Matt Bradley makes his return to the lineup tonight, part 700

Okay, I'm serious this time. Tarik has reported that Bradley will make his return to the ice tonight against Philly. I can finally repost my nearly month old comment on him. So, drumroll please.....

"The checking line should get a boost from the return of Matt Bradley, who had been sidelined with a hand injury. I happen to think Bradley is one of the most underrated forwards on the team. Although not particularly big or fast, he plays great positional hockey and his all around game is strong."

Just to add a personal note, when I was at a game a couple weeks into last season I told my brother that if I had to pick a jersey to buy from that particular Caps team, I'd go with Bradley . I probably still will. It's not that I wouldnt' wear an Ovie or Clark or Semin jersey. It's just that I like to collect jerseys of players that reflect the way I think I play (though at a much, much, much, much, MUCH higher level than I). Well, that and my brother has an Ovie jersey and my father has a signed Captain Clark Clarkson University jersey (which Clarkie was kind enough to sign for my brother and I after a practice before we gave it to pops for his birthday).

So welcome back Matt.

The return of Bradley will probably see Jakub Klepis scratched from the lineup. Klepis has very good offensive potential and should one day make a fine second line offensive forward, but he's young and still has a tendency to 1) play too soft and 2) get absolutely CREAMED once a game (much like Gonchar used to). Until he learns to read how defensemen are playing him in the neutral zone, that's going to continue to be a problem.

I'll be spending part of tonight's game with folks who donated blood to the Red Cross a couple weeks back, and a part with Barra Brava and the Screaming Eagles. Should be a party and a half. Don't miss it.


Late Edit: Need another reason to like Matt Bradley? Read this.

They're coming....

The DC United fans of la Barra Brava and the Screaming Eagles will be in the house tomorrow night in section 414. As a supporter of both the Caps and DCU, I'll be taking a walk over to chant with the boys (and girls). Both groups are VERY vocal and definitely add to the experience, but lets just say you wouldn't want to put them in the family section. Which is fine by me.

The Caps need more passionate, noisemaking fans, and I wouldn't mind seeing the team designate a section to just that type of fan in the future. That would eliminate the complaints that "they won't sit down" and "I don't want my kids near that much drinking." So Caps suits, if you're listening, designate a permanent section in the cheap seats for loud-chanting, beer-drinking, all-energy-all-the-time fans. The games will be more fun for it. And remember, it's hockey, not ballet. A profane chant every once in a while is to be expected. Hey, the Capital Center used to ring with a word that rhyme with cashbowl all the time. And those of us that grew up there turned out OK. Well, for the most part, anyway.

Also, tickets for tomorrow's game are half price in certain sections. Go get 'em.

Just my luck

I had to work this weekend and had a get together afterwards, and I forgot to set my TiVo to record the game. Of course it ends up being the most exciting Caps home game since the Pittsburgh game, only with a much better ending. And I missed it. I hate myself right now.

As I predicted, both Kovalchuk and Ovechkin found the net, but Sasha Semin steals the title of best Russian of the night with two goals, including the game winning goal with 17 seconds left in overtime. The Caps secure another much needed two points with the win.

Next game is Tuesday at the V against Philly.

The Battle for Russian Supremacy, part II

Tonight at the V, Ilya and Alex go one on one (5 on 5, actually, but you get the idea). I wrote about this earlier, but it bears reinforcing. I fully expect Alex to have a monster game, and break out of his mini-slump. Hopefully Kovalchuk will bring his A game, which should really set AO off.

I also expect a Brashear beatdown, but then again, there really isn't a night these days that I don't.

Caps pull out a squeaker, 4-3. I'd be a lot more confident about this pick if Erskine were back in the lineup. I think he's much more important to this team than anyone realizes. The Caps NEED toughness on the backline to keep teams from pressing at them all night long. A good solid rib rattling check keeps forwards thinking twice about how they attack the net. And Erskine brings that. Not in a Mark Tinordi way, but enough to make folks account for him.

Caps awaken from long winter's nap

The Capitals returned to form last night, beating the Habs 5-1. The Caps got on the board early with two first period goals from Dainus Zubrus in traffic (1, 2). The Caps put the game away on a 4 on 4 midway through the second, with recent call-up Lawrence Nycholat scoring a pretty goal in tight, and Sasha Semin banging home the rebound on a Boyd Gordon shot seconds later to put the game out of reach. Matt Pettinger took a solid hit in order to make a nice outlet pass that sprung Semin for a breakaway goal midway through the third. Olie was his usual spectacular self in preserving the lead, and the Caps skated away with 2 very valuable points.

Seeing as the Caps have had tremendous difficulty scoring with the man advantage and have had better numbers 4 on 4 lately, maybe we should send Dainus Zubrus out to take a holding penalty at the start of every Caps power play to even things up.

Then again, maybe not.

Two random notes, not necessarily from tonight's game.

1) If I were an NHL coach, I would make every player on the penalty kill use a wooden stick. I've seen WAY too many times this year where penalty killers have broken their composite sticks trying to clear the puck or play someone else's stick, leaving them basically impotent in their ability to protect on the penalty kill.

2) Why don't teams just shift to 5-on-3 protection when this happens and just have the penalty killer skate to the bench and grab his stick? Penalty killers prep for 5 on 3 situations, and should be suitably prepared to defend their goal. But staying in 5 on 4 protection with a player with no stick provides a better scoring opportunity for the offense, since the penalty killer with no stick cannot effectively play his role in the protection scheme.

3) If you didn't catch Dallas-Edmonton or San Jose-Detroit last night, go to NHL.com to check the highlights. RIGHT. NOW. We'll be here when you get back, I promise. And if you're a Boston fan, definitely DO NOT check out these highlights. Ouch.

Next game is Fight Night: Round 3 at the V this Saturday against Atlanta. Hand wraps and tape are optional.

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.

I hate reruns

The Capitals harshest stretch of the season is almost over. And not a moment too soon.

I said before that I was hoping the Caps could take 2 wins during this five game stretch. I even go all optimistic and called for 3. I never thought that this team would take home exactly zero points from those 5 games.

One thing this set of games should do is calm down all those fans that are calling for trades at the deadline to improve the team for a playoff run this year. It was all too apparent that the Caps lack the depth they need to compete in a seven game series. They simply don't have the wealth of talent. Yes, I know that the team was shredded by injuries and illness, but every team gets a bite taken out of it by the injury bug from time to time. More veteran and deeper teams still find ways way to secure points, whether in wins or OT losses. The Capitals simply couldn't dig as deep as they needed to. This is not to say that they lacked effort (they didn't). They just aren't a team that can manage lost man-games to injury, especially in such a horrid stretch of games.

What lies ahead for the Capitals this year seems apparent. They will work their butts off to win a lot of games they wouldn't take on talent alone. They will lose some heartbreaking games they should win (a la their game with the Flightless Devilbirds). And they will finish somewhere between 7th and 10th in the Eastern Conference. They may make the playoffs, they may not. But the team is not yet ready for a serious run. Trading away club assets to assure a playoff birth this season should not be a priority. Securing a free agent or two in the offseason should be.

The one issue I'm most concerned with at this point is the Capitals poor play with the man advantage. They yet again failed to score on a lengthy 5 on 3. Perhaps they need to move more bulk to the front of the net and just let the puck fly looking for a goal off the screen, redirect or rebound. Sometimes having too many purely talented players on the ice at once leads to over complicating the issue.

The Caps next game is this Thursday at the V against the Habs. Hopefully the time off will allow the team to heal (from injury and the plague).