All posts in hockey

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Growing up, the Washington Capitals were the epitome of a blue-collar team.

They never had the biggest names in hockey, but they earned respect thanks to their desire to outwork and outhustle opponents into submission.

While our nation’s capital will never be confused for a blue-collar town, that lunch pail mentality served the franchise well as the team qualified for the postseason 14 consecutive seasons – starting with the 1982-83 season and running through the 1995-96 campaign.

The Capitals typically lost in the first round of the playoffs, but the bar was set low enough locally that simply qualifying for the postseason was good enough to keep most fans happy.

And then there was the 1997-98 season, where everything came together for the Caps in a perfect storm of skill, determination and a lot of luck.

Goalie Olaf Kolzig, playing some of the best hockey* of his stellar career, backstopped the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals and for a brief moment it seemed like the Capitals might actually be capable of shocking the hockey-watching world.

Unfortunately, the Detroit Red Wings never got the memo and any dreams of seeing Peter Bondra raise the most storied hardware in all of sports were snuffed out in a hurry.

After 24 seasons of good, but rarely great hockey, the Capitals had finally elevated their play to hockey’s grandest stage – only to get steamrolled by a franchise that has drank from Lord Stanley’s Cup 11 times.

*Even after being swept by Detroit, Kolzig finished the playoffs with a 12-9 record, a 1.95 goals against average, a .941 save percentage and four shutouts. That’s called getting it done, boys and girls.

And yet, although Washington suffered a beatdown in the finals, most Caps fans were just thankful for the experience. When you root for a team with little to no expectations, you’re able to celebrate the victories and brush off the setbacks easier than most.

Fast forward to the 2003-04 season when Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and his general manager, George McPhee, took a critical look at their roster and came to the gutsy decision to blow it all up and start over from scratch.

By their own admission, Leonsis and McPhee saw a team that was good enough to make the playoffs each year, but wasn’t much of a threat to do anything once the postseason began.

The new regime refused to accept mediocrity, so they traded away aging veterans to stockpile young prospects and draft picks while bracing for a painful rebuilding process known simply as “the plan.”

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(photo by Tom Boland)

I’m going to be completely honest with you – the Washington Capitals, at times this season, have been painful to watch.

Take, for example, the team’s pitiful effort at home in a 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders Tuesday night.

After 60 minutes of uninspired hockey by the home team it was tough to tell which team was tied for the fewest points in the Eastern Conference and which team was fighting for first place in their division.

And then, 24 hours later, the Capitals responded with an impressive 3-0 road victory over the Montreal Canadiens that had me scratching my head.

Did the players in the Capitals’ locker room show up for the Montreal game because of their lackluster performance the previous night?

Was the team fired up because the game represented a chance for retribution against Rene Bourque – Montreal’s newly-acquired player who knocked center Nicklas Backstrom out of action with a cheapshot elbow to the head?

Or is this team just schizophrenic and there’s no true way of knowing what anyone is going to see on any given night?

At this point, each of those answers seems to make sense. But when push comes to shove, I’m more inclined to believe it’s the third option that fits these days.

This team, as best as I can tell, still lacks a true identity. They’re no longer a run and gun team hoping to win a shootout every night. They’re not quite the lockdown defense juggernaut they hope to someday become.

Instead, the Caps are essentially a team that rarely gets shots on net, has trouble scoring goals consistently and almost never gets sustained pressure on an opponent.

How does a team earn a shutout victory on the road and still manage to leave a sour taste in your mouth? It probably has something to do with being limited to just 16 shots on net.

Against the Islanders, eight Washington players were held without a shot and six more had just one paltry shot on goal.

Against Montreal, six players were unable to register a single shot, while eight players had a single shot on net.

In fact, no player had more than two shots on goal against the Canadiens and captain Alex Ovechkin managed just one shot* for the entire game.

*Considering Ovechkin scored the one time he managed to put a shot in the general direction of Habs goalie Carey Price, it’s inexcusable that the $100-million man wouldn’t or couldn’t get another shot on target the rest of the evening.

Although Ovechkin averages more than five shots a game for his career, he’s failed to do so in each of his last eight games. Let’s go ahead and make it a priority to get him back on track.

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(photo by Jana Chytilova)

It seems like only yesterday that I was posting an interview with Washington Capitals forward Troy Brouwer.

In that feature, I specifically mentioned that if the Caps are going to turn things around and get this season back on track, it’s going to come thanks to players such as Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Brouwer.

In related news, the Capitals defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-3 thanks to third-period goals from Backstrom, Ovechkin and … you guessed it … Brouwer.*

*Sure they weren’t playing as the team’s top line last night because Alexander Semin replaced Brouwer, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t get a little credit for essentially spelling out which three players were going to have stand-out performances against Ottawa.

The Capitals came flying out the gate against the Senators – outshooting the home team 15 to six in the opening frame, but had nothing to show for it after 20 minutes.

They even had a two-man advantage for nearly a full two minutes, but couldn’t put the puck in the net. It seemed inevitable that doubt was beginning to creep back into the players’ minds and another lackluster finish was on the way.

“It is tough when you’re doing the right things and things aren’t going your way,” said Brouwer. “You want to change over to doing the wrong things to see if they might work. But guys were good. They stuck with it. We got some breaks finally at the end.”

The first break of the night for Washington came off of the stick of former captain Jeff Halpern, who simply crashed the net and was rewarded with a big, juicy rebound.

Senators goalie Craig Anderson made the initial save on defenseman Dennis Wideman’s shot, but the puck deflected right to Halpern who snuck it past Anderson for his second goal of the year.

From there, the game tilted in favor of Ottawa, with the Senators taking the lead on a soft goal allowed by netminder Tomas Vokoun and a great individual effort by forward Nick Foligno.

Sure, the Caps were outplaying the Sens, but they once again found themselves behind on the scoreboard.

“We had lots of chances but we weren’t scoring,” said coach Dale Hunter.

Trailing 2-1, the Capitals got a huge boost from Backstrom – who finally showed his teammates that it’s okay to score a goal on the powerplay.

Backstrom’s beautiful wrist shot not only tied the game halfway through the third period, but it helped remove a massive weight from the proverbial shoulder of Washington’s powerplay unit – who had just two goals in 53 chances prior to Nicky’s 10th goal of the season.

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(photo by Clyde Caplan)

The Washington Capitals started this season with such high hopes and promise.

On paper, the 2011-12 roster was as deep from top to bottom as any the Capitals have had. Some even suggested there was more talent on this year’s Caps than any previous team in franchise history.

When Washington thumped the Detroit Red Wings 7-1 to improve to 7-0 on the season, it appeared the front office’s aggressive offseason was already paying off.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, hockey seasons last longer than seven games.

Since then, the Capitals have gone just 6-12-1 and the team has gone from the NHL’s hottest to most disappointing in a little more than a month.

With his team floundering and players seemingly tuning him out, coach Bruce Boudreau was let go. He was replaced by fellow fan favorite Dale Hunter in hopes of salvaging the season and, just as importantly, getting the top-tier players back on track.

If Washington is going to do anything other than meltdown this season, it’s going to have to start with the top line of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Troy Brouwer.

Should those three gentlemen get back on track, the Capitals still have plenty of time between now and the playoffs to make Hunter’s debut season memorable.

If not, Caps fans might be forced to look back on the 2011-12 season as the beginning of the end for this team as currently comprised.

With that in mind, I caught up with Brouwer to get his thoughts on the first quarter of the season and to see just how confident the left wing is that these players can collective get their act together before it’s too late.

The Capitals traded their first-round pick (26th overall) to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for you. What was your reaction when you found out you were headed to a new team?

“I wasn’t in too much shock,” Brouwer said. “I was really excited that I was going to a team that has a chance to do something very special — to win a lot of hockey games and give themselves a chance to try and win the Cup. Obviously, we’ve been stumbling a bit, but every team goes through a period like that where they’re having troubles here and there. Hopefully we can turn it around now.”

How has the transition gone coming from Chicago to Washington?

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

I understand why the Washington Capitals opted to part ways with coach Bruce Boudreau, but that doesn’t mean I have to like the decision.

I’ve followed sports long enough to know that once a coach loses the locker room, the front office can either do nothing and watch things spiral out of control or management can make a bold move to try and salvage what’s left of the season.

And yet, I still can’t help but be bummed out that the man affectionately known as Gabby will no longer be calling the shots in Washington.

If I’m being honest with myself, I’d admit that this very well could have happened before the season even began. Lord knows there were plenty of people calling for the coach’s head after the Capitals were swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the playoffs.

But Caps general manager George McPhee essentially pointed the finger at his players after the team’s last playoff collapse – and he went about reshaping the bottom half of the roster to bring in players he believed were better equipped to excel in the postseason.

Had McPhee listened to the critics (and a vocal minority of Caps fans), he would have replaced Boudreau then. But GMGM opted to publicly support his coach and appeared to do anything and everything he could to upgrade the roster for one final chance at that elusive playoff run.

Boudreau had to know he very easily could have been let go then, which is why the Caps coach suddenly embraced a more disciplinarian mindset with his players this season.

If his words fell on deaf ears, players found themselves listed as a “healthy scratch.” If someone missed a meeting, they too were removed from the lineup.

Unfortunately for Boudreau, it’s tough to change a clubhouse’s culture overnight. When little stuff like that has been swept under the rug in the past, no one is going to be thrilled that Boudreau suddenly began holding players accountable to a tougher standard.

And honestly, that’s where things went south in Washington. For all the good things Boudreau did for the Capitals, he also allowed this franchise to lose its identity.

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(photo by Greg Fiume)

If the first two games are any indication, this is going to be a thrilling season for the Washington Capitals.

Twice now, fans have been kept on the edge of their seats as the Caps have managed two high-flying victories to start the 2011-12 season — including Monday’s 6-5 shootout win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Neither game was perfect by any means, but both were highly entertaining for everyone involved.*

*Well, maybe not for Caps coach Bruce Boudreau. He can’t be pleased with some of the questionable decisions and mental errors his players have committed so far.

The Capitals were able to hold on for a 4-3 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes in the season opener, thanks in large part to defenseman Mike Green, who scored a powerplay goal with 2:24 left in the extra session.

Two nights later, Washington found a way to win when their goalie, Tomas Vokoun, was anything but steady in his Capitals’ debut. By my count, the veteran gave up no less than three goals that’ll keep him up late at night — all three from terrible angles. All three could only be referred to as garbage goals. Vokoun said it’s the worst game he’s played in five years, and I’m not sure how anyone could really argue with him.

But the Caps were able to outlast their divisional rival because of grinder Jason Chimera and the checking line. Paired with forwards Brooks Laich and Joel Ward, Chimera continues to play some of his best hockey since coming to town. The 32-year-old already has three goals in just two games, but none were more vital than his tally with less than three minutes remaining in regulation against the Lightning.

Chimera scored an unassisted goal from close range to pull Washington even 5-5, and the Capitals were suddenly back in business in a game they repeatedly tried to give away.

Even when forward Alexander Semin took his obligatory penalty at the worst possible time — getting called for hooking in overtime — the Caps were still able to overcome and conquer the team that swept them in the playoffs last season.

It wasn’t pretty, but it counts in the standings just the same. That being said, there is plenty to improve upon moving forward.

How often are the Capitals going to emerge victorious on a night when forward Alex Ovechkin, center Nicklas Backstrom and Semin combine for zero points, six penalty minutes and a -6 rating? How many times will Washington win a game when they fail to score on any of their seven powerplay chances? Let’s hope we don’t have to find out again.

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