Capital Ups and Downs: Week 13
by J.P. on Dec 28, 2009 11:00 AM EST
in Capitals Ups and Downs
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PrintOur weekly look at individual Washington Capitals' ups and downs:
| Goalies | Trend | Notes |
| Michal Neuvirth |  |
A 2-0-0/1.50/.953 week in which he beat the Vezina front-runner and the League leader in wins ain't too shabby. Also not too shabby? Throw out his stinker in Toronto and Neuvirth's NHL numbers are 3-1-0/2.02/.930. |
| Jose Theodore |  |
Do you really "just work here" if you don't, y'know, get any work? |
| Semyon Varlamov |  |
There's no reason whatsoever to rush Varly back right now, so he'll continue to work his way back to 100% in practice. |
| Defensemen | ||
| Karl Alzner | |
Solid and getting better. |
| John Erskine | |
Seven hits (all in the Buffalo game), seven blocked shots and no penalties on the week are good numbers for a guy who wants to keep playing. |
| Mike Green | |
A goal and a plus-two rating in each game (and an assist against the Devils) aren't surprising lines for the Norris finalist, but leading the team in shorthanded ice time (an unblemished 4:33) against Jersey is certainly noteworthy. |
| Milan Jurcina |  |
Scratched against the Sabres and the lowest ice time of any blueliner on Saturday night (enough time to commit a penalty, though) aren't good signs for Juice. |
| Shaone Morrisonn | |
Plus-three for the week, but down to sixth among the team's rearguards in shorthanded ice time, Mo's value is dwindling. |
| Brian Pothier | |
Still on the shelf, and may have his work cut out for him in terms of getting back in the lineup upon his return. |
| Tom Poti | |
Missed Saturday night's game with an undisclosed injury and doesn't look likely to play tonight. |
| Jeff Schultz | |
"Only" plus-one for the week, Schultz and Green are tied for second in the League in defenseman plus-minus. |
| Swingman | ||
| Tyler Sloan | |
Scratched twice this week (and for six of the Caps' last seven games), Sloan is circling the NHL drain at present. |
| Forwards | ||
| Nicklas Backstrom | |
Three goals, two assists and a plus-four rating are all impressive, but his eight shots on goal in the two games are perhaps even more encouraging. |
| Matt Bradley | |
The Caps are now 6-1-0 when Brads lights the lamp (after an 0-1-0) start, and his three game-winning goals is as many as Backstrom, Semin, Laich and Fehr combined. |
| Chris Clark | |
An assist against Buffalo pushed Clark's point total to 15 - as many as he had in the previous two seasons combined. |
| Eric Fehr | |
Since scoring five goals in six games, Fehr has gone eight games without a goal, and his ice time is reflecting it. |
| Tomas Fleischmann | |
Drew two big third period penalties against the Sabres, but still needs to shoot more - he only attempted one shot against the Devils. |
| Boyd Gordon | |
Played in Hershey on Saturday night, so Washington can't be too far behind. |
| Mike Knuble | |
Knuble has just one goal since November 7 (a span of nine games played), but they'll come... right? |
| Brooks Laich | |
December can't end soon enough for Laich, who has been "playing like [crap]," to the tune of one goal, four assists and a minus-3 rating in 11 games. Then again, he didn't have a goal in the last half-dozen games of November, either. |
| Quintin Laing | |
Laing was eighth among forwards in shorthanded ice time in each of the week's two games. As soon as Gordo's a go, Q's gotta be a goner. |
| Brendan Morrison | |
Score a goal like this (a game-winner, no less), get a green arrow. |
| Alex Ovechkin | |
Ho-hum. A couple of three-point games this week (and three in a row overall for the second time this season), Ovechkin is scoring goals and points at the highest rates of his career. He's pretty good. |
| Alexander Semin | |
Three assists, a plus-four rating and a new deal are all nice, but he has just one goal in his last six games. Hopefully with the contract situation behind him (for now), he can focus on being the truly dominant player we all know he can be. |
| David Steckel | |
Won 67.6% of his face offs this week and led a penalty kill that went a perfect 7-for-7. |
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Comments
Alzner’s solid, getting better and (for whatever reason) sitting upstairs tonight.
"I may hug people too hard and get lost at malls, but I'm not an idiot."
Bruce is obviously trying to screw Theo. Listen all y’all it’s Gabotage!
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Dec 28, 2009 11:06 AM EST up reply actions 10 recs
I can’t stand it, I know you planned it
But I’ma set it straight, this Theo hate
I can’t be shot blocking when I’m in here
‘Cause your roster calls ain’t so crystal clear
So while you sit back and wonder why
I’ve got this goalie stick at my side
Oh my, it’s a mirage
I’m tellin’ y’all it’s a Gabotage!
"Oh, the usual. I bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Dec 28, 2009 12:38 PM EST up reply actions 11 recs
It’s my fault .. I was talking to a fellow Caps fan last night and mentioned how glad I was to have Alzner up on a seemingly permanent basis now with Nylander out of the way, and I mentioned “He’s never scratched, so you know where they rank him within the D-corps internally, but watch tomorrow, they’ll scratch him.”
Sigh.
Well if you want to start overly fretting, from Aaron Portzline:
Hearing lots of talk about a possible Blue Jackets — Capitals trade. No specifics yet known.
Capitals expected to make D Karl Alzner a healthy scratch tonight. Hmmm.
"I may hug people too hard and get lost at malls, but I'm not an idiot."
by Bald Pollack on Dec 28, 2009 11:23 AM EST up reply actions
There’s only one player in the CBJ system I’d accept coming back for Alzner, and that ain’t happening, so we can chalk up the Alzner scratch to legitimacy.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Dec 28, 2009 11:27 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Exactly my thoughts.
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Dec 28, 2009 11:28 AM EST up reply actions
Alzner, Semin, Neuvirth, and Schultz (screw him) for Nash! Go Flyers!
by sixsevenfiftysix on Dec 28, 2009 11:32 AM EST up reply actions
Are you snarking? Because I certainly am.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Dec 28, 2009 3:48 PM EST up reply actions
capsfan75, there are two separate insider jokes going on here that you’re not picking up on.
by Natty Bumppo on Dec 28, 2009 6:44 PM EST up reply actions
lets keep the fantasy rumor mill going… the blue jackets do have 3 darn good d and could use a little scoring to keep this playoff push going….
For both our sakes, I sure hope that scoring is in the form of 14 or 16 and not 27.
Support your local bakery!
by bigonetimer on Dec 28, 2009 11:38 AM EST up reply actions
Which of the CLB defensemen do you like? Tyutin may fit like a glove.
Support your local bakery!
by bigonetimer on Dec 28, 2009 12:41 PM EST up reply actions
Plus, it would lead to a season’s worth of Locker doing “Rootin’ Tyutin” jokes.
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Dec 28, 2009 1:22 PM EST up reply actions
They need to make the Ruutuu Cheechoo Tootoo thing happen. Similarly, Miro Satan has to go to the Devils, if only for one game.
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Dec 28, 2009 1:40 PM EST up reply actions
Should we move this chatter to today’s Clips post, make a new post about it (since there’s been no denial from either party (and most importantly, no mention from Eklund), or just leave it here?
It’s being bandied about in Clips.
"I may hug people too hard and get lost at malls, but I'm not an idiot."
by Bald Pollack on Dec 28, 2009 12:36 PM EST up reply actions
Uh… what do you mean? (Thx, btw)
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Come down from the ledge, Sloan would have to be the first to get reassigned.
"I may hug people too hard and get lost at malls, but I'm not an idiot."
by Bald Pollack on Dec 28, 2009 11:37 AM EST up reply actions
Still struggling a bit with the and icons, trying to tell myself they’re not pluses and minuses, not that this hasn’t been mentioned before.
Good summary as per usual.
Neutral should just be like a grey or yellow circle.
With most men, unbelief in one thing springs from blind belief in another.
Where was the new icons discussed? I must have missed it, and am getting thoroughly confused.
by SeattleCapsFan on Dec 28, 2009 3:02 PM EST up reply actions
It seems that my avatar upgrade conincided with Laich’s sucking ass.
by mechanicsville on Dec 28, 2009 11:54 AM EST reply actions
Yeah, it’s a good one. Bubbles’ll come back around one of these days.
by mechanicsville on Dec 28, 2009 2:44 PM EST up reply actions
The Caps as a whole:
Really a great week.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Dec 28, 2009 12:09 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
I’m all for that. However, I think Brooks and Knuble are much more valuable guys come the postseason. As long as they get heated up come late Spring I’m happy. Everyone else can pull their weight until they return the favor come playoff time.
Also, Brooks moving back to center and hopping lines probably isn’t helping him any.
A man gotta have a code
by Carl Putnam on Dec 28, 2009 12:19 PM EST up reply actions
yeah but that first game paired with Flash and Fehr as wingers seemed very impressive. … too bad BB doesnt keep lines together to long.
I should clarify. I don’t think playing center itself is an issue. Brooks knows the position. I’m just saying its one more thing for him to think about when he’s clearly spending too much time in his head already. Like I said I’m not really concerned. He’s just going through a rough patch. Rather it be now.
A man gotta have a code
by Carl Putnam on Dec 28, 2009 12:24 PM EST up reply actions
A tasty explosion of Rink content to start the week off right. Kudos to JP and company.
"Oh, the usual. I bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Dec 28, 2009 12:27 PM EST reply actions
Also, I just realized that “Tasty Explosion” would make a good band name.
"Oh, the usual. I bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Dec 28, 2009 12:28 PM EST up reply actions
Almost 70% in the face-off dot and being the #1 PK forward for a team that killed 100% for the week doesn’t get Stecks an up arrow?
I could buy an up arrow for him, but it’s really little more than we expect from him (and, despite my note, he only gets so much credit for the PKing). To exceed expectations he needs to put up some points.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
This, particularly if he gets moved to 3C when Gordon is activated.
"I may hug people too hard and get lost at malls, but I'm not an idiot."
by Bald Pollack on Dec 28, 2009 1:18 PM EST up reply actions
From the 4th line, with those line-mates, I would almost argue that expectations may be too high. Same could be said for Brooksie (and Fehr). So long as 16/21/17 is together as a 3rd line, nobody’s going to be putting many pucks in the net.
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