Caps: Round 2, Game 7

I apologize for not doing my postgame immediately following the game, but frankly, I wasn't looking forward to it. Also, I'll be honest, I didn't pay much attention after the Penguins went up 3-0, and shortly thereafter, 4-0. After the first two I had predicted a 7-1 loss. Sadly, I wasn't far off.

From what I did actually watch of the game, it just seemed that the Caps were completely outplayed. They rarely, if ever, had prolonged possessions in the Pittsburgh zone. Almost every possession resulted in one shot and a turnover. Fleury's lucky stop early on an Ovechkin slapshot was the only good chance the Caps had before they fell hopelessly behind.

For such a high-pressure series, that went back and forth so often, it can't be surprising that one team finally fell off track. It's just disappointing that it happened in Game 7. The first six games of this series were epic, the best the NHL could have hoped for. But Game 7 was a pretty big dud, and it's a shame.

No loss is easy to take, and a close loss is very hard, because you can question all the small things that could have swayed the game. It's almost easier that they lost in such a spectacular fashion, rather than a grind out game that went to OT like last year. However, after the initial disappointment, at least if it was close, the Caps could be proud of playing hard in one of the greatest series of recent playoff history.

Oh well, at least, with a team this talented and this young, there is always next season. To the best of my knowledge, none of the key players' contracts are up this season, and there is a lot of team unity. The Caps have adopted as system of building their talent through their minor leagues and not buying already developed talent from elsewhere. Of course, there are some exceptions, but most of the players seem to have bought into this organization, and I think it is unlikely that any will leave lightly.

Possible departures for the offseason are most notably Federov and possibly Theodore. I would be very surprised if he is awarded more than the backup role, and even that could be unlikely with Nueverth and Brent Johnson in the wings. Theodore has another year on his contract, but it would not surprise me for him to ask to be traded, and if the Caps can any half-decent offers for him, for the trade to go through. That second part might be a bit tricky, since it's pretty obvious that the Caps are not in need of Theodore, at least not at his pay-rate.

Federov is a bit of an enigma to me. He could retire, but he still has the skills and the speed to play at this level. Also, he came in to this system recently, and I'm sure, isn't as tied to Washington as the rest of the team. However, I'm also sure that Ted Leonsis and Bruce Boudreau would love nothing more than to keep Federov around as a senior leader, and have him retire in a few years as a Cap.

Also, with the playoffs over for the Caps, this blog is likely to slow down a bit. There's only so much I can write about the Nats winning an occasional game, and losing most. But we shall see. My goal is to write at least one article a week. I trust you (my probably 2 or 3 loyal readers) to give me grief if I start slipping in my task.

Until next time,

-TES

A Treatise on Fair Weather Fans

Last week, I had a conversation with a Penguins fan. After we talked about how Crosby was probably the third best player on their team, she dropped a little line that "Caps fans are a bunch of fair weather fans." She was making that statement based on the fact that the Caps haven't had every game sold out for the last God-knows how many years. However, I was slightly insulted by her implication that I too was a fair weather fan. 

But ever since then, I've been thinking about the whole concept of fairweather fans and their stigma. I can't deny that many of the people I talk to about the Caps, who have been rooting for them in the playoffs, have been following the Caps for very long. I mean, I've only truly been following the Caps for about a year and a half. But before that I didn't really watch hockey. I didn't have the appreciation for the game that I do now. But even before, if I did watch a hockey game, I would root for the Caps. So does that make me a fair weather fan?

Also, who can blame people for not paying to watch their team lose? I used to go to Nats games, but it seemed that they won more than they lost that I went to, and also, they were cheap. It was cheaper to go to a Nats game than to a movie when they still played in RFK. I still root for the Nats, but I'm not going to pay the new ticket prices to go watch them. I'd rather go to a minor league game if I want the atmosphere, or watch on TV if I want to see my team play. 

So, it's obvious that a winning team is going to be more popular than a losing one. Even in towns with strong ties to their teams; when the team is doing well, they'll be even more popular. I'll use the Red Sox as an example. In Boston, it has always been hard to get tickets to a Sox game, even before their World Series title in 2004. However, since then, their popularity has skyrocketed. 

On the other hand. In the last few years, the numbers of Yankees fans has declined slightly after they stopped winning World Series after World Series. That's not to say that there aren't millions of Yankees fans all over the place, but just that right now, they've been slightly displaced by Red Sox fans. 

But I think the biggest question concerning fair weather fans is, how do you define a fair weather fan? How do you distinguish a fair weather fan from a distant follower? I don't consider myself a fair weather fan because I've always supported the Caps, but I didn't start really following them until the last two seasons. It was mostly Kirsten's doing, but them winning certainly helped. I never owned a jersey or a Caps shirt, but that's partly because jerseys are expensive... I only have a Hokies jersey, and I got that for graduation in December. 

Is a fair weather fan necessarily less knowledgeable? Can you determine a fair weather fan from a true fan by testing them on team trivia? I think there is a serious problem with the stigma of the fair weather fan. I think it's an unsubstantiated claim to insult fans of an opposing team because their team is better. But at the same time, I have trouble believing that every Red Sox fan actually follows the team and would like them if they were a .500 team. I cannot claim innocence from the use of the stigma. 

I also cannot accept that a team, 500 miles from their home field, can have a home field advantage. I'm talking of course, about the Sox playing the O's. I went to a game between the two last summer at Camden Yard and O's fans were distinctly in the minority. I cannot accept that that many people from the Baltimore area have rooted for the Sox all their lives. I'm sure that if the O's were good, it would have been a bit closer, but considering the Red Sox popularity, I think it still would have been about 50/50 at best. 

In the hockey world, I think of numerous Penguin fans as being the brainwashed masses, trained to worship the ground Sidney Crosby walks on by the publicity performed by the NHL. But how many people are Caps fans because they love the way Ovie plays and celebrates every goal? How many people were Atlanta Falcons fans because Mike Vick played there?

Almost no one will ever admit to being a fair weather fan themselves. And most people also would not consider fair weather fans ok, even if they were fair weather fans for their own team. Unfortunately, as despised as they are, sports will never be without fair weather fans, or the perception of them. It will always happen, and we'll all just have to learn to accept it. Or at least ignore it. 

Caps: Round 2, Game 6

There will be a game 7! And I get to keep my beard for a few more days. Steckel got it this time! Great play, great recognition of the defender breaking his stick on the faceoff, and great hookup. Steckel getting to the front of the net, once again making the difference and winning it for the Caps. You know Verizon Center is going to be loud.

Positives in this game: The Caps played hard all game long, as you knew they would. They had to leave it all out there and they did. Everyone worked hard on every shift. Semin showed up and played terrifically with Backstrom, Federov, and Koslov. And holy crap, Koslov. He turned in a great performance. Also, Laich had a great game. He was the screener on the Semin goal, he took the shot that Steckel deflected in for the game winner, and overall was all over the ice. The third line played hard and took the pressure off of Ovechkin, or thrived in the lessened attention on them.

Semin also drew one penalty en-route to Fleishmann's goal, and shoudl have drawn two others. The referees were once again arguably biased. They made weak calls and missed three key penalties in front of the Penguin net: One, a crosscheck on Ovechkin, and twice trips on Semin as he drove the net. But the Caps kept their heads about them, didn't let the officiating get to them, even when it included a questionable call that forced them to kill the last two minutes of regularion shorthanded.

The Negatives: The Penguins still managed to net four when the Caps were playing well. The defense did a better job of boxing out in front of the net, and defenitely prevented a few rebounds from getting tossed in, but they were still scored on four times, and none were weak goals like in game four. They have to be a bit more cautious on defense, but mostly they need to make the right reads and keep the puck in the offensive zone. One goal was an odd man break, and another was a situation where the puck should have been cleared, but wasn't.

But despite that, they got the win, eventually, and so, the series returns to Washington for one game where the winner moves on and the loser goes home for the summer. The fans are going to be loud. Both teams are going to be playing their hearts out in this one. This should be a fantastic game. This has been a fantastic series, win or lose. This series has been everything the NHL central office could have hoped for and then some... Which is why I'm still somewhat curious about a conspiracy...

Honestly, I think this will be the best matchup of the playoffs, and has been arguably a contest between the two best teams in the NHL right now. I think whichever team wins this series will represent the East in the Stanley Cup. Both teams feel that they have outworked and outplayed the other team in this series. Both teams think they deserve to win, and it's hard to argue against either. It's going to come down to who is going to work harder for it. I've seen no giving up from this Caps team, and I expect them to play a full 60 on Wednesday, and more if necessary.

In conclusion, this has been an amazing series to watch, but I'm ready for this one to end on Wednesday... with a victory. C-A-P-S CAPS CAPS CAPS!

Until next time,

-TES

Caps: Round 2, Game 5

Well... damn. Green played slightly better on defense, though he still got caught standing around on a Penguin goal. Federov saved the game with about 10 seconds left to keep the score tied and force overtime. Overtime ended with just a bad luck bounce off Poti. It was the right play on his part, if the pass had gone through Crosby would have buried it in an open net. It just sucked because the penalty killers were doing a good job but got sucked up and then beat back, with Poti facing Crosby and Malkin, but more on that last bit... in a bit...

Ovechkin revived his hockey-god status for this game and scored twice, once again single handedly giving the Caps a chance. The energy line again played well, but weren't able to net one this time, though Steckel was so close to ending OT about 15 seconds in, but just missed on the shot.

The Caps played slightly better defensively this time around, though they broke down a bit in the third which allowed the Penguins to even and then take the lead. They're going to have to play solid for the full 60 in game six if they want to go one to game seven, because the Penguins are very opportunistic and have showed that they don't need much light. 

The biggest positive this game was that the Caps didn't take dumb penalties. They only allowed two power plays, the second being the one that ended it. However, the trip was a good penalty. I'd rather put my penalty killers out for two minutes than leave Varlamov all alone facing Malkin on a break. 

As I said before, the PK was going very well, but Steckel got a bit greedy. I thought he should have been more aware of the time remaining on the kill and held the puck rather than shoot it, especially once he slowed it. He was open on the right wing and got a pass. When he couldn't one-time it, he should have held it, kept possession for the last ten seconds or so of Jurchina's penalty, and then left it in the offensive zone for the reinforcements (since the Caps' bench was on the offensive side of the ice) once they were 5 on 5 again. But this is all in hindsight and isn't worth much. 

He shot the puck wide and the carom off the glass went down ice fast enough that it caught three of the PKers up, with Malkin and Crosby behind them. Poti made the right play in diving to break up the pass. Unfortunately, Varly was looking for the pass and was already starting his move to block what would have been a Crosby shot. This opened the gap that the deflection went through. Just bad luck. Really can't blame anyone on that series of events, even Steckel. 

Nothing to do now but look ahead to Game 6 in Pittsburgh. The Caps have played terribly so far in Pittsburg so far. They're facing elimination there on Monday night. However, the one shining light is: They've faced elimination before. And they answered to the occasion, playing remarkably well when their backs were up against the wall. 

That said, they can't over press and be desperate to get scoring chances. They have to play their game and stay solid on defense. I think that's Green's biggest problem right now. He's never scored on the Penguins and it's getting to him in this series. He's pressing too hard and trying to force the puck at times. Also, Semin has to emerge from wherever he's been hiding and make his presence felt. He had some wonderful chances tonight, but then he mishandled the puck. 

Ovechkin needs to trust in his shot more than his puckwork. He has had some marvelous goals juking and weaving through defenders, but I think every one of his goals on Fleury have come off of his rocket shots, regardless of who is in the way. He had a chance in this game to do that, but instead tried to spin around the D and lost the puck in the process. 

Lastly, Varlamov is incredible because of his ability to block shots that should go in and get from one side of the net to the other in lighting speed. He is an incredible athlete in net. However, his one glaring weakness is that he gives up some juicy rebounds, and the Penguins have been aggressive in getting to them and burying their second and third chance opportunities. The Caps D needs to prevent these second opportunities from occurring by getting in the way and boxing out around the net. Easier said than done of course.

I'm nervously awaiting Game 6 on Monday, and hoping there will be a Game 7 on Wednesday. 

Until next time,

-TES

Caps: Round 2, Game 4

I'm going to try something new with this game. I'm going to review the action as it progresses through the game, and then sum up the end result afterward. 

1st Period:

Backstrom started things off well, but it was quickly cancelled out by a power play goal on a stupid penalty by Chris Clark. It was really bad because it brought life into the audience, which was hushed almost completely by Nik's early goal. Stupid penalties are going to kill the Caps if they don't cut it out. 

Federov has had two magnificent chances early, and if he gets another it's hard to believe he wouldn't net it. However, Pittsburgh responded immediately. Varlamov made an unbelievable stop, but the defense once again failed him, first letting the puck stay in the zone, and then not boxing out and preventing the third chance that went in with Varlamov on his belly. 

The refs made a questionable call (familiarly) on Ovechkin. Ovie was going hard for Gonchar, and they collided leg on leg, and Gonchar went down. The refs immediately called Ovie for tripping. There is no way to say definitively that that was intentional, or even truly tripping, Ovie was just better able to keep his balance after the hit, and fortunately, was not injured as well. I just don't see how the refs could make that call in the playoffs. 

Subsequently, the Pens scored on a misplayed shot on the part of Varly, before even going to the power play. The only positive of that weak goal is that, in the past, when Varly allows an easy one, he then elevates his game. 

The Penguins, after gaining the two goal lead started hitting, almost excessively. Fortunately the refs made a good call and called Malkin for an illegal hit. The Caps had two great opportunities on the first part of the power play, but couldn't capitalize. They have the majority of it remaining in the second period. 

2nd Period:

Going into the second period, the Caps need to regain the momentum and even up the scoring, or at least stop the bleeding on defense and not allow any more goals to the Penguins. They can start by scoring on the abbreviated power play that opens the period while Malkin is in the box. 

However, the Caps were completely incapable of entering the zone. Then the Penguins had a break and drew a penalty on Federov, on another questionable call. Malkin knocked Federov's stick out of his hands to no call, and then Federov was called for holding when he cleared Malkin out. The Caps managed to kill the penalty, but Varlamov looked very unsure of himself each time he had to go down. 

Cooke acted and tried to draw a penalty that was mercifully and correctly not made. The defense has been outplayed by the forecheckers and aren't going hard after the puck when it's dumped below the goal line. And then they got beat back and Backstrom ended up being penalized. After killing the previous penalty, the Caps needed to kill this one decisively to regain a bit of the momentum. 

And soon after, they managed to get a power play. However, they didn't get much of anything going, and then were immediately whistled for another penalty. The refs really need to tone it back in these games and let the two teams play a bit more. 

The Caps dominated in that Penalty Kill, and actually had more scoring chances than the Pens. Mike Green finally did something, went around two defenders, and put it on net. It hit the pipe but Chris Clark was crashing the net and got the rebound. The caps are going to have to continue to crash the net and get the dirty, rough goals. 

After the goal, the Penguins were flat and the Caps regained the momentum. In a very good offensive series, Semin got pulled down in front of the net and drew the penalty, putting the Caps on another penalty. Even if the refs are being a bit too whistle happy in this game, at least it's been evenly distributed, for the most part, in this game. 

The power play was very uneventful for the Caps to end the second period. They were very stationary after a couple good opportunities. However, the Caps did do what they needed to in the second period to get back into the game. They shut down the Penguins offense, didn't allow a shot in the last 14:00 minutes of the period, and managed to score to get one to get closer. If this continues, the Caps have a good chance of crawling back into this one and at least forcing OT. 

3rd Period:

The third has started out very even. The Caps had a couple good breaks and arguably could have drawn a couple penalties. They also had a couple defensive breakdowns, and Green running up to the offensive zone allowed a 2 on 1 and Crosby scored on it. Once again, Green's offensive-mindedness, while causing the Caps second goal, also allowed the Penguins third. 

And then Erskine committed a dumb penalty and put the Caps a man down when the Penguins just revitalized the fans and their team. The Caps have a very steep hill to climb at this point. 

And just when it seemed darkest, Bradley provided some great physical work, knocking two penguins on their butts in their own zone before getting the puck to Jurcina at the point, who then buried the goal. The Penguins looked completely confused and lost at the end of their own power play. 

The Penguins responded quickly, but Varlamov made a couple good stops and play continued with the Caps down one. After a few offensive attempts, the Penguins became much more defensive minded and were content to make the Caps come from behind their own net all the way down the ice. 

The Caps started playing a bit riskier, pulling one D-man up into the offensive zone, but needed to take the risk. However, Green did a bad job getting back on a give away on his own doing, which resulted in another Penguin goal. That one was pretty weak, and Varly should have had it. He's definitely looked human in this game. Though he flashed some spectacular saves from time to time. 

Game in Review:

The Caps only got away 22 shots in this game, once again being outshot badly. That is one of several things that needs to change if the Caps are going to win this series. Varly was human for the first time in these playoffs, but you can't blame him. The Caps can't rely on him each night, and he might be tired from all the work he's done to keep the Caps in these past two games at all, and honestly, every game he's played. 

Green should be benched, for at least one game. He's been playing terribly. He had his first offensive moment of the series and got an assist on it, but he was also the direct cause of at least two of the goals. He's not helping any on defense, which is the biggest part of the Caps that need to improve. 

So far in this series, the team that scored first has lost the game. That said, I won't turn down an early score tomorrow. The scariest thing coming out of this game is that the Penguins have completely captured the momentum, and they don't have a day off to shrug off tonight's game. 

If the Caps want to win tomorrow, and win this series, they need a few things to happen: The defense has to keep Varlamov from facing so many shots, Mike Green needs to play hard on defense and put offense second in his mind, unless he gets moved to winger and someone else takes his play on D. The power play needs to be reawakened, and Semin needs to show up and take some of the heat from Backstrom and Ovie. The Caps need to be able to take more shots, and lastly, the Caps need to continue crashing the net and getting scoring from unexpected places. Right now, it seems like a bit of a tall order overall. Hopefully the home crowd will give the boys a boost tomorrow night. 

Until next time,

-TES

Caps: Round 2, Game 3

It always helps when the Refs are biased... I mean, I'm biased too... but 6 power plays in a row for the Penguins? Seriously? Not to mention most were weak calls, and the rest I didn't see what they called at all. Including the one that the Pens scored on. Semin got called for something when all I saw him do was get in Malkin's way and get his stick under Malkin's to disrupt him. Both legal.

I think the most legitimate call was the crosscheck on Ovie against Crosby, and even that was weak, especially for the playoffs. I mean, it would be one thing if they made weak calls both ways, but they didn't. The one call they did make on Pittsburgh was very blatant, even if the commentators were too blind to see it. I miss Joe and Craig calling the games.

Honestly, the Penguins did outplay the Caps in this one... well, they outplayed every skater. Varlamov was absolutely awesome in this game, and he was the only reason that the poor officiating was the difference. If it hadn't been for him, the bad calls wouldn't have mattered, this would have been a blowout.

The defense was slow and got beat to the puck regularly. They just weren't pushing for the puck almost every time they needed to. Several times when it got knocked behind the goal line, they moved as if it was an icing and no one was pursuing. Except it wasn't icing and a Penguin, usually Malkin, was coming hard.

On offense, the passing was off all night, and they struggled to hold on to the puck. Both the offense and defense regularly gave the puck away. The Penguins struggled to maintain possetion towards the end of the third and in OT, but every time they turned it over, the Caps immediately returned the favor it seems.

Malkin stepped up big time in this game. He worked hard for every puck and drove the net over and over. He demonstrated in this game how he led the league in scoring: with a combination of hard work and good hands. This is also why he is the best player in a Penguin uniform, not Crosby.

The bright spots for the Caps were Varlamov and Steckel. Varlamov continued to just dominate in the crease, making over 40 saves. Just amazing. If the Caps make it to the finals, he'll be a shoo-in for the Playoff MVP award. Even should the Caps not make it much furthur, he would still have an argument for it. This kid is going to be nasty for years to come, and with him backstopping the team, I see next season being better than this one.

My other star of the game for the Caps, as I mentioned, was Steckel. He has raised his game to another level in this series. He didn't score in this game, but he was one of the best performers on offense and was absolutely key on the PK, which was a very respectable 6 of 7. He has been hustling to the puck, playing hard and rough in front of Fleury and on the PK, and been dominating the faceoffs.

On less positive side of things. Mike Green has been absolutely terrible this offseason. He has been making terrible decisions with the puck, and bad reads when he doesn't have it. He's pressed at the wrong times and been caught at times, having to be bailed out by fellow defensemen (and Varly in particular) facing two on ones or solo fast breaks. For some reason though, he still led the Caps in ice time. Granted, towards the end of this game he did get a bit better defensively, but he needs to be getting much less time in favor of Jurchina, Poti, Pothier, and even Sloan. Sloan, fresh up from Hershey, made some key defensive plays tonight and even saved a goal in all liklihood.

Moving forward, the Caps need to regain the enthusiasm and work ethic they had in games 1 and 2. Hopefully Federov will be fine and ready to play in game 4. If Ovechkin plays with Federov and Kozlov, that causes a defensive nightmare for the Penguins, because even if they match up their best D with the number one line, then they have to worry about Semin, Backstrom and Laich coming in and facing their winded first line defense. Mostly, it comes down to puck control. If the Caps can control the puck as they did in games 1 and 2, they should be able to win game 4 and go back to Verizon Center with a 3-1 series lead, and close out the series in 5.

Until next time,

-TES

Caps: Round 2, Game 2

Another up and down game ends up as a W for the Caps. Kirsten complained about my beard today, and I promised to shave it off if they lost. So far, every time I think about shaving for a loss the Caps when and deny me the chance. For a look at my beardedness, check me out at the Beardathon.

Game 2 proved to be a battle of the superstars, with both managing to tally hattricks. The difference in the final score was provided by Dave Steckel's goal in front of the net, the second he's scored in two games. If the Caps are to keep winning, guys like Steckel have to continue to step up close to the net. Ovie is good, but he's not going to get a hattrick every game, even if it does seem that Fleury can't stop his hard shots. Fleury was in position for both the second and third of Ovechkin's goal, but Ovie just managed to sling it just over a pad or shoulder and in. That is good news for Caps fans if Fleury continues to struggle with Ovie's shots.

On the other hand, the Caps need to work defensively on blocking Crosby out from the net. There is no reason he should be getting that much time standing in front of Varlamov without getting cleared out and planted on his crustashioed face. Other than that, it was an improved performance from the Caps. They can win each game they go into as long as they keep their heads about them and don't get cocky. They still need to avoid taking the stupid penalties, but they've been getting slightly better. I thought several of the calls today were a bit iffy on the part of the officials.

I think that's all for now. They played a good game and seem set to continue to dominate this series.

Until next time,

-TES

Caps: Round 2, Game 1

Whew... that was stressful, but the Caps pulled it out in the end. As I said, two of the big things in this series will be the goaltending and the second and third lines. Two of the Caps goals were contributed by the energy-liners, Tomas Fleischmann and David Steckel, when they crashed the net. They used the tactics that they developed against the Rangers, and capitalized on hard, dirty goals right in front of the front of the net. If they continue to crash the net, I definitely see them beating Fleury on rebounds and passes through the middle.

In the Caps net, Varlamov was solid for most of the game. The two goals he did let in were a bit soft. The first, on Crosby, Varly had a clear line of sight, but Crosby managed to beat him high shelf. The second goal just managed to slip out of Varlamov's glove, which was a bit low. However, he also had a good half dozen or more absolutely amazing saves. The most notable was the one on Crosby which maintained the tie.

Varlamov was on the left of the goal, and was beat by a pass left to right. He whipped his stick back across the net and literally deflected the puck on the line and away. As the commentators declared, that was quite possibly the save of the playoffs.

For much of the game, the defense seemed shaky. They continued to allow odd man breaks and fast breaks on sometimes poor decisions or poor passing. However, they did step up after many of their mistakes and didn't give much of anything away to the Pens, and cleared up out front of Varly. They also had trouble containing Crosby and Malkin, who will give them trouble all series long.

As the series continues, look for the Caps energy line forwards of Bradley, Fleischmann, Steckel, Gordon, Fehr, and Clark to step up and not only wear down the Pen defense by holding the puck in the offensive zone, but also scoring the hard goals right in front of the net. As long as they keep from taking bad penalties, they will be a thorn in the side of the Penguins. Also, the defense will need to adjust to the speed of the Penguins forwards as compared to those of the Rangers. They got better in the second and third periods, but this will continue to be a learning experience for the D.

Also, look for the power play to improve in this series, as they will be better able to execute against the Penguins defense. Ovechkin will continue to find chances to get lost on the break and receive one-timer opportunities.

While having the first game win definitely helps the Caps' odds for winning the series, this was by no means a dominating performance, and they will have to continue to battle in each game in order to pull out a victory in this series and a berth to the Eastern conference finals.

Until next time,

-TES

Caps: Round 1, Game 7

The Caps managed to scare me nearly to death, but got it in the end. Game 7 was the first time in the series where the team that scored first didn't win. I was really hoping that the Caps would get that first goal, since they play so much better when they have it. However, they did a pretty good job of staying in the game for the first two periods while they were being severely outplayed.

The first two periods were wrought with bad passes, poor puck-handling, and shaky decisions. But Varly stood tall in net when he needed to, and gave the boys in red enough time to regain their composure while the game was still in reach.

And I can't say enough about Federov's goal. The CSN boys Craig and Joe called it, saying that Federov would play a deciding role in the outcome of the game. I'm just glad they were right. I thought he'd screwed up a great scoring chance when I saw he was going to shoot rather than pass to Ovie, but he pulled it off brilliantly, thankfully.

Looking forward, the Caps start the second round on Saturday at 1:00pm against the Pens. NHL officials cannot be happier about this matchup, I'm sure, unless it was the Eastern final. Regardless, the media storm around this series is going to put to shame the one that surrounded the Caps-Rangers series, which was pretty substantial.

Right now, the public opinion is leaning toward the Pens winning this one (about 60% of the poll on ESPN), and one ESPN writer picked the Penguins to win in 7. I think a big reason why people are picking against the Caps is because they had so much trouble with the Rangers, which is understandable.

I'm picking the Caps to win in 6. The Penguins are definitely a better team than the Rangers. They have a better offense, without losing too much on the blue line or in net. The Penguins play a style that is much closer to that of the Caps, relying on a bit more finesse and fast puck movement to score. That said, the Caps match up well with the Penguins. Both sides have very good goal-tenders (as the rest of the league will soon discover, Varly is good), fast defensemen who love to jump in on offense, and some explosive offensive players, by the names of Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, Semin, and Backstrom.

Honestly, I think the biggest factor in this series will not be how the stars perform, but how their supporting cast performs. If the Caps third and fourth lines can perform and score some points, it will take pressure off of Ovechkin and the other first liners. This is going to be a long, physical series, coming not long after both teams got out of long, physical serieses. That said, if one team has to rely on their stars for all their scoring, that sides first line is going to get worn down. And in the battle of the supporting casts, I think the Caps have the edge. Their third and fourth lines were some of the most reliable against the Rangers, and were best able to apply pressure to the defense. Also, I think there is just a bit more talent distributed through the lines for the Caps.

Another factor I think going for the Caps is that they had such trouble in the first round. This is a young team, and it would seem that they were a bit rattled in the first few games. But they've gotten their feet firmly under them in the last few games. They also have that confidence that they can overcome anything, so I don't see them losing heart at any point in this series, even if they're dealt a bad defeat early on.

And lastly, they once again have home ice. If you didn't watch the last game, it was nuts. I know people say that hockey has the lowest amount of home-field advantage of any sport, but the Verizon center was deafening for games 5 and 7, and you know when you're being cheered on and when you're being cheered against, even if the fans don't make it clear.

And so, I will conclude this section with my prediction: Caps in 6, winning games 1, 4, 5, and 6.

Until next time,

-TES

Caps: Round 1, Game 6

Like I said, as long as the Caps could score 2 or more, they would win Game 6. I'd say they did a damn good job of accomplishing this. NBC has been hating on Varly just a bit, saying he looked shaky and was getting lucky. But the fact of the matter is that he has only allowed 6 goals in 5 games (2 of which were in the third of today's game when the caps were up 4), and has been solid and cool in a tense situation.

In the last 4 periods he's played, Lundvist has faced 34 shots and allowed 9 goals. He has shown some weaknesses, particularly on his glove side. Several of the last few goals have come high on the glove side, and weren't what would be considered good, hard goals. And with Lunqvist struggling, the Rangers just do not have the offensive capabilities to keep up with the Caps.

This series has been strength versus strength: The stingy Rangers D up against the explosive Caps offense. In the first few games the smothering defense definitely befuddled the Caps on offense. Since then, the Caps have tightened up their own defense, in part with a goalie change, and have changed up their operations on offense to overcome the defensive pressure.

Going into Game 7, there can be no question that all the momentum is on the Capitals' side. Same prediction as for Game 6; if the Caps get 2 or more in the first and second periods, and get the Rangers on their heels, they will not be able to come back. If, on the other hand, the Rangers strike first, the Caps have to be confident that they can overcome it and don't stray from their game plan.

Overall, I'm excited for Tuesday night, and hoping that Varlamov will get to pitch his third shutout of the series.

Until next time,

-TES

Caps: Round 1, Game 5

Lundqvist looked human this game for the first time in this one and even seemed to get a bit rattled. Bradley (who had 5 goals during the season, and is known more for his hitting than his shooting) started the night off with a short-handed goal, beating Lunqvist top shelf. I honestly believe it was his celebration that actually scored the goal. I think his shot hit off the crossbar and popped out but hit Lundqvist in the back as he gave up on the shot (having passed him and presumably scored) and was knocked in off his leg. That's probably over-complicating the situation... but I like my interpretation anyway.

Just a few minutes later, Bradley struck again on a sharp-angle shot that was just a complete fluke, squirting in between Lundqvist's arm and body. But I was more than happy to take it. In the third, Semin scored off a rocket right off the faceoff that happened so quick the camera hadn't even shifted to the ice before the puck was in the back of the net. Then, with just a minute or so left in the second, Ovechkin pulled out what could be argued as his third best goal ever. He crossed the blue line, cut across ice and around one defender, knocking him down in the process. Once around him he cut back the opposite direction, nutmegging another defender with a pass to himself, kicked it to his stick, and then shot backhanded as he was being tackled by a third defender and the shot went in through Lunqvist's legs. Go watch it on YouTube, it's worth it.

Varlamov was nasty again in goal, posting his second shutout in the playoffs and lowering his GAA (Goals Against Average) to just below 0.75. That's insane, and the best of any goalie in the playoffs thus far.

Game 6 is back in NYC, and the Caps, once again, must win to stay alive. Tortorello, the NYR coach has been suspended because of his violent reaction to a fan during Game 5. A fan dumped a beer on him and he reacted by squirting a water bottle at the fan then trying to throw it at him. Tortorello missed the fan in question, but did hit some lady. As a result, he will not be commanding the bench on Sunday afternoon. While this isn't exactly a huge blow, it definitely adds up to one when combined with the Sean Avery problem and the feeling that Lundqvist was impenetrable being shattered.

The way I see it, as long as the Caps keep up the tempo, particularly on offense, they can and will win this series. Varlamov has, thus far, shown that as long as the Caps can score 2 or more, they should be golden, and he'll take care of the rest. If he can post up another shutout, awesome. If not, well, the Caps are more than capable of posting up several goals as long as they keep playing well as a team, don't get selfish, and just play hard. But they know that, and the Rangers do too. So I am definitely looking forward to Game 6 on Sunday.

Until next time,

-TES

Caps: Round 1, Game 4

In the Caps loss in game four, their biggest problem was they weren't doing what they did in game three: they weren't crashing hard to the net on every play and generally mixing it up and being physical down low. They went back to a bit more of a finesse game, and obviously that isn't going to work in this series. The defense and Varlamov were solid again. They had a couple bad bounces and that cost them, but still, they played good enough to win and it was once again, the offense that let them down. Hopefully tomorrow in Game 5 they'll be motivated by the pressure they're under and crash the net and generally outwork the Rangers. And then do it for two more games after that.

In hindsight, I would have preferred to play the Canadiens.

Short post for this one, until next time,

-TES

Washington Sports Update

So the Caps finally managed to do what I expected them to in this series against the Rangers: win resoundingly. I knew going into this season that the future was bright as far as our goaltenders went. I expected both Varlamov and Nuevurth (not exactly sure how to spell his name yet) would become forces in the net, but I thought it wouldn't be until next season at the earliest.

Varlamov was absolutely nasty last night, recording his first playoff shutout. He has about a 98% save percentage in the two games he's played in. While there is no way we can expect that number to remain that high, I still could see him keeping it at around 94%, which, if you're not aware, is nasty. He did allow some bad rebounds that he probably should have muffled, but he managed to get on top of almost every one of them. Also, I think there was only one instance where he was even remotely out of position. He almost paid for it, but he didn't, and that's how it goes sometimes. As Jim says, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. Last night, Varlamov was both.

As for the rest of the team, they kept doing what they had been doing well, which was namely maintaining possession, but they also crashed the net. All four goals came from no more than 15 feet out, if not closer. These are goals that are just about undeniable. They're not pretty, but that's how you win in the playoffs. Ovie didn't score a goal, but he was still involved, picking up two assists on Semin's goals and also making two spectacular defensive plays on Rangers fast breaks. Backstrom had assists on both of Semin's goals and the final Poti tally, which was a beautiful no look pass from the boards to Poti crashing the net.

At the blue line, the defense played well too, helping Varlamov, and getting into Sean Avery's head. Erskine did a great job doing the latter, helping to draw at least two of the four minors on Avery, who ended the game undisciplined with 18 penalty minutes.

All in all, it was an absolute domination by the Caps, and in my biased opinion, a performance they should be able to repeat to regain control of, and eventually win this series. The momentum has shifted dramatically in the Caps favor and as long as they don't get full of themselves and keep playing hard, they will go very far in the playoffs.

Also last night, the Nats won a close one, to record their second win of the season (Wooo!). While not impressive in the win, a win is still a big deal for a team that has recently been making news more for their wardrobe malfunctions than for their stellar play. If you hadn't seen what I'm referring to, on Sunday, Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman played with jerseys that for an inexplicable reason, said "NATINALS" across the chest... someone screwed the pooch on that one.

As far as the Nationals are concerned, the owners really just need to clean house. The pitching coaches, the batting coaches, and especially Manny Acta all just need to go. I know it's still early in the season, but I will cite my reasons for my desire to have just about everyone canned.

1.) Felipe Lopez: Lopez played for the Nats last season (and others prior) and was eventually benched and then shipped off to another team fro practically nothing because his batting performance has slid so much. In the last month or so of last season, he was one of the Reds leading batters. Now, with the Diamondbacks, he is their best option batting first, with well over a .300 average, good on base and slugging percentages for a speed guy, and has always been good with his fielding. Now, you could argue that he wasn't trying for the Nats, but doesn't that illustrate a need for change as much as ineffective coaching does? Moving on.

2.) Elijah Dukes: I actually just learned about this one yesterday. Dukes, in the past, has been seen as a troublemaker and someone who is unreliable. However, since coming to the Nats, he has dedicated himself to reforming and becoming a reliable and dependable player. And has been doing a good job of it thus far. Last week, Dukes was at a fundraising event for a little league and left in a rush, but was still 5 minutes late to warmups for their game on Saturday. Five minutes... As a result, Manny Acta benches him for the game. Not only was he benched for the game, he was also fined $500 for being just barely late. So Dukes was punished for being 5 minutes late to warmups because he was doing volunteer work? I could see maybe a bit of a punishment if he was an hour late, or if it was because he was doing something for himself. Quoting Acta in an ESPN article:

"We are going to change the culture here, regardless of how well a guy is playing... It was a bizzare situation, because he was out there doing something we encourage our players to do.... we have to lay down the law. Regardless of who is out there, we are still losing ballgames. We have to change the culture somehow."

I'll tell ya Many, I understand you're desperate to "change the culture" and by doing, win some more games and maybe save your job. However, punishing your players so harshly, particularly when you admit that they were still in the right, is sending the wrong message to your team and you will gain no one's loyalty that way. This is a clear indication that Acta lacks the leadership skills required to get the best out of his players and to form these young athletes into a team with a promising future.

3.) Lastings Milledge: Along the same lines as with Dukes, Manny Acta demoted Milledge to the minors after Milledge had a rough start to the season in his batting. Milledge was the leading hitter for the Nats last year, leading the team in RBIs, HRs, and Batting Average if I'm not mistaken. So he has two bad weeks and you demote him? Like I said before, I think this is another outward manifestation of Manny Acta losing control of the team and trying to regain his control by force.

I could go on, but I think most of the rest is obvious: not scoring runs, and giving up a bunch, bullpen collapsing on a regular basis, and so on. I think it's obvious that Acta and much of his staff need to go, and soon. There's no point in waiting to the end of the season. They don't deserve a chance to redeem the season because they were already worst in the majors last year. And I think the talent is there to do much better than that. And so far, the season is going worse than last year.

I think that's all for now.

All the best for you and yours,

-TES