SB Nation User Blog: Stephen Pepper

How Much You Wanna Bet the Caps Make the Finals?

Stephen Pepper — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:59:10 -0000

By now, you've probably heard of OptionIt, a new (to Washington Capitals fans) ticket-buying concept which offers fans the ability to purchase an option now to acquire tickets to a future game at face value.

As reported by the Washington Business Journal:

Purchasers of an option have three choices. They can let it expire at no additional cost, sell it to someone else in an aftermarket on optionit.com or exercise the option and attend the event. The site guarantees that it can provide a ticket at face value should an option holder decide to exercise.

In the stock markets, an option provides the holder the ability to acquire shares at a certain (sometimes below market) price, in exchange for a small sum paid up front. Thereby allowing the option holder to benefit from the gain on the market price of the stock between the acquisition and exercise of that option. Of course, the stock price could fall below that certain price, leaving you out the amount paid for the option should you choose not to exercise it.

Right, you know all of this. But in the market for Capitals tickets, where the franchise is going great guns, offering precious few single game seats for sale, and selling out the barn on a nightly basis, the price for those tickets is only rising. And fast.

Want a prime seat in Section 116 for the tilt versus the Penguins on March 24th? $172.50 per billet on ticketexchange. Face value? $120 per seat. With OptionIt, by an "option" for $56 a ticket to purchase seats later at face value, which adds up to $176 per ducat. For now, only certain seats and sections can be optioned, but there's availability in both the 400 and 100 levels.

Looks like a wash, except that you're guaranteed today of not paying more later. Not sure if you can make the game, but don't want to scramble to get a pricey ticket at the last minute, or go through the hassle of re-selling a ticket you've already purchased? By an option. You'll be able to "exercise" it when you're set to go, at a fixed price, for an exercise window clearly noted on the site -- if you're not able to go, well then you're, at worst, out the cost of the option. And there's promised to be a brisk aftermarket for these options on the site. (You choose the price, minus a hefty 17% fee, 10% paid by you, and 7% paid by the buyer).

These days, one might be reluctant to embrace classic Wall Street practices. But here's the best part. Think the Caps will make the Stanley Cup Finals? Buy an option now for $78 to purchase two 100 level corner section tickets at face value. And don't worry about scrambling to score those tickets (at any price) as soon as that oh-so-anticipated playoff game is scheduled. You're covered.

But when would that "exercise window" for an undetermined playoff game begin and end, you ask? Michael Proman, VP of Marketing, breaks it down for us:

Once the Capitals officially qualify for the playoffs, First Round - Home Game One and Home Game Two will become ‘scheduled’ events and the exercise window will likely open two weeks before and close anywhere from 5-7 days before the event.

Where things get a bit tricky is on the "swing games." Example: Capitals are the #1 seed, up 3-0 in the first round series and playing Game 4 (away). Fans holding the option on a Game 5 (Home Game Three) ticket will only have the opportunity to exercise if the Capitals lose Game 4. The exercise window would effectively open up on Game 5 as soon as the result becomes official in Game 4. Depending on how many days between Game 4 and Game 5, the exercise window would likely close 24 hours before the game.

We will always give fans a reasonable amount of time to exercise their option and will send out reminder emails to customers before the exercise window even opens to remind them that they are holding an option for a particular game and that they will need to be prepared to exercise quickly.

Therein lies the real value. Might be a good time to ante up now for the reward of a guaranteed great seat in June. If nothing else, maybe it'll add some good Caps karma for a Finals berth. (And further squeeze out opposing fans who would buy tickets.)

Reckless Eight Train Blues

Stephen Pepper — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:52:14 -0000

A timely re-work of the lyrics to the Johnny Cash classic, Folsom Prison Blues:

I hear the Eight Train a comin'; he's charging down the wing,
And if he gets me, I'll be leaving this rink in a sling.
I'm tryin' to hold the blue line; but he keeps rollin' on.
Ovechkin's got those crazed eyes, and now our lead is gone.

When he was just a baby, his mama told him, "Son,
Always play in high gear; and feel free to have your fun."
So he throws around his body, he never stops to ask why.
When I hear Eight's whistle blowin,' I hang my head and cry.

I bet there's rich folk eatin' in a fancy corporate box.
They're loving when he crushes D-men like a wild ox,
They know they had it comin', they know they can't be free,
When I see him hop that bench door, I know he'll torture me.

Well, if they gave him a suspension, let him sit and think,
Surrounded him with ladies, and vodka fit to drink,
They think that he might tone it, play with less reckless glee,
But the Eight Train keeps a rollin,' that's how he's born to be.

Finding That Dahlen In the Rough: The Busts and the Best of McPhee's Reclamation Projects

Stephen Pepper — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:41:48 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

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Early success earned Capitals GM George McPhee a reputation for discovering and fulfilling "reclamation projects." There's no fixed definition for the scope of that category of player, but my working definition would be: acquisitions of established NHLers once known or projected as being at least modestly gifted and who, following either significant injury or prolonged struggles, or both, are given another chance to demonstrate that they've got something left in the tank.

More so than ever in the salary cap era, when nearly every contending franchise must push its payroll near the cap ceiling to accommodate the varied needs of a would-be champion, a successful reclamation project, ideally one that entails limited financial risk, is a key component of a winning team. It's almost as important as astute drafting and trade deadline swaps.

So, we've compiled a list of McPhee's top five best reclamation projects, and top five busts. First, the busts.

"The Busts"

5. Sergei Berezin - Left Wing

Berezin's arrival in Washington, at the 2002-03 trading deadline, and subsequent performance encapsulates all of the ways in which the "Jagr plan" went horribly wrong in D.C. He fit squarely into the same category as the offensive corps of skilled but one-dimensional forwards seemingly just past their prime, adding to the developing "country club" atmosphere in Washington.

Dealt by Chicago for the Caps' 4th round selection in the 2004 draft (defenseman R.J. Anderson, who never played in an NHL game), Berezin's acquisition otherwise cost the remainder of his season's salary. And, with the Blackhawks, he began to regain the scoring touch for which he was known in Toronto, when he potted 37 goals in the 1998-99 season. He scored a goal in each of his first three games as a Capital and looked like he could be a real playoff force. But a mysterious arm ailment dogged him in April, and he was invisible in the post-season, tallying only a single assist in the disastrous first round playoff exit versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. He never played in another NHL contest after that, instead signing with CSKA Moscow the following December.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
2002-03 (Caps only)	9	5	4	9	10	4	0	0	2	28	17.9	15:41

4. Joe Murphy - Right Wing

Murphy can lay claim to two of the most prized accomplishments of a hockey player's career: (i) being selected 1st overall in an NHL draft (Detroit, 1986) and (ii) winning a Stanley Cup (Edmonton, 1990). And he didn't get his name engraved on the chalice by accident: he scored six goals and 14 points in 22 playoff games that championship spring, on the "kid line" with Adam Graves and Martin Gelinas. In this respect, he was quite a successful reclamation project for then-Oilers GM Glen Sather, who rescued the "talented misfit" from an impatient Red Wings fan base. After reaching an offensive peak two seasons later, his career began to unravel. He played for four different teams and, in November of 1999, was suspended by Boston for insubordination.

McPhee took a chance and signed him in February of 2000, but he proved uncoachable. And uncontrollable.

From the Washington City Paper:

In December of 2000, an injured Murphy accompanied the team to New York City for a match with the Rangers. After the game, he and some teammates went out for a team-sponsored dinner and according to court documents drank a lot of beer and vodka before moving on to a club and drinking more. At the end of the night, Murphy tried to convince a woman to get in his limo, only to get cracked across the head with a bottle by the woman’s male companion. Days later, Murphy was assigned to the team’s minor-league affiliate in Lowell, Mass.; Murphy refused to report to Lowell, was suspended by the team, and never played professional hockey again.

He even filed a workman's comp claim for injuries sustained as a result of that altercation, as long time Rink readers may recall. Read and enjoy.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
1999-00 (Caps only)	29	5	8	13	8	53	1	0	2	50	10	14:27
2000-01	14	1	5	6	-5	20	1	0	0	22	4.5	12:31

3. Stephane Richer - Right Wing

Richer, who colorfully wore #44 throughout most of his 421 NHL goal career, is a legend in both Montréal and New Jersey, winning the Cup in both locales. Not so amongst the Capitals faithful. McPhee inked him in late August of 2000, looking to fill a perennial scoring hole in the lineup. He didn't make it out of camp, deciding instead to retire, and accrocher ses patins. Or did he? One year later, he signed with Pittsburgh and scored 13 goals and 25 points in 58 games, before being dealt to New Jersey for a final twirl in the Garden State.

2. Andrew Cassels - Center

Bereft of capable bodies to pivot a scoring line coming out of the lockout, particularly one to dish to rookie Alex Ovechkin, McPhee signed a Hartford Whalers legend in Cassels to a one year, $1.5 million deal. Things started out well enough for a team just looking to compete on a nightly basis, but the faster post-lockout game was a bit too much for the former 1st rounder (Montréal, 1987). He was released by January of 2006, registering only two assists in his final ten games as a Capital, and as a NHLer. Though the salary cap was far from an issue for the Caps in those days, McPhee and Cassels negotiated a full release, obviating the need for the player to report to the American league or the team to pay the remainder of his salary.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
2005-06	31	4	8	12	-3	14	2	0	0	29	13.8	13:13

1. Jeff Friesen - Left Wing

Like the Cassels signing, Friesen was acquired by trade in September of 2005 with New Jersey (for Washington's 3rd round selection in 2006 -- Kirill Tulupov) to bring some scoring punch to a squad largely stripped of offensive skill prior to the lockout. Another winger with Devils Stanley Cup pedigree, McPhee thought Friesen had another 20-goal campaign in him. Instead, inconsistency and groin troubles limited him to 33 games, and just 7 points, in a Caps uniform through March. Perhaps worst of all, he wore (and was permitted to wear) #12.

The salary cap-strapped Devils were able to dump his salary on Washington, but McPhee managed to essentially turn a 3rd round pick into a 2nd rounder (Keith Seabrook), when he, in turn, dealt Friesen to Anaheim.

After a final, dismal 2006-07 campaign in Calgary, Friesen retired in February of 2008, at the age of 31, Cup ring on hand.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
2005-06 (Caps only)	33	3	4	7	-11	24	0	0	0	64	4.7	14:45

Now, we turn the corner. And two of these five "best" are yours to enjoy on the current roster.

"The Best"

5. Matt Bradley - Right Wing

With his recent heroics at the Garden, it's fitting that we start with Brads. We appreciate that including Bradley in a list of "modesty gifted" skaters may be a bit of a stretch. His Legends of Hockey bio does refer to him as "an offensively gifted forward," and he tallied 33 goals and 83 points in his final junior season. So there's that.

Signed in the frenzied days of August 2005, as teams such as the Caps scrambled to ice a competitive team following a pre-lockout purge, Bradley has emerged into a fixture on the Caps' checking line, part folk hero, part timely playoff goal scorer, all buzzsaw charging down the wing. The Professor is one of those glue guys, the heart-and-soul, whatever you want to call him. He's a bridge between the collective memory of hard-working Caps teams that wore the "old school" stars and stripes and the offensively explosive squad of today. And he's inspiring a new generation of fans.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
2008-09	81	5	6	11	-1	59	0	0	1	98	5.1	10:37
2009-10 to date	21	4	5	9	4	17	0	0	1	27	14.8	12:20

4. Sergei Fedorov - Center

The Legend was relieved from Columbus Blue Jackets purgatory by McPhee at the March 2008 trading deadline and helped guide the franchise to its first playoff appearance in five years. He was the cultural liaison for the dynamic duo of the Alexes, credited particularly with guiding Alex Semin toward becoming a more complete player (if not instilling in him a greater conservatism and hockey sense). And Fedorov's goal alone in Game 7 of the first round series last April against the Rangers, propelling Washington to its first playoff series win in over a decade, was perhaps worth his $4 million salary for 2008-09.

It's also noteworthy that Feds became the most prolific Russian-born goal scorer in the NHL (finishing last season with 483 career goals) in a Caps sweater.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
2007-08 (Caps only)	18	2	11	13	-2	8	1	0	1	34	5.9	18:16
2008-09	52	11	22	33	4	50	2	0	2	118	9.3	16:31

3. Brian Bellows - Left Wing

Lodged in my memory forever is Steve Kolbe's warbly shout over the radio waves in overtime of Game 6 of the 1998 first round playoff series, versus Boston: "Brian Bellows caught Bryon Dafoe napping! It's a five-hole goal!" McPhee signed the former North Star great in late March of that spring, when he was toiling for the Berlin Capitals. His production had dropped precipitously since 1993-94, but McPhee's signing gave BB a second life. He played 21 games in the playoffs during that one and only magical Cup run, and tallied six goals and 13 points. Among those 6 post-season tallies was a GTG in the third period of Game 3 of the Finals, knotting the score at one, and sending the Verizon (née MCI) Center crowd into a frenzy, the volume of which this fan has heard matched, possibly, only by the roar of the home crowd watching 2008's first-round game seven against the Flyers.

That following season of 1998-99, however, was a bust for just about every player in a Caps uniform.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
1997-98	11	6	3	9	-3	6	5	0	2	26	23.1	N/A
1998-99	76	17	19	36	-12	26	8	0	3	166	10.2	15:14

2. Brendan Morrison - Center

This one of our "best" is, admittedly, still a project in progress. But so far, B-Mo has exceeded most everyone's expectations. He's developing into, quite literally, a pivotal role player on the power play. And in scoring at least a point in 13 of 21 games to date, anchoring the second line, he's providing legitimate second pivot production befitting a Cup-contending club.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
2009-10 to date	21	6	10	16	8	14	2	0	0	31	19.4	16:47

1. Ulf Dahlen - Center

After striking oil with Brian Bellows, McPhee went back to the European well again, signing another former North Star standout in center Ulf Dahlen in August of 1999. Dahlen was skating for HV 71 Jonkoping in the Swedish Elite League, and hadn't played in an NHL game since the spring of 1997. Dahlen anchored a checking line with Jeff Halpern and Steve Konowalchuk, a trio that some in Caps land have declared the greatest checking unit in franchise history. While not translating into any playoff success, Dahlen dazzled fans during the 1999-00 season with his impressive ability to cycle the puck deep, and his trademark open pivot skating style around the net, en route to a 26-7-8 team record at home. And he almost never committed a bad penalty, instead drawing many himself.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	GWG	SOG	PCT	TOI
1999-00	75	15	23	38	11	8	5	4	106	14.2	12:40
2000-01	73	15	33	48	11	6	6	2	145	10.3	14:48
2001-02	69	23	29	52	-5	8	7	4	141	16.3	16:09

So there you have it. You win some, you lose some. Interestingly, there are no defensemen on this list.

Did we miss any? Disagree on the ordering? Hit us up in the comments.

Red Is Blooming At the Garden

Stephen Pepper — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:42:00 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

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When anyone asks me what I miss most about my hometown having moved north to Gotham over nine years ago, three things immediately come to mind: the Black Cat; the C&O Canal; and the potential to attend every home Capitals game. It is, however, a small consolation that living here affords me the opportunity (sadly now just twice in a regular season) to hop on a subway and, in mere minutes, arrive at the entrance to the Garden and watch Les Capitals.

Yesterday, pulling over a home red Boyd Gordon gamer, I bounded out into the early evening darkness, consumed with thoughts of Alex Ovechkin's continued dominance at the "World's Most Famous Arena." While gentlemen and ladies in business suits dashed in every direction, obsessed with something else far less compelling, I strode through to the E train platform, just as the magic train to hockey paradise arrived.

Expecting to see a handful of Blueshirted straphangers, perhaps muttering something about Henrik Lundqvist deserving no special reverence unless he, as Mike Richter well before him, delivers another championship to Gotham, I spent my underground ride wholly unmolested. In fact, not a single passenger on the train was wearing Rangers accoutrement. Now, I understand that this is a big town, and that there are a myriad of transportation options to get a hockey fan to the arena. But it was not until I was nearly at the enemy gates that I observed event goers defiling themselves with Rangers jerseys.

As I stood before the gaping maw of the Garden swallowing the hordes of blue-clad patrons climbing the staircase beside the great marquee, waiting for my arena companion (himself a suburban Rangers fan), I made every effort to greet every red rocker in sight. This goodwill led to some mockery by Rangers fans, some of which clearly could not comprehend the genuine brother- and sisterhood that we have as citizens of Caps Nation. 'Tis a pity, that their game experience is so lacking.

Now while this multi-purpose arena has a palpable hockey history (Eddie Giacomin himself was in attendance and a nice tribute to him graced the jumbotron), I had forgotten the most annoying aspect of the experience of watching hockey at MSG: the open concourse. Ridiculous numbers of attendees (I won't call them fans) ambled by while the game progressed, mid-period, at a furious pace below. Cotton candy towers bobbed in front of my view. A two-on-one break was completely obscured by a soda vendor. And, oh yeah, when I think about hockey at the arena, I always crave a lemon ice. Shameful.

Several other attendees, in the lower bowl, rose and remained standing to carry on a conversation while the game proceeded. Apparently no true Ranger fan sits in a section lower than the 300 level, and the "I Am A Ranger" in-game promo revealed as much.

Last season I observed that Caps country was annexing some territory up here along the Northeast Corridor. That trend continued last night, as the arena on 34th Street was peppered (I couldn't resist) with Capitals faithful dressed in red. But I will say one thing about the Ranger fan at MSG: when things begin to turn well for the home team, the noise level organically rises to a level that instills a real fear that the floodgates will open at any moment. I could have perceived the Caps down several goals early, and Semyon Varlamov chased, solely by the force of will of the local supporters. Fortunately, it ended in dramatically different fashion, and the visitors went home happy.

How did the Ranger fan respond when I virtually lept into the air and shouted after Matt Bradley's roof job? With despondency, that's how. The men's room banter did elicit a pointed query: "Who the [Franceschetti] is Gordon?" To which I replied: "Is that a rhetorical question, or do you really want to know?" The intoxicated Ranger fan mind was incapable of fashioning an appropriate response.

During an intermission I shook hands with fellow Caps fans like a politician on the campaign trial, stopping to chat with one of them. My buddy asked if I knew the guy. In a way, yes. I knew all that I needed to know.

After the game, I hi-fived a handful of other Caps fans outside, including one fetching blonde not quite as hot as my wife. To which my buddy replied, jealous of the experience:

"If I was single, I'd be wearing a Caps jersey."

On my way home, waiting for the subway, I stood near a mother and young son, both festooned with Ranger blue. Mom asked her son: "Did you have a nice time?" The boy's response was inaudible, and I couldn't help noticing that he glanced upward at my red jersey with a certain wistfulness.

I remember the feeling, kid. Whether you're part of the red tide on 7th and F or invading the hockey infidels' cathedrals, it sure is fun these days to be a Caps fan.

Familiarity Breeds Good Defense

Stephen Pepper — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:40:24 -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.

Week to Week, The Caps Can Become a Greater Team

Stephen Pepper — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:24:03 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

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Caps Nation must be crestfallen. The official, and officially vague, news that Alex Ovechkin is week to week forces us all to contemplate life without Alex.

Well, one Alex that is. And that's hinting at one reason why, though the health and speedy recovery of the leader of the Washington Capitals is front of mind, this calamity presents an opportunity to be seized. A moment to galvanize the rest of the group in the room. Make no mistake, these are exciting times for the Caps. They will grant us far greater insight into whether or not this 2009-10 team is Stanley Cup-worthy than any individual honors can.

Had Mike Knuble's and Quintin Laing's heroic efforts in the third period (putting aside the former's minor infraction) on Sunday vs. Columbus resulted in victory, I would have deemed that win the most significant to date in this campaign, and perhaps it would remain amongst the most significant victories by season's end. We saw glimpses of comprehensive effort and desperate play. A new clarity of vision. There was no backstop in #8.

The Penguins, not so long ago, lost their leader in Sidney Crosby from, essentially, January 18, 2008 to March 27, 2008, a span of thirty-one games (he was, of course, in the lineup for three games between March 4th and March 9th, including the "Black and Gold" weekend that Caps fans will not soon forget). The Pens forged an impressive 16-8-4 record during that stretch of the season.

But what's most significant is that, before that high-ankle sprain forced Crosby out of the lineup, his team was a respectable 26-17-4 (earning an average of 1.19 standing points per game). From January 19, 2008 to the end of the 2007-08 season, the Pens went 21-10-4 (an average of 1.31 standing points per game), surging to a #2 seeding in the Eastern Conference.

Further to the point, look at how the Pens' "secondary" scorers' production improved in the absence of #87:

2007-08 Scoring Through January 18, 2008

Player	GP	G	A	PTS
Petr Sykora	55	13	13	26
Ryan Malone	51	10	8	18
Jordan Staal	56	5	4	9
Maxime Talbot	38	7	4	11

2007-08 Scoring After January 18, 2008*

Player	GP	G	A	PTS
Sykora	26	15	22	37
Malone	26	17	16	33
Staal	26	7	8	15
Talbot	25	5	10	15

* Regular season only.

So may this 2009-10 Caps supporting cast improve itself.

It's time for Alexander Semin to shoot first . . . and reclaim his own superstar status.

It's time for Tomas Fleischmann (perhaps on a top line?) to possibly crack the 20-goal per season pace, and beyond.

It's time for Chris Clark to find some semblance of an offensive game again, working consistently with more offensively-gifted linemates.

It's time for the coaching staff, and the members of the power play squads, to invent new strategies of extra-man attack.

It's time for the organization to again test it's heralded offensive depth, including those waiting in Chocolate Town for just this moment.

It's time for the defense, currently sitting at 21st in the league in GA/G, to get a little tighter, a little meaner, its passes crisper, its checking more, well, finished. Those top scoring lines won't as easily get that goal back. Ditto for Messrs. Theodore and Varlamov.

It's time for a sixty-minute effort, and not a "fifty-one minute" one.

In short, it's time to get one step closer.

Theodore Is the Main Squeeze, For Now

Stephen Pepper — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:39:37 -0000

via www.csnwashington.com (Jan. 6, 2009)

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"[I]n training camp I said it was the best I felt since the lockout. Sooner or later, people are going to realize I didn't say that just for fun." - José Théodore post-game last night.

Well it wasn't entirely clear who would be the #1 netminder for the Washington Capitals heading into the 2009-10 season. But at least for now, Théodore est #1 à nouveau!

Théodore is putting up the best GAA (2.47) and SV% (.922) numbers since 2003-04, when he won 33 games for Montréal. Those season-to-date numbers are seventh-best in the league in GAA, and third-best in SV%, for all goalies who have started at least seven games. He's carried the momentum of a sensational training camp into a strong early season performance, punctuated by a brilliant 41-save performance last night at le Centre Verizón. Unlike last autumn, where he didn't really establish himself until shutting out the Canadiens in late November. And, still, #60 won over 30 games in 2008-09.

Whither Semyon Varlamov this season? Thus far, he hasn't exactly looked like the world class 'tender that emerged to pull the Washington Capitals out of the depths of despair last April against the Rangers, and an iron curtain for at least the first three games of the second-round Penguins series. Even though he's earned a 4-0 record.

Besides already noting a propensity to allow goals in bunches, Varly seems to have added, to a troublesome glove hand that dogged him in the Pens series, a greater vulnerability five-hole. To roughly break it down (and to be clear, these are characterizations born from my own observations) -- of the fourteen goals that Varly has allowed this season, four have been to the stick side, four to the glove side (but only two of those were high: one tally by Nashville's Shea Weber and the other by Philadelphia's Mike Richards), and six through the five-hole (or approximately 40%).

But Varlamov's performance last spring was wondrously unexpected, and he's still a 21-year old work-in-progress. So adjustments and small steps backward for greater strides later is exactly what we all should expect at this point. New goaltending coach Arturs Irbe's work with young Varly may be akin to breaking a few eggs now for a delicious omelet by mid-season.

All of this is why the Caps still have a veteran "bridge" in Théodore under contract for this season to steady the ship when the young charge struggles. So everything seems to be going according to plan to date, with the team's goalie of the present and goalie of the future scenario. And should both of them falter, well, Braden Holtby, goalie of the more distant future, is garnering national recognition for his early season play in the Palmetto State, and Michal Neuvirth, who was the Calder Cup playoff MVP last spring, is also a phone call away, though still looking to regain his form.

But could Théodore be more than just a bridge this season? Could he remain this strong in April, May? June? How long can his current success last? He's 2-0-1 / 2.04 / .939 in his last four starts. But we've seen similar stretches of stellar backstopping in his post-lockout career, followed by a return to the average.

In December of 2006, JT allowed just 11 goals in 5 games, and followed that streak by registering a SV% over .900 in only one game out of the next ten contests, and with a SV% in the .700s in five of those games.
Théodore followed up a ten start / 2.18 / .919 January last season with an unremarkable ten start / 2.96 /.906 February. (Yet his record in each month was identical: 6-3-1.)
But his 2007-08 season (his previous contract year, mind you) saw a steady improvement and consistently strong play from January 30 to the end of the regular season, where he allowed three or more GA in consecutive games just once in 27 starts, and allowed two or fewer in 17 of those starts, during that stretch drive to the post-season for Colorado.

For all we know, we could see a complete reversal of fortunes for Théodore and Varlamov by March (or even by next month), with #40 on top and JT wearing the ball cap on the end of the bench. In any event, Coach Bruce Boudreau has the luxury of going with the hot hand. And "the lefty" sure is hot right now.

Recap: Caps 4, Flyers 2

Stephen Pepper — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:07:16 -0000

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

Imagine a team that combined the astounding offensive skill of the Washington Capitals with the unyielding drive to the net and relentless goal crease presence of the Philadelphia Flyers. Cup worthy, right? Fortunately, just one half of the formula was enough to prevail and, to bollix a phrase from baseball, good hitting beat good pitching tonight. Secondary scoring? Who needs it? I kid.

Ten more notes on the game:

A fresh sheet of ice set down following last Sunday's Washington International Horse Show made for quite a bouncy puck and some fanned shots. Both Alexander Semin and Shaone Morrisonn had glorious chances to put the Flyers behind very early tonight but, well, you know.
The reunited top line of 8-19-28 overwhelmed: thirteen shots; 9 points; 4 goals. The second line of Brooks Laich, Mike Knuble, and Brendan Morrison, however, were overwhelmed by Mike Richards' line. And all that hooking to boot.
José Théodore. Unconscious. The most saves in a game (41) for JT in three years. Left precious few rebounds. Too bad he got run most of the night, and battled constant traffic left largely unchecked. That cannot stand.
Twenty shots against in the third? At home? My goodness, way to reel 'er in boys.
For the Caps' part, they made it much easier for Ray Emery, gracing him with plenty of room to see the puck. Even Laich barely skirted the crease on the PP. Guess the team preferred to allow Emery every advantage before letting the Big Four humble him with lightning-fast releases and unstoppable shots.
Face-off wins for the Caps were back on track: David Steckel was 16 for 27; Morrison 8 for 14; Keith Aucoin 5 for 8. Of course there's Nick Backstrom trailing behind again, going 6 for 16, and losing a key 5-on-3 offensive zone draw that effectively killed 15 seconds of two man advantage time for DC.
We need more of Steckel crushing a puck carrier along the wall and Matt Bradley grabbing the loose puck to rip a quick shot from the face-off circle, as we saw in the second period. That line sizzled.
Shaone Morrisonn saved the game early in the third by blocking a cross-crease pass in front of Théodore, turned away from the pass.
Worst point of the game to allow Darroll Powe to charge unimpeded down the gut and draw a penalty shot. Fortunately, it was Darroll Powe taking the penalty shot.
Aucoin sure made the most of his 10:29 TOI, didn't he? And still he was on ice for two more minutes and two extra shifts than Captain Chris Clark.

One more point -- we've talked a lot today about team toughness and retaliation for attacks on our stellar corps of heroes. Well, there's, of course, a human price to be paid for such a punishing brand of play. Caps legendary alum Kevin "Killer" Kaminski was hosting the CSN chat in-game tonight, and someone asked the current Mississippi RiverKings head coach: "How is your health?" His response?

"My body HURTS 24/7, besides the two shoulder and lower back operations, and the 651 stitches, two plates and twelve screws holding the right side of face together... my health couldnt be better... but it was all worth it to play for the Caps... a dream come true."

Perspective.

Capitals Ten Game Review

Stephen Pepper — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:09:27 -0000

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Suddenly, Caps brothers and sisters, roughly one-eighth of the regular season is in the electronic books. October is almost through. (And I hope all of you attending the October 30th home game vs. the N.Y. Islanders have already carefully planned your Halloween get-ups.)

As we noted this morning in the Clips, Peerless looks at the forwards and the defensemen and goaltenders after ten games. Here we provide a overall team-oriented assessment. Ten games is an arbitrary milestone, but a lengthy enough period of competitive play to observe trends. So what do we find? Some developments positive and refreshing, and some in territory that seems all too familiar.

Here's ten for ten:

Scoring: anybody but Ovechkin? Early on, it was virtually all Alex Ovechkin and the top line of Nick Backstrom and Alexander Semin. But then there was the game in Atlanta last Thursday. And that Matt Bradley character broke out too, on a 25-goal season pace!

Kidding aside, fifteen of the Caps' 36 goals scored on the season have found the net from the stick of a "secondary" scorer. (In my view, secondary means not the Big Four or Mike Knuble.) And one of those Big Four, Mike Green, broke out offensively in a huge way on Saturday night, leaving the Islanders broadcast team awe-struck, giving effusive praise for Greenie's "Paul Coffey-like" rush to win the game in OT. He's closing in on a point-a-game pace.

What Mo can we ask of Brendan? Brendan Morrison has been a wonderful surprise so far this campaign, a near-perfect solution to the void at second-line center following the departure of Sergei Fedorov.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT	TOI/G
Brendan Morrison	10	3	5	8	5	4	1	0	1	0	11	27.3	16:08

For now, his scoring pace is exceeding even my optimistic prediction of 20/30/50 for this season. He's healthy, and excited to play with a dynamic offensive squad again. When I chatted with B-Mo at the conclusion of training camp about comparing this Caps team to the earlier days of his career in Vancouver, on a line with Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi, he said, "It's been a long time since I've played with guys with this much skill." He's proving quite capable of not only keeping up, but keeping the offensive engine running.

Give me a sweater, Coach. We knew it was going to be difficult to rotate eight healthy NHL defensemen through the line up over the course of a season. But not all of them are going to stay healthy. John Erskine has already missed four games due to injury. Shaone Morrisonn has also been ailing a bit thus far this season.

Here's how often each of the eight has played this season:

	GP	ES TOI	ES TOI/G	SH TOI	SH TOI/G	PP TOI	PP TOI/G	TOI	TOI/G	SHIFTS	Sft/G
Mike Green	10	182:06	18:12	23:56	2:23	63:47	6:22	269:49	26:58	280	28
Tom Poti	10	162:17	16:13	48:15	4:49	11:57	1:11	222:29	22:14	285	28.5
Shaone Morrisonn	9	136:27	15:09	19:46	2:11	:16	:01	156:29	17:23	227	25.2
Milan Jurcina	9	127:10	14:07	27:33	3:03	:00	:00	154:43	17:11	212	23.6
Brian Pothier	9	130:24	14:29	1:51	:12	8:56	:59	141:11	15:41	180	20
Jeff Schultz	6	85:21	14:13	17:34	2:55	:40	:06	103:35	17:15	138	23
John Erskine	5	63:54	12:46	10:34	2:06	1:09	:13	73:47	15:07	95	19
Tyler Sloan	3	40:18	13:26	2:27	:49	:00	:00	42:45	14:15	55	18.3

How do these numbers compare to last season? Green's getting about a minute and a half more ice per game; Schultz, about a minute and a half less (in the latter case, a reduction in ES ice only). Finally, Tyler Sloan is too seldom utilized, but too valuable to be exposed to waivers. Tough spot for the guy, but he's no doubt thrilled to be in the show for this long. Assistant Coach Bob Woods is deploying his troops, at least in terms of ice time, similar to how Jay Leach had last season.

Having eight defenseman on the active roster presents a considerable player management problem, but it also allows the coaching staff to play the healthiest six blueliners on a given night, or strategically select the three pairs on the basis of a particular opponent's strengths and weaknesses. When one or more of the eight is banged up, the decision to carry 8 D looks wise and prescient. But when (and if) all eight are healthy, it's a situation fraught with second-guessing and unhappy healthy scratches.

Net presence. These eyes have observed a modest improvement in creating traffic in front of the crease and scoring those "junk" goals from in tight, with or without the power play. We've seen half a dozen such goals in ten games from Chris Clark, Bradley, Knuble, and Brooks Laich.

Special teams. The power play has only converted 10 of 48 opportunities (16.7%) and, in that regard, is dearly missing Semin to create some space for others on the first unit. Otherwise, it's not entirely clear what is the trouble with the man-advantage. The team is averaging 63.9 S/G per 60 min of PP time this season, compared with 60.2 S/G per 60 last season.

As for the penalty kill, the Caps are 9th in the league, killing 39 of 49 penalties (83.7). So, adding the percentages together, the Caps are just over that magical 100.00 mark.

Stopping and starting, again. The Caps had, after grabbing a lead, allowed their opponents to tie the score in seven straight contests prior to Saturday's game on Long Island. There's been a bit of a tendency, continuing from last season, to let up off of the gas pedal in the third period. But on the flip side, they've come back five times from deficits this young season to tie the score (twice in the 10/6 game vs. the Flyers). Including Saturday's dramatic comeback, when it seemed that the Caps where in a collective fog befitting the humidity in Nassau Veterans Coliseum.

Discipline. It was a problem last season, and the drama continues (in fact, just search the Rink for "discipline" and you'll find quite a consistent pattern). The team finished tied for the sixth-most minor penalties last season, and is already tied for ninth-most this season, committing an average of 3.4 restraining fouls per game. ~~That said, the team hasn't allowed a 5-on-3 opportunity yet.~~ [ed.: The team was at a 5-on-3 disadvantage once this season, during the final minute of play at Altanta last Thursday, while it clung to a two, and then a one, goal lead.]

Though it may seem that the team has committed a disproportionate number of minor fouls in the later stages of matches, in fact just under one-third of the Caps' minor penalties to date (15 of 48) have occurred in the third frame. (And four of those by players not currently active: one by Boyd Kane and three by Boyd Gordon.)

Steady as she goes in getting it on net. Last season, the team averaged 33.5 S/G and allowed 29.5 SA/G. This season, they've averaged 30.5 S/G and allowed 29.5 SA/G this season. Also last season, the Caps averaged 11.2 blocked shots, and 8.3 missed shots, per game. This season, those figures are 11.0 and 5.8, respectively. Predictable from a team that is largely intact from 2008-09.

Face-offs. Team wide, Les Capitals are seventh in the league at 51.3% (dropping three spots, incidentally, just on account of Saturday's woeful performance at the circles). David Steckel is sixth in the league in FOW at 60.6% (67.1% at home) and Morrison, Laich, and Gordon are also all over 50% in FOW.

Backstrom, however, is still struggling, below even his sub-50% mark from last season, and continues to get tossed from the dot far too often.

Saturday night's Islanders game, hopefully, was an aberration, as the team was collectively schooled 7 out of 10 times on average, and won just one of sixteen faceoffs in the defensive zone. The faceoff leader for the Caps on Saturday, Morrison, only won 40% of his draws taken.

The new enforcement regime. Before the season, we asked whether the Caps needed a designated enforcer, following the departure of the imposing presence of Donald Brashear. The general consensus, of management and players (as well as Rink readers), was an emphatic "No." For what it's worth, it seemed to us that, at the Capitals Convention, the team was marketing Erskine as the replacement for Brashear, at least when necessary. But even he has been out of the lineup for half of the team's contests.

Prior to Saturday night's tilt, it seemed that the team was getting along OK without a singular presence on the bench to dispatch. Even in Philadelphia's home opener, where Bradley dropped 'em with Ian Laperriere early in the match, and that was about it for the rough stuff. However, Nate Thompson's knee-on-knee collision with Mike Green on Long Island had Caps Nation greatly concerned. Though Green said post-game, "I'm sure [Thompson] wasn't trying to hurt me," the Caps had no pointed rebuttal to Thompson's hit, other than an immediate scrum and some coarse language to poison Thompson's ear. DMG floated the possibility of a rental pugilist at some point in the near future. Brandon Sugden, anyone?

So, while there's some room for improvement (isn't there always?) the Capitals are on a 115-point pace and, still, Brooksy says "we'll be better." And goaltending has been of nightly interest (if not concern), and we'll look to address that separately in a future post.

Back to it tomorrow and chance to even the score against the Flyers.

Bringing Caps Nation Together, One Blog Post At A Time

Stephen Pepper — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:45:59 -0000

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You go to the games, or watch at a bar or viewing party, and you high-five your neighbor after a Capitals goal scored. During the playoffs, you might have even embraced the fan standing next to you with a bear hug, or used the occasion as an excuse to get your arm around that comely lass beside you. The community of Capitals fans is bigger and stronger than ever. We've a whole bunch of potential new friends, many of us strangers to each other, but united in a common passion.

But what about outside the rink, or after the post-game revelry? Have you been so moved by the goodwill generated by this Caps team lately that you've expressed a gesture of friendship or offered assistance to someone you've never met, simply because they also rock the red? Perhaps you've stopped on the side of the road to lend a hand to a motorist changing a tire, or needing a lift to the gas station, because the license plate shows allegiance to Les Capitals. Or fed an expired parking meter in front of a car with a Caps bumper sticker. Maybe you've lent a Metro card to a fellow Caps fan in need, just because. Or simply exchanged pleasantries, a warm smile, otherwise expressed all too infrequently, with someone on the street, just because she wore something bearing our team's wordmark. It makes my day to find a like-minded soul every so often up here in Gotham. And let me tell you -- it's happening more often with every passing month.

How about the flip side? Does your devilish nature reveal itself when encountering a fellow citizen wearing a rival team's gear? Might you have once, say, leapt in front of a Penguins fan on the left, walking lane of a packed Metro escalator, stopping to stand all the way up, feigning nonchalance? Maybe you've started up a leisurely conversation with the bartender on the Verizon Center concourse, knowing a thirsty cabal of Flyers fans are growing impatient in line behind you. Or perhaps you've once mischeviously removed an item from the grocery cart of a professed Rangers fan when he was looking elsewhere, surreptitiously hiding it back on the store shelves. Ah, endless possibilities.

Tell us your favorite story of random kindness shown to your fellow Caps fan, or roguish act done against rival supporters. Maybe you'll inspire us all, on both fronts!