla scored on a breakaway to narrow the Caps lead to one goal midway through the third period. Dainius Zubrus showed a level of aggression on offense he does not show every night. Richard Zednik finally had his level of effort rewarded, first with a rebound whack past Miikka Kiprusoff, then on a breakaway off a nifty turn-and-dish feed up ice from Alexander Ovechkin (itself the product of some fine work from Shaone Morrisonn to gather the puck and move it up to Ovechkin). The Caps withstood a 22-shot assault in the third period, but for one mental error that allowed a breakaway by Iginla, they didn’t permit much in the way of outstanding scoring chances.

Eleven games in, the Caps find themselves squarely in the playoff mix. With 12 points, they are tied with Pittsburgh, Carolina, and Florida for sixth (the Caps have games in hand against Carolina and Florida). While the history of sport is littered with teams that looked good in the first dozen games, only to be playing for pride in the last dozen, the Caps are starting to show a certain resiliency – their skill is catching up to their effort. Not only are they a team that can be difficult to play against, they can make other teams pay for yielding under that effort.

It’s early, but if anyone says that this road trip was anything but a good sign for this club, have ‘em go tell that to Mr. Plus-Three.

-- The Peerless

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!! -- Caps vs. Flames, October 30th

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!

The long and winding road ends for this trip tonight, in Calgary. The boys are 1-1-1 so far, so a point here would make this a “satisfactory” trip; a win would put it in the “exceeds expectations” category. Of course, this is the season of ghosts and goblins, so anything might happen . . . which brings us to thinking about what some of our Caps might don as costumes for Hallowe’en . . .

Richard Zednik . . . “The Invisible Man” (don’t ask)

Kris Beech . . . “Baby Jessica” . . . he’s fallen down a well – from the second line to the fourth line to the stands – and it’s going to take a lot to get him out.

Brent Johnson . . . a pack of “Rolaids” . . . because he’s been great in “relief”

Chris Clark . . . “James Tiberius Kirk” . . . because his five year mission is to boldly . . . go . . . wherenoCaphasgonebefore . . . to seek out new playoffs . . . to explore strange new worlds . . . like . . . a Stanley Cup championship

Steve Eminger . . . “Ivan Majesky” (that’s another “don’t ask”)

Alex Ovechkin . . . Agent 008 . . . the only agent who could replace James Bond.

Mike Green . . . “Alfalfa” . . . quite a little rascal out there (and then there’s the resemblance, too).

As for the game, tonight’s opponent – the Calgary Flames – seem to be suffering the same lack of offensive punch in the early going that plagued them most of last year. They are 22nd in the league is goals-per-game. But what is unusual for this club, they are giving up goals at a faster pace. At 2.78 goals-per-game yielded, it is not where one would expect a club having Miikka Kiprusoff in the nets. Kiprusoff has been in goal for all nine of Calgary’s games thus far, and has yet to find a rhythm. After giving up five goals in back-to-back contests against Toronto and Montreal, he’d settled down somewhat with seven goals allowed in his last three games. But his numbers so far are distinctly “un-Kiprusoffic.”

Jarome Iginla leads the club in goals and total scoring – 5-4-9 – as is to be expected. But no other Flame has more than three. Dion Phaneuf is giving signs that last season’s top notch rookie year was merely a prelude to a long and distinguished career. He leads the club in ice time (and is fifth among all defensemen) and is second on the club in plus-minus. That he’d be in the top-15 among all defensemen in this statistic on a team that struggles as much offensively as Calgary is an indication of his value to the club. He draws the unenviable assignment of taking the ice whenever Alex Ovechkin takes a shift.

Calgary is among the top-third in 5-on-5 goals for/goals against ratio; they are in the bottom third in both special teams statistics (although they rank in the middle third in both home power play and penalty kill). Calgary, perhaps even more than Washington, is going to want to see this as a penalty-free game.

Calgary has been something of an enigma so far. In their first four games, they scored only five goals but split four decisions. In their last five, they’ve scored 18 goals but have gone 1-3-1.

Washington, on the other hand, has gone win-SO loss-regulation loss in the three games of this road trip. The Caps’ goal scoring has gone 5-2-0, while the goals given up has gone 3-2-4. Of the seven goals scored by the Caps on this trip, two have been by Alexander Ovechkin, two by Dainius Zubrus, one by Chris Clark, one by Mike Green, and an empty netter by Matt Bradley. See the problem? Not a single goal coming (at least with a goalie defending) by anyone other than the top line, save for Green’s (Matt Pettinger and Kris Beech earned assists on that one). Add to this the fact that the Caps have had only ten power plays in the three games on the road trip (of which two were converted), and the offensive problems are easier to understand. On the other side of the ledger, the Caps have found themselves shorthanded 20 times on this trip and have given up four goals.

It would seem that the Caps are going to have to force the action more aggressively – to draw penalties and to try to get into a run-and-gun effort – in order to end this trip on a high note. If it is a low-scoring, “let ‘em play” sort of game with few penalty calls, Calgary would appear to have the advantage.

So, what does The Peerless think? Well, last year, the Caps had a western swing into Dallas, Anaheim, and Phoenix. In the last of those games, a rookie did something that made every highlight show in North America. We might not see something that earth-shaking in this game, but it’s an opportunity for the Caps to demonstrate how much they’ve improved, by ending a long road trip strong.

Caps 5 – Flames 3.

The Peerless' Morning After -- Caps vs. Oilers

If it was a chicken dinner, it’d be a wing and a breast . . . but no legs. Three games in four nights, each in a different time zone. Other teams go through it – and many of them suffer the same fate, in this case a lackluster 4-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. The game was not as lopsided as the final score indicates, but the Caps really were never in it, either.

Alexander Ovechkin was the only Cap who showed any consistent spark. He led the club with four shots and was credited with seven hits, and looked for the most part to be the only Cap who had his legs delivered from Vancouver for this game. Brian Pothier had three shots and played a decent game, but it was the “almost” fourth shot – the one that rang off the pipe that might have been the signal that this would not be the Caps’ night.

It would be tempting to find fault with a number of aspects of Washington’s play, but both teams deserve some credit. The Oilers played a solid, workmanlike game, knowing that they had an opponent that would likely be suffering the effects of a game the previous night and travel. The Caps stayed in the game – at least on the scoreboard – well into the third period when their old bugaboo, taking an inopportune penalty, finally did them in as Joffrey Lupul finally put the game away with a power play tally.

Brent Johnson really deserves better than to be 0-1-2. His 2.53 GAA is better than Marc-Andre Fleury, Martin Brodeur, and Tomas Vokoun (all with winning records), and his .926 save percentage is better than Ryan Miller, Kari Lehtonen, and Dominik Hasek (all backstopping division leaders). He had another solid effort last night.

Last night’s scratches had an odd quality to them – Jamie Heward, Kris Beech, and Jakub Klepis. Assuming none of the trio was injured, one might think that Heward was merely being rested so Bryan Muir could shake some rust off (he didn’t have a bad game in almost 20 minutes of play, certainly no worse than most of the rest of the club), but one also supposes that a message was being sent with the other two. After averaging 16 minutes a game in his first six games, Beech was moved off the second line and averaged 10 minutes his next three. He was benched last night in favor of Boyd Gordon. Brooks Laich got a sweater for the first time on this trip at the expense of Klepis, who has not scored in eight games and taken penalties in each of his last three. The hunt for a second line center continues.

But not all was bad. Oiler coach Craig MacTavish said of the club after the game, "They played us hard; they are going to win some games."

And Glen Hanlon was even more upbeat with this effort than in earning a point against Vancouver the previous night -- "That is likely our best game of the three-game trip so far. To me it wasn't really a four goal game. I almost have a better feeling tonight than I had after taking a point in Vancouver. It's a long process to get where we want to go this year but I think we looked farther ahead tonight than we did the night before."

We’ll see how far the boys have come when they visit on Calgary tomorrow – Robyn Regehr and Dion Phaneuf aren’t likely to be in a hospitable mood.

-- The Peerless

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!! -- Caps vs. Oilers, October 28th

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!

And the whirlwind trip through the western Canada continues . . . tonight it’s the Edmonton Oilers, last year’s unlikely Stanley Cup finalists, hosting the Caps. One thing about the boys being on the road, it gives Caps fans the opportunity to watch them on the tube with the dulcet tones of Craig Laughlin and Joe Beninati filling the air. But to complete the experience, you need to have munchables worthy of the swooping eagle, and tonight, we bring you a few recipes to enhance your viewing experience.

Olie’s Five-Hole Four Layer Dip . . . take a 16-save first period . . . add a shutout second period . . . layer on a spectacular third period . . . dollop a bit of overtime theatrics (including a big stop early in the session) . . . but watch out – adding that one puck between the pads won’t make it a five-layer dip, it’ll just leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Alex’s Rootin’ Tootin’ I’ll be Shootin’ Chili . . . take some wicked wrist shots . . . add a pinch on the weak side . . . a slapper or two for spice . . . and voila! But that last spoonful always seems to miss the mark. Maybe we need less deke and more wrist. We’ll have to work on that.

Clarkie’s Two Fisted Ground Round . . . Take one Bieksa . . . a few lefts, a few rights to tenderize . . . an uppercut for good measure . . . let rest for five minutes, and you have a freshly done Bieksa for the rest of the night.

Zubie’s Leftover Magic . . . you can’t rush this dish . . . just wait patiently on the other side of the play . . . wait for the slap shot to come from the other side . . . whack home the rebound. Works best on the power play.

Potsie’s Pass Around Pot Luck . . . take one puck . . . sprinkle liberally on the other ingredients (Ovechkin, Semin, Clark, Zubrus recommended) . . . and pass around the goals.

Ovie’s Wham-Bam JAMbalaya . . . take one unsuspecting puck carrier . . . apply a healthy measure of shoulder . . . and watch the glass fly! . . . guaranteed to make your guests hoot and holler for more . . . JAM-ba-LI-ya!

Now . . . the game. Edmonton comes into this game 6-4-0 and rested since losing in Phoenix, 6-2, on Thursday. As their record suggests, they do not have any page-leaping numbers – they are in the middle third in the league in just about every team statistic. But there is one thing to note . . . they are not a particularly effective team when scoring first (.625 winning percentage), and they’ve lost two of their last three when scoring first. That’s not a prescription for the Caps to allow the first goal, but it does suggest that plugging away, even if they fall behind, could yield results – it worked in Vancouver.

For the Caps, Alex Ovechkin has goals in his last four games (4-2-6, -1), including two power play goals. This is pretty much the script Caps fans would like to see followed. Alex Semin saw his eight-game scoring streak ended last night, only tallying one shot on goal. His highlights were more or less confined to giving t on – and later taking one from – Rory Fitzpatrick. While the Caps dropped into a tie for fourth in the league in scoring, 19 of their 31 goals have come from three players (Alex Squared and Dainius Zubrus). The second line of Alex Semin, Kris Beech, and Richard Zednik – and yes, The Peerless realizes that this line has been shaken up some -- has only five even strength goals in ten games (Semin has four power play goals). But here is a statistic that points out just how much the Caps have improved from last year at this time. Of the 18 skaters likely to dress tonight (Assuming Brooks Laich, Boyd Gordon, and Bryan Muir are healthy scratches), only five have “minus” figures for the year; 12 are on the plus side (Jakub Klepis is even in eight games).

This is the back-half of a back-to-back, on the road, out west. Edmonton is rested, a battle-hardened club, and playing at home. All signs point to a Caps loss. Well, these aren’t your father’s – or last year’s – Caps. Brent Johnson is rested himself, and has played well in a relief role this year. He will see a lot of rubber, but will make enough saves to let the Caps spread some offense around. The Caps’ second period woes seem to have been reversed on this trip, and it will be the telling frame . . .

Caps 4 – Oilers 2.

The Peerless' Morning After -- Caps vs. Canucks

Well, there’s one thing to be said for the Caps this year . . . they give fans more than their money’s worth. The fourth extra time (third shootout) game this year – that’s an extra period of hockey for the paying customer – and the fourth loss.

Losing 3-2 in a shootout to Vancouver isn’t the worst thing in the world – a road point on a far-western tour is always a plus – but it’s the how they let that second point get away that rankles. Take away the fine second period the Caps played, and they had five shots in 45 minutes of play (first and third periods, plus overtime). Vancouver’s defense has played well thus far, but the Caps didn’t exactly make their job harder, either. Maybe they were wowed by the new scoreboard hovering over the rink like one of those spaceships in “Independence Day.”

Clearly, the star for the Caps on this night was Olaf Kolzig, with 42 saves on 44 shots. But there lies the problem, too. Kolzig took a shot off the inside of his left knee late in the third, and it would be a problem for him as the clock ticked on and the leg seized up on him. He has faced 35 or more shots in five of the seven games he’s played so far, and he’s faced 92 shots in his last two games. That’s a bit much to ask of a 36-year old. It won’t show up now, perhaps, but even with Kolzig having come in lighter this year, one would think this kind of workload is going to make its effects felt once we get past game 50 on the schedule. All this work is also how a guy with a .910 save percentage for the year (.920 in his last four games) – good for 16th in the league at the moment – also has a 3.24 GAA (27th).

Alexander Ovechkin had a goal and a helper, but rang the post in a shootout for his seventh straight misfire. At the other end, Brendan Morrison snuck the puck inches over the line between Kolzig’s legs to clinch the shootout win. So, the game might have come down to a few inches – Ovechkin not banking the puck off the post and into the net, Morrison managing just enough to get the puck to inch over the line. Of such margins playoffs are gained or lost.

Much will be made of Ovechkin’s problems on the shootout lately, but there is another, perhaps more important one to think about. The Caps have been involved in three shootouts this year, and their goalies have given up five goals on seven shots. That is good for dead last in the league in save percentage (.286). Kolzig and Johnson have, on balance, played well in regulation and in overtime (where the Caps have allowed one goal in 18:02 of playing time). But the Caps have been outscored 5-0 in shootouts – did The Peerless mention yet how much he hates shootouts? The Caps’ difficulties here is the difference between being 10th in the conference – where they reside this morning – and fourth.

But all that said, let's end on a good note -- and a good thing it is. The Caps played a bad first period, giving up more goals (two) than they had shots (one). But the boys played for 60 minutes. With spit, baling wire, a tough old goalie, and some opportunistic crashing to the net they fought off a regulation loss and gained a point for their efforts. That's the kind of effort that can be rewarded over the course of a season, too.

One last thing . . . last night was, as The Peerless understands it, a “vintage” game for the Canucks. Well, let me just say that the vintage uniforms are a bland affair, but The Peerless thinks Roberto Luongo’s mask is the best of its kind in the league.

-- The Peerless

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!! -- Caps vs. Canucks, October 27th

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!

We have a real treat for our readers today while the boys get ready for their game in Vancouver this evening. We’re here with Dr. Vynot Schootdepuck, Director of Advanced Applications at the Bettman Institute of Technology and Competitive Hockey.

Dr. V, what have the brainiacs at BITCH thought up that you’re going to show us today?

“Vell . . . ve heff here ze noo ‘Fata henns.’

Hens? You’ve bioengineered chickens?

“No . . . henns, henns! At ze ends of your wrists.”

Oh, hands. And what do they do?

“Vell, zey are really gluffs zat you put on like ziss . . . and pr-r-r-resto! You heff henns like Gr-r-r-retzky!”

And you named them, ‘Fata hands,’ why?

“Who else vould needs zem more, eh?”

I see your point . . . what is this, Dr. V? . . . it looks like a curved mirror.

“Ahh, zat . . . Zat is a new visor ve are developink for Alex Ovechkin.”

It looks like the mirrored visor the league won’t let him wear.

“A lot of people make zat mistake . . . but you attach it to a helmet like ziss . . . and put it on . . . “

I can still see your eyes, Dr. V.

“Ja, you vould zink so . . . but in reality, you are zeeing a holographic image of my eyes. It fools ze goalie and ze defensemen into thinking zey zee my eyes, ven in reality, I’m looking zomevere else.”

Brilliant!

“Vuht, you are zelling Guinness, now? . . . hah, zats a joke . . . but look here, ziss is ze brilliant part . . . votch as I raise my stick to shoot . . . “

Oh, my . . . that beam just . . . melted the goalie.

“Ja, you like it? . . . ze stick has a transmitter in it zat activates ze mirror venn I raise my stick to shoot, activating ziss energy beam zat melts ze goalie. You zenn shoot ze puck into ze empty net. Verks every time.”

Uh, Doc . . . what happens when Alex raises his arms to celebrate a goal? You could kill an entire line of Caps.

“Ja, ve haven’t verked zat part out yet.”

Oh, now what’s this? . . . It looks like a wig of hair.

“Ah . . . zat is our latest pr-r-r-roject. It’s a zooper zecret effort commissioned by one of the league’s officials.”

It . . . it’s a hard shell, Doc. Not a hair out of place, either . . . let me guess . . .

“Ja . . . Fraser. He just doesn’t want to vere dat helmet”

Well, that’s all the time we have for Dr. V. for this visit . . . on to the game. Tonight, the Caps visit the Paris of southwestern Canada, Vancouver, to take on the Canucks, who are led by the best twins in the NHL, Daniel and Henrik Sedin (or is it Henrik and Daniel? . . . I can't ever keep them straight). Actually, the Sedins do, in fact, lead their club in combined points (14 apiece, natch) and plus-minus (+17 between them). But that’s where the highlights more or less end on offense. The Canucks are 20^th in scoring in the league. They are dead last in home goals scored, but having played only two home games – fewest in the league -- will do that. Still, six goals in two home games isn’t exactly burning out the bulbs in the scoreboard at GM Place.

Contrary to the image of the run-and-gun Western Conference, it is on the defensive side of the ledger where the Canucks shine, giving up but 2.09 goals per game -- fourth in the league in that statistic. The acquisition of Roberto Luongo appears to be paying dividends early. Facing 29 shots per game, he’s managed to post a 2.08 GAA (sixth in the league) and a .928 save percentage (seventh).

There aren’t a lot of Vancouver stats that come jumping out, save this one. They’ve killed all 12 of their man-disadvantages so far at home. The Caps’ road power play is puttering along in 18^th place in the league (13.8 percent). But, the Caps also are the second highest scoring team in the league (3.62 goals per game -- almost a full goal per game lower than first place Buffalo, but almost a full goal per game more than Vancouver).

The Peerless suspects that Vancouver is going to be very happy to be coming home after a reasonably successful (3-2-0) five-game road trip – perhaps too happy . . . too inclined to try to put on a show for the home folks. That could put a lot of pressure on Luongo to stand tall in a wide-open game. It’s a role he played often and well in the past when he wore a Florida Panther jersey. But, the Caps have already put to rest the Panther hex that held them last year, and it’s time to put this one to rest as well.

The Caps have to make a dent in the Canucks’ penalty kill in this one. They are 3-for-6 in their last two games on the power play. That suggests success, but it also indicates a lack of opportunities. That will require attention, especially since the Caps, themselves, have yielded at least one power play goal in each of their last seven games (although they’ve killed 18 of 21 – 85.7 percent – in their last three games).

The Caps will be one goal better on special teams than will the Canucks, and that will be enough . . .

Caps 4 – Canucks 3.

The Peerless' Morning After -- Caps vs. Avalanche

And, we’re off!

The first game of the four game road-trip got off to a pleasant start with a 5-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche. It wasn’t without its moments, though . . . Alexander Ovechkin taking a Shaone Morrisonn shot to his right leg and crumpling to the ice in pain launched Capitals Nation into a spasm of panic. Watching him helped off the ice favoring his leg was seen as the mortal equivalent of a head of state felled.

Word in the locker room afterward? . . . “he’ll be okay.”

And Capitals Nation rejoices.

As for the game, this was one of those odd games that you look at and ask, “uh, how did we win that one?” Well, the old, broken-down, has-been, washed-up, best-days-are-faded-to-black-and-white goaltender kicked, blocked, gloved, deflected, smothered, or otherwise turned away 45 of 48 shots, that’s how. Olaf Kolzig was the difference, for which he should have been awarded the game’s number-one star, but wasn’t.

What shouldn’t get a star was the defense in front of him. A larger share than what one would like of those 45 saves were of the “not routine” variety. The Caps spent a lot of time running around, chasing the Avs all over the offensive zone. It was a game almost devoid of a physical dimension – 13 hits, total, by both teams – and looked more like a video game version of the sport. Mr. Commissioner, I find this sort of game rather kind of boring, despite the eight goals.

The two keys we cited in our last report here – staying out of the box and playing a more effective second period – loomed large here. While the Caps didn’t exactly stay out of the box (the Avs had seven power plays), they only allowed two man advantages in the last 40 minutes (one of which the Avs scored on to make it a one-goal game late) and none in the second period. The Caps also won the second period, 2-0, outshooting the Avs 13-8 in the process while going 1-for-2 on their own power plays.

Some observations . . . if one could transplant Andrew Brunette’s hands onto Rico Fata’s body, you’d have an all-star winger . . . what was with Marek Svatos? 15:29 in ice time and 11 shots? Pistol Pete Maravich didn’t put it up that often . . . Donald Brashear played his best six minutes and fifteen seconds as a Cap . . . your Caps leader in hits tonight? Richard Zednik, with two . . . on top of the 48 shots the Avs managed to put on net, they also had 15 shots blocked, and they missed 15 shots. That’s 78 shots taken in 60 minutes. NASA doesn’t do that many launches.

But in the end, a win is a win is a win. They all count for two points, and two points on the road is always a good thing. On to Vancouver!

-- The Peerless.

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!! Caps vs. Avalanche, October 25th

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!!

Well, the divisional trifecta was not the statement Caps fans hoped it would be . . . a win, a shootout loss, and a regulation loss – three out of six possible points. It’s better than the boys could manage against division opponents this early last year, but it’s got to improve if the Caps have legitimate designs on fighting for a playoff berth.

It’s with that lingering aftertaste that the boys head west on their longest – distance wise – road trip of the year. Alexander “Otter” Ovechkin, Dainius “Boon” Zubrus, Alexander “Pinto” Semin, Mike “Flounder” Green, and the rest of the Caps’ “Animal House” crew haul tail through Colorado, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary before heading home. It’ll be their last trip west of the Mississippi this year (they don’t go any further west that Pittsburgh after this), so it had better be a good one.

Getting out on the road is all about bonding . . . young guys and vets, North Americans and Europeans. And sometimes, you find that guys end up with special responsibilities . . . like this exchange between “Otter” Ovechkin and “Flounder” Green . . .

“Flounder, I’m appointing you pledge representative to the social committee . . . “

“Gee Otter, thanks. What do I have to do?”

“It means you have to feed me the puck.”

They can even go over mistakes they’ve made in the last few games, like when Otter and the boys comfort a downhearted Flounder . . .

“Flounder, you can't spend your whole life worrying about your mistakes! You fucked up - you trusted us! Hey, make the best of it! Maybe we can help.”

“That's easy for you to say! What am I going to tell Coach Hanlon?”

“I'll tell you what. We'll tell Coach you were doing a great job taking care of the puck, but you left it at the blue line and the next minute, it was gone. We report it to the referees, Clarkie takes care of the rest, the linesman goes and gets a new puck.

“Will that work?”

“Hey, it's gotta work better than the truth.”

If you’re looking for hints at how Colorado might behave as hosts for the evening, it’s hard to figure it out from the statistics. Nothing really jumps out – the Avs are rather average in a lot of the usual numbers. But two things do emerge that could cause some concern. First, the Avalanche have scored more home power play goals than any club in the league, and their home power play is humming along in third place (30.3 percent). Second, the Avs haven’t won a game yet in which they’ve led after one period (they are 0-1-1). But, they are 3-1-1 when leading after two. Given the Caps’ struggles in the second period this year, that could be something to look out for.

On the other hand, while Washington rests in 21st place on the penalty kill, they are 12th in road penalty killing. Their problems on the power play while on the road are as much a scarcity of opportunities as their success rate. Washington is tied for 21st in total road power play opportunities. There isn’t much difference between these teams at even strength effectiveness – Washington is -2 on the road, Colorado – surprisingly enough – is -4 at home.

It would seem that this game will turn on whether Washington can play an opportunistic sort of game – can the Caps minimize their trips to the box and turn their second period misfortunes around. If they can be successful at both, this trip might get off to a successful start.

Caps 3 – Avalanche 1.

The Peerless' Morning After -- Caps vs. Lightning

It wasn’t quite as ugly as the opening night loss to the Rangers, but the 6-4 loss to Tampa Bay last night was not the kind of “statement” the club might have been wanting to make in this, the last of three divisional games in Statement Week.

A lot of little things – and one big one – went wrong for the Caps. First, the big bad thing – 13:24. That is how much time the Caps spent shorthanded last night on seven penalty kills. Although the Lightning went only 1-for-7 on the power play, that’s a lot of time not getting either Alexander Ovechkin or Alexander Semin on the ice, and it’s a lot of time either not getting or not having any sort of rhythm on the ice – the club is always back on its heels, defending, which is something the Lightning – a comparatively veteran squad – knows how to take advantage of.

If one part of the Caps’ club could be faulted for the result, it would be the defense. When Tampa Bay had the puck, they spent their time, for the most part, backing up. The Lightning – even at even strength – won battles for the puck and seemed to move the puck at will in the offensive zone. On offense, the defensemen couldn’t get the puck to the net and had a difficult time holding the puck in the offensive zone.

It would be easy to fault Olaf Kolzig for yielding six goals, and he did his part in this mess. The first of two goals by Nikita Alexeev was the one that should have been stopped and served to break any lingering momentum the Caps might have had during the evening. It was the second of two goals in a 22-second span that were of the ugly variety, if you’re a goaltender. The first of those – what should have been a futile wrap-around chance by Martin St. Louis – snuck between Kolzig’s left skate and the post to tie the game. Alexeev’s seemingly harmless shot from far edge of the right-wing circle seemed to surprise Kolzig, who appeared to be unfocused. That, for all intents and purposes, was the good ol’ hockey game. The rest was just details.

But I’ll say this . . . when the Caps fell behind 5-2 on Alexeev’s second goal, they didn’t quit. Brian Sutherby, who might have been the best Cap on this ice on this night, notched his first as a product of hard work in front of the net. Later, Alexander Ovechkin – who did, then didn’t already have a goal credited to him earlier in the game – got one of his very own by picking up some trash at the doorstep, tapping the puck past Marc Denis’ right pad. Ovechkin, who was frustrated a good portion of the evening by some creative “old style” (meaning “circa 1999”) hockey on Tampa’s part – to its credit – started taking his frustrations out on Lightning players in the third when he appeared to register more than the one hit for which he was ultimately credited on the evening. And I have to say, even though Richard Zednik was a -2 on the evening, he was a one-man puck possession machine – fighting off Tampa defenders deep in the offensive zone.

There are going to be games like this, when things just don’t quite . . . well, work. There is an old saying about baseball – out of 162 games, there are 40 you’re going to win, no matter what, and there are 40 you’re going to lose, no matter what. It’s what you do with the rest that matter. Well, in a season as long as hockey’s the same thing seems to apply . . . there are 20 games you’ll win, no matter what, 20 you’ll lose. This one seems to have been one of the latter.

Six goals from a team that had only 16 in seven games coming in – and five of those on the shelf with Ryan Craig injured – was not in the script. It brings to mind part of another script, one from a rather famous film . . .

“This is ridiculous . . . “

“What are we going to do?”

“Road trip.”

See you in Denver, boys.

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!! -- Caps vs Lightning, October 21st

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!!

Let me just start out by saying, this overtime thing is getting old. Three times in six games . . . and no wins. The Peerless, for the record, despises overtime and shootouts more than he does those pictures of cute little kittens with great big soulful eyes (you know, the ones that look like pictures of Sidney Crosby whining to a referee). So, three of them in six games have this prognosticator in a foul sort of mood. But this is a new day and a new opportunity for a nice, clean win – tonight, the Tampa Bay Lighting visit VerMCIzon Center in the third, and last, consecutive division game in this . . . STATEMENT WEEK!

It promises to be a tightly contested affair and the . . . whoa, what have we? . . . It’s The Coach! Coach, how the hell are ya?

“I’m doing fine, Peerless . . . I needed a hockey fix, and The Coachmobile just brought me here.”

Well, we’re honored . . . how do you see things shaking out tonight?

“Well, ya see…what you have here are two teams…two hockey teams…both needing a win. But both teams can’t win, of course – huhhuh – so one of them is going to be disappointed. OK…so, I think the key to the game is that whoever scores the most goals is probably going to win. Now, how can the Caps do that? . . . Well, let’s take a look with the help of my handy telestrator . . .

“The most important player, of course, is Alex Ovechkin. I really like this kid – he’s big, strong, knocks people down, and he’s got this scraggly kinda beard that makes him look scary. Then there’s that visor he wears….looks a little like Jim McMahon, the guy who used to quarterback for the Bears … anyway, here’s Ovechkin, and usually he kinda swoops out of his own territory (“zone,” Coach) – yeah, yeah, zone…like this –SCHWOOP! – and heads down the field (“ice…”) – uh, ice – and then someone passes .. “passes,” right? … passes him the puck – ZIP!! – and he’s off to the races. When a cornerback (“defenseman”) – ok, defenseman – picks him up, he just cuts inside – SCHWIP!! – better than Terrell Owens, and with a whole lot less controversy – huhhuh – and heads in on the goalie, who by this time is sort of thinking about another line of work. He moves the puck – puck? – puck over here… then he moves it over here (that’s a “deke,” coach) – deke? I thought that was a fraternity … whatever … and while the goalie is looking at the bench to get another jockstrap to replace the one he was just faked out of, Ovechkin just whacks the puck into the back of the net – BAM!! And just like that, it’s a touchdown for the Caps . . . (“go- . . . oh, whatever, coach”)

“Then there’s Olie Kolzig . . . I think he’s really a linebacker in pads – huhhuh – but that’s just an old coach talkin’. He’s been here, how long? Since McKinley was President, I think. But he’s still got what it takes . . . I like the way he goes down to his knees and spreads his pads apart (“butterfly…”) – butterfly?... hmm, imagine that… ok, then he does this split….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzip! – oh, that’s gotta hurt! And ya gotta love a goalie who uses sticks like kindling – BAM! BAMBAMBAM!!! Not like those guys with names ya can’t pronounce who go cryin’ to the ref whenever the wind from someone skating by blows in their face.

“Anyway, I like the Caps’ chances tonight . . . they’re back home in front of thousands – well, dozens – of their rabid fans, Ovechkin looks like he’s about ready to start going on a tear, that kid – what’s his name, Semin?....can you say, “Semin,” in a family blog? – has seven goals, the defense is playing better . . . I think the Caps will win by a couple o’ touchdowns.”

Tampa Bay comes into the game last in the Southeast. Actually, there isn’t much mystery to that. Their leading scorer is Ryan Craig, who is not one of the big three with big contracts. Speaking of Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, and Martin St. Louis, they are a combined 3-9-12, -2. Generally, the Bolts have had a Devil of a time scoring goals, looking more like dead Ducks than high Flyers . . . The Peerless just hopes they don’t go Wild tonight. Marc Denis had played very well thus far, splitting six decisions with a 2.11 GAA (9th in the league) and .910 save percentage (17th). It’s goal support he seems to lack. Tampa Bay has but 16 goals in seven games.

For the Caps, the key seems to be staying out of the extra session – two shootout losses and a loss in overtime in their three extra-time games so far. They are 2-1 in regulation decisions, both wins coming by 5-2 scores. As for tonight, here is something to watch for . . . through six games, only one Caps defenseman has scored a goal – Jamie Heward, who has two markers. That any one of the other six have not scored a goal is not necessarily a surprise – and not necessarily even a concern this early – but for none of them to have scored a goal is a bit of a surprise. Otherwise, those six defensemen are a combined 0-8-8 (Brian Pothier has five of those assists), +4. That Washington is 23rd on the power play might be related to the defensemen not being much a part of the offense in that regard . . . the defensemen are a combined 1-4-5 (including Heward) in power play scoring.

But, after giving up a lead late in the Atlanta game, The Peerless suspects the Caps will not be in a hospitable mood this evening. It will not go well for Tampa . . .

Caps 5 – Lightning 2

-- The Peerless

A Major Award!

The Peerless is pleased to announce the establishment of a new award. We have various awards bestowed upon players by the league for various accomplishments - the Hart Memorial Trophy for the league's most valuable player, the James Norris Trophy for the league's top defenseman.

Well, now we have a new entry into the galaxy of awards . . . The Peerless Prognosticator's "Old Man's Major Award" Award (ok, it's a rip-off from "A Christmas Story," so what's your point?) . . . The citation reads as follows:

To that Washington Capital who exhibits the timeless qualities of "The Old Man" -- a unique gift for language, a singular inability to fix anything, a hatred of Bumpus' hounds - or just opponents in general -- a love of turkey, and a singular effort in exhibiting the curmudgeonly, ornery, but loving attributes we attribute to, "The Old Man."

The award will be announced monthly, and the floor will be open to nominations for the first five days following the end of the month. The decisions of The Peerless will be final . . . "What is a lamp, you nincompoop? It's a Major Award. I won It!"

-- The Peerless

The Peerless' Morning After -- Thrashers 4 - Caps 3 (SO)

Well . . . what to think of a 4-3 shootout loss in which the good guys came back from a 2-0 hole, but gave up a late goal to tie things in regulation . . .

Good Cop . . . Bad Cop:

Well, the Caps were on the back-end of a back-to-back, on the road; the Thrashers had five days of rest . . . The Caps are young, and the season just got started; don’t be giving me that “tired” nonsense.

The Caps were playing their backup goalie, the Thrashers their top netminder . . . Johnson has played well in his recent action with the Caps; it’s not as if he’s chopped mackerel out there.

The Caps clawed back from a 2-0 hole to get a lead . . . they gave up the tying goal with 33 seconds left – barely a shift’s worth of time. The game is 60 minutes, not 59:27.

The Caps earned a division point, on the road . . . they let a division point get away.

The Caps are 2-1-3; at this point last year, they were 2-4 and had already given up 31 goals . . . The Caps are 2-4 -- same won-loss record as this time last year.

Alexander Ovechkin went 1-1-2, +2; he’s 3-3-6, +2 (+6 in his last five games since Chris Clark was returned to the top line -- at a comparable point last year, he was 4-3-7, -1) . . . Ovechkin is oh-for-seven on his last six shootout tries and looks as if he doesn’t have an answer out there.

Alexander Semin went 1-0-1, even, to raise his line to 7-2-9, +5 . . . Richard Zednik was 0-0-0, -1 to lower his line to 0-2-2, -2 . . . he’s been pointless in five of six games (“pointless” might be interpreted in a variety of ways).

Brent Johnson turned away 40 of 43 shots (.930) . . . he didn’t turn away the last one in regulation, and none of what he faced in the shootout (that’s two SO losses in a row).

The Caps have points in five straight games (2-0-3) . . . they haven’t won an OT/SO game in three tries.

The Caps are in eighth place in the conference (would you rather be the Flyers? . . . they’re 15th this morning) . . . If they'd held onto the lead and split the other two OT games, they'd be tied with Jersey for third in the conference.

The Caps are 2-0-2 against the divison, 16GF, 12GA; at this time last year after four divisional games they were 1-3, 9GF, 24GA . . . uh, well, er, um . . . yeah, I guess.

As I see it, this is a game the Caps would have lost outright last year. After they fell behind 2-0 on the road, they'd have been lucky if the gates didn't burst open. This year, they scratched back, and I'm betting that they're pretty annoyed they didn't get that second standings point. And that, dear reader, is a good thing, too.

-- The Peerless

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!! -- Caps vs. Thrashers, October 19th

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!

Didn’t we just do this yesterday? . . . Well, yes we did, but this is the NHL, and if this is Thursday, it must be . . . Atlanta.

The Caps took care of business last night with a 5-2 whipping of the Florida Panthers and now get the chance to redeem themselves for the overtime loss at the hands of the Thrashers last Saturday evening. It won’t be an easy task, since the Thrashers have had the week off since that contest in DC, while the Caps arrived in Atlanta early this morning (or so they are reported to have done).

The Peerless was wondering . . . what sort of things to players do to maintain their energy and focus for the second of a back-to-back set of games . . .

Well, there’s sleep . . . getting a good night’s rest is always a good thing.

Black coffee, and keep it comin’ . . . not a bad idea, if you don’t mind running back to the locker room at every TV time out . . .

But The Peerless is into visual themes . . . and he thinks he might have stumbled on a way for any player to stay wide awake and focused on keeping his feet moving for 60 minutes . . . the mental image of a crazed Ted Leonsis running after him – naked – shouting, GREAT SEATS ARE STILL AVAILABLE…GREAT SEATS ARE STILLLLLLL AVA-A-A-A-AILABLE!!!”

As for the game . . .

Ilya Kovalchuk scored his first goal of the year in last Saturday night’s game – the overtime game winner. Usually, we’d be concerned that this would be the first drop of a pelting rain of goals by the streaking sniper. But, he’s been off since that Saturday, too. Time enough to cool off?

Jonathan Sim (displaying his skating prowess) has five goals in six games . . . I had to look at that statistic a few times to let it sink in. And this from a guy with 35 goals in his first 230 NHL games. Take away his nine goals in 15 career games against Washington, and that’s 26 goals in 215 games (works out to about ten goals per full season). Mr. Mephisotpheles?...your client is here.

Slava Kozlov (here in the hockey equivalent of the "purposeful businessman off to a meeting" magazine cover) . . . with Sim, makes up something of a surprising second line. With as much attention as is given to Marian Hossa (with the always hilarious "tap-the-guy-with-your-stick, then-look-away-when-he-turns-around" move) and Ilya Kovalchuk (showing fans his Curly "nyuk-nyuk" move around a pylon dressed as Mike Commodore) on the top unit, these two wingers have combined to go 7-5-12, +8.

There will be no talk of a Johan Hedberg sighting (here in his, "why do I bother, he's not going to play me" expression). With five days’ rest and a division opponent on hand, it will almost certainly be Kari Lehtonen (distracted by Andy Sutton while Garnet Exelby picks his pocket) – and his 4-1-1, 1.63, .943 record – getting the start in goal. Lehtonen has not lost to Washington in four career starts.

For the Caps, the stories of last night were the play of the second line of Alexander Semin-Kris Beech-Richard Zednik in the first period (2-3-5, +9) and Olaf Kolzig, especially in the second period when the Caps looked a little too satisfied to make the effort. Compare that second line’s work last night with their line in the game against Atlanta last Saturday: 0-1-1, -2. Getting production out of that unit is of growing importance given the uneven start so far from the first line of Alexander Ovechkin-Dainius Zubrus-Chris Clark. If the second group can form a credible scoring threat, things might open up for the top line.

Something to watch . . . it seems teams are adopting similar strategies for dealing with rushes up the left side by Alex Ovechkin. They’re playing almost a triangle defense with a defenseman low, his pair shading a bit from the middle of the ice toward Ovechkin, cutting off the cut in, and a forward high, trailing him. Ovechkin always faces two men in any direction he wants to go, unless he decides to try to take the puck far along the boards. Both Atlanta – last Saturday – and Florida appeared to be employing this tactic whenever Ovechkin carried the puck into the offensive zone on the left side. This is where the other two linemates – especially Zubrus – would seem to need to make teams pay for leaving as much ice open as they do.

The Caps are not last year’s team, at least its early-season version. That they could play as listlessly as they did last night for the last 40 minutes (especially the middle period) and still hold onto a lead is a decent sign. But this is an upgrade in opponent, and it’s on their ice. Still, this is “Statement Week” for the Caps, and this is part two . . .

Caps 3 – Thrashers 2, in OT.

The Peerless' Morning After -- Caps vs. Panthers

When I got home last night, I was of a mind that that was about the worst 5-2 win as you're ever going to see, even thought the Caps put up five goals in the first period to end the competitive portion of the game. Despite his fine record coming into the game, Alex Auld put on a clinic on how not to play the position. Between leaving garbage all around his crease to whiffing on shots from near the blue line, it was a grisly night – four goals on only 12 shots.

But, having had the luxury of sleeping on it, it probably wasn’t as bad as I first thought, and these are the Caps – being grateful for a win should be required of fans.

I thought the Caps did three things well -- they capitalized on mistakes (for the first 15 minutes of the game, anyway), they killed 1:31 of a 5-on-3, and they took only four minors (perhaps as much a product of the listlessness of the last 50 minutes as any discipline on the Caps' part).

On the other hand, they fought the puck on their sticks most of the night. Alexander Semin flat out whiffed on several superb chances, never getting the puck to the net. Steve Eminger just didn’t look especially energized. And tonight, I could agree with some other Caps fans that are of a mind that something is amiss with Alexander Ovechkin -- I got the impression that the spirit was willing, but the body didn't have the overdrive gear he usually seems to have to outrace an opponent to the puck or to get position for a scoring chance. He had bursts of his top gear, but that just led me to believe even more than something is up. He picked his spots instead of relying on his usual unrelenting pursuit.

What led me to believe things weren’t as bad as I’d first thought was the experimentation with lines that seemed to characterize the last two periods. Looking over the shift chart, I see a number of odd combinations showing up from time-to-time, including . . . an Ovechkin-Klepis-Brashear line?

The best line of the night was the second line of Semin, Kris Beech, and Richard Zednik – 2-3-5 as a group with a +9 (plus-threes all around). But Olaf Kolzig was the difference here. If he allows a second, or even a third goal in the 5-on-3 in the Panthers had in the second period, I think the Panthers could have caught the Caps flatfooted over the rest of the game. Kolzig didn't have to do much in terms of making highlight saves; his game was that solid. The good thing was, Florida was just pitiful. How that team brought three wins into the building was a mystery to me.

The crowd was especially disappointing, even for a weeknight game. 10,125 announced, but it looked like about two thirds of that in real bodies.

The bottom line? The Caps did what they had to do – jump on a divisional opponent at home and protect the lead they earned. This isn’t a game they would have won last year, in my opinion. And that, friends, is a good thing.

-- The Peerless

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!! -- Caps vs. Panthers, October 18th

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!

Howdy, Caps fans . . . we’re back with the latest game-day installment, and tonight, it’s the Florida Panthers . . . a Jekyll and Hyde team if there was one. But before we get to that, let’s go to The Peerless’ Mail Bag . . .

Our first letter is from a Peter B. from Maryland, who writes…

“Dear Peerless . . . tell George I’m still working out, he won’t return my calls.”

Well, Peter . . . The Peerless has two words of advice for you . . . “more twinkies” . . . you might as well, because George isn’t picking up the phone.

Our next writer, a “Mr. Tony” from DC writes…

“You’re a dope . . . hockey stinks . . . nobody shows up . . . how’s Jagr doing . . . “

Uh, Mr. Tony . . . I’ve seen you at your day job on ESPN, I’ve seen you at your night job on ESPN . . . you might want to try a job with a paper hat.

Next up, “Gary in New York” writes…

“Our attendance is just as good as last year at this time, if you think of it in terms of volume. Since Americans are getting fatter every year, we need fewer of them to have as much volume in the arena . . . and with our clubs offering delectable concessions such as deep-fried lard nuggets with bacon gravy and sugar sprinkles at reasonable prices for the whole family, we should far surpass our total volume of last year.”

Gary, the only thing that’s gotten fatter since last year is your head.

“Hitch in Philly” sends us this…

“Holy crap . . . did you get the number of that bus that hit us last night?”

It was a herd of slug, Hitch, and they’re still faster than your bunch.

“JR” in Arizona...

“Why don’t you ever write anything about Jeremy Roenick, maybe the greatest American player in hockey history, and damn good-looking guy, if I do say so, myself?”

Six games, 0-1-1, -4. Consider it done.

OK, now to the game . . . the Panthers come in with a 3-2-1 record in six games – 3-0-0 at home, 0-2-1 on the road. This happens to be a road game, so that’s a good sign for the men in black. Olli Jokinen leads the club in scoring at 3-5-8, which is not surprising; Gary Roberts has been upright for six games, well mostly, which is. Todd Bertuzzi, the very definition of the “power forward,” seems to have morphed into Wayne Gretzky with a five-o’clock shadow . . . 1-6-7 in six games, and he’s taken only six shots. I don’t want to be having to write “break out game” in reference to him this time tomorrow. Florida is not an especially formidable club at even strength; most of their players are on the minus side of the ledger, and the club is 19th in overall plus/minus – dead last in road plus/minus. But they have three wins and points in four of their six games, so you might conclude that their special teams are working well. Well, you’d be right, especially their power play, which is humming along in second in the league with a 28.6 percent success rate and a shorthanded goal. But the Jekyll and Hyde character all comes down to goaltending. Alex Auld has done well in the spotlight thus far, earning all the points at 3-0-1, 2.37, .935. Ed Belfour has sucked on toast at 0-2-0, 5.52, .822.

For the Caps, the thing that tops tonight’s to-do list is “improve power play.” With Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Richard Zednik, etc., the club should have more than four power play goals in 31 chances. But lurking in the weeds is this uncomfortable stat . . . while it is still early, the Caps’ penalty kill is worse at home (8-10, 80.0 percent) than on the road (11-13, 84.6 percent).

So, for tonight, the recipe is . . . take advantage of Florida’s weakness at even strength, score a goal on the power play why dontcha, and stay out of the penalty box. Do that (which is pretty much a game plan for any game), and here is your result . . .

Caps 4 – Panthers 2

Playoffs?...Caps? Peerless, have you lost your mind?

Maybe, but there is a way to ponder this possibility without having folks resort to confining me in a jacket with long sleeves that buckle in the back.

In this NHL, with 32 intradivision games, it's all in the division play. Last year, the Caps were 11-14-7, the only sub-.500 club in the division (and that is even considering the SO/OT losses as plain old losses). I happen to think the rest of the division has come back to the pack, as it were, and the Caps are better.

Add to that the fact that the Caps were 5-2-3 in their last 10 divisional games last year -- a far cry from their hideous start to the year when they were pasted in back to back games, 15-4, with the season barely started. The Caps didn't even get a regulation win in the division until January 21st.

If the club can find a way to extend their late-season success over the entire season (I doubt they will, but let's start there), that would mean earning 42 standings points in the division over the season. They earned 29 last year. That gets them to 83 this year without any change in their out-of-division record from last year. It goes a long way to getting into the playoff hunt.

Again, I don't think the club will ultimately make the playoffs (the club really lacks depth and experience for that kind of run), but they could make for an interesting winter.

The Peerless' Morning After: Thrashers 4 - Caps 3 (OT)

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!

Thoughts on the morning after an overtime loss . . . nice ceremony before the game, but Alex Ovechkin looked strangely subdued, as if he was more interested in getting on with the game . . . team looked sluggish coming out, as if they were the club coming off a game the previous night . . . sweet pass from Alexander Semin to Jamie Heward for the first goal; that’s what five goals in three games will do – guys will collapse on you, leaving others open . . . Kari Lehtonen saved a point for Atlanta in the second period with his play – turned away 18 of 19 shots . . . on the other hand, it wasn’t Olie Kolzig’s best night – looked as if all three goals in regulation could have been stopped – but he kept the club in it over the last ten minutes . . . Kris Beech had his best game as a Cap . . . did Zednik actually dress? Hard to tell, invisible as he was . . . Note to George – find a way to get Jon Sim; it’s getting tiring seeing him score goals against the Caps, whatever uniform he wears . . . six penalties: three hooking, a hold, a trip, a holding the stick – all from forwards -- obstruction penalties will kill this team . . . Peerless said winning faceoffs and shots would be key – Caps won both (60%FO wins in the offensive zone), lost the game – the difference was Lehtonen . . . power play looks badly out of sync . . . the Ovechkin-Zubrus PP squad was more often the second group on . . . and why is such a dynamic puck-handler such as Ovechkin being asked to stand in front on the PP? . . . small wonder the Caps sit 21^st on the PP . . . Caps have now one of each: win, loss, OT loss, shootout loss; guess this means and OT or shootout win are up next . . . and finally -- congrats, Mats, on 500 . . .

The Peerless Prognostictor is ON THE AIR!! -- Caps vs. Thrashers, October 14

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!!

Yes, fans of the swooping eagle, The Peerless is here once again to bring you the finest in prognostitory prognosticationing.

When last we met, we were anticipating a victory against the Minnesota Wild. Well, it didn’t happen – it was a shootout loss – but it sort of had the feel of a win . . . plucky underdog, beat up, goes into hostile arena (well, just how hostile do Minnesotans get? . . . do they pelt you with lutefisk?), plays the undefeated home team to a tie through overtime . . . frankly, it wasn’t a bad result for this squad at this time of the year.

But now, it’s back home and back to the division – the Atlanta Thrashers come to town for a Saturday evening tilt, which makes this sort of a “Saturday Evening Post.” Sorry, kids, that publication was around long before y’all were born.

Atlanta lost a tough one last night – a goal in the last half-second of regulation play from the then-winless Carolina Hurricanes – so they might be in an ornery mood come this evening. What better way to show “Capspitality” than to offer up some down-home southern recipes to the weary travelers . . .

Brian Sutherby’s own “Hits-n-Grits” . . . Take one cantankerous center, add two bad-tempered wings (Donald Brashear and Brooks Laich, preferred brands), stir, and allow to hit for 60 minutes. It’ll tenderize thrasher very nicely.

Alex Ovechkin’s “Spicy Snap Peas and Hot Wrist Shots” . . . One quick-cookin’ treat . . . take one left wing . . . let him churn up ice at high speed . . . add one puck . . . one hot wrist shot later, voila! . . . instant goal. Trouble is, this is such a tasty treat, no one is satisfied with just one! Oh, the peas? Feed ‘em to the dog . . . or Bobby Holik.

Shaone Morrisonn’s “Shoo-‘way pie” . . . a traditional southern treat, fitting for any occasion, be it in front of the net or in the corners or along the boards . . . take stick firmly in both hands, apply it and body to anyone in a light-colored jersey (or small bird like, say, a thrasher), and shoo ‘em away vigorously.

Uncle Glen’s Fine Moonshine Power Line . . . yee-haw . . . now here’s a lip-smackin, thrasher-thwackin’ treat . . . First, ya git a helpin’ o’ Alexander Semin over yonder on the left side . . . then, ya git a big ol’ handful of Dainius Zubrus down in the other corner diggin’ out pucks . . . up over there on the ridge on the blue line, ya get some o’ that Brian Pothier for some added spice . . . over ‘cross the way, maybe a bit o’ that Mike Green . . . kinda young this time o’ year, but tasty anyway . . . and there in the middle, a heapin’ helpin’ of Alex Ovechkin . . . ready to pounce on any ol’ puck that comes his way. Now, that might not be quite the thing for a Kari Lehtonen (but he’s a Finn, what does he know?), but for us Caps fans? . . . whooooooo-EE, that’s mighty fine shine.

Now that’s a menu for a happy ol’ weekend if I ever did see one. As for the game, some things to watch . . .

Atlanta is second in the league at the moment in giving up only 1.4 goals per game. And, they are fifth in faceoff winning percentage. Washington is 18^th in both statistics. In this NHL, The Peerless does not see those as separate considerations. Getting the puck and keeping the puck go a long way toward keeping the puck out of your own net.

Atlanta is a team that has been playing well at even strength, with only one player – Steve Rucchin – on the minus side of the ledger. The Caps record on this score is a bit deceptive. The Ovechkin-Zubrus-Zednik line of game one was -4 across the board. IN two games since, Ovechkin has crawled back to -1, Zubrus to -2, and Zednik has not lost any more ground. Clearly, that experiment didn’t appear to work.

Shots . . . The Peerless thinks they matter over the length of a season. Atlanta has given up the fifth fewest shots per game . . . the Caps are 23^rd. Add that to faceoffs (it’s that puck thing), and it would seem further to explain the difference in goals allowed (yeah, The Peerless knows, Lehtonen is a fine goalie, too).

So, for the Caps, they have to be mindful of faceoffs and fire as much rubber as possible at the net. Ovechkin will likely get his shots (24 so far); Semin, too (11). But some others need to step up in this regard – Dainius Zubrus and Kris Beech among the forwards, Brian Pothier and Ben Clymer among the defensemen.

The Peerless liked what he saw against Carolina and Minnesota – two teams with capable defenses. While Lehtonen has played very well, that ends tonight at VerMCIzon Center . . .

We’s gonna have us a good time, now, y’hear? Break out the sippin’ whiskey . . .

Caps 5 – Thrashers 3

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR! . . . Caps vs. Wild, October 12th

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!

Tonight, from the Land of 10,000 Potential Outdoor Rinks . . . Our Caps visit their wrath upon the Minnesota Wild, which begs the question . . . Wild what? Maybe Girls Gone Wild? When did “Wild” become plural, anyway? And isn’t that use of the singular so 1980’s, so World Football League . . . the Philadelphia Bell . . . the Chicago Fire . . . the Shreveport Steamer (what, they cleaned carpets in the off-season?) . . . the Minnesota Wild. Hey, join the 21st century, guys.

Visiting the folks in Minnesota does, however, put me in mind of a song . . . Hit it!

Who can turn the world on with his smile?
Who can take a nothing play, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?
Well it's you guy, and you should know it
With each deke and every little movement you show it

Goals are all around, no need to waste it
You can make the shot, why don't you take it
You're gonna make it after all
You're gonna make it after all


How will you help us win this game?
This rink is awfully big, guy this time you can’t be too tame
So it's time you started hitting
It's time you let someone else do some hurting

Goals are all around, no need to waste it
You can make the shot, why don't you take it
You're gonna make it after all
You're gonna make it after all

As for the game, these aren’t your father’s Wild. This bunch actually looks at the net. Marian Gaborik, or “Bondra Lite,” has earned a reputation for being a goal-scorer, but he was a Ferrari skating in the sand of the (beware – head-shaking moment ahead) Wild style of defense-defense-defense . . . more one of boring their opponents into submission, or “Devils Lite.”

But now, with Pavol Demitra, Mike Rolston, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, and Todd White (hey, he’s got two goals, same as our own Alex O.) to jump start the offense, the Wild look like a team dangerous at both ends.

For the Caps, they’ll be looking to celebrate Mike Green’s 21st birthday with their second win. It looks as though Brent Johnson gets to trade his baseball cap for a mask tonight and stand between the pipes – “stand” being a term of imagery . . . if all he does is stand, it’ll be a long night. Maybe The Peerless should use the term, “man the crease,” but that conjures all sorts of other images, most not suitable for a family column.

It looks as though Boyd Gordon and Matt Pettinger – a good portion of energy among the forwards (energy = “pain in the ass to the opponent”) will be on the shelf for this one, although Matt Bradley could return, if Mike Vogel’s take is on target. Even so, with A-squared showing signs of being on the “hot” side of a streak and Brent Johnson getting a chance to shine, all signs point to a good night for the home side (as if The Peerless would be picking anything else) . . .

Caps 4 – Wild 3

Happy Birthday, Mr. Mohawk