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(photo by Brian Murphy)

While the rest of the country is stressing over swine flu (something 99.9 percent of the general public won’t actually come anywhere near), two Washington Capitals players were hit hard by another virus.

Defenseman Karl Alzner and Tyler Sloan missed game two of the Hershey Bears series against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins with what is being termed as a “12-hour flu.” They were both pulled from the Bears lineup with this mysterious illness and yet, seemed much healthier a day later when they were both called up to the Capitals.

Since this virus isn’t very common, we decided to track down Alzner and learn more.

Hey Karl, can you tell us about this 12-hour flu?

(Laughs). “Yeah, it’s just … um … it just came out of nowhere, hit us pretty hard and then just disappeared,” Alzner said.

All things considered, you’re looking pretty good …

“Yeah, I hide it well,” he said, still laughing. “I just pretend like I don’t have the flu and just keep on going and it seems to work out.”

Because of an injury to John Erskine, Tyler Sloan got into the lineup today and handled himself pretty well, right?

“Definitely,” he said. “I’m happy for him because I want him to play well and do well for the team. Talking to him after the game it’s just like everyone says, as soon as you get your first couple shifts in it becomes easy. He played great and got his first point in his first game. I’m really happy for him and can’t wait to talk to him about it more.”

What did coach Bruce Boudreau say to you before the game about his decision to go with Tyler in the lineup over you?

“He didn’t really say the reasoning or anything like that,” Alzner said. “I don’t really want to ask him about it.”

Did you take the warm-up skate knowing you weren’t going to play?

“Yeah, I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to play,” he said. “They write the lines on the board and my number was in brackets, so I kind of put it together that I wasn’t going to play. I knew pretty early.”

So where did you watch the game at?

“I watched from the gym, the training room and the zamboni gates,” Alzner said. “I wanted to work out first. Then I watched a little with the training staff while I was getting my suit on. Then I watched in the family lounge with my girlfriend who’s here right now and then I watched from the zamboni just to see how loud it really was out there.”

How loud was it?

“Very, very loud,” he said. “With the ‘unleash the fury,” I timed it perfectly so I could come out and see that and it was good. It hurts the ears. I’d never been to an NHL playoff games until tonight, this was my first one, but it was incredibly loud.”

Well, rest up and get healthy so you’ll be ready to go if the Caps need you. You never know when this 12-hour flu might strike again.

(photo by Nick Wass)

If you’re a Washington Capitals fan, there’s a lot to like so far about this second-round matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. For starters, Simeon Varlamov continues to give every indication that he’s the team’s goalie for the next decade – even if he’s played in less than 20 career NHL games.

With Varlamov playing at a level Caps fans haven’t seen since Olaf Kolzig led Washington to it’s one and only Stanley Cup finals back in ’98, it’s also made the rest of the team more confident. The defensemen, even when a minor league call up like Tyler Sloan is thrust into the mix, are no longer seen as a liability. Everyone knows Mike Green, but even on a night like last night when Green was off, the rest of the guys were able to pick up the slack. Milan Jurcina hits anything and everything near the net these days while Sloan and Brian Pothier, two unheralded defensemen if ever they existed, both picked up assists last night.

The line of Brooks Laich, Matt Bradley and David Steckel continues to make things happen. On a night when Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, two of the league’s biggest stars, registered their first career playoff hat tricks, Steckel was the only other player to find the back of the net. Not Alexander Semin. Not Evgeni Malkin. David Steckel. The guy who had all of eight goals during the regular season now has goals in both games against the Penguins.

And with all that being said, here’s the kicker – the Capitals still haven’t played a complete game yet this series. In the first game they started slow, gave up a goal to Crosby in the first five minutes and then slowly woke up and realized a playoff game was going on. Thanks to some unreal goaltending by Varlamov they were able to scrape together enough to steal a victory. After game one, Steckel even said that this team needs to stop “getting behind the eight ball” early in games and have a stronger showing early on in games. So what happens in game two?

The Caps stumble out the gate yet again and go down 1-0 in the first and then 2-1 in the second period. Not exactly what the guys had in mind. But as the game went on, the Capitals again were able to pick up their level of intensity and made plays when they needed them. The Caps have now won a franchise-record five-straight games, taking a two-games-to-none lead on Pittsburgh in the process.

In the early stages of round one against the New York Rangers, the Capitals couldn’t put together a complete game and lost the first two games of the series. This time around, less than their best is still somehow good enough to get the job done. It’s scary to think what will happen if/when the team shows up from the very first drop of the puck and skates for a complete 60 minutes. They’ve got enough talent and seemingly enough playoff experience now to know how to win playoff hockey.

“We’ve got the guys who never quit,” said coach Bruce Boudreau in his post-game press conference. “Not only the Alexes and Nick [Backstrom] and that, but the other guys that I’ve coached in the minors, never quit when we were down. They’ve been down numerous times in championship games and they’ve come back. I’m pretty sure of their character and I know they would never quit.

“They’ve never failed to come back yet, so far, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” Boudreau said.

Meanwhile, leave it to the biggest star on the hottest team in hockey to put it all in perspective for us.

“It’s unbelievable when we play against great players and you win the game like this,” Ovechkin said. “If I was a Capitals fan, I’d be really happy right now.”

(photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Until now, recent Washington Capitals history had provided fans with just one epic highlight.

Simply known as “the goal,” Alex Ovechkin’s effort against the Phoenix Coyotes his rookie season will always have a place in the hearts and minds of Caps fans because of the sheer degree of difficulty.

After being knocked down by defenseman Paul Mara and while sliding on his back and facing away from the net, Ovechkin was able to hook the puck with one hand on his stick and somehow slide it into the net past goalie Brian Boucher for one of the most unique goals ever scored in hockey history.

Well, after game one of the Capitals series against the Pittsburgh Penguins has added a second highlight. You can simply call this one “the save.”

With the game tied at 2-2 in the second period, Capitals goalie Simeon Varlamov made a desperate diving stick save that robbed Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby of a layup in a game the Caps ultimately held on to win 3-2. Varlamov made 34 saves on the day, but none were bigger and more memorable than this one.

“There was no other option left to me,” Varlamov said through an interpreter. “I had to just play it with my stick. There was nothing else I could do and frankly, if he put the puck anywhere else, it would have been in the net. I guess it was lucky.”

Was this the best save of your career?

“I’d say yes, it’s one of the best,” Varlamov said. “Especially considering the kind of game it was, in the NHL playoffs. I haven’t made any saves like this before. The way the game went, it was a very important save. The score was 2-2 and if they scored a third goal, then you know how it would go on.”

Giving up a goal to Crosby in the first couple minutes of the game could have rattled a 21-year-old goalie, right?

“Yeah, the first goal could have rattled a 21-year-old goalie and the second goal could have killed a 21-year-old goalie,” Varlamov said. “But this is the playoffs. You can’t dwell on your mistakes. You’ve got to forget them quickly.”

Strong words from a guy who has now played in more career NHL postseason games than regular season games (seven to six). But what did everyone else think of “the save?”

“It was a great save,” said Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau. “There’s no doubt. Goalies are taught never give up. You look at all the great goalies that are in hockey nowadays. No matter where the play is, they never give up. They keep fighting. And that’s the only way the [Martin] Brodeurs, the Tim Thomases and the [Roberto] Luongos look like they make great saves, it’s because they never quit on the puck. It was obviously a turning point because they would have had the lead and we would have had to play catch up.”

Penguins Head Coach Dan Bylsma was also asked for comment on the play of the game.

“From our perspective at the bench there was a lot of bodies in front of us,” Bylsma said. “You could kind of see that there was probably an open net. Then we saw the replay on the jumbotron. He made a spectacular save. There was an open cage and I think Sidney [Crosby] was on his backhand and he [Varlamov] put his stick back there and got it right on the goal line.”

But enough about Pittsburgh. No one really cares what they have to say. Let’s hear from some of Varlamov’s teammates.

“Yeah, that was awesome,” said forward David Steckel. That was the turnaround save for us. Because I thought up to that point they were really working us down low and we had no answer. He bounced back from, probably what he would say was a soft goal, so he did great tonight.”

Seriously, guys, how the hell did Varlamov keep that puck out of the net?

“I don’t know how he can get the puck, it’s hard to say,” said center Nicklas Backstrom. “It’s amazing and that reaction he has all the time, that’s pretty amazing of him. Hopefully he can keep doing it and we can win some games.”

Nicky, it’s okay to get a little fired up about it. Anyone wanna show Backstrom how it’s done?

“I was stunned,” said forward Brooks Laich. “I was like ‘Oh my God.’ I was amazed. I saw Crosby shoot and I was like ‘Aw that’s in,’ then he just reaches back and grabs it and the whole bench was like ‘Wow, that’s our break, let’s get going, we got to smarten up and play better.’ Incredible.”

Much better. We’ve saved one last perspective on “the save.”

“Yeah but I try to forget them though,” Crosby said when asked about Varlamov absolutely stoning him. “I don’t need to discuss them (the big stops). You don’t want to waste those opportunities. You want to take advantage of it. You end up losing the game 3-2 and you don’t want to look back and say, ‘What if?’ The fact is, that happens in the game. As a player you have to forget that quickly.”

Crosby might try to forget Varlamov’s heroic effort from game one, but trust us when we say that it’s a play Caps fans will remember for a long, long time.

(photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

After finding themselves pushed to the brink of elimination for the second consecutive year, the Washington Capitals, led by the most talented Russian contingency in the NHL, battled back from three games to one to eliminate the New York Rangers 2-1.

How was Washington about to battle back, when historically only eight percent of teams that find themselves down 3-1 in a series can do so?

First it started with rookie goalie Simeon Varlamov, who has been sensational stabilizing the goaltending situation for the Caps. Then it was time for Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin to find their rhythm. And last, but certainly not least, there’s future Hall of Famer Sergei Fedorov, who came through when his team absolutely needed him.

Sergei’s game-winning shot with just under five minutes to play was vintage Fedorov. While “he might not be 21 anymore,” like Brooks Laich said last night after the win, Fedorov can still muster enough when it matters. Even though he’s looked tired and sometimes a step slow in this series, all is forgotten when you help a Capitals team on the brink of being categorized with the San Jose Sharks and Houston Rockets of the world as playoff choke artists.

The Caps now move on to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in round two of the playoffs, with game one scheduled for this Saturday.

Our only question moving forward is simply – if Blair Betts only missed one playoff game, then why did Donald Brashear get a six-game suspension? Doesn’t really seem like the punishment fit the crime, now does it?

(photo by Bill Kostroun)

Can anything rattle this kid?

After the Capitals dominated the New York Rangers in a 4-0 victory at Verizon Center Friday night we had just one simple question for Caps rookie goalie Simeon Varlamov – does anything rattle you?

“There is some things that can rattle anybody. If anything can rattle me, then I’m definitely not sharing that now,” said Varlamov, through an interpreter.

So much for the direct route. That left us, much like the Rangers, searching for answers on a kid who finally turns 21 today.

“You can’t say enough about him – especially for a guy who’s so young. To be so composed and battle so well in big games like this, it’s just unbelievable and we’re really happy to have him,” said forward Matt Bradley of the Capitals’ new long-term solution to a once-questionable goaltending situation.

“Yeah it’s amazing, at such a young age to be so composed and confident,” said defenseman Mike Green of Varlamov. “It’s great. For him to come in and step up and play the way he has, has been the difference for us.”

But here’s the thing – as good as Varlamov has looked since taking over for Jose Theodore in net (and he’s been outstanding), he hasn’t been needed. The biggest obstacle the Caps have faced in this series wasn’t erratic goaltending or even the opposition. It was themselves. The only reasons this team trailed New York three games to one were self inflicted.

This talented but young team forgot what it takes to win playoff hockey. They got too cute with the puck. They refused to get anywhere near the crease to actually challenge Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. They suffered mental lapses at crucial moments. They forgot that it was legal for anyone not named Alex to score with any sort of regularity. They looked lost and en route to a very disappointing finish to a once-promising season.

But in the immortal words of T.I., “The old me’s dead and gone. Dead and gone.”

The Capitals squad that we all know and love has finally shown up to play and is once again a force to be reckoned with. Everyone has once again bought into coach Bruce Boudreau’s system. Role players are doing what’s asked of them and the stars aren’t trying to do it all by themselves. And more importantly, the rumors of a supposedly impenetrable force named “King Henry” stopping anything and everything in his crease seem to be greatly exaggerated.

Lunqvist hit the showers early Friday night after allowing four goals on just 14 shots to the Capitals in Washington. Two days later, it was more of the same as Lunqvist was pulled after allowing five goals on just 20 shots. After stopping 141 of 149 shots in the first four games (good enough for a .946 save percentage), Henrik has looked like anything but royalty saving just 25 of 34 shots (.735 save percentage). That’s not how you put away any opponent on the brink of elimination, which explains why he’s been left to ride the bench in the third period of each of the last two contests.

On the other side of the rink there’s Varlamov, who has stopped 124 of 130 shots he’s faced (a downright nasty .953 save percentage) while giving up just six goals in five games (for a 1.20 goals against average). Oh, and he’s got two postseason shutouts already. So maybe he has been needed.

(And we feel compelled to point out that if Lundqvist is “King Henry,” then the guy on the other side of the rink should henceforth be referred to as “Lord Varlamov.” It sounds good and our nerdy friends seem to think a lord outranks a king or something).

What stands out most is how much more dependable the defensive rotation looks these days. Any time Theodore gave up a “softie” the entire team, defense included, looked deflated. And while the current crop of Capitals defenders is still thinner than you’ll find on a standard-issue Stanley Cup champ, they’re playing much better because the don’t have to spend any time looking over their shoulder.

Varlamov makes the saves he’s supposed to (and more than a couple he probably shouldn’t). Knowing he’s got their backs means guys like John Erskine and Milan Jurcina can focus their attention on other issues, like clearing out traffic and/or imposing their physical style of play on anyone dumb enough to crash the net.

Up front, role players like Matt Bradley and David Steckel seem to be playing with more confidence and are flying around the rink. Those two, on a line with the always dependable Brooks Laich, have formed a surprisingly-solid checking line than has done wonders against the Rangers.

Bradley’s two goals in game five (after totaling just five goals in 81 games this season) provided the first cracks in King Henry’s armor and his teammates have followed suite. Since then, guys like Jurcina, Tom Poti and Viktor Kozlov have all tallied goals to provide the much-needed secondary scoring to go with the typical production of guys like Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Mike Green. In their last two wins, the Caps have outscored New York nine goals to three and trust us, it hasn’t been that close.

So this is where we stand now, heading into a pivotal game seven Tuesday night in D.C.

Teams have trailed 3-1 in a best-of-seven series 229 times and have come back to win the series on just 20 occasions (eight percent). But we’ve seen No. 8 play, and he’s pretty good. And not only that, but he’s brought a few fellow Russians with him who know how to play the game as well.

History suggests that the Capitals’ final game of the season will be Tuesday, but momentum and stellar play from guys like Ovechkin and “Lord Varlamov” could help make this team the exception to the rule.

(photo by Julie Jacobson)

With apologies to the wildly-popular “Rock the Red” campaign, it seems only fitting that a Washington Capitals team of playoff virgins attempting to capture their first postseason series would get on track while sporting white jerseys.

Last night’s 4-0 thumping of the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden was a much-needed shot of confidence to a Capitals team that had yet to play a complete game this postseason. In game one, the Caps’ offense looked sharp, but goalie Jose Theodore fell asleep at the wheel. Game two featured solid goaltending from rookie Simeon Varlamov, but Washington’s offense took the night off.

Folks started to wonder if this talented, but still very young roster, truly grasped what it takes to be successful when the Stanley Cup is on the line. So much so that on Pardon the Interruption Monday, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, two hockey experts in their own minds, openly compared Alex Ovechkin and the Caps to Tracy McGrady and the perennial underachieving Houston Rockets, who are simply unable to advance past round one of the playoffs.

Well, we doubt either Kornheiser or Wilbon actually tuned in last night, but if they did they saw the Capitals’ most inspired effort in recent memory. Backed by Varlamov’s 33-save effort and a three-point night from the enigma that is Alexander Semin, the Caps cruised to an easy victory in front of a sellout crowd in New York.

It seems that before they even arrived at the rink the Caps were in a feisty mood Monday. Ovechkin decided to play some head games with the Rangers and swung by to watch their morning practice (until he was asked to leave). Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau got in on the fun when he had his guys skate in one set of lines during pregame warm-ups and then switched everything around at the last minute to keep his opponent guessing.

Whatever they did worked to perfection, as the Caps came out with more intensity, grit and determination than the Rangers. Of course, sitting center Michael Nylander in favor of forward Donald Brashear never hurts a team looking to send a message, but we digress.

The Caps hustled, checked and played sound hockey from the opening faceoff. Semin had two point-blank quality scoring chances early and failed to convert either. But instead of getting rattled, the Capitals dug in even more and Semin ended up scoring two first-period goals anyway – both with a higher degree of difficulty than the two early “gimmies” he whiffed on.

After taking a 1-0 lead on Semin’s first goal of the night, the Caps got a huge break when Rangers forward Ryan Callahan missed a wide-open net in one of the rare moments when Varlamov looked human. Instead of “putting the biscuit in the basket,” Callahan’s shot rang off the post. Next thing you know the Capitals are breaking out the other way and Semin picked up his second goal of the night with just over eight minutes left in the second frame. Most importantly, both goals were scored during five-on-five play.

“It’s the luck of hockey and the luck of sport,” Boudreau told the media after the game. “Some guy hits a post on a great opportunity and you go down the other end and score. And instead of 1-1 you’ve got 2-0, and you’re team is going in after the first period with a lot of confidence.”

Forward Brooks Laich and defenseman Tom Poti each added powerplay goals as the Capitals solved Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvuist, for one night at least. The three stars of the game were, in order, Varlamov, Semin and defenseman John Erskine.

Let’s start with Varlamov, who posted the first shutout of his professional career. Through eight NHL games (including both the regular and postseason), Varlamov has gone 5-1-1 with a 1.75 goals against average and an astounding .935 save percentage. In two playoff games, Varlamov has stopped 56 of 57 shots he’s faced for an unheard of .982 save percentage. That, my friends, is called getting it done.

Semin, along with Ovechkin and center Nicklas Backstrom, provided all the necessary offense Monday night. He finished with two goals and an assist and the “young guns” line of Semin-Ovechkin-Backstrom picked up eight points (two goals and six assists).

The final player whose effort needs to be highlighted is Erskine, who we lovingly refer to as “Dumb & Dumber” because of a resemblance to Jeff Daniels’ Harry Dunne character. Erskine, who may be the most unheralded player on the current roster, was magnificent Monday night. If nothing else, he flipped the script and beat Ranger agitator Sean Avery at his own game.

Avery makes a living by getting under his opponent’s skin and making them focus on everything but the game at hand. For one night, Erskine “out Avery-ed” Avery, who was so flustered throughout the game that while he was on the ice for a total of 16 minutes and 28 seconds, he managed to rack up 18 minutes in penalties – four minor infractions and a 10-minute misconduct. Not only did he take bad penalties, but he did so in the final two periods while the rest of the Rangers were playing catch up. He wasn’t the only reason the Rangers lost the game, but he certainly didn’t help their cause.

If this is the Capitals team that shows up again Wednesday night then Caps fans should feel confident that maybe – just maybe – this team is finally ready to walk down that aisle.