(photo by Bruce Bennett)

If you’re a fan of the Washington Capitals, there’s little reason to sulk after watching the New York Rangers edge out the Caps 3-2 Sunday.

Sure, it would have been great to see Washington push the Rangers to the brink of elimination, but look at it this way – New York was desperately playing for their season.

They had to win and their players came out with a sense of purpose from the moment the puck dropped in this one. They outhit, outshot and out-hustled the Capitals, and yet, it took a completely fluky bounce for the Rangers to even emerge victorious.

Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky’s shot deflected off of Alex Ovechkin’s stick and then Karl Alzner’s shoulder before finding its way into the net with 1:39 left in regulation. That was the difference.

Otherwise, this game goes to overtime and a guy like Alexander Semin (who had a helluva game) has another chance to steal the show.

Obnoxious New Yorkers (redundant, I know) might be tempted to walk around overly confident the morning after their team finally arrived in the postseason, but go ahead and remind them that the Rangers threw everything they had at the Caps and it was barely enough.

And that’s before we even mention the disparity in penalties (eight on Washington, just four against New York) or the two five-on-three powerplays the Rangers bungled away.

The Capitals, who were whistled for eight penalties in the first two games of the series combined, spent a good chunk of the day working out their penalty-kill unit – even though both teams were playing the same physical brand of hockey that’s characterized this series.

And look, I’m not going to blame the refs for the Caps’ loss. That’s about as fruitless of an exercise as there is in sports. But I will say this – referees, in general, are at their best when they’re not noticed.

In Game 1, the Capitals and Rangers were whistled for just three penalties in more than 78 minutes of hockey.

The two teams combined for six penalties in Game 2 – although that’s a bit misleading because Rangers forward Brandon Prust was called for roughing after the game had ended.

That’s playoff hockey – two teams playing hard and physical with the referees largely agreeing to let the two teams settle it on the ice.

So why, then, did the zebras finally decide to insert themselves into the series for Game 3? Why were they so involved that coach Bruce Boudreau felt compelled during an in-game interview to point out just how many “ticky tack” calls were being made?

And most of all, if the referees were going to be overly aggressive, then why on earth were guys like Sean Avery and Prust allowed to repeatedly take cheapshots on Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth?

During an extended stoppage in play (which happened after referee Chris Rooney hurt himself by tripping over the net), Prust slashed Neuvirth as the rookie goaltender skated over to his teammates.

The Rangers were on the powerplay for 10 minutes and 33 seconds in Game 3, and yet, it’s not worth blowing a whistle when guys are going after a goalie at center ice? All I’m asking for is a little consistency.

“I think after every time that there was a scrum in front of our net or something in front of our net, they were hitting our goalie,” Boudreau said of the Rangers. “[The officials] kept warning them not to do it, not to do it. They kept doing it and nothing was done, so they kept doing it. It’s pretty simple.”

New York got the calls and the lucky bounces in this game, but truth be told, I’m someone who firmly believes you make your own luck.

The Rangers were the more aggressive team from the get-go, and the Capitals were on their heels (and in the penalty box) for much of the day, so it took a while for Washington’s offense to get going.

“It was kind of a weird first 30 minutes for guys,” says Knuble. “It was tough to get some flow going. Guys were in the box and not everybody can get on the ice at that point. So it was kind of a strange game.”

Unlike Game 2, which featured secondary scoring from forwards Jason Chimera and Jason Arnott, this one was all about the big guns.

Ovechkin, who continues to play his heart out, scored his second goal of the postseason with a minute left in the second period to tie the game at 1-1. The goal was assisted by Arnott, who now has three points in three playoff games for Washington.

With 5:12 left in regulation, veteran forward Mike Knuble scored a powerplay goal to tie the game at 2-2. Unfortunately for the Caps though, no one on the bottom half of the roster stood out in Game 3.

Energy guys like Matt Hendricks and Matt Bradley, who are usually counted on to provide a spark, were nonfactors. Speedy guys like Chimera and forward Marco Sturm seemed a step slow and out of synch.

And I’m still not sure what’s wrong with top-line center Nicklas Backstrom, but he’s clearly not himself at the moment.

After dropping from a career-high 101 points last season, Backstrom regressed to a career-low 65 points this season. And now, Backstrom has just one assist and four shots on goal through three games against the Rangers.

That’s why Boudreau felt compelled to drop Backstrom down to line two in favor of Arnott (even though the veteran won just four of 19 face-offs on the day).

Ovechkin, Semin, Arnott and Knuble are bringing it this series. Unfortunately, it’s Backstrom who has failed to make an impact against the Rangers.

And finally, for all the praise that Neuvirth deserved for his effort in the first two games of the series, the 23-year-old looked far less confident in Game 3.

When he’s on his game, Neuvirth makes goaltending look effortless. Sadly, this was not one of those days.

Neuvirth looked completely uncomfortable in net – allowing a goal by Erik Christensen from an impossible angle and nearly giving up another bad goal in the final seconds of the second period.

If the Capitals are going to rally back and win Game 4, they need guys like Backstrom and Neuvirth to turn in a better effort. They also need the entire roster to come out with a sense of urgency – especially in the first 20 minutes.

Everyone knows the Rangers are going to continue to play as if their season is on the line. On Wednesday, the Caps need to do the same.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

This is an interesting time for the Washington Capitals.

It really feels like this team (and this fanbase, to a certain extent) has reached something of an emotional crossroads.

On the one hand, you’ve got a franchise that has won four-straight division titles and finished as the top seed in the Eastern Conference two regular seasons in a row.

On the other, you’ve got a squad loaded with talent that has yet to accomplish much of anything in the postseason.

The question then becomes – what happens next?

More specifically, what happens if the Caps fail to live up to their lofty expectations? What is the breaking point if Bruce Boudreau and friends, once again, can’t get over the proverbial hump and make that all-too-elusive playoff run?

I ask this because on the eve of Game 1 of the Capitals opening-round series with the New York Rangers, I overheard more than a few Caps fans say some variation of the following:

“If the Capitals don’t at least make it to the Finals, then Boudreau has got to go.”

In fact, this seems to be one of the most popular “subplots” of the Stanley Cup playoffs – judging by the frequency in which Boudreau’s job security seems to come up.

In the last week alone, here are just a few of the places this topic has popped up:

• On his radio show, Mike Wise thought it was appropriate to ask the Capitals coach if he’s received any assurances from management that he’ll still be on the payroll if the team fails to win a playoff series again this year.
• On the B.S. Report, Greg Wyshynski, of Puck Daddy fame, repeatedly claimed to Bill Simmons that Boudreau was nearly fired during the team’s December struggles and listed the coach’s job security as the most compelling storyline of the Caps-Rangers series.
• Brooks Laich talked to Tarik El-Bashir about fans showing up to the rink with “Fire Boudreau” signs. (His response? Blasting slap shots at the glass in front of the guy holding the sign.)

Fair or not, this is what folks are focusing on these days.

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(photo by Bruce Bennett)

They say a playoffs series doesn’t begin until the home team loses a game. Well, thankfully, this series hasn’t started yet.

The Washington Capitals hosted the New York Rangers in the opening game of their first-round series and until the previous two years – which saw the Caps drop Game 1 – this time around the home team emerged victorious 2-1 in overtime.

After failing to score a goal against Montreal last year, forward/enigma Alexander Semin scored the overtime winner.

In addition to going goal-less in seven games against the Canadiens, Semin also failed to score in the previous seven-game series against Pittsburgh.

So Semin broke the slump at the best time possible, scoring a goal for the first time since he lit up – as luck would have it – the Rangers during the 2008-09 postseason.

The last time Semin scored a goal in a playoff game prior to last night was April 28, 2009 – also known as Game 7 of the Caps-Rangers series. (Random sidenote: for what it’s worth, Washington won that game 2-1 as well.)

Semin had gone 14 games and 67 straight shots without finding the back of the net, which is why I wrote before the playoffs even began that he, more than any other Caps player, needed to show up in order for this team to have a shot at an extended playoff run.

And for one night, he answered the call. If only someone could have seen this coming and predicted it before the game started.

Of course, Semin’s rifle of a shot never happens if not for veteran center Jason Arnott, who continues to be worth his weight in gold.

The man who goes out of his way to try and connect with a quirky loner like Semin feeds him the perfect pass and Good Sasha did the rest.

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist is absolutely one of the best in the world at his chosen profession, but he had no chance whatsoever to stop Semin’s perfectly-placed blast. He got caught drifting to his left too much and the shot blew by Henrik before he could even think about raising his blocker.

Best of all, Semin now has six goals in eight postseason games against Lundqvist, so maybe this is the psychological edge the Caps’ offense needs to get rolling in the playoffs.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

Why are some talent evaluators so biased against handsome athletes?

I mean, everyone knows that golden boy Tom Brady wasn’t drafted until the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft, but he’s not the only attractive athlete to have to wait to hear his name called.

The ugly truth is forward/Ladies Man Brooks Laich was equally snubbed – having to wait until the sixth round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft when, mercifully, he was selected by the Ottawa Senators.

Laich went 193rd overall, and although he’s gone on to become a staple of Washington Capitals’ hockey, it’s safe to say Laich wasn’t even on the team’s radar at that time.

In fact, he went just two picks after the Capitals selected a left wing allegedly named Zbynek Novak, who has failed to play a single NHL game.

But Washington wasn’t the only team who missed on the Wawota, Saskatchewan native. Sadly, the Caps were one of 29 teams who didn’t even bother with Laich prior to the draft.

“I wasn’t invited,” he said. “I wasn’t considered a top pick. I didn’t go to any combine or scouting thing like that. I guess I wasn’t as high profile as some of the other guys here in the locker room.”

Just how bad was it for Laich, who always dreamed of one day playing in the NHL, in the days leading up to the draft?

“A scout from Ottawa came to my hometown and took me for a bite to eat,” he said. “He said they were sort of interested in me or whatever, but other than that I wasn’t a guy that a lot of people were talking about. I was hopeful to get drafted, but I didn’t expect a whole lot.

“I got a phone call that Sunday morning and was told I’d been drafted by the Senators,” Laich continued. “It was a pretty exciting day, but I’m sure it was a pretty different experience than a lot of other guys have.”

Laich has amassed 100 goals and 137 assists for 237 points in 475 career games. That’s nearly 100 points more than Washington’s entire 2001 draft class, which featured defensemen Johnny Oduya, Nathan Paetsch and eight nobodies.

Looking back, it’s safe to say that’s not the best draft Caps general manager George McPhee’s tenure.

“Scouting has become a much bigger part of the game,” said the always-diplomatic Laich. “Especially in a salary cap era, you want to get good, young players and develop them and keep them rather than spending money on free agency because it drives your cap up. Teams focus on that a lot more now, I guess.

“Maybe if I was in the position now that I was in 10 years ago, maybe I would have had a different draft day experience,” he continued. “That year I didn’t though, but fortunately it all worked out.”

It would come as a surprise to no one if Laich came into the league with a chip on his shoulder after 29 of 30 teams didn’t even bother to scout him, but that’s not how the 27-year-old is wired.

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(photo by Mitchell Layton)

Sunday night I had the pleasure of seeing a phenomenal band called TV on the Radio perform live at the Ram’s Head in Baltimore.

They’re a great band who I’ve been a fan of for a while, but this was my first time experiencing them in person. And they didn’t disappoint.

They played for two hours and brought a crazy energy that the crowd fed off of from start to finish. By the time they played “Wolf Like Me,” the place went berserk.

At this point, I feel like it’s my civic duty to inform you that if you don’t see this band live before you die, you’re missing out.

Of course, not all people have the same musical tastes though, so what works for me might not work for you.

Washington Capitals players have been known to listen to everything from Russian techno to DJ Pauly D, but after learning what’s on the team’s playlist these days, I’m not sure TV on the Radio will be added to the rotation anytime soon.

You might have noticed that after the trade deadline, the Capitals caught fire – going 15-3-1 down the stretch and taking home the top seed in the Eastern Conference for a second-consecutive season.

Even though bodies kept dropping at a rapid pace due to injury forcing coach Bruce Boudreau to shuffle the lineup on a seemingly nightly basis, the Caps continued to find a way to win.

Some point to forward Jason Arnott – the savvy veteran who isn’t afraid to pull aside his new teammates if their play starts to slip on the ice – as a key to the Capitals’ recent hot streak.

He’s admitted he and Ovechkin have been regular dinner buddies so the Caps captain can pick Arnott’s brain regularly about what it takes to bring home the Stanley Cup.

He’s been credited as one of the few guys capable of getting through to enigmatic forward Alexander Semin.

Well, for better or for worse, you can add a third bullet to Arnott’s D.C. resume – he’s the guy who helped bring country music to the Caps locker room.

“I’d say 70 to 80 percent of the guys in this locker room listened to country at some point growing up,” said defenseman Karl Alzner. “In Canada, it’s big in the locker room – especially in the Ontario League and the Western League – we listened to it all the time. That was our pump-up music, you know?

“Well, some of the new guys who have come in are a little bit older and have some pull around the dressing room, so they threw it on and everyone likes it except for very few people,” Alzner continued.

It should come as no surprise that Alzner was referring to Ovechkin, who will never be confused for a country music fanatic.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

The Washington Capitals hosted the home finale of the regular season against the Florida Panthers Wednesday night and while they’re still fighting for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, it was nice to see the coaches take a “marathon” approach.

In theory, the Caps still have plenty to play for — specifically home-ice advantage all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. But coach Bruce Boudreau and friends opted to play the Panthers without the services of defensemen Mike Green, Tom Poti and Scott Hannan, as well as forwards Jason Arnott and Alexander Semin.

The fact that the Panthers have been doormats for most of the season and are barely NHL-caliber anymore after a fire sale at the trade deadline meant the Capitals were likely to win anyway, and they did 5-2.

But it’s commendable to see the Caps brain trust resting vital players down the stretch in hopes that these same contributors will play a key role in the postseason. Sure, the move could backfire and a shorthanded Capitals squad could drop a few spots in the standings, but the team has its collective eye on a larger prize.

And for that to happen, the big guns need to be well rested and ready to roll. Which transitions nicely into today’s topic of conversation.

Going back to the Caps roundtable earlier this week, in which we chatted with the best and brightest bloggers covering the Capitals, the most interesting question asked during the entire discussion was “Which non-goalie is most vital to an extended playoff run for the Caps?”

Center Nicklas Backstrom, rookie defenseman John Carlson and Hannan each received votes from our esteemed panel, with the two other bloggers opting to go with the captain, Alex Ovechkin. And while a case could absolutely be made for any of those individuals, no player is more vital to this team’s success than the enigma that is Alexander Semin.

And that statement alone should scare the hell out of everyone.

Look, I’d love to say this team’s success hinged on a player like Arnott or forward Mike Knuble, because both are veterans who know what it takes to win and, just as importantly, know what the Caps need/expect from them. They’re low maintenance guys who can be counted on when a game is in the deciding moments.

And then there’s Semin.

In the last five minutes of a tightly-contested game, no Caps fan can say with any certainty whether Semin will score the game-winning goal or take a mind-numbing penalty that ends up costing Washington any chance at victory.

Be honest; he’s even money for either scenario.

But if you take a look at the Capitals’ recent playoff history, this team only wins when Good Sasha shows up.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to have some of the best blogs dedicated to covering the Washington Capitals participate in a roundtable discussion on a variety of topics — ranging from summing up the regular season in one sentence to making bold postseason predictions.

And because I really enjoyed the insight each of these bloggers provided, I stayed out of it and refrained from sharing my perspective. But with the playoffs just days away, there are a few topics we covered that I want to focus a little extra attention on.

Today, I wanted to spotlight the second question from yesterday’s discussion which was:

Which Caps player has impressed you the most during the regular season? Why?

While there are several solid choices, including Michal Neuvirth, John Carlson, Karl Alzner and Scott Hannan (the names chosen during the roundtable), the player who has stood out most to me is rookie center Marcus Johansson.

While 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points in 67 games played might not be the most eye catching of stats, the 20-year-old earns my vote because of the way his season has played out. Early in the year he seemed like he might be on the verge of being overwhelmed by the speed and physicality of the NHL game. But as the season went on, Johansson appeared to find a groove.

The kid doesn’t take penalties (he’s got 10 minutes in the box all season), he’s been an important penalty killer when some of his teammates have failed to show the same level of discipline and best of all, when top center Nicklas Backstrom went down due to injury, Johansson stepped in and never missed a beat. In fact, I’d argue that when Johansson found himself on the top line with Alex Ovechkin, he played some of his best hockey all season long.

Before the all-star break, Johansson had six goals and six assists and was a -6 in 38 games. Since then, he’s scored seven goals with eight assists and is a +8 in 29 games. His shooting percentage is up nearly three percent and the two minutes of additional ice time a night show his coaches trust him.

So I caught up with Johansson before the Caps took off to face Toronto to chat with the youngster about his rookie season and here’s what he had to say.

It’s safe to say that most rookies seem to hit a wall at some point during their freshman season in the NHL, but you appear to be skating better and with more confidence as the season has played out. How are you able to avoid what’s happened to so many other rookies before you?

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