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(photo by Mitchell Layton)

Another day, another series goes seven games.

Admit it; it’s a good time to be a fan of the Washington Capitals.

While teams like Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Buffalo give everything they’ve got in hopes of living to see another day, the Caps are enjoying an NHL rarity – a bye week.

All of the bumps and bruises accumulated during the first-round series against the New York Rangers have extra time to heal, coaches get additional time to break down film of what’s working and what needs more attention and everyone involved gets to recharge their battery, so to speak.

Best of all, a player like defenseman Dennis Wideman, who suffered a leg hematoma and compartment syndrome March 29, gets a few extra days to try and work his way back into the lineup.

Wideman, an offensive-minded defenseman who excels on the powerplay, was acquired by general manager George McPhee at the trade deadline specifically to bolster Washington’s depth at the blue line.

But that plan was put into jeopardy when Wideman suffered a knee-to-thigh hit from Carolina forward Tuomo Ruutu and suddenly no one was sure just how long the 28-year-old was going to be sidelined.

Fortunately for everyone involved, Wideman was able to practice in full pads Monday for the first time since the injury. There’s still no timetable for his return, although Wideman is confident he’ll play again this postseason.

When Wideman is ready to return though, Caps coach Bruce Boudreau is going to be faced with one of those “good problems to have.”

With seven healthy defenseman and only six slots in the lineup, Boudreau will be faced with a tough decision – especially after his Capitals allowed just eight goals in five games against the Rangers.

As I noted yesterday, rookie goalie Michal Neuvirth deserves a ton of credit for the Caps stellar play in the defensive zone, but he’s not the only reason Washington was able to dispatch a team in five games for the first time in 13 years.

Through the weekend, the Capitals led the league in blocked shots with 104 as defensemen have sacrificed their body for the good of the team.

What once sounded like lip service as folks struggled to explain a sudden lack of scoring now looks like sound strategy as the Capitals are finally playing the same punishing brand of playoff hockey critics have lamented over since Boudreau’s arrival.

The defensive rotation is playing so well these days that Boudreau all but admitted there’s little chance of veteran blue liner Tom Poti returning to action this season. But Wideman is a different story.

McPhee and company didn’t give away a prospect and a third-round pick so the guy could wear a suit and sit next to D.J. King and the other “healthy scratches” on game day. Wideman has one year left on his current deal at $3.9 million, and you can bet he’ll be back on the ice as soon as he’s medically cleared.

So the question becomes: which defenseman will be forced out of the lineup when Wideman returns?

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(photo by Mitchell Layton)

When it comes to professional sports – especially in the postseason – nothing is more important than steady goaltending.

Not a quarterback. Not a closer. Not a point guard.

Simply put, without a reliable goalie in net, there’s little reason for hope.

Just look at high seeds like the Philadelphia Flyers, who have used three different netminders in their six playoff games, and the Vancouver Canucks, who have used multiple backstops in three-straight games.

Those highly-touted teams know they’re playing with fire for as long as they continue to play “goalie roulette,” but they have little choice because none of the five combined goalies in play have done anything to distance themselves from the rest of the pack.

In related news, both the Flyers and the Canucks are now facing must-win Game 7 scenarios in the opening round of the playoffs.

All of which is why fans of the Washington Capitals should be thanking their lucky stars that for the first time in recent history, the Caps don’t have to worry about a goalie controversy in the postseason.

Whether we’re talking about a sentimental favorite like Olaf Kolzig versus deadline acquisition Christobal Huet or veteran Jose Theodore versus upstart rookie Semyon Varlamov, it seems that for as long as Bruce Boudreau has been in town, the Capitals have yet to have a sure-fire top goaltender.

Until now.

During the regular season, Caps fans saw plenty of the team’s talented trio of youngsters – Varlamov, Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth – but it’s safe to say that the debate has officially been settled.

Neuvirth, who has already won two championships in the American Hockey League and one in the Ontario Hockey League, was tabbed Washington’s starter after being the team’s most consistent option throughout the regular season.

It was a pleasant surprise when the 23-year-old rookie went 27-12-4 with a 2.45 goals against average and a .914 save percentage during the regular season.

Against the New York Rangers though, Neuvirth was able to elevate his game to another level.

In his first playoff series, Neuvirth allowed just eight goals in five games – with a goals against average of 1.38 and a .946 save percentage. Both of which are tops in the NHL.

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(photo by Bruce Bennett)

“Anytime you pass the first overtime, you’ve got a chance for history in the making” — ESPN’s Steve Levy, on April 24, 1996

Gather ’round, boys and girls. It’s story time.

Back in 1996, I had just graduated from basic training in the U.S. Army and was sent off to the Defense Information School, located at Fort George G. Meade, Md., to learn how to be a photojournalist.

It was just like being at college … well … if college had camouflage uniforms and drill sergeants.

The Washington Capitals were hosting the hated Pittsburgh Penguins in a tightly-contested playoff series just 18 miles down the road and I had a free ticket … if I could get there.

Anyone familiar with the movie Full Metal Jacket knows that drill sergeants aren’t the most sympathetic of folks, but apparently I caught a bit of a break.

This particular game was held on Wednesday, April 24, 1996, and although curfew was 9:30 p.m., I somehow talked my drill sergeant into letting me stay out a little bit later so I could attend the game.

My buddy Teddy and I took our seats up in the nosebleeds at the old U.S. Air Arena, and when the puck dropped we had no clue what we were in for.

After 60 minutes, the Caps and Pens were deadlocked at 2-2.

Twenty more minutes of action and the game was still tied.

Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the second overtime period either.

Ditto for triple overtime.

And then it finally happened.

With just 44 seconds left in the fourth overtime, Penguins forward Petr Nedved beat Caps goalie Olaf Kolzig to mercifully end the longest night of my life, 3-2.

It took more than 79 minutes of overtime, but a victor finally emerged.

No one remembers that Olie the Goalie made 62 saves that night. Or that Mario Lemieux was ejected from that game late in the second period for trying to start a fight. Or that Peter Bondra and Michal Pivonka scored for Washington.

No, history only remembers Joe Juneau failing to convert on the first-ever penalty shot awarded in overtime and Nedved made the Caps pay for it.

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(photo by Mitchell Layton)

If this is the year the Washington Capitals are able to finally to reach their true potential and make it back to the Stanley Cup Finals, just know that there’s a good chance all of this was set in motion 13 years ago.

Back in ‘98, coincidentally, the same year the Caps made their only appearance in the Finals, two franchises not located in our nation’s capital agreed to a trade that could have a lasting impact locally.

On January 4, 1998, the Edmonton Oilers traded Jason Arnott, along with defenseman Bryan Muir, to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forwards Bill Guerin and Valeri Zelepukin. And the rest, as they say, is history.

While Muir, Guerin and Zelepukin don’t really factor into this story, the same cannot be said about the fourth player in that trade.

After four and a half tumultuous seasons in Edmonton, a 23-year-old Arnott was suddenly faced with the prospect of starting all over with a new franchise in a new town.

Fortunately for him, one guy went out of his way to ensure Arnott had the smoothest transition possible – Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Stevens.

“Scotty was a huge influence when I got there,” Arnott said. “I lived with him for two and a half months and got to know how he was as a person and how he was family wise. I was single at the time, so I got real close with his family and learned a lot about nutrition, eating better and taking care of myself.

“And then, just watching him on the ice,” he continued. “He wasn’t real vocal in the dressing room, but he led by example on the ice every night. That’s why he was one of the best.”

Old school Caps fans no doubt remember Stevens, who anchored the blue line in D.C. from 1983-90. And in the interest of full disclosure, Scott Stevens is my all-time favorite player not named Al Iafrate.

Needless to say, Arnott thinks about as highly of the Kitchener, Ontario native as I do.

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(photo by Scott Levy)

With a little extra time built in the schedule before the puck drops for Game 4 Wednesday night, I had the chance to go back and watch Game 3 over again.

The one thing that continues to stand out about Saturday’s game is the fact that the Washington Capitals really allowed the New York Rangers to dictate play.

The Rangers, playing at home for the first time this series, were the aggressor – initiating contact, finishing checks and embracing a physical brand of hockey that is rewarded in the postseason. It should therefore come as no surprise that New York won, 3-2.

If that wasn’t enough, the Rangers also tried to do anything and everything they could to get under the opposition’s skin.

Guys like Sean Avery and Brandon Prust took liberties (or, to put it more bluntly, cheapshots) at Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth whenever they were nearby – to the point that Prust slashed Neuvirth when the two crossed paths at center ice during a stoppage in play.

And moments before captain Alex Ovechkin scored a second-period goal, Rangers defenseman Marc Staal appeared to go headhunting on Caps defenseman Mike Green.

Sure, the referees called a total of 12 penalties in Game 3 (eight on Washington; four on New York), but the fact is each of these instances went unnoticed. Well, not by everyone.

“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,” said Caps coach Bruce Boudreau 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.”

What bothers me most is, while the Capitals were sent to the penalty box eight times, most of the infractions were the type of lazy stick penalties usually reserved for “Bad Sasha.”

“We took way too many penalties,” said defenseman Karl Alzner. “We definitely can’t be doing that. You can understand the hard-working penalties, but we took a few that were from behind, hooking and stuff like that, and you just can’t do that.”

In the second period alone, Caps players were penalized for holding, crosschecking and hooking twice. In related news, the Rangers pitiful powerplay scored for just the second time in 38 chances over the last 12 games.

“You can’t take dumb penalties,” said forward Jason Chimera. “It’s the playoffs, and you’ve got to skate to catch up with a guy instead of using your stick.”

My point is, if the Capitals are going to take a penalty, I’d much rather it be for defending their goalie or protecting a fallen teammate (especially Green, who New York appears to be targeting because he just came back from a concussion).

Look, I’m not advocating being goaded into taking bad penalties. I’m just saying, matching the Rangers’ physical play and showing them you’re not going to back down is much preferable than seeing Nicklas Backstrom whistled for tripping.

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(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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