Bleacher Report - Articles by Dave Nichols

Minus Alex Ovechkin, Capitals Tame Toothless Panthers 6-2

Dave Nichols — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:29:16 -0500

Washington, D.C.—The Washington Capitals received six goals from five different players, and goalie Semyon Varlamov was not dented until well after the outcome had been decided, as the Caps cruised to a 6-2 win over a very tired Florida Panthers team, before not quite a capacity crowd at Verizon Center.

Florida was playing its third game in four nights, beating Colorado in overtime last night at home, and it really showed.

The Panthers never really had their legs, and it got worse as the night went on, as they took penalty after penalty, accumulating with rookie Mike Duco taking seven minutes worth of major penalty time for instigating and fighting (plus a misconduct and game misconduct) after he jumped Alexandre Giroux solely because Giroux had the temerity to finish a heavy check behind the Panther goal.

Capitals coach Bruce Boudeau was pointed on his assessment of Duco's play, on which the Caps scored twice, putting the game out of reach. "You get a good hit, and not a hard hit, and you take exception to a hit?" he said. "It's stupid. It's a dumb thing and [Duco] took their team totally out of a chance to win the game."

As for the Caps scoring, it was early, often, and varied. Alexander Semin, returning from a seven game absence with a wrist injury, scored twice, the first on a wicked wrist shot to start the festivities, and later on the seven minute power play.

"[Semin] didn't miss a beat at all," Brendan Morrison (power play goal, two assists) said. "He got us going with an early goal, a beautiful goal -- a toe drag and a great shot. Not too many guys can do that. It got us going on the bench."

Asked about the performance of the "other" Alex, Boudreau quipped, "He was well-rested. He should have had a lot of energy."

The Caps got three power play goals in twelve chances, something they have been struggling with in recent games. And Matt Bradley added a short-handed marker—a "change-up" as he described it—the first for Washington this season.

Washington outshot Florida 44-28, a testament to the complete domination of a very tired team.

"They could have been a little tired," Morrison said. "We talked about getting on them early."

"I like the way we followed the game plan in the beginning [because] we thought they would be tired," Boudreau said of the Panthers, who got into D.C. around 3:00 am. "[If] we attacked them early and got them down early, they wouldn't have the strength to come back. It worked well."

Captain Chris Clark talked about the defensive effort being triggered by the good puck movement on offense. "Our good defense came from us having the puck in the offensive zone."

"We had a lot of chances at the net and we just kept piling on down low and not turning the puck over on the blue lines or up high where they could get an odd-man rush."

Varlamov made 26 saves on 28 shots, and made just one mistake—allowing a big rebound to Steven Weiss, who followed his own shot and beat the young netminder to get Florida on the board. The Panthers got another one just a few moments later on a puck the looked like it was redirected twice.

The win was the Capitals' fourth straight overall and it improved their record against the Southeast Division to 6-0-0.

It's also the third win in three games against Florida, all without Alex Ovechkin. The Great Eight missed the first two contests with his shoulder injury and tonight's affair due to his two-game suspension for a kneeing game misconduct against Carolina Monday night.

The Caps play without Ovechkin again Saturday night against a reeling Philadelphia Flyers squad, who lost 3-0 to Vancouver this evening.

Memo to Washington Nationals: Stay the Course

Dave Nichols — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:14:02 -0500

There are plenty in the Natosphere that want Mike Rizzo and the Washington Nationals to make a big splash and sign a bunch of free agents this winter to improve the product on the field.

After two straight 100-loss seasons, I'm sure Rizzo is tempted to make a run at Matt Holliday, John Lackey, etc.

But prudence, rather than exuberance, should rule the day.

If you take a good look at the Nats' 2010 lineup, the hitters are credible enough to imitate a wild card caliber team.

If Nyjer Morgan can replicate his season from last year (minus the season-ending injury) and Cristian Guzman has one .300-hitting season left in him, those are decent enough table setters in front of All-Star 3B Ryan Zimmerman and sluggers Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham.

The six-seven-eight hitters are going to be a combination of Elijah Dukes in right field, Jesus Flores (once healthy) at catcher, and Ian Desmond at shortstop.

That's solid at the plate, and somewhat better in the field, with Desmond replacing Guzman at short and the Guz sliding over to second base.

The problem is pitching, both starting and relieving.

Rizzo went on record last summer stating a preference for finding two starters to take some of the pressure off youngsters John Lannan, Ross Detwiler, Garrett Mock, Collin Balester, J.D. Martin, and Craig Stammen at the major league level, while not rushing the more highly regarded prospects still in the minors, such as Stephen Strasburg, Aaron Thompson, Brad Meyers, Drew Storen, et al.

There's even more talent in the lower minors, with '09 draftees Trevor Holder and A.J. Morris just coming into their first full season as professionals.

Should the Nats spend $20 million this offseason, just because they have it?

Already one of the lower payrolls in the big leagues, the Nats see at least that much coming off the books this season, as the contracts of Dmitri Young, Ronnie Belliard, Nick Johnson, and Austin Kearns all either expired, were traded, or bought out.

They could even afford to offer Scott Olsen arbitration, get stuck with a 25-year-old lefty recovering from shoulder surgery, and still have Monopoly money to throw around.

But again, should they?

There are two "Type A" free agent starters available this season, John Lackey and Randy Wolf. Signing either would require the Nats to surrender a draft pick in the 2010 draft.

For a club whose best players are still several years from their prime, this doesn't seem to be prudent to me.

There are a bunch of "Type B" starters available that might be interesting, costing the Nats a little less—a second round pick. But most of these players are either injury cases (Erik Bedard, Justin Duchscherer, Rich Harden, Carl Pavano), old (Randy Johnson, Andy Pettitte), of questionable pedigree (Doug Davis, Braden Looper, Jason Marquis, Joel Pineiro), or just bat-guano crazy (Vicente Padilla).

Do the Nats give up a chunk of the future to acquire any of these gentlemen? There's not a name in there that doesn't scare me to one degree or another.

If the Type B's frighten, you can imagine what the rest of the list looks like. Reclamation projects, one-hit wonders, and former Nats (Odalis Perez or Daniel Cabrera) anyone?

My advice to Rizzo? If you want to take a chance rolling the dice on Doug Davis, Joel Pineiro, or Jarrod Washburn, and can do it reasonably, vaya con dios.

Otherwise, let the stable of young guys that you have fight it out again this season, bolster your bullpen with the rest, wait for Jordan Zimmermann to recover from Tommy John surgery and Stephen Strasburg to arrive next season, and THEN supplement with a veteran starter.

Just because you have $20 million to spend doesn't mean you should.

Alex Ovechkin Suspended Two Games: Is He Aggressive, Reckless, or Dirty?

Dave Nichols — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:34:10 -0500

According to ESPN.com, and confirmed by Capitals Insider, Alex Ovechkin has been suspended for two games following his second game misconduct ejection in three games for the kneeing major he was assessed in Monday night's 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.

"I regret that this has happened," Ovechkin said in a statement released by the league. "I'm glad that Tim [Gleason] wasn't injured because I never ever want to see anyone get hurt. I am disappointed to miss these games and I can't wait to get back on the ice next week to help my team."

Ovechkin skated before practice today for a couple of minutes and was listed as "day-to-day" with a sore right knee. The diagnosis is much better than the original fears from watching the 235-pound winger collide with Hurricanes defenseman Gleason and writhe on the ice for several moments before being helped from the ice by Capitals trainer Greg Smith and center Nicklas Backstrom.

Reaction around the league, from players and coaches to Web sites and blogs, is mixed. Is Ovechkin simply an aggressive player, built in the mode of Bobby Clarke and Rocket Richard? Is he, in the words of his own coach today, reckless? Or, as many Penguins fans would tell you, is he one of the dirtiest players in all of hockey?

My personal feeling is along the lines of coach Bruce Boudreau. Ovechkin plays with a reckless abandon that, to this point, has carried him to two Hart Trophies. From The Washington Post's Capitals Insider:

Q: Does he need to change the way he plays?

Boudreau: He's pretty reckless. It's hard telling a guy that scores 60 goals a year to change the way he plays. At the same time, I don't want to see him getting hurt. Maybe he has to pick his spots a little better. ...

You're lining guys up a lot of times and going to hit them, and once they move, everything gets exposed. Human nature is to react; if you've got a bead on them, if you're a hockey player, is to continue to try to hit him. It's something that has to be addressed by us, I guess.

Ovechkin does indeed need to "pick his spots" better, and last night's check was a prime example. He's 175 feet from his own goal, attacking a defenseman that was moving away from him in a response from a big check on his center, Backstrom, moments earlier.

That instance was neither the time, or the place, for payback. The game was very much in doubt, tied at 1, and only bad things could have resulted from the open-ice hit, from a minor roughing or charging penalty to a major injury for one or both of the parties.

What I'm saying is the hit was unnecessary and avoidable.

I am of the opinion that the boarding call he got against Patrick Kaleta of Buffalo last week was a completely different situation, and the game misconduct was not warranted.

In that matter, Ovechkin hit Kaleta shoulder-to-shoulder, and Kaleta saw the hit coming—then put his head down and steered himself toward the boards before Ovechkin hit him—making the situation appear worse than it actually was.

But since Kaleta's visor opened a gash on his face, the referee was left in the unenviable position of justifying the "injury" with the misconduct.

But Ovechkin's history is now littered with questionable hits. From his boarding of Daniel Briere three seasons ago, to the knee-on-knee hit against Sergei Gonchar in last season's playoffs, to the two game misconducts in the past week, and several others not mentioned here, the best goal-scorer in the league now has a rap sheet as long as anyone in the league.

And with it comes a two-game suspension and official placement on the "repeat offender" list.

Bleacher Report denizens, you decide. Take the poll and let everyone know how you feel in the comments.

Is Ovechkin aggressive, reckless, or dirty?

Injury To Alex Ovechkin Overshadows Capitals Win Over Carolina

Dave Nichols — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:39:04 -0500

The Washington Capitals got two goals from Nicklas Backstrom and 38 saves from Jose Theodore, making his first start in over two weeks, to beat Southeast Division foe Carolina on the road, 3-1.

But more importantly to the Capitals (16-5-6) was an injury to their two-time reigning Hart Trophy winner, Alex Ovechkin.

Ovechkin, trying to check Carolina defenseman Tim Gleason, sustained an apparent right knee injury when the two collided knee-to-knee in the first period.

The team released a statement to say that Ovechkin will not have an MRI tonight, but rather wait until the swelling goes down to get a better assessment of the injury.

The rugged left winger was observed by members of the press walking, apparently without crutches or a brace, on his way to the team bus after the game.

After Backstrom was wiped out by a big hit moments earlier, Ovechkin lined up Gleason for a hard check. Gleason managed to move his upper body to avoid the hit high, but their lower bodies collided, with Ovechkin taking the brunt of the contact. Gleason returned to the ice just a couple of shifts later.

Ovechkin was assessed a kneeing major penalty and game misconduct on the play, and the team managed to kill off the five-minute major. Coming on the heels of his recent boarding penalty against Buffalo last week, the league will have to review the hit and consider disciplinary action.

This type of play will only go to further reinforce some people's opinion that Ovechkin plays with a reckless, irresponsible, abandon. And as far as intention from the type of play that it was, much more can be read into this one than the hit against Buffalo, where he hit the player shoulder-to-shoulder.

What we do know about Ovechkin's style of play is that he is relentless, willing, and relishes the opportunity to throw his body around in a rough, tough, aggressive manner. And there are even those that say that Ovechkin plays "dirty."

Regardless of opinion, this is his second game misconduct in less than two weeks, prompting an automatic review and possible suspension.

But the disciplinary measures are secondary right now compared to the concerns about Ovechkin's health.

Meanwhile, Theodore played a magnificent game, especially early. Carolina got 13 shots on goal in the game's first six minutes, and the veteran goalie, who had not played since Nov. 14, was equal to the task.

Backstrom had a big game as well, netting two goals. He tipped in a nice feed from Ovechkin before the injury, and had a nice back-hander to beat Michael Leighton, who was badly out of position.

Eric Fehr buried his seventh goals of the season as well, completing a two-on-one with Backstrom.

So the Washington Capitals organization and faithful will hold their collective breath overnight as everyone awaits Ovechkin's date with the team orthopedist tomorrow morning. It's impossible to speculate at this point what the extent of the injury is until the results of his examination are released.

But Ovechkin, one of the toughest players in the NHL pound-for-pound, was delicately assisted from the ice, clearly hanging his right leg limp, unable to put any of his weight on the leg.

Ovechkin's injury, and the circumstances surrounding it, are matters that go beyond the Capitals community. The two-time MVP is one of the faces on the NHL, and expected to carry the torch for the Russian Olympic team in Vancouver in February.

His absence for an extended period of time would hurt the league and put a serious dent in Russia's Olympic hopes.

It's safe to say that the world's hockey community will anxiously await the Capitals' team doctor's diagnosis.

Rookie Karl Alzner Plays Important Role in Washington Capitals Win Over Montreal

Dave Nichols — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:10:46 -0500

The Washington Capitals stormed out of the gates, going up 2-0 midway through the first period. But the home-standing Montreal Canadiens scored three straight goals in the second and third periods and looked to be controlling the game.

But Eric Fehr snuck a rebound attempt underneath Carey Price with 11.4 seconds remaining with the Caps playing six-on-four, and Nick Backstrom beat Price with a snap shot in the third round of the shootout to lift the Caps over the Canadiens, before a raucous, sellout crowd at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Things got off to an encouraging start for the Capitals (15-5-6). Fehr and Alex Ovechkin scored 1:12 apart in the first period to take a serious 2-0 lead, and minutes later, Ovechkin came in alone on a breakaway on Price. The "Great Eight" put a quick deke on the netminder and went to his forehand, but Price was equal to the task, keeping his team in the game long enough to get them started.

Montreal (12-12-2) answered pretty quickly in the second period. With Jay Beagle in the box for a "light" tripping penalty, Jaroslav Spacek landed a blast from the point to cut the deficit in half at 5:40.

Ten minutes later, Tomas Plekanec lifted a backhand past Semyon Varlamov (21 saves on 24 shots) after a scrum in front of the net. Plekanec got behind Karl Alzner in the confusion, but it was a hiccup in the rookie's otherwise terrific game, just his second of the season. In 16:57 of total ice time, he had an even rating, and assisted on Fehr's first goal, when his shot from the point was redirected by Fehr short side against Price.

Montreal took the lead at 5:34 of the third, with Travis Moen getting credit for a tip-in of Marc-Andre Bergeron's booming slap shot from the point. The goal came at the end of a power play, one where the Caps played over a minute down two men. They killed off the five-on-three, but long their energy just at the end of the shift to give up the big shot.

Things looked bleak in the dwindling minutes of the final frame. Price came up huge on several occasions, but he himself almost made the fatal mistake. With less than two minutes remaining, he tried to clear a puck along the boards, but sent it right to the tape of Brendan Morrison.

The veteran pivot put the shot on net, but Price got just enough of it to push it out of the goal.

The Caps would get the last, best chance though. With Varlamov off for the extra skater at the 1:30 mark, Washington got good pressure on the Montreal net. At 19:44, Paul Mara was whistled for high-sticking, giving the Caps an offensive zone draw.

Nick Backstrom got tied up on the draw, but turned his body into Plekanec and kicked the puck back to Mike Green at the point. He sent the puck across the rink to Ovechkin at the opposite point, who unleashed a blast that Price turned away.

But Fehr was in the right place at the right time, and slid the puck just underneath Price for the equalizer.

Overtime was scoreless, then both goalies stopped the first two shooters in the shootout. Varlamov then stoned Plekanec after the Canadien went way wide and then tried to go short side, but the young Russian netminder got his left pad down to close the door.

Backstrom then got his chance, and he did not disappoint. He went straight at Price, and fired a snap shot stick side that left the goalie defenseless.

The Caps now head down to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes Monday night at 7:00 pm.

Washington Capitals' Semyon Varlamov Growing Into No.1 Role, Shuts Out Sabres

Dave Nichols — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:12:45 -0500

Washington, D.C.: Semyon Varlamov made the saves, Alex Ovechkin and Eric Fehr scored the goals, and the Caps' penalty killers put the clamps on in the third period, as the Washington Capitals shut out the Buffalo Sabres 2-0 before a capacity crowd at the house that Abe Pollin built, in the first hockey game since the Capitals' original owner passed away Tuesday.

The young goaltender made 25 saves for his first career regular season shutout, many in spectacular fashion, especially in the third period.

Varlamov needed to be on his game, as did the Caps penalty killers, in the final frame. Their leader, Alex Ovechkin, drew a five minute boarding major, with the accompanying game misconduct that went along with it.

Ovechkin ran into Patrick Kaleta just 3:38 into the third period from behind, sending the Sabre into the boards face-first. The replay showed that Ovechkin hit Kaleta in the shoulder, but the hit was hard enough at full-speed to earn the call, much to the chagrin of the Verizon Center faithful.

"I just go take a hit and [Kaleta] just fell in the boards. ... Max, it's got to be two minutes," Ovechkin said.

"We just watched it a half a dozen times...Kaleta saw him coming," coach Bruce Boudreau explained after the game. "It might have warranted a two-minute minor, but I don't think it warranted anything more than that."

Regardless, Ovechkin would watch the rest of this one from the locker room.

The Caps killed the five-minute major, and was given a brief reprieve as Craig Rivet took a two-minute tripping penalty in the middle of it.

"You lose the most prolific scorer on the planet Earth, which is tough," defenseman Brian Pothier said. "But you have to kill a five-minute penalty. As Ovie's skating off the ice, we're telling him, 'We've got this one for you.' He does so much for our team. Every night, he bails us out. We could sure do it for him."

They also killed a two-minute delay of game penalty on an especially lazy play by Mike Green behind his own net, as he lofted the puck off the ice.

Behind the killers, though, Varlamov was rock solid. He was tight on the posts and even made a couple of nice glove saves as the time ticked away.

"Varly was solid," Boudreau said. "It was like he was saying, 'I'm not going to let this happen to me again in the third period.'"

Ovechkin opened the scoring in the first period, taking a puck between the Caps' circles, carried into the offensive zone, skated across the high slot, and flung a wrist shot past Sabres goalie Ryan Miler (22 saves). It was his 17th of this campaign.

Eric Fehr got the insurance goal at 13:38 of the third. Brendan Morrison won an offensive zone draw back to Mike Green, who slapped a pass to the end boards, where Morrison gained control.

The pivot then skated the puck behind the net and found Fehr standing on the doorstep, unmolested by Sabres defense.

Fehr banged the puck past Miller for his fourth goal of the season.

But the 21-year old netminder was the biggest story of the game. He is 4-0-2 in his last six games with a goals against under 1.50.

He seems to have wrested the mantel of No. 1 goalie from Jose Theodore, who was not playing at the top of his game even before his recent sabbatical.

Varlamov, through an interpreter, was succinct in his assessment of his performance, "I've gotten over being nervous."

Music to Caps fans' ears.

Washington Nationals See Minor League All-Stars As Hope For The Future

Dave Nichols — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:57:39 -0500

The Topps Company, in conjunction with Minor League Baseball, named their 2009 Class A All-Stars today, and two Washington Nationals prospects were on the team.

Shortstop Danny Espinosa, who plays for Potomac of the Carolina League, was named to the team. From the press release:

Danny Espinosa (22), of Santa Ana, Calif., scored 90 runs for the Potomac Nationals, tops in the Carolina League. He also led league third baseman with a .965 fielding percentage. Espinosa ranked in the top five in the circuit in homers (18), walks (74), on-base percentage (.375) and extra base hits (53). The Washington Nationals tabbed him in the third round in 2008 out of Long Beach State (CA) University.

Derek Norris, catcher for Hagerstown of the South Atlantic League, was named as a designated hitter. His press bio:

Derek Norris (20), of Goddard, Kansas, finished among the top five in the South Atlantic League in homers (23), extra-base hits (53), RBI (84), runs (78) and slugging percentage (.513). The Hagerstown Suns catcher led the league with a .413 on-base percentage and 90 walks in being named the SAL’s Most Outstanding Major League Prospect. The Washington Nationals tabbed Norris out of high school in the fourth round in 2007.

Espinosa is fresh off his experience in the Arizona Fall League, where he acquitted himself quite well. Norris was supposed to play in Arizona as well, but broke the hamate bone in his hand and had to have surgery to remove it. He was thus forced to miss the top off-season prospect league, but is expected to be ready for spring training.

These two position players, along with 1B Chris Marrero and SS Ian Desmond, and pitchers Stephen Strasburg, Drew Storen and Bradley Meyers, represent some of the best the Nats have to offer in the minor leagues. They give fans a glimpse into what could be a promising not-too-distant future.

And now that the organization has given general manager Mike Rizzo the tools he needs (scouts and numbers crunchers), there's reason to hope for the restoration of quality baseball in the nation's capital.

Let's hope that Rizzo doesn't get caught up worrying about 2010's record and ties the club up with lousy contracts to mediocre pitchers, all in the name of inching closer to .500.

The real promise lies with these minor leaguers, along with All-Star Ryan Zimmerman and a few other bits and pieces already at the major league level.

Rizzo is faced with some interesting challenges as well this season.

Is he a buyer or seller? If the team is faced with another 90 or 100 losses at mid-season, does he trade away 1B Adam Dunn and LF Josh Willingham, or does he give them extensions?

All interesting questions as the winter meetings approach.

One thing is for sure: there's talent coming. A little bit at a time, maybe, but it is coming.

Capitals-Senators: Caps "Collapse" in Third, Lose to Sens 4-3 in OT

Dave Nichols — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:21:18 -0500

The Washington Capitals, as they have so many times this season , dominated through two periods, taking a 3-1 lead into the final frame against the Ottawa Senators Monday evening.

What followed was "a collapse by 20 guys and I don't know how else to sugarcoat it," according to coach Bruce Boudreau after the game.

Ottawa scored twice in the third to tie and Mike Fisher, the NHL's No. 3 star of the week last week, batted home a centering pass from Chris Phillips past Semyon Varlamov (33 saves) in overtime to seal Washington's fate.

The Capitals (13-5-6), tied for the lead in the Eastern Conference with Pittsburgh, lost for the fourth time in five games (1-2-2) during a very trying time on the schedule, and with the accumulation of injuries across the team.

Missing again from the lineup were Alexander Semin, Milan Jurcina, Boyd Gordon, Shaone Morrisonn, Tom Poti, Mike Knuble and Quintin Laing.

No one wants to blame injuries and the schedule for the recent troubles, but reasons are different than excuses.

"I don't think the problem was physical," center David Steckel said. "I just think mentally we shut it down."

"It's a tough loss. I still can't really believe that we let it slip away," said Jay Beagle, who registered his first NHL goal to give the Caps a two-goal lead. "I scored but at the same point you're disappointed with the loss so it's kind of a bitter feeling."

Washington has allowed a power play goal that has tied or been the go-ahead goal in the third period eight times this season, and unfortunately the trend continued.

Three penalties in the third period made playing with the lead more dangerous than it should have been. Ottawa tied it up with Alex Ovechkin in the box for a questionable roughing call. "I think he just go low and I just hit him," Ovechkin said. "But I don't take a penalty."

The Caps could do nothing with a gift later in the period, as the Senators were whistled for too many men on the ice.

"They wanted it more. We take three dumb penalties, they get the momentum, they get the crowd into it and we leave our poor goalie out to dry," Boudreau said.

"What happens a lot to us is that we go two periods without a penalty and then all of a sudden it's, well, 'We got to call something on them.' And you get a cheap one. But at least two of them were deserved."

Washington out shot Ottawa 25-15 through the first two periods of play, but the table was reversed in the third, as the Sens dominated, beating the Caps in shots 18-3.

The Caps got first period goals from Chris Clark (2) and Brendan Morrison (8) to take the early 2-1 lead, and Beagle got his first in the second period, which should have made things comfortable in the third period.

But it seems like lately, when things should be comfortable, that's when the Capitals have their most trouble.

The Caps are off until Wednesday night, when they host the Buffalo Sabres at 7:00 pm at Verizon Center.

Capitals-Canadiens: Caps' Last Shot Rings Post, Not Bell in 3-2 Loss to Habs

Dave Nichols — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:39:47 -0500

With 19 seconds remaining in the game and trailing by one, Mike Green hit the right post flush and the puck gently came to rest underneath Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price, and the Washington Capitals' best chance to tie up a game they struggled in was whistled dead.

Two ensuing faceoffs provided no more help, and the Caps (13-5-4) fell 3-2 before a capacity crowd at the Verizon Center Friday night.

Washington played the final 1:52 on a power play, and much of the time played with a six-to-four man advantage.

"There was a lot of red out there," Price said about the last two minutes to the media after the game. "Especially when I lost my stick. I've got six players against four with no stick. That makes it pretty tough."

Tough, but obviously not impossible.

The Capitals found themselves down 3-1 midway through the third period due to an uneven, sometimes sloppy performance.

With several players wearing jersey numbers in the 70s and 80s, Washington resembled a traveling preseason squad.

Missing from the lineup were such regulars as Alexander Semin, Mike Knuble, Boyd Gordon, Quintin Laing, Milan Jurcina, Shaone Morrisonn and Jose Theodore. In were 21-year old Michal Neuvirth, 19-year old John Carlson and others that started the season in AHL Hershey, such as Mathieu Perrault and Jay Beagle.

It's no wonder the Capitals looked like a different team in the first period of the game. They are a different team.

"It's easy to rip on your players when you lose to a team that's below you in the standings," Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said, "but I thought Montreal played a strong game. The biggest thing was I didn't think we were ready at the start of the game."

Regardless, you have to play with what you have, and tonight the Caps just weren't ready out of the gate, despite taking the early lead.

"We got the sense of urgency in the last two periods," he added. "Sometimes it's too late when the other goalie is on top of his game."

Eric Fehr struck with the only goal in the first period. After good forechecking by Perrault and David Steckel, Fehr beat Price with a rising wrist shot as Steckel skated right in front of the Montreal goaltender.

But Les Habitants registered the next three tallies, including two goals in 2:47 in the second period. There was a deflection and a bounce off a Capitals player, so youngster Neuvirth (19 saves) can't really be faulted too hard on either.

"He did what a starting pitcher is supposed to do," Boudreau said of the goalie, making his first start of the season. "He kept us in the game. And we didn't take advantage of it."

The Canadiens' last goal was a rocket by Mike Cammilleri on a questionable power play midway through the third period.

It was at that time the Caps woke up, but it was too little, too late.

Washington got its second goal off a terrific shot-pass from Green to Brendan Morrison, who then beat Price with a backhander as he skated through the crease, setting up the final two-minute flurry.

Despite the onslaught, the Caps never did get the equalizer.

There is no rest for the weary, though. The team loaded up for their charter immediately after the game for a 7:00 p.m. road faceoff with the woeful Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow.

Hopefully, they find their legs earlier Saturday evening than they did Friday.

NOTES: Carlson made his NHL debut and acquitted himself well. He led the team in hits and rang a shot off the post in the first period in a bid for his first goal.

"I thought [he] played well," Boudreau commented. "He's going to be a good player in this league for a long time."

Defenseman Tom Poti left in the second period with an undisclosed upper body injury. He is listed day-to-day, and Boudreau indicated the team will call up another player for Saturday's game. This implies that Shaone Morrisonn, Milan Jurcina and Poti all will be unavailable.

Washington Nationals Hope To Build Foundation for Winning

Dave Nichols — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:42:54 -0500

The Washington Nationals announced today the hiring of Jim Riggleman's 2010 field staff.

Some of the names we knew. Others? Not so much. But the new names certainly aren't new to the skipper, each having extensive experience working alongside Riggleman at various points in their careers.

Returning are Rick Eckstein (hitting coach), Steve McCatty (pitching coach), and Pat Listach (infield/third base coach).

The new hires are John McLaren (bench coach), Dan Radison (first base coach), and Jim Lett (bullpen coach).

What's apparent (and important) is that the organization allowed Riggleman the opportunity to bring in folks he was familiar and comfortable with.

Radison worked with Riggleman in Chicago and San Diego, and Eckstein in St. Louis, while Lett was with the Dodgers when Riggleman was Jim Tracy's bench coach.

And of course, Riggleman was MacLaren's bench coach in Seattle, and took over for MacLaren when he was dismissed in the 2008 midseason.

These announcements come on the heels of a busy offseason addressing the needs of the front office. General Manager Mike Rizzo has been extremely busy filling out a roster of lieutenants that will do a bulk of the legwork in rebuilding this organization, essentially, from top to bottom.

Of course, there are some pieces already in place. Ryan Zimmerman established himself as a star in 2009, and Stephen Strasburg (his recent knee injury notwithstanding) and Drew Storen are not too far from helping out the major league pitching staff.

But most of the minor league rosters are still full of sub-par draft picks, conducted when Jim Bowden was still in charge, and the upper minors are especially barren.

But Rizzo has had two drafts to start to refill the cupboards, and now he has a lot of help in that regard.

Rizzo has hired 17 full-time staff members this offseason, mostly filling empty positions. He brought in Davey Johnson as his senior advisor to be a trusted right-hand man in baseball decisions.

Rizzo also brought in valued executives, scouts, and numbers crunchers, and to a man, they all described Rizzo as the reason they left their previous organizations to come to a team that has lost 100-plus games two years running.

Hopefully, some top-notch personnel that actually play the game will feel the same way once the free agent signing period opens up.

Unsung Hero Matt Bradley Paces Capitals Over Rangers

Dave Nichols — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:06:43 -0500

Matt Bradley was in the the right place twice last night in the Washington Capitals 4-2 win over the New York Rangers, and he made the right plays both times.

First, he took on Rangers tough guy Aaron Voros, trading wild right hand punches that left the smaller Bradley bloodied about his left eye, requiring six stitches. Later, he gathered in a loose puck, shielded rookie defenseman Matt Gilroy, and beat Henrik Lundqvist high to the glove side to break a 2-2 tie in the third period.

Bradley, one of the team's unsung heroes, was typically nonchalant about the fight, which seemed to spark the entire Capitals team. "It didn't bother me. I could feel the blood coming, but there is no pain or anything. It's just one of those things that is more annoying than anything. You have to go in and get stitches and you have to miss five minutes."

"It's amazing," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said of his winger's performance after the game. "He got cut pretty good, came back, and was instrumental in us winning. He's got oodles of character."

The game marked the return of Alex Ovechkin to Washington's line-up. The two-time Hart Trophy winner had missed the previous six games with an upper body injury, and he returned with a flourish, banging home a one-timer from the point on a power play in the first period for his 15th goal of the season.

Ovechkin also doled out several hits, so it appears the injury will not keep him from playing the physical game he is accustomed to.

Semyon Varlamov made 18 saves on 20 shots to earn the win, and joins a small group of goalies to win 12 of their first 14 NHL decisions.

And, Boudreau hit the 100 win mark for his career, the fourth fastest in NHL history to reach the century mark.

But the game Tuesday night belonged to Bradley, the scrappy fourth line winger. His fourth goal of the season lifted his team in the waning moments of a close hockey game, and kept them on top of the standings in the Eastern Conference.

Alex Ovechkin-Less Capitals Look Lost Against New Jersey

Dave Nichols — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:52:45 -0500

The Washington Capitals, looking for someone to provide a spark in the absence of two-time defending Hart Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin, got the complete opposite last night in a 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils (9-4-0).

Four third-period penalties proved costly, as the Devils netted two power-play goals and held on to give the Caps (8-3-4) their third loss in a row, though just their third regulation loss of the season.

Coach Bruce Boudreau expressed his frustration to the media after the game, "Guys didn't come to play," Boudreau said. "Whether they are feeling sorry for themselves because Alex is not in, I don't know."

In particular, Alex Semin—the one player on this roster that has talent that can approach the "Great 8"—looked completely lost. In addition to ineffective play, he took three penalties total, and two of the four third-period infractions that kept the Caps on their heels instead of attacking.

Semin had as many penalties as shots.

Nine seconds after Semin went to the box for a hook, Niclas Bergfors (two power-play goals) put a slap shot behind Semyon Varlamov (29 saves) for break a 1-1 tie. So instead of stepping up, Semin let his team down, and Boudreau was cognizant of it.

"Not only did some of them not stand out, but they cost us the game," Boudreau said. "It's a tough one to swallow."

"They're automatic penalties," said Boudreau, of the third period mistakes. "If you go behind the net and you put your stick on a guy you're going to get a penalty. Brendan Morrison has been in the league for 10 years. Alexander Semin has been in the league for five years and it's just dumb penalties."

Tyler Sloan (1) and Tomas Fleischmann (3) tallied for the Caps. Mathieu Perrault, making his NHL debut, assisted on both goals in just 10:30 of ice time.

But the theme of last night's game was lazy, ineffective play, something the Caps are not going to get away with while their goal-per-game superstar mends from his upper body injury, believed to be a left shoulder strain.

"We need to take leadership and take ownership of the dumb things we're doing," said Washington forward Mike Knuble, who has now taken a foul in the third period the last two games. "We have to stop it."

None of Washington's other "Young Guns" played particularly well Wednesday night. Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green were all held without a point, and Green even deflected one of the New Jersey goals into his own net.

What might be the most troubling comment of all came from veteran New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur, when asked about the Caps missing Ovechkin. "The excitement level that he brings, the energy that he brings to the table, that wasn't there. You can tell ."

"You can tell." Not words that Bruce Boudreau wants to hear.

Washington gets a day to think about it as they travel to Florida for the first of a home-and-home with the Panthers this weekend.

They better hope Ovechkin proves to be a fast healer, as he has in the past. If Wednesday night was any indication, this team needs Ovechkin more than they anyone realizes.

Alex Ovechkin Hurt as Capitals Lose to Columbus 5-4 in Overtime

Dave Nichols — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:09:17 -0500

For the second game in a row, the Washington Capitals fell in overtime at home to an opponent they should have dominated.

On Sunday afternoon, in a strange 5:00 p.m. start, the Caps fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 when R.J. Umberger scored a power play goal, his second of the game, 1:45 into the overtime period.

What was worse was the goal, and the situation that led up to it, that allowed the Jackets to tie the game. Raffi Torres tipped in a cross-crease pass just as a slashing penalty to veteran Mike Knuble expired...with 23 seconds remaining in the game.

"Well, we took a stupid penalty, and that's what happens when you take stupid penalties," coach Bruce Boudreau said about Knuble's slash. "It was a selfish penalty, and they cost you all the time."

It's unfortunate the way things sorted out, since the team really rallied after losing their leader, Alex Ovechkin, to an injury midway through the second period.

About six minutes into the second period, the back-to-back Hart Trophy winner collided with Torres and fell awkwardly to the ice. He managed to get to his feet and skate off on his own, but he did not return.

Coach Bruce Boudreau did not have much to say about anything in the post-game press conference, but did managed to say Ovechkin was day-to-day with an upper body injury.

The play the caused Ovechkin to leave came a few shifts after a fracas along the boards where Ovechkin tangled up with Jason Chimera and Jared Boll.

Ovechkin had laid out Chimera earlier in the game, and the two started to mix it up a bit and Boll came to the aid of his teammate.

Ovechkin was coy with the media after the game.

"It was just a moment of the game. Nothing happened. [Chimera] hit me, I hit him. It was a little battle over there but nothing happen. I can't tell you how I got hurt."

Columbus' two late goals and the injury overshadowed a back-and-forth contest that was disjointed, penalty-filled, and frankly, downright ugly.

The Blue Jackets held a 2-1 lead after two periods, and the Caps needed someone to step up in Ovechkin's absence. That person was winger Brooks Laich.

Laich scored twice in a little over two minutes in the third as Washington retook the lead at 10:23.

But the lead would be short-lived, as Torres converted a wrap-around backhand to beat a stickless Jose Theodore, who seemed to be stiffening up late in the game, using several timeouts to get down on the ice and stretch out.

Quentin Laing banged home a nice pass from David Steckel, who collected a shot from the point by Matt Bradley, to re-take the lead at 16:34, and the capacity crowd at Verizon hoped that would be the straw that broke Columbus' collective back.

"We wanted to prove this team isn't about one guy, it's about a team, and we wanted to show people we can come back," Laing said in the quiet Capitals locker.

But then the veteran Knuble took a retaliatory hack at a Columbus defender with 2:30 left, and the complexion of the game changed.

So the Caps lost their leader and lost a game. They have taken one point apiece in home games against the New York Islanders and Columbus.

Washington is 6-0-3 in their last nine games, but they have shown the frustrating inability to close out games. You have to think they feel like they've left two points on the table the last two games.

And if Ovechkin misses any time, or Theodore's back is flaring up, they will have to do more than rally. They will have to find a way to finish off these weaker opponents -- especially at home.

Brendan Morrison said it best after the game. "We rallied and did a lot of good things offensively, and then we just go and shoot ourselves in the foot. It is frustrating because it was a game we should have won."

Washington does not want those words to become a familiar phrase.

For more Washington Capitals coverage, please visit Caps News Network .

Capitals-Thrashers: Washington Lets Atlanta Back Into Game, Escapes With 4-3 Win

Dave Nichols — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:23:13 -0400

It was another one of those games again, the games that are driving Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau slowly crazy. On the road, the Caps came out against a wounded Atlanta Thrashers squad and dominated through about 35 minutes.

Unfortunately, they once again took their foot off the gas and watched as their opponent scratched its way back into a game they had no business being in.

Time ran out before Atlanta could complete their comeback, though it was not for lack of effort. At least, not lack of effort by Atlanta.

It's tough to be so negative, as the 4-3 road win marks Washignton's sixth straight, and they sit atop their division and near the top of the conference. But against tougher foes, this now-common recipe isn't going to cut it.

Boudreau told the assembled media following the game, in no uncertain terms, what he thought of his team's performance in the second half of the game.

"I thought with about seven minutes to go in the second period, we thought this was going to be easy," Boudreau said. "And then we stopped skating and stopped playing. But I knew once [Atlanta] got one goal, just like last time, they would be flying. It's not like a faucet. You can't turn it on and off when you want."

"We need to be able to finish teams off when we have the chance," he said. "We need that killer instinct and we haven't had that killer instinct. We let teams right back in the game."

The bad taste left from an almost-comeback spoiled what should have been a game worth celebrating. Alex Ovechkin scored twice in the first period, and Brendan Morrison added a power-play marker four minutes into the second period.

Almost immediately following, you could see the adrenaline leave the bodies of the Capitals, signaling Atlanta to put pressure on goalie Semyon Varlamov (38 saves on 41 shots), who was outstanding in place of Jose Theodore, given the night off in preparation for the game Friday night against the New York Islanders.

"I wasn't happy for Varly," Boudreau said. "He plays an outstanding game and ends up with three goals on him. Nothing he could do. He kept us in the game in the third period. It's ridiculous how we just let up and let the other teams back into the game. It's very frustrating."

Atlanta (4-4-1) out-shot Washington 33-19 in the final two frames, despite missing leading scorer Ilya Kovalchuk, out several weeks with a broken foot. It was the second consecutive game the Caps surrendered 20 shots in the third period, and over 40 for the game.

Atlanta got three third-period goals, two by Zach Bogosian, the last coming with less than one second on the game clock. As it turned out, Mike Knuble's empty net goal at 19:07 turned out to be the game-winner.

That's a margin that is much too close, especially on a night that started with such dominance.

Washington hosts the Islanders (2-4-5) at 7:00 p.m. at Verizon Center tonight. The Isles beat the New York Rangers Wednesday night 3-1, but lost their three previous, including a home 3-2 loss to the Caps on Oct. 24.

Capitals-Flyers: Washington Finds Some Toughness in 4-2 Win Over Flyers

Dave Nichols — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:53:25 -0400

For moments in the second period, it looked like the Washington Capitals were not going to be able to match the Philadelphia Flyers' intensity, physically.

But after a television timeout, Jeff Schultz laid into a Flyers forward, and moments later, Tyler Sloan did the same. After that, what had been a subpar defensive performance turned into a flurry of offensive activity, and the Caps rallied from two goals down to overcome and defeat the hated Flyers, 4-2, before a capacity crowd at the Verizon Center Tuesday night.

Jose Theodore sparkled in net as well. He stopped 41-of-43 shots he faced, and even stopped a penalty shot.

He allowed just two power play goals during the second period of the game, when the Flyers were owning the Caps, physically and offensively.

Philly was able to keep the puck in the Caps zone seemingly at will for most of the period, often looking like they were running a power play, though the teams were at even strength.

Even a two-man advantage for 1:42 couldn't get the Caps to shake a leg.

But things changed during that TV timeout. Whether coach Bruce Boudreau said something to his troops, or the players finally realized on their own that if they put out physically, things would finally open up offensively—as it did—is unknown.

But what is known is that as soon as the Caps stood up to their personal bully, they almost automatically found more room to operate. And room to operate meant scoring goals.

"We got a little bit angry," Nicklas Backstrom said. "It was good for us."

Alex Ovechkin started the comeback with just under four minutes to play, snapping a shot past Flyers goalie Ray Emery (33 saves on 36 shots). Two minutes later, it was his running mate, Backstrom, that one-timed a shot past Emery from the top of the circle on a power play, breaking the Capitals' 0-for-14 skid with the man-advantage.

Alexander Semin, who returned from his mysterious illness/injury of the past two games, tallied third with a wicked wrist shot from the left wing circle that might have deflected off a shin pad on the way. And Ovechkin capped things with an empty-netter, the first of the season for Washington.

Ovechkin now has 11 goals in 11 games, and Backstrom assisted on all three goals he did not score.

But the first star belonged to Theodore, who is playing some really inspired goaltending right now. On several occasions he was the only resistance to the Flyers onslaught of shots, and he turned back every even-strength offering, including 20 saves in the closing period.

He was remarkably calm, putting his skate against the post to close the door on at least three occasions. And he's perfecting that little snap-catch on the rebounds that pop up right in front of him.

"Theo kept us in the game," said Boudreau.

So the Caps got scoring from their top line, strong goaltending and even some much-needed physical play when they really needed it. They gave up 43 shots, and on most nights that's a cause for alarm, but with the way the Flyers were buzzing, it's a testament to Theodore that things did not get out of hand.

The Caps historically don't match up well with the Flyers, and it's because of the physical play. Hopefully when they watch the tape of this one, they'll notice the timing of when the ice opened up for them late in the second period.

Because that's when they started to give as good as they were getting.

The Michael Nylander Saga Continues For The Washington Capitals

Dave Nichols — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:22:57 -0400

The Washington Capitals loaned center Michael Nylander to Grand Rapids of the AHL (Detroit's affiliate) this week, in an attempt to find some playing time for the 37-year-old Swede. To what result, at this point, is anyone's guess.

The conditioning assignment can last up to two weeks, and the team has already indicated he'll play in Friday's home opener and Monday's tilt for Grand Rapids.

Nylander will still count toward the Capitals' roster limit and salary cap.

The veteran pivot has not appeared for the Capitals in a game—regular, postseason, or preseason—since Game Three of the first round playoffs last season against the New York Rangers.

It's been a disappointing run wearing the red of Washington for Nylander. Once considered one of the finest playmakers in the game, he's been relegated to the fate of being loaned out to another team's affiliate just in order to garner playing time.

Just two seasons ago, Nylander manned the helm of the Rangers top scoring line, dishing out 56 and 57 assists in consecutive years. But in two seasons with the Caps, he has totalled just 50 helpers combined . To say that he does not mesh well into coach Bruce Boudreau's system is an understatement.

With the Capitals, Nylander should be enjoying his finest seasons, with some of the best finishers in the game. You might have heard of a couple of them, both named Alex (Ovechkin and Semin).

Yet, he found his way to the bench in last season's playoffs after appearing in 72 games in the regular season, and has not been out on the sheet for the Caps since, despite being healthy and practicing on a regular basis.

The Caps would like nothing better than to find a permanent place for Nylander to finish his accomplished career. However, the burden he carries is his contract, the no-movement clause (NMC) associated with it, and the hit it takes on the Caps salary cap.

For now, Washington's general manager George McPhee is fine—he has enough bodies and enough flexibility under the cap to manage his roster.

But when Tomas Fleischmann comes off the Long Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) in a couple of games, his salary will again count against the cap and Washington will have to put a defenseman (or two) though waivers to send them down to the minors.

That situation has already cost the team the services of Chris Bourque, waived after he was told he'd made the opening night roster, and was claimed by Pittsburgh, of all teams. Washington does not relish the idea of losing Tyler Sloan or any of the other NHL-quality defensemen on the squad.

Even if they get past that hurdle unscathed, Nylander's situation (his cap number is $4.875 million) is keeping the team from negotiating long-term deals for Semin and Mike Green, both due considerable raises going forward.

And then, you have to look at it from Nylander's point of view. All he wants to do is play and make the money for the contract he signed in good faith two seasons ago. He's 37, and while a trade to an NHL team—considering his contract—is difficult, he can certainly be loaned to a foreign team so the Caps can claim some salary cap relief.

There have been rumors since training camp of Washington moving Nylander to Russia, Sweden, and elsewhere, but so far no deals have gone through.

Perhaps this "conditioning assignment" is a tryout for a specific team to see that indeed, Nylander is in shape and able to help out a club in need.

Perhaps it's akin to a yard sale: "Come see what we have on display, big discounts on Swedish centers (not named Nicklas Backstrom)."

Or perhaps, it's just a chance to let a veteran player get a few games in to show the rest of the NHL that he can still play.

Whatever the true reason, the Caps need to find a permanent solution. Because if they have to carry Nylander's contract all season, it will become a distraction in Boudreau's locker room and severely limit McPhee's roster, especially when the trade deadline comes around.

They can't keep hoping to place players on the LTIR to get around making a deal.

Capitals Lack Killer Instinct in Shootout Win Over Struggling Predators

Dave Nichols — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:41:51 -0400

Washington, D.C.: Alex Ovechkin did what he does best: score goals. He scored twice in regulation and again in the shootout to lead the Washington Capitals over the Nashville Predators 3-2. Nashville has now lost five games in a row.

After the Great Eight beat Predator goalie Dan Ellis with a backhand deke, he calmly buried the puck into the twine. Then, something amazing happened.

Hats rained down on the ice from the red-clad frenzied crowd. They proclaimed a hat trick for a goal that would not count in Ovechkin's totals.

"I don't think it's ever been done in the history of hockey," coach Bruce Boudreau said after the game. "It's a Washington original."

Boudreau could joke a little in the post-game press conference after his young goaltender, Semyon Varlamov, blanked the Predators in the shootout. But the game was no laughing matter.

Washington shot out to a 2-0 lead on the strength of Ovechkin's two first-period goals. But as is becoming routine, the Caps could not finish off a hard-working, but talent-inferior Nashville team.

The Predators had several decent scoring chances in the first period, including two short-handed breakaway opportunities that Varlamov came up big on.

Had the young netminder given up one of the breakaways, we might have been talking about a completely different game.

In the second period, Shea Weber fired a laser from 40 feet past a defenseless Varlamov on a nice drop pass from Tomas Hornqvist at 14:29, and J.P. Dumont flicked a shot from the goal line that deflected off defenseman Brian Pothier and between Varlamov's legs just minutes later.

Just like that, the game was tied. Washington had fairly dominated the proceedings, yet found themselves scratching and clawing in the second half of the game.

Boudreau went to three lines in the third period, and it was the checking line of David Steckel, Matt Bradley and Quintin Laing that bore the brunt of keeping Nashville off the board.

"When we went down to three lines, we had to keep them [on the ice]," Boudreau said. "They were the most dominant line on the ice."

Mike Knuble, who assisted on both of Ovechkin's goals, spoke about the problem this team is having putting games away.

"It could be a lot different feeling in here right now, if we had let this one slip. When you get up 2-0, you can't them them hang around too long, that's when teams are dangerous."

"You gotta get that third one to finish them."

Boudreau echoed his veteran winger.

"We talked between periods about having the killer instinct and burying them. If we had gotten that next goal, we think at that time they might have said, 'Here we go again'."

Center Brendan Morrison joined the chorus. "We had them 2-0 there, and they are a team that is mentally battling themselves right now," Morrison said. "I think if we get that third goal, the flood gates open. But we didn't, and we let them back in it."

They did not get that third goal, unlike Thursday night against San Jose. Instead, they let an over-matched, poor offensive team hang around and gain a point they had no business accepting, putting pressure on a goaltender whose confidence has been shaky due to two poor outings previously.

But Varlamov did his job in overtime and the shootout, and the Caps got just enough from the best player in the game to hand Nashville their fifth consecutive defeat, regardless of taking a point in the Capitals building.

"We controlled the game in the first period and a half," Ovechkin said.

After Nashville got their two markers in the second, the team really bore down and kept the score even, narrowly averting disaster and claiming the second point in the shootout.

But it shouldn't have come to that.

Capitals Put the Fix on Sharks, Break Four-Game Losing Streak in the Process

Dave Nichols — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:51:50 -0400

For the first time since opening night against Boston, the Washington Capitals played a full 60-minute hockey game on Thursday night. The victim was the San Jose Sharks, as the Caps got four goals, played steady defense, and wore down the Sharks in the third period, winning 4-1 in front of a worked-up capacity crowd.

This is what the red-clad faithful wanted to see.

Gone were the endless stick fouls, third period collapses, and mental mistakes. In their place was strong skating, drawing penalties in the offensive zone, and taking advantage of a tired opponent in the latter periods.

Alex Ovechkin scored two second period goals within 30 seconds of each other, Alexander Semin scored on a five-on-three in the first period, and Matt Bradley capped the scoring in the third period.

On top of the offensive prowess, the Caps played strong defensively, keeping shots on starter Jose Theodore, and then backup Semyon Varlamov to the outside and out of the crease for the most part.

The bad news for the Caps was an injury to Theodore. After the game, the team called Theodore day-to-day with back spasms, and did not announce whether they would recall a goalie from the minors until tomorrow or Saturday.

Theodore made 12 saves, allowing the lone San Jose goal in the first period, then left between periods to the confusion of the crowd. Varlamov came in at the beginning of the second period, and made 15 saves the rest of the way out.

The Sharks didn't really test Varlamov as they simply ran out of gas, the product of the Capitals skating very well in the first period, and drawing five minor penalties on the first period.

They spent the entire period killing off the infractions. While they did most of the job—allowing just the single goal—skating a man down for most of the period really wore down the Sharks, and the Capitals took advantage, particularly Ovechkin.

The first Ovechkin goal was on a nifty set-up from Mike Knuble, a backhanded pass that Knuble slid under Mark Vlasic, and Ovie tipped it past Evgeni Nabokov low glove side for his sixth goal of the season.

Twenty-eight seconds later, Knuble rushed in on the right wing, and blasted a shot into Nabokov, and the puck bounced straight to Ovechkin, who tapped it past the sprawled goalie.

Ovie even had playful words for his countryman after one of the goals. Asked what he told his fellow national teammate, Ovechkin replied, "It's a secret."

With the Caps dominating a tough opponent, maybe the secret is out.

The Capitals play Saturday night, when Nashville makes an appearance at the Verizon Center. Whether, or not they will have the services of one of their starting goalies is another story.

NOTES

Boyd Gordon was scratched with back spasms. He is day-to-day. Keith Aucoin was recalled from AHL Hershey and played on the third line.

Michael Nylander was a healthy scratch, yet again.

The win breaks a six-game losing streak the Caps had been carrying against San Jose in D.C., dating back to 1999.

For more coverage, please visit Capitals News Network .

For Washington Capitals, Amusement Park Party Is an Analogy

Dave Nichols — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:15:41 -0400

The Washington Capitals had a party for their season ticket holders—all 14,000 of them—Tuesday night at Six Flags Amusement Park in suburban Maryland. With the park shut down to paying customers, the fans were treated to all the roller coaster rides, autographs, and hot dogs they wanted.

And the kicker: when you got on a ride, you might have been sitting next to your favorite Capitals player.

Yes, the players probably had more fun riding the rides than the fans. From superstar Alex Ovechkin down to the fourth-line wingers, all the players took turns on the Superman, Batman's Wing or Joker's Jinx. In fact, the two Alex's (Ovechkin and Semin) were having so much fun, they were somewhat tardy for their autograph sessions.

Then, when the signings were over, they went back for more.

While a good time was had by all, it's hard not to see the rollercoaster experience as an analogy for the Capitals' season, especially for the collection of players they have currently assembled.

The first thing you notice about a coaster is speed. It's what puts the thrill into the ride. Unless you're a daredevil motorcyclist, you normally don't go 70 MPH with most of your body exposed to the elements.

The Capitals play with that type of speed on the ice. Coach Bruce Boudreau's system is an aggressive, fast-paced attack/counter attack.

Roller coasters very rarely go backwards, either.

Then, there are the climbs and descents, engineered in the ride to make your stomach flip and make you feel queasy, uneasy in your seat. If you ride enough, you even know when bad parts are coming.

A hockey season—even a single game—certainly has its ups and downs as well, with winning and losing streaks, spates of good and poor play, etc. As with the ride, once you've watched the Caps long enough, you can tell when Ovie might pull off some magic. Or conversely, see Semin get caught up ice, leading to a breakaway the other way.

There are the twists and curves, unexpected jolts that throw you around in your seat and leave you battered and a little bruised, but not enough that you don't want to rush right back in line.

The Capitals have seen their share of twists early on, as well. Michael Nylander's contract and playing status is unfolding in a way that very few people, including probably GM George McPhee, expected.

And while the team has managed to avoid any major injuries at this point, defensemen John Erskine and Tom Poti have already missed practice time and Erskine is expected to miss a game or two with an upper body injury after blocking a puck against New Jersey.

Another twist that the team didn't see coming: Semyon Varlamov's struggles so far this season. The young goalie—still with more playoff starts than regular season appearances—has given up eight goals in less than two full games, getting yanked in his second start and hasn't been inserted back into the lineup since.

But that's ok so far. Jose Theodore, like a roller coaster will sometimes do, stood on his head Tuesday night in the third period and overtime versus the Devils, salvaging a point in an Eastern Conference matchup.

And finally, there are the lines. Anytime you go to an amusement park, you expect to have to wait in long lines for your favorite ride. Tuesday night was no exception.

At last year's season ticket holder party, there were approximately 5,000 full season ticket holders that were invited to the party. This year, that number almost tripled due to last season's success, playoff run, and the popularity of Ovechkin.

Just like a rollercoaster, everyone wants to get on the newest and fastest ride around.

So enjoy D.C.'s latest thrill ride, the 2009-10 Washington Capitals. It's fast, full of ups and downs, with plenty of twists and curves, and sometimes even flips upside down. But it always makes you want to get right back on when it's over.

More Turnover in Washington Nationals Front Office

Dave Nichols — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:37:58 -0400

According to multiple sources, the Washington Nationals have hired former Atlanta Braves scouting director Roy Clark as assistant general manager, with his duties to be varied and wide-ranging. Clark worked for Atlanta for 20 years in their scouring and development department.

According to the Atlanta Constitution-Journal story, Clark will oversee the Nationals player development and all scouting functions, including international scouting, an area of particular weakness in the Nats organization.

This is the second time Clark has been linked to a job with DC, apparently turning down a role withe less responsibilities in 2006. He has long-time ties with Nationals president Stan Kasten.

This news comes on the heels of Dana Brown leaving the organization, as he took the assistant general manager position with the Toronto Blue Jays. Brown has been with the Nationals since their days in Montreal, and had a stated desire to work his way "up the ladder," hopefully ascending to a general manager position.

With that job full in DC, Brown rejoins a man he once hired, Alexander Anthopolis, back north of the border.

Kris Kline, currently the assistant scouting director and highly thought of in the organization, could be elevated into Brown's former roll.

Buried in the excitement of all this turmoil was the news that Moose Stubing was relieved of his duties as special assistant to the general manager. How many Nats fans even knew Stubing was on the payroll?

Regardless, current assistant general manager Bob Boone still has his job...for now.

Of course, all this news has to be supported by published reports, as the Nationals have been completely mum on any topic of front office restructuring. There have been no press releases to date, nor have they comments for any of the published reports.

Washington Captials Lose Lead Late Again In 3-2 Loss To New Jersey

Dave Nichols — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:27:28 -0400

"One bad shift in the third period" was how Washington Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau described his team's effort in a 3-2 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils, who were completing a three-game road trip Monday night at a sold-out Verizon Center.

It was Washington's fourth loss in a row, though they took two points from the four losses.

"I thought we were getting it in deep, we were doing all the right things, and that one shift, they kept it in our zone for about a minute and everyone in the building and on the bench knew something bad was going to happen."

"Something bad" was David Clarkson's second goal of the season, scored with less than seven minutes left in the third period. Clarkson banged home a pass from Nicklas Bergfors after a sustained flurry of shots and pressure. The Devils (3-2-0) had several opportunities during the possession, and the Caps had several chances to clear the puck, but could not.

The game followed a disturbing trend for the Capitals (2-2-2), as fairly dominant play in the first half of the game resulted in a 2-0 lead midway through the second period. The Caps got goals from Mike Green—his first of the season on his 24th birthday—and Mike Knuble, who was moved to the first line with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom.

Ovechkin assisted on both goals, giving him 12 points in six games.

But the reworked second line of Brendan Morrison centering Brooks Laich and Alexander Semin was on the ice for both of New Jersey's regulation goals. The first goal was as egregious as the second, as Semin was caught up ice and out of position.

The Devils then broke out on a 4-on-2 the other way, with Brian Rolston snapping a shot past Jose Theodore off a nice feed from Rob Neidermayer.

"I thought that [the Knuble line] played a solid game. I thought the other line struggled a little bit with the switch...We've got to find a switch that works for everybody," Boudreau said.

"It's not a frustration. It's more like an annoyance," Knuble said of the four-game skid. "We're doing all the things right, every game we've lost."

Theodore (27 saves) had a very strong game, especially late in the third period and in overtime, when the Caps were forced to kill a Morrison tripping call.

"Jose was on top of his game again, but we just couldn't get that win for him," captain Chris Clark said.

Special teams were an issue again, as the Caps went 0-for-5 on the power play, including 53 seconds of five-on-three. On the positive side, though, they did not allow a power play goal in five tries.

In the shootout, Backstrom drew first blood, and Zach Parise and Jamie Langenbrunner both answered for New Jersey. Semin was stopped by Martin Brodeur on the Caps second shot, and Ovechkin was denied on the final try, sending the frenzied crowd home empty.

To a man, the Caps all proclaimed that the season was still early. But an extra point in October counts the same as it does in March.

Washington Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo Making Changes to Organization

Dave Nichols — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:12:59 -0400

The Washington Nationals, under General Manager Mike Rizzo, are doing some fall housecleaning.

Rizzo, given the official "boss" title immediately after the successful Steven Strasburg negotiations, finally has carte blanche to put his stamp across the entire organization.

These first few moves are probably only the first wave of dismissals, opening positions that Rizzo can fill with "his guys", the backbone of what he (and all Nats fans) hopes is the renaissance of baseball in the Nation's Captial.

First, outfielder Elijah Dukes' handler, James Williams, was dismissed. I guess the Nats thought Dukes was ready to ride without training wheels.

To be fair to Dukes, he seemed like he had picked up a thing or two while he was in exile on a minor league assignment during the middle of the season. And he had a pretty solid September. It should be interesting in the spring whether he's given a job, or has to fight Justin Maxwell, Roger Bernadina, Willie Harris, et al for right field.

Or, if Rizzo thinks they have to look outside the organization for a right fielder. Dukes is still young (25), under team control for two more years, and shows his considerable skill often. But even as his plate discipline re-emerged in September, his power (eight home runs in 416 plate appearances) did not.

Thursday, Jose Cardenal, one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet, was let go. He had been operating as special advisor to assistant general manager Bob Boone.

"If you are a baseball person, you know that it's going to happen with the new GM coming up and them wanting to clean house," Cardenal said. "They knew I was close to Jim [Bowden]. I have nothing but positive things to say. The Lerner family treated me well."

What will bear watching is if Boone himself is spared in the housecleaning.

Then Friday, word comes out that a trio of minor league instructors have been fired. John Stearns, formerly manager of Double-A Harrisburg, Rich Gale, pitching coach for Triple-A Syracuse, and Gulf Coast coach Cesar Cedeno have all been relieved of their duties in the organization.

Stearns, joined the organization in 2006 and guided the Senators to a 70-72 record this season. Gale started the season with Class-A Hagerstown but ended the season in Syracuse after Steve McCatty was promoted to the big leagues.

Cedeno was a baserunning and outfield coach for the Gulf Coast league team.

All of these moves coincide with Mike Rizzo's stated goal of developing a better overall system for training the drafted talent into competent major league-ready players. It also gives him a chance to mold the system to fit more with his vision of planning for the organization.

Of course, he still has to hire an assistant general manager, several pro and minor league scouts, and oh yeah, a field manager. But finally, after four years of floundering, at least someone has the authority to develop this franchise with a consistent, unified vision. Call it "The Plan 3.0".

Capitals-Rangers: Washington Outworked, Outplayed in 4-3 Loss

Dave Nichols — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:12:57 -0400

WASHINGTON, DC, Oct. 8—From the drop of the opening faceoff Thursday night at Verizon Center, the Washington Capitals played like they were in the third game of a western swing instead of their second home game of the season after a day off.

The New York Rangers outworked, outplayed, and outhustled the Caps the entire game. The Blueshirts (3-1-0) took advantage of defensive miscues on their first two goals, and victimized starting goalie Jose Theodore for the last two.

Marian Gaborik scored the tying and winning goals 2:31 apart in the third period, on soft wrist shots from the top of the face off circles, practically carbon copies of each other.

Of Gaborik's heroics, coach Bruce Boudreau said, "Those are the ones, in the third period, you've got to stop. I mean, you've just got to stop."

Theodore actually played very well in the first two frames, making several highlight reel stops. But both of Gaborik's wristers went right through the veteran goalie at the worst possible time.

Boudreau spared no one in his post-game comments. Nor should he have. All the bad trends the Capitals showed in their last two games—individual play on offense, bad positioning on defense, allowing late goals—permeated the entire evening.

Washington has allowed six third period goals in the last three games.

"It's a really upsetting trend," Boudreau said. "Better stop in a hurry."

Asked if this was a game his team should have held on to, Boudreau snapped, "Anytime you have a lead in the last ten minutes of the game, you have to. If you're going to be a good team, you have to."

The Caps' vaunted power play was one-for-nine—including two five-on-threes—and actually surrendered two power plays back by taking penalties while having the advantage.

"We played as individuals instead of a unit," Boudreau said. "That's what happens. We talked about it between periods. If you're going to play like individuals, you're going to get individual results. Nothin's gonna happen."

Boudreau wasn't done criticizing his team, which came into this affair scoring five goals a game.

"The guys that are making mistakes are not first-year guys," he added. "These guys should know what the hell they're doing."

He pointed to his third and fourth lines, saying, "If you're not going to score, you better not be on for any goals-against."

"Right now we're not playing good enough."

The collapse ruined Nicklas Backstrom's big night. He had two goals, one a gift of a misplay by Rangers' goalie Henrik Lundqvist (25 saves) on a shot from center ice, and a power play marker, set up from nifty passing by Alexander Semin (goal, assist) and Brooks Laich, who drew the defense to the goal line and left the Swede alone in the slot.

Backstrom now has 10 points (2-8-10) in four games and leads the league in scoring, one point ahead of teammates Semin (5-4-9) and Alex Ovechkin, who came in as the league's leading scorer with five goals and four assists, but was kept off the scoresheet despite nine shots on goal.

Ryan Callahan and Ales Kotalik scored for New York in the second period.
Washington (2-1-1) has little time to think about the adjustments they have to make, as they travel to Detroit to face the always tough Red Wings Saturday evening.

Boudreau's comments speak for themselves, but with this offense, one-for-nine on the power play doesn't cut it. Allowing third period goals aren't going to cut it, either. Especially soft wrist shots that go through the five hole. And if you want to have fun on offense, you also better get back on defense.

Because if they don't find the answers, the result, as we've seen three third periods in a row now, is not pretty.

Please visit Capitals News Network, a credentialed blog, for more coverage of the Washington Capitals.

Mistakes and Penalties Doom Capitals in Overtime Loss To Flyers

Dave Nichols — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:11:14 -0400

The Washington Capitals came into hostile territory and went home with a point against the Flyers in Philadelphia Tuesday night.

Washington lost the game 6-5 in overtime. But after squandering a third period lead on an "own goal", having the game-winner batted in off a rebound, and being on the wrong end of nine minor penalties, to a man, the Caps must feel like they let one get away.

"You take [nine minor penalties] in a game, you're not going to win that game, and we took six in one period," Coach Bruce Boudreau said in the post-game press conference. "That's how four goals get scored against you. It's something that's unacceptable."

The teams played scoreless hockey through one period, and it looked like it would be a nail-biter in the sold out, orange-bathed Wachovia Center. It turned out to be a donnybrook, as 11 goals would fall in the resultant two-plus periods, with the game-winner potted by none other than thorn-in-the-side Danny Briere with 1:08 remaining in overtime.

The Caps had the opportunity to avoid the extra play, but could not take advantage. Brendan Morrison had a puck bounce off his skate into the Flyers net to take a 5-4 lead with 10:28 left in the third period. But six minutes later, Boyd Gordon was whistled for holding.

The Flyers power play unit, which had scored twice already, took the ice. Scott Hartnell, locks flowing, fired on net, and Jose Theodore, who replaced a shaky Semyon Varlamov in the second period, made the save. But the rebound skipped straight to defenseman Tom Poti. Poti was in position but just couldn't play the puck with his stick. It bounced off Poti, back into Theodore, and then into the net for the equalizer.

"Tonight we were our worst enemy," Morrison said. "We came back and took the lead in the third, and that's a game we should have sealed down and win. Tonight it was our penalties. We just couldn't stay out of the box. We have to learn this lesson quickly if we want to be a good team, not a great team."

The nine minor penalties were mostly crimes of laziness, including three holding, two hooking, and two interference calls.

A bigger, more long-term concern, was the play of Varlamov. Heralded as the goalie of the future, last night showed he still has a way to go to prove his mettle. He allowed four goals on 25 shots in just under 34 minutes, including three to Flyers captain Mike Richards.

"Varlamov has to be more mentally tough to play," Boudreau said. "One thing that's reared its ugly head right now is they score in bunches on him. I think he gets down on himself, and we have to get him out of that. I thought there were some soft goals."

The Alexes, Ovechkin and Semin, took care of the first four goals, each netting a pair.

But on this night, as will probably be the situation all season, scoring goals wasn't the problem. Preventing them, and the bad situations in which they were scored, was.

Ryan Zimmerman, John Lannan Headline 2009 Washington Nationals DC-IBWA Awards

Dave Nichols — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:32:12 -0400

The Washington, D.C. chapter of the Internet Baseball Writers Association (DC-IBWA) is an organization comprised of Internet writers, online media outlets and bloggers.

In accordance with its stated goal of promoting the members of the association and increasing awareness and respect as active members of the media that cover the Washington Nationals, the DC-IBWA is pleased to announce its member-voted winners of Post-Season Player Achievement Awards.

Each individual award is named after a member of the district’s storied baseball heritage, to promote awareness of the significance of the history of Washington, D.C. baseball.

Voters were asked to name first, second and third place for each category. First-place votes received five points, second-place votes received three points and third-place votes received one point.

Twenty ballots from association members were submitted from the following online media outlets: Nationals News Network, Nationals Pride, We’ve Got Heart, Centerfield Gate, FJB, Federal Baseball, The Nationals Enquirer, DC Sports Box, Nationals Inquisition, Nats Fanboy Looser, Planetary Nats, Bang! Zoom!, Nats Nation, Let Teddy Win!, Nationals Review, DC Sports Plus, Passing Time Between Wil Nieves Bombs.

You can find more information about the DC-IBWA, and their membership, by visiting the Web site at http://dc-ibwaa.blogspot.com/ or contacting us at DCIBWA@gmail.com.

Goose Goslin Most Valuable Player

Player most valuable to the success of the Washington Nationals:

1^st: Ryan Zimmerman (92 points, 16 first place votes)

2^nd: Adam Dunn (41 points, one first place vote)

3^rd: Nyjer Morgan (25 points, three first place votes)

Others: John Lannan (19), Josh Willingham (3)

Walter Johnson Starting Pitcher of the Year

Excellent performance as a starting pitcher

1^st: John Lannan (96 points, 18 first place votes)

2^nd: Jordan Zimmermann (42 points, two first place votes)

3^rd: Craig Stammen (22 points)

Others: J.D. Martin (6), Garrett Mock (4), Livan Hernandez (3),

Ross Detwiler (2)

Frederick "Firpo" Marberry Relief Pitcher of the Year

Excellent performance as a relief pitcher

1^st: Tyler Clippard (80 points, 13 first place votes)

2^nd: Mike MacDougal (55 points, six first place votes)

3^rd: Sean Burnett (29 points, one first place vote)

Others: Jason Bergmann (6), Joe Beimel (5), Ron Villone (3),

Saul Rivera (1)

Sam Rice Hitter of the Year

Excellence in all-around hitting, situational hitting and baserunning

1^st: Ryan Zimmerman (81 points, 14 first place votes)

2^nd: Adam Dunn (39 points, two first place votes)

3^rd: Nyjer Morgan (26 points, three first place votes)

Others: Josh Willingham (14), Nick Johnson (9, one first place vote), Cristian Guzman (6)

Frank Howard Slugger of the Year

Excellence in power hitting

1^st: Adam Dunn (100 points, 20 first place votes)

2^nd: Ryan Zimmerman (46 points)

3^rd: Josh Willingham (27 points)

Joe Judge Defensive Player of the Year

Excellence in fielding

1^st: Ryan Zimmerman (88 points, 14 first place votes)

2^nd: Nyjer Morgan (69 points, six first place votes)

3^rd: Willie Harris (12 points)

Others: Alberto Gonzalez, Elijah Dukes, Nick Johnson (3),

Wil Nieves (1)

Mickey Vernon Comeback Player of the Year

Player who overcame biggest obstacle in the preceding season to contribute on the field

1^st: Nick Johnson (50 points, 10 first place votes)

2^nd: Mike MacDougal (20 points, one first place vote)

3^rd: Ryan Zimmerman (18 points, three first place votes)

Others: Jason Bergmann (16), Josh Bard (9), Ron Villone (8), Josh Willingham (7), Mike Morse (7), Justin Maxwell (5), J.D. Martin (4), Nyjer Morgan, Livan Hernandez, Ross Detwiler, Elijah Dukes (3),

Adam Dunn, Ian Desmond, Jorge Padilla, Sean Burnett, Garrett Mock (1)

Josh Gibson Humanitarian Player of the Year

Player who meritoriously gave of himself to the community

1^st: John Lannan (72 points, 12 first place votes)

2^nd: Ryan Zimmerman (44 points, four first place votes)

3^rd: Wil Nieves (21 points, three first place votes)

Others: Josh Willingham (9), Nyjer Morgan, Willie Harris,

Elijah Dukes (3), Tyler Clippard (1)

Minor League Player of the Year

Minor league player most destined for big league success

1^st: Derek Norris (54 points, nine first place votes)

2^nd: Ian Desmond (53 points, nine first place votes)

3^rd: Drew Storen (41 points, two first place votes)

Others: Bradley Meyers (16), Chris Marrero (7), Mike Morse (4),

Daniel Espinosa (2), Ross Detwiler, Jorge Padilla (1).

Good, Bad, & Ugly: Pete Orr's Clutch Hit Lifts Nationals Over Braves 2-1

Dave Nichols — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:07:36 -0400

"We're playing the game the right way. Hopefully, we're going in the right direction."—Pete Orr, Oct. 1, 2009

THE RESULT: Pete Orr's one-out single to left field drove home Ryan Zimmerman, who opened the ninth inning with a double, and the Washington Nationals eked out a 2-1 win over the Atlanta Braves before 38,237 at Turner Field.

The Braves found out earlier in the day that they had been eliminated from the playoffs by a Colorado Rockies victory.

Washington won its fourth in a row and improved its record to 56-103.

Nats starter Garrett Mock, who has lost six consecutive decisions since his last win on Aug. 25, gave up one run on five hits and four walks in six innings. He battled Braves rookie of the year candidate Tommy Hanson. The 23-year-old went seven innings and gave up just one earned run on five hits and two walks, striking out nine.

Tyler Clippard (W, 4-2, 2.78) got the win in relief of Mock by throwing 2 2/3 innings, allowing three base runners (one hit, two walks) and striking out four. Mike MacDougal got the final out for his 19th save, a grounder to third that Zimmerman (2-for-4, one run, one RBI) made a terrific dive and throw from his knee on to get a force at second.

Atlanta closer Rafael Soriano (L. 1-6, 3.05) allowed the winning run.

THE TAKEAWAY: Mock, in his final start of 2009, still allowed way too many runners, but limited Atlanta to just one run, on a solo shot by Nate McLouth. He's got to get his walk totals down if he wants to pitch consistently well in the major leagues, but he did well to keep the Braves off the scoreboard when they got runners on.

Though none resulted in a double play, he got 12 ground ball outs and only one fly ball out. That's the stuff Mike Rizzo wants to see out of his starters.

THE GOOD: Ryan Zimmerman. His two hits were both solid drives to the gaps for a double, so he's really seeing the ball well right now.

THE BAD: Adam Dunn. 0-for-3 with a BB and K. He's struggling, and the average is down to .266.

THE UGLY: Mike Morse. 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the five-hole.

NEXT GAME: Tonight at 7:35 p.m. against Atlanta. Livan Hernandez (8-12, 5.48) faces Derek Lowe (15-9, 4.55).

Washington Capitals Dominate Bruins in Season Opener 4-1

Dave Nichols — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:24:30 -0400

Alex Ovechkin and Brooks Laich each had a pair of goals, and Jose Theodore made 19 saves, as the Washington Capitals knocked off the Boston Bruins 4-1 before a capacity crowd at TD Banknorth Garden.

The Capitals played an almost flawless game against one of their main challengers for supremacy in the Eastern Conference. They built a 4-0 lead, played terrific on the power play, netting two goals, and were stingy on defense the entire contest.

Washington definitely got into the Bruins heads, as they seemed to be talking to themselves in the game's latter stages, trying to pump each other up. They were momentarily successful, when Patrice Bergeron tallied on a breakaway after a David Steckel turnover on the Boston blue line.

But that was Boston's lone strike, as Theodore brushed aside the few shots that made it through the defense.

The Capitals best players produced. Laich had an assist to go with his two goals, Nicklas Backstrom had three helpers, and Alexander Semin had a pair of assists.

The first goal was early in the the first period—a power play marker by Laich—set up with nifty cross-ice passing by Ovechkin and Backstrom, who fed Laich right on Tim Thomas' (30 saves) doorstep. Ovechkin's first of the night came in the second. Backstrom took control of the puck along the dasher, fed Semin at center ice, and the talented Russian dropped a back pass for Ovie in the slot.

Ovechkin made no mistake.

Laich scooped up a loose puck just as Thomas was about to sit on it for his second goal of the night 16 seconds into the third period, and Ovechkin put a wrist shot past Thomas off a great cross-crease pass from defenseman Tom Poti to close the scoring.

The Caps out shot the Bruins 34-20 for the game, and 12-3 in the third period, as Boston was frustrated in their comeback bid.

Instead of scoring goals, Boston decided to fight in the third period instead, as Shawn Thronton mixed it up in a pretty fair draw with John Erskine.

The Capitals host Toronto, who lost 4-3 in overtime to Montreal tonight, in the home opener Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.

SCORESHEET

1ST PERIOD

17:15 Power Play - Brooks Laich (1), Snap Shot. Assist: Backstrom, Ovechkin

2ND PERIOD

09:31 Alex Ovechkin (1), Snap Shot. Assist: Semin, Backstrom

3RD PERIOD

16.0 Power Play - Brooks Laich (2), Wrist Shot. Assist: Backstrom, Semin
01:56 Alex Ovechkin (2), Wrist Shot. Assist: Poti
07:56 Short - Patrice Bergeron (1), Backhand Shot. Assist: Begin, Stuart

THREE STARS

1. A. Ovechkin - WAS (Goals: 2, Assists: 1)

2. B. Laich - WAS (Goals: 2, Assists: 1)

3. N. Backstrom - WAS (Goals: 0, Assists: 3)

NOTES

Washington's last regulation victory in Boston was Dec. 2, 2000. The Capitals went 3-0-1 against the Bruins last season.

The Caps were 2-for-4 on the power play. Boston went 0-for-5.

Washington Capitals Start Season in Boston Against Tough Bruins Squad

Dave Nichols — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:53:28 -0400

The Washington Capitals and the Boston Bruins were the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference last season, and start the 2009-10 campaign facing one another again. After an offseason that was spent in great anticipation for this very day, the start of the new hockey season, it's finally arrived.

And it has arrived with much fanfare and high expectations. Never before in the team history has so much attention and press been dedicated to pucks in the offseason in Washington. It's been non-stop, starting with last year's disappointing playoff ouster by eventual champion Pittsburgh, through the awards season, free agent period, then the start of training camp, and coming to a head at last weekend's first-ever Capitals Convention.

Good crowds showed for the home preseason games, so much so it reminded of weekend games in the not-so-distant past.

But Washington has arrived as a "hockey town", and it's now time to drop 'em for real and get this show on the road.

These two teams join the Penguins and Philadelphia as the class of the East. Boston has a very balanced line-up, and was second in the league in goals scored. They welcome the return of Marco Sturm, who missed most of last season with a knee injury, but will miss their leading goal-scorer, Phil Kessel, who was traded Sept. 18 to Toronto after a contract dispute.

The Bruins return Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara and Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas as well. They are coached by last year's Jack Adams winner Claude Julien.

"I think we've got to work our way to the top just like we did last year," Julien said. "There's nothing different except the challenge will be bigger, there's more respect toward our team this year."

Washington, of course, starts and ends with Alexander Ovechkin. The two-time Hart Trophy winner (56-54-110 last season) came into camp with 20 pounds of extra muscle, so he's primed for a long season of bumping and grinding to go along with his dynamic scoring.

He'll get help up from his running mates, Nicklas Backstrom (third in assists) and Alexander Semin (1.3 points per game). The team added reinforcements with Mike Knuble (27-20-47, +5) and Brendan Morrison, who was given a one-year, $1.5 million contract to prove he's healthy as a second-line center.

The Caps are loaded with young, but experienced, defensemen. They are led by Mike Green, the NHL's leading defensive scorer. Green finished with 31 goals and 42 assists despite missing 14 games due to injury.

Backstopping the Caps will be Jose Theodore and Semyon Varlamov. Theodore had an up-and-down season last year, but did win 30+ games, while Varlamov was spectacular in the playoffs before finally wearing down in the Pittsburgh series.

Here are tonight's lines (courtesy of Captials Insider):

Offense

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin

Laich-Morrison-Knuble

Laing-Steckel-Clark

Kane-Gordon-Bradley

Defense

Morrisonn-Green

Poti-Jurcina

Erskine-Pothier

Boudreau did not announce a starting goalie as of this post.

SPECIAL TEAMS

WAS: 2008-09: GF: 3rd (3.27); GA-19th (2.93); PP-2nd (50/177, 28.2%); PK-17th (34/184, 81.5%)

BOS: 2008-09: GF: 2nd (3.29); GA-1st (2.32); PP-4th (44/157, 28.0%); PK-12th (29/148, 80.4%)

INJURIES

WAS: Eric Fehr (shoulders), Tomas Fleischmann (blood clot)

BOS: David Krejci (hip)

NOTES

The team lost RW Chris Bourque to Pittsburgh off of waivers. They recalled Boyd Kane from AHL Hershey to replace him on the roster.

Michael Nylander, who did not play all pre-season, will be a healthy scratch, as will Tyler Sloan and Jeff Schultz.

For more Washington Capitals coverage, please visit Capitals News Network.

Good, Bad & Ugly: Justin Maxwell Slams Mets; Nats Sweep

Dave Nichols — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:12:43 -0400

"We haven't been playing that well this year, but this kind of pushes us forward going into next year. Definitely a nice memory." -- Justin Maxwell, Sept. 30, 2009.

THE RESULT: Justin Maxwell hit a walk-off grand slam against New York Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez, giving the Washington Nationals a 7-4 win—on Fan Appreciation Day and their last home game of the season—before 23,944 screaming Nats faithful.

When the Mets scored an insurance run in the top of the ninth to go up 4-2, things did not look good for Washington, knowing the man they call "K-Rod" was up and warming for the save, something he did a major league record 62 times last season.

But the Nats had a little something extra planned.

Alberto Gonzalez started the ninth with an infield single. Pinch-hitter Mike Morse then did what he's be doing since his recall: get a hit. He singled to put runners at first and second.

Willie Harris sacrificed the pair to second and third and Elijah Dukes laid off Rodriguez' slider to draw a walk. Ryan Zimmerman then struck out for the second out of the inning.

Adam Dunn, still sitting on 38 home runs, fought of a couple tough pitches, and drew another walk from Rodriguez, forcing in the Nats' third run of the game.

Then came Maxwell.

Maxwell had entered as a pinch-runner for Josh Willingham in the eighth inning, during a potential rally that fell short. This was his first at-bat against the crafty K-Rod. He took a ball, then two strikes looking. Another ball brought the count to 2-2. Then a foul and another ball, to go to 3-2.

Everyone in the park was standing and cheering and chanting "Let's Go Nats."

Maxwell then fouled two more pitches off during the tough at-bat. Then, on the ninth pitch of the battle, Maxwell turned on a thigh-high fastball and sent it toward the left field bleachers. Left fielder Angel Pagan leaped at the wall, and for a moment fans and broadcasters alike didn't know if he had pulled it down or not.

But the reaction from the fans in the first row of the stands told the story: The ball came to rest in the flowerbed above the left field wall, Pagan had not been successful, and Maxwell had won the game.

THE TAKEAWAY: Wow. A very exciting game to be part of. The electricity in the stands was palpable, from the emotion of the last home game right down to the ecstasy of the walk-off and sweeping the decimated Mets.

THE GOOD: John Lannan. He went seven innings, allowing just two earned runs (three total) on four hits and two walks, striking out four. He wasn't around for the final decision (Ron Villone got he win in relief), but his final start of 2009 was rock-solid.

THE BAD: Infield defense. Ian Desmond and Ryan Zimmerman both had grounder errors. Though Zim's was a rocket, and he made up for it with a solo shot in the eighth.

THE UGLY: The Mets. U-G-L-Y. I realize how many injuries they have this season, but their roster right now made the Nats look like the '27 Yankees.

NEXT GAME: The Nats head down to Georgia for a four-game set with the Braves. Garrett Mock (3-10, 5.91) makes his final start of the season against likely rookie of the year Tommy Hanson (11-4, 2.98) at 7:10 pm.

Good, Bad, and Ugly: Washington Nationals Swept by Braves Over the Weekend

Dave Nichols — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:15:55 -0400

"I'm not stupid; you can play a lot of close games and be a bad ballclub. But the difference between us and the other clubs is not that wide a gap...We just made some mistakes."

—Interim manager Jim Riggleman after Sunday's loss, Sept. 27, 2009.

The Results

The Atlanta Braves rode into the nation's capital and rolled out with three more wins, sweeping the homestanding Washington Nationals by scores of 4-1, 11-5, and 6-3.

The Nats are now 52-103 and 6-17 in September.

Sunday saw a tied game in the ninth inning turn ugly in the 10th, as the Braves scored three times off closer Mike MacDougal.

With one out in the 10th, MacDougal (L, 1-1, 4.59) walked Nate McLouth and hit Martin Prado with a 96-mph fastball. Chipper Jones and Brian McCann then hit the back-to-back choppers. Jones beat his out to load the bases, and McCann's turned into an RBI groundout.

Omar Infante followed with a two-run single to center to score Prado and Jones, giving the Braves their 10th straight road win. Mike Gonzalez (5-4) picked up the win and Rafael Soriano pitched the 10th for his 27th save.

All this happened hours after the Nats took a 2-0 lead on solo home runs by Ryan Zimmerman (32) and Josh Willingham (24) off starter Derek Lowe in the first inning. Mike Morse added a solo shot in the fourth.

Saturday, the Nats made three errors and gave up a combined 18 hits and walks, but were only trailing 6-4 entering the ninth inning. But the Braves got five runs off MacDougal, Ron Villone, and Logan Kensing to blow the game up.

Rookie Tommy Hanson (W, 11-4, 2.98) struck out seven in seven innings for the win. Garrett Mock (L, 3-10, 5.91) was hammered again (six runs in five innings) for the loss.

The Nats made things close for a while on Mike Morse's pinch-hit three-run home run.

Friday night, Javier Vazquez threw a complete game three-hitter, and the Nats fell 4-1. Vazquez retired 11 in a row at one point, struck out seven and only walked one batter all night. The lone Nats run came on a Josh Bard solo home run.

John Lannan (L, 9-13, 3.93) was the hard-luck loser. He went seven innings and gave up two runs (none earned) on six hits and three walks, striking out six.

Washington made two errors in the infield, one each by Ian Desmond and Pete Orr, that led to two first inning runs.

The Takeaway

The only scoring the Nats did in the three-game sweep was via the home run, a good/bad sign. It's good that they are still hitting home runs; it's bad that they can't score when they don't.

And there usually isn't anyone on base when they hit them.

The Good

Lannan. He continues to go out there and keep his team in the game, regardless if the guys behind him can't pick the ball up.

The Bad

The defense and bullpen. The Nats proved over the weekend why they are last in both categories in the major leagues.

The Ugly

Jim Riggleman. The only thing Nats fans have left to cheer for is Adam Dunn's 40th home run of the season, yet Riggleman left Dunn out of the starting lineup Sunday and failed to use him as a pinch hitter in any of the late inning opportunities presented.

Unless Dunn is hurt, and the team did not issue any statement to the effect, then Riggleman really dropped the ball.

Next Game

Mercifully, the last week of the season is upon us. The Nats host the New York Mets for a three-game series starting tonight at 7:05 pm.

Ross Detwiler (0-6, 5.71) has another chance to get his first big league win against Nelson Figueroa (2-7, 4.88), who took offense last season to the Nats cheering from the dugout, calling them "little girls." Should be fun.