Capitals Have Plenty of Room to Grow Despite Win over Carolina

The goal for the Washington Capitals this season is simple: Nothing less than a Stanley Cup will be acceptable. However, that task may prove to be a little tougher than originally thought.

Even though Washington managed to win their 10th straight home opener, a 4-3 overtime thriller against the Carolina Hurricanes, they proved that they have much to work on before reaching said goal. Washington has not lost their first regular-season game at the Verizon Center since Oct. 6, 2000, against the Los Angeles Kings.

The Caps did many good things in beating the Canes for the seventh time in the last 10 games. The play of the third line, which was non-existent for Washington at times last season, especially in their final four games last season, was very effective.

Brooks Laich, who centered Jason Chimera and Joel Ward, all contributed points. Laich and Chimera scored goals and Ward chipped in with an assist. The Caps were also a lot tougher in front of their own net, in front of the opposition's net and played with grit along the boards and in the corners.

The goaltending situation should be a huge plus in the nation’s capital this season. Michael Neuvirth, who won 27 games as a rookie last season for the Capitals, played very well, making 28 saves for his first win of the new season.

Neuvirth was especially big for his team in overtime. He stopped four shots, including one 2-on-1, and had another big save when he gloved a shot headed for the top corner off the stick of the 'Canes' Thomas Kaberle. 

Neuvirth was elated to get his first win of the year. “It wasn’t an easy game to play,” Neuvirth said to the media following the game, “but I stayed positive the whole game. I believed that we could get the two points. It’s just such a great feeling that we start the season with a win.”

Despite Neuvy's stellar play, there is no goalie controversy in D.C. The Caps' top offseason acquisition, Tomas Vokoun, served as Neuvirth's backup last night, and even though he was disappointed to do so, he understood why. Prior to last night's game, Caps goalie coach Dave Prior spoke with Chuck Gormley of NBC Sports to explain the decision.

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Vokoun lost one of his closest friends in the September plane crash that took the lives of the entire Lokomotiv hockey team from Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.

Following the crash, Vokoun returned to his native Czech Republic for funeral services and did not skate the entire week before camp. As a result, the Caps allowed Vokoun to work his way into shape, giving him just three starts in the preseason.

Prior said that although Vokoun was disappointed in not being selected as the starting goalie in the season opener, he reminded the veteran goalie that he was acquired for his ability to win in the playoffs.

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The Caps, whose struggles on the power play last season were well documented, seemed to get better with the extra man as the game progressed. There is still plenty of work to do when playing 5-on-4, but when the opposition plays with just three skaters, the Caps are a sure bet to score.

The Caps converted two of their extra-man advantages into scores, but both came while the 'Canes had just three men on the ice. The game winner from Mike Green in overtime was during a 4-on-3 situation, and the first power play goal of the season came as Washington enjoyed a two-man advantage.

The 5-on-4 power play looked bad early. Washington was the benefactor of two power plays in the first 10 minutes but went 0-for-2, registering just two shots on goal. 

Washington did not look comfortable in the new scheme to start. They rotated three skaters at the point and had Alex Ovechkin bouncing back and forth between the half boards and high slot. The new power-play system looks as if it could be very effective for head coach Bruce Boudreau.

The system seems geared towards getting the puck on net as opposed to simply getting Ovechkin the puck at the point or in the high slot. Judging from just one game, it appears as though Washington will take far more shots with the extra man this year than they did last year.

With the plethora of power-play talent available to rotate on the blue line in this system, the Caps should eventually fall into a nice scoring rhythm with the extra man.

The anomaly that is Alexander Semin made his season debut as only Semin could have. Many were curious to see how he would respond after an offseason in which two former teammates questioned his work ethic and discipline, on and off the ice.

Semin seemed to play a solid game and was rewarded for his efforts. Caps defenseman John Carlson hit Semin with a beautiful, long breakout pass that resulted in a breakaway game-tying goal.

However, Semin still showed he is prone to late-game mental mistakes, and this one almost cost the Caps a point. With only seconds remaining in regulation and the game headed into overtime, Semin took a boarding penalty that put the Caps down a man to start the extra session.

Semin, who was benched for such exploits during a game last season, was bailed out by Neuvirth and the 'Canes' Jussi Jokinen. After scoring the game-tying goal late in regulation, Jokinen was called for holding a minute-and-a-half into overtime.

Jokinen's penalty shortened the 'Canes' extra-man advantage by 31 seconds, and forced the two teams to play a street hockey-like game of 3-on-3 for a brief time. Once Semin returned, and the Caps were up a man, Mike Green drifted off the point and fired a slap shot that trickled off a defender and through Boucher for the win.

While the Caps' power play seems to be headed in the right direction, their penalty-killing unit, which finished second best in the NHL last season, struggled against Carolina. The 'Canes scored two of their three goals with the extra man.

Washington was notorious last season for allowing the first goal of the game. Despite allowing the opposition to score first in 47 of their games last season, the Caps managed to win an NHL-leading 23 of those contests. That was five more than the next closest team.

Washington is now 1-0 when the opposition scores first this season, as Carolina struck first when Eric Staal scored 12:16 into the second period. The Caps also had a knack for surrendering goals early and late in periods last season. Last night, they once again did both. Washington allowed the 'Canes a goal 21 seconds into the third period and allowed the game-tying goal with just 1:19 remaining.

Although it is just game one, and according to Caps Owner Ted Leonsis, who recently said in an interview with Mike Wise of the WP, “You can’t win the Cup October 15th. If we focus on anything past [making the playoffs], I think you create a dangerous situation for the organization.”

That may be true, but there was not a whole lot of fan fare from the sellout crowd (107th straight) when the Caps raised their fourth consecutive Southeast Division champion banner prior to last night's game. If many of the same mistakes that plagued the Capitals last year have yet to be fixed this year, should we as Caps fans have faith that they ever will under this regime?

Yes, it is just the first game, but I don't want to see Semin committing stupid penalties at anytime, much less at the end of games with the score tied. I also don’t want to see the Caps surrender the first goal in their home opener to a team that traveled and played the night before, and I don't want slow starts. I also want a very talented offensive group to thrive when they have an extra man on the ice.

The Caps have underachieved more than any team in the NHL over the past three seasons, especially when you consider what they accomplished during the regular season. Many of these same mistakes the Caps committed last night in winning ultimately became their undoing in all four recent playoff collapses. This despite the fact they had home-ice advantage, and in three of those series, they played Game 7 at home. 

For this Caps fan, it was a bittersweet feeling as Washington took the ice last night for their 38th NHL season. Part of me is upset I have to sit through another long season to get back to the playoffs, but the hockey fan in me wants to watch the next 82 games so I can see the growth.

It is time and this has to be the year. I don’t mean to sound like a spoiled hockey snob, but the magnifying glass is out, and Boudreau’s head is directly lined up with sun.

Much of what plagued the Caps last night was not new, and despite winning, the Caps still looked a lot like the team from last season. If that team wasn’t good enough last season, it sure as hell will not be good enough this season.