$15,627,977

According to this site, this is the amount of payroll room available to the club with the most payroll room, well, available. It's more than 35 percent more than the club with the next highest amount of payroll room.

You want to hazard a guess as to just which team it is that is keeping its powder dryer than the Sahara?

The Morning After -- Caps vs. Devils I

It’s a two-point day, kiddies . . .

Beating New Jersey for the first time since February 19, 2004, is nice. Beating them in the Meadowlands for the first time since March 29, 2002, is really nice. Getting four goals on Martin Brodeur qualifies as miraculous, given the Caps’ offensive woes of late.

But it was a fine effort all around. There are some things one could pick on (Alex . . . no, not you, the other one . . . "pass" is something you can give, not just receive). However, that would be just that…picky. When you haven’t beaten a club on their ice in almost five years, you really shouldn’t be. So, what was the good?

Let’s start with “the rest of the lineup.” The Caps have a top-heavy scoring punch with the top line and Alexander Semin accounting for 60 percent of the Caps’ goals for the season coming into this game. Well, kudos to Matt Pettinger (with a shortie), Milan Jurcina (with his first as a Cap) , and Tomas Fleischmann (with his first of any kind in the NHL). Seven of the 10 points were had by “the rest of the lineup.”

Tomas Fleischmann – a goal, a couple of hits, and a penalty. OK, it wasn’t a Gordie Howe hat trick -- more like a Gordie Howe Headband, but it indicates involvement on the youngster’s part. He was not just a spectator, which might have been a description of his participation in earlier stints.

Boyd Gordon – didn’t have a shot on goal, but he had the primary assists on the Pettinger shorthanded goal and the Fleischmann goal, the latter springing Fleischmann as he was exiting the penalty box. And, he had a couple of hits and was on the plus side of draws (11 of 21).

Milan Jurcina – yeah, he got his goal, but he continues to be pretty solid in his own end. Plus-two and almost 26 minutes of ice time.

Brent Johnson – Nice to see his solid play rewarded. He deserves better than to be 1-2-2 since taking over for Olaf Kolzig in the wake of the latter’s knee injury. He’s 2.52, .914 in his five straight starts.

Alex Ovechkin – yes, he was held without a goal once more, but his performance was reminiscent of the hitter in baseball who has been in a slump who starts hitting ropes that get caught. That’s a sign the player is coming out of a slump. Ovechkin had more animation to his game than he’s had on a consistent basis lately, and he seemed to recognize that. From his post game comments reported in the Post . . .

"My game today was much better than last game and before last game. I didn't get a goal, but I feel more comfortable. It's okay. It's coming. I had lots of moments."

For the Caps, it’s not about the playoffs at this point, it is about getting better. That might mean getting more than the 70 points they finished with last year. Given the injuries that swept through the club from December forward, that might be an achievement to build on. They need 13 points in the final 20 games to achieve that goal. Last year, the Caps went 7-8-5 in their last 20 games for 19 points. Johnson was 4-3-1 in that season-ending stretch. If the Caps duplicate it, 77 points won’t look all that bad for this year.

Where you stand . . .

. . . depends on where you sit. Today, B. Thomas Golisano, owner of the Buffalo Sabres, sent a letter to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman denouncing this hit in the Buffalo Sabres - Ottawa Senators game last Thursday:



It was a hard hit, a vicious one, in fact. Dirty? Guess that depends on whether you root for the Sabres or the Senators.

But this letter . . . such concern for others expressed . . . It leads off as follows:

I am deeply concerned with the standard the NHL has adopted that seems to allow violent hits to the head.

In light of the most recent injury to our captain Chris Drury, I am calling on you to address this issue immediately before another player is seriously injured or worse.

Gee, Tom, are you just as concerned about hits like these? . . .



Or is it just the color of uniform taking the hit that concerns you? Spare us the sanctimony, big guy.

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!! -- Caps vs. Devils Two-Fer

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .

The Cap have beaten the New Jersey Devils once . . . once . . . in the last 13 meetings.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .

The Caps have been outscored 41-23 in those 13 games.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .

The Caps have been held to one or no goals in six of the 13 games.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .

Martin Brodeur is 30-10-4, 2.05, .914 in his career versus Washington.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .

Brodeur hasn’t lost back-to-back decisions in regulation since dropping games to Buffalo (3-2) and Detroit (2-1), December 12th and 16^th.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .

Brodeur is 21-5-4 since then, 1.93, .933, seven shutouts.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .

Brodeur has figured in 59 of New Jersey’s 61 decisions this year . . . if he plays both games, it would hardly be a surprise.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .

Brodeur leads the league in games played, wins, goals against, shutouts, total shots faced, and total saves. He is second in save percentage.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .

New Jersey has won as many games this month (eight) as the Caps have since their high-water mark on December 16^th (15-10-7).

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .

New Jersey has given up one . . . one . . . 5-on-3 power play goal this year; no one else has given up fewer than four (just thought I’d throw that in there).

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .

The Caps haven’t won a season series against Jersey since the 1999-2000 season…they won’t this year, either.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .

New Jersey doesn’t scare anyone with their offense, but they are at least competent. They have seven players in double-digits with goals, with perhaps three others who could get there – John Madden, Jay Pandolfo, and Brian Rafalski (the Caps have five, with no one else likely to get there, given playing time patterns these days). Jersey has seven players with at least 20 assists; the Caps have three.

Doesn’t look too good, does it? Well, that’s why the Caps have Jersey just where they want them . . . honest. Why? Because The Peerless always thinks that? Well, there is that, but there is something else. Tuesday night. New Jersey plays Pittsburgh Tuesday night, and the Penguins lurk seven points behind the Devils with a game in hand. New Jersey is as disciplined a club as there is in the league, but they are flesh and blood, too. Could there be the slightest peeking ahead?

The Caps haven’t scored more than three goals in a game in almost a month (a 7-2 win against Carolina). They don’t have to against this team, and that is something they need to keep in mind. Jersey plays their games close. 34 of their 61 decisions are of the one-goal variety (they’ve won 23). The Caps aren’t bad in close games – 7-7-10 in one goal games, 5-4 in two-goal games. Since Jersey doesn’t get involved in too many blowouts (12 three-goal-or-more decisions this year), the Caps actually have a fighting chance (and keep that word “fighting” in mind, this being a home-and-home, back-to-back series).

There is a difference between being a bad club and be a club that is playing badly. The Caps have been the latter for two months now. Injuries and the demoralizing effects of losses piling up does that. But the Caps can – and should be able to – muster a superior effort against this club, one they play close in most games, even as they usually end up on the short end of the score. This weekend . . .

I think they will, I think they will, I think they will . . .

Caps 3 – Devils 2 in both games.