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If you’ve been paying attention over the last few seasons, then you honestly weren’t surprised at the final results when the Washington Capitals rallied back to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in overtime Sunday.
At this point, the Capitals, who boast the league’s best record, have developed a few tendancies that regular fans are fully aware of.
For starters, they hate early start times. Guys like Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green confessed a while ago that they value their sleep and hate matinee matchups because it throws off their routine.
Next up, there’s the fact that this team is rarely out of a game. Even when they were down 3-0 to Chicago, a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in their own right, you knew that once the Caps woke up they could flip a switch and make things interesting.
Sure enough, forward Alexander Semin drew a double-minor penalty for high sticking early in the third period and forward Brooks Laich struck first for Washington. Then, the Caps failed to score on a full two-minute five-on-three advantage and you’re thinking, “They blew it …” until center Nicklas Backstrom scored three seconds later.
Just 13 seconds after that, forward Eric Fehr beat Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi and suddenly it’s 3-3. This Capitals squad leads the league in scoring by a crazy margin, but three goals in two minutes and 16 seconds is impressive, even for them.
By the end of regulation, the Capitals had come to life. They completely outhustled, outworked and outshot Chicago in the third period and the Blackhawks were lucky to get out of regulation with a point, which is funny when you remember they were up 3-0 heading into the final period.
But this was the third time this season the Capitals rallied back from a three-goal deficit to win a game, and the last time they did so was against the Pittsburgh Penguins (the 5-4 thriller in overtime) the last time they played a Sunday matinee game, which only reinforces that whole “We don’t like waking up early” thing.
Also, the Capitals are known for playing to the level of their opponent. They’re far less likely to get blown out by an elite team like Chicago than they are to suffer a humbling defeat to Tampa Bay or someone else further down the standings. When they’re playing in a “game of the week” against a truly talented team like the Blackhawks, it’s safe to assume they’re going to put on a show.
Sure, they sucked for the first two periods, but this Capitals team is loaded with talent and is able, from time to time, to get by without a full 60-minute effort. It might give coach Bruce Boudreau ulcers, but it’s definitely more exciting than watching the Wizards or Redskins self destruct.
Sadly, the final aspect of the Blackhawks game that is also familiar to Caps fans is controversy surrounding the physical aspect of Ovechkin’s play. As you know by now, Ovechkin was ejected from the game in the first period for boarding Chicago defenseman Brian Campbell.
Regardless of whether you feel Ovechkin hit Campbell from the side or from behind, there’s one thing all Caps fans should agree on – you hate to see the best player in the NHL put himself in this position. As soon as Campbell hit the boards, you knew it was ugly. The impact when Campbell slammed into the boards was vicious. The Chicago defenseman was in obvious pain while he was down on the ice for a while and even Ovechkin looked affected by the play – lingering behind the goal watching to see just how serious the situation was.
Simply put, if you’re a fan of the Washington Capitals and you don’t get behind the brilliant Russian Machine “Barack The Red” campaign, the terrorists win. Sure, there are more important ways Obama should be spending his time, but that’s not important. The Caps are the best team this town has had in a long, long time and that’s got to count for something. There’s even a Facebook group, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Who would have ever thought that the Washington Capitals would be more aggressive than the Washington Redskins when it came to acquiring players?
The Redskins, who have been dubbed “offseason champs” pretty much since Daniel Snyder took over the team in 1999, seem more than happy to watch as other teams throw money around in pursuit of big-name free agents.
Meanwhile, the Capitals, the team around town with long-term vision and a front office that actually takes into consideration such trivial aspects of team building such as chemistry and off-ice behavior, made headlines by aggressively pursuing veteran players to add to their already-promising line-up. All this even after Caps general manager George McPhee tried to temper fan expectations in the days leading up to the NHL trade deadline.
Strange days indeed for the D.C. sports scene.
After the Capitals’ flurry of activity, four players were added to the roster – forwards Scott Walker and Eric Belanger and defensemen Joe Corvo and Milan Jurcina. None of the four might have name recognition to casual sports fans, but each was brought in for specific reasons.
Walker provides sandpaper and grit. He’s the type of guy who happily throws his body around and does the little things that make a difference in big games. Belanger excels at face-offs and is dependable on the penalty kill. Corvo adds depth to the blueline and gives coach Bruce Boudreau options on the powerplay. Jurcina, who started the season here in Washington, is loved in the locker room and also adds depth to the defensive rotation.
While Jurcina is out for the foreseeable future with a sports hernia, the other three newbies were all instantly thrown into the lineup, if for no other reason than to see how they would respond. Out of the three, Walker was the first to make his presence known to his new team – winning over the Verizon Center by scoring two goals in his debut, while only logging seven and a half minutes of playing time against the Tampa Bay Lightning last week.
You’d be hard pressed to write up a better introduction for a player making his debut in a new city.
“I wasn’t putting too much expectations,” Walker said. “I just wanted to come in and let my teammates and the organization know that I’m on board and I’ll do whatever it takes to help this team win – whether I play seven minutes or 27 minutes. You still have to be willing to do the things that it takes to win.
“If you’re playing a few minutes and you’re not being responsible in your own end, it hurts the team,” he continued. “Scoring goals is a bonus. I’m just trying to work down low, get the puck to the point and go to the net. I just happened to be in the right place and those shots happened to squeak in.”
While most fans will remember the two goals, we were more impressed watching you backcheck Steve Downie, who has a habit of taking cheapshots at Alex Ovechkin. There’s plenty of goal scoring already on this roster. We were happier seeing one of the new guys already jumping in and defending his teammates, even if everyone just met.
The big news coming out of last night was not that the Washington Capitals lost 4-3 to the Dallas Stars. The 13-game winning streak was awesome while it lasted, but these things happen.
No, the take away from the game is that goalie Semyon Varlamov officially stepped out of the running to be the team’s starting goalie come playoff time.
He might not have made an official statement, but none was needed. His play of late speaks volumes.
The Capitals went into the third period at home with a 2-0 lead. We don’t have the stats in front of us, but we feel confident in saying that Washington is roughly 87-0-1* during the Bruce Boudreau Era when heading into the third period with the lead at the Verizon Center.
Well, in a six-minute span, Varlamov and the Capitals allowed three goals and eventually fell to Dallas in a game they absolutely had no business losing. What’s worse is that, for the third-straight game, Varlamov gave up multiple “softies.”
So basically, here’s what you saw last night:
On one side of the rink, you’ve got Stars goalie Marty Turco, who was magnificent while stopping 49 of the 52 shots he faced. Seriously, we cannot overstate just how much Turco enabled Dallas to steal a win last night. Without his stellar play, the Stars lose in a blowout.
And then there’s Varlamov letting yet another puck dribble through the five hole for a backbreaking goal. In his last three outings, Varlamov has allowed 13 goals while posting a 4.24 goals against average and a .843 save percentage. That’s not cutting it.
We’re back to many of the problem areas that popped up last year in the playoffs against Pittsburgh. One soft goal gets past him, racks his confidence and suddenly Varlamov is giving up goals in bunches.
When Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee made four trades in the final hours before the National Hockey League’s trade deadline last week, his intention was to acquire veteran, blue-collar players who could enhance the lineup without subtracting from what was already in place.
The Capitals weren’t perfect, but they did have the NHL’s best record. So these subtle moves were intended to add depth for a run at the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.
In his first game in Washington, gritty forward Scott Walker paid instant dividends – scoring two goals to lead the Caps to a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. All this from a guy who was acquired for a seventh-round pick. Clearly McPhee is a genius.
The question then became – what do the new guys do for an encore? And the answer, as evident Saturday night, was more of the same.
This time it was center Eric Belanger who got the hometown crowd out of their seats, scoring the game-clinching goal in a 2-0 shutout over the New York Rangers. How many times can we say it? Every time this team makes a move, they seemingly come out on top. If you’re a fellow general manager and you see an incoming phone call from McPhee, you’ve got to think twice before you answer the call, right?
We caught up with Belanger this weekend to get his thoughts on moving from the Minnesota Wild, who are currently 13th in the Western Conference to the Capitals, who boast the league’s best record. You might not believe this, but he’s pretty excited to be here.
First of all, let us take a moment to officially welcome you to town. How much is your head swimming these days?
“It’s been crazy,” he said. “My first game in 20 days and it’s for a new team, a new system and a new city. There was a lot to digest, but it’s just going to get better from now on. I feel like each day the pressure goes down a little bit. I was talking with Scott [Walker] and we’re both a little tired. But we’re going to get some rest and be ready to go.”
On a personal level that’s got to be pretty jarring. You go home to enjoy some time off with your family and then, right before you get back to work, you’re informed that you’ve been traded. What was that like?
“Yeah, that was the tough part,” Belanger said. “I was in Calgary, getting ready to play a game that night and then I’ve got to get on a plane and your life changes. You know, I have two young children at home and they don’t really know what’s going on. They’re asking questions. As a human being, you’re trying to reassure them. But part of the game is being mentally prepared. You’ve got to get ready to win some games.”
Simply put – everything the Washington Capitals touch turns to gold. It’s really as if, at this point, folks within the organization can do no wrong.
How else can you explain everything that has transpired this week? Caps general manager George McPhee could have sat back and rolled the dice that his roster – already with the league’s top record – has enough firepower to make a legit run for the Stanley Cup.
After years of sticking to the plan, McPhee has constructed a roster as deep as any in hockey. The Capitals, as well as their minor-league affiliate Hershey Bears, are at the top of the standings and can beat you several different ways. But GMGM pulled the trigger on four trades, each specifically designed to add depth and a steadying veteran presence, and let everyone know he’s in it to win it this year.
Forwards Scott Walker, Eric Belanger and defensemen Milan Jurcina and Joe Corvo were all brought in and suddenly coach Bruce Boudreau was presented with some tough decisions in regards to his gameday lineup. How soon should he attempt to integrate the new guys? Jurcina is out six weeks with a sports hernia, but the other three all participated in the morning skate and were ready to play.
Boudreau mulled introducing each of the new players gradually into his gameday rotation, but ultimately settled on a baptism by fire approach. Throw all three into the mix and see how they pan out.
Belanger actually started against the Tampa Bay Lightning last night, lining up at center on the Caps’ third line with forwards Tomas Fleischmann and Eric Fehr. Corvo also started, pairing up with defenseman Tom Poti. Walker ended up on the fourth line with center Boyd Gordon and forward Jason Chimera.
The decision to roll with the new guys meant regulars like Matt Bradley, David Steckel and John Erskine were all bumped from the lineup. Clearly there is a glut of qualified NHL players, which is a good problem to have if you’re Boudreau. While the new guys have 18 games left to get settled in and adjusted to Boudreau’s philosophies, he’ll be tasked with juggling the roster and keeping his players (relatively) happy.
Belanger actually got off to the best start out of the new guys, quickly developing chemistry with Fehr. The two had no trouble cycling the puck in the early stages of the game, which was noteworthy because much of the Caps’ roster looked sluggish in the early stages. They looked like a team transitioning back from a three-week layoff to playing on back-to-back nights.
Their hard work was rewarded early when Fehr ripped a wristshot past Lightning goalie Mike Smith at 6:10 into the first period. The rest of the evening was less eventful for Belanger, who won five of 12 faceoffs on the night.
Corvo played a ton against Tampa, logging 20 minutes of action. The former Carolina Hurricane blocked three shots, but otherwise was also fairly quiet.
And then there was Walker. This is what we said just yesterday about Walker:
Because he goes all out every single shift, Walker is instantly a fan favorite wherever he plays. He’s not the biggest dog in the fight, but he’s scrappy. He’s physical. He’s “Rudy” on skates. He plays right wing, but came into the league as a defenseman, so he’s responsible in his own end. He’s a high-energy veteran who leads by example.
Well, the 36-year-old forward was on the ice for seven minutes and 33 seconds and damn if he didn’t make the most out of it.
Make no mistake about it – if Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee was engaged in a high-stakes poker game, he just went all in.
That’s the best way to describe his flurry of activity prior to the National Hockey League’s trading deadline yesterday. McPhee, who played coy the last few days, was one of the busiest general managers on deadline day.
Forwards Scott Walker, Eric Belanger and defensemen Joe Corvo and Milan Jurcina were acquired. Defenseman Brian Pothier, middle-tier prospect Oskar Osala and four draft picks (two second rounders, as well as a sixth- and seventh-round selection) were shipped off. That’s four additions to the locker room while only subtracting one player from his current lineup.
The names might not be as big as a couple years ago when McPhee landed forwards Sergei Fedorov, Matt Cooke and goalie Christobal Huet on deadline day during the 2007-08 season, but that’s not a bad thing.
Truth is, McPhee didn’t need to re-tool an entire roster. The Caps came back from the Olympic break with the NHL’s best record and any moves were specifically designed to add a few final pieces in an effort to take home the Stanley Cup this year. So what do we know about the new guys?
Let’s start with Walker. Because he goes all out every single shift, Walker is instantly a fan favorite wherever he plays. He’s not the biggest dog in the fight, but he’s scrappy. He’s physical. He’s “Rudy” on skates. He plays right wing, but came into the league as a defenseman, so he’s responsible in his own end. He’s a high-energy veteran who leads by example. The Caps gave up a seventh-round pick to land him, and Carolina Hurricanes fans (both of them) are bummed that he’s gone.
Belanger had 13 goals and 22 assists for Minnesota, which is noteworthy because it’s not as if there are a ton of points being racked up by the Wild. The 32-year-old center ranks seventh in the league in faceoffs and, more than anyone else acquired yesterday, addresses what could be perceived as a need.
Grinders David Steckel and Boyd Gordon are both very good in the faceoff circle. Your top two centermen – Nicklas Backstrom and Brendan Morrison – have their moments, but aren’t on the same level. Prior to the Olympics, Tomas Fleischmann saw plenty of action at center, but that was because the Czech Republic team asked for him to get some time in the middle to help their cause once they headed to Vancouver.
Belanger steps into a role on one of the top three lines and shouldn’t have much issue earning playing time. He’s a speedy forward who isn’t afraid to throw his body around and does well on the penalty kill. Those are all qualities that help come playoff time.
Corvo is the wild card out of the new guys. He represents an upgrade on the blue line, but he’s a different kind of player than fans clamored for when they begged McPhee to add a rugged, physical defenseman.
