This is one of those nights

This is a night that Caps fans have always dreamed of. Your first line stats:
1, 2, 3, +4,
1, 3, 4, +4,
2, 3, 5, +4.

Now lets all hope Brent Johnson isn't for really real injured and that this is just a slick coaching move by Coach B to get J.T. (admit it, it sounds better that Joo-say Theey-oooo-dooore) some minutes without being under the gun.

Oh, yeah, and Carolina... you're old.

What we know so far

We're three games into the season, and four things already stand out.

- Bruce Boudreau is a smart hockey coach. Knowing that he was playing a team that was not strong offensively and played the trap, Boudreau removed John Erskine from the lineup and moved Sergei Fedorov to the back line. Breaking the neutral zone trap depends on quick and accurate outlet passes, and Fedorov provided them in droves last night. Because of this, the Canucks were unable to slow the pace of the game and were completely outmatched by the speed and talent of the Caps forwards.

By specifically targeting the opposing gameplan and adjusting his lineup accordingly, Boudreau was able to completely nullify the strongest weapon in the Canucks arsenal (their boring as all get out system). The Caps have had fits dealing with trapping teams in the past, but it looks like they've found a viable solution for the future.

- Alexander Semin is good. Really good. Not that this is news to anyone who was watching the last 20 or so games last year, but Semin has arrived as an elite level talent. He's much stronger on the puck than in previous years, quicker, andis an absolutely lethal finisher around the net. If he stays healthy, fifty goals should be a cinch. On every team in the East except Pittsburgh or Atlanta he'd be the team's number one scoring option. And yes, I'm including the Canadiens in that list. Who would you rather have on your team, Alex Semin or Alex Kovalev? Thought so.

- Goaltending is going to be an adventure. Goals on the first shot in back to back games? Not good. Inconsistent stickhandling and poor decision making? Also not good. The Caps need to calm their goaltenders down in a hurry. Great puck possesion performances (such as the one the team put together against the Canucks) should go a long way towards settling Theodore and Johnson down and getting them focused.

- Defense is going to be even MORE of an adventure. The Caps right now have three viable NHL calibur defensemen, and one of them is a forward. Everyone not named Poti, Green, or Fedorov has so far looked like they're in a competition to see who can play themselves out of a job first.

So, to sum things up, our coach is showing that last year was no fluke, our defense is showing that the team needs Alzner sooner than later, our goalies haven't shown us much yet, and Alexander Semin is proving that he's got what it takes to be a superstar in the league.

Oh, and as the Deuce said, Viktor Kozlov has a boo-boo.

A good start

The Caps opener last night revealed a good bit about the Capitals as they are currently composed.

First, Nicklas Backstrom looked, well, like a rookie, making several strong plays but also missing a couple chances that would have resulted in scoring opportunities. Now that's not to say his chances were easy, as one memorable situation in front of the Thrashers net would have required him to pivot 180 degrees in front of the net and tip the puck with his stick on the backhand side. That's certainly not something you would expect from any second or third line player, much less a 19 year old rookie. But young Backstrom showed just enough in reacting to the play and almost getting a stick to the puck that it looks likely he'll be the kind of special player that can actually make that play once he matures.

Second, Brent Johnson needs to settle down. A LOT. He had a solid game (although he did allow a soft floating backhand to deflect off of him and into the net) but the team needs him to be more confident in his motions in order to establish confidence in him. For a goalie who plays in a relatively orthodox style, he flops around entirely too much. Gaining the confidence of your teammates can be as important to a backup as stopping the puck, and until Johnson can stop making routine stops look difficult, he's not going to do that.

Third, the Deuce looked at me midway through the second period and said "I don't want to jinx it, but we've played almost the entire game in their end." I honestly cannot remember that sentiment expressed in the past 2 seasons. Whether the Caps can keep up this kind of game against more physical opposition remains to be seen, but last night truly looked like we were the better team that earned the two points.

It's also great to see two of our three summer signings pot goals (Kozlov on the deflection, Nylander on a quick wrister after a turnover) in their first game of the year. It certainly made George McPhee look like a genius.

Our shutdown line wasn't perfect, but they were solid throughout the game.

Alex Ovechkin looked primed and ready for a 50+ goal campaign. He shot at every opportunity, which is exactly what he needs to do.

There was, however, one glaring issue. The power play stunk. They had two extended 5 on 3 chances and looked terrible in both. They simply did not adjust when Atlanta pulled all three players to the goal mouth. A more comfortable unit would have spread out and passed around the outside of the defenders until one of them had a scoring chance (which they did) and ACTUALLY SHOT THE PUCK, which they did not. And why is the powerplay not pushing the puck more to the left side? From what I hear the Caps have a pretty good player on that wing. They should be forcing plays to that side, because that's where the goals are going to come from.

All in all, a very good start to the season. Home opener is tonight at 7 against Carolina. Tickets here. See you there.

And we're rolling!

Another day, another Caps win. I could get used to this.

Again, the Russian Machine looked spectacular, scoring twice despite being shadowed by an opposing forward every shift he was on the ice. He scored on an unstoppable snipe from the slot on the power play, and again on a positively evil wrister off a takeaway.

Note to Atlanta. We've told you this before, but apparently you just don't get it. We'll try it real slow for you (we know you southerners need a little more time to digest things).

Do.
Not.
Piss.
The.
Russian.
Machine.
Off!

There. That aught to do it. Make sure you forward this to all of your defensemen before they think of lining Ovechkin up again. It was all well and good when he and Kovalchuk were going at each other one on one like they do every game they play one another. But you had to go and have one of your defensemen get involved, to try to get a nice big hit on Ovie. The Russian Machine was not amused.

He spent the next few minutes looking to line someone up and knock them into next season, but settled down and channeled his rage into an offensive showing worthy of the best power forward in the NHL. Once the Russian Machine got geared up, there was simply no stopping him.

Evil Brent Johnson once again tried to make his presence felt, giving up what appeared to be a goal off a terrible clearing attempt. He was saved by a high sticking call, and was banished in favor of Good Brent Johnson for the rest of the game. Good BJ made a slew of impressive saves late in the third, denying Atlanta on an extended 6 on 3 power play to secure the victory.

Now, if tonight wasn't evidence enough that Ovechkin and Semin (who missed the game with a foot injury) should be playing on separate lines, I don't know what is. It's clear that Ovechkin thrives when he is the undisputed top guy on the line. He doesn't worry about making nifty passes or trying to get the puck to his opposite wing. He does what he does best: get a head of steam up and attack the goal. With he and Semin on the same line, there simply isn't enough puck to go around, so both players end up a little worse off. Hopefully this will be remedied when (not if, WHEN) the Caps pick up a couple big time players this offseason to bolster the attack. With two legitimate scoring lines, it only makes sense to have the two natural left wings playing on different lines.

The Caps close out the season at home this Saturday, taking on the Buffalo Slugs at 1 PM at the V. If you don't have tickets, go get them. NOW. And if you win a Matt Bradley jersey at Fan Appreciation Day, you might want to pass it along to one of your friends at Grumpy Caps Fans. C'mon, you know you want to :-)

Tampa sucks, and other observations

Actually, the problem right now is that Tampa isn't sucking right now at all. Vinnie Lecavalier has lifted his game to another plane entirely, and the Lightning are 8-2 in their last 10 games as a result. Vinne's recent scoring outburst is not good news for a Caps team that's still struggling to find itself in the defensive end.

To the Caps credit, they have been playing better defensively as of late, and the addition of Milan "Jerky" Jurcina has added far more physical backline presence than anticipated. The defense should also benefit from the return of Brian Pothier and John Erskine, both of whom look ready to go for tonight's contest. Will the reinforced blueline be able to keep Tampa's offensive juggernaut contained? Possibly. Will they keep them off the scoreboard entirely? Extremely unlikely.

To win this game, the Capitals need Alex Ovechkin to find his scoring touch in a big way. The Russian Machine always seems to raise his level of play to meet the competition, so hopefully staring across the ice at two of the players (Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis) who are fighting him for the Rocket Richard trophy (given to the league's top goal scorer) will get the competitive juices flowing. If Ovechkin can gear up his game, it should allow other players more space and time, and the Caps will be competitive in the game. If not, they're in serious trouble.

Also, the Caps have a chance to make a statement tonight in front of their new number one, Brent Johnson. Will they stand strong and rally behind Johnson, or will they fold if he gives up a softie or two, which he is more likely to do early in this three week plus stretch before he finds a rhythm?

We'll find out a lot about this team tonight. Game time is 7:30.