It’s been a while since our last entry in this category, but we return to our look at the Capitals over the 2007-2008 season through “the tens.” Next up among the centers…
Sergei Fedorov
Theme: “The maestro in autumn”
When the Capitals traded defenseman prospect Ted Ruth to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Fedorov at the trading deadline, the Capitals were not getting the player who was 56-64-120, +48 in 1993-1994. They were not getting the player who was 10-10-20 in 22 playoff games in 1998, when the Detroit Red Wings swept the Capitals in the Stanley Cup final. They were getting a player who labored inconspicuously in two hockey graveyards – Anaheim (before they were a Cup-worthy team) and Columbus. They were getting a 38-year old who looked as if his best days were behind him and who seemed to be going through the motions, as if he was counting the days until retirement.
Then he arrived in Washington. In his first game with the Caps, Fedorov played a shade under 16 minutes, had an assist on a power play goal by Mike Green, had three shots on goal, and won 10 of 13 faceoffs. Three-stars-of-the-night performance? No, not really. But it was the kind of performance, entering seamlessly and making a contribution, that reflected the value his addition would have. If you look at the 18 games that Fedorov played in the regular season for the Caps, the usual numbers don’t speak to much…2-11-13, -2.
But break them down, look at them in progression...
* all with Washington
** with Washington, eight games
In Fedorov’s first ten games with the Caps, he was 1-4-5, -3. The Caps were 7-3-0. Then, in the last eight games of the year, Fedorov was 1-7-8, +1. The Caps were 7-1-0. But what is more is what a 38-year old, former all-star, former Stanley Cup champion, former Olympian could do – make his linemates better and serve as the mentoring influence on a young club. Case in point – Alexander Semin. It appeared that Semin played in awe of his new linemate in the first few games they played together – Semin was 3-4-7, -8 (he had no “plus” games), in the first 12 games after Fedorov joined the club. But that line is deceiving. All three goals were power play tallies, and only one included an assist from Fedorov (a secondary assist on Semin’s goal against Pittsburgh on March 9th). In the last six games of the year, Semin was 4-1-5 (three of them being power play goals), and Fedorov assisted on each of those goals (two primary, two secondary). What had been a problem for the Caps for much of the year – second line scoring – was addressed with a pair (Semin and Fedorov) that were developing a chemistry similar to that enjoyed by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin on the top line.
What Fedorov gave the Caps for 18 games was precisely what one would have wanted – a stabilizing veteran influence that provided consistent minutes (18-plus minutes a game) and contributions in the obvious (13 points in 18 games) and subtle (50-plus percent on draws in 15 of 18 games) aspects of the game. Subjectively, Fedorov’s presence could not but have helped after the Capitals lost consecutive games in early March – in especially brutal fashion to Boston and to Pittsburgh – the first time the Caps had lost back-to-back games in regulation since coach Bruce Boudreau took over at Thanksgiving. Fedorov did not have a point in the following game against the Calgary Flames – a 3-2 win, but he contributed 21:48 of playing time (second only to Ovechkin among the forwards), a hit, a couple of takeaways, and won 12 of 21 draws. It bears noting that the tying and winning goals in that game were scored by Ovechkin – another youngster benefitting from the presence of the veteran who, if he hasn’t seen it all, than certainly has seen most of what one can expect to deal with in hockey.
The margin for error was so thin at the end of the year that it could be said of almost any player, “if he didn’t do ‘x’…” or, “if so-and-so wasn’t here…,” and there would be truth in this. But Fedorov brought more than he could have contributed in the sheer nuts-and-bolts statistics (the best days of which were well behind him). He brought the experience and leadership needed to a team facing its first trial-by-fire. His arrival announced to the club that it was serious about making the playoffs…now. The little things he did – winning draws, killing penalties, thinking ahead on the play – were the kind of “lead by example” kind of play that did – and will, even if he does not re-sign with the club – pay dividends to a young group such as this.
Watching Fedorov is like watching a maestro who might not be able to give the night after night performances he did in his youth, but who can still summon those skills on any given night and who understands the game at such a fundamental level that those around him are made better by his example. He was the kid, so to speak, who moved to the neighborhood and enrolled in a new school. But he did well in his short time there, and given the circumstances and his role earned a solid
A-
No comments:
Post a Comment