The Rebuild is Not Over

Nope, not by a longshot. It’s like saying, I’ve had all the materials delivered, now the house is built.

Let’s say it out loud...the rebuild is not over. Look at the raw materials...

Goaltending – Olaf Kolzig is the number one goaltender, probably for as long as he is a Cap. The event of a sublime Brent Johnson performance is not going to change that, but Johnson playing well in 15-20 games or more is a critical ingredient to success. So far, Johnson has been pretty good. His 3.35 GAA isn’t where one would like it, but having to face 53 shots in one of the three games he’s played (and giving up seven goals) will do that. His .904 save percentage is what the club needs.

Defense...It’s young and not experienced among its parts. Tom Poti is new to the club, and the Caps have a lot of sub-25 year old types manning the blue line. This is the task that really can’t be rushed. Defensemen take time to grow and learn. Mike Green looks like a wholly different player than the one he was last year, to the benefit of the Caps. If someone like Jeff Schultz can find that leap this year, all the better.

Power Play...perhaps the most intricate part of the construction, there are parts to it that must be performed correctly, or it just doesn’t work. A credible threat from the point, a deft hand on the side boards, a gritty stalwart in front, players with quick hands and good vision all around. And chemistry. It takes time to become adept at building, it takes time to integrate different parts from different teams (last year, Poti, Nylander, Kozlov, and Backstrom played in different cities) and create that needed chemistry.

Penalty Killing...The studs have to be put in place correctly and in alignment, or you have problems that can last the whole season. The Caps have the materials here – Boyd Gordon, David Steckel, Matt Pettinger, and Chris Clark can be very effective forwards on the penalty kill, and as the defense matures it can become just as effective. But it is a work in progress, not a rebuilt edition.

The foundation...Alexander Ovechkin. He has six points in seven games, but he looks more like a well-rounded hockey player than he has in either of his first two years. His attention to more facets in his game than scoring can have the effect of being an example for the team. Whether this has an effect on Alexander Semin will be something interesting to watch when he returns from injury.

The fixtures...Viktor Kozlov, Michael Nylander, Nicklas Backstrom. At one point or another, any or all of them will center Ovechkin this year. The trick in making them fit with Ovechkin is equal parts art, science, and time...this is what the Capitals are still working out.

Shootout...An item that has been installed, although not tested, but one – whatever what one thinks of this abomination – that has to improve, even if it is somewhat overrated (of 32 playoff teams over the two full years of the shootout, 12 finished below .500 in shootouts; Ottawa had a combined record of 4-12). And whatever improvement the Caps might have in adding Viktor Kozlov and Michael Nylander, the improvement has to include the goalies, as well (.639 save percentage over the last two years).

The materials are on the lot, and the framing is up. But let’s not confuse this rebuild with a completed project. There are things to assemble, things to install, and problems to overcome. The rebuild will be done when the Capitals have clinched a playoff spot, not before.

But there is a deadline of sorts to this. The Capitals, as Tarik El-Bashir notes in his Capitals Insider and we suggested here, cannot fall too far behind the leaders in October. A sub-.500 record in October is a large hole out of which to climb. And if this club is still struggling to find its identity and standings points at Thanksgiving, the playoffs will start to look more like wish than expectation.

What all that suggests, to carry this rebuild idea up another notch, is that the materials have been delivered to the site and are in place...it is now the job of the "foreman" to make sure that the project comes together expeditiously. It's not too late, despite the doom and gloom in the usual places...but it's not too soon for a sense of urgency, either.

Then and now...the defense

One of the problems the Caps had last year was getting no appreciable offense from the defense. There simply wasn't enough of a threat from the blue line to keep opponents from packing in their defense and clogging the way for forwards. Well, what difference has a year made?

2006-2007 (after seven games): 3-11-14, +1
2007-2008 (after seven games): 4-8-12, even

But compare the shots on goal...60 so far this year from the defense, compared to 38 over the first seven games last year. The idea here is to get the puck to the net. The defense has done their part -- at least more so than to start the year last year. The job now is for the forwards to screen and get rebounds. Last night the Caps got one that way...it has to continue.

Saturday Night's Alright for...

...well, take a gander...

It was a NO point night -- Caps vs. Penguins, October 20th

Once upon a time, somewhere – it might have been in a stall in a bathroom somewhere – The Peerless read this about a hockey season….”there are 20 games you’ll lose, no matter what; and 20 games you’ll win, no matter what…it’s what you do with the other 40 that matter.”

The two odd games aside, last night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins was one of those 40 games that matter. But for the width of a post, a penalty the four eyes of the two referees saw (and then the penalty those four eyes didn’t see in the same spot on the ice), and a power play that should merely be called, “play,” the Capitals might have made it a better night than it turned out to be.

The Penguins emerged from Verizon Center with a 2-1 win in a generally hard-fought, well-played game on both sides. But while Marc-Andre Fleury had a game he hasn’t had this season, and Ryan Whitney had the game-winning goal, the pivotal player on the ice this evening didn’t show up on the score sheet.

Matt Pettinger was in the middle of three critical plays in this game, two of which turned out bad for the Caps, and both of which found Pettinger as the victim.

The first play was a product of something coach Glen Hanlon was preaching this week – getting (and staying) in front of the net. Passing the 13 minute mark of the first period, Michael Nylander had the puck along the right wing wall. Cycling once and finding nothing to his liking, he curled off again, sliding the puck to Brian Pothier for a one-timer that beat Fleury. The Pittsburgh goalie would later remark that he never saw the puck. That was a product of #18 planting himself firmly in Fleury’s line of sight at the top of the crease. It wouldn’t be the last time the Caps tried that approach, but it would be the only time it was successful (but keep trying, boys).

In the second instance, the clock was winding down past five minutes to go in the second and the game tied 1-1; the Capitals were buzzing in the Pittsburgh zone. Michael Nylander curled out from behind the Pittsburgh net and sent a pass to Nicklas Backstrom left alone in the high slot. Backstrom snapped the puck at the Pittsburgh net, and Fleury got a piece of it, but not enough to keep it from inching toward the goal line. The puck tapped the post, and Matt Pettinger was there, trying to nudge the puck in. But as he was trying to get his stick to the puck, he got tangled with Fleury’s pads, and missed the opportunity to put the Caps ahead.

Finally, in the third period, with the Penguins having taken the lead on the Whitney goal, in the same spot on the ice near the Capitals’ bench where Brooks Laich was whistled for a phantom hooking penalty in the second period, Matt Pettinger took a Penguin stick square in the chops (edit: actually it was Gordon taking the stick, but Pettinger went after Staal in the aftermath). The same four eyes that saw a hooking penalty in the second didn’t see Pettinger’s head fly back. Maybe he should have done the full Barrymore, as Sidney Crosby did when high-sticked earlier, and he skated a broad arc away from the play in stage-agony while it was still going on. ‘Gadzooks!...Oh, I am slain!!” (for the record, yes, it was a penalty) Pettinger, instead, took off on Jordan Staal, making relatively short work of him and earning (with Staal) five minutes for his trouble. Although the Caps were oh-for-three on the power play, having another with the game in its final throes couldn’t have hurt the Caps’ cause.

But the Caps didn’t get that bounce of the puck or call from the referee, and the Penguins survived, thanks largely thanks to Fleury remembering that he’s supposed to be a key to whatever success the Penguins have this year.

Some other items…

-- Boyd Gordon was back, and boy, does that make a difference. Crosby had the primary assist on the game-winner (Gordon was not on the ice for that goal), but was otherwise almost silent. If the Caps had chosen this night to discover their offense, Crosby would have been a non-entity. I don’t much care if Gordon scores a point this year (well, I do…sue me for hyperbole), but if he can have results like that on defense, the Caps will do well. Here might be his stat of the night…he won six of eight defensive zone draws.

-- Alex Ovechkin…eight shots, five hits, and a penalty. If it was Christmas, he might have bagged a partridge in a pear tree, too. He was the most dominant skater on this evening, but with Viktor Kozlov not being especially effective last evening, and Joe Motzko being plucky, but not the stuff of a first-line right wing, Ovechkin was once more in the position of having to do a lot on his own.

-- Regarding Motzko…The Peerless sat watching him last night and came up with a nickname…”The Hedgehog.” He did a commendable job rooting around for pucks and was more patient with the puck than one might expect from a call-up from the AHL. He also showed a resiliency when taking a hit and a willingness to throw same (he was credited with one, but it seemed like more). We like the guy…he is not a top-line, right wing option on a team with playoff dreams, but he’s a guy who can help a club. Although he was returned to Hershey after the game, we would not be surprised to see #50 in the lineup again this year.

-- Hey Caps fans…how many times have you seen this against the Penguins? Hits: 25-13, Capitals…shots: 31-22, Capitals…final score: 2-1, Penguins.

-- The two-fer of the night…Ovechkin laying the lumber to Crosby in open ice, then as Crosby was collecting his wits, getting whacked again by Shaone Morrisonn. You could almost see the cartoon stars circling Crosby’s head.

-- Evgeni who? Did he dress?

-- Donald Brashear and Georges Laraque had a fight…it was required. For the record, The Peerless scored it a draw, Laraque winning the early rounds…uh, seconds…and Brashear coming on late.

-- Nicklas Backstrom looks a good deal more comfortable on the ice than he did in the opener. And, he’s starting to look like Mini-Ny with his curl off moves.

-- On the other hand, Milan Jurcina seemed to struggle. He looked for most of the night as if he was skating in oatmeal, as if he couldn’t get his skates under him. But his effort was there.

-- David Steckel looks sometimes like he’s just loping across the ice. Then you look up, and he’s got his 13 minutes, a couple of hits, a couple of blocked shots, and has won more than half his faceoffs (8-of-15 last night).

-- Brent Johnson…lost in all this is that Johnson played a whale of a game, including a superb left-toe stop on Ryan Malone off a rebound he gave up on a Maxime Talbot shot mid-way through the third, when another goal would have probably doomed the Caps. And if you see a replay of that sequence, watch who it is flying into the picture from behind, almost getting a chance to sweep the puck away from Malone….Ovechkin.

The Penguins, to their credit (The Peerless said with teeth knashing), did what they had to do to win. But the Caps, playing without Alexander Semin and with Boyd Gordon having played only as a game-time decision, played the Penguins to the width of a post. Right now, that’s the difference between these teams. But teams that make the playoffs are on the winning end of such games, not the short end. And that’s the difference between these teams right now, too.

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!! -- Caps vs. Penguins, October 20th

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!!

And today we have an old time treat…The New Time Gospel Hour!

That’s right all you born-again Crostians, we’re here with the Reverend Jimmy Pat Bucciswaggarson to sing the praises of He, from whom all hockey goodness abounds, Sidney Crosby.

“Praise Sidney!"

Thanks Rev…

“I’m just glad to be here to bring His word.”

Rev, you’re an evangelical Crostian. Just what does that mean, exactly?

“Well, I am merely His humble servant, bringing his sacred Word to hockey fans everywhere, because as He once said himself, ‘“I don't think there's ever a time where I step back and say I wish I was something different. I'm doing what I love to do.’”* And that’s what I do, Peerless.

Let’s talk about the Church of Sid, for a moment. What does it mean to be a true believer, Reverend?

“Well, you have to give yourself over to Him, heart, soul, and puck…He asks only that you worship him, that you believe in him as your personal Greatest Hockey Player, that none be worshipped before him, especially Alexander Ovechkin.”

That’s quite a commitment.

“It is, but it is one that true Crostians give freely. It truly is a gift of love and devotion.”

Reverend, what about those who have fallen, who do worship Ovechkin before Crosby…what is their fate, according to the Church of Sid?

“Damnation…eternal damnation. Forever will they be without Versus, without NHL Center Ice, doomed to wander in loneliness, to sit in Verizon Center in a sea of empty seats.”

That’s very serious stuff…now, I understand that there is another, one who heralds the coming of Sid.

“You’ve been boning up on your Sid-Scripture, Peerless…in the Book of Buccigross, Chapter 3, the prophet says, “In those days John from ESPN came, preaching in the Desert of Hartford, Connecticut, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of hockey is near.’ This is he who was spoken of through the prophet: ‘A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for Sid, make straight paths for him.'”

And what of His followers, Reverend, are there many in your congregation?

“Oh, Peerless, there are tens of thousands of Crostian Soldiers, ready to take up the NHL record book in one hand, and a hockey stick in the other to go forth and spread the Word. From Halifax, Nova Scotia to the shores of British Columbia…from Pittsburgh to Anaheim…from the oldest hockey fan to the little one with the ‘87’ jersey, the Church of Sid thrives.”

And I understand you’ve brought some followers…

“Why yes, Peerless, we’re blessed with some young voices who sing their praises to Sid…The Blessed Crosby Singers…let’s listen to their sweet voices…

“Oh…I’ve…got…
Crosby Fever, I’ve got
Crosby Fever, Ive got
Crosby Fever day and night.


Oh I’ve got
Crosby Fever, I’ve got
Crosby Fever
You will too, and then you’ll see the light.


He skates from…end to end
He’s comin’…round the bend
He’ll shoot that puck…right past the goalie’s glove.


He skates from… end to end
He’s scorin’…once again
He’s just the best…deservin’ all my love.”

That was marvelous…

“They sure do scare up a feelin’, don’t they?”

Now, I understand that there are holidays on the religious calendar in the Church of Sid.

“Well, yes…There is the holiest of holy days – July 30^th.

What is the significance of that?

“Heathen!...that is the day when Crosby rose from the Rimouski Oceanic and was selected first in the 2005 draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins!”

I see…and others?

“Well, there is August 7^th…Crosmas Day, when Sidney was born. Now, I know that legend has it that on Crosmas Eve, Santa Cros flies through the night in his sleigh, pulled by eight tiny Penguins (‘Mario’ is the one with the red nose), and leaves gifts for all the good little Crosby kids, while bad ones get Alexander Ovechkin bobbleheads in their stockings…but the true meaning of Crosmas is the spirit of Crosby given to us in the form of a babe in a tiny manger in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.”

It sounds like a joyous time for Crostians everywhere. Well, Reverend, we do have a hockey game tonight, and we’d like your take on it…can Sidney lead the Penguins to a win over the Caps?

Peerless, it is as the prophet foretells, “so shall ye go unto the Nation’s Capital and slay the non-believer in the name of Cros.” The Penguins will win handily…

Wrong! The Caps have had a couple of days of fire and brimstone of their own and will vanquish the Penguins…

5-4…Caps.

“Can I just say one more thing, Peerless?”

Sure…

“I don’t care if I lose a kidney,
Just so I can see my Sidney…”

* Sid really said that.

It was a pointless night...Caps vs. Islanders -- October 18th

In more ways than one. The whole effort was…

“Bad…monstrously bad.”

Why, if it isn’t Leonard Pinth-Garnel, erstwhile theater critic of “Saturday Night Live” fame…

“Yes, Peerless, and wasn’t that an atrociously bad play in four acts last night.”

Do tell.

“Well, in our first act, we have the red-clad Capitals spinning and twirling in such form as to make the visitors from Long Island look especially, gigglingly bad in trying to keep up. But all was for naught as their shots were triflingly bad, failing to make the Islander goaltender, the stiflingly bad Rick DiPietro, do much more than stay in the way of those unerringly bad shots. It was comically bad…a Capital would shoot, and one would hear a thud cascade through the arena (where attendance was excruciatingly bad) as the puck would thud against Mr. DiPietro’s leg pads.

“The first act came to a mercifully bad end with less than five minutes in the first period as the Islanders threw – in an aimlessly bad fashion by Miroslav Satan (is that a frighteningly bad name for a hockey player?) – the puck at the net. Fortunately for the visitors, Sean Bergenheim wriggled free from the indifferently bad defense of Tomas Fleischmann to swat the puck into the Capitals’ net. And so, the curtain came down on Act I.

“Act II began thereafter, as the Islanders dominated the play for the rest of the period and for all of the second period. It was as if the Capitals had had some bad…uh, tapas…at a local eating establishment. Or perhaps some bad sushi. Whatever the cause of the malady, the Capitals looked distressingly bad throughout the middle stages of the play…uh, game. The veteran Bill Guerin scored for the visitors on a power play after the Capitals goaltender – Olaf Kolzig – was guilty of a bad-bad-bad decision to swat an Islander in the face with his glove after the Islander decided to make use of Kolzig as a Barcalounger. And so, Act II came to an end.

“As we began Act III, the ferociously bad-ass Alexander Ovechkin announced his presence not two minutes into the Act…uh, period…by slamming the puck past DiPietro on a nice feed from the unfortunately badly named, Joe Motzko. Not five minutes later, Nicklas Backstrom executed an exquisitely un-bad pass to Fleischmann, who was waiting in the midst of the statuesquely bad Islander defense to tie the game. And so, we came to the triumphant end of Act III.

“Act IV completed the tragedy for the surprisingly bad home team. The Capitals managed to record the only shots on goal after the Fleischmann goal until the Capitals’ captain – Chris Clark – took what looked to be a very, very bad penalty for tripping, whistled by Chris Lee, who was enormously bad in his role as referee in this contest. It took the Islanders only 54 seconds to untie the game, as Bryan Berard slipped the puck from long range through the pads of Olaf Kolzig. From there, the game degenerated into a cacophony of badness as Bill Guerin registered his second and third goals of the evening to complete the scoring. Despite his having achieved what hockey people refer to as a “hat trick,” there were no hats flung to the ice, Capitals fans preferring to throw themselves from the balconies to register their displeasure over such a bad display. The horn echoed through the arena at the end of the period to send the dejected crowd, if such a small clot of attendees could be called a “crowd,” to the exits. It was a wretchingly bad night, all around, for the home team.

That’s, uh…quite a review, Leonard.

“Well, at least it wasn’t a ‘bad’ review, eh?”

Any comments on individual players?

“What would be the point? One might say that from among the 20 players with a sweater tonight, the best of them was Brent Johnson.”

That’s pretty hard, there, Leonard?

“Well, I suppose one might say that for some, they were less bad than others.”

But none of them played well?

“Well, there was Donald Brashear…”

He only had 1:46 in ice time!

“Precisely…he wasn’t out there long enough to be bad.”

Anything else to add?

“Well, if the Capitals play at that immensely bad level on Saturday, you’re new scoreboard is going to need another digit.”

Bad news…

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

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!

The Capitals return to Verizon Center tonight after something less than a triumphant road swing through New York, going 1-2-0 in the tour of Long Island, Manhattan, and Buffalo. While the Caps have not come crashing to earth like, say, the Thrashers (whose season has been one big face plant so far), they were provided a heaping helping of reality in losing two games by a combined 10-4 score. In the process, their 12-for-12 penalty killing record earned over the first three games allowed five in 15 tries in two games. It’s not so much the number of goals (although that’s a problem) as much as the number of opportunities. 15 penalty killing situations (compared to eight power plays) isn’t going to be an ingredient for success.

But that’s water under the Verrazano Bridge. Tonight, the Islanders try to repay the favor of a win on enemy ice as they take on the Caps. We needed to get the details on the visitors, so we went right to the panel of experts – Mrs. Paul, Theodore Van de Kamp, and of course, Samuel Gorton, the original “Gorton’s Fisherman.”

Welcome, folks…Let’s get right to it. The Islanders come into this game with a 3-3 record, but only 1-2 since losing to the Caps on Columbus Day. They’ve lost their last two by a combined 11-2 score. What’s been the problem?

Mrs. Paul…They’ve played like a bunch of clam strips.

TPP: Can you explain that?

Mrs. Paul…The power play…it just sort of lies there like a bunch of limp clam strips.

Gorton…Since they were 3-for-3 in the opener, the power play has gone 2-for-23. You couldn’t fry a fish stick with that kind of power play.

Van de Kamp…amen. But what about the PK? They’ve been right up there – 88.2 percent puts them in sixth place, league-wide.

Gorton…yeah, but 33 times shorthanded? That’s sixth, too. Too many minutes being played a man short.

Mrs. Paul…well, Ricky’s been doing pretty well…2.21, .915. If it wasn’t for that game when Dubie got shelled, we might be 4-2 and in the top eight.

Van de Kamp…Yeah, well, Ricky can’t play all the games. And nobody should be giving up eight goals to Toronto, even if it was on 42 shots.

Gorton….yeah, he was sure floppin’ around like a mackerel that night.

TPP…OK, so who needs to step up for the Islanders tonight?

Gorton…Miroslav Satan. He’s been brutal so far. One assist and a -3 in six games. He’s got 26 goals in 41 career games against the Caps. He’s got to step up.

Van de Kamp…agreed, especially with the other Cap killer – Jon Sim – out with a sprained knee. I think a guy to watch is going to be Chris Simon. He’s rested and ready after than long suspension, and I think he’s going to be playing with hot sauce and vinegar tonight.

Mrs. Paul…The guys who got off to hot starts – Mike Comrie and Bill Guerin – they’re 0-2-2, -7 in their last four games, going back to the Caps game. Can’t have that…the Islanders need them to play like batter-dipped fillets, not like shrimp.

TPP… and just what does that mean?

Mrs. Paul…I have no clue…you’re the one who thought a fish theme was a bright idea.

TPP…ok, so what about the Caps? What concerns you about these guys tonight?

Van de Kamp…Alex Ovechkin. He’s consistent, overall, but when he gets on a goal-scoring binge, they come in streaks. He’s got a goal in each of his last two games. We’re seeing him at the wrong time.

Mrs. Paul…Mike Green. What a difference a year makes. And he seems to be getting hot, too. Three points in his last two games and plus-two despite the two losses.

Gorton…Kolzig. Geez, when is that guy going to head off to the great fish basket of retirement? Three games, 2-1-0, 1.35, .958. And he’s an Islander-killer…26-9-2 in his career, 2.24, .914.

TPP…Anything you think the Islanders can exploit?

Gorton…Their PK. But the trick there is to draw penalties.

TPP…natch…

Van de Kamp…I think what he means is that if you can get the Caps to take a lot of penalties, their PK is vulnerable. In the games where they had fewer than five shorthanded situations, they killed all the penalties off. The two where they took more than five?...not good. Plus, with Boyd Gordon and his balky back being day-to-day…the Caps could be missing a key penalty killer.

Mrs. Paul…shots, too.

Gorton…we thought you’d kicked the sauce, Mrs. P.

Mrs. Paul…not whiskey, you old coot…shots on goal. In the Caps’ three wins, they averaged giving up 27.7 a game. In the two losses, 47. You give up that many shots a game, you’re going to see some go in.

TPP…well, let’s get right down to it. Who wins this game?

All…THE ISLANDERS!

TPP…wrong! The Caps have had since last Saturday to think about what needs to be corrected and to do what they have to do to correct it. Besides, if there is a team that has played worse in their last two games than have the Caps, it is the Islanders. The Caps get back on track tonight…5-2.

Gorton…not if the Islanders were wearing real jerseys.

TPP…let it go, fisherman…let it go.

About that deposit...

If you're looking for clues that Hamilton won't be getting an NHL franchise soon, then here is one with the subtlety of a 2x4 to the chops...

Those having made deposits on tickets to Hamilton-to-be-whatevers games will have their cards used to put down deposits credited. A lawyer for prospective owner Jim Balsillie said, when asked if the end of the site also ended the possibility of a Hamilton franchise,

"the proposal speaks for itself. We have no other comment at this time."

How do you give a credit for hopes and dreams dashed?

Let the Hartley Watch End...

Hartley out, Waddell in (on an interim basis) for the Thrashers, according to tsn.ca.

Not a moment too soon, it would seem...the Thrashers host the Rangers tomorrow night, then go on the road for a seven-game road swing.

Could Atlanta start oh-for-14?...Not likely, but we can hope.

Give that Waddell traded away a first and third pick in the 2007 draft, a second in 2008, and Braydon Coburn for Keith Tkachuk and Alexei Zhitnik (Tkachuk was sent back from whence he came -- to the Blues with a fourth round pick in 2008 for a conditional first in 2008), you'd have to think there is another pink slip waiting to be delivered.

Hockey People are the Best

Yesterday, the On Frozen Blog guys chronicled a visit by Capitals players to the National Children's Medical Center, where the likes of Alexander Ovechkin, Olaf Kolzig, Chris Clark, and Brent Johnson, among others, sat down with some of the young patients there to engage in artistic voyages of unimaginable delight (while trying to stay inside the lines). Check out the OFB pics...they're heart-warming and entertaining.

The OFB boys also noted the kickoff of the Capitals' "Courage Caps" campaign to benefit the CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation. Beginning October 26th, for $20 you may purchase a "Courage Cap" and know that 100 percent of the sale price will go to the foundation.

And just when you've reached a comfort level of hate for the guy, Vincent Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightning goes and does something like this. Well, I'll still boo him.

Hockey people...simply the best.

The Peerless Jinx?

Yesterday, in our new "Hot 'n' Nots" feature, we extolled the virtues of Minnesota goaltender Niklas Backstrom as one of the "hots."

Well, last night...three goals on 29 shots, one of each type -- power play, shorthanded, even-strength -- it should be noted. And, he gave up three on three shots in the shootout. Minnesota took its first loss of the year, 4-3, to Los Angeles. For the Kings, it was their first win in North America this season.

Was it the first of the dreaded "Peerless Jinx?"

Just to be on the safe side..."Sidney Crosby...Greatest Player Since the Invention of the Hockey Stick."

Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Matinee Matchup -- October 20th

You like hockey?...Of course you do, that's probably why you visit here. Well, this Saturday, October 20th, there is a great deal for hockey fans. Before the Caps and the Penguins tangle in the evening matchup, the women of the University of Virginia and the University of Delaware will face off on the Verizon Center ice in the afternoon at 2:00.

What's the great deal?...Why, you can get BOTH games for only $25. If you've already got your Caps tickets, they'll be honored, too. So, you're pretty much out of excuses (really, you can cut the grass on Sunday).

If you're looking for more information on this two-fer, check out the DVCHC page on this beltway battle. Or you can check out the info CapsChick has at A View from the Cheap Seats.

update...By the way, you can make a full day of it by participating in the Walk Now for Autism event on the National Mall on Saturday morning (registration begins at 8:00/event at 10:00). From the Caps' release...

The Washington Capitals players’ wives and girlfriends will participate in Walk Now for Autism, a charity walk benefiting Cure Autism Now/Autism Speaks on Saturday morning, Oct. 20, on the National Mall. Capitals goaltender Olie Kolzig, co-founder of Athletes Against Autism, an initiative of Cure Autism Now/Autism Speaks, will be in attendance at the event, alongside a group of Capitals players who will visit prior to the team’s morning skate.

Thanks to CapsChick for pointing the way.

Let the Hartley Watch Begin...

Goals per game…1.80 (T-29^th)
Goals Allowed-per-game…4.60 (30^th)
5-on-5 ratio… 0.64 (T-25^th)
Power Play…9.5% (T-27^th)
Penalty Killing…68.8% (29^th)
Shots taken-per-game…22.0 (30^th)
Shots Allowed-per-game…34.6 (28^th)
Faceoff percentage won…47.2% (23^rd)
Team Plus-Minus…-6 (28^th)
Goals-Against-Average…Kari Lehtonen, 4.72 (30^th)
Highest-ranked scorer…Ilya Kovalchuk, four points (T-82^nd)

Nope…Atlanta isn’t winless (0-6-0) by accident.

Hot 'n' Nots

It’s time for what we hope will be a regular feature here, The Peerless’ “Hot ‘n’ Nots,” where we take a look around the league and ask…”who’s hot, and who’s not?”

Hot…

Henrik Zetterberg…The Detroit winger is leading the league in scoring through seven games with 5-8-13. this time last year he was 1-2-3 and was in the midst of what would become a nine-game pointless streak.

Not…

Martin Lapointe…Chicago’s ode to underachievement is without a point through five games this year. He has never missed a game (169 and counting) as a Blackhawk, and he’s even this year…having been -44 the last two years combined, that should be seen as progress. But were he to miss a game, it’d be hard to see where Blackhawk fans would complain much.


Hot…

The Ottawa top line… Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, and Daniel Alfredsson are a combined 11-19-30 through seven games. They rank 2nd, 3rd (tied), and 6th (tied), respectively, in scoring. Oddly, perhaps, they are also a combined -1.

Not…

The Capitals checking line…Matt Pettinger, Boyd Gordon, and Chris Clark are a combined 0-0-0 through five games (Gordon having missed two to injury). But they, too, are a combined -1.


Hot…

Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding…the Minnesota netminders have allowed a total of four goals in five games and have three shutouts – two by Backstrom, one by Harding in his only start. The goals allowed are half as many as the club in second (St. Louis, with eight).

Not…

Kari Lehtonen…Did the Ranger series really leave this guy a quivering puddle of goo in the crease? 0-4-0, 4.72, .870 suggests that’s the case. But it’s not as if Johan Hedberg is doing much better…0-1-0, 4.50, .857. Maybe it’s the defense in front of them.


Hot…

Paul Stastny…the Avalanche forward has taken only ten shots this year…and scored on five of them. That 50.0 percent shooting percentage leads the league and has him tied for third in goals scored.

Not…

Brendan Shanahan….32 shots…32 turned away. As Dean Wormer might put it….”zee-roh…point…zee-roh.”


Hot…well, sore anyway…

Anton Volchenkov…39 blocked shots…that’s almost twice as many as the next in line (Pavel Kubina and Brendan Witt, with 20 apiece…The Peerless thinks Witt is there because he’s just in the way and can’t move).

Not…

Gary Roberts…hey, tough guy…four games, no blocked shots?


Hot…

Chris Phillips…seven games, 12 shots on goal…no missed shots. Bet he’s great in a duck blind, too.

Not…

Alexander Ovechkin…22 shots on goal, 16 misses.


Hot…

Toronto Maple Leafs…last year, Toronto scored 22 goals through seven games. At the moment they lead the NHL in total goals scored (26, although Buffalo has a higher goals-scored-per-game average).

Not…

Toronto Maple Leafs…last year, the Leafs allowed 18 goals in their first seven games. So far this year…29 (also leads the league). That might explain why they started 3-2-2 last year and are 2-3-2 so far this year.

Sometimes, the hare wins...October results

Over the past two seasons, 11 different teams have secured one of the eight playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. That's 16 total playoff spots available. Know how many of those teams had losing records in October?

Three...three of sixteen.*

A slow start won't kill you, but it can wound you pretty badly.




* Ottawa, New York Rangers, and Tampa Bay; all last year, and all started 5-6-0 in October, so it wasn't that big a hole out of which to climb.

Oh my God, we're doomed!

Well, now that the Caps have fallen out of playoff contention – or so one might conclude after perusing the usual online fan hangouts this fine Monday – we can undertake a bit of a comparison between this year and the previous two, through five games…


Record:

2005-2006: 2-3-0 (four points)
2006-2007: 2-1-2 (six points)
2007-2008: 3-2-0 (six points)


Goals for/against:

2005-2006: 12/26
2006-2007: 17/15
2007-2008: 11/12


Power play:

2005-2006: 6/35 (17.1%)
2006-2007: 4/36 (11.1%)
2007-2008: 4/26 (15.4%)


Penalty killing:

2005-2006: 34/47 (72.3%)
2006-2007: 21/29 (72.4%)
2007-2008: 22/27 (81.5%)


Special teams ratio (times on power play/times shorthanded):

2005-2006: 0.74
2006-2007: 1.24
2007-2008: 0.96


Shots for/against:

2005-2006: 117/186 (23.4/37.2 per game)
2006-2007: 152/168 (30.4/33.6 per game)
2007-2008: 136/177 (27.2/35.4 per game)


Goaltending:

2005-2006: 5.20 GAA/.860 SV
2006-2007: 2.92 GAA/.905 SV
2007-2008: 2.40 GAA/.932 SV


It’s five games…6.1 percent of the season. There are 77 games upon which to improve the 2007-2008 numbers. But at the outset, the numbers are generally better on the defensive side of the ledger – goals against, penalty killing, shots allowed (Saturday’s 52-shot strafing, notwithstanding) – which has been the real problem the last couple of years.

One might expect the offense to lag, seeing as how none of the top six forwards (including when Alexander Semin is healthy) have played with one another in North America very much (and Ovechkin and Semin don’t play on the same line this year).

This is not to say a playoff spot can’t be lost in the first month (we’ll look at that another time), but that’s not to say it is won in the first month, either. There is a long way to go, kids. And, if the Caps win six points in every five games, that’s a 98-point season. One would expect that to be sufficient to earn a playoff berth.

SMACK!....What wuz we thinkin'?

Today's "oops" comes by way of Newark, where the New Jersey Devils will christen their new palace -- The Prudential Center -- on October 27th.

The "oops" comes in the form of what you see below, from the Devils' web site:

You've probably noticed that the arena is cheek-by-jowl with several thoroughfares. Apparently, this hasn't escaped notice of some officials in the city. Said Newark Police Director Garry McCarthy:

"You can't construct an arena and put it right against a street in a post 9/11 world. So, we're playing catch up and taking measure to make sure it's safe."

One would think that if there was any place in the country that would be sensitive to such concerns, it would be the New York metropolitan area. Having broken ground on this facility four years after 9/11 -- October 2005 -- the lack of adequate security planning (implicit in McCarthy's comments) seems incomprehensible.

I suppose one could make the case that Verizon Center is similarly situated among a host of surface streets, but that facility was opened in 1997. You can't construct an arena and put it right against a street these days?...oh, yes you can. It doesn't make it look any less bizarre.

Memo to Cox: WE WANT OUR CAPS!!!

It isn’t bad enough that hockey in general suffers some pretty grim TV numbers, but some local fans are getting royally hosed in trying just to watch their hometown heroes. Amid the jumble of cable providers in this area, we have Cox Communications, which apparently does not (as of this writing) provide Comcast Sports Net+ nor Comcast Sports Net in HD, part of the Comcast SportsNet local broadcast partnership that shows Washington Capitals games.

Whatever corporate battle might be at work here between the two communications behemoths (compared to the consumer, they’re all behemoths), the bottom line for a lot of faithful Caps fans is that they might not have access to their team for up to 17 games this season, beginning with tomorrow’s contest against the Buffalo Sabres. And for a club that is longing to expand its fan community, not to mention a loyal segment of that community that would be thrilled to see those games on TV, it is an important issue.

A perusal of The Official indicates that Cox is at least creating the appearance of listening to requests to work out an arrangement to renew its programming agreement with Comcast SportsNet. Even the big guy has gotten involved, to his credit (one hopes that what he's been led to believe comes to pass). However, Comcast SportsNet is reporting that while it will carry the game on its Comcast SportsNet+ station, Cox will be the only cable/satellite provider in the Washington region not carrying the broadcast.

We think someone is missing the boat, here…as in, this ship is about to sail and it might be a good thing to get on it. For the first time in several seasons, the Capitals have a legitimate shot at some real regular season success and a playoff berth. Marry that to the buzz of new players and a new look, not to mention perhaps the single most dynamic athlete in this area in Alexander Ovechkin, and it is a team that has its best chance in years to re-stake a claim to a significant segment of the Washington sports fan population. Would not a provider want to take advantage of that?...perhaps even while still negotiating a programming agreement?

While there is a commercial issue between these providers, there is a “goodwill” issue here, too. It doesn’t appear to make a great deal of sense to antagonize an entire group of customers on the basis of a negotiating chip such as this, especially since carrying the station on Cox apparently costs them nothing.

If you are among those affected by this matter, it can’t hurt to make your voice heard. Give ‘em a call… Cox in Fairfax: 703-378-8422, Cox in Fredericksburg: 540-373-6343, or fire an e-mail at them, or get in touch any way they'll let you.

Say it loud, say it proud…We want our Caps!

And do it fast!...Tomorrow's game is the first one that Cox subscribers will miss, and the clock is ticking.

Thanks to LoveMyCaps on The Official for shedding the light on this.

The Jagr Option

No, it is not the latest thriller to hit the big screen, it is the language in the contract Jaromir Jagr signed in 2001 that could put the Caps on the hook for a portion of his salary with the Rangers next year. As Tarik El-Bashir reports in today's Post, the option could be triggered by the Rangers if any of the following were to occur:




-- If the Rangers win a playoff round this season and Jagr scores 40 goals during the regular season.

-- If they win a playoff round and he scores 84 points during the regular season.

-- If he wins the Hart (MVP), Art Ross (scoring title) or Conn Smythe (playoff MVP) trophies.



Jagr could conceivably reach every standard this year. However, the tricky parts lurk in the first two standards...the use of the word "and." Could Jagr score 40 goals in the regular season and the Rangers win a playoff round? Certainly. Is it likely? The Peerless thinks 40 goals will be a stretch.


Could the Rangers win a playoff round and Jagr score 84 points? Definitely. But is it likely? Barring injury, this seems to be where the trigger will be pulled on the option. In his last 14 seasons, Jagr has never scored fewer than 94 points in a full season (he had 70 in the 48-game season of 1994-95)...well, except in any season in which he played for the Caps.


The option might give him the comfort to add to such tender moments as these that he has experienced through his career...











...or at least give him the chance to stock his shelves...

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR -- An Empire State Two-Fer

This weekend the Capitals are off to Manhattan and Buffalo for back-to-back games to complete their tour of the Empire State this week. Tonight, it’s the Rangers hosting the Caps. A preseason favorite to win the Stanley Cup (or so says Larry Brooks), the Rangers are in the midst of working out how to fit $14.4 million worth of new centers’ payroll this year into the lineup. It hasn’t gone well, but it’s only three games, too. Let’s let our old pal Larry tell it…

“The Rangers haven't gotten their offensive game going collectively or individually, though last night's final 30 minutes were [Scott] Gomez's best yet. But at the same time, [Chris] Drury seems to have as little chemistry with [Jaromir] Jagr through three games as Gomez did with No. 68 in two exhibition games. [Brendan] Shanahan has looked slow on the trigger. [Martin] Straka isn't sharp.”

Caps fans will hardly be surprised that once again, it’s an episode of “It’s All About Jags.” The Rangers have only six goals through their three games (a 1-2-0 record), and Jaromir Jagr has none of them. Neither does Scott Gomez (about half the $14.4 million investment for this year noted above). In fact, in getting more than 20 minutes a game, on average, over the first three games, he has not yet registered a point as a Ranger. Chris Drury, on the other hand (the other half of the Rangers’ investment in centers), is tied for the team lead in points (with defenseman Marek Malik) with three. It is worth noting that Brendan Shanahan is off to a slow start as well, having registered no points in his first three games, but it hasn’t kept him from calling on teammates to remain positive.

Fortunately for the Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist is picking up where he left off last season. He’s allowed two goals in each of his three starts, while turning away 80 shots in those three games (.935 save percentage).

Here is the stat to watch: 0-for-15. That is the Ranger power play so far.

Buffalo has the same 1-2-0 record as the Rangers, having pasted Atlanta, 6-0 last night, for their first win. Whereas the Rangers have had some trouble getting their offense out of the gate, the trouble with the Sabres has been defense and goaltending. If there is a silver lining in the wisp of a gray cloud, there having been only three games played by the Sabres thus far, it is that the Sabres have given up six, three, and no goals in successive games. That counts as progress. But still, even with last night’s shutout of Atlanta (and don’t they suck on toast so far?), Ryan Miller’s .885 save percentage is 30 points below his career number. For Miller, though, it hasn’t been an easy time off the ice.

Among the skaters, the scoring is led by a pair of defensemen – Brian Campbell (1-4-5) and Jaroslav Spacek (2-2-4). But Mr. Offer Sheet – Thomas Vanek – has stumbled out of the gate with only a single goal to note on his season score sheet so far. If there is good news for the Sabres, it is in the person of Tim Connolly who, coming into this season, missed 181 games to injury (concussions, primarily) over the past three seasons. He is tied with Spacek in scoring (1-3-4). The Sabres need him healthy and performing well to help offset the loss of centers Daniel Briere and Chris Drury to free agency.

The stat to watch: 78.6. That is the Sabres’ home penalty killing number so far, good for 19th in the league. That sounds better than is it, seeing as five teams haven’t yet had their home opener.

For the Caps, 3-0 is nice, but that leaves 79 games to fret about. For the moment, though, the Caps find themselves at or near the top in a number of team measures, including: goals against (tied for first), five-on-five ratio (tied for second), penalty killing (tied for first), fewest times shorthanded (tied for third), and team plus-minus (tied for fifth). The team save percentage of .976 isn’t too shabby, either.

The Caps find themselves facing an upgrade – at least on paper – in the quality of teams they are facing this weekend. But for now, the Caps’ play is worth singing about…

Start spreading the news, we’re playin’ today
The Caps will beat the Blueshirts in - New York, New York
These playoff-starved kids, are longing to play
Right through the very heart of it - New York, New York

I wanna skate hard in a city, that doesn’t sleep
And find I’m king of the hill - top of the heap

These power play blues, are melting away
We’ll make a brand new start of it - in old New York
If we can win up there, we’ll win them anywhere
The Caps will beat – New York, New York

New York, New York
I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps
And find I’m A-number one, top of the list, king of the hill
A-number one

These power play blues, are melting away
We’ll make a brand new start of it - in old New York
And if we can win up there, we’ll win them anywhere
The Caps will beat - New York, New York

Caps, 3-2 both nights.

See you next week.