Washington Capitals Getting Valuable Ugly Wins as Team Continues to Grow

The 2011-'12 Washington Capitals are 4-0 and offer no apologies for how they have become just one of two teams to be unbeaten four games into the young NHL season.  

Washington has defeated two division foes in Carolina and Tampa Bay and arch rivals Pittsburgh Penguins, all in overtime. Last night, the Capitals defeated the rebuilding Ottawa Senators 2-1 for their fourth straight one-goal victory this season.

For just the third time in franchise history, and first since the 1997-'98 season, the Caps have opened the season with four straight wins. That was the year Washington made their only appearance in the Stanley Cup finals.

The Caps lost the fifth game of the 97-98 season, but went on to post a 7-1 start. Ironically, the team that swept the Caps in the finals that year is the only other team with a 4-0 mark this season, the Detroit Red Wings.

The Capitals have remained unbeaten despite allowing the first goal in three of those victories. They have also remained undefeated despite special teams play that is currently operating in contrast to last season.

During the 2010-'11 season, the Caps possessed one of the league’s best PK units, while struggling mightily at times on the power play. Currently, the Caps have allowed three goals on 14 short-handed chances, which at present, has them No. 23 in the NHL.

The benchmark number for Washington is about 83 percent. When you consider they finished last season as the league's second-best unit, killing off almost 86 percent of their shorthanded situations. The Caps should get back close to that number again this season.

Killing one more penalty without allowing a goal will get the Caps to 80 percent, so there really is nothing to fret over here. However, the increase in power play production is something to get excited about in D.C.

Virtually non-existent since the playoff loss to the Montreal Canadiens two seasons ago, the Caps power play seems to be making its triumphant return. The Caps are scoring a quarter of the time they have the extra man with four goals in 16 chances.

A lot of the Caps power play success can be attributed to the play of defenseman Dennis Wideman. Acquired at the trade deadline last season to help boost a struggling power play, Wideman has done just that this season, as he scored the game-winning power-play goal in overtime against the Pens.

Wideman has a point in every game this season (2G, 2A) and leads the Caps defensive unit, and is second on the team in scoring with four points. He is however a part of a blue line, that with him, has 11 points in the first four games.  

Even as the season began, many in the media and Caps fans alike wondered if head coach Bruce Boudreau would release the hounds and let the Capitals open up the offense more. The answer to that question appears to be at times, but certainly not with any consistency.

The Caps appear to play offense and defense in spurts. They have dominated a period or two, but not an entire game so far. Washington will have moments where they look like a high-powered machine with the puck, and then appear to forget the fundamentals of the game.

Defensively, the Caps are playing the same way. They play lights-out one minute and sloppy the next, turning the puck over and failing to clear the zone.

This is perhaps why they have required overtime in three of their first four games this season, and is the reason why they've won all of them. They may just be talented enough to turn it on whenever they want. 

The Caps are playing with fire in one aspect. Washington has won four straight despite allowing the third most shots per game in the league. A good defense is always anchored by a good goalie, and the Caps have been more than guilty of falling back and allowing their prize offseason acquisition to bail them out at times.

The acquisition of Tomas Vokoun certainly looks good after the last two games, especially when you consider the bargain-basement price he signed for. After a rough debut vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning last Monday night in which he allowed five goals on 28 shots, Vokoun has now stopped 72-of-75 shots in his last two starts.

This includes five periods in which he has seen 10 or more shots and an 18-shot third period in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. The Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia native has a 2.57 GAA and a .922 save percentage on the young season.

I'm not saying Michael Neuvirth, who won 27 games as a rookie last season, could not have handled and won the last two games, but I was a little more comfortable watching a veteran like Vokoun weather the storm the Penguins were delivering.

Speaking of new acquisitions, Joel Ward and Troy Brouwer have played well in a Washington uniform so far this season, as has defenseman Roman Hamrlik and returning Capital Jeff Halpern.

Ward and Brouwer are big and physical, making a difference in the Caps game along the boards and in the corners. 

Ward plays well in front of the net, standing tall in front of opposing goalies. He gives the capitals a net presence they have lacked for a few years now. Both are a plus-one and average almost 15-and-a-half minutes of ice time per game.

Brouwer, who finished fifth in the NHL last season with 262 hits, is currently second in the league with 21 this season.

While the new players are adjusting well, it is nice to see the Caps being led in the scoring category by Nicklas Backstrom. The 24-year-old Swede, who is entering his fifth season in D.C, has one goal and four assists so far. His game appears to be a little more balanced this season, as Backstrom is playing well in the corners and most notably, behind the net.

Like last season, the Caps have not exactly blown any scoreboard fuses this season, but through four games, they seem to be a deeper team than they were a year ago. Sixteen of the 20 Washington skaters have at least one point, and 11 of them have multiple points.  

Playing on a line together, the production of Ward, Jason Chimera and Brooks Laich has been a pleasant surprise for Boudreau. This, especially when you consider the Caps struggled to play more than two lines deep at many times last season.

The Capitals are a much different looking team from last year's squad, and although they may not exactly look like your typically well-rounded, undefeated team team right now, they are still very much learning how to play together.

Let's give some credit to Bruce Boudreau for once, he has done a good job of mixing up the lines and he's been a little more in control this season. He called out his star player, Alex Ovechkin, in a post-game interview saying, "he has a ways to go" after his poor play during the Tampa Bay game last week.

Boudreau added, “He’s our No. 1 player, but he can be better. There’s no doubt about it.”

That prompted this response from the Great 8, “I think that has to be between me and him and I don’t want to comment on it." However, the comment from Boudreau was long overdue and very necessary. In a year when Boudreau cannot afford to let his players do as they please, on and off the ice, the timing was perfect for him to call out his star player.

Boudreau knows his team will get better and knows what they need to fix in order to do so. “If we thought we were king of the world right now it’d probably be a little more difficult [to improve],"Boudreau said to reporters following last night's victory. “Not every game, you’re not going to be beautiful, the other team wants to win, too ... We’re not satisfied, but we’re happy with some of the things—that people are getting better day in and day out.” 

The players also know they have some work to do to become the team they want to be. Backstrom said to reporters following last night's game, “I think a lot of things can get better, obviously. We keep talking about it in the locker room after the games and stuff. I think pretty much everything: get quicker puck movement, better forechecks and better backchecks in the defensive zone, too. I think a little bit of everything and we’ll get better.”

That is right Nicklas, a little bit of everything and a little bit at a time. Mid-April is a long way down the road. Win ugly now, a little prettier in January and then by the time June arrives, we can all still be rocking the red, at a parade in downtown Washington D.C. as the Stanley cup is hoisted.