Bleacher Report - Articles by Travis Loftis

Do The Conditions At Home Put The Caps Championship Hopes On Thin Ice

Travis Loftis — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:35:11 -0500

The Washington Capitals are currently sitting second to only the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference. Their pace is record setting - if they continue their 63 points in 47 game trend, they'll surpass the club record of 107 points in a season set by the 1985-86 team.

They have catapulted their place in the standings by playing solid hockey at home. A 19-3-1 record at the Verizon Center has been full of loud fans clad in red, helping propel the team's play. That home record is second only to that of the San Jose Sharks 21-1-2 record.

However, due to the multi-purpose Verizon Center's other commitments, the ice at the Verizon Center is seemingly never up to par.

In an interview following the Capitals 2-1 victory over the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum, Chris Clark was asked about the poor conditions during the matinee match-up. "[The ice at Verizon Center is] the worst. Today, [talking about Nassau] it just stayed wet for a little while. You could tell with the referees coming out and moving the water around a little bit. But I still say Verizon, playing on it all of the time, is the worst."

Clark speaks, quite possibly, from experience with the ice. His groin injury last year limited him to just 18 games last season, with nine points to show for it. His 30 games this year with four points is a huge drop from his 30 goal output in 2006-07.

His linemates have changed as a result of his struggles to play, and his numbers seem doomed to never repeat to that top notch season.

Sergei Fedorov has been limited since injuring an ankle. After an attempted comeback, he re-aggravated the injury on home ice, forcing him to the LTIR.

Chris Clark's words are just the latest from locker rooms regarding the conditions at the Phone Booth, which hosts everything from basketball games to the circus and monster truck shows.

"Another thing that favored us was the condition of the ice. It was so bad that it was tough for guys like [Alex] Semin, [Nicklas] Backstrom and [Alex] Ovechkin to get anything going, the ice was so bad. That was another thing that went our way." was said by Philadelphia Flyer Daniel Briere after Game Seven of last years Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

However, Bruce Boudreau isn't convinced the team has the worst ice in the NHL. After the team's last trip to Ottawa, he told reporters "I’m amazed that here in Canada that that ice could be as bad as it was. That was the worst ice I’ve seen guys skate on in many, many moons. It was embarrassing."

Even owner Ted Leonsis has attempted to field this issue in his blog. He stresses that the ice is improved, but with complaints still from his team's captain, how much more does it need to?

A fair point to be made is that the Caps play on the same ice that their opponents do at any given night. But when teams like the Flyers only visit twice in the regular season, the odds are against the Capitals when it comes to potential injuries.

How would coaches and players respond from the Penguins if Sidney Crosby was injured twisting his ankle in a rut on Verizon Center ice? The Capitals can't afford to take the chances from players like Fedorov and Clark.

If Alexander Ovechkin were injured, the team's championship hopes would likely disintegrate in an instant. Alex Semin, who himself has been sidelined more than once with a "Lower Body Injury", has already had the ice take its toll on him.

The biggest issue with the entire situation is that the owner of the building, Abe Pollin, is apathetic to the wants of the team. Rumors have flown that he doesn't want to do anything to improve the team's ice surface if it would come at additional cost to him.

If that's the case, Leonsis may want to consider purchasing the necessary equipment himself, or look to leaving the building to return to the suburbs or find another place. While Leonsis has first bids and refusal rights to the Chinatown arena if Pollin does sell, the team now should have top-notch ice.

After all, they're finally a top notch hockey team.

Washington Capitals? Washington Bears Is More Like It

Travis Loftis — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:30:51 -0500

Ladies and gentlemen, your first-place Washington Bears!

Really? No.

It's D.C.'s Capitals who are first place in the NHL's Southeast division.

But what that doesn't tell you is how they're doing it.

With fourteen players having hit the injury wire this year, and at times, nine starters being out of the lineup, and with the Caps up against the salary cap, the moves that coach Bruce Boudreau and general manager George McPhee have made have been nothing but stalwart.

Has the team been completely dominant? No, but they've been dominant enough to remain four points ahead of the rival Carolina Hurricanes. Strong or weak, first place in a division is tough, especially with the goaltending issues the Caps have had.

Summer free-agent signee Jose Theodore has been less than spectacular. An 8-6-1 record masks a .888 save percentage and a 3.08 GAA.

Long-time backup goaltender Brent Johnson has had his struggles as well. At 7-4-2, his record and stats are slightly better. But the fact that coach Boudreau has in effect gone with a platoon system bodes well for the Capitals.

It also doesn't hurt to have the game's best power forward in the NHL.

Alex Ovechkin is still a dominant player—though looking at the goal column, you wouldn't know it. His 14 goals in 26 games are good, but his 21 assists are even better.

That being said, it's the call ups that have this team in first. In his first NHL game in his hometown of Calgary, Tyler Sloan had a huge impact. A huge hit sent the Flames Daymond Langkow flying, and Rene Bourque's retaliation drew a 17-minute penalty, and a seven-minute power play. Though the Caps eventually lost that game, Sloan later netted his first goal against the Dallas Stars.

Karl Alzner, the fifth pick in the 2007 NHL entry draft, has come in, and is now playing upwards of twenty minutes a game. He's quiet in his zone, which is good news to a Caps team that in the last few years has had loud defensemen for all the wrong reasons. Through seven games, he's racked up a goal and two assists, to match a plus-one.

Sami Lepisto has been a bit louder, but his role is different. The offensive defenseman, though recently sent down, notched four assists, while playing the point very well.

Forwards Keith Aucoin, Alexander Giroux, Graham Mink, and Chris Bourque, along with defensemen Sean Collins and Bryan Helmer, round out the Chocolate Cavalry that Hershey has sent to save the Caps' season.

Considering that regulars Boyd Gordon, Eric Fehr, Mike Green, Sergei Fedorov, Chris Clark, John Erskine, Tom Poti, Jeff Schultz, and at-the-time league-scoring leader Alexander Semin have all been saddled for significant amounts of time so far with injuries, the fact that this team continues to play first place caliber hockey is amazing.

With that in mind, thinking about what this team can do when they get all of that talent back should lead to nothing but a happy winter, and hopefully late spring, for Washington fans, whether they're cheering on Capitals, Bears, or Stingrays.

Washington Capitals Trade Deadline: What Happened?

Travis Loftis — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:02:02 -0500

Two weeks ago, George McPhee told Caps fans that the team was happy with it's roster - and confident enough in it that very few, if any deals would be made.

One week ago, he addressed the goaltending, making sure we understood he was pleased with the team at that position.

George McPhee needs to go play at the World Poker Tournament. Today, he pulled the wool out of everyone's eyes.

Earlier this season he sent Brian Sutherby to Anaheim for their second round draft pick in 2009. He then passed on Ilya Bryzgalov. Caps fans nearly revolted. The goaltending had not been solid, and Bryzgalov was on waivers...and George McPhee lets him go?

Well, Bryzgalov has been solid, but he's not a proven number one. So far, he's a one season wonder. Well, there's no question the Canadiens did not call McPhee in regards to his second-round draft pick. But when the deal came down, Huet found himself on the way out of Montreal and into D.C.

Huet is a solid number-one goaltender. What he lacks in speed, he makes up for in just knowing how to play a great positional game. Even if he does not start, Olaf Kolzig will be pressured. Having two good goalies is far better than having one.

Huet is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, and will be 33 on July 1st, when free agency begins. It's not unlikely that if he performs well, the Capitals would try to sign him to a three to five year deal. Any concerns about Olaf Kolzig(also a UFA) bridging the gap till Semen Varlamov or Michal Neuwirth make it to the NHL are negated.

This trade surprised many a hockey fan. But who knew it would only be the second most shocking deal that the Caps would make today?

With Michael Nylander out for the year, the Capitals have struggled to fill the void in the second line center position. A rental was possible, but unlikely. Kozlov was ushered in to try and cement a second line. After a few months of this, the Capitals have had enough. Teddy Ruth, a freshman at Notre Dame, but Caps property from the most recent draft, was sent to Columbus for Sergei Fedorov.

Fedorov brings immediate name recognition, and he is still one of the best defensive forwards in the game today. He has only nine goals, and 28 total points, but he will step into the second line center role and make it a line that can put some numbers on the board. He will be used in special team situations as well. Teddy Ruth will not do any of these things - at least, not for a long while. Teddy Ruth will likely never be a household name. Every family with at least one hockey fan in it knows the name of Sergei Fedorov.

Finally, Matt Pettinger had struggled all year. He was sent to Vancouver for Matt Cooke, Agitator. Caps fans love grit. To an extent, Caps fans love a little bit of a dirty side to their players. Scott Stevens and Dale Hunter are two glorified examples. Cooke is like Dale Hunter on the wing - without the offensive prowess. Cooke does not like to fight, but he does plenty of little things to just poke and the opponent, and when he finds a sore in the side, he dives right in.

If Caps fans don't know him now, they'll love him in a few weeks.

Will these moves get the Capitals in the playoffs? Who knows. However, not one of these trades gave up a solid player, and none of them gave up any valuable assets. The team next year will likely be the same, and if any of these guys resign in Washington, it's a solid win for the franchise.

It's been five years since the Capitals have made the playoffs. Ted Leonsis and George McPhee don't want to wait another year.

NHL Trade Deadline: Washington Capitals Weigh Their Options

Travis Loftis — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:10:52 -0500

The Washington Capitals are in a head-to-head race in the Southeast division with three other teams—and one just pulled off a big trade.

The Carolina Hurricanes sent Corey Stillman and Mike Commodore off to Ottawa, and in return getting Joe Corvo and Patrick Eaves.

The biggest question facing the Capitals after this is:: Are the Canes throwing in the towel and banking on next year—having given up two Cup winners with experience for two younger players with upside—or are they locking in with younger and hungrier players?

In the proverbial chess match series between general managers, George McPhee of the Capitals has a tough choice to make—give up young pawns on the verge of being promoted for experienced talent, or let this group that he currently has go for the win, and worry more about the next game.

Should he give up some prospects that are on the cusp, or keep his team as is, let it ripen, and begin next year with what they have?

The Capitals appear to be short in the top six forward positions, top four defensemen, and goaltending. Of these, Olie Kolzig isn't going to move aside for anyone, unless his name is Brent Johnson. Both have similar numbers, which seem mediocre on the goals against and save percentage, but both have decent win/loss records.

The shame in the needs is that they could be filled simply by getting injured players back. Chris Clark could come back from a groin injury, and Brian Pothier from what the Capitals describe as an upper body injury, but what everyone really knows is a concussion and probably post-concussion syndrome.

With Pothier likely done for most of the regular season, if not all, and Eric Fehr nestling in to Chris Clark's spot, the largest glaring gap is the defense.

But who is available?

The problem with so many veteran defensemen on the trading block is that they will be free agents at the end of the year, and the teams giving them up want young potential.

Should the Capitals give up a Chris Bourque or a Sami Lepisto just before they make the jump into the NHL to acquire an Adam Foote?

The answer to that question is no.

George, the last thing you want to do at this point is burn the farm for materials. The farm is finally built. Now all you need to do is let the guys grow up.

The playoff race is likely to be neck and neck for the rest of the year. The Capitals have shown great resolve in just fighting back to this point. It's no time to be greedy.

The Cup is likely just out of reach this year, and next year, the team will have some new young stars waiting to break out. Guys like Karl Alzner, Semen Varlamov, and Eric Fehr will compete for jobs with a few free agents and the current squad.

That current squad will have experience from a playoff race, and possibly even a playoff berth.

The top line of the Caps is currently Viktor Kozlov, Alex Ovechkin, and Nicklas Backstrom. The combined ages of those three players is 75—less than the combined ages (78) of the goaltending tandem in Detroit of Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek.

Why trade for experience when the youth that the team has is about to get a playoff race and maybe a round or two?

George, your best bet is to worry about a rental when your team has a great chance to win the Cup. That might be as soon as next year. And with how things are going now, you may have some experienced prospects to use as your bargaining chips.

Washington Capitals in First Place? Who's Behind it?

Travis Loftis — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 02:32:59 -0500

"Worst to first," the headlines read. They aren't kidding.

Last in the NHL in late November to first in the Southeast Division by February? Who thought that would happen?

But for the Washington Capitals, it is exactly the scenario.

A record of 21-11-4 since Thanksgiving has catapulted them up the standings, and when one looks at those very same standings, one sees a tightly-packed division were the top four teams are separated by two points, and the Lightning are on the outside of that pocket by only five.

Somehow, the Capitals are also the only team who have more wins than regulation losses. Carolina and Atlanta have identical records, at 27-27-4. Florida is 26-27-5.

One thing is certain though—if the Caps make the playoffs, there's going to be some respect for them at the NHL awards show.

Nicklas Backstrom has been nothing short of exemplary since being placed on Alex Ovechkin's line. Even before that, Backstrom was doing his part. Ovechkin's latest tear started when Backstrom was elevated to the first line.

With his major competition being Patrick Kane, based out of Chicago, and the Blackhawks struggling to stay out of last in their division, it'll be a close race. Kane has 46 points with 12 goals, with a -7 +/- rating. With nine goals and 45 points, Backstrom is not off the pace at all, and with a zero in the +/- column (and having gotten up to zero after a disastrous start on line two with Mike Nylander and Tomas Fleischmann), it's amazing he's up to that point.

Quintin Laing has been one of the best call-ups in the NHL so far this year. His five points in 29 games needs to be underscored by the fact that he might just be the NHL's best defensive forward, an award called the Frank J. Selke trophy.

"Block Party" Laing, as he has been called, shows no fear to dive in front of a slap shot. If you have an opportunity, look at a replay of the last two minutes of the Caps and Penguins most recent game in OT. A five-on-three power play was killed off by the Capitals, in no small part thanks to two successive blocked shots by Quintin.

He likely won't win the Selke (he doesn't score enough, and with previous winners being players like Fedorov, the odds are slim), but he should at least be a finalist.

If the Capitals make the playoffs, the Jack Adams Trophy should be renamed the Adams-Boudreau Trophy. A career minor league coach who gets a chance and he's all of a sudden 21-11-4? From worst to first? Who knows?

Hopefully for Caps fans, he keeps the pace up.

There is no doubt that without Alex Ovechkin, this team would be nowhere. He's a leader, as evidenced by his patting each PKers head on that five-on-three in Pittsburgh. He leads the league in goals and points.

If the Capitals make the playoffs, this man is a shoo-in for the Hart.

The other two trophies he's on pace for have no voters. The Richard and Art Ross trophies should be well within his grasp.

Has there ever been a year where the Capitals have had the chance to take home so much hardware?

No.

But for Caps fans, maybe this is the year that turns it around.

What Gary Bettman Should Learn from Richard Zednik's Injury

Travis Loftis — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:21:46 -0500

Richard Zednik will likely go down in history as a Florida Panther.

Unless he is traded to another team and single-handedly wins them a Stanley Cup, his blood-soaked away Panther whites are what people will always remember him in.

Caps fans will likely remember Zednik as that young rookie in the 1997-98 season, who looked like Peter Bondra's little brother. Retooling, the Caps sent him off for Dainius Zubrus. Later, they'd sign him again, only to trade him to the New York Islanders. Zednik would then sign with the Panthers this recent offseason.

Zednik has been very unlucky to say the least. The flu always seems to hit him, and he has taken some vicious checks that ended in some bad injuries.

Nothing had been as bad as what happened last night.

It can't get much worse, either. That young rookie face elated after scoring has been replaced by the look of fear of a 32-year old man clutching his throat in fear, sprinting off the ice.

Thankfully, at time of this being written, Zednik is in stable condition after what is being called a successful surgery.

However, if there's one town with a doctor experienced with this injury, it's Buffalo.

Eighteen years ago, on March 22nd, in the very same town, Clint Malarchuk went down to block a shot, while playing goal for the Buffalo Sabres. What happened next was this writer's first image of hockey—a grown man writhing on the ice, spurting blood in all directions from his neck.

Tragically, an attacking player had been tripped. His skates came up and Malarchuk's throat was cut open.

A night in the hospital, 300-plus stitches later, and Malarchuk was released. Two weeks later, he was playing again.

Zednik has an advantage Malarchuk did not. Malarchuk went down, and stayed down. Trainers came to him. Zednik skated immediately to the bench, where pressure was immediately applied.

Did this make the difference in life and death? Maybe not. Did it make the difference between playing again and not? More likely.

Blood loss can lead rapidly to the brain not receiving needed oxygen. This can lead to brain damage and in many cases, exsanguination, or death by blood loss. In a more recent case, the Sean Taylor tragedy, this is exactly what occurred.

Zednik and Malarchuk had one more thing in common—they were at the same point before the injury Washington Capitals. Both were only in DC for their last stints there for a year before signing elsewhere.

The biggest shame in this nightmare is that the NHL had previously failed to see the need for throat guards for all players. The primary leagues up until the NHL do require them. Is it going to take an on-ice fatality, another Bill Masterton or a Bengt Aakerblom (Sweden), to get the NHL to take action?

Roberto Luongo has taken a slapshot to the throat. Fortunately he was okay, but what about the defensemen who don't wear even a visor, and only sport a loose fitting helmet?

Gary Bettman, it's time to wise up—grandfather in visors and throat guards, for all players.

If players complain, show them clips of this, Malarchuk, Aakerblom, and Luongo until they stop. The NFL went from no helmets, to leather helmets, to barred helmets to protect the entire face. Maybe it's time the NHL followed suit.

Besides, if a Crosby or Ovechkin were to be lying dead on the ice from a skate to the throat, the NHL would die too. If a 10-year-old has to wear one in youth hockey, then why is it a bad idea to wear one at the professional level?

What Does a Hockey Fan Do on Super Sunday?

Travis Loftis — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:59:03 -0500

Hockey fans, the dreaded day arrives soon.

The day when no matter what beautiful goal Rick Nash scores, or what great shutout Roberto Luongo makes with 48 dazzling saves, or what huge hit that Alexander Ovechkin throws—it will never see national television in the United States.

Super Bowl Sunday. Ugh.

The fact is, a record number of people will tune in to see Tom Brady and Eli Manning's teams duke it out to see which is the best football team in '07-'08.

They'll tune in to see if the Patriots can go 19-0, and go undefeated.

So?

The fact of the matter is, most of the time in the Super Bowl, one team blows the other team out. It's best of one. The losing team doesn't get a second chance. The game is boring. The halftime show and commercials are debated more than who won, and why.

Aren't you glad for the Stanley Cup Finals?

They won't be watched by as many people. The NHL's brass will probably find a way to get it shown on the least amount of televisions in the United States possible.

But how many Lombardi trophies have been made?

Forty-two, it seems.

How many Stanley Cups are there?

One.

Ok, so there are three, if you want to get technical.

No trophy in sports is more recognized. No trophy has more stories about it.

How many times has the Lombardi trophy been punted into a river? How many times has it had champagne drank from it? How many times has it found its way into an alley, or into the bottom of a pool?

Fact of the matter is, the Stanley Cup means more.

And deservedly so—it's harder to win than any sports trophy there is.

Football players can play 19 games, and they get their rings. Baseball players have to play 162, and then maybe 19 more. But you only have to beat three teams in the playoffs. Basketball, it seems, you just need to get traded to a contender.

Playoff hockey is unlike any other sport, including hockey from the regular season. Holes are gone. Players get hit harder. Games can stretch on until 2 A.M. on Easter morning. And the tension in sudden death overtime? Oh, it's there.

To top it all off, you play a best of seven series against the other conference's best team.

The last time there was a blow-out in the Stanley Cup Finals, it was 1998. Four games of dominant hockey by the Detroit Red Wings, led by the honor of Vladimir Konstantinov.

Sure beats the Super Bowl, no?

Look on the bright side, hockey fans. From Super Sunday, there's only two months to go.

In Bruce We Trust: Washington Capitals Thrive Under Boudreau

Travis Loftis — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 04:37:52 -0500

After a January 9th win over the Colorado Avalanche, the Washington Capitals are sitting at 18-20-5.

Their 41 points leave them tied for third in their division and 12th in the Eastern Conference.

On Thanksgiving, Caps fans woke up and found their team dead last in the NHL at 6-14-1...and begging for a change.

That change's name was Bruce Boudreau, and what a change the new coach has been.

Since the switch behind the bench, the Caps are 12-6-4, an incredible record. The old-school coach is firing up his players with a new offensive scheme, and it's taking the NHL by storm.

But as the cliché goes, a team is never standing still, and can only be going up or down. So, how do the Caps make sure to keep going up instead of down?

The key at this point is realizing that nothing is out of the realm of possibility for the Caps this year. They could go on a tear and finish third in the Eastern Conference, as division winners, and it wouldn't surprise anyone given the current state of the Southeast.

As it stands, the Caps are seven points out of that spot.

How do they get there?

Well, more of the same, really.

The Caps are soon going to be faced with some very difficult choices, as the team will be getting three very talented players off of IR in Chris Clark, Tom Poti, and Brian Pothier. These three routinely lead the team in quality minutes at even strength, on the power play, and, with the exception of Pothier, on the penalty kill.

The problem is that the recent play of Quentin Laing shows he deserves to be in Washington—not riding a bus around the AHL. The Capitals will be unable to sneak anyone back to Hershey without putting him on waivers, and so their options become cut or trade.

How does GM George McPhee address this situation?

He evaluates his assets, and he moves something. A trade could behoove the Capitals greatly, depending on its scope.

The top four lines are set; the only possible change would be highly-touted but injury-stung Eric Fehr cracking the top club. Fehr's debut last night in Hershey saw him notch an assist, which is great news for anyone who has seen him play.

All told, the system of two scoring lines, one energy line, and one grind line seem to be working in DC. The Caps' problems stem from poor play in their own end, and a top defender could change that.

Depending on who's selling come the deadline, the Capitals could easily package Shaone Morrisonn, Milan Jurcina, Matt Pettinger, or Matt Bradley with some draft picks for a player like Adam Foote, maybe in a two-for-one swap.

The need for a veteran stay-at-home defenseman has been glaring. It's the only hole the Caps need to fill, and it's the only thing keeping them from contender status.

Hopefully McPhee realizes this, and makes a move to bring in a player instead of draft picks, as is his custom.

With all of the free agents the Caps need to sign in the coming offseason (a young Russian scorer named Alex Ovechkin and a great young defenseman named Mike Green come to mind), a playoff run could go a long way towards solidifying the roster.

And with Bruce Boudreau's current 105-point pace over a full season, who knows what next year could bring.