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When the Washington Capitals acquired forward Jason Arnott from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for center Dave Steckel and a second round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, I admittedly had mixed feelings.
On the one hand, Arnott was a gritty veteran who had logged more than 1,100 regular season games and more than 100 playoff games since coming into the league in 1993. It’d be nearly impossible to last in the league that long without learning a thing or two about what it takes to be successful in the NHL.
But the other side of the coin wasn’t as pretty.
From New Years Day until he was traded to Washington, Arnott played in 25 games for New Jersey. During that span, he scored just four goals and three assists for seven points and was a plus four.
Sure, New Jersey plays a completely defensive-minded game, but after talking with friends who watch the Devils far more often than I do, they admitted it was tough to gauge just how much the old man had left in the tank.
He was essentially an old timer playing on New Jersey’s third line in the final year of his contract. He was good for 15 minutes a night and was picking up a point about once every three games. Nothing about his 62 games played with the Devils this season suggested greatness.
In fact, one could wonder if maybe the Capitals were higher on Arnott than anyone else out there simply because he picked up three goals against Washington in his first two games against them this season.
Maybe general manager George McPhee saw something in those two games. Maybe he simply wanted to keep another contender – like say the Pittsburgh Penguins – from acquiring him. Either way, GMGM pulled the trigger and the Caps have been on a roll since.
Sergei Fedorov (who was the last member of the Capitals to have logged more than 1,000 career games played) set the bar for grizzled vets, when he came to Washington he immediately made his presence known by picking up 13 points in his first 18 games with the Capitals.
Well, Arnott has two goals and three assists for five points and is a plus five in seven games with Washington, so he’s clearly on pace to match the industry standard.
In his first game with the Capitals, Arnott set up the game-tying goal against the New York Islanders March 1. The Capitals went on to win that game 2-1 in overtime.
Two days later, the 36-year-old picked up the game-winning goal against St. Louis. Seriously, it’s tough to make a bigger impact on your first two games in a new town than that.
And then, this past weekend, Arnott accomplished a feat very few of his teammates have been able to this season – he scored on the powerplay.
Playing the point position on the powerplay (a slot that even captain Alex Ovechkin has struggled in this season), Arnott took a feed from forward Alexander Semin and blasted a shot that deflected off of a Chicago defender and into the back of the net.
The Capitals are currently enjoying an eight-game winning streak – their longest of the season. Seven of those wins have come since Arnott was acquired and that’s no coincidence.
The Washington Capitals want to be where the Chicago Blackhawks are.
They want to be the Stanley Cup champions. They want to be invited to the White House to mingle with the president of the United States of America. They want to be recognized by their peers as a team worth remembering.
They want it all.
But in order for that to happen, they’ve got to put it together once and for all in the postseason. They’ve got to prove definitely that this team with these players and this coach have what it takes to be the last team standing.
Well, I’d be foolish to claim that one regular season game out of 82 of them deserves to be spotlighted more than any of the others, but there was a lot to like about Washington’s 4-3 overtime victory over the defending champs.
For starters, look at the names of the players who scored for the Capitals — forwards Boyd Gordon, Jason Arnott, Brooks Laich and Mike Knuble.
Each and every one of them is a grinder, by trade. All of them openly embrace the less glamorous aspect of their sport — namely fighting for loose pucks in the corner and making a living in high-traffic areas, even though it comes with plenty of bodily harm.
They’re not the biggest names on the team, but historically they represent the type of blue-collar player who rises to the occasion in the playoffs. The Capitals, led by these four gentlemen, dictated play all game long against a proven winner. It was such an enjoyable matinee matchup, that I openly admitted during the game I didn’t want it to end.
“All four lines were going; that’s why I didn’t shorten the bench,” said coach Bruce Boudreau. “They’re all contributing. It’s a nice thing to see, but that’s why you win — when everyone contributes.”
And while Boudreau is right to a certain extent, the truth is the Young Guns — captain Alex Ovechkin, center Nicklas Backstrom, defenseman Mike Green and enigma Alexander Semin — were nonfactors on this day.
Backstrom and Green are still sidelined by injuries and the Alex & Alex combo finished with a combined one assist and a -1 rating on the day. It used to be that if those four didn’t do the heavy lifting, this team was dead in the water. For one day, at least, that wasn’t the case.
The Washington Capitals defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in overtime Sunday, but the story of the day involves the postgame celebration.
While Caps fans were filtering out of the Verizon Center savoring the team’s current eight-game winning streak, Capitals players were treated to a visit from DJ Pauly D of MTV’s Jersey Shore. This moment, you might recall, has been building ever since DJ Pauly D’s music made a cameo on a certain HBO reality-based TV program featuring the Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Maybe it’s because he’s a deeper shade of orange than the Philadelphia Flyers jerseys or maybe it’s because his hair makes Mike Green’s fo-hawk tame by comparision.
Whatever the case, even forward Mike Knuble, who would normally have been the man of the hour after scoring the overtime winner, had to pause and soak it all in.
As someone asked him for his thoughts on the Blackhawks game, Knuble started to answer and then stopped.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t listening. I was watching DJ Pauly D.”
Don’t worry, big guy. We all were. Here’s video, for those interested.
You can watch hockey your entire life and never see a game like the Washington Capitals 5-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
It’s not that they blew out the NHL’s worst team in deciding fashion – that’s happened more than a few times this season. But it’s how the Capitals earned their sixth-consecutive victory that made the evening so memorable for the Verizon Center faithful.
Captain Alex Ovechkin had a three-point night, which gave him 600 career points and moved him into third place on the Capitals’ all-time scoring list. In just his sixth season, Ovechkin ranks behind only Peter Bondra (825) and Mike Gartner (789) in the team’s record books.
But Ovechkin wasn’t alone in the milestone department. Far from it.
Newly acquired center Jason Arnott reached 900 career points. Fellow newcomer Dennis Wideman hit the 200-career points mark. Rounding out the trio of newbies, veteran forward Marco Sturm picked up his first point as a member of the Capitals.
Oh, and rookie goalie Braden Holtby notched his first NHL shutout. Like I said, there were more than a few reasons to rejoice for the hometown crowd.
“It must have been something in the water,” said coach Bruce Boudreau. “Two-hundredth point, 900th point, 600th point. It’s all great stuff. I’m glad we got them out of the way. I hope if there’s any other milestones we get them out of the way so guys don’t press for things.”
Holtby turned away all 22 shots he faced just two days after blanking Tampa Bay in relief duty after starter Michal Neuvirth was forced out of the game due to injury.
In fact, Holtby hasn’t allowed a goal over the last 104 minutes of gametime – stopping all 43 shots he’s faced as well as all three Lightning shooters during the shootout. To say this is the best stretch of the 21-year-old’s young NHL career would be an understatement.
“It feels good,” he said. “It almost feels better to get the win after an emotional game in Tampa, just to come back and make sure the team played well.”
And let’s not forget, the game was also memorable for forward Eric Fehr, who scored two goals in his first action since missing 22 games due to a shoulder injury.
The Capitals scored their first two powerplay goals of the current winning streak and, amazingly enough, the two strikes ended a 43-game span without multiple powerplay goals in a game – the longest drought in the franchise’s 36-year history.
Ovechkin scored his first powerplay goal at home this season 5:38 into the second period after Arnott set him up with a beautiful slap pass from the blueline.
That’s when Ovechkin, who was quietly waiting on the back post, took the feed, buried it home and enabled the Caps to score the game’s first goal for the first time during the current winning streak.
When the Washington Capitals take on the Edmonton Oilers tonight at the Verizon Center, they’ll have a chance to match their longest winning streak of the season – at six games.
It should be pointed out that during the current streak, each contest has been decided by just one goal and, most impressively, the opposing teams scored first in all five games.
So while the Caps still struggle offensively and the powerplay in particular is a train wreck, coach Bruce Boudreau can at least take some satisfaction in knowing his players are able to handle adversity.
In fact, one of the first comments made by the trio of newcomers – center Jason Arnott, forward Marco Sturm and defenseman Dennis Wideman – to Boudreau was how noticeable it was that no one on the Capitals roster panics if the team falls behind early.
While other teams may allow doubt to creep in during those instances, the Capitals – for better or worse – have backed themselves into that corner often enough to be able to battle back.
Since you’ve already heard from Arnott and Wideman, it’s only fair that I spent some time with Sturm, the 32-year-old left wing whom the Capitals claimed off of waivers from the Los Angeles Kings, Feb. 26.
He’s exactly the low-risk, high-reward type of player Capitals general manager George McPhee likes to roll the dice with, so if he can get healthy it’s not unreasonable to think he can be an effective player come playoff time.
Some of the other guys compared the adjustment of being in a new locker room to the first day of school. Is that how you feel these days as you get used to the Washington Capitals?
“Yeah, there’s always kind of a weird feeling when you come to a new team,” Sturm said. “You meet a lot of new guys, a new staff and everything else surrounding the team, so all of that takes a while to get used to.”
You’ve been in the NHL for 12 seasons now. Can you tell me a little bit about what you bring to the table for those Caps fans who might not know much about your playing style?
“I guess the biggest thing about me is my speed,” he said. “I’m a faster skater who likes to create a lot of scoring chances for my linemates. I like to try and create more room for my linemates and in the past, I’ve been a 20-goal scorer. And I can still put the puck in the net from time to time as well.”
How surprised were you when you found out Washington had claimed you off of waivers?
“I was surprised,” Sturm said. “With my history of injuries and stuff like that, you never know, so it was shocking at first. But after a few hours I was really excited to come here because I know it’s going to be a great team.”
Before landing in Los Angeles, you spent five seasons in Boston. Obviously you played the Capitals once or twice during that timeframe. What’s your take on the make-up of this roster?
While this season has had its share of ups and downs, history shows this is the time of year when the Washington Capitals begin to round into form.
In fact, over the last three seasons, the Capitals posted a combined record of 38-10-9 after the trade deadline. So while the team hasn’t always looked great once the postseason starts, they’re at least able to close out the regular season on a high note.
Fast forward to this season and while Washington has played just three games since the trade deadline, they’ve won each of them – including yesterday’s 3-2 overtime win at the Florida Panthers.
The victory was key because it enabled the Caps to regain the lead in the Southeast Division for the first time in 2011 and it meant the team is on its first four-game winning streak since Dec. 1.
One of the players who could play a pivotal role if the Capitals are going to continue to build momentum over the final 16 games of the regular season is newly acquired defenseman Dennis Wideman.
The 27-year-old defenseman, who was traded for prospect Jake Hauswirth and a third-round pick, comes to Washington with nine goals and 24 assists for 33 points in 63 games this season.
Wideman will likely be a vital contributor because he logs a ton of minutes (playing more than 22 minutes in all three games with the Caps) and his eight powerplay goals are more than anyone else on the roster – including captain Alex Ovechkin.
Best of all, if Wideman does excel this season, he’s signed through next season as well. So he’s not your typical “rental” player hoping to ride into town, win a few games and then move elsewhere.
I had the chance to catch up with the fifth-year pro before the Caps hit the road for Florida and, as you’d expect, he’s thrilled to be in Washington. Something about going from a doormat to a contender always seems to help get players fired up, especially come playoff time.
Were you surprised to not only be traded, but to end up being shipped to the Capitals – a team within the division?
“I don’t think the division thing was a big deal because of the position that Florida is in,” Wideman said. “They’re definitely rebuilding, so it wasn’t a big surprise to be dealt within the division. But I was surprised to be traded here because I hadn’t heard anything about Washington being interested.”
You’ve got an advantage over the other new guys – forwards Jason Arnott and Marco Sturm – because of how often the Panthers play the Caps. Because of that familiarity, I’d like to get your scouting report on the Capitals before you arrived in town. What’s your take on this team?
With more than 1,100 regular season games and more than 100 playoff games worth of experience under his belt, it’s safe to say that veteran center Jason Arnott brings something to the table that the Washington Capitals were previously lacking.
After 17 NHL seasons, Arnott can honestly say he’s seen it all. That’s vitally important because he can provide the kind of steadying presence a young and talented locker room needs if the Caps are ever going to make an extended postseason run.
Nothing against Dave Steckel, who was a solid and dependable player during his time in Washington, but getting Arnott for the fourth-line forward and a second round draft pick was an absolute bargain.
You want to know how to fairly and accurately judge a player acquisition like this? Listen to what your rivals have to say about it.
For example, just minutes after news broke that the Capitals had pulled the trigger at the last possible minute before the trade deadline, a long-time friend of mine sent the following note:
Every Cup the Pens won they picked up a guy like that in March: Ron Francis. Rick Tocchet. Billy Guerin. GMGM’s best trade deadline move ever.
That’s coming from a diehard Penguins fan. And yes, a Pittsburgh fan setting down his Terrible Towel long enough to learn how to type is impressive, but that’s beyond the point.
Arnott is a meat and potatoes forward who has no issue crashing the net. He’s a guy who can speak up when needed, but more importantly, he can show a finesse team like the Capitals that it’s okay to roll up your sleeves and get a little dirty.
That’s what it takes to win something at hockey’s highest level.
I had the chance to chat with Arnott the day after he made his Washington debut and I’m going to be completely honest – after just five minutes, I walked away thinking “I’d love to play hockey alongside a guy like that.”
His demeanor and his mentality on the ice and in the locker room really are what you want to see from a top-six forward. Keep reading and I have a feeling you’ll see what I mean.
Okay, you’re a 36-year-old who has been in the league a long, long time. That being said, you’re in a brand new locker room trying to soak in all these new faces and a completely different mindset. Does it feel like the first day of school?
“Yeah, actually, it does,” Arnott said. “That’s a good analogy. It’s obviously a little different and yesterday happened so fast. We got our physicals in the morning and then ‘boom,’ we’re on the ice for a pregame skate. And then ‘boom,’ we’re playing in the game with different guys. It’s an adjustment, but the guys here are fantastic. They opened up the room to us and made us feel right at home. That helps out a lot. It doesn’t take long for you to make friends, fit in and have fun.”
I remember talking with Jason Chimera when he first arrived in D.C. and the culture shock of coming from a defensive-minded system in Columbus to a much-more aggressive scheme here with the Caps. I’ve got to imagine that’s even more pronounced with you, coming from New Jersey. What’s going through your mind as you’re trying to take it all in?
