Don't say we didn't warn you

From the Deuce:
"Looks like some people in Buffalo have the same opinion of Zubrus as us.

By the way, of Zubrus's two "assists" last night, one was a second assist passed in the neutral zone, and one was him pushing the puck to Eminger, who was tripped by Briere behind the net. The little cheater then walked out in front all alone and scored."

Buffalo sucks

but you knew that already. The big story tonight will be Dainius Zubrus' first game against his former team since being traded away at the deadline. Zubrus will probably be bumped to the right wing (his natural position) in the game, where his primary responsibility will be shutting down The Russian Machine and Alexander "One shot, one kill" Semin. It should be interesting to see how he matches up, considering his defense is one of the main reasons Buffalo traded for him in the first place.

Per Tarik, Ovechkin had this to say about lining up against Zubrus:

"Sometimes I don't know where I go. So he will never know where I'm going. It will be a fun game if he plays against me because I know his moves, his strong side. It will be good -- for me."

The funny thing is, I don't really think he's kidding. Great offensive players generally don't so much think the game as they feel it. They make snap decisions in the flow of the game, which is what makes them so dangerous. And while I don't doubt Zubrus has an ever-so-slight advantage over much of the league in terms of knowing Ovie's tendencies, I don't think that will be enough to keep Ovechkin off the scoresheet tonight. Even if he does play with a bird cage on.

The other big question of the night centers on whether Sasha Semin can continue his scoring tear. With much of the BuffaSlugs attention focused on Ovechkin this season, Semin comes into this game a bit under the radar (which is insane for a player that's had 6 points in his last two games). If the Slugs cover Semin the way the media has leading up to this game (which is to say, not much at all) I wouldn't be surprised if he potted another pair.

Game time is 7 o'clock. Don't forget to watch along with your Danielle Briere voodoo doll (don't be afraid to twist it like a Stretch Armstrong). If that jerk gets his 30th against us, my head might explode.

The Vets speak

The Deuce and Original 6 (my older brother and father) have been lighting up my email box today with reaction to the Zubrus trade, so I figured I'd share their wisdom with all 5 of my readers. Without further ado, it's Grumpy Caps Fans - Old Timers' Edition:

From: The Deuce

I like the deal. We get a 23 year old six foot two center/winger (right
handed) for a 32 year old six foot one center/winger. So the kid is not a "natural goal scorer." Neither was Zubrus. Plus a first round draft pick (even though it may be the last pick of the first round). We get younger, stockpile more picks, and, if we really, REALLY want to, we can resign Zubie in the offseason (no way Buffalo can do it -- they've got two centers named Drury and Danielle who'll want to get PAID)!

Response from Original 6:

Jiri Novotny. Another 1st rounder! The Caps keep praying that a few of their young 1st rounders will turn out to be decent NHLers! Can we wait that long?

The Deuce:

Yes. Novotny is an NHL ready player now. He's played 50 games this year for buffalo, which means he could have played in every game for us.
Plus he's only 23. He'll be a decent third-line center (read: cheap replacement for Zubrus) next year. I am very confident the Caps will sign a big name center this summer. The way McPhee has been talking in his interviews, he'd better back it up, or else the fans will riot.

Original 6:

With Backstrom and Novotny (the jury is still out with him as far as I am concerned even though he played with Buffalo - only 6 goals and 7 assists this year) we will have 2nd and 3rd line centers. Backstrom will need a year or two to become a first line center. My concern is that we have traded 2 of our few veterans. In order to make it to the highest levels a team has to have a blend of young players and veterans.
Where are those veterans on the Caps now?

I'm glad that you are confident that they will sign a first line veteran center over the summer. They have only once made a big deal like that and you know how that worked out. Aren't we still paying some of Jagr's salary?

The Deuce:

Yes. And Teddy will never, EVER make that mistake again. They will not look for pure talent. They will look for leadership and talent. See, Drury, Chris; Smyth, Ryan; Gomez, Scott just to name a few upcoming UFAs. Those guys are no Jaromir Jagrs. Plus, in todays NHL, Ovechkin and Semin are now cagey veteran graybeards!

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So there you have it folks... feel free to share your opinions on the trade in the comments section.

Postmortem on the Zubrus era in DC.

Dainus Zubrus came to the Capitals with big shoes to fill. Or rather, to me he did. I was a big fan of both Richard Zednik and Jan Bulis, both of whom went to Montreal. I remember one reporter's scout's take on Zednik as something to the effect of "had almost 20 goals last year playing with Bondra. Should have had double that with all the chances he had." And while it's true that Zednik's scoring touch was sometimes lacking, his speed and effort made sure that he got enough chances to score 19 goals in consecutive seasons. Nevertheless, Capitals brass deemed him expendable, and both he and Bulis were shipped to Montreal for Zubrus and Trevor Linden's corpse. In Montreal, Zednik erupted, scoring more than 20 goals every full season he played there, including 31 in 02-03. He also shined in his playoff series against Boston until a cheap Kyle McLaren elbow to the head put him out of commission. One might argue that he still hasn't fully recovered from the blow.

In that trade between the Capitals and Montreal Zubrus was the promise of a big return on investment. He was certainly talented enough, and had the size and speed to use those talents effectively at the NHL level. He was highly coveted, having been drafted 15th by the Flyers and traded along with a bag of pucks to Montreal for Mark Recchi, a legitimate star in the league at that time. It was clear that Zubrus had the talent, but something was missing in him that allowed not one, but two teams to deem him expendable.

In the time that Zubrus played for the Caps, he never set fire to the league offensively (his career high 23 goals came in his first season with Ovechkin), but he played well in the defensive zone, and we all know how much the Capitals covet two way players. And while he did display flashes of brilliance, he never lived up to his billing as a top line forward. He gave an honest effort most nights, especially later in his career here, but never developed the scoring touch one would hope for a player of his caliber. Only scoring 20 goals twice is fairly meager output for a player who played on teams with Ovechkin, Peter Bondra, Jaromir Jagr, Robert Lang, Adam Oates, and Micheal Nylander. And while he didn't play on a line with Jagr often, his numbers should still have benefited from not playing the oppositions shut down line. But they never did.

This season, Zubrus came roaring out of the gate, and everyone thought that the enigmatic forward was finally delivering what he had only shown glimpses of before. Playing with Ovechkin clearly suited Zubrus, and he opened the season on a scoring tear. I even wrote a post apologizing to him for riding him so hard. Alas, midway through the season Zubrus went as cold as he had been hot, and the team's record suffered as a result.

So what was Zubrus missing? What kept him from fulfilling the promise he has shown for so many years?

Courage.

Zubrus never showed the courage to rely on his skills to beat players one on one. He always took the puck wide rather than attempting to beat a defenseman one on one. He loved working in the corner, where he could out muscle the opposition without the fear of taking a big hit. The faith in those amazing skills to protect him was just never there. This flaw became abundantly clear when juxtaposed against his linemate Alex Ovechkin, who showed absolutely no fear, and in fact seemed to relish taking on opposing players one on one, one on two, even one on four at times. But instead of inspiring that same type of aggressive play by Zubrus it only served to highlight his inadequacies.

Worse, it became obvious later in the season that Zubrus was trying to force play carrying the puck instead of passing the puck off to his linemates. Whether he was pushing too hard trying to earn that big contract or whether he truly believed he was making the right play, he was hurting the team. He still refused to play in the middle of the ice, but he wouldn't give up the puck, either. He consistently drove at defensemen, but against the boards so he could be easily rubbed out or at least neutralized. If this was the way he was going to play, the Capitals needed to go another direction. So they did.

So what is Zubrus' legacy here in DC? He was a fan favorite, and a decent forward on a team that lately has seen far too few of them. He took Ovechkin under his wing in his first year in the league, which should not be undervalued. Who knows if we would have seen the same exuberance from the Russian Machine had he been homesick and lonely? For that service, we'll call his time here in Washington a positive, even if he never did live up to the lofty expectations surrounding his arrival.

So farewell, Dainius. Thanks for the time you've put in. Hopefully the crowd will recognize you with an ovation in your first game back, and hopefully things will go well for you this postseason. Perhaps we'll meet again when the signing period for free agents starts. But I doubt we'll again see you in Caps colors, be they black and bronze or red, white and blue.

Zubrus to Buffalo

From Tarik - The Capitals just traded Dainius Zubrus to Buffalo along with Timo Helbling for Buffalo's First rounder this year and 23-year-old center Jiri Novotny.

Tsn.ca's scouting report on Novotny : Owns a projectable frame for the pivot position. Sees the ice well and has sound playmaking instincts. Doesn't have top-end finishing skills. Must continue to improve his work ethic, since he tends to be lazy at times.

So he doesn't have finishing skills, but can pass. Seems like more of a pure center, not the hybrid that Zubrus was. It'll be interesting to see how he fits with the Caps. I can tell you right now laziness is not something the Caps tolerate. I see him paired with Semin on the second line once he arrives, but we'll have to wait and see.

We'll have a full postmortem on the Zubrus era here in DC later today.

A positive from a negative

Pardon me while I wax existential... There was much good to come out of last night's loss to the Canadiens. Falling behind 3-0 in the first period may just have saved fans from a snore inducing home stretch, and the team may just have found their game again.

Since the Capitals were forced to abandon the neutral zone trap after an atrocious first period, they actually showed some signs of life in the offensive zone. They put strong pressure on the Habs defense, no small task considering the Canadiens have one of the better core defensive groups in the league. They played the body with aplomb, absolutely blowing Montreal's players off the puck. They actually looked competitive in the game. Two quick (and I mean blink and you missed 'em quick) goals by Jamie Heward brought the Caps within one, before their special teams play yet again let them down. True, one might argue that two goals from a defenseman and only one from a forward does not constitute turning a corner on their offensive woes, but the play of the team looked much stronger overall once they changed their style and forechecked hard.

I don't know know that there are words strong enough to describe how bad the power play is right now, so I'm going to the thesaurus. Here we go: putrid, bad, contaminated, corrupt, decayed, decomposed, fetid, foul, high, malodorous, moldered, nidorous, noisome, off, putrefied, rancid, rank, reeking, rotting, smelly, spoiled, stinking, strong, tainted, whiffy. Actually, those are pretty accurate descriptions (I especially like whiffy for some reason). And don't go talking about Semin scoring on the second half of the four minute minor at the end of the period. He would have scored the same goal five on five. It was pure individual brilliance, and had NOTHING to do with setting up a power play and working the puck to create a scoring chance. The Capitals need to hire an assistant to work with them on their power play, as it's become abundantly clear that the coaching staff as-is simply can't get the job done.

It was good to see Richard Zednik play yet another strong game. Hopefully the Caps will re-sign him in the coming days, or be able to do so in the offseason. The same cannot be said for Dainus Zubrus, whose play over the past month and a half has absolutely destroyed his trade value. He hasn't been able to score or set up his linemates, and he's missed several golden opportunities for cheap tap ins. Some of the blame certainly lies in the system the Caps played during that stretch, but if Zubrus were the number one center he fancies himself to be, he would have found a way to create offense regardless.

I can't see any team paying him number one center dollars this offseason (and the Caps would be insane to do so) or even looking at him as a rental at this point. Any second line center worth his salt could put up numbers similar to Zubrus' (20G, 32A, 52Pts, -15) playing with Alexander Ovechkin. Even his agent seems to recognize this, as he recently said "He has a lot more value than just what he does on the ice." Not exactly a ringing endorsement of his play on it. The fact is, the "value" his agent talks about is to the Capitals and the Capitals alone. Other teams either have veteran leadership or could get it with a cheaper pickup than Dainus. If the Caps pay him anything near market value for a number one center, they'll be doing the team a disservice.

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Update: Holy cow. Zubrus wants between three and a half to four mil a year for four years (scroll down to Tarik's comment). I've got two words for you. Dead. Meat.

A win is a win

Just like there are no moral victories, there are no moral losses either. The Caps and Kings played one of the most disjointed, ugliest games of the year last night. There was no real flow of play, and no skilled player was able to impose his will on the contest. Nevertheless, the Capitals needed a win and they got one, with Dainus Zubrus chipping home a loose puck in OT to give the Caps a 4-3 win.

The level of play last night befitted two teams at the lower end of the standing. Mathieu Garon was atrocious for the Kings, surrendering a long range slapper to Boyd Gordon and generally looking beatable all night. The Capitals, for their part, looked like a bunch of mites on ice, playing poor positional hockey, not playing the body well, and looking completely disorganized. Richard Zednik appears to have finally hit a bit of a wall, as he was invisible in terms of impact for the first time since his return from injury.

The Capitals did have one bright spot midway through the second period, scoring on what looked to be a set play as Ovechkin looped back from the opposing blueline to take a pass sent from behind the goal line, drawing a defender with him. He then laid the puck off to Zubrus, who was streaking down the right wing. Zubrus fed the puck to Ben Clymer, who faked the quick shot and was able to wrap the puck around and in before Garon was able to close off the far post. I'd put odds at even money that Hanlon had the boys working a version of this play in practice.

If the Capitals weren't in such dire need of a win, this game would have been completely forgettable. But two points are two points and at this point, we'll take em and run.

Now THAT was a hockey game

It has to be said... that was one of the best NHL games I've seen in some time. Great back and forth action, great talent on display, just a fantastic example of what the game of hockey is all about. It was like someone rolled a shooting, passing, and goaltending clinic all together and edited them into a single game. As a fan of hockey, I enjoyed last night's game more than any in recent memory.

Unfortunately, as a Caps fan, I left with that whole glass half empty feeling. Even though the Alex and Alex highlight reel continued to grow courtesy of jaw dropping plays by both wings, the team lost the game. Not that the rest of the team didn't match the intensity of their best players. They did. Any time Big Donnie Brashear tallies for the Caps, you know they're getting good work out of all four lines.

The Capitals on the whole played a fantastic game last night, but left Ottawa with no points. Zero. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Not good for a team that has serious ground to make up in the playoff chase.

The Caps have some serious issues that need to be addressed, and soon. Dainus Zubrus is officially colder than the ice he skates on. Hell, he's colder than the ice Sasha Semin skated on in Siberia. He flubbed yet another easy scoring opportunity (that makes 500,000 by my unofficial count), missing a shot from less than two feet out where all he had to do was lift the puck a foot off the ice. Martin Gerber was even LOOKING THE OTHER WAY AT THE TIME. Just goes to show you... I can't write anything nice about anyone and have it work out.

[late edit - don't believe me? Words from the horses mouth, courtesy of Tarik: "I'm not taking anything away from [Gerber], but at the same time I don't think we shot the puck all the times when we should have," said Zubrus. "Myself included. I had two opportunities. On the five-on-three, I couldn't get over the pad and in the third period I missed on a breakaway. But I just couldn't finish it."]

Also, Kris Beech is a problem. Not has one, IS one. Not sure what else to say. He had a chance on a clear breakaway to get the Caps back into the game and he MISSED THE NET ENTIRELY. What a disappointment he's been. I doubt he'll be in the league next year.

The only other problem I had last night (outside of the score) was with the referees, who consistently go too far in eliminating physical play. Listen, boys, the focus is cracking down on OBSTRUCTION. Hooking, holding, and interference are obstruction related penalties. Roughing is NOT. So please, stop trying to turn the NHL into the Swedish Elite League. Thanks.

Next game is tomorrow against those #@!!$#@! Florida KittyCats. If the Caps bring the same game they played the last two nights, they'll come away with two points. If they bring the same game they played their last two games against the Kitties, there may be mass suicide attempts by Caps fans that tune in. So either way it should be interesting to watch.

The long road home continues

The Caps yet again couldn't get it done, and lost on the road to the Sens. Quite a few areas of concern in the game, so lets start from the top.

First, the Caps blew a chance to grab an early lead when Ben Clymer shanked an easy tip in just three minutes into the game. Dainus Zubrus also blew an easy tip in chance later in the game that would have tightened the game to 4-3. The inability of any forwards other than the Alexes and Captain Clark to capitalize on even the best scoring chances is absolutely killing the team right now.

Maybe our guys are gripping the sticks too tightly, knowing that this is probably more than just a chance to make the playoffs. It's also a chance for them to secure their spots on the roster. With a glut of talent up front in Hershey and Backstrom coming over from Sweden, not withstanding any offseason free agent signings, spots will be much harder to come by next year. Are our boys feeling the squeeze? It appears so.

Our already depleted defensive corps took another shot (to the ankle, no less!) when Mike Green took a rocket slapper flush to the ankle. Here's to hoping it's no more than a bad bruise.

The Caps are clearly missing the backline presence of John Erskine right now. Teams simply do not show any respect for the Capitals physical play on in the defensive end. Opposing forwards make moves directly at the defense, which would not happen if they got their jaw rattled every once in a while.

The Caps road losing streak is now at 6, and won't improve unless they can find a way to jump-start what has been an absolutely atrocious power play unit. 0 for 5 with the man advantage simply won't get it done in the NHL these days.

Brad Johnson also had a less than stellar game in net. At least two of the goals scored were less than spectacular, with Johnson moving too far out of position laterally on one and getting beaten by a slow wrister on another. This is not to say that Johnson is not a good backup, or that I object to his recent contract extension. Neither is the case. It's the simple fact that, as a backup, he is going to have the occasional game where he flubs a couple shots. It's the reason he's not a starter right now. I happen to think he does an admirable job in his role, but that role is to spell Kolzig when necessary and try to steal a game now and again, not to consistently perform at Kolzig's level. And last night he had an off night. I still think his contract extension was a good idea, and that he's ideal an ideal fit as a long term second goaltender as the team brings along Semen Varlamov or whoever ends up as Kolzig's replacement.

Next game is tomorrow at Carolina in a game the team absolutely needs to win in order to stay competitive in the Southeast division.

Late Update: X-rays negative on Green, but he's out indefinitely. Not good. Not at all.

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.

Caps sap Maple Leafs 3-2

The Capitals scored 3 goals on three stellar offensive plays, two set up by Alexander Semin (1, 2) and one from Dainus Zubrus. Two goals from Mats Sundin, one on a debatable penalty shot call, kept the Maple Saps in the game until the very end.

I would complain about the way officials always seem to come up with some suspect calls in Toronto, but seeing as the Caps were given ample power play opportunities and scored all three goals with the man advantage, we'll let this one slide.

The Capitals were able to grind through the third period and get 2 points on the road, and are now 1-1-0 in their murderous 7 game stretch. It's going to be important for the Alexes to continue their strong individual offense play as they work through the next five games, as even young legs will be leaden by the 7th game, and will likely need more of the kind of creativity exhibited tonight to win. One matter of concern was the Capitals inability to finish on their extended 5 on 3 late in the game, which could have put the game out of reach.

Kudos for the night go to Brian Sutherby, who took an absolute BOMB in a fight with Darcy Tucker but stayed on his feet and managed to land a few strong shots of his own. If Sudsy were to have gone down after the haymaker, the momentum would have swung completely in the Leafs favor. Instead, he muffled a potential rally with his granite chin.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. And thanks to the Caps for the early gift.

In the end, there can be only one.

Wow. I mean WOW. A dominating performance by Ovechkin. A goal to get the Caps out in front early, a goal to send the game into overtime with under a minute left, and a goal second into overtime to win it. You think maybe Ovie was a teency weency bit fired up for this game? Just an incredible performance. The kind that makes you think that as long as we have this kid playing for the Caps, a championship is more a matter of when than if.

We believe the reason for Ovechkin's domination of the game came from 2 sources. One, you already know about (and again, if you've been stationed in Antarctica for the last few months, click here). The other, surprisingly, was Ilya Kovalchuk. In the first, Kovalchuk seemed intent on making an impact in this game, and I do mean IMPACT. I don't ever think I've seen him throw so many big body checks in one period. It seemed Kovalchuk was trying to show Ovie that HE was the best Russian in the NHL.

Bad move.

Ovechkin thrives on competition. Feeds off of it the same way Popeye feeds off of spinach. It makes him skate faster, hit harder, and grow incredibly enlarged forearms. Okay, maybe not that last one. His drive to be the best has been documented all over the place, most noticeably in the post's recent feature article. And here was Kovalchuk, running around like he was the biggest, baddest guy around. Like he was the one deserving of all the fanfare. Like he was the best player on the ice. And he ended up stepping on The Russian Machine's toes.

Very bad move. Ovechkin made him pay for his transgression. He made them all pay.

Other observations on the game: Dainus Zubrus has officially come into his own. As a Caps fan over the years, I've always been critical of Zubrus. I didn't like the trade we made to get him (I was big on Zednik and Bulis' upside). I thought Zednik would be a star 2nd liner (and turned into one in Montreal, right up until he was nearly decapitated in the playoffs by a Kyle McLaren cheap shot in Montreal's series against Boston a few years back). I didn't think Zubrus would ever play with a physical edge or develop the intensity needed to be a star at the NHL level.

Well, Dainus, my apologies. I promise to limit my suggestion that you hit opposing players with your purse to twice a game.

This season, Zubrus has consistently won physical battles, made solid defensive plays, and is making stellar set up passes, like the 2 assists he had last night. His talent makes the first line a formidable presence. And his newfound willingness to bang around makes the first line not just a scoring line, but a line that beats other teams up. Clark, Ovechkin and Zubrus don't just want to score when they're out there. They want your lunch money too. And they're not going to stop pounding you until they get it.

Now you're going to have to forgive me for being grumpy here and pointing out that Zubrus is also in a contract year. Hey, it's in the name of the blog folks. Just can't help myself.

Let's turn focus now to the ridiculous nature of some of the penalties last night. The referees in Atlanta had NO SPINE. NONE. The ridiculous no call on the goaltender interference on Atlanta's washed out goal was just that. Ridiculous. Ditto the Semin diving minor. Forgive him for not being able to stay on his feet while being suplexed by Coburn. As my brother put it, "that was a reputation call, plain and simple." And reputation calls are made by referees that aren't good enough to keep up with the game. Kudos to Semin for not loosing his cool, or letting the rough stuff affect his game. Though he didn't score, he was a force on the ice, and Atlanta had to account for him.

Next game is tonight, 7PM against the Flyers. Regrettably, I won't be able to attend, but I'll have the TiVo spun up (and my brother will be watching with his one year old from the comfort of his couch) so I should have something on the game posted Sunday.