SB Nation - Karl Alzner

Capital Ups and Downs: Week 12

J.P. — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:00:20 -0000

by David Zalubowski - AP

Our weekly look at individual Washington Capitals' ups and downs:

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Michal Neuvirth		Quietly solid in a huge bounce-back win in Edmonton.
Jose Theodore		A good game and a not-as-good game, but just two even strength goals against and 1-1-0/2.02/.917 week are solid numbers.
Semyon Varlamov		Sounded close to returning before a hopefully minor setback.

Defensemen
Karl Alzner		Plus-two for the week and victimized by a bad bounce in Edmonton, Alzner's development should continue to benefit from being paired with the likes of John Erskine and Tyler Sloan. Ahem.
John Erskine		A monster night in Colorado (assist, plus-three rating and 17 penalty minutes earned for sticking up for Mike Green), tougher time in Vancouver and a scratch in Edmonton.
Mike Green		Just one assist and six shots on goal for the week. Of course, he did miss half of the Colorado game because he forced David Koci to skate halfway across the ice and board him. Bad Greenie.
Milan Jurcina		Scratched twice, looked hungrier against Edmonton, leading the team in hits.
Shaone Morrisonn		Missed most of the Colorado game, returned to lead the team in hits against Vancouver, back out of the lineup Saturday night. Hmm...
Brian Pothier		Despite seven points from blueliners this week, the Caps miss his puck-moving ability on the back-end.
Tom Poti		Three games, plus-three rating, but a whopping four third period penalties (at least one in each game), including an inexcusable unsportsmanlike in Vancouver.
Jeff Schultz		Want a microcosm of Schultz's career? Look no further than this week - a couple of memorable bloopers but a great job shutting down the Sedins and a positive plus-minus (though it should be noted that he was on the ice for four of the six goals the Caps allowed in the three games).

Swingman
Tyler Sloan		Scratched twice, returned and notched an assist on the insurance tally Saturday night, but let's be honest - his NHL time is running out.

Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom		A couple of goals, an assist, a plus-one rating and nine shots on goal and 57% in the dot are all nice, but he's got to take some of the blame for a power play that was just 1-for-9 on the week.
Matt Bradley		A goal, an assist and a plus-two rating in Colorado highlight the week for a guy who's two-thirds of the way to tying his single-season best in goals.
Chris Clark		A Gordie Howe Hat Trick (ok, it took him three games to get it), an extra assist and a plus-three rating. Good stuff, Cap.
Eric Fehr		A couple of helpers and a plus-three rating for the week are nice, but Fehr has gone six games without a goal and only had five shots on goal for the week. Go to the net, young man.
Tomas Fleischmann		Three goals on the week (including Saturday night's game-winner), but a bad penalty in Edmonton and being on the ice for half of the goals the team allowed in the three games take a bit of the shine off.
Boyd Gordon		On a conditioning assignment in Hershey, Gordo's return looks imminent.
Mike Knuble		With a goal and an assist, Knuble seems to be getting his timing back.
Brooks Laich		Another week passes without Laich finding the net, something he's only done once in his last 15 games (and his assist in Vancouver is his only point in his last seven games).
Quintin Laing		Q ate a steak this week and played an NHL game - he gets an up arrow.
Brendan Morrison		Just one assist on the week, his only point in the last seven games (oddly coinciding with Alex Ovechkin's return to the lineup).
Alex Ovechkin		Every now and then (weekly, usually), you're reminded why AO is the best player in the game. Saturday night's third period was one such reminder.
Alexander Semin		Beat Roberto Luongo on a knuckler from near Whistler on Friday night, but was stuffed on a penalty shot later in the game and didn't find his way onto the score sheet for the rest of the week (despite being on the ice for all three goals the top line scored on Saturday night).
David Steckel		A goal, plus-three rating and 7:59 of short-handed ice time without being on for a goal against. Can't ask for much more from the guy, can you?
Kyle Wilson		Made his NHL debut on his 25th birthday with two assists and a strong all-around game. Wasn't as good in Vancouver, was scratched in Edmonton, then reassigned to Hershey, but he looks like yet another fine fill-in. He'll be back.

Recap: Canucks 3, Caps 2

Becca H — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 06:16:22 -0000

More photos » by Darryl Dyck - AP

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[AP Recap - GameCenter - Game Summary - Event Summary]

Just three nights after putting together a dominant team win over Colorado, the Capitals failed to connect, failed to perform as a team for 60 minutes and failed to collect two points.

It wasn't all bad. A few individuals played well, and the first period in particular was filled with energy and a ton of cycling in front of Roberto Luongo - along with a 2-1 lead. But we all knew that a one goal lead against a Canucks team that can certainly score was just not going to hold without a superhuman defensive performance tonight, and the Caps had neither the offensive mojo nor the superpowers to hold off Vancouver for 60 minutes.

Despite all that, there's no question that the theme of the night was missed opportunities. It started early with Backstrom whiffing on an open net way back when it was still a 0-0 game. Then there were the blown chances with the extra man, the failed penalty shot, the extended attack time in the first period - all of which could have changed the course of the game. They didn't, and the game goes into the books as a loss.

Ten more notes on the game:

The power play was abysmal. There's no other way to look at it. The Caps were trying to be too fancy and too fine in their passing, and while Vancouver did a good job of slowing them down, the Caps certainly didn't test them much. And here's a boggling stat - with all the firepower the Caps have, they generated one - one - shot in 8 minutes with the extra man...while giving up 3 shots to the shorthanded Canucks.
Most of the top forwards for the Caps looked off tonight, but the exception was definitely Alexander Semin. As invisible as his teammates were, he seemed to be everywhere and finished the night with a goal, 7 shots, 4 others that missed or were blocked, a takeaway and a great shorthanded chance.
It was a weird night for the goalies. Both gave up fluky goals and had some big rebounds, but both also made some high quality saves - Theodore early on, Luongo late in the game. Luongo ultimately won the battle, such as it was, but it's tough to pin too much of the blame for the loss on Theodore all the same.
Karl Alzner had exactly the kind of night Karl Alzner needed to have - calm, cool and solid, despite playing his first NHL game in his hometown. Just over 15 minutes of work and a solid, if quiet, performance for Alzner.
Also quiet tonight was Alex Ovechkin...except for him, quiet equals bad. There were brief moments, a few moves here and there, some sneaky shots that are just vintage Ovechkin - but mostly he was invisible, and didn't have a shot on goal until late in the third. Whether it was some nagging injury or the coverage by the Canucks or a combination, it's hard to say. Even superhuman beings have off nights, though, right?
Of all the people who would have stepped up on a night like this, Chris Clark might not have been anyone's first (or second...or tenth) choice. He did have an excellent night, though - when he was on the ice. So why did he only get 8:31 of ice time?
The whole game seemed to be in anticipation mode, with both teams keenly aware of the firepower on the other side and therefore hesitant to make mistakes. Lots of neutral zone play, lots of tiny battles along the boards, and not a ton of shots on either side - especially for Vancouver, who finished the night with just 20.
Nicklas Backstrom was 10-for-16 (63%) in the faceoff circle tonight. He was the only Cap to finish above 50%, and the only Cap who took more than two draws to finish above 40%. And no, none of that is a typo.
As visible and effective as Kyle Wilson was the other night in Denver, he was the complete opposite tonight - and somehow managed to be a -1 in just over 8 minutes of work. One up, one down. He's fitting in just fine.
Is it crazy to say that John Erskine had a pretty decent night? He seemed to be moving his feet (as much as Erskine ever moves his feet) and was in good position more often than not.

So blown opportunities lead to a blown game on the road - and there's no rest for the wicked, as the Caps return to action tomorrow night against a struggling Oiler team.

And maybe that's a good thing. Maybe getting right back in the saddle will erase the bitter taste this one leaves in all of our mouths. Maybe they'll be as angry and frustrated as we are and want to make up for it against a team that's ripe for the picking. Maybe they'll take their performance in the opening twenty minutes against Vancouver and stretch it into a full game.

They'll have to try - because sitting on top of the league like they've been doing, there's only one way to go. No ifs, ands, or maybes about it.

Game highlights:

Thursday Caps Clips: Green Good to Go

J.P. — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:44:58 -0000

via the shoebox next to my desk

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Your savory breakfast links:

Mike Green skated yesterday, looked "none the worse for wear," and expects to play tomorrow, but the debate as to whether or not the Caps need an enforcer rages on. [Washington Post]
A couple more takes on David Koci's hit from Puck Daddy, Peerless and Hockey Or Die!
Craig MacTavish thinks that Bruce Boudreau was mean-spirited when he belittled Koci's skill-set. Seriously. [TSN]
"For their rookie dinner in October 2006, David Steckel and Jeff Schultz dressed up as the two main characters from 'Blades of Glory,' Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy." Pretty sure that's my new favorite story ever. [In The Room]
Alex Ovechkin: Caveman. Villain. Whatever. [Denver Post]
Karl Alzner has come home. [Washington Times]
Brendan Morrison, too (in more ways than one). [Kelowna.com]
James Duthie has Green being on the outside looking in on Team Canada (btw, on December 17, 2008, Green had eight goals - two more than he has right now - not twenty). [CTV (at 2:10, 2:54)]
"Being Alex Ovechkin" is not nearly as entertaining as "Being John Malkovich," which is ironic, as being Alex Ovechkin is almost certainly more fun than being John Malkovich. [The Hockey News]
The Caps' Russian trio hung out with a fellow Russian - and a top-10 women's tennis player, at that - last week. [Sony Ericsson WTA Tour]
Caps' radio voice Steve Kolbe "enjoys fishing and archery." If that means he shoots fish with a compound bow, he's my new hero. [PressBox]
Cody Eakin and Stefan Della Rovere will have to wait a little longer to play a game as teammates - the former was cut from Team Canada's WJC squad yesterday. [CBC]
More on Delly. [SLAM!]
John Carlson gets ready to represent the red, white and blue. [London Free Press]
Happy 44th birthday to Craig Berube and happy 51st to Dave Poulin.
Finally, we've obviously disagreed with some of Jim Kelley's recent musings, but we wish him nothing but the very best of luck in his battle with pancreatic cancer.

A Look at The Capitals' Blueline

J.P. — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:00:30 -0000

More photos » by Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP

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When Karl Alzner was recalled yesterday, he brought the total number of defensemen on the Caps' NHL roster to a whopping nine. Even with Brian Pothier out of the lineup with a rib injury and Tyler Sloan getting a lot of his minutes up front (when he gets a sweater, that is), there's a logjam on the blueline which must be resolved, especially if the Caps are going to eventually spend some of those sweet, sweet Nylander bucks on a new (to them) rearguard.

As this unit is viewed generally as the team's Achilles heel, the decision of who stays and who goes is all the more important, so let's take a look at some of the numbers through 33 games. First, stats at five-on-five, ranked by plus-minus per sixty minutes (GP - games played; QC - Quality of Competition; QT - Quality of Teammates; Pts/60 - Points per sixty minutes; GFON/60 - team goals for per sixty minutes; GAON/60 - team goals against per sixty minutes; +/-ON/60 - GFON/60 minus GAON/60; Corsi - Corsi rating; Pen+/- - Penalty plus minus per sixty minutes):

	GP	QC	QT	Pts/60	GFON/60	GAON/60	+/-ON/60	Corsi	Pen+/-
Jeff Schultz	26	.040	.402	1.05	3.44	1.35	2.09	10.4	-0.1
John Erskine	21	-.078	.157	0.39	3.11	1.17	1.94	-5.0	-0.6
Brian Pothier	28	-.079	.273	0.98	3.23	1.41	1.83	-2.2	-0.5
Mike Green	32	-.013	.180	1.69	4.06	2.48	1.58	8.1	-0.2
Tom Poti	27	.139	-.200	0.56	2.93	2.37	0.56	0.3	0.0
Milan Jurcina	25	.106	-.178	0.66	2.47	2.64	-0.16	-4.8	-1.0
Tyler Sloan*	20	.009	-.310	0.77	2.06	2.32	-0.26	-13.2	-0.7
Shaone Morrisonn	24	-.017	.372	0.34	2.71	3.22	-0.51	-8.2	-0.5
Karl Alzner	5	-.028	-.380	1.68	1.68	3.35	-1.68	-23.3	-1.7

Some of these numbers are surprising - first and foremost the fact that John Erskine has the lowest GAON/60 of the group and how bad Alzner's numbers are (albeit in an extremely small sample). Some aren't as surprising - Mike Green has the highest GFON/60 and Jeff Schultz is leading the way in plus-minus, even though he's playing tough competition. In fact, Schultz has the best five-on-five plus-minus per sixty in the entire NHL among blueliners who have played at least ten games... and Erskine and Pothier round out the top three, respectively, with Green not far behind.

As for Erskine's numbers (and Pothier's, for that matter), you can see that he has been somewhat hidden (more or less tied for the weakest competition) and his Corsi shows he's been somewhat lucky to be on the right side of the plus-minus ledger. Anyway, there's plenty there for discussion in the comments, but let's move on.

Next up - just a couple of four-on-five numbers, ranked by goals against per sixty minutes (TOI/60 - time on ice per sixty minutes):

	TOI/60	GAON/60
Brian Pothier	0.56	3.81
Karl Alzner	2.51	4.77
Milan Jurcina	2.40	4.99
Mike Green	2.09	5.39
Jeff Schultz	2.44	5.68
Shaone Morrisonn	1.87	6.69
Tom Poti	3.51	9.49
John Erskine	1.38	12.44
Tyler Sloan*	0.64	23.62

It's no secret that the Caps' penalty kill has struggled, and part of the reason is that a couple of their supposed defensive stalwarts - Shaone Morrisonn and Tom Poti - haven't been getting the job done. Erskine has become nearly unplayable down a man (and his minutes reflect that - only two defensemen in the League have a worse GAON/60), and no one with a decent sample size is really distinguishing himself here, save perhaps Milan Jurcina. Granted, a few saves here and there could help these numbers out, but the blueliners have to help out their netminders as well.

Finally, some general numbers, ranked by games played (TOI - time on ice per game; Hits - hits; BkS - blocked shots; TkA - takeaways; GvA - giveaways; GvA/60 - giveaways per sixty minutes of ice time T-G/60 - takeaways minus giveaways per sixty minutes of ice time):

	GP	TOI	Hits	BkS	TkA	GvA	GvA/60	T-A/60
Mike Green	32	25:05	47	50	14	30	2.24	-1.20
Brian Pothier	28	17:47	34	40	11	14	1.45	-0.31
Tom Poti	27	21:31	10	39	16	14	1.69	0.24
Jeff Schultz	26	18:47	24	47	4	16	1.96	-1.47
Milan Jurcina	25	17:32	43	37	3	12	1.64	-1.23
Shaone Morrisonn	24	17:14	50	39	4	11	1.59	-1.01
John Erskine	21	16:44	44	22	4	19	3.24	-2.56
Tyler Sloan*	20	12:32	26	16	2	11	2.63	-2.15
Karl Alzner	5	18:12	3	6	0	1	0.66	-0.66

A few more interesting numbers here, especially those last two, which measure puck possession and protection. Sure, Green turns the puck over with maddening frequency, but not nearly as often per minute as Erskine. Add in Green's takeaways, and he looks even ~~less bad~~ better.

Again, there's a lot of data in these tables, but, taken together, they paint a pretty good picture of where the Caps' blueline is at the moment, and who are the likely - and deserving - candidates to go when room needs to be made.

* Sloan's statistics include time spent at forward. Simple stats via NHL.com, advanced stats via Behind the Net.

Capital Ups and Downs: Week 11

J.P. — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:00:16 -0000

by Chris O'Meara - AP

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Our weekly look at individual Washington Capitals' ups and downs:

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Michal Neuvirth		Didn't get much help Saturday night... and needed an awful lot the way he played. Now an ugly 0-2-0/4.56/.845 on the (NHL) season.
Jose Theodore		He'll need to be better than 1-1-0/2.97/.872 in Varly's absences, whenever they are.
Semyon Varlamov		Followed up a 26-save shutout - his second whitewashing in four starts - with a trip to the IR. On the plus side, the Caps have the luxury of being extra cautious with him... for now.

Defensemen
John Erskine		The wear and tear is wearing and tearing Erskine down to the point where he seems nearly worn and torn out.
Mike Green		The return of "Game Over" Green Friday night couldn't save a week full of turnovers and blown assignments... with Team Canada no doubt watching.
Milan Jurcina		After a minus-eight stretch in his previous six games, an even week (with a scratch thrown in) may qualify as a "good week," but the Caps need more out of Juice.
Shaone Morrisonn		Returned from injury with a zero-point, one shot on goal, minus-one week in which he averaged under 18 minutes of ice time. Sounds about right.
Brian Pothier		On injured reserve with a rib injury. It's a shame, as he was coming off a three-goal, four-assist, plus-11 November.
Tom Poti		Minus-three for the week (and that includes a plus-one in Tampa), and on the ice for six of the 12 goals the team allowed for the week.
Jeff Schultz		A plus-two week has him fourth in the League in plus/minus, and three four-block games speak further to the blueliner he's becoming.

Swingman
Tyler Sloan		Scratched twice, Sloan's NHL time is running out with Laing's pending return and perhaps a recall of Karl Alzner for the blueline.

Forwards
Keith Aucoin		His most recent recall was short and relatively unproductive, which, fittingly, makes it the Keith Aucoin of recalls.
Nicklas Backstrom		Two goals, two assists, plus-four and an epic OT shift against Carolina, the "wow" moments are coming with greater frequency with each passing week.
Matt Bradley		A happy and healthy new baby gets an up arrow, especially when supplemented with a great interview.
Chris Clark		If the captain isn't contributing on the scoreboard, he's gotta be doing other things... like not letting his team put up three poor efforts in a row (including a pair against the League's two worst teams).
Eric Fehr		A goal in Tampa followed by three point-less games, Fehr will look to go from scorching hot to cold to just plain consistent.
Tomas Fleischmann		Another Cap forward looking for consistency, Flash posted a goal and three helpers this week and now has seven points in his last six games (after picking up just one in his previous six).
Alexandre Giroux		If it wasn't for Nylander's departure, Giroux being returned to Chocolatetown would qualify as great news. As it is, it's merely very good news.
Boyd Gordon		In the past two months, Gordo has played 5:55 of hockey. Sigh.
Mike Knuble		Off to a slow start since returning from the IR with a minus-three rating in two games. No doubt it takes some time to get back to game speed, but a finger injury shouldn't inhibit one's ability to crash the net.
Brooks Laich		Like his new-found mentor Knuble, Laich had no points and was minus-three for the week... but he played all four games.
Quintin Laing		Q's getting closer to returning, but when he comes back, who sits?
Brendan Morrison		No points, three shots on goal and a celebration on a puck he shot wide... ouch.
Michael Nylander		Hasta la vista, baby.
Alex Ovechkin		Returned from suspension with three multi-point games (seven points overall) and 23 shots on goal in four games.
Mathieu Perreault		Food poisoning sidelined him in Buffalo and one point in his last ten games might sideline him a little more frequently going forward. Update: Perreault has been returned to Hershey.
Alexander Semin		Two goals, three assists, plus-four and 20 shots on goal in three games, a "passenger" in the fourth. That's our Sasha!
David Steckel		Followed up his first goal of the season with no points, a minus-two rating, two shots on goal and diminishing ice time (less than ten minutes per game for the week) in four games. The face offs are still there, though (67.4% for the week).

Pick 'Em: Best Capitals Draft Pick of the Decade

David M. Getz — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:00:27 -0000

by Nick Wass - AP

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Readers who venture outside the friendly internet confines of the the Rink may have noticed that, in anticipation of ~~the end of the decade~~ 2010, Puck Daddy has been compiling the best and worst of the last decade, including the ten biggest goon moments, the best and worst contracts, and NHL's best and worst decisions. Yesterday saw Ryan Lambert of The Two Line Pass take a look at the five best and five worst draft picks of the last ten years.

Being a Capitals blog we figured it would make for some interesting discussion to ~~pilfer the idea~~ alter their framework every so slightly to suit our favorite team and take a look at some of studs and duds of recent Washington draft classes. To make things a little more interesting, we decided to eliminate lottery picks, which in essence means no Alex Ovechkin, no Nicklas Backstrom, and no Karl Alzner.

To start things off, let's take a look at the five worst:

5. Jakub Cutta (Defense, 2nd round, 61st overall, 2000)

Cutta was billed as a guy with an ideal frame, but a project nonetheless. At the time of his draft people knew there were questions about his skating, his ability to move the puck out of the zone at the next level, and whether he would ever use his 6'3'', 214 frame as effectively as possible. The problem was, nothing ever really panned out. The skating never became NHL caliber, there wasn't any offense to speak of as a pro, and while Cutta laid out a big hit every once in a while, he was far from an intimidating physical force. All told Cutta saw action in eight games over the course of three seasons with the Caps, earning himself a minus-5 rating. By 2006 Cutta would be back in his native Czech Republic, and he's been splitting time between his homeland and Russia for the past few years. It's not always fair to look back and evaluate a pick using 20/20 hindsight, but the fact that Paul Martin was taken with the 62nd pick certainly doesn't make this one any easier to swallow.

4. Josh Godfrey (Defense, 2nd round, 34th overall, 2007)

Yeah, it's still early, but thing don't look very good for Godfrey, who's now in his second season with the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays. Part of us wants to say that the blue line is stacked at Hershey, that Godfrey's still young, and that he was drafted as an offensive defenseman who would have to spend a lot of time working out the kinks in his own end before he had a chance at the NHL. Another part of us says that guys who spend more than one season in the ECHL don't usually do much at the NHL level - and that's not enough for someone picked 34th overall. The fact that, other than Kings prospects Wayne Simmonds and Oscar Moller, no one picked after Godfrey has seen much NHL playing time helps keep him from rising on this list - for now.

3. Keith Seabrook (Defense, 2nd round, 52nd overall, 2006)

Also an offensive defenseman, the Capitals were hoping Seabrook would one day be a powerplay quarterback, or at least an offensive threat from the blue line. However, Seabrook underwhelmed offensively, first by scoring 13 points (two goals) in 37 games at the University of Denver and then by scoring 17 (four goals) in 59 games with the WHL's Calgary Hitmen - all while failing to make marked progress in his own end. In 2008-09 Seabrook finally became the offensive force people thought he was capable of being by registering 55 points (fifteen goals) for the Hitmen, but questions persisted about whether it was because he was growing in to his talent or because he was an overage player. Currently in the Calgary Flames organization, Seabrook still has a chance to become an NHL player, but never came close to getting a contract, let alone a game, with the Caps.

2. Joe Finley (Defense, 1st round, 27th overall, 2005)

The Caps would eventually sign Finley in the summer of 2009, but his future seems to be up in the air. After playing as a forward in camp, Finley's back on the blue line with South Carolina this season. If Finley ever makes it to the NHL, it's almost certainly going to be in a limited role as an enforcer...and you don't aim to draft a part-time enforcer in the first round. 36 of the first 45 players taken in the 2005 draft have played in the NHL, and has four of the five and seven of the ten taken after Finley. The issue at this point wasn't the talent pool. It was the selection.

1. Sasha Pokulok (Defense, 1st round, 14th overall, 2005)

How could it be anyone else? There's no way the Caps should have been picking 14th in 2005, but they sure didn't do themselves any favors in picking Pokulok. Billed as a physical specimen with skating ability and offensive upside, Pokulok was beset by concussion problems each of his three years in the Capitals organization. In the end, Pokulok wasn't able to stick in Hershey, let alone Washington, earning himself the dubious (and unfortunate) title of "Worst Capitals Pick of the Decade".

Honorable Mentions: Steve Eminger, Ted Ruth, Maxime Daigneault, Boyd Gordon

Now that that's over, let's take a look at the five best:

5. John Carlson (Defense, 1st round, 27th overall, 2008)

He's played just three games at the NHL level thus far, but is there any reason to think Carlson won't be a very, very good NHL defender? With size, skill, and smarts he's bested every challenge thrown his way since the draft, finishing second in the OHL in scoring among defensemen and second among rookies last year, and registering 18 points in 24 games for the Bears this year. Carlson may very well be a top pairing guy in the very near future, and in a league that prizes two way defensemen as highly as the NHL does that's a heck of a return on the 27th pick.

4. Johnny Oduya (Defense, 7th round, 221st overall, 2001)

Hey, we said these guys were going to be Capitals draftees, we never said anything about whether the team signed him. With only one point and an minus-1 rating, Oduya's slumping this year but he's nonetheless a legitimate top-four guy defenseman in the NHL, something that can only be said for a handful of the 200 players taken before him.

3. Alexander Semin (Left Wing/Right Wing, 13th overall, 2002)

At September's Capitals Convention members of the team's scouting staff were insistent they'd been lucky with Semin, who has grown three inches and added thirty-five pounds since the time he was drafted. Even if there was some luck involved, Semin is a elite offensive player who may just be the most naturally talented guy in the NHL. Picking thirteenth overall you expect to get an NHL caliber player - but getting a guy with Semin's ability in that spot is a steal. He might not have the career top 2002 pick Rich Nash will, be there's no doubt Semin was the most talented player available at the this spot - and your GM picking that guy is all you can ask for.

2. Semyon Varlamov (Goalie, 23rd overall, 2006)

We'd be lying if we said there wasn't a part of us that was still scared Semyon Varlamov was going to burn out (insert obligatory Jim Carey reference here), but what he's doing at his age, well, that just doesn't happen very often. The Capitals get credit here for being willing to use their first round pick to take a netminder in what was regarded as a weak draft between the pipes. The next time you want to criticize George McPhee for going off the board, remember that sometimes the risk pays off.

1. Mike Green (Defense, 29th overall, 2004)

Twenty-ninth overall isn't exactly scraping the bottom of the barrel, but no one expected this. Fifty-one goals and 159 points in his last 180 games, a historically great season, a Norris Trophy nomination at age 23, and comparisons to Paul Coffey would make Green a great pick just about anywhere, but at the end of the first round it's practically criminal. Thank the Lord the Stars saw something they liked in Mark Fistric.

Honorable Mentions: Mathieu Perreault, Oskar Osala, Braden Holtby

While the issue of the worst draft pick seems pretty cut-and-dry (seriously, if anyone thinks it's someone other than Pokulok, we'd love to hear why), the best pick is up for debate - and we want to know what you think. Vote in the poll, and let us know who you picked in the comments section.

Poll

So, who's the best Capitals draft pick of the decade?

Capital Ups and Downs: Week 10

J.P. — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:00:16 -0000

by Matt Slocum - AP

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Our weekly look at individual Washington Capitals' ups and downs (and yeah, we've used this picture before, but it's so nice it deserved to be used twice):

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Jose Theodore		After having not played in more than two weeks, Theo came back strong with a pair of road wins, a 2.00 GAA and a .947 save percentage for the week. The better he is this winter, the fresher Varly will be in the spring.
Semyon Varlamov		Seemed to lose his concentration a bit late against Florida, but 1-0-0/2.01/.929 keeps the train rollin'.

Defensemen
Karl Alzner		Was on the ice for four of the six goals the Caps allowed last week. With the blueline getting healthier, Alzner once again finds himself the odd-man out - and on his way back to Hershey.
John Erskine		A plus-four rating for the week and not on the ice for a single goal against in 51:38 of ice time, which included 5:37 shorthanded.
Mike Green		Five points and a plus-four rating in three games, including four power play points on a unit that has scored seven times in the last two games.
Milan Jurcina		How do you end up with a minus-two rating for a week in which your team outscored its opponents 17-6? By being on the ice for five of those six goals against.
Shaone Morrisonn		On the trip to Tampa, so perhaps his return to the lineup is near.
Brian Pothier		Plus-two against Carolina, scratched against Philly. Huh.
Tom Poti		Returned to the lineup against the Flyers with twenty minutes of ice time and a pair of assists.
Jeff Schultz		Plus-three for the week, Jeff Cincocinco has only had two minus games since October 17 and is now in the top ten in the League in plus-minus (and is 12th among NHL blueliners in the stat since the start of the 2007-08 season).

Swingman
Tyler Sloan		A penalty in each of this week's three games, two of which were coincidental minors and one of which occurred with the Caps on the power play.

Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom		Four goals, five assists and a plus-four rating in three games including a five-point game in Philly.
Matt Bradley		Scored his fifth goal of the season against Florida, equaling his goal total from a season ago, and took one for the team in a big way on Saturday night.
Chris Clark		A goal and an assist on the week, The Captain now has half as many goals and is one helper short of his production over the previous two seasons combined. Of course, that's not saying much... other than that Clark is finally healthy.
Eric Fehr		Five points in three games, a six-game scoring streak (multi-point games in three of four), and 13 points in 13 games since returning from injury.
Tomas Fleischmann		Three goals in his last two games, he now has eight tallies in games which AO has been out of the lineup and just two when the Great Eight has dressed. Solution? Scratch him when AO's a go. Just kidding. Sorta.
Alexandre Giroux		Ten shots on goal in the last two games, a plus-three rating and a helper in Carolina... but really, we've seen more than enough.
Boyd Gordon		Looking more and more like a lost season for Gordo.
Mike Knuble		Targeting a Wednesday return, but the way the team's playing, no need to rush.
Brooks Laich		Three points, including a couple on the power play as Laich became the fourth Cap to hit double-digits in goals on the season (no other team has more than three, and several teams don't have a single 10-goal guy yet).
Quintin Laing		Getting closer, which might spell the end of Tyler Sloan's time in D.C.
Brendan Morrison		Four points on the week and more points on the campaign than he had in 62 games for the Ducks a season ago.
Michael Nylander		If Nylander was a classic SNL skit, I'm pretty sure he'd be this one.
Alex Ovechkin		Just one goal in the three games the Caps played last week- anyone hear anything to explain why his production was so limited?
Mathieu Perreault		Seven games without a point (granted, his linemates haven't been the type with which skill pivots normally succeed), but he's still doing some things... little things.
Alexander Semin		Has returned to the lineup with six points in two games, including four on the red-hot power play. Key stat: the power play is 30.3% successful in Semin's twenty games played and at just 9.1% in the nine he's missed.
David Steckel		The monkey's off his back... now let's see some more.

Recap: Caps 3, Hurricanes 2

Becca H — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:33:43 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

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[AP Recap - GameCenter - Game Summary - Event Summary]

The Capitals have notoriously played down to their lesser opponents, and they don't get much lower than the Carolina Hurricanes right now. It's the reason so many Caps fans were looking at tonight's game with a mixture of apprehension and fear, and there wasn't much in the opening few minutes to allay those fears. But the Caps eventually got it together enough to scrap out a gritty road win with a shortened bench and a cloud of potential injury hanging over them.

When all is said and done, when the dust clears and the sun rises, this will go into the books as just another win, just another two points. It was truly one of the more bizarre games the Caps have played so far this season, though, with everything from injuries to ejections to great individual efforts to funny bounces - and everything in between.

And in some ways that's fitting. Ten more notes on the game:

Let's get this out of the way right now - the Alex Ovechkin hit. Was it intentional? Probably not. Was it dangerous? Absolutely. This is now the second time in three games that Ovechkin has been ejected from a game (despite leaving with an injury anyway) and of the two, this was probably the more worthy of discipline. We'll see what the League has to say...but for now our biggest concern is #8's health and well-being. Ovechkin writhing in pain on the ice is not a sight we're accustomed to seeing.
The ongoing Ovechkin saga may get more media attention tomorrow, but it was the work of one man that deserves much more - and for only good reasons. Jose Theodore made his return to the net and put together what was simply an incredible individual effort. He turned aside 15 of 16 shots in the first period en route to a 37-save performance and kept the Caps in it early when they were reeling and late when the lead was at risk. Tremendous effort by Theo tonight.
If you're looking for another individual standout, look no further than Nicklas Backstrom. He scored the opening goal, helped Ovechkin off the ice and then simply took over the game. By the end of the night he'd picked up two goals, a beautiful assist on Fehr's goal, played physical, run the power play and even finished above 50% in the faceoff circle.
As Caps fans we have every right to complain about yet another injury - we've taken our fair share of bites from the injury bug in the first quarter of the season. But if the Caps have been bitten by the bug, the Hurricanes have been and continue to be absolutely throttled by it. Add the freak injury to Joe Corvo to the growing list of wounded in Carolina red.
Watching the first five minutes of this one was unsettling to say the least; the Caps were running around in their own zone, had already given up a power play goal and were relying on their goaltender to bail them out far too often. Luckily the tying goal came fairly quickly and seemed to settle the team down.
Alexandre Giroux has no place on the top line of the Caps. Or anywhere on the Caps. Or the NHL.
It's not unusual to see stats inflated for the home team, especially when dealing with a subjective statistic like hits. This time, however, it's not hard to believe that the Hurricanes racked up 45 hits. Whether or not all of them were the cleanest of hits, of course, is another issue. But then I guess we don't have much of a leg to stand on there (no pun intended).
Eric Fehr continues to have a nose for the net, picking up his 10th point in 11 games and showing no signs of stopping. His goal off of Backstrom's ridiculous pass on the 2-on-1 was a goal-scorers goal, all finish - and something that a certain #33 probably isn't capable of. Just sayin'.
Both goalies had a few issues handling the puck. Theodore's came late in the game, and his D bailed him out as the slow-dribbling puck was swatted away from a wide-open net by Jeff Schultz. Michael Leighton...well, he had a little less help. Backstrom's second goal was a bit of a gift (although still a pretty sweet backhand shot).
In just three games, Karl Alzner seems to have settled in nicely. He's making smart plays and has added more of a physical edge to his game. And while he still has the odd mistake or mental breakdown, he's better at recovering and has really been strong in his short time with the big boys this year. Can we keep him?

So a bizarre night for both teams ends in victory for the Caps - and despite the somewhat ominous and uneven start, it ends up being a pretty decent team effort on the backs of some more than decent individual efforts.

Eric Fehr continues to light the lamp, with confidence growing on every shift. Nicklas Backstrom continues to find his own groove, with and without Russian assistance. Jose Theodore continues to make life interesting in net, with a dominant performance in his own right. And the Caps may have to muddle on without Alex Ovechkin once more.

Game highlights:

Capital Ups and Downs: Week 9

J.P. — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:00:12 -0000

by Graham Hughes - AP

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Our weekly look at individual Washington Capitals' ups and downs (with special thanks to winterion for the icon set):

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Jose Theodore		Hasn't played a second since November 14 in Jersey; Gabby's got to get him back out there soon.
Semyon Varlamov		Varly went 2-0-1/2.27/.919 with a shutout this week but was probably even better than those impressive numbers would indicate.

Defensemen
Karl Alzner		The up arrow might be a little generous, but think of it more as "Alzner's an upgrade over some of the Caps' regulars on the blueline" rather than a direct comment on his two-game performance (which has been solid if unspectacular).
John Carlson		Held his own in his first NHL tour of duty.
John Erskine		Averaged 18:44 of ice time per game this week, which is too much time for a marginal NHL defenseman and may be why he's been looking so slow of late. Or maybe it's just that he's so slow.
Mike Green		Had the shift from hell in overtime on Monday night, but had nice assists on Monday and Wednesday. In other words, his offense isn't the problem... and never has been.
Milan Jurcina		Getting big minutes on a struggling penalty kill; six blocks and four hits in two games.
Shaone Morrisonn		Perhaps his absence is impacting his usual partner Green's play.
Brian Pothier		Adding a bit of physicality to a game that's really coming around nicely.
Tom Poti		Missed on the penalty kill.
Jeff Schultz		Assist, plus-two rating for the week. Ho hum.

Swingman
Tyler Sloan		Plus-two as a defenseman against the Sens, nothing as a forward against the Sabres.

Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom		As Ovechkin returns to form, so to does Backstrom (even if the numbers don't show it... yet). The big face-off win with 15.5 seconds left in Montreal and the shootout-deciding tally earn an up arrow.
Jay Beagle		Scored his first NHL goal in Ottawa, but took a bad penalty in Montreal. Decent short-term fill-in.
Matt Bradley		Not much to report - he must be in the "taking names" portion of "kicking ass and taking names."
Chris Clark		Scored in Ottawa, but is struggling a bit out there.
Eric Fehr		Three goals and an assist, a plus-three rating and ten shots on goal. Most importantly? His three goals totaled 63 feet from stick-to-goal line (and I'll take the under). Keep up the Knuble, Laich impression, Fehrsie.
Tomas Fleischmann		It's been a half-dozen games since Flash scored, and he's actually losing ice time (gasp!) to Fehr, among others.
Alexandre Giroux		Look at the Corsi. Look at the rate at which he's taking penalties. Tell me he's not the worst player to don the red, white and blue so far this season.
Andrew Gordon		A quick cup o' coffee and see ya later.
Boyd Gordon		No news ain't good news.
Mike Knuble		Skating again, which is a good sign (even if it is a finger injury).
Brooks Laich		An assist in Montreal, but only one shot on goal in three games for the week. Looking good, though, on a line with Morrison and Fehr.
Quintin Laing		Did an in-game interview on Comcast Sportsnet despite having his jaw wired shut. Seriously.
Brendan Morrison		Goal, assist, plus-three and 53.8% in the dot. In 50:02 of ice time for the week, he was on the ice for three goals for and none against.
Michael Nylander		Yawn.
Alex Ovechkin		A pair of goals, a pair of assists and a pair of penalized hits; AO's really got to be careful regarding that last number.
Mathieu Perreault		Pointless in five and only two shots on goal and a 38.7 win percentage in the dot for the week.
Alexander Semin		Caps offense scoring .74 fewer goals per game without Semin this season (but also giving up .68 fewer goals per game), and power play efficiency drops from 28.2% with Sasha to 10.7% without.
David Steckel		A 14/15 face-off performance against Buffalo saves the week for the snake-bitten Steckel, who is one of a half-dozen NHL forwards who have played 25 games this season without scoring a goal.

Recap: Caps 4, Canadiens 3 (SO)

J.P. — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:50:35 -0000

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[AP Recap - GameCenter - Game Summary - Event Summary]

As the final seconds of Saturday night's game between the Caps and Canadiens were winding down, the visitors from D.C. seemed to be headed for a third consecutive road loss and a fifth straight game without scoring a power play goal. Then Paul Mara took a high-sticking penalty with 15.5 seconds left, Nicklas Backstrom won a draw, Eric Fehr won a battle in front of the Montreal net, and the game was headed to overtime.

The ensuing five minutes didn't solve anything, and when Backstrom beat Carey Price in the bottom of the third frame of the shootout, the comeback was complete. Victory snatched from the trap, err, jaws of defeat.

Ten more notes on the game:

In 65 minutes of actual hockey, the Caps only got 23 shots on Price (more than half of which came off of the sticks of Alex Ovechkin or Fehr) and had another 23 shots blocked by Habs skaters (with Jaroslav Spacek and Roman Hamrlik leading the way with six and five, respectively). Those numbers underscore the trouble the Caps continue to have generating offense against trapping teams (they're now 1-3-1 against Montreal and Jersey with 11 goals scored in those five games), and the need for further adjustments when facing them.
Somewhat further to that point, the Caps didn't get a single shot on goal from a defenseman tonight. Not one.
AO came into the game having played an average of two seconds per game shorthanded so far this season. Tonight he got six seconds... and was at least partially responsible for the Canadiens' first power play goal in four games when he got caught chasing the puck and leaving the left point wide open.
With 15.5 seconds left in the game and an offensive zone draw coming, Bruce Boudreau put his 45% faceoff guy out there instead of his 62% successful pivot. It worked, so it was the right move, right?
Let's talk Alexandre Giroux. With a chance to play on the top line with two of the game's best players, he ends the night with two offensive zone penalties, a shot on goal and a helper. His decision-making and execution are just too slow for the speed of the game at the NHL level, and the sooner he's back in Hershey, the better.
Speaking of Hershey, Karl Alzner had one heck of an eventful shift midway through the second period, making a fantastic play to stick with Tomas Plekanec in a one-on-one situation, having a shot blocked at the other end, and losing Plekanec (thanks to a Plekanec cross-check to open up some space) back in front of his own net, allowing the Czech to score. All in 56 seconds. And cross-check or not, he can't lose a forward in front like that.
Sticking with Plekanec, he's turning into quite the Caps killer, with 17 points in 18 career games now against Washington. The Caps' Czech number 14, on the other hand, has four points in ten games against the Habs.
Semyon Varlamov had a better night than the numbers would indicate, but it might be time to get him a rest soon. Like Monday. Then again, can you really sit a guy who has one regulation loss in twenty career regular season appearances?
AO is back on top of the League in shots on goal now, which brings a sense of calm and order to the hockey world.
It should be pretty clear to Fehr what he needs to do to be successful, no? His two goals may have traveled a combined twenty feet from his stick to the goal line.

And so it's off to Raleigh to play - gasp! - a Southeast Division opponent and one that's very much reeling at that. It's always great to get an exciting win on the road with an entire nation watching... but the Caps have plenty of work to do after this one.

Game highlights: