2009 Washington Capitals thread

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

ive been impressed with laich since the injury plague began, he really took a step in my book.

I think Laich took his step 2 seasons ago. He is just being noticed for it now. He will do anything to help the team win, and is good around the goal too, for the tough goals that you need a strong back (literally) to score.

He has better hands than credited for, and plays both ends of the ice equally well.

I think he can play 2nd/3rd or 4th line depending on what's asked of him, and will go into the corners too.

I think his 3 year deal will end up being pretty good for the caps, $2 mil a year for a 20ish goal scorer who kills penalties and plays hard all the time

[interpathway 9]

Bruce was just on WPL on CSN, and there was a surprise interview with Ben Boudreau and his season in the ECHL. 1 goal and 2 assists in 18, looks like he is having a blast!

[interpathway 9]

Alzner and Sloane dropping the first pucks at the 5th Annual Rod Bower Memorial Game at Rockville Ice Arena. Very classy players/guys!

[minwookie 0]

Ispy an interpathway lurking in the far left of the picture.

[interpathway 9]

Nice eye, must be the sweatpants that gave it away. News on Giroux, the Capitals' most recent send-down after Semin returned...

Yesterday in Worcester, the Bears pasted the Sharks 7-2. Giroux scored the game's first goal just 15 seconds after the opening face-off, again giving the Bears a lead they would not surrender. Giroux added three more goals (including one shorthanded and one on the power play) for a total of four on the day and also picked up an assist.

In his two weekend tilts with the Bears, Giroux totaled five goals and four assists for nine points. His weekend pyrotechnics have today earned him designation as the Reebok AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 5.

Although he missed nine Hershey games while with the Capitals, Giroux has 23 goals in 27 AHL games and is tied for second in the league. With 39 points, he is tied for fifth in the AHL.

That's what I'm talking about.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

By the way, for those who say the caps only do well because of a weak division, bear in mind that of their last 23 games they have only played the southeast division 4 times.

They are 16-7-1 in those games and of those 16 wins, 11 of them are against teams currently in the playoff picture.

Just saying, people think the caps only do it because of their division.

Not so. Currently 4th in the league with 55 points behind only Boston, San Jose and Detriot, and are off to the best start through 40 games in team history.

As for Ovechkin, who only scored in 1 out of the teams first 11 games, and had a 9 game goalless streak, he is currently tied with Jeff carter for the league lead with 27 goals, and is second in the league in scoring behind malkin with 53 points.

Also, if anyone saw or read the comments from the team about the flyers, then tonights game is going to be must see. Should be a dandy.

[adam14 182]

plus, the southeast division cant be that bad, right now there are two teams in playoff position. when was the last time that happened? :P

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

plus, the southeast division cant be that bad, right now there are two teams in playoff position. when was the last time that happened? :P

2008 - Washington

2007 - Tampa/Atlanta

2006 - Tampa/Carolina*

2005 - Lockout

2004 - Tampa*

2003 - Tampa/Washington

2002 - Carolina

2001 - Carolina/Washington

2000 - Washington/Florida

Perhaps the question "when do they not" is better suited. 2 teams in 5 of the last 8 playoffs, 2 stanley cup winners in the past 4 played seasons.

Yet detroit got a free pass with Columbus and Nashville in their division sucking for a long time.**

* = stanley cup winner

** have to defend the southeast as not as easy as people think.

Luongo was in goal for a long time there, Kovalchuk, Lecav, hossa (while he was there), heatley, brind amour, francis etc etc. The southeast has had some real talent, they just always had a couple of teams finish near the bottom so people wrote off the whole division as sucking

[interpathway 9]

Just an interesting story about how well the B's have played in the SE and how much they have played SE opponents. Like ASNP mentioned, hopefully when the Caps play the SE time and time again they can have as torrid a pace as this.

http://thehockeynews.com/articles/22061-TH...feed-Bears.html

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Jose Theodore's last 5 games

12-26-08 - V Buffalo - 3-2 caps win - SV% .917

12-28-08 - V Toronto - 4-1 caps win - SV% .958

12-30-08 - @ Buffalo - 4-2 caps win - SV% .939

01-03-09 - V NY Rags - 2-1 caps win - SV% .955

01-06-09 - V Philly - 2-1 caps win - SV% .971

Saved 130 of 137 shots

Record is 14-6-1 on the season

The shootout win last night puts the caps home record to 18-1-1, and overall record to 27-11-3, best first half of a season in team history, and 4th in the NHL with 57 points (behind the bruins, sharks and wings)

And as I said already, it's not because of the easy southeast division because they've only played the division 4 times in the past 27 games

[hockeysc23 0]

What a great game last night. Big saves by both goalies ... had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Well, time for they Nylander trade speculation to start.

Nylander and Fehr are tonights healthy scratches. Top Poti gone to LTIR, so that allows Alzner to stay up for now. Poti was retro on the LTIR to Dec 21, meaning he is eligible to come off next wednesday.

A couple of healthy scratches for nylander might have him willing to waive his no movement clause.

Theo is in goal tonight, Caps going for their 7th win in a row, and their 10th straight win at home.

Forwards

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin

Fleischmann-Fedorov-Kozlov

Laich-Steckel-Clark

Brashear-Gordon-Bradley

Defense

Alzner-Jurcina

Sloan-Green

Morrisonn-Collins

[adam14 182]

i prefer watching ovi and semin play together then him and kozlov, dunno why, just funner to watch i find, because they both get so creative.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Ovechkin looking for fighting lessons from the Donald?

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsb...rss=dcsportsbog

So when I was talking to Donald Brashear about his Russian language lessons, I also managed to ask what he thought about Alexander Semin's recent experiment with the pugilistic arts.

"I'm hoping it was his last one," Brashear said.

Then I asked whether he had offered up any tips to Semin.

"No, because I don't really want him to do that again," Brashear said. "The thing is, people make fun of it, but it's probably his first or second fight ever, you know? And that's not that guy's game, and you don't want him doing that. He might hurt his hand, too, so that's what I tell him. I tell him, 'Don't do that, other guys do that.' We need him out there to score goals.

"And even Ovie asks me at times, 'I want to learn how to fight.' "

Wait, huh? Alex Ovechkin wants fighting lessons, really?

"Ovie's that type of guy, always wants to take his game to another level," Brashear continued. "And he's a competitive guy, and he sees a good player that fights; well, he wants to learn how to fight so he can be better at it. He's just that type of guy. I mean, I didn't say no, but I said, 'Well, make sure you learn a few lessons before you start doing this. You need a little experience.' "

I wasn't sure how serious Brashear was being--and actually, I'm still not--but I asked him whether he's actually helping Ovechkin learn how to fight.

"Not yet," Brashear said. "We'll work on it. Might as well. Because he's stubborn, I know he'll do it anyway, so might as well."

Entertaining little blog entry.

Steinberg normally covers the Wizards a lot, but since they are 20 games under .500 and the caps are the hot shit about town, he has been covering them a lot more.

He goes for the more, unvonventional stories, he's a funny writer, and doesn't slam hockey all the time like some of the other arsehole media in town (sportstalk980, I'm looking at you)

[HattrickSwayze 3]

Well the rest of it says that he only wants to learn some tips to protect himself better if someone grabs him.

Maybe he wants to become the next Wendel Clark? :lol:

[minwookie 0]

Theo is in goal tonight, Caps going for their 7th win in a row, and their 10th straight win at home.

Sorry to nitpick but they are going for 8 in a row :).

[Law Goalie 147]

Well the rest of it says that he only wants to learn some tips to protect himself better if someone grabs him.

Maybe he wants to become the next Wendel Clark? :lol:

He'd have to have his brain removed first to qualify...

[interpathway 9]

Nyls was likely a healthy scratch because he was out last night til 10 trying to teach the Team Maryland kids how to be decent hockey players at The Gardens Ice House on Logsdon. I walked into the locker room and heard yelling in that Swedish-esk voice that can only come from Nyls. Steve Mason single handedly stole this game from us. Very superb play.

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

theres not much you can do when you run into such a hot goaltender. hope they win their next game though.

[interpathway 9]

Of course the main problem is that we have run into him twice, in two consecutive games! :lol:

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

CAps dropped 2 in a row, need to get back on track now, with boston getting hit by the injury bug, it's a good time to try to gain some points back.

Caps are getting healthy again, and here are the predicted lines for tonight. Shcultz may or may not be able to go because of his finger, if he is out, Collins is in, if he is in, Collins will be on a bus to hershey by the end of the first period I would think. But it looks (from reports) that Schultz will be ready to go.

Fehr is a healthy scratch, Gordon is out with back spasms. Theo will get the start between the pipes

Washington Forwards

8-Ovechkin, 19-Backstrom, 28-Semin

21-Laich, 91-Fedorov, 25-Kozlov

14-Fleischmann, 92-Nylander, 17-Clark

87-Brashear, 39-Steckel, 10-Bradley

Washington Defensemen

4-Erskine, 52-Green

55-Schultz or 62-Collins, 26-Morrisonn

27-Alzner, 23-Jurcina

Goaltenders

1-Johnson, 60-Theodore

[interpathway 9]

Heard from the pipeline that Johhny Erskine is coming back tonight.

edit: Whoops just saw that ASNP beat me to it in his lineup listings.

[interpathway 9]

Edmonton hasn't won in D.C. since 1997...Let's keep that streak alive tonight boys!

[caldakid 0]

edmonton just seems to want to more tonight, but i suspect caps will come out flying in the 2nd

[interpathway 9]

WOW FLASH! GOOD GOD THAT WAS INSANE. Now if only the rest of the Caps can start doing this!!