Peerless Playback: The All-Alphabet Team, "The D Team"

Continuing with our look back at the “All Alphabet Teams” for the Washington Capitals, we are up to the letter “D.”

Back in 2014, our "All-D Team" was:

• LW: Gaetan Duchesne (1981-1987)
• C: Nicolas Deschamps (2013-2014)
• RW: John Druce (1988-1992)
• D: Jason Doig (2002-2004)
• D: Doug Mohns* (1974-1975)
• G: Byron Dafoe (1992-1995)

If “All-C Team” was among the most accomplished, “All-D Team” is more uneven.  One might see this as an opportunity to re-think the original 2014 version of the roster.  At left wing, the issue is not that Gaetan Duchesne, one of the best defensive forwards in Caps history, is irreplaceable, it is that there are so few candidates to replace him from the 2014-present period.  That is a population of none.  Duchesne’s place is safe.

At center, Nicolas Deschamps and Doug Doull were the only players whose last name started with the letter “D” who dressed for the Caps over the 1974-2014 period.  It was not a large pool of players from which to pick.  The pool of players since 2014 at the position is even smaller – Nic Dowd.  But that is sufficient to advocate a change at the center spot.  Deschamps played only three games with the Caps (one more than Doull), recording no points and posting a minus-1 rating.  Dowd, on the other hand, has logged 120 games with the Caps, going 120 games with Washington, going 15-22-37, plus-21, and recording an impressive 50.7 faceoff winning percentage and 214 credited hits, while averaging 2:03 in penalty killing ice time per game in those 120 games.

On the right side John Druce, who had one of the most surprising and memorable postseasons in Caps history in 1990 (his 14 goals in the 1990 postseason stood as a team record until Alex Ovechkin broke it with 15 goals in 2018),  was picked for the “All-D Team” in the original 2014 posting.  He remains there for the same reason Gaetan Duchesne remains on the left side.  Since 2014 the Caps have had no right wingers whose last name starts with the letter “D.”

On defense, “All-D Team” also suffers from a lack of choices.  Jason Doig was the only defenseman in the 1974-2014 period whose last name started with the letter “D.”  That is why you find that asterisk next to Doug Mohns’ name, having to find a defenseman whose first name started with “D.”  Although Mohns was the very first captain in franchise history in 1974-1975 (his last NHL season), he might have to take a seat.  Christian Djoos and Brenden Dillon have played for the Caps since the 2014 team was published, and it is Djoos who merits consideration as a replacement for Mohns.  In 110 games with the Caps, Djoos went 4-20-24, plus-23; and he was 0-1-1, plus-2, in 25 playoff games, including 22 games in the Caps’ 2018 Stanley Cup run.

In goal, Byron Dafoe gets to keep his spot, despite his having played only three games as a Capital (0-2-0, with one no decision), the Caps having had no goalies dress since 2014 whose last name starts with the letter “D.”

This new “All-D Team,” with two replacements – Dowd for Deschamps and Djoos for Mohns – is a more experienced, more productive group, but it would not be remembered as one of the best of the All-Alphabet Teams.

Peerless Playback: The All-Alphabet Team, "The C Team"

We are up to our third installment looking back at the "All-Alphabet Team" for the Washington Capitals.  And, being the third installment, that means we are up to the letter "C."

For the record, our "All-C Team" was:

• LW: Geoff Courtnall (1988-1990)
• C: Bobby Carpenter (1981-1987, 1992-1993)
• RW: Dave Christian (1983-1989)
• D: Sylvain Cote (1991-1998, 2000-2002)
• D: John Carlson (2009-present)
• G: Jim Carey (1995-1997)

This team, Jim Carey’s playoff woes and too-soon career implosion notwithstanding, is among the stronger teams in the “All Alphabet” series, especially on offense.  Courtnall had 77 goals in two seasons with the Caps.  Bobby “The Can’t Miss Kid” Carpenter had 145 goals in four seasons with the Caps before his 22^nd birthday before he tailed off and was eventually shipped off to the New York Rangers.  Dave Christian averaged more than 30 goals per season in his six full seasons with the Caps.  Sylvain Cote is seventh in team history among defensemen in games played and eighth in points.  John Carlson is already the all-time points leader among defensemen in Caps history and whose career plus-92 trails only Rod Langway (plus-116) at the position.  In goal, Jim Carey finished second for in Calder Trophy voting as a rookie and was a Vezina Trophy finalist in both of his two full seasons in Washington, winning it in 1996.

Among skaters, Courtnall would seem in be in a position to fend off any challenges among left wingers who played for the Caps since the original “All-C Team” was published in 2014.  Only Jason Chimera (82-115-197, minus-2 in 490 games) would appear to pose even the faintest of challenges.  Neither Paul Carey nor Sean Collins pose much threat to unseating Bobby Carpenter from his place at center.  Meanwhile, Brett Connolly (52-44-96, plus-27, in 217 games with the Caps) would be most likely among right wingers to pose a challenge to Dave Christian, but he would fall short.

On defense, the pair of Taylor Chorney and Connor Carrick would pose no reasonable challenge to Sylvain Cote and John Carlson.  In goal, Pheonix Copley has far too few games and too thin a resume to challenge Carey.   

The "All-C Team" would seem to remain intact from when the series was first published in 2014 and would be a formidable group, were it ever to have played on the ice.

Peerless Playback: The All-Alphabet Team, "The B Team"

Next up in our look back at series we posted on the history of the Washington Capitals, we take a look at the next installment of the "All-Alphabet Team," that being the one starting with the letter "B."

For the record, our "All-B Team" was:

• LW: Craig Berube (1993-1999, 2000-2001)
• C: Nicklas Backstrom (2007-present)
• RW: Peter Bondra (1990-2004)
• D: Timo Blomqvist (1981-1985)
• D: Pierre Bouchard (1978-1982)
• G: Don Beaupre (1988-1995)

Would any of these players be replaced since this post appeared in July 2014? It would be hard to think Nicklas Backstrom would be replaced, and even Peter Bondra for that matter.  And on defense, only Madison Bowey in the post-2014 period would qualify as a replacement.  Not that Timo Blomqvist (223 games, 4-51-55, plus-27, 264 penalty minutes as a Capital) or Pierre Bouchard (106 games, 8-16-24, minus-28, 54 penalty minutes) had especially noteworthy careers in Washington.  But Bowey played only 84 games with the Caps, going 1-17-18, even, with 62 penalty minutes.  Call it a matter of debate.

However, would Andre Burakovsky (2014-2019) replace Craig Berube on the left side?  Berube was 26-38-64, minus-32, with 1220 penalty minutes in 419 regular season games and 1-0-1, minus-5, with 90 penalty minutes in 38 postseason games in two tours with the Caps, while Burakovsky was 62-83-145, plus-34, with 77 penalty minutes in 328 regular season games and 9-9-18, plus-5, with 12 penalty minutes in 56 playoff games for Washington.

Don Beaupre probably keeps his spot as the goalie on “Team B,” since there were no goalies with a last name starting with “B” playing for the Caps since 2014.  But perhaps there was a Capital goalie from yesteryear you think might be better suited to tend goal.  Something to think about as we “pause.”

Peerless Playback: The All-Alphabet Team, "The A Team"

While we are "pausing" in the hopes of seeing a resumption of the 20219-2020 NHL season, we're going to look back from time to time and revisit some series we did cover the history of the Washington Capitals.  We start that with a look back at the "All-Alphabet Team," starting with the letter "A" and ask if, in the almost six years since this first went online, there would be any changes.

For the record, the "All-A Team" was:

• LW: Greg Adams (1983-1988)
• C: Jason Arnott (2011)
• RW: Steve Atkinson (1974-1975)
• D: Peter Andersson (1983-1985)
• D: Karl Alzner (2008-2017)
• G: John Adams (1974-1975)

Keep in mind that if you are thinking about players who joined the Caps since this was published (covering players through the 2013-2014 season), no new skaters with the last name beginning with "A" skated for the Caps (Karl Alzner was the only one who dressed), and no new goalies whose last name starts with "A" dressed for the team.  But if you think any of these players should be replaced on the "All-A Team," well, it's a way to pass the time during the pause.

Scribbles During the Hiatus: Ten-Goal Games

Ten.  The basis of the numerical system in which most of the world operates.  A “top” number for purposes of ranking.  A “perfect” number as a means of evaluating things, experiences, and even persons. 

“The number of weeners in a package.”

Yes, Cheerless, commonly the number of hot dogs to a pack.

“So what’s with the eight hot dog buns in a bag?”

Cheerless, can we…

“I mean, what do you do with the extra hot dogs?"

Cheerless?

“Feed ‘em to the dog? Make franks ‘n’ beans?”

Cheerless??

“And what with the ‘n’ in ‘franks ‘N” beans,’ anyways?”

CHEERLESS?!?!?

“…sorry, go ‘head.”

In hockey, “ten” has become an uncommon number.  Over the last ten seasons, including this one, a team scored ten goals in a regular season game only five times.  Only once in almost 30 years has a team scored ten goals in a playoff game (Pittsburgh beat Philadelphia, 10-3, in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal in 2012).

Which brings us to the Washington Capitals.  We can get one thing out of the way at the beginning.  The Caps have never scored ten goals in a postseason game (they have been victimized for one, a topic we might get to at a later time).  They have, however, scored ten or more goals on 12 occasions in the regular season.  And did you know that…

1.  The 12 instances of ten or more goals scored in team history ranks tied for sixth among all NHL teams since 1974-1975, when the Caps entered the league.

2.   The Caps tended to do this sort of thing in bunches, calendar-year wise.  They did it twice in 1981, twice in 1987, three times in 1993, accounting for seven of the 12 instances.

3.  Twice in games that the Caps scored ten goals, they won by a double-digit margin:

• February 6, 1990, Capitals 12 – Quebec Nordiques 2.  Seven different Capitals recorded goals with two-goal games from Randy Burridge, Dino Ciccarelli, and Mike Ridley.  It was Alan May’s goal at 8:03 of the second period to give the Caps a 5-1 lead that chased starting goaltender Stephane Fiset.  Jacques Cloutier also allowed five goals in relief.  Mike Liut stopped 30 of 33 shots for the win.
• January 11, 2003, Capitals 12 – Florida Panthers 2.  This game was probably the high-water mark of the Jaromir Jagr era for the Caps.  Jagr had a seven-point game, including a hat trick, one of two times in Caps history that a player recorded seven points in a game (Dino Ciccarelli: 4-3-7 vs. Hartford Whalers, March 18, 1989, in an 8-2 win).

4.  Power plays were featured prominently in these 12 games.  The Caps scored no fewer than two power play goals in each of them.

5.  Speaking of power plays in ten-goal games, in the Caps’ 10-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 13, 1987 – Friday the 13^th – the Caps recorded seven power play goals, one of only three teams in NHL history to record seven power play goals in a game.  Boston did it in an 8-0 win over the Minnesota North Stars on January 4, 1975, and the Maple Leafs scored seven of their own in a 9-1 win over the Atlanta Thrashers on October 14, 2005.  The last six goals the Caps scored in that game, all in a span of 8:36 of the third period, came on power plays.  For the record, those last six goals were scored by: Craig Laughlin, Mike Gartner, Garry Galley, David Jensen (2), and Ed Kastelic.  The Caps took advantage of the Maple Leafs taking two major penalties for fighting in the last five minutes of that contest (no Capital served a coincidental major), over which the Caps scored five of their power play goals.

6.  That 10-2 win over the Maple Leafs in March 1987 was the second time that the Caps lit up Toronto for ten or more goals.  They beat the Maple Leafs, 11-2, on December 11, 1981.  Toronto is one of three teams against which the Caps scored ten or more goals twice.  They also turned the trick twice against the Los Angeles Kings (a 10-3 win against the Los Angeles Kings in Washington on December 6, 1987, and a 10-3 win over the Kings in Los Angeles on February 13, 1993) and the Quebec Nordiques (a 12-2 win in Washington on February 6, 1990, and a 10-3 win in Quebec on November 10, 1991).

7.  Nine of the 12 ten-goal games by the Caps came on home ice, six of them at the old Capital Centre/USAirways Arena and three of them at MCI Center/Verizon Center (now Capital One Arena).

8. The games on the road in which the Caps scored ten or more goals are the more interesting.  I addition to the 10-3 win over Quebec in November 1991, the Caps beat the St. Louis Blues in a wild 10-6 contest and the Los Angeles Kings by a 10-3 margin.  What is interesting about those latter two games?  They came in consecutive games for the Caps, the win in St. Louis on February 11, 1993, and again against the Kings in Los Angeles two nights later, on February 13, 1993.

9.  As best as we can determine, those two consecutive ten-goal games by the Caps in 1993 were the fourth instance in NHL history of a team recording ten or more goals in consecutive games.  The others:

• Montreal Canadiens: January 11, 1919 (13-4 over the Toronto Arenas) and January 16, 1919 (10-6 over the Ottawa Senators)
• Edmonton Oilers: January 12, 1983 (10-4 over the Chicago Black Hawks) and January 15, 1983 (10-4 over the Minnesota North Stars)
• Detroit Red Wings: November 23, 1992 (10-5 over the Tampa Bay Lightning) and November 25, 1992 (11-6 over the St. Louis Blues)

The Caps and Edmonton were the only teams to win both of their respective games on the road.

Scribbles During the Hiatus: One-Game Capitals II -- The Goalies

One-game Capitals are not just limited to skaters.  The Caps have a history – not a long one mind you, but a history – of goalies who appeared in a single game for the club. Let’s take a look.  For instance, did you know…

1.  Four goalies played a single game for the Caps:

• Robbie Moore (October 10, 1982 vs. Philadelphia Flyers)
• Alain Raymond (December 9, 1987 vs. Hartford Whalers)
• Mike Rosati (November 7, 1998 vs. Ottawa Senators)
• Corey Hirsch (March 11, 2001 vs. Ottawa Senators)

2.  None of the four started the game in which he played. 

3.  All four did earn a decision, despite not starting their lone game.

4.  Two of the four did not allow a goal in their lone game.  Each of them earned a win:

• Mike Rosati stopped all 12 shots he faced in 28:07 of relief work in an 8-5 come-from-behind win over the Ottawa Senators.  The Caps trailed, 5-3, in the second period before mounting their comeback.
• Corey Hirsch stopped all eight shots he faced in the final 20 minutes of a 6-5 win over the Senators.  The Caps trailed, 5-2, when Hirsch entered the game to start the third period but rallied to win.

5.  Both wins by one-game goalies came against the Ottawa Senators.  Both losses came against teams that are now Metropolitan Division rivals (Flyers, Whalers/Hurricanes).

6.  Olaf Kolzig was relieved twice by one-game goalies, both of whom earned wins (Rosati and Hirsch).

7.  For two of the four goalies, their lone Caps game would be their only NHL game (Rosati, Raymond).

8.  For one of the goalies, his lone Caps game would be his last NHL game (Moore).

9.  For one of the goalies, his lone Caps game was the only one he played in the NHL over a three season span.  Corey Hirsch appeared in the 2000-2001 season with the Caps after not playing in the NHL in 1999-2000 and before he would not play in the NHL in 2001-2002.  He finished his career with Dallas in 2002-2003.

10.  As a group, the four goalies combined for a 2-2-0 record, 1.68 goals against average, and a .936 save percentage in 107 minutes of work.

Scribbles During the Hiatus: One-Game Capitals

With the NHL having hit the “pause” button on their regular season due to the Coronavirus situation, one that would appear destined to last for a while, we don’t want you to think all of hockey is going dark.  The cousins and I will try to do our part to keep you entertained during the hiatus, and that means looking from time to time (meaning, "when we think of things to write") at the strange, the bizarre, and the fascinating fun facts from the Washington Capitals history book to impress your friends and confound your enemies.  Today’s topic…”One and Done.”

1.  Fourteen skaters in Caps history dressed for one game with the club.  Only one of them recorded a point in his only game.  Chris Ferraro had an assist on an Ulf Dahlen power play goal in a 3-2 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on October 16, 2001.

2.  For nine off the 14 skaters playing one game with the Caps, it was their only NHL game.  That list includes:

• Brian Stapleton (March 23, 1976 vs. Kansas City Scouts)
• Alex Forsyth (November 12, 1977 vs. Chicago Blackhawks)
• Tyler Larter (February 2, 1990 vs. New York Islanders)
• Ken Lovsin (December 26, 1990 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins)
• Joey Tenute (February 7, 2006 vs. Florida Panthers)
• Jonas Johansson (April 18, 2006 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning)
• Jamie Hunt (December 29, 2006 vs. New Jersey Devils)
• Peter LeBlanc (April 13, 2014 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning)
• Garrett Mitchell (April 9, 2017 vs. Florida Panthers)

3.  For three of the 14 skaters it would be their last NHL game, a list that includes:

• Chris Ferraro (October 16, 2001 vs. Los Angeles Kings).  Ferraro played 74 games over six seasons for five NHL teams (others: New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders)
• Barrie Moore (January 17, 2000 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning).  Moore played 39 games over three seasons with three teams (others: Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers)
• Ryan Stanton (January 19, 2016 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets).  Stanton played 120 games over four seasons with three teams (others: Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks)

4.  For one skater – Shawn Cronin – his one and only game with the Caps would be his first NHL game, October 21, 1988 against the New York Rangers.  He went on to appear in 292 NHL games over seven seasons with four clubs (others: Winnipeg Jets, San Jose Sharks, Philadelphia Flyers)

5.  For the 14^th skater – Rod Seiling – his only game with the Caps was not his first, last, or only NHL game, but it might be the most unique of experiences among the 14 skaters.  By the time he arrived in Washington, he was in his 13^th season, having played as a rookie with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the next 11 seasons with the New York Rangers.  In that 13^th season he was placed on waivers by the Rangers and claimed by the Caps on October 29, 1974.  He appeared in his one game – on October 31, 1974 against the Montreal Canadiens – and was then traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 2^nd, for Tim Ecclesone and Willie Brossart, his Caps career having lasted four days.

6.  Of the 14 skaters, only three skated for the Caps in wins.  There was the 3-2 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings on October 16, 2001, in which Chris Ferraro skated.  Jonas Johansson dressed for a 4-1 over the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 18, 2006.  Ryan Stanton skated in the Caps’ 6-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on January 19, 2016. 

7.  Brian Stapleton skated his only game in the only contest to end in a tie, a 5-5 tie against the Kansas City Scouts on March 23, 1976.

8.  One-game Caps were not spared frustration.  Four of the skaters dressed for games in which the Caps were shut out: Rod Seiling (a 3-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on October 31, 1974), Joey Tenute (a 5-0 loss to the Florida Panthers on February 7, 2006), Peter Le Blanc (a 1-0 Gimmick loss to Tampa Bay on April 13, 2014), Garrett Mitchell (a 2-0 loss to the Panthers on April 9, 2017).

9.  Tampa Bay was the most frequent opponent for one-game Caps (Moore, LeBlanc, and Johansson).  Add two players who played their only game with the Caps against the Florida Panthers (Mitchell, Tenute), and more than a third of the players faced a Florida opponent in their lone Caps game.

Thanks to hockey-reference.com and NHL.com for the information.

Washington Capitals: That Was The Week That Was - Week 23

We noted last week that Week 22 was an odd week for the Washington Capitals, and that was on the ice.   Week 23 was odd plus bizarre, and that was not limited to the ice.  The Caps lost their only game of the week in a Gimmick to what had been the 14^th-ranked team in the Eastern Conference, and then they packed their things away, as did every other team in the NHL, going on a “pause” to await how the Coronavirus situation plays out. 

Record: 0-0-1

Yes, it was only one game, and yes, the Capitals did squeak out a point that technically qualifies as a “.500” week in terms of standings points earned as a share of standings points available.  But it did not feel that way, playing a struggling team and falling behind, 2-0, before mounting a third period comeback.

The Caps went into their hiatus with only four winning weeks in their last 11 weeks of play, posting a record of 15-14-3.  The 33 standings points earned in that span (from December 22^nd through this week) are tied for 22^nd in the league, and their .516 points percentage ranks 21^st.  Over that span, the Caps rank seventh of eight teams in the Metropolitan Division, only the New York Islanders (12-15-7/31 points/.456 points percentage) ranked worse.

Offense: 2.00/game (season: 3.42/2nd)

One game, two goals.  It happens.  But the Caps did it against a club that was on a six-game streak of allowing three or more goals (all of them losses) and had allowed three or more in five of their previous eight home games. Until Alex Ovechkin scored in the third period, the Sabres were on their way to their second shutout on home ice this season and first since October 14^th, back when the Sabres might have been entertaining playoff dreams (that shutout brought their record to open the season at 5-0-1). 

The two goals extended a run of feast-or-famine for the Caps who, over a nine game span up to the season pause, scored five or more goals three times and scored two or fewer four times.  In that 15-14-3 run leading up to the pause, the Caps averaged 3.28 goals per game, eighth in the league over that span.

Defense: 2.00/game (season: 3.07/18th)

The Sabres are not an especially prolific offensive club, averaging 2.80 goals per game overall at week’s end (21^st in the league), 3.09 goals per game on home ice (19^th in the league).  But the two goals allowed by the Caps was an improvement over recent performance in which they allowed five or more goals in two of their previous three games overall.  It was the first time that the Caps allowed two or fewer goals in consecutive games (they beat Pittsburgh, 5-2, in the game preceding that against Buffalo) since Game 47 and 48 (a 2-0 win over Carolina and a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders) in January.

The 26 shots on goal allowed by the Caps was also the second consecutive game allowing fewer than 30 shots and third time in four games after a streak of four games allowing more than 30 shots.  The Caps allowed the Sabres only 34 shot attempts at 5-on-5, the second consecutive game allowing an opponent fewer than 40 5-on-5 shot attempts (they allowed Pittsburgh 39 attempts).  It was the first time the Caps allowed fewer than 40 5-on-5 shot attempts in consecutive games since games against New Jersey (38 attempts) and Carolina (29 attempts) in January.

Goaltending: 1.85 / .923 (season: 2.92 / .903 / 1 shutout)

Braden Holtby had a good game/week.  The 24 saves on 26 shots would be enough to win most games, and the .923 save percentage was the third game in four, and sixth time in seven road games, in which he was over .920 for a game (he did have that stinker against the Flyers, allowing five goals on 29 shots to drag his save percentage down).  Nevertheless, Holtby went into the hiatus with his first career goals against average over 3.00 for a season (3.11) and first save percentage under .900 (.897).

Power Play: 0-for-1/0.0 percent (season: 19.4 percent/17th)

One power play, two shots, no goals. It was the 12^th time this season that the Caps had one or no power play chances and the second time in two games against the Sabres.  Oddly enough, it was only the Caps’ third loss in those 12 games (9-1-2) and first instance on the road (3-0-1).  It is part of a season-long series of disappointments on the power play.  The 19.4 percent conversion rate for the season to date is the first time that the Caps have been under 20 percent since they finished the 2011-2012 season at 16.7 percent.

Penalty Killing: 2-for-3/66.7 percent (season: 82.6 percent/6th)

It was just one game, but the wheels have been coming off the penalty kill for a little while now.  Allowing one goal in three shorthanded situations, the Caps went into the hiatus having allowed power play goals in five straight games, going 16-for-23 (69.6 percent) over that span.  Buffalo was not a particularly efficient power play squad (18.9 percent/20^th at week’s end), but one goal on six shots in 4:35 of power play ice time made for a bad night for the Caps’ penalty killers.

Faceoffs: 29-for-63 / 46.0 percent (season: 48.3 percent/28th)

If there was one thing that was noteworthy about the lone game of Week 23 in the faceoff circle, it was that the Caps did little with the chances they had.  They had 25 offensive zone draws (21 in the defensive end) and won only ten of them (40.0 percent).  Seven of the ten wins were accounted for by Nic Dowd (3-for-5) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (4-for-10).

Goals by Period:

Not a lot to say here.  It was the first time in four games that the Caps did not score first and the first time in five games that they failed to post a first period goal.  On the other end, it was the third straight game in which the Caps posted a pair of third period goals, but they still lost their second extra time game in three outings in doing so (1-0-2).  A better sign was that the Caps did not allow a third period goal, breaking a streak of nine games in which they allowed at least one, and they allowed two in five of those games.

Year-over-Year:

At the hiatus, the Caps are almost exactly where they were at the same point last season.  Both teams had 41 wins through 69 games, and the clubs are separated by one standings point.  The goals for and against are barely different, as are the special teams indices (102.0 this season, power play plus penalty kill percentages, 101.5 last season).  The improvements in this team over last are in managing shots, with related improvements in hits and blocked shots, which are indicators of possession success.

In the end…

Last season, the Caps were riding a seven-game winning streak through Game 69 of the season.  Through 69 games this season, the Caps are 7-9-3 in 19 games since the last time they won consecutive games in regulation in late January.  But here might be the strangest part of the Caps’ recent performance.  In their last 25 games have played 16 different teams and have a record of 11-11-3.  They have two wins against only one team in that span… the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Strange season.

Three Stars:

• First Star: Alex Ovechkin (1-1-2, plus-2, six shots on goal, eight shot attempts)
• Second Star: Dmitry Orlov (1-0-1, plus-1, 26:40 ice time)
• Third Star: Tom Wilson (0-1-1, plus-2, 21:22 ice time)

Captain rates the week…

 One pupper

And Now...We Wait

Friday the 13^th.

It figures.  The first full day we know with certainty that the fate of the 2019-2020 season of the National Hockey League is in jeopardy.  Opinionators will opine, commentators will comment, analysts will analyze.  None of them know how all this ends, least of all some obscure scribbler who occupies these spaces.

The NHL, in concert with other leagues and associations, decided yesterday to suspend play in its regular season for an indeterminate amount of time as a result of the Coronavirus crisis that has swept across the globe.  It would be cliché to say that suspending play in a sports league is a trivial thing in the larger picture of things, and we would agree to a point.  But sports gives a lot of people a release, an escape from the stress and anxiety that such crises often create.  And now, even that is put in isolation as we try to cope with and rebound from this crisis.

We do not have any particularly profound things to recommend that you have not heard before.  Be responsible.  Practice good personal hygiene habits, and practice social distancing where appropriate.  Be vigilant.  Respect the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on steps to take to prevent illness and other frequently asked questions and answers.

Be a good neighbor.  Do you have an elderly friend or neighbor?  A parent or older relative?  If recommendations for social distancing make it hard to look in on them directly, watch out for them, give them a call, let them know you’re thinking of them and are mindful of their needs. 

Think of others in need.  A lot of folks are being and are going to be hit hard as this situation unfolds, especially in service and hospitality industries.  Restaurants are struggling to deal with the situation;   hotels are stepping up their efforts to ensure safety and cleanliness; those who keep our homes and offices clean and orderly have to work that much harder; burdens that will fall heavily on staff of limited economic means.  If you have the means to leave a little extra for good service or at least express your appreciation for the effort, we are all better off for it.

Be respectful.  These are tense times in the public square, even without the added anxiety brought on by the Coronavirus situation.  Viruses are without conscience or compassion.  They don’t care about your politics, your religion, your race, or your station in life.  Realize that we are all in this together and put aside the disagreements to care for one another and respect each other’s needs.

As for what we do here for the time being?  Like a lot of folks who are passionate about hockey and write about it, we are at something of a loss as to how to move forward.  The cousins and I will probably comb through the archives and look back on where we were and what we were doing in happier times.  You’ll probably see quite a few “The Best of…” pieces.  Cheerless will undoubtedly come up with something typically bizarre and head-scratching.

This is a situation we, as hockey fans, have encountered before, and on the other hand have not.  Hockey has gone dark in-season before – 1994-1995, 2004-2005, 2012-2013.  But we could see it coming, the issues were more clearly defined, and we knew what a solution might look like.  On the other hand, we did not get as much warning about this (who knew on Tuesday that the league would be announcing on Thursday it would suspend its schedule?).  The solution, for lack of a better term, will not be found within the sport’s confines.  Even those with whom a solution might reside – scientists, policy makers – seem uncertain as to what a solution might look like or when it might occur. 

So for now, we sit, we wait.  Be good, be safe.

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!! -- Game 70: Red Wings at Capitals, March 12th

The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!!

After completing their longest remaining road trip of the regular season with a 3-2 Gimmick loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night, the Washington Capitals return home to begin their longest remaining home stand of the regular season when they host the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.  The Caps will be trying to generate some momentum to reverse a recent 1-1-2 run, while the Red Wings continue their slow march to the end of one of the worst seasons in their storied history.

Then and Now…

The Capitals and Red Wings will meet for the 121^st time in their all-time regular season series, the Caps holding a 54-45-5 (16 ties) record overall and 31-22-1 (five ties) on home ice.  Since 2005-2006, the Caps are 18-5-4 overall against Detroit and 10-2-1 in Washington.  This game will close the two-game series for this season, the Caps having beaten the Red Wings in Detroit on November 20^th by a 5-2 score.

Active Leaders vs. Opponent…

Noteworthy Opponents…

If your leading goal scorer – the only one on your club with at least 20 goals – is tied for 63^rd in the league in goal scoring, and your leading point producer is tied for 59^th, your team has issues on offense.  That is this season’s Detroit Red Wings.  Tyler Bertuzzi is that leading goal scorer, posting 21 goals in 71 games played.  Tyler, whose uncle Todd wrapped up his own 18-year career in the NHL playing his last five seasons with the Red Wings, was a second-round pick (58^th overall) by the Red Wings in the 2013 Entry Draft.  That was one of the more productive drafts in recent history with the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Aleksander Barkov, Seth Jones, Sean Monahan, Bo Horvat, and Andre Burakovsky taken.  Bertuzzi has outperformed his draft slot, ranked 17^th in career goals in his draft class (49) and 19^th in points (119). When he takes the ice on Thursday night he will become the 36^th player in his draft class to dress for 200 NHL games.

This season, Bertuzzi has been more dangerous as a goal scorer on the road, where he has 13 of his 21 goals to date.  But even here, his production is unsurprising for a team that is ground under a poor season.  He had eight of those 13 goals in his first 13 games on the road and posted three multi-goal games in the process.  Since then, though, he has only four goals in 21 road games, only two in his last 16 games on the road.  And it has not matter much, even when he has scored on the road.  In ten road games this season in which he scored at least one goal, the Red Wings are just 4-5-1.  He has points in 15 road games to date, and the Wings are just 5-8-2.  And then there is the time on ice.  Perhaps unsurprisingly for a player who is the leading goal scorer and would be expected to be on-ice when the team needs a goal, the Red Wings are 5-18-3 in the 26 games overall in which he logged at least 20 minutes this season.  He had goals in five of those games, and the Wings went 2-2-1.  Bertuzzi is 0-1-1, minus-5, in six career games against the Caps.

The leading point producer for the Red Wings to date is Dylan Larkin, his 53 points so far ranking 59^th in the league through Tuesday’s games.  Larkin was a first-round draft pick of the Red Wings, taken 15^th overall in the 2014 draft.  Now in his fifth NHL season, he is third in his draft class in career points (266), trailing only Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl (422) and Boston’s David Pastrnak (379), and fifth in his draft class in games played (389).  In a way he has come to symbolize the Red Wings’ frustration over the last several years.  He was the team’s leading point-getter in each of the previous two seasons (63 points in 2017-2018 and 73 points last season), but it was a bit empty in meaning, Larkin finishing tied for 58^th in points in 2017-2018 and tied for 42^nd last season.  And now, his 53 points rank tied for 59^th in the league.  Being the top-ranked scorer on a team that struggles to score is a mixed blessing.

Larkin is one of the few Red Wings on a tear of late.  He is 4-9-13 over his last ten games, those 13 points representing his having a hand in 62 percent of the 21 goals the Red Wings scored over that span.  The Red Wings have almost held their own in games in which Larkin has a goal this season, going 7-8-2 in the 17 games in which he had at least one, and they are 17-20-5 when he had at least one point in a game.  The odd part of his profile this season is the relationship of ice time and result, which is a bit unexpected.  In the 17 games in which Larkin skated less than 20 minutes, Detroit is 3-13-1.  His road production has trailed that on home ice this season as well, with a 9-14-23, minus-13 scoring line on the road compared to 10-20-30, minus-8 on home ice.  Larkin is 2-6-8, plus-1, in 13 career games against the Caps.

Since 2005-2006 through this point of the 2019-2020 season, four players have been minus-40 or worse for a season.  This season’s Detroit Red Wings have two of them.  Andreas Athanasiou, who was a minus-45 with Detroit in 46 games, was traded to Edmonton last month.  Valteri Filppula is still, however, skating for the Red Wings, lugging his minus-42 around the ice with him.  Filppula is in his second tour with the Red Wings, having played his first eight NHL seasons in Detroit after being taken in the third round by the Wings in the 2002 Entry Draft.  He is that rare Red Wing who has memories of playoff glory, having won a Cup with the Wings in 2008 and having played in the 2015 final with Tampa Bay.

This has not been a vintage season for the 35-year old Filppula who, with 21 points in 70 games this season, will almost certainly finish under 30 points for the first time since his first full NHL season, when he posted 17 points in 73 games for the 2006-2007 Red Wings.  It has been an especially difficult season for Filppula at ends of the ice.  He has been on ice for only 25 even strength goals scored by him and his teammates this season, but he has had an up-close-and-personal view of 65 even strength goals scored against the Wings, his minus-40 goal differential at even strength tied for worst in the league (with his former teammate Athanasiou).  It is not even as if Filppula has been a victim of especially awful games.  True, his five instances of being minus-3 or worse in a game this season is tied for third-most in the league, but then again Leon Draisaitl has had six such games, and he is a favorite for Hart Trophy consideration.  What Filppula suffers from, as does the rest of his team for that matter, is a stunning consistency of frustration.  He is a minus player in 37 games this season, most in the league.  But he is one of five Red Wings with more than 30 such games this season.  In 27 career games against the Caps, Filppula is 6-6-12, minus-6.

1.  The Red Wings have 13 standings points earned in 34 road games to date.  If they finish under 20 points earned, they would become only the second team to do so over a full season (not including the abbreviated 2012-2013 season) since 2005-2006.  The 2013-2014 Buffalo Sabres finished with 19 points in 41 road games.

2.  Detroit is the only team in the league averaging fewer than two goals scored per game on the road (1.94), a third of a goal per game less than the Ottawa Senators (2.27), the next weakest scoring offense on the road.

3.  The Red Wings have allowed 4.06 goals per game on the road this season.  If they finish over four goals allowed per game on the road, they will be only the second team since 2005-2006 to do so (Ottawa allowed 4.29 goals per game on the road last season).

4.  Detroit’s net power play (accounting for shorthanded goals scored against them) of 4.4 percent on the road is the second worst in the league since 2005-2006.  Florida was 2.8 percent in 2013-2014.

5.  Detroit is on pace to score 23 third period goals on the road this season (they have 19) and allow 64 third period goals (they have allowed 53).  If they keep pace, they would join the 2014-2015 Buffalo Sabres as the only teams since 2005-2006 to score fewer than 25 third period goals and allow more than 60 on the road in a full season.

1.  Since the Capitals made the postseason for the first time since 2005-2006 in the 2007-2008 season, this club is the only one to allow more than three goals per game on home ice (3.12).  The next leakiest defense in this playoff era was in 2013-2014 (2.76).

2.  This year’s Caps team is the second weakest overall on the power play on home ice since 2005-2006 (16.8 percent).  Only the 2005-2006 club was worse (14.6 percent).

3.  The 2019-2020 Capitals is the best edition of penalty killers in Washington since 2005-2006 (88.1 percent).

4.  Washington is 10-3-4 on home ice when scoring first.  The .588 winning percentage in such games is their third-lowest at home since 2005-2006.  The 2005-2006 club was 5-4-5 (.357), and the 2006-2007 team was 12-5-4 (.571).

5.  This year’s club has the second-best shot attempts-for percentage at 5-on-5 on home ice since the league started capturing the statistic in 2009-2010 (52.7 percent).  The 2009-2010 team finished at 54.6 percent.

The Peerless’ Players to Ponder

Detroit: Jimmy Howard

Jimmy Howard has not started a game in goal for the Detroit Red Wings since February 27^th.  Perhaps because he has not finished a game he started since February 7^th.  He was pulled in each of his last two starts, once after allowing four goals on 16 shots in 28 minutes of a 5-2 loss to Pittsburgh on February 16^th, and again after allowing five goals on 17 shots in 32 minutes of a 7-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on February 27^th.  Jonathan Bernier has received all the starts since then.

His recent woes have merely added to a nightmare of a season for Howard, who is flirting with futility on an historic level.  His is one of the worst individual seasons by a goalie in NHL history.  How bad?  He is 2-23-2 in 27 games this season, all of them starts.  If he wins two or fewer game while getting three or more additional starts, he would be the fifth goalie in NHL history to appear in 30 or more games, win fewer than five games, and lose more than 20 games, and he would be the first to do so Jeff Hackett went 2-30-1 for the 1992-1993 San Jose Sharks.

Howard’s collapse has been stunning, even on a team struggling as much as this year’s Red Wings.  As recently as 2016-2017, his goals against average was 2.10, half of what it is now (4.20).  His save percentage that same 2016-2017 was a career-best .927, compared to this year’s career-worst for a full season .882.  True, Howard appeared in only 26 games in 2016-2017 (he missed 32 games to a knee injury), but that season is comparable to this year’s 27 appearances to date.  His “quality start percentage” of 25.9 percent this season (worst among goalies with at least 20 appearances) is ghastly when one considers that the league average is in the low 50’s.  It has been a difficult season for the third-winningest goalie in team history (246 wins, trailing only Terry Sawchuk (350) and Chris Osgood (317)).  In 13 career appearances against Washington, Howard is 4-4-3, 2.80, .901.

Washington: Dmitry Orlov

As an offensive defenseman, Dmitry Orlov seems stuck between two extremes.  There was the player who, over a three year period, averaged eight goals per season on 7.1 percent shooting.  Then there was the player of last year and this one, who has a total of seven goals on 3.4 percent shooting.  That Orlov scored a goal against Buffalo in his last game is an encouraging sign, snapping a 31-game streak without a goal.  The odd part of it all this season is how his goals align with his shooting.  He recorded two or more shots on goal in 31 games and had goals in two of those contests.  He had one shot on goal in 22 other games and had goals in two of them.

One other thing about Orlov recently has been the “high-volume event” nature of his time on ice.  Over his last 25 games, Orlov has been on ice for 57 even strength goals – 30 for and 27 against.  Only John Carlson among defensemen has been on-ice for more total even strength goals (61) – 30 for and 31 against.  Much of that owes to the fact that over those 25 games, Orlov has logged more even strength ice time (519:16) than any other Caps defenseman (Carlson: 498:04).

Another odd feature of Orlov’s performance recently is his power play experience.  Over those same last 25 games he has more power play ice time (47:20) than any other Caps defenseman other than Carlson (100:20), but he does not have a power play point.  This might be a bit unsurprising, given that Orlov’s time is almost entirely devoted to being in the latter half of power plays and closing them out after the first power play unit fails to convert.  On the other hand, over his first 43 games this season Orlov logged 49:58 in power play ice time and still went 1-4-5.  The Caps are 4-1-0 in games in which Orlov recorded at least one power play point.  In 15 career games against the Red Wings, he is 1-2-3, plus-1.

In the end…

This year’s Detroit Red Wings have the lowest points earned percentage of any team since 2005-2006 (.275).  They are the only team over that span to have a points earned percentage on the road under .200 (.191 on a 5-26-3 record).  They have won once in their last 17 road games (1-15-1) and have one road win in regulation since December 14^th.  Washington is 10-1-1 in their last dozen games against the Red Wings on home ice.  There is no excuse – none – for the Caps failing to end the competitive portion of this game early and sending fans home happy late.

Capitals 5 – Red Wings 2