After-Math -- Caps vs. Lightning

It’s a no point night . . .

Well…the Nats are opening their season on Monday, and apparently, one Capitals forward thought tonight might be a good time to audition for an outfield spot on the club. The Caps lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-2, and the lowlight of the game was Alexander Semin showing off his arm for Jim Bowden and Stan Kasten (as if they were watching). Flattened against the boards at the Tampa Bay blue line, Semin sat up, picked up the puck, and threw it into the Lightning end . . .

Two minutes for stupid, was the way one Lightning player put it.

Moments later on the ensuing power play, Tampa doubled their lead, and the Caps were on their way to finding another way to lose.

Being young is one thing, but being brain dead is quite another. Semin was rewarded for his antics with two inconsequential shifts over the last 22 minutes. It’s the second time he’s resorted to throwing the puck this year. Here’s a thought…duct tape his hands to his stick!

As for the rest of the game, it was crisply played, time-wise, but otherwise wasn’t much of a contest. With Semin sitting for those last 22 minutes, the Caps were reduced to whatever offense Alex Ovechkin could muster (save for a last-minute cosmetic goal from Matt Bradley). Trouble is, Ovechkin had exactly no shots on goal over a 24:39 period from late in the first period to early in the third. No other Capital seemed able to take up the slack.

Washington gave up the required power play goal, and even yielded a short-handed one for good measure. That’s nine of 11 games in which the Caps have given up a power play goal, killing off only 36 of 51 shorthanded situations in the process (70.6 percent).

Every indignity imaginable hit the Caps in this game – a goal in the first minute, a power play goal, a short-handed goal, and empty net goal, getting out-hit by a club that isn’t especially physical, and a really, really stupid play. All that was left was for Olaf Kolzig to be pantsed in his own crease.

Meanwhile . . .

. . . the Hershey Bears are riding a seven game winning streak. And, with tonight’s 6-5 win over Breidgport, the Bears took over the top-spot overall in the AHL, passing the Norfolk Admirals for first in the East Division of the Eastern Conference.

It’s not like a lot of the games have been close, either. Even with the Bears 6-5 score-first, fall-behind, come-back-in-the-end win over Bridgeport tonight, they have outscored opponents to the tune of 30-13 over these seven games. Tonight was the first time in these seven games that an opponent scored more than two goals.

Kyle Wilson has led the way in scoring, going 3-7-10. Among the others:

- Dave Steckel, 2-7-9
- Chris Bourque: 4-4-8, including a hat trick tonight
- Joey Tenute: 4-3-7
- Matt Hendricks: 4-3-7
- Quintin Laing: 3-4-7
- Jakub Klepis: 3-4-7 (before being recalled to Washington)

In goal, Frederic Cassivi is 4-0-0, 1.00, .963 in four appearances in this stretch, while Maxime Daigneault is 3-0-0, 3.00, .871 in three appearances.

It’s an unhappy spring for Caps fans in Washington, but in Hershey, there is hope of another deep run in the playoffs to come. Way to go, guys…

A Marketing Dream . . .

The Peerless was over checking on the fine folks over at On Frozen Blog this morning, perusing a note about The Finnish Curiosity, Janne Lahti, and it occurred to me . . . the NHL needs a makeover. Shoot, it’s right there in front of their gin-soaked eyes . . .

PUCKCAR

Ever been to a NASCAR race? Well, The Peerless hasn’t, but he’s seen 10 or 20 seconds of the odd race or two on TV. And what do you see?

This…

photo: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

…and this…

Photo: Getty Images

Ads plastered on every square inch of driver and car, just like, well, The Curiosity…

Look, even announcers can get into gear, as it were, on this...

“And there goes the Mello Yello Burger King Alexander Ovechkin into the far corner where he drafts the DeWalt Pennzoil Zdeno Chara to take the puck . . . and Chara puts him into the wall . . . there's the yellow flag . . . two minutes for boarding . . . ”

What? It’s worse than what passes for NHL marketing now?

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!! -- Caps vs. Lightning, March 31st

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!!

Yes, we’re back on this fine spring morning to bring you another prognostication, and this morning it’s . . .

“PEERLESS!”

Rodney?

“ho-ho . . . I tell ya, you guys don’t get NO respect, NO respect . . . “

Don’t I know it…

“Yeah, if you look up the family tree of hockey, you guys are the sap.”

Nice…

“Hey, we kid because we love…so, you guys are playing the Lightning…”

Yeah, and Lecavalier got his 50^th last night – maybe it’ll be some incentive for Ovechkin tonight.

“Hey, that’s Vinnie, right?...Did I ever tell ya about my doctor, Dr. Vinnie Boom Botz . . . one time he tells me, ‘you’re too fat,’ and I tell him I want a second opinion, and then he tells me, ‘you’re ugly, too’ . . . maybe he should take a look at your guys.”

Uh, you’ll have to check with Coach Hanlon about that one.

“Hey, I watched your guys last night against Florida – tough break, tough break . . . you guys don’t get no respect from anybody . . . I’ll bet when the guys put on their underwear, even the Fruit-of-the-Loom guys start laughing.”

You haven’t lost it, Rodney.

“So what’s the deal . . . last time I saw you guys, you weren’t this bad . . . if one of these guys stuck his head out o’ the window of the team bus, he’d get arrested for mooning . . . on Hallowe’en, parents will be sending their kids out dressed as Caps.”

C’mon, they’re not that bad…

“No, but I got a lot of material . . . “

Sure wish the Caps did . . .

The Lightning are one of the “serious six” clubs fighting for the last three playoff spots in the East (no, we’re not inclined to include Florida as a “seventh” . . . but that could change by midnight). They have to be licking their chops at the prospect of the Caps coming to town, if only for this number:

71.4

That is the Caps penalty killing rate over their last ten games. The Caps have scored 30 goals and given up 34 in going 2-6-2 in their last 10, but that 7-14 spread in power play for and against sticks out like Rodney’s trademark red tie. It might be the tonic for a Lightning power play that is only 5-for-37 on its own over the last ten games (13.5 percent).

Vincent Lecavalier scored his 50^th goal last night against Carolina, his first time eclipsing the 50-goal plateau and serving perhaps as a dagger in the Hurricanes flagging playoff hopes. Finally taking his place among the elites in the game, Lecavalier brings a 7-7-14 line in his last ten games into tonight’s contest.

The trouble is, though, Tampa Bay is only 5-5-0 in their last ten games. Why? Goaltending. An issue all year, it’s been magnified under the lens of the sprint to the finish. Last night the Lightning got a solid effort from Johan Holmqvist in the 4-2 win over Carolina. He’s been adequate in going 2-1-0, 2.87, .912 over Tampa’s last ten games. Marc Denis, who has been getting more of the work lately and could very well get the call tonight, given Holmqvist's struggles against the Caps (2-2-0, 4.31, .826), is 3-4-0, 3.76, .887 in his appearances over the last ten Lightning games. That isn’t far off his career numbers against Washington – 4-3-1-0, 3.71, .881.

The Caps can score against this team. They’ve scored 30 goals in seven games in the season series (they’ve given up 25, too). And, they can shut down the Lightning power play – 28-for-33, 84.5 percent, in the season series and scoreless in the last two games.

The difficulty for the Lightning is in keeping focus in the second half of a back-to-back set of games, this one being against a lesser opponent. Given the chance to take care of business, the Lightning have been treading water the last ten games. Last night was, for them, a step forward. Tonight is a step back…

Caps 4 – Lightning 2

After-Math -- Caps vs. Panthers

It was a one point night, folks.

The hockey gods are not accountants.

Because, if they were they would take a look at the great ledger of hockey history and figure out that somewhere, sometime . . . soon . . . the Washington Capitals are owed, bigtime.

Last night was another night of recording debits in that ledger. The Caps lost by a 3-2 score to the Florida Panthers in overtime, but frankly, it never should have come to pass in that way. Two moments – both of which went against the Caps – allowed the Panthers to hang around long enough to put themselves in a position to win in overtime. One of those moments happened in the blink of an eye, they other was reviewed and reviewed and reviewed over several excruciating minutes with Caps fans no doubt knowing in their hearts how it would turn out.

The first, one that a lot of folks missed – certainly the referees did – was a hook on Tomas Fleischmann that took him to the ice and permitted the Panthers to clear their defensive zone. Moments later on that same rush, Florida had a goal.

But it was the second one that haunts. Matt Bradley fired the puck at the Florida cage from a bad angle and the puck found its way behind Panther goalie Ed Belfour. Belfour spun and dove at the puck, covering it up . . . the question being whether or not he did so before it crossed the goal line. The referee waved off the goal, despite the goal judge lighting the lamp to signify a goal. After several minutes passed, during which a replay clearly showed the puck on edge crossing the line, the goal was waved off. The rest of the game was just details.

This time of year, the little victories are not often team ones, but individual ones for teams like the Caps. Chris Clark deserves congratulations for netting his 30^th goal in typical Clarkian fashion – with his back to the play, tangling with a Panther defenseman, the puck was sent off the inside of his left skate and into the Florida net. They all count, and these are the sorts that are the product of gritty play in front. If the Caps ever trade this guy, The Peerless will seek the parties responsible, find them, and beat them into a puddle of viscous goo with a Dale Hunter stick.

Steve Eminger . . . yeah, he took the penalty in overtime that led to the Panther goal – defensemen taking penalties in OT is like the cornerback in football beaten deep . . . everyone knows who did it and what the result is. But Eminger played one of his better games of the year. It is so frustrating to watch him play a game like this (well, for 61 minutes, anyway), then see him have a total brain-lock of a game. Last night, he looked like a keeper.

But in the end, it’s another loss. 2-14-6 in their last 22 games; 11-28-7 since their high-water mark in December. 78 down, four to go. Four games to get five points and surpass last year’s point total. It won’t be easy.

Why do the Caps suffer in attendance?

It is accepted as divinely inspired truth that the Capitals can't fill their rink because: a) they stink, and b) they work in a town that ranks hockey somewhere south of The Weather Channel in terms of entertainment.

Well, here is another reason, made painfully evident in last Tuesday's "home" game against the Penguins. It is 246 miles from Mellon Arena to Verizon Center.

The closest Caps "rival" in the Southeast Division -- the Carolina Hurricanes -- play in RBC Center . . . 274 miles away.

Hard to generate much in terms of rivalry -- and the attendance in each others' arenas -- with that kind of proximity. This isn't the western half of North America, where large distances between points is a fact of life. This is the Eastern Seaboard, the home of neighborhoods . . . and the rest of the Southeast ain't in the neighborhood.

The Serious Six -- March 30th

The “six” are bunching up. Three points separate six teams, and all have played 77 games, save for the New York Islanders (76). And this weekend would seem likely to send a team or two spiraling out of contention. Five teams will play back-to-back games; only Carolina escapes that fate – they have Friday/Sunday games.

Today’s theme is “potholes,” and every one of these teams has some deep ones to get across if they are to survive . . .

The Rangers sit atop the “six” with 87 points, and they’ve had superb goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist (9-1-3 in his last 13 decisions leading up to the Montreal game), but he was shelled in his last outing (four goals on 15 shots in less than 30 minutes of work)...is that the first sign that he's running out of gas?

Tampa Bay is next with 86 points/41 wins, and they are an experienced group with a Cup in their recent past. But, they’ve had goaltending issues all year. It really isn’t getting better. They’ve given up five or more goals in 7 of their last 18 games, including three of their last five. They have skill, but are prone to bouts of laziness. Atlanta's win probably forecloses any chance of an SE championship and top-three seed.

Montreal follows with 86 points/40 wins. The Canadiens are an excellent home club – 24-12-3 for the season -- but three of their last five are away from Bell Centre. And, they are heading for home leaning on a goalie with 12 games of NHL experience. He’s been more than capable – 8-4-0, 2.94, .904 – but the pressure might be on this club to score more. They are already the third highest scoring team among the “six” this year. Do they have another gear?

Toronto – next at 85 points – is an easy team to dislike, what with the seeming sense of entitlement their fans have (odd for a club with no Cups in 40 years). But they've managed to hang around on the margins for weeks. Unfortunately, though, their schedule is difficult -- Pittsburgh, at the Rangers, at the Islanders, home to finish the regular season against Montreal. Only the Flyers pose a weaker challenge in the last five.

The Islanders, with 84 points/36 wins, are almost a "feel-good" story with the hijinks in the front office before the start of the year. But they're such a chippy team, it's hard to root for them. They have a game in hand on every club in front of them, but on the other hand they're likely to lose tiebreakers on the basis of wins (they have the fewest among the six).

Carolina – 84 points/38 wins – just has never really clicked this year. Whether it's been a hangover from the long spring and Cup win, who knows? They finish up with all SE games (2 TBL, 2 FLA, 1 ATL) -- they are a combined 12-5-2 against those teams this year, so that's in their favor. But three teams to climb over with five games left? They probably need four wins -- minimum -- to do that. They've had at least four wins in five games three times this year.

Two games this weekend involve “four-point games” – games pitting two of the “six” against each other:

Tampa Bay at Carolina, tonight

Toronto at New York Rangers, Sunday

Carolina is in virtually a “must-win” situation. A loss would leave them sixth among these teams and two points (plus a tiebreaker on the basis of wins) behind Montreal and Tampa Bay with four games to play.

Toronto’s “must-win” status is largely a function of how they fare in the Saturday game against Pittsburgh. If the Maple Leafs can win that one, the Ranger game might not appear as daunting a task.

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!! -- Caps vs. Panthers, March 30th

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!!

That’s right, boys and girls, TPP is here to prognostify you to your heart’s content. Tonight, it’s the Caps heading to balmy south Florida to take on the Panthers. If you haven’t been noticing, the Panthers are teasing their fans just enough to think that there is the chance of a playoff in their near future – as in “April.” Don’t believe it. We won’t go into all the weird math as to why that’s a dim possibility, only to say that there are too may teams to climb over (four), and too few points to be had.

Florida is probably thinking, though, that here are two points ripe for the plucking. And, based on the season series this year, one would be inclined to agree. After winning the first two games of the season set by a combined score of 9-3, the Caps have dropped the last four and have been outscored 22-12 (not including a shootout result) in the process.

If there is a theme to the Panthers over their last ten games, it is “doin’ the two-step.” They’ve alternated two wins with two losses throughout this last ten-game stretch (6-3-1, to be precise), and seeing how they are coming off two wins, you’d think the Caps are in position for a win.

Florida has outscored its opponents by a 33-28 margin in their last ten games, and while that’s not bad, their power play certainly has been – 2-for-32 (6.3 percent). If there is a glimmer of promise on that score, those two goals were scored in the Panthers’ last two games (one in each, if you’re too lazy to do the arithmetic). The penalty kill has, in comparison, been positively fabulous (39-for-46, 84.8 percent). Trouble is, Florida is second in the league in most short-handed situations faced.

Olli Jokinen is the embodiment of “hot” (no, not his looks, unless you like that mug-shot of a deranged menace look). Ove his last ten games, he is 7-9-16, +11. That’s a good month for a lot of people; Jokinen did it in less than three weeks.

Nathan Horton has chipped in another six goals (6-1-7, +1), and Josef Stumpel has gone 4-4-8, +4, to fall into second among the Panthers’ scoring over the last ten games.

Ed Belfour is no the man in goal. He’s figured in nine decisions in the last ten games and is 5-3-1, but has offered up a 3.42 GAA and a .891 save percentage, neither of which calls to mind Ken Dryden.

For the Caps, let’s face it . . . there are all sorts of factors pointing south for this contest. There is their record against Florida this year . . . then there is the fact that there is little to play for, not even really a spoiler angle . . . the Caps are 2-7-1 in their last ten . . . they’ve lost by three or more goals in half of their last 12 games . . . Alex Ovechkin is a very long shot to get 50 goals (if you’re into individual statistics) . . . and, it’s south Florida (pass the sun block).

Nevertheless, there are guys playing now who are auditioning for a spot on next year’s roster. In a sense, they are auditioning to keep playing in the NHL, if you concur with the argument that if a guy can’t make this club, he’d have trouble latching onto another roster.

It is with that in mind that The Peerless is averting his eyes and typing . . .

Caps 5 – Panthers 4.

The Serious Six -- March 29th

With the weekend looming, the serious six are heading into the far turn before heading into next week’s home stretch. At the moment, they stand in this order:

6. NY Rangers: 39-29-9 (87)
7. Tampa Bay: 41-32-4 (86)
8. Montreal: 40-31-6 (86)
**********
9. Toronto: 37-29-10 (84)
10. NY Islanders: 36-28-12 (84)
11. Carolina: 38-31-8 (84)

Montreal jumped two spots since our last installment to climb on-board the top-eight, while Carolina has fallen to the bottom of this six-pack. The Islanders and Toronto each have a game in hand on the rest of the field.

Tonight’s impact game:

Toronto at Atlanta. The Leafs have the opportunity to make up some ground with the game in hand they hold over each of the clubs in front of them. Tonight’s game closes the season series between these two clubs, one that the Thrashers lead, 2-1. Toronto has dropped the last two games to Atlanta by a combined score of 10-2. Atlanta has the added incentive of trying to hold on the three-seed as leader of the Southeast Division. Holding only a three-point lead over Tampa Bay, Atlanta could fall to the seven-seed (if not lower) if they fall behind the Lightning. The Thrashers could, by virtue of losing, turn this into a "sprinting seven" in the last week.

The Leafs have won their last two in convincing fashion – 4-1 over Buffalo and 6-1 over Carolina. However, they haven’t won a road game since March 2 (4-3 in a shootout over New Jersey), and haven’t won one in regulation since February 24^th (5-2 over the Flyers). That 0-4-2 in road games since that Flyer win is a telling statistic, especially since the Thrashers are 7-1-0 in their last eight home games.

After-Math -- Caps vs. Penguins

Never in it. Even with a two-goal lead, one had the feeling they were never in it. Of course, then the Penguins scored three power play goals and scored another goal just as another penalty was expiring. To make things worse, the Caps – down two goals in the third period, mind you – played as if they thought the puck would magically appear in the net behind Marc-Andre Fleury without the need of having been shot.

Two goals down in the third period, they managed one shot – one – not taken by Alex Ovechkin between a shot by Mike Green at 10:24 and a cosmetic goal by Milan Jurcina with 32 seconds left. And Green’s came from the concession stands.

The frustrating part is that the Caps were the better team at even strength, but had not a clue what they were doing on the penalty kill. For all intents and purposes, the Penguins scored on their first four power plays and that, kids, was the ball game.

We could go on, but frankly . . . why? Ovechkin came to play, Chris Clark came to play, and Olaf Kolzig did what he could. The rest? It wasn’t pretty. It was a game they could have – should have – won. But that’s what teams in the Caps’ position (well, their fans) say at this time of year.

The Serious Six -- March 27th

Big day for the six. All of them are in action, so there can be considerable movement among the clubs, which stand at the moment as follows:

6. NY Rangers: 39-28-9 (87)
7. Tampa Bay: 41-31-4 (86)
8. Carolina: 38-29-8 (84)
**********
9. NY Islanders: 36-27-12 (84)
10. Montreal: 39-31-6 (84)
11. Toronto: 36-29-10 (82)

Here are the impact games:

Carolina at Toronto. This qualifies as a “must win” for the Maple Leafs. Not only is Carolina a club the Maple Leafs have to climb over, it is a chance to take advantage of some home cooking. The trouble is, Toronto is 13^th among 15 teams in the East in home winning percentage (17-15-5), and they’ve been inconsistent on defense – five games giving up two or fewer goals, three of giving up five or more goals in the last ten contests. But, they do have the edge in the season series, 2-1, taking the lead with a 4-1 win in Carolina on January 30. For the Leafs, the player to watch might be Nik Antropov – seven goals in his last 11 games (7-3-10, +4). And, the Leafs have scored a power play goal in each of their last five games.

Carolina, looking to gain a stronger foothold on the eighth spot, is 6-3-1 in their last ten and is on an offensive tear of late with 17 goals in their last three games. The defense hasn’t been shabby, either, having held opponents to three or fewer goals in nine of the last ten games. Carolina has benefited from balanced goal scoring, with 15 skaters chipping in for the 30 goals scored over the last ten games. Scott Walker and Andrew Ladd lead the way with four each.

The key . . . Toronto’s power play against Carolina’s penalty killing. Carolina has killed 56 of 60 shorthanded situations dating back to February 15^th. Toronto has power play goals in their last five games. Who blinks?

NY Rangers at Montreal. Montreal has won six of seven to climb back into the race for the last playoff slots. They’ve scored 25 goals in those seven games, but the key – as it often is this time of year – has been defense. In the six wins they gave up three or fewer goals; in the loss they yielded six. The ominous sign for the Canadiens is that they have not beaten the Rangers in either of the previous two contests this year. But Montreal is among the better teams in the East in home record (4^th – 23-12-3). Guillaume Latendresse leads the way with four goals in the last seven games; four other players have three.

For the Rangers, “hot” is not an appropriate description. They‘ve lost one game in regulation in their last 14 (10-1-3). Leading the way is goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who has gotten the call in 13 of those last 14 games, going 9-1-3. It isn’t a fluke, either. 1.27, .954, and three shutouts -- he’s been the man for the Blueshirts over the last month.

The key . . . again, it’s special teams. Montreal is 21.1 percent on the power play over their last seven games (8-for-28); the Rangers at 92.5 percent on the penalty kill (37-for-40). But Lundqvist has been such a rock in goal the last month, it would be hard to pick against the Rangers.

New Jersey at NY Islanders. After winning five of six, the Islanders are showing signs of slipping. They are 3-4-3 in their last ten, and they’ve had what one could call one “quality” win against a playoff-caliber opponent over the last month (3-1 over Pittsburgh on March 22^nd). It is an odd streak, though, in that the Isles went 0-3-1 in the middle of this ten-game run by a combined score of 22-13. In the other six games, they’ve given up only 11 goals. Worse for the Islanders, they haven’t had much success against the Devils this year (who has?). They are 1-4-1 in the season series and have only scored nine goals in the process, five of those in the first meeting of the year on November 2nd. They’ve been shutout three times.

Florida at Tampa Bay. Tampa has slipped a notch in the last ten, going 4-6-0. They’ve been all over the place in doing it. They can muster up a 3-2 overtime win in Calgary or a 3-1 win against the Devils, but then they also can stub their toe on Florida (6-4) and Washington (7-1). The offense has been consistently weak (23 goals in ten games, only once scoring more than three in a contest), and they’ve given up five or more goals in four of those games. The Lightning are 3-1-1 against the Panthers this year, but the one loss was a 6-2 drubbing in the last meeting on March 3^rd. Goaltending has become a serious – well, a more serious – issue for the Bolts. Johan Holmqvist, who started well by winning eight of his first 11 decisions this year (he also has an 11-for-13 run this year), is 4-3-2 in his last ten appearances (including one no-decision), 3.72, .852. That isn’t likely to get it done. Marc Denis hasn’t exactly inspired any more confidence with a season-long GAA over 3.00 and save percentage below .900. If that situation doesn’t improve – soon – Tampa Bay might hang on to a playoff spot, but they wouldn’t be a betting choice to pull an upset in the first round.

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!! -- Caps vs. Penguins, March 27th

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!!

Tonight, it’s the eighth episode of “The Alex and Sid Show,” the adventures of two rascally youngsters who skate their way over, around, and through their elders as they work their way to the playoffs.

Oops . . . only one of our title characters gets to go to the playoffs this year. That would be Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins who will skate into Verizon Center with the best record in the NHL in calendar year 2007 (27-8-4). The Penguins who can clinch their first playoff appearance since Jaromir Jagr wore the black and gold.

In a series of streaks of success that has marked 2007, the Penguins are on a 9-2-1 run in their last dozen games. The Caps, meanwhile, are 2-8-2 in their last dozen. Some more of the particulars:

Record:

Pittsburgh: 9-2-1
Washington: 2-8-2

Goals For/Goals Against:

Pittsburgh: 38/28
Washington: 31/43

Power Play:

Pittsburgh: 11/58 (19.0%)
Washington: 8/56 (14.3%)

Penalty Kill:

Pittsburgh: 51/59 (86.4%)
Washington: 53/62 (80.7%)

We could go on, but the song remains the same. The thing about Pittsburgh has not been their constants. Sidney Crosby is 7-6-13, -2, in the last 12 games. Evgeni Malkin is 3-8-11, +3. Sergei Gonchar is 2-9-11, +2. OK, one expects that kind of performance. It’s the other guys who step up. This dozen game contribution has come courtesy of Erik Christensen, who is 5-3-8, +5. It has gone a long way to easing the burden on the Penguins of Mark Recchi not scoring a goal since February 19^th (17 games).

In goal, Marc-Andre Fleury has been consistent, to a degree. With the exception of his last outing – a 5-0 shutout of Boston – he’s been Mr. Three-Goal-a-Night. Whether it’s been giving up three in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Devils, or three on seven shots in 20 minutes of work in a no-decision against Ottawa, Fleury has given up three goals in six of his last nine appearances.

For the Caps and their last dozen games, The Alexes and Chris Clark have accounted for more than half of the goals scored (16 of 31). Nine skaters account for the other 15 goals, and Tomas Fleischmann has three of those. There just aren’t many contributions coming from the rest of the roster, offensively speaking.

On the other side of the ledger, Olaf Kolzig is 2-2-1 since his return from a knee injury, over which he has a 2.76 GAA and .921 save percentage. But, this is a team against which he’s struggled over his career (12-17-4-1, 3.37, .880).

The Penguins are gearing up for a long spring on the ice, the Caps (well, some of them) are thinking ahead to the Worlds. The issue hanging over the ice is the fact that the Penguins can clinch a playoff spot with a win tonight. So, for the Caps the idea is, “not on our ice.” With Fleury giving up threes regularly, it says here the key is Kolzig.

Caps 3 – Penguins 2.

The Serious Six -- March 26

And here is how they stand this morning . . .

6. NY Rangers: 39-28-9 (87)
7. Tampa Bay: 41-31-4 (86)
8. Carolina: 38-29-8 (84)
**********
9. NY Islanders: 36-27-12 (84)
10. Montreal: 39-31-6 (84)
11. Toronto: 36-29-10 (82)

The Rangers leapfrogged Tampa Bay with a 2-1 overtime win over the Islanders yesterday, and the lost point kept the Isles from moving into the top eight over idle Carolina.

Henrik Lundqvist stopped 34 of 35 shots to get the win and the game’s first star. It was the third straight 2-1 victory over the Islanders by the Rangers, the difference this time being that Petr Prucha did not have the game-winner as he did in the previous two meetings. Michael Nylander netted the winner on a redirect of a feed by Brendan Shanahan in the last minute of the extra session to send the Rangers home winners.

Impact games today: none (all teams idle).

As the six teams take a breather, what lies ahead? If you were to look at the schedules, it appears Tampa Bay has the easiest road to the top-eight. Among their seven remaining games, four are at home (although the Lightning have a rather ordinary 20-16-1 home record). Moreover, the Lightning have three remaining games against also-rans – two against Florida, one against Washington (8-4-1 against those teams this year).

The Islanders might have the hardest row to hoe here. Four of their remaining seven games are at home, where they have been moderately successful (20-11-6, eighth in the East in home record), but five games come against teams higher in the standings (6-10-3 against these teams). The Islanders are the only club in the Serious Six that have a below-.500 record this season against their remaining opponents.

The Serious Six

The Serious Six . . .

That’s where it’s at in the NHL now – the last three spots in the Eastern Conference are up from grabs, and six clubs are separated by four points in an effort to claim them. And, there are only a handful of games left in which to stake those claims. Starting with today’s results, we’re going to try to take a look at these teams as they sprint to the finish – who’s up, who’s down, who has the advantage.

This afternoon, as play begins, they stand this way:

6. Tampa Bay: 41-31-4 (86)
7. NY Rangers: 38-28-9 (85)
8. Carolina: 38-29-8 (84)
**********
9. Montreal: 39-31-6 (84)
10. NY Islanders: 36-27-11 (83)
11. Toronto: 36-29-10 (82)

Today’s impact games:

NY Rangers @ NY Islanders

The Rangers are 2-4 against the Isles this year but have won the last two contests (both by 2-1 margins). Henrik Lundqvist has only one loss in regulation in his last 12 decisions (8-1-3).

Sometimes, you just want to scream, "shut the #@%& up!!!"

I returned from my sojourn to Pennsylvania this weekend and took a peek at what's going on over on The Official . . . and I was pointed to this by a poster over there, comments courtesy of The Blogger in Charge:

"See any free agents that were signed last off season above Alex Semin in goals scored? I don't."

Look, I think building through the draft is the way to go as far as developing a sustained contender goes. The ability to churn young contributors through your system year after year is the most reliable, not to mention cheapest way to do that in a salary capped world. But at some point, kids need mentoring. Once upon a time, I taught at a university. I would never think of just throwing the textbooks into the room and telling the kids, "read 'em. I'll be back in 15 weeks to give you a test."

Sometimes, only the lessons learned by guys who have been through it can be the difference in making sure your kids maximize their potential or become merely journeyman hockey players. This summer, as far as I can see, is the "no excuses" summer. And this has all the makings of a pre-emptive excuse for doing not much (please, let me be wrong...).

Look, if I wanted fantasy hockey, I would have bought NHL2007, cancelled my subscription for season tickets, bought a big-screen TV, and saved myself a lot of angst.

So, I'll pose a question in rebuttal . . .

See any playoff games for the Caps this spring? . . . I don't.

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!! -- Caps vs. Candiens, March 24th

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!!

Seventy-five down, seven to go. We’re a long way from Ashburn and September, aren’t we? The Caps have seven games to garner six points and pass last year’s 70 standings points. Frankly, with the way this season has gone, that would be something of an achievement. Tonight, the Caps embark on those last seven games with a visit to Montreal to take on the Canadiens.

This is the story of two teams having taken similar roads. The Caps were a playoff-bound team in mid-December, and their fall from that lofty status has been well chronicled and painfully experienced by Caps fans. Montreal’s fall has not been as abrupt, but might have a similar result – an early tee time in April. The Canadiens’ high water mark came on December 27^th when they defeated the Capitals, 4-1. The win left them with a record of 22-9-5, and the 13 games over .500 matched their high point of the year. Since then, the Canadiens are 16-22-1, which leaves them 38-31-6 and in ninth place this morning with 82 points.

Montreal has made a game of it lately, though, with a 5-1-0 record in their last six games during which opponents have been outscored 21-17. The Habs’ special teams have stepped up here, going 20.0 percent on the power play (7-for-35) and 88.9 percent on the penalty kill (16-for-18). That the Canadiens have been outscored 15-14 in situations that weren’t “special” could be a key to this game for Washington.

In this 5-1 run, Montreal has been led in overall scoring by center Tomas Plekanec (2-6-8, +3), but the goal scoring load has been taken up by a couple of kids – 19-year old Guillaume Latendresse (4-0-4, -1) and 23-year old Chris Higgins (3-4-7, +1).

In goal, Cristobal Huet put up some fine numbers through mid-February (18-15-3, 2.74, .918) but has been on the shelf since suffering a hamstring injury against the Devils on Valentine’s Day. David Aebischer was given the chance to take up the slack, but he’s gone 3-3-0, 4.62, .870. Not good. Enter Jaroslav Halak. He’s been 6-4-0 in his ten games of work since Huet’s injury and has won his last three, including a 30-save shutout of Boston. For now, he’s the guy.

Fans should watch for how the game unfolds in its latter stages. Over the last six games, Montreal has been outscored 6-4 in the first period, but they have closed with a rush, outscoring opponents 8-4 in the second, 9-7 in the third. The second period, which has been something of a bugaboo for the Caps this year, should be watched carefully. Montreal has scored in the second frame in each of the last six games.

The Caps are 0-5-1 in their last six road contests and have been outscored 24-12. It’s not like the games have even had much in terms of real drama to them. Even the 4-3 shootout loss to Boston was disappointing in that the Caps coughed up a 3-0 lead in doing so. But it is another chance to play spoiler on one of the big stages in North American hockey. Olaf Kolzig – who should get the call in goal, tonight – has had considerable career success against the Habs: 15-11-3-1, 2.30, .922. Among the skaters, Alexander Semin has five goals in five career games against Montreal.

The Caps have to find a way to hold leads in the third period. In two of their last three losses, they’ve been unable to do so, and given Montreal’s recent record in the latter part of games, this is a concern. So, that means getting out to a big lead early, which is where Kolzig and Semin come in. That seems to be what to watch for, and they will be the ingredients for a win:

Caps 5 – Canadiens 1.

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!! -- Caps vs. Hurricanes, March 22nd

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!!

It’s another back-to-back tilt, tonight’s being a visit to ‘Cane Country to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. It’s the last meeting of the clubs for the year, and the Hurricanes hold a 4-3 edge in games won, and a 24-20 edge in goals scored.

Oddly, in none of the seven games has the result been decided by one goal. In fact, every game has been decided by three goals or more – the hockey equivalent of Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed throwing nothing but head shots. The pattern of wins and losses is rather interesting, too. The clubs have alternated wins in each of the past four games, each club going 1-1 on home ice.

The Hurricanes will enter the game on a similar roller-coaster over their last ten games, having gone 5-4-1. They have managed to outscore their opponents 26-19 over this stretch, but seven of those goals came in their last outing, a 7-2 whuppin’ put on the New Jersey Devils.in the Meadowlands on St. Patrick’s Day.

Carolina’s special teams have been a Jekyll and Hyde production the last ten games. On the power play, the Hurricanes are a Dr. Jekyll on the power play, going 4-for-49 (8.2 percent), while the penalty kill has been a Mr. Hyde 42-for-43 (97.7 percent). In fact, the Hurricanes are 50 for their last 51 on the penalty kill (98.0 percent). They have yielded that single power play goal over their last 13 games, since yielding three in three chances to the New York Rangers on February 15.

Carolina has been paced in scoring over the last ten games by Rod Brind’Amour (3-5-8, +6), while Scott Walker and Justin Williams lead the team with four goals apiece. Anson Carter – picked up at the trading deadline – has yet to register a point in six games and is a -2. in the last three games in which he’s appeared, dating back to a March 2 game against Pittsburgh, he’s been given less than ten minutes of ice time.

Goaltending hasn’t been a problem for Carolina. John Grahame received most of the work over the last ten games with a 3-3-1 record in seven appearances. He managed a 1.99 GAA and .925 save percentage along the way. Meanwhile, Cam Ward was 2-1-0 in three appearances with a 1.45 GAA and .943 save percentage.

Scoring first appears to matter for the Hurricanes, lately. In five games in which Carolina scored first, they are 4-1-0. Giving up the first goal they are 1-3-1. They also seem to start sluggishly in games, having scored only six of their 26 goals in the last ten games in the first period.

These clubs know each other well, as you would expect of divisional opponents. And, given the patterns in the previous seven games, it’s late in the season to expect things to change than much. What is suggests is that it’s the Caps’ turn. If they can break through on the power play (5-for-30 against Carolina this year), all the better. But with the exception of the last game against the Devils, the Hurricanes have had difficulty scoring goals. With goaltender Olaf Kolzig playing well in his return and with a long history of success against Carolina (24-11-9, career, versus Carolina), the case for the Caps is that much stronger. The question will be whether he gets the call in the back half of the back-to-back game. Nonetheless, the Caps should do well . . .

Caps 5 – Hurricanes 2

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!! -- Caps vs. Sabres, March 21st

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!!

The Caps hit the road tonight, traveling to Paris on Lake Erie . . . otherwise known as Buffalo, NY. The Caps are riding on a three-game points streak (2-0-1), something quite unusual for the club since the start of the new year. Tampa Bay and Toronto – the Caps’ last two opponents – offered a test of playoff-worthy opponents, but the Sabres will be a step up in class. With 99 points, they lead the Eastern Conference and sit second in the league in total points earned. In their last ten, Buffalo is 5-3-2, but will enter this game having earned points in their last four games (2-0-2).

The game will offer the Caps a glimpse of an old teammate – Dainius Zubrus – in his new duds. Zubrus is 2-0-2, +1 in nine games with the Sabres thus far in an average of almost 19 minutes of ice time a game.

As for the rest of the club, some of the particulars over the last ten games:

- 37 goals for/31 goals against
- Leading scorers: Jason Pominville (6-4-10, +4), Drew Stafford (6-2-8, +4)
- Power play: 3/28 (7.9 percent, none for their last 23)
- Penalty killing: 27/35 (77.1 percent)

Ryan Miller has been rather ordinary in goal, with a 4-3-2 mark, 3.03, .900, record over this stretch (compared to 2.75, .910 for the season).

Meanwhile, the Caps have outscored the opposition 15-5 over the last three games that marked the return of goaltender Olaf Kolzig.

It makes for an interesting game, and that’s with out the Alex Ovechkin-Daniel Briere subplot. Tonight, the Caps go for three wins in a row . . .

Caps 5 – Sabres 4.

Well, isn't this a comfort?

The Associated Press reports that Chris Simon will not face criminal charges for his on-ice two-handed swing at New York Ranger Ryan Hollweg on March 8th. What a comfort it must be to the league that an incident that would result in some potential behind-bars time in the real world gets a pass, largely on the basis of the statement of the victim:

"They asked me if I wanted to, but I told them I didn't want to press charges. I'm not happy about what he did, but I want to focus on making the playoffs. I just want to move on."

"Move on"...sounds so simple, doesn't it. Except what we've moved on to is this...



Are they related? Well, in a sense, yes. It speaks to a fundamental lack of respect for opponents. Simon didn't give a thought to the use of a stick to make a point; Jordin Tootoo didn't give a thought to the fact that if you're going to take on the other team's big gun, you will have to stand and answer for that action without resorting to a sucker punch. And not too long ago, there was this that we've moved on from -- a flying appendage thrown at Chris Drury by Chris Neil and the associated aftermath...



An epidemic? No, all part of a disturbing piece, nonetheless.

After-Math . . . Caps vs. Lightning

It’s a two point day!!

What was that about Alexes? The Peerless meant “Flashes” . . . Boyd “Flash” Gordon had a goal and an assist, Tomas “Flash” Fleischmann had two goals and two assists in a 7-1 romp over the Tampa Bay Lighting this afternoon. It was a flash of what might yet be to come as far as the Caps are concerned. Not that the Alexes were shutout, not both of them anyway. Alexander Semin had a natural hat trick in the second period (on his only three shots taken in the frame) to give him 37 goals for the year.

Key for the Caps was, as it was for the Toronto game Friday night, getting off early. The Caps opened the scoring at 5:31 of the first on a goal by Fleischmann. But there is something to be said for keeping teams from getting off early, and that is where the return of Olaf Kolzig has been important. Kolzig did not have to make any especially difficult saves in the first period, but he made them all. Seeing as how the Caps came into the game 29^th in the league in winning percentage when giving up the first goal (.146), steady goaltending early is key. Kolzig, for those of you scoring at home, has stopped 100 of 104 shots since returning from his injury. Given his steadfastness in goal and the club’s play around him, it seems to validate this argument with respect to the value of his return.

While the attention focuses on Semin’s hat trick and Fleicshmann’s four-point game, the Caps had ten players register points in all – none of them named “Ovechkin.” Similar to the point we made after the Toronto game, if one would tell The Peerless that the Caps would score 12 goals in consecutive games, and Alex Ovechkin would have only one assist in the deluge, The Peerless would be looking for his copy of the Yellow Pages and finding a therapist for you.

On the other side of the ice, Tampa looked anything like a team trying to protect a four-point lead on the ninth-place club or one that could have closed to within two-points of the Southeast Division lead with a win. They looked rather ordinary, in fact. It wasn’t just goaltending, which was bad enough (The Peerless sat in his seat wondering in the second period if coach John Tortorella wanted to summon up Daren Puppa or Pat Jablonski from Lightning teams of the distant past – they couldn’t have fared worse than Johan Holmqvist, then Marc Denis, then Holmqvist again). Vincent Lecavalier spent his 60 minutes looking as if he was afraid he’d get his makeup smeared if he dared skate between the circles in the offensive zone. He was content to play along the boards for the duration of the contest. That he was -2 and won only 42 percent of his draws was hardly surprising. That he had one shot on goal in the last 55-plus minutes of the game was, that one being long after the matter had been settled.

The Peerless asked this question after the last time these clubs met, and it still is a matter that strikes your prognosticator as odd . . . how does the team captain skate a total of 5:45 for the game? That’s what Tim Taylor had for Tampa (he managed a -2 in his brief turns on the ice).

But let’s give some credit to the line of Gordon, Brooks Laich, and Chris Clark, too. They did a superb job at neutralizing the Lecavalier-Vaclav Prospal-Martin St. Louis line (10 total shots, no points). The Peerless does wonder, however…was Clark injured in the third period? He shows as having no shifts taken in the last eight minutes of the game. On top of Brian Sutherby’s compartment injury to his hand Friday night (he’s out for 7-10 days), that would be one more injury in a series that has crippled this club since the parade started among the defensemen in December.

You look at this club the last three games . . . six different players have the 15 goals scored (including two hat tricks), 16 different players have registered the total of 39 points. Alex Ovechkin has one point. When the “light over the head going on” moment is taking place, chances are you don’t see it. But maybe (said The Peerless, hopefully) that moment is at hand. Alexander Semin is 3-4-7 in his last three. Tomas Fleischmann is 3-2-5. Chris Clark is 3-1-4. Boyd Gordon is 2-2-4. The Caps will spend a lot of time on SportsCenter (ok, not ESPN . . . one of the Canadian outlets, perhaps) with Ovechkin scoring highlight goals – and they won’t win much. It will be what contributions the club gets from up and down the roster that will matter in the end. The last three games, fans have gotten a glimpse of just what that means.

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!! -- Caps vs. Lightning, March 18th

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!! . . .

It’s Matinee Sunday for the Caps as they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning, and today’s theme is, “The Fine Line.” As in , the fine line that separates winning and losing in this league. And Tampa Bay seems to be on the wrong side of that line at the moment, courtesy of . . . the Washington Capitals?

Could be (although coincidence cannot be ruled out). Let’s look at Tampa, before and after the March 1 5-4 shootout win over the Caps:

- Before: they came in on a 17-4-2 run . . . after: 2-4-0

- Before: scored 72 goals (3.13/game) over those 23 games . . . after: scored 13 (2.17/game)

- Before: gave up 64 goals (2.78/game) . . . after: gave up 20 goals (3.33/game)

- Before: 21-for-82 on the power play (25.6%) . . . after: 4-for-22 (18.1%)

- Before: 68-for-84 penalty killing (80.1%) . . . after: 18-for-20 (90.0%..ok, there’s that one)

- Before: they did not lose a one-goal game in regulation (13-0-2) . . . after: they’ve lost their last two games by one goal in regulation

- Before: 9-2 in extra-time games (20 of 36 standings points earned that way) . . . after: 0-1 (one of four standings points earned)

- Vincent Lecavalier . . . Before: 18-13-31, -3 (1.35 PPG) . . . after 6-3-9, -4 (1.50 PPG)

- Martin St. Louis . . . Before: 12-20-32, +3 (1.39 PPG) . . . after: 0-5-5, -2 (0.83 PPG)

- Brad Richards . . . Before: 9-17-26, +1 (1.13 PPG) . . . after: 1-2-3, -1 (0.50 PPG)

For the Caps, it’s a chance once more to play spoiler, the Lightning coming into this contest only four points ahead of the ninth-place New York Islanders, with the Islanders holding a game in hand. Washington comes into this game on a two-game points earned streak, the first time they’ve done that since the last week of February. Today they will have the chance to do something they have done only once this calendar year – win consecutive games (January 4-6, over Montreal and Atlanta). The Caps haven’t won consecutive games in regulation since early December (a four-game streak, November 28 – December 6).

Something to watch for . . . “The Alex Effect.” One might expect that the Capitals are more likely to win games when one of the Alexes scores a goal, and in fact, this is true. When Alex Ovechkin scores, the Caps are 16-12-5 (9-22-8 when he does not). When Alexander Semin scores, the Caps are even more likely to win – 13-8-4 (12-26-9 when he does not). When both score, the Caps are 9-1-1, including wins in the last eight times this has occurred. The club against which the Caps’ have had little success in this regard? . . . Tampa: 1-2-1 when Ovechkin scores, 1-2-3 when Semin scores, 1-1-1 when both score.

So what does it all mean, Oh Peerless one? The Caps have won but one game against the Lightning this year. What happened in that game that did not happen in any of the others?

Boyd Gordon scored, and it is the only game in which no power play goals were scored.

Had enough of the numbers? Well, here’s the poop . . . the Caps are 1-3 in home matinees this year. Tampa’s won both of their away afternoon games. No matter, today is a bright sunny day (and hopefully one for Boyd Gordon).

Caps 4 – Lightning 3.

After-Math -- Caps vs. Maple Leafs

Woo-hoo!!!.... TWO points, tonight!!!

And that’s how it’s done. If one were to tell The Peerless, “Alex Ovechkin will not register a point, and the Caps will score five goals, anyway,” The Peerless would have asked, “who the $#@& are you, Eklund?”

As it was, that’s just what happened in the Caps’ 5-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. And, lordy, did the goals come from odd places. Alexandre Giroux scored his first NHL goal 1:46 in after Steve Eminger sent the puck to the end boards, where it popped straight back, hopping past the flailing stick of Toronto goalie, Andrew Raycroft (who had one of the more brutal games a goaltender can have..he couldn’t handle a puck cleanly tonight if you, well…handed it to him). Giroux celebrated in appropriate fashion. After all, it’s not as if goal scoring is foreign to him (he has 38 goals for Hershey this year), but it was his first goal of the NHL variety. Congratulations, kid.

The Caps had a familiar face notch the second goal – Alexander Semin stuffed in his own rebound after a nifty takeaway. After that . . . Boyd Gordon, Kris Beech, and Tomas Fleischmann. Along with Giroux, those four have a grand total of 26 career NHL goals, counting tonight. Semin has 34 this year. It is the kind of contribution from the “other guys” (meaning ones whose first names don’t rhyme with “Malexander” . . . ok, there’s Giroux, but you get my point) that has been lacking all year.

Some folks might wonder . . . why did Brooks Laich get a second star in this game? Well, look at the shift chart.

Boyd Gordon took a lot of draws against Mats Sundin, but the pesky Gordon gives away four inches and 30 pounds. It was Laich that served as the big body pounding on the big Leaf, and in the end took more draws than Gordon. Sundin shook loose for an assist on the Leafs’ lone goal, but other than that was largely neutralized. Laich also led the Caps in ice time on the penalty kill. There is more to getting a star than scoring goals.

There were a few odd numbers tonight . . .

- “zero”…the number of hits Darcy Tucker registered. What, he’s mellowing in his older years?

- “four”…that’s how many Caps registered fewer than 10 minutes ice time.

- “two”…Neither Brian Sutherby nor Mike Green took a shift in the third period.

- 15:34…the combined ice time of Toronto centers Jeff O’Neill and Yanic Perreault.

- “16”…that’s how many different skaters made their way to the penalty box tonight. What, were they serving beer over there?

- “two” (again)…the number of Toronto skaters finishing the night even . . . 16 were in the minus category (testimony to the ability of the Caps to spread the joy around tonight; only three Caps were even, the rest were in the plus category).

- “.971”…the save percentage for Olaf Kolzig tonight (34 saves on 35 shots). Amazing what a steadying influence a veteran goalie with a pedigree can have.

All in all, it was a quite satisfying game. It might be just one game in the slow march to the end of the year, but the guys looked like they were having fun. Hope they played the music really loud in the locker room.

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!! -- Caps vs. Maple Leafs, March 16th

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR . . .

In a very abbreviated version this morning (lots to do, lots to do). Tonight, the Caps get right back to it in the back half of a back-to-back, hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs are desperately trying to climb into the top eight – they sit ninth this morning, one point behind eighth-place Carolina with two games in hand. They don’t seem to be playing like it, though, with a 5-5-1 record in their last 11 games. However, they have won their last two – a pair of one goal games – and they will be catching the Caps coming off a frustrating and disheartening loss in Boston in a shootout last night.

For the Caps, the key might be special teams. Toronto is only 3-for-49 on the power play in their last 11 games (6.1 percent), while they’ve surrendered 13 power play goals in 51 shorthanded situations (74.5 percent penalty kill).

Trouble is, the Caps are winless in their last seven home games (0-4-3).

The Peerless is nothing if not hopeful, though, and Toronto’s inconsistency will be their downfall tonight.

Caps 3 – Leafs 2

After-Math -- Caps vs. Bruins

One point tonight . . .

“Penalty kill” took on a whole new meaning last night as the Caps fell, 4-3, to the Boston Bruins in a shootout. The Caps played a uniquely undisciplined and silly game in giving up nine power plays – the Bruins scoring on three of them – in the loss. Five high-sticking penalties? It wasted a hat-trick effort from the captain, Chris Clark, and a fine performance in goaltender Olaf Kolzig’s return to the ice after a knee injury shelved him for a month. The penalty kill more or less killed the Caps' chances for a win.

Young teams make errors of omission and commission, but this was just the kind of sloppy attention to the matter at hand that a young team with nothing to play for has to be held to account for. More’s the pity, because the boys played a very solid game for almost forty minutes. But they just couldn’t help themselves on penalties, and it destroyed any momentum they were managing to build. The result? A blown three-goal lead. Whatever else the Caps accomplished in this game, that’s the bottom line.

And no, it’s not acceptable. Not if the Caps are fighting for a playoff spot, not if they are playing out the last dozen games.

Inidividually, there were some fine efforts. Clark and Kolzig, of course. But there was Milan Jurcina returning to Boston and making his presence felt…and felt…and felt in more than 28 minutes of ice time. Jeff Schultz had a pretty good game, too. But then again, both were on the ice for two Bruin power play goals, too. Alex Ovechkin finally got off the schneid on the shootout with a nice goal.

But the Caps gave themselves little to build on with their incessant march to the penalty box. They had a chance to stand on the Bruins’ throats and instead used their sticks on them.

Another reason it’s an early spring.

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!! -- Caps vs. Bruins, March 15th

Stinks to be on the outside with your face pressed to the glass, watching all the fat cats getting ready for the playoffs, doesn’t it?

Well, that’s where the Caps and the Bruins find themselves – the Bruins a little closer to the door of the dining room with 71 points to the Caps’ 60. Two teams looking further ahead, like to next year. It must be especially galling for Boston to be in this position, having blown $57.5 million on deals for free agents Marc Savard (-10, despite 88 points) and Zdeno Chara (-11, but with a “hardest shot contest” win at the All Star Game).

The Bruins will welcome Washington into something called “TD Banknorth Garden” in the midst of a 3-5-1 record over their last nine games, which follows an 8-2-0 run, which follows a five-game losing streak. Streak . . . yeah, that applies.

If there is anything that has betrayed the B’s in their last nine, it’s been offense. 22 goals scored in nine games, ten of those coming in two games (a 4-1 win at New Jersey and a 6-3 win in Detroit). They have only nine goals in their last five home games. They have certainly spread the mediocrity around. 15 different skaters have the 22 goals. Marco Sturm (3-5-8, +1) and Brandon Bochenski (3-3-6, even) lead the club in goal scoring. Marc Savard also has eight points (1-7-8), but typically it seems, is also -6 in his last nine games.

That plus-minus is a real bugaboo for the B’s. No Bruin who has played at least 40 games for the club is better than a -3. And the guy with the -3? Milan Jurcina. He’ll be wearing the other uniform at TDBnG. Eight players who have been with the club all year are -10 or worse (the Caps have seven) – this does not include four other players no longer with the club (Wayne Primeau, Brad Boyes, Paul Mara, and Brad Stuart).

Special teams have been about as productive lately as one might expect a 12^th-place team to be – the power play is 5-for-45 (11.1 percent), penalty killing is somewhat better at 37-for-43 over the last nine games.

If there is a bright spot for the Bruins, it’s been goaltending. Tim Thomas is 2-4-1 in Boston’s last nine games and really deserves better. He’s got a 2.64 goals against average, but a .924 save percentage (a 51-save [performance in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Flyers didn’t hurt his numbers). He’s having to face over 35 shots-per-60 minutes in his six appearances over this stretch, which is positively Kolzigesque.

But here is the problem for the Caps – since they were at their high-water mark of 15-10-7 in mid-December, they are 3-15-1 in road games. Only five of those losses were of the one-goal variety. Eight of them were by three or more goals, including two of their last three. There’s being a polite guest, and there is taking things too far. The Caps need to break some of the china, insult the hostess, spill some beer on the carpet.

The Caps are 1-9-4 in their last 14 games, the lone win coming on the road. They’ve been outscored 52-32, their power play has been mediocre (10/58, 17.2 percent), their penalty killing bad (48/62, 77.4 percent). Alex Ovechkin has eight goals in the last 14 games; Alexander Semin and Brian Sutherby have four apiece. 13 other skaters split the remaining 16 goals. Trouble is, those three are also a combined -20 over the last 14 games.

Let’s face it, the Caps are a visitor made to order for the Bruins. But while the Caps suck on the road, the Bruins can seem to win much at home, either. The Caps have ‘em right where they want ‘em. Olaf Kolzig is expected to make a return, according to Post writer Tarik El-Bashir, and this will inspire the Caps to a victory . . . no, really. Hey! The Peerless does NOT use drugs!!

Caps 4 – Bruins 2.