Big offense from an unexpected source

If you heard nothing about last night's game, and someone told you that one of the Caps had two goals and two assists on the night and the Caps won 4-1, who would you bet had the 4 point night?
Lets see:
The Russian Machine? Nope.
Alexander Semin? Nope.
Nick Backstrom? Nope.
Kozlov? Didn't even dress.
Mike Green? Sorry.

How long would it take to come up with Brooks Laich?

That's the great thing about Brooks' performance last night. The team has placed a lot of faith in Brooks, for the last several games he's been rewarding that faith with a level of play that, quite honestly, I don't think many folks (including us) had in him. But up until the last 5 games or so, he just hadn't been able to break through on the scoresheet.

But man, has he ever this past two weeks. In his last 5 games, Brooks has tallied better than a point a game (4 goals, 2 A) and has been playing rough and tumble hockey in every zone. Last night he scored two goal scorer's goals in tight against a legitimate number one goaltender in Niklas Backstrom. If there's been one complaint we've had against Brooks, it was that he just couldn't finish off plays. With the Caps season on the line, he's stepped it up and is starting to find the twine. That's especially important given the "attention" opposing teams continue to give the first line. Secondary scoring will likely determine whether the Caps make the playoffs or not. If Brooks and Co (and new addition Sergei Fedorov) can keep potting a couple goals a game, the wins will come.

Other notes on the game last night-

Great attendance for a Tuesday night (even if there were all kinds of promotions for the evening). It's been a while since that many folks have taken in a Tuesday night game at the V.

Chris Bourque looked very solid in limited action. Solid talent, good work ethic on the ice. Even if he doesn't secure a spot on the playoff roster, you can bet we'll be seeing a lot more of him next season in a Caps jersey.

Mike Green may have been caught out of position on the Wild goal, but it was Ovechkin's failure to clear the puck out of the zone which cost the Caps.

The defense performed extremely well, even if they did run around a bit too much in their own zone. Ditto the penalty killers, who kept Peter Bondra lookalike Marian Gaborik off the scoresheet completely.

Poor Steve Eminger. He's clearly frustrated right now, as his penalty for elbowing early in the game indicated. He's trying to play the body hard, to do everything he can to secure playing time, and two minutes in the box is what he gets. You gotta feel for the guy.

The Caps next must win game (and they all are from this point on) is this Friday against the Devils. Hopefully Kozlov sneezed on Brodeur last game and he'll have to take a seat.

Join The Deuce's Boycott

The Deuce is ticked. The Deuce was looking forward to watching The Russian Machine dominate Kovalchuk tonight, and in the process forgetting about that-which-need-not-ever-be-mentioned-again that-happened-last-night. But then, thanks to J.P., the Deuce discovered the following:

"Because the NHL has decided to give the Versus Network exclusive rights to some Monday and Tuesday night telecasts, Tuesday’s game from Atlanta will not be telecast in the Washington or Atlanta areas. Instead, viewers can watch the New York Rangers against the New York Islanders on Versus."

Now the Deuce is pissed. I have to watch two teams I can't stand rather than watching the Caps try to finally break out of this horrible slump. And you just KNOW now that I can't watch, OV will have four goals, three set up on beautiful passes by Nylander. Damn you Versus. Damn you to hell. Why couldn't you black out LAST night's game? Now there's one I wouldn't have minded. Anyway, The Deuce encourages everyone to join him in a boycott of tonights NYC Suckfest. We may not be able to watch the Caps, but the least we can do is refuse to watch Jagr and Witt.

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Update: Looks like we're going to miss Chris Bourque's NHL thanks to the "exclusivity agreement." This sucks.

A great spot on Eric Fehr on washingtoncaps.com

if you haven't read it yet, check it here. My brother has always been high on Fehr, and it seems like he's realizing his scoring potential in the minors and developing into a better all around player (from a -12 last year to a + 16 this year). Hopefully we'll see him get some more time with the big club later this year. Although the Caps do have depth at wing, it's mostly on the left side, which should enable Fehr to crack the lineup in the near future.

As is normal for younger guys, he's also added a lot of bulk as his body matures into its adult form. At 6'4" and 216 lbs, he needs a bit more bulk but should be able to contend at the NHL level, unlike the 189 lbs he carried last year that would have gotten him bruised, battered, and busted up in a hurry in the big leagues.

I'm not sure I'm as high on prospect Chris Bourque. He's a shifty skater, but not particularly fast, and certainly not that big at 5'8". Very few players of Theo Fleury's stature get consistent time in the NHL, and I don't see Bourque's skills maturing to the point where he'd be able to overcome his lack of size. But I'd love to see him prove me wrong.

Bourque also has another factor working against his cracking the Caps lineup: he plays on the left side. Just like Ovechkin and Semin. That leaves him a 3rd or 4th line spot, and I doubt he's a prime candidate for a checking line.

On another note, the Caps are sponsoring a Blood Drive at the V tomorrow. The Caps are offering 2 tickets to an upcoming game to all who donate. Having given to the Red Cross many times before, I can tell you that the process is fairly painless, and probably the safest way to save 3 lives that exists. So if you are able, please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE to schedule an appointment.