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Capital Ups and Downs: Week 11

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

by Chris O'Meara - AP

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).

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.

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.

The Mathieu Perreault Effect

David M. Getz — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:07:33 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

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In the ten games he's played with the Washington Capitals, Mathieu Perreault's made quite an impression. He notched two assists in his first NHL game, and added his first tally two games later. His scoring pace may have dropped off but his presence is being felt on almost every shift he takes, and he creates chances and his energy forces opponents to work hard, in turn contributing even when he isn't getting on the scoresheet.

There are a lot of ways to be a productive hockey player. Naturally some are flashier than others. A goal is a heck of a lot more likely to make it on a highlight reel than the battle in the corner that allowed the goal to happen; you're more likely to see a big hit than a pokecheck, even if the latter was more effective. Television programs, written recaps, and personal memory all tend to towards the creation of a narrative, and creation of a narrative usually means keying in of brief moments. There's nothing wrong with that, but it does mean subtler contributions can get lost in the shuffle.

The result is the chronic underrating of what is arguably hockey's most valuable skill: the ability to make the players around you better. A guy can get attention for a great pass, but for most players in that category the pass is just one example of the dozens of decisions they make every game, shift in and shift out. For a player like that, the effect doesn't just show up in his numbers, it shows up in his teammates' numbers as well. In his brief time in Washington, Mathieu Perreault has been that type of player.

With that in mind, we thought we'd take a look at how Perreault's most frequent linemates have fared since his arrival:

Chris Clark	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SOG	PCT
10/1 - 11/1	14	1	2	3	-6	11	0	12	8.3
11/4 - 11/23	10	1	5	6	0	9	0	25	4.0

Eric Fehr	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SOG	PCT
10/1 - 11/1	6	1	0	1	0	0	0	8	0.0
11/4 - 11/23	8	2	3	5	4	0	0	12	16.7

Tyler Sloan	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SOG	PCT
10/1 - 11/1	6	0	1	1	-2	2	0	4	0.0
11/4 - 11/23	8	2	0	2	2	4	0	8	25.0

Total	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SOG	PCT
10/1 - 11/1	26	1	3	4	-8	13	0	24	4.2
11/4 - 11/23	26	5	8	13	6	13	0	45	9.0

Of course, not all of the improved performance can be attributed to Perreault - he's assisted on two of the five goals his most frequent linemates have scored and been on the ice for four of them, so it's not as if they're wholly dependent on him to create chances for him. Still, the fact that Chris Clark, Eric Fehr, and (the ~~better~~ winger version of) Tyler Sloan have looked like legitimate offensive threats to the eye - and are scoring more often, taking more shots, and increasing their collective plus-minus - make it fair to conclude that Perreault's helping the older, more experienced players contribute more to the Caps.

What does that mean long term? Not a whole lot - yet. Getting off to a hot start is one thing; finding a way to have consistent success in the NHL is another. But at the very least it looks like the Capitals may have found a player with an decent amount of hockey's rarest attribute in the sixth round - and that's something no one can complain about.

Capital Ups and Downs: Week 8

J.P. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:00:13 -0000

More photos » by Darren Calabrese - AP

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

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Michal Neuvirth	-	A home loss and unimpressive numbers in his NHL season debut don't tell the whole story of Neuvy's Friday night, but he'll certainly want to show more in his next recall.
Jose Theodore	?	Difficult week for Theo off the ice, is back with the team now and looking to get back on track.
Semyon Varlamov	▲	A 1.44/.949 week should result in nothing but wins. Alas, Varly will have to settle for a win Tuesday and the knowledge that he's the only reason his team got a point on Saturday night.

Defensemen
John Carlson	-	Led the team in hits in his NHL debut and isn't shy about shooting the puck or skating it into the offensive zone. There's a reason his arrival has been eagerly anticipated.
John Erskine	-	Dropped the gloves with Georges Laraque, but seems to be getting slower (at least by comparison to his fellow rearguards) every game. Correlation?
Mike Green	▲	Five points (all assists) in three games to take the lead among all NHL blueliners in points, but needs to be less generous in distributing the puck to opposing teams.
Milan Jurcina	+	Missed all three games - as many as he didn't play in all of last season.
Shaone Morrisonn	+	Got his bell rung in Wednesday night's game and missed the weekend.
Brian Pothier	▲	Took six shots and blocked nine in three games. Solid.
Tom Poti	+	.Missed much of Friday night's game and all of Saturday's; just three shots on goal in his last eight games.
Jeff Schultz	-	A pair of three-hit games and a plus-one rating for the week - big minutes and few stats to show for 'em.

Swingman
Tyler Sloan	-	Scratched in New York, started on the wing Friday night only to be shifted back to the blueline for most of the game and all of Saturday night. The versatility was nice; the play on the blueline less so.

Forwards		.
Nicklas Backstrom	▼	One assist in his last five games, no goals in his last nine, no shots in his last two... needs to get back on track.
Jay Beagle	-	Got his first NHL point on Tuesday night, but not much else to speak of in limited minutes.
Matt Bradley	▲	No, he didn't do much over the weekend, but Brads did more than enough on Tuesday to earn an up arrow for the week. #needsmoreBradley
Chris Clark	▼	Got a shot at top line RW, but couldn't stick. Saturday night's game was his first in five without a minus-one rating.
Eric Fehr	-	Sniped a nice goal Friday night, but just four shots on goal for a week that included some better-than-usual minutes.
Tomas Fleischmann	-	Nine-game point streak snapped Friday night, has now gone four straight shots on goal without scoring, killing his shooting percentage.
Andrew Gordon	-	Blink and you missed his eight-shift season debut.
Boyd Gordon	+	Gordon's missing a lot of time in an important season for the RFA-to-be.
Mike Knuble	+	Tuesday night's battle in Manhattan was exactly the kind of game for which you want Knuble in the lineup, but there will be plenty of those come spring.
Brooks Laich	▲	Goal, assist, plus-two, 11 shots on goal and can play on any line or in any situation (he's the only Cap forward averaging more than two minutes per game on each of the special teams units). Bless you, Brooksie.
Quintin Laing	♥	A well-deserved purple heart for Q.
Brendan Morrison	-	A nice goal late against Montreal, but penalties in each of the three games, one the ice for both power play goals the Caps surrendered (and four of six goals against overall) and neither of the extra man tallies they scored.
Michael Nylander	●	Zzzz...
Alex Ovechkin	-	For anyone else, two goals in three games would be a great week. But for The Great Eight, the bar's set higher. And he can be better.
Mathieu Perreault	-	Continues to produce in limited ice time (he's between Ilya Kovalchuk and Alex Ovechkin in 5-on-5 points per sixty), and even won 54% of his draws this week.
Alexander Semin	+	Could've used him against the Leafs. And the Habs. And the Rangers.
David Steckel	-	Keeps doing what he does best (winning faceoffs and killing penalties), but no forward in the League has taken more shots without scoring a goal than Stecks.

Capital Ups and Downs: Week 7

J.P. — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:00:35 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

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

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Jose Theodore	▼	Brutal week (0-1-0/7.17/.714) leaves his season numbers in tatters, but more important than just this week, JT60's GAA and save percentage over the last five games: 4.29 and .850. Yikes.
Semyon Varlamov	▲	Don't look now, but after a 2-0-0/1.02/.964 week (including a marathon shootout win), Varly has a GAA that's half a goal better and a save percentage .019 better on the season than his main competition in D.C. More important? That 7-1-0 record.

Defensemen
John Erskine	-	Led the team in hits and was +1 against the Wild, scratched against Jersey. Such is the life of the sixth/seventh/eighth defenseman.
Mike Green	▲	A goal and four assists in three games and, with three points while up a man, the key to a power play that went 4-for-7 for the week.
Milan Jurcina	▼	Bad game against the Isles (including a bad penalty that led to the game-tying goal), out with a muscle pull for the next two.
Shaone Morrisonn	-	Led the team in hits against the Isles and blocked shots against the Devils.
Brian Pothier	▲	Continues to assert himself in the offensive zone with great results, including Friday night's game-winner and seven shots on goal in three games.
Tom Poti	-	On the ice for five of the ten goals the Caps allowed on the week (including an empty netter).
Jeff Schultz	-	Missed two games, came back to do his thing in Jersey.

Swingman
Tyler Sloan	-	Skating as a blueliner for the two games he played this week, he didn't show up much on the stat sheet... which isn't a bad thing.

Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom	▼	Minus-5 rating and just one assist in three games (not to mention a 2-for-10 night in the dot Saturday). Think he'll be happy when AO returns?
Matt Bradley	-	Solid work Friday night, a helper and the team's only plus rating Saturday.
Chris Clark	▲	Assist streak ends at four on Friday, one game after his shootout winner. Eight shots in less than two games since the Knuble injury - a sign of things to come?
Eric Fehr	-	Points in four of five entering Saturday night, gets yet another chance to make an impact with Knuble out.
Tomas Fleischmann	-	Has pointed in every game since his return except the first and his three-point week includes a power play goal and two extra man helpers. But a minus-six rating on the week (minus-two against the Isles, minus-four in Jersey) prevents him from getting a green arrow here.
Boyd Gordon	-	Blink and you missed his return to the lineup and subsequent exit from it.
Mike Knuble	▼	An assist and minus-two rating against the Isles and a busted finger against the Wild. But the Caps got him for April, not November, so don't worry too much.
Brooks Laich	-	An empty netter was his only point of the week, but 14 shots on goal is a nice number for three games.
Quintin Laing	-	Played the prototypical Q game on Friday night, didn't do much on either end of it.
Brendan Morrison	▲	Points in five-straight, including power-play helpers in the past two games where he's subbing for AO on the point (and doing quite well).
Michael Nylander	●	The dreaded yellow circle of "What the hell, dude?"
Alex Ovechkin	-	Getting closer to playing, but not in the way that we're all getting closer to dying - most expect the Great Eight in the lineup Tuesday night in Gotham.
Mathieu Perreault	▲	Goal, assist, plus-two for the week and has yet to have a minus rating in any of his six games. We'll talk about those faceoffs some other time.
Alexander Semin		Two goals against the Isles (and countless other fantastic chances) and one of the world's worst turnovers against the Devs. He's trending neither up nor down - he's trending Sasha.
David Steckel	-	Dominating the dot (70% for the week and 83% against Minny), but still yet to find the back of the net. It'll come, Stecks.

Familiarity Breeds Good Defense

Stephen Pepper — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:30:38 -0000

More photos » by Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP

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While it looks like this brief stretch of the Washington Capitals season without Alex Ovechkin is nearing an end, one thing is for certain. This team can score goals regardless. Secondary scoring? With guys like Tyler Sloan and Mathieu Perreault lighting the lamp, this bunch is getting tertiary scoring.

But on the other side of the ledger, the Caps are now down to 23rd in the League in GA/G, at 3.06. Over three goals a game in this era is playing with fire -- Katy is not barring the door. And of the top eight Eastern Conference squads, the Caps have allowed the second-most even strength goals, with 39, just one fewer than the New York Rangers.

What's keeping the Caps flying high is scoring at a ridiculous pace, nearing four goals per game, a pace which at present exceeds even the 2006 Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, in the first post-lockout season that saw a bit of a return to firewagon hockey. Consequently, Les Capitals sit atop the League in 5-on-5 F/A ratio.

We've hinted at one reason for poor team defense: the lack of consistent pairings, particularly beyond the top duo of Mike Green and Shaone Morrisonn, on account of having to rotate eight defensemen. And we'll repeat what GM George McPhee himself said, after the trade of Steve Eminger in June of 2008:

[W]e didn't want to carry eight defensemen again because it's too difficult for everyone to operate that way. It's hard for the head coach because you know you have someone sitting out, and someone is unhappy. And it's hard on the players.

The logjam has been alleviated from time to time due to minor injuries suffered by John Erskine, Green, and Jeff Schultz already in this campaign (and it looks like Milan Jurcina is unable to go tonight, shuffling the deck yet again). Sloan has done himself a huge favor, and possibility secured indefinitely his spot in the lineup, by gamely playing the "swingman."

But is there any correlation between consistency in the D pairings and a team's defensive performance? How consistent are the pairings on the top defensive teams in the League right now? And how inconsistent are those on the sieves of the NHL?

Turns out that four of the top five teams in GA/G -- New Jersey, Boston, San Jose, Colorado, and Buffalo -- have three regular pairs of defensemen that skate together for at least about 60% of the team's shifts at ES (for the pairs themselves and the breakdown, link on the percentage opposite the team name, all via DobberHockey):

Team	Top Three Pair %
New Jersey	50.98
Boston	73.36
San Jose	76.61
Colorado	59.34
Buffalo	74.12
Washington	55.85

Looking at the bottom five teams in GA/G -- Anaheim, Florida, Columbus, Carolina, and Toronto -- we see a slightly different picture. Four of these five teams have three regular pairs of defensemen that skate together for less than 53% of the team's shifts at ES:

Team	Top Three Pair %
Anaheim	44.62
Florida	56.40
Columbus	46.68
Carolina	40.93
Toronto	52.29
Washington	55.85

Significant, or too early in the season to tell?

Is it the injuries that have led to the significant substitution by Bruce Boudreau and Bob Woods, or is it the presence of eight capable D-men in Washington that leads the coaching staff to be a bit more leaned toward resting guys who are less than 100%, sacrificing some consistency for better health down the road? That theoretical health benefit could prove enormous come playoff time, and as long as the Caps are making fans behind their opposing team's net break out the sunscreen, there's no urgency to trim the roster on the blue line at this stage of the season.

Putting the salary cup hit of the eight-man collective aside, of course.

Friday Caps Clips: Wild @ Caps Game Day

J.P. — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:45:23 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

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Your savory breakfast links:

Previews of tonight's Caps/Wild game from Vogs, NHL.com and Peerless, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner Hockey Wilderness for coverage from the other side of tonight's match up.
Alex Ovechkin is "getting closer" to getting back in the lineup. Of course, "closer" isn't necessarily "close" (though it sounds as if he's both, with the smart money on a return Tuesday at the earliest). [Washington Post, NHL.com]
Great interview with Semyon Varlamov following his win in relief on Wednesday night. [Capitals Insider]
AO has more shots on goal through four seasons than any player in League history (with 42% more than the guy in second place), but have his shots on goal actually been under-counted? [Puck Prospectus]
Mike Green doesn't even get a mention as being in the running for Team Canada. Methinks someone goofed. [CBSSports.com]
But Tomas Fleischmann sure is making a case for the Czech team, no? [Washington Times]
What a Michael Nylander move might mean for the Hershey Bears. [York Daily Record]
Not breaking news: a ref missed a call against the Caps. Breaking: he admits it. [The Hockey News]
WWPBD? [Homer McFanboy]
Several Caps (including the coaches) talk about their first NHL fights. Worth it for the brilliant intro. [Caps365 (video)]
Because I can't let something like the above go without fact checking, Matt Bradley is wrong, Chris Clark is right, John Erskine is right (as far as regular season bouts go), Dean Evason is right, Eric Fehr is right, Green is right, Mike Knuble is right, Brooks Laich is right, Quintin Laing is unclear, Shaone Morrisonn is right, Brian Pothier is right, Tyler Sloan is... hmmm, David Steckel is right, and hockeyfights.com is awesome.
Speaking of guys with grit, Stefan Della Rovere talks about playing in the Super Series. [Metro Canada]
Could the Caps be headed to Russia for games against KHL teams? Seems far-fetched, but "anything is possible." [Puck Daddy]
Finally, happy 40th birthday to Patrik Augusta.

Wednesday Caps Clips: Islanders @ Caps Game Day

J.P. — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:48:58 -0000

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Your savory breakfast links:

Previews of tonight's Caps/Isles game (Really? These guys again?) from Vogs, NHL.com, Peerless and Rock The Red.net, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner Lighthouse Hockey for coverage from the other side of tonight's match up.
Infirmary report: Jeff Schultz is out, Mike Green is in, Alexander Semin has a brace on his wrist, Boyd Gordon is getting closer, and what's-his-name is "day-to-day" (unless he's joking again). [Capitals Insider]
Is today Michael Nylander Day, or just another tease?
Mathieu Perreault's NHL career is off to a nice start. [Washington Post]
The Morrison/Mike Knuble effect. [Washington Times]
Huge thanks to @chaddukes and @LaVarArrington (a.k.a. "The LaVar Arrington Show with Chad Dukes") for the shout out yesterday (discussing this post that we ran the other day regarding the risk of Alex Ovechkin's contract) and for providing islands of Caps coverage amid a sea of Redskins bloviating. Check it out, including a must-listen interview with Chris Clark in Segment 2. [Segment 1, Segment 2, Segment 3, Segment 4 (audio)]
Brendan Morrison compares AO to Pavel Bure. [Vancouver Sun]
Ovechkin is only the sixth-most valuable player (second among skaters) in the League so far this season... [Puck Prospectus]
... but he certainly is clutch (as are a trio of other Caps)... [The Hockey News]
... and is a dominant force in the offensive zone. [Behind The Net]
Of course, he's still an easy target for ~~xenophobes~~ haters. [Sportsnet]
More power rankings, with the Caps up a spot to third here at SBN and up four spots to second at CBSSports.com.
It's important to know your ABC's... or at least your A, U, W and X. [The Whig Standard]
Steve Kolbe "Takes 5" with Tyler Sloan. [Capitals (audio)]
Episode 2 of "Caps on the Fly" featuring Green and Bob Woods, for your viewing pleasure. [Caps365 (video)]
Nicklas Backstrom is a fantastic value... at the moment. [Puck Prospectus]
Speaking of Backstrom, even if you're not quite fluent in Swedish, there's some pretty cool stuff in this video (from about the 5:20 mark on). [Hockeykväll (video)]
Remember when AO wasn't suspended for his alleged slew foot in Atlanta? Well, Colin Campbell was just following the League's well-established guidelines for discipline. [Down Goes Brown]
Keith Aucoin had a nice homecoming last weekend (though he would rather have been traveling from Miami to D.C., we're sure). [New England Hockey Journal]
Courage! It couldn't come at a better time. [Hockey Mom]
The Florida man who claimed to have supplied the Caps with 'roids has pled guilty to Federal steroids charges. [Tampa Bay Online]
Cody Eakin on dangerous hits. [Edmonton Sun]
More than you could ever need to read about Sami Lepisto. [Hockey's Future]
On this day back in 1981, the Caps named Bryan Murray head coach. Murray still sits atop the franchise coaching leaderboards for wins, losses, games coached and ~~lispy post-game pressers~~ playoff disappointments.
Happy 55th birthday to Michel Bergeron and happy 37th to personal fave Steve Konowalchuk.
Finally, a very heart-felt thanks on this Veteran's Day to every man and woman who has put themselves in harm's way so that we can live the lives we live (and know that you're in our thoughts on the other 364 days of the year, too).

Capital Ups and Downs: Week 6

J.P. — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:00:33 -0000

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

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Jose Theodore	▲	A strong performance on Friday night in Sunrise earned him Saturday's start in which he looked understandably less sharp. Still, a 2-0-0/2.51/.912 week keeps his hold on the #1 spot firm.
Semyon Varlamov	-	To the untrained eye, he looked pretty good in Jersey. But Bruce Boudreau didn't see it that way (calling two of the three goals allowed "iffy"), so Varly stays in Chez Bow Wow and doesn't get a start against a bad team in a back-to-backs when the #1 guy has a recent history of back spasms.

Defensemen
John Erskine	▲	Shaking off the rust after missing nearly a month, has a plus-five rating over his last four games.
Mike Green	-	Had his nine-game scoring streak snapped in Jersey, then was injured early in Florida. Get well soon, GreenLife52.
Milan Jurcina	-	Ugly minus-four on Saturday night (though his play wasn't as bad as that would seem to indicate), has still yet to find the back of the net this season and is pointless and averaging just one shot per game in his last ten.
Shaone Morrisonn	▼	Didn't register a single shot last week... except for the boarding late in Friday night's game.
Brian Pothier	▲	Responded to Wednesday's healthy scratch with a goal, three assists and a plus-six rating over the next two games (which included loads of PP time with Green out).
Tom Poti	-	An assist and a plus-three rating in Saturday's stat-padder, but wasn't credited with a shot on goal all week.
Jeff Schultz	-	Injured on Friday night, missed on Saturday.

Swingman
Tyler Sloan	▲	Versatility earns him his own position on this list. Had a pair of goals as a forward and played well when shifted back to D on Friday, but struggled on the blueline Saturday.

Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom	-	Seemed to get his groove back once paired with Fleischmann and Knuble, ended the week with three helpers, a plus-three rating and a 56.3% faceoff win rate.
Matt Bradley	-	A beautiful pass to set up Laing's goal (and some wrestling) on Saturday night highlight his week.
Chris Clark	▲	Helpers in each of the week's three games and a fight in Jersey. Good stuff, Cap'n.
Eric Fehr	-	Finally got back in the lineup Saturday and produced an assist in limited ice time.
Tomas Fleischmann	▲	Three goals, one assist and a plus-four rating for the week and five goals and seven points in his last five games overall. We are all, for the moment, seeing Flash as Gabby has always seen him.
Boyd Gordon	-	Still hurt (and the PK still misses him). His games played by season over the last three campaigns: 71, 67, 63. Expect 59 this year?
Mike Knuble	▲	Two goals, three assists and a plus-four rating over the weekend is how a veteran rebounds from a couple of bad games in a row.
Brooks Laich	▲	18 points in 17 games on the season, including four last week. Laich also hasn't taken a penalty in his last nine games and has just two minors on the campaign.
Quintin Laing	-	Had one more goal than and the same number of shots as Alex Semin last week. Another interesting Q stat: he's been credited with fewer blocked shots on the year than Knuble or Backstrom.
Brendan Morrison	▲	Called out by his coach for a bad penalty in Jersey, responds with two goals on Friday.
Michael Nylander	-	Has agreed to be put on waivers, still would have to agree to any loan to another league (KHL, AHL, etc.), but it's another step closer to what everyone wants.
Alex Ovechkin	-	Of the countless AO vids on YouTube, this has to be just about my least favorite. It's gonna be a long ~~4-5 weeks~~ wait...
Mathieu Perreault	▲	A burst of energy who has made Chris Clark and Tyler Sloan look like serviceable NHL wingers, which is no small accomplishment.
Alexander Semin	▼▼	One down arrow wasn't enough to capture the disappointment of what Semin is doing with his opportunity to be the team's top scoring threat. No points and as nearly many offensive-zone minor penalties (five) as shots on goal (six) for the week. Brutal.
David Steckel	▼	The only Caps forward still looking for his first goal of the season (minimum seven games played), Steckel was point-less on the week and was on the ice for all three power play goals the Caps surrendered in the three games. He did win 62.5% of his draws overall, however.