Depleted D

If there was any question about how much the injuries on defense have affected the Capitals style of play, one need only look at the Caps game Tuesday night against the Panthers. Usually a team that plays a defense first, trapping style of play, the Panthers came out with an all out blitz of a forecheck, constantly pressuring the Caps defense for all three periods.

It paid off big time.

The Capitals simply don't have the bodies or talent to compete in the defensive end in their current form. The Caps defense without Tom Poti, Mike Green, Sergei Fedorov, and to a lesser extent Jeff Schultz and John Erskine is now a mirror of what it was during the Caps first post lockout season. Which is not good. At all.

The current defensive lineup doesn't feature a single defenseman that should be playing top 4 minutes in the NHL for any team. Uber prospect Karl Alzner is still adjusting to the NHL game, and needs more seasoning before he's ready to assume a role as a top tier defenseman. Milan Jurcina refuses to play the body unless it's away from the play for a penalty which renders him basically useless. Shoane Morrison gets outplayed and out muscled near the front of his own net on almost every play. And Lepisto, Helmer, and Sloan, with respect to the effort and determination they've shown, are third pairing defensemen at best.

For the Caps to be successful, they must keep the puck out of their own end as much as possible. And with Alexander Semin still injured, the burden for keeping puck possession falls to Michael Nylander and his line. The Caps first line has always been solid at controlling the play in their opponents' end as soon as they gain possession. For the Caps to take the burden off their crippled defense corps, the second line needs to be just as strong to give their defense the relief they so desperately need.

If the Caps top two lines can maintain possession and control the play and allow the defense to bend without breaking, they have a chance to beat the Islanders tonight. If not, it's going to be a long night.

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Oh, and remember to skip lunch today so you can enjoy as many dollar dogs at the arena as possible. I'm thinking I can take down at least 5... blogger competitive eating contest, anyone?

And then there were two

Two top tier defensemen, that is. Tom Poti's groin injury had better not be serious, because the Caps don't have the depth on the backline to have him miss more than a couple games.

If there's any good news regarding the injury, it's that the Caps did not choose to call up a defenseman from Hershey, which they would have done if they believed Poti was going to be out more than a few days. The decision to put Poti on the shelf is much more likely a preventative measure, as it doesn't take much to turn a groin pull into a serious injury (just ask Chris Clark).

In other defensive news, it looks like one of the Caps has finally decided to step up and become a physical force in the defensive end. Mike Green has clearly decided that it's not enough to be one of the league's top offensive threats. He has his sights set on being the league's top defenseman, period.

If you need any proof, ask Evgeni Malkin how his gut is feeling following Greener's classic hip check in the third period. Although he didn't land the shot flush (Malkin wouldn't have finished the game if he had), it's clear that Green has made the decision to be a physically intimidating force in his own end. As Green's timing improves, expect to see more than a few devastating hits this season from the lightning quick defenseman.

Also, Kudos to Matt Bradley for taking one for the team. Sometimes it's not about winning or losing the fight, but sticking up for your teammates, taking your lumps and then going right back to playing hockey. Way to gut it out through that gashed up mouth, Matt.

The Caps look to carry over the momentum from their third period surge against the Penguins to the start of tonight's game against the Devils, who once again bored a crowd (and the opposition) to sleep with a 1-0 victory. Expect Sergei Fedorov to once again distribute from the backline as the Caps look to break the god-awful neutral zone trap. Game time is 7 PM. Unless you're one of the folks who bought the all you can eat and booze Dewars club tickets, in which case you'll probably want to get there earlier.

Ankle injury redux: Backstrom

Unfortunately, it looks like the Caps will once again have to deal with a marquee player injured before the start of the season. Tarik has reported that, like Alex Semin last year, Nicklas Backstrom has sprained his ankle. The injury may cause Backstrom to miss the beginning of training camp.

Unlike Semin, Backstrom was injured before the start of the season so it's likely they'll keep him out of workouts until the injury has more time to heal. Missing a couple weeks of camp and possibly a couple preseason games certainly won't help Backstrom get his fitness level up for the season, but after last year we all know it's better safe than sorry with ankle problems.

Expect the team to ease Backstrom along slowly, and for him to be ready for the start of the season. If he's limited in workouts, it may be a few games into the season before he hits his stride, but given the Caps depth at center they have the ability to keep his minutes in check until he is fully recovered and fit.

No more Nyls

Hope you're sitting down, folks. This is a bad one. Per Tarik, Michael Nylander's season is over. Nylander, who has been gutting it out with a torn rotator cuff the past few weeks, has finally decided to shut it down and have surgery. His recovery time is expected to be 3-6 months, but with a player his age expect it to be more towards the latter than the former.

Nylander, who was the Caps second leading scorer with 37 points, has been visibly hampered by the injury to the point where his effectiveness on the ice was nearly nonexistant at even strength (as evidenced by his team worst minus-19). One wonders if he was playing with the pain partially in an effort to hit the 200 goal mark for his career, which he did this past Sunday against Philly.

The final image we'll take of Nylander this season is of him sending rookie phenom and fellow Swede Nicklas Backstrom over the the referee to collect the puck from his landmark goal. While it may not have been meant as a passing of the torch at the time, it certainly feels like one now.

On the lighter side, the YoungStars game (in which Backstrom will participate) is officially a 3-on-3 farce. Next year I hear everyone is going to have to wear two left skates for the entire "game".

Thoughts while in between games

While the Caps players are spending this week getting accustomed to Coach Boudreau's system, it's a good time to examine the state of the team and identify which areas have performed well and which, to put it politely, need improvement. While their record certainly indicated there will be more of the latter than the former, there are certainly bright spots to touch upon. After all, with the snow on the ground in the area and the holiday season approaching, we don't want to be called Grinches

On the positive side, the Caps have improved the overall skill level of their team, specifically with the additions of Nylander and Backstrom. While their impact has yet to show in the standings, you'd be hard pressed to find a more improved position for the Caps than at the center dot. Keep in mind, Kris Beech was playing top minutes for the team last year at the position. While Backstrom still has to improve his skating and physical play, he's shown that he can mentally keep up with the responsibilies of playing the pivot. And Nylander is miles ahead of any Caps center since Adam Oates wore the sweater.

Additionally, the Caps defense has developed more offensive swagger with the addition of Tom Poti and the emergence of Mike Green as a geniune offensive dynamo. While Poti has had to contend with injuries and increased responsibility in all zones, he has been effective as the Caps top defenseman. Mike Green, meanwhile, has been one of the team's top offensive threats for most of this season, redeeming himself after a lackluster second season (and making this post from last year relevant again).

Alex Ovechkin has 20 goals and is averaging over a point a game while playing the best two way hockey of his career. Nothing to scoff at.

Unfortunately, the list of problems is much more robust.

First, aside from Poti and Green, the defense for the Caps has looked positively amateurish so far. Jurcina is no longer hitting everything that moves, and Jeff Shultz must have pictures of Ted Leonsis naked in order to keep his spot on the roster. He's been overmatched in almost every game he's played. Why they haven't shuffled him out of the lineup and given Steve Eminger more looks confounds me. And while John Erskine has been effective at playing the body, he has had lapses of discipline that make his spot in the lineup tenuous at best. Another major issue for the Caps blueliners is their lack of footspeed. They simply cannot skate with the faster teams in the league, and they lack the toughness to pound away at quick players when they have opportunities. Looking for proof? Watch the replay of their performance against Buffalo.

In order for the defense to reach a respectable level, they need a banger, plain and simple. I hate to say it, but the Caps sure could use Brendan Witt right now. I think I just lost a year of my life typing that.

Injuries have also played a major part in the Caps horrendous start, but that does not excuse how they've been managed (and how they might have been prevented). First, let's go with prevention. Under Glen Hanlon, the power play lacked movement, which led to players having to flood the front of the net to create scoring chances (since the shot angles didn't change, they attempted to screen the goaltender and fight for rebounds). Unfortunately, their best shooter is at his best shooting for high corners. Close range shots aimed high tend to be VERY, VERY dangerous to anyone setting a screen. Just ask Chris Clark about it. The Caps could just as easily have created the same screen with Clark skating across the shooting lane, instead of standing in it, and Clarkie would still have both ears in one piece.

As far as Alex Semin's injury is concerned, we covered that weeks ago. Ankle injuries should be given ample time to recover, even if the player thinks they're ready to play. Instead of sitting him for a couple weeks, the Caps rushed Semin back into the lineup, after which he promptly reinjured himself and has yet to fully recover. Ugh.

In terms of forward contributions outside of the Russian Machine, there haven't been any. When your primary setup man is second on the team in goals and one of your defensemen is tied for third, you know there's a problem. Simply put, the Capitals second through fourth lines have not been getting it done. And while their old (trap) system is partially to blame, someone on the team has to step up and get the job done.

And speaking of stepping up, will someone let Viktor Kozlov know that the season has started? Kozlov has been by far the least impactful free agent signing, even though he's played on the top line almost exclusively. At this point, it's fair to say that Kozlov is stealing money every shift he's on the ice. At this point, I think every defenseman in the league knows that Kozlov needs time to make a play and presses him before he gets the opportunity.

It's true that despite his size, Kozlov will never be a banger. But would it be too much to ask for his to actually forecheck instead of weakly swiping his stick at opposing players as they skate past? And if he ever takes another shift at center it will be too soon. I'd rather see Backstrom losing draws but refining his technique than Kozlov losing draw after draw after draw after draw. He belongs on the wing (or more accurately right now, on the bench).

So what do the Caps need to do to address these issues? It's clear that not all of them can be taken care of with the team in its current makeup, so a trade is a possibility. It's much more likely that they'll wait until the offseason to make any moves (especially with the Russian Machine's contract coming due).

However, there are certain things that Coach Boudreau can do right now to improve the team (and some things he's already done).

1. Unleash Mike Green and allow him to play an attacking game (check).
2. Move Kozlov to the wing and off the first line (almost there).
3. LET SEMIN'S ANKLE HEAL. At this point, the Caps have played almost a third of the season without Semin. Sitting him a few extra games isn't going to make or break team chemistry.
4. Improve team discipline. The Caps have taken far too many penalties this year, from their Captain on down. It needs to stop if the Caps want to have any hope of a midseason run. You can win a game or two in a row without discipline, but not 5 or 6 in a row.
5. Wake up (or trade) Kozlov.

So, there you have it. Hopefully Coach B will bring the Caps out on Friday full of fire and wrath, and we'll look back at this as the point in the season where things turned around. Even if they don't recover and make the playoffs, at least we might get to watch some entertaining offensive hockey.

Gordo = no go?

Per Tarik, Boyd Gordon is out for tonight's contest (and probably until next Thursday's game). Gordon sustained an undisclosed injury in practice earlier this week.

With Gordon out, Granite Chin Sutherby will see his first action of the season tonight.

Semin out

As expected, Sasha Semin will not play this weekend, with the team hoping he'll be ready for next week's game against the Islanders.

Ankle injuries suck

Just ask Sasha Semin. What initially was thought to be a relatively minor injury (even though it did NOT look minor at the time, with Semin staying down on the ice for several minutes) has turned out to be more substantial. Per Tarik, Semin has not skated since playing half of the game against Carolina.

As a person that has suffered multiple ankle injuries over the years (including a couple surgeries), I can tell you there is good news and bad news here. The bad news in that injuries to joints that control balance tend not to heal quickly, and to be somewhat less stable once they do heal (then again, I went to the doctor a total of three times after my injury, where I imagine Semin is seeing trainers and doctors every day and getting the best care possible). The good news is that the boot of a hockey skate comes up high enough to offer a great deal of ankle support, so it's not necessary to have the joint at 100% before skating. The issue is how much the injury will disrupt Semin's ability to make quick cuts and push with power off that foot.

I would expect the Caps to be extremely cautious with this injury, as players rushed back too quickly from injuries such as this one tend to perform below expectations and heighten the risk of aggravating the injury further. I don't see Semin playing in either game in New York this weekend, which would give him a further five days of rest before the Caps host the Islanders next Thursday.

More on Green

Tarik has a full article up on Mike Green's trials during his first season as well as his improved strength and conditioning this year. It's a good read, but it omits one possible reason for Green's uneven play in his rookie year: the ankle injury he suffered at midseason which seemed to limit his mobility and effectiveness. It's hard to skate (and even harder to initiate contact) on a bum wheel.

Also, Matt Bradley's nickname may be changed to "smooches" after last night's preseason tilt against the Flyers. For an explanation, check this link to Tarik's blog (5th paragraph).

Semin: Significant Talent, insignificant knee problems

Per Tarik, Alexander Semin's reported knee "injury" is nothing to worry about (contrary to this report. If you want to make any sense of it, I hope your Russian is better than mine, or BabelFish's, for that matter).

Good to hear that Sasha isn't hurt. With the upgrades the Capitals have made, this will be a telling season for Semin.

When surrounded by a decent supporting cast, will he sublimate his own individual talents for the greater good of the team? We're betting that he will... as long as he's not paired up with Brooks Laich (since Kris Frikkin Beech is no longer with the team).

Remember, Semin always gave his linemates a chance to make a play last year. It was only when they blew easy tap ins and shanked good scoring opportunities that he would attempt to take the other team on singlehandedly. If Semin believes in his teammates ability to finish what he starts, he may well finish as the Caps leading scorer.

Oh Crap

From Tarik-

"Goaltender Olie Kolzig went down with what appeared to be a groin injury during today's practice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. The extent of the injury was not immediately known. But I can safely say that it didn't look good.

The veteran screamed as he slid from side to side while trying to stop a 2 on 1 early in the session. He stayed down for about a minute as teammates and training staff came to his side. He eventually skated off on his own, but was clearly hurt.

Kolzig left the facility walking with an obvious limp and without commenting to reporters, saying he was headed to the doctor."

This is bad, folks. Real bad. Kolzig has been a rock for the Caps this season, keeping them competitive in games they had no business staying close in. Losing Kolzig for any extended period of time would absolutely kill this team. Let's just hope this isn't a tear, as Kolzig isn't a spring chicken anymore and groin injuries tend to stick with goaltenders long after they are initially felt. A long term injury (any more than just the end of this season) at Kolzig's age (37) is potentially a career ender, and would scuttle any chance the Caps have at making a serious playoff run in the next couple of years.

Keep your fingers crossed, Caps fans.