Capital Redemption: The Washington Capitals 2010/2011 Season Preview

When the clock at Verizon Center struck zero on the evening of April 28, and the Montreal Canadiens celebrated their game-seven victory over the top-seeded Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, Caps fans, players, and management alike were left to wonder how painful the off-season was going to be.

What could have been a short summer celebrating at least an Eastern Conference title turned into shock and frustration over one of the most surprising upsets in Stanley Cup playoff history.

The Capitals now look to move on from the stunning defeat, complete a season comparable to last year, and orchestrate a deep run into the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs.

While Jaroslav Halak was the deciding factor, the Capitals also showed a lack of playoff savvy in crucial moments during the series. The Capitals' overpowering offense that propelled them into the Presidents Cup was sparse come playoff time.

For the second year in a row, the Caps played game seven on home ice. However, they were unable to exorcise their game-seven demons, a grim reminder of the year before against the Penguins—a year the Penguins would go on to win the Cup.

The still-youthful, star-laden Caps squad will look to move on after last season’s disappointments, but they need to start strong and finish stronger.

Goaltending

After two seasons in between the pipes for the Caps, Jose Theodore is out via free agency. Semyon Varlamov and Michael Neuvirth will look to claim the starting spot, and both have shown brilliance in their brief careers.

Varlamov has taken over for Theodore in the playoffs each of the last two seasons, and has compiled a regular season 19-4-7 career record to this point. Neuvirth has backstopped the Hershey Bears en route to the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup in both of the previous two seasons. Neuvirth’s AHL stats have been solid with a GAA always right around two and his save percentage usually hovering around 92 percent.

Both will share ice time in a 1A and 1B situation. Bruce Boudreau has had no trouble juggling goaltenders, and both Varlamov and Neuvirth will see plenty of ice time this season. Barring any injuries—and Varlamov has shown he is the most prone—both will get a fair chance to be the number one goaltender going into the final part of the season.

Braden Holtby and newcomer veteran Dany Sabourin will be stationed in Hershey and will be summoned if Varlamov or Neuvirth are injured. Sabourin remains on the Caps' opening-night roster as Varlamov is currently day-to-day.

Defense

Mike Green, coming off of another offensively productive season, will lead the Caps in ice time. 2009/2010 NHL plus-minus leader Jeff Schultz was paired with Green last year, and looks to continue to improve.  

John Carlson and Karl Alzner should be able to cement more active roles on the team this year. Carlson has turned into a solid defenseman with a great offensive upside and should provide another power-play point option. Alzner might prove to be the blue-line anchor the Capitals have lacked.

Tom Poti returns after a scary eye injury that could have put part of this season in jeopardy. Poti has been a solid contributor to the team, and will probably log solid ice time behind Green and Schultz.

John Erskine and Tyler Sloan will battle for time in the sixth spot. Brian Fahey, Patrick McNeill, and Sean Collins will provide depth at the AHL level.

Forwards

Coming off of another 50-goal season, captain Alexander Ovechkin will continue to match the intensity and production he has shown to many gazing NHL fans the past five seasons.

Nicklas Backstrom emerged as a solid first-line center playing a support role for Ovechkin and scoring 101 points in the process. Mike Knuble remains as the logical choice to play alongside Ovechkin and Backstrom. With Ovechkin’s bold shooting, and Backstrom’s ability to see the offensive zone, Knuble should have plenty of chances to produce a 30-goal season.

With the departure of Brendan Morrison and Eric Belanger, the Capitals will be searching for a permanent second line center. All signs point to Tomas Fleischmann getting the nod, with Brooks Laich and Alexander Semin flanking him.

Semin collected 40 goals last season, but followed up with a lackluster playoff performance. Laich will continue to provide consistency at his position provided Semin and Fleischmann can get pucks to him.

The Capitals will search to create a productive third-line scoring threat this season. With speedy winger Jason Chimera, and the lethal snap-shot of Eric Fehr, a creative center is needed to fuel the attack.

Marcus Johansson, the Caps first-round selection in 2009, has made the team and could be the best fit for the third-line center spot. Johansson has performed well in the pre-season and should develop into a premier NHL center with the Capitals.

Dave Steckel, Boyd Gordon, and Matt Bradley continue to provide viable options as role-players and penalty killers. DJ King—who was traded from St. Louis for prospect Stefan Della Rovere—will give the Caps their first legitimate enforcer since Donald Brashear.

Matt Hendricks joined Bruce Boudreau’s training camp on a tryout agreement and earned a one-year contract with the Caps. Hendricks—who is in his second stint in the Washington organization—can be a dynamic player that creates energy and scoring chances. He will also be on the opening night roster.

After narrowly missing out on the opening night roster, Mathieu Perreault, Jay Beagle, and Andrew Gordon will be waiting for call-up opportunities during the season.

Outlook

Should the youth movement flowing into the Verizon Center locker room continue to pay dividends, the Capitals will continue to compete for the best record in the NHL. However, the playoffs have been the tripping point for the Capitals the past two years. They will need more contributions from players who have disappeared in the past when it really matters.

The Capitals will depend on the maturation of their two young goaltenders to get them through the season. The offensive attack will score goals, but without any kind of help in between the pipes and on the blue-line, long-term success cannot be guaranteed. 

Five Dates to Circle

Saturday, October 9^th vs. New Jersey Devils: Ilya Kovalchuk leads in the off-season's most controversial team for the home opener in Chinatown. Perhaps a good game to see how prepared the Caps back line is in controlling the Devils' potent attack led by Zach Parise and Kovalchuk.

Saturday, January 1^st @ Pittsburgh Penguins: The Capitals hope to storm into Heinz Field at the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. Will the wind blowing off the Ohio River trouble the Caps and Pens offenses as it has kickers and quarterbacks?

Sunday, February 6^th vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: A pre-Super Bowl match-up that looks to be another chapter in the Pens-Caps rivalry just a month after the winter classic.

Thursday, February 17^th @ San Jose Sharks: In the midst of a west-coast swing on a five-game road trip, the Caps swim into the tank. Two similar teams, the Sharks have had recent regular-season success, but have yet to follow-up in the post season. Where will the two teams be located in the standings when this contest comes around?

Sunday, March 13^th vs. Chicago Blackhawks: The reigning Stanley Cup champs come to town for a Sunday matinee. Perhaps the best late-season test for the likes of Alzner and Carlson.

Prediction

The Capitals are once again the beneficiaries of a weak Southeast Division. Carolina continues to rebuild. Atlanta will struggle in an interim phase post-Kovalchuk. Florida looks like the same team of the past few years.

The only team that could pose a challenge to the Caps in the Southeast is the Tampa Bay Lightning. With Vinny Lecavlier in top form playing with an emerging superstar in Steven Stamkos, the Bolts should be able to hold down an Eastern Conference playoff berth at the very least.

The Capitals' staff feel it is now the time to take a step to the next level. That was the feeling last year, but the sentiment came crashing down on April 28, 2010. If the Capitals are to make a deep playoff run this time around, they must show maturity, an ability to stay out of the penalty box, and a playoff swagger that has not been seen for two years.