Capitals Power Ranking Roundup: Week 3

by EmilyB on Oct 27, 2010 2:00 PM EDT in Power Ranking Roundups

Our weekly temperature-taking of the mainstream media's opinions on the Washington Capitals:

Outlet	This Week	Last Week	What They're Saying
	NR	NR	CBC ranks only the League's top six, bottom six and the Canadian teams. Seriously. (10/25)
	5	1	Trying to keep things together along the blue line with Mike Green and Tom Poti nursing injuries. (10/25)
	9	1	One of the eternal mysteries of the Capitals: Why can't Alexander Semin play every night like he did while scoring a hat trick in a 4-3 overtime win over the Thrashers? (10/26)
	6	2	The Capitals will keep beating up on their divisional opponents, but early on this club looks less dominant than it was a year ago. Injuries to key defensemen like Mike Green and Tom Poti have thrown their youngsters into the fire. (10/26)
	6	1	Rookie defenseman John Carlson is playing nearly 22 minutes a night and putting up good numbers: 1-5-6, plus-3. (10/25)
	9	1	The 5-3-0 Caps bounced back from twin beatings against Boston in the middle of the week to beat Atlanta in overtime, but they're not quite in a groove offensively. The power play is ranked 19th overall, which is very un-Washington-like. (10/25)
	12	4	(.625) By losing two of three last week, the Caps fell out of the top 10 in the rankings. In Washington's two losses, the club gave up three power-play goals to the opposition on eight chances, while failing to convert any of its eight man-up opportunities. (10/26)
	10	6	Three-games-in-four-nights road trip starts Wednesday in Carolina
	9	3	Goalie Semyon Varlamov is day to day because of an undisclosed injury. He just returned after missing three weeks because of a groin problem. (10/26)
	4E	1E	The Caps are having trouble scoring. Yeah, we'll bet that won't last. (10/26)
	9	4	Michal Neuvirth is responding well to a heavy workload.
	9	1	Does a little bit of Alex Ovechkin go a long way? Going by some nifty research done by the Washington Post, that seems to be the case. Ovechkin's shifts have stretched far too long lately and the Caps have suffered for it. Case in point: three shifts over 1:50 -- two of which ended with penalties to Washington -- in Thursday's loss to the Bruins. The Post also noted that as Ovechkin's TOI rises, Washington's winning percentage drops. Might be a good idea to shorten his leash, eh? (10/26)
	11	1	While Alex Ovechkin (no points in three games) continues to spin his wheels, Alexander Semin pops three against Atlanta. (10/25)
	16	5	Not cause for alarm bells or anything (or is it?) but LW Alexander Ovechkin has no points and is minus-3 in the last three games. Key Injuries: G Semyon Varlamov (groin). (10/25)
	5	3	Ovechkin pointless in three straight. (10/25)
	-	1	Pending

Click on logos for links to full power rankings.

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We’ll be 27th in THN.

You had me at no problem.

by Ninjak on Oct 27, 2010 2:29 PM EDT reply actions

I thought TSN was a bit low for a team that is indeed 5-3 and as everyone says “isn’t firing on all cylinders yet” which isn’t really an excuse for a higher ranking either.

Bruce Boudreau when asked about Brooks Laich's return to the lineup, he said: "He just adds another dimension to our team. If it was puzzle, he just fits that thing. He completes us."

Brooks Laich completing everything from teams to tires and everything in between.

by breaklance on Oct 27, 2010 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Right, but again, these are less about overall record, and more about how a team is performing right now. A bit low? Perhaps. Unfair? I don’t think so.

"I am ready for his provocations"
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by PaintDrinkingPete on Oct 27, 2010 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions

A eleven spot drop seems to be the biggest fall on any of the charts, with TSN dropping the Caps from #5 to #16.

Unfortunately, most of these are all fair — to lose both ends of a home-and-home, and then allow a division rival to steal a point, all while still continuing to struggle to score this early in the season, doesn’t make a team look too “powerful”.

Luckily, it is still early, there’s plenty of time to get on the right track, and these polls are completely subjective and meaningless.

"I am ready for his provocations"
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by PaintDrinkingPete on Oct 27, 2010 2:57 PM EDT reply actions

I think it also depends on each ranking to determine if it is “the best team over the last week” or “the best team over the season to date”. The Caps had a bad week. Are there 15 teams with a better week? Likely. Are there 15 teams who are better than them in the standings, playing better overall, etc.? Doubtful. Will the Caps be the 8th seed/not make the playoffs? Let’s not schedule vacation for April just yet.

"Inglewood Jack! Inglewood Jack!" - Coach Jules

by Alz Well That Ends Well on Oct 27, 2010 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Right now, the Caps look and are playing like a middle-of-the-pack team, and 16 is squarely middle-of-the-pack, so I don’t think it’s too unfair (though perhaps a touch low).

Eat, drink, and be merry! And then drink some more.

by SmallZ827 on Oct 27, 2010 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree. So to say “extrapolate the last 3 games out to 82”, then 16 is a perfectly fair (potentially generous) assessment. But for me, the downside of these rankings is that they are by definition a snapshot, and can’t be extrapolated that much. The Panthers go 3-0 and the Hawks 0-3, but no one is going to say the cats are the new team to beat in the NHL. No one suddenly changes their Cup predictions. I treat this as a barometer. At best it will tell you which way the wind is blowing for a team over a week. String a few weeks together, and yeah, that might mean something.

"Inglewood Jack! Inglewood Jack!" - Coach Jules

by Alz Well That Ends Well on Oct 27, 2010 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions

And yes, I understand barometers don’t actually indicate wind direction.

"Inglewood Jack! Inglewood Jack!" - Coach Jules

by Alz Well That Ends Well on Oct 27, 2010 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions

I always read these with the interpretation of “these are rankings for RIGHT NOW”, so basically, in your example, I’d say the former: “the best team over the last week”.

"I am ready for his provocations"
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by PaintDrinkingPete on Oct 27, 2010 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Quite the tumbles

"This guy is an android. He's not human....Oh my goodness."

by Sam DC on Oct 27, 2010 3:05 PM EDT reply actions

The reason behind CBC's piss-poor power rankings

The above is a pie chart allocating CBC’s $133,000 Hockey Budget given annually by the Canadian government. As you will see, CBC outsources a lot of their Hockey Budget. The money allocated is as follows:

$30,000 – Hiring the ghost of Porter Wagoner to serve as Don Cherry’s wardrobe consultant.

$30,000 – Hiring Jeremy Roenick to do his Simon Cowell impression on Battle of the Blades

$23,000 – Hiring Bruce Vilanch to write HNIC host Ron MacLean’s godawful puns.

$21,000 – Royalties paid to Swiss Chalet or KFC restaurants everytime P.J. Stock says “Winnah Winnah Chicken Dinnah!!!” while showing between period hockey highlights on HNIC.

$17,000 – Mike Milbury douche fee.

$13,000 – Getting the latest celebrity gracing the cover of People magazine to write the weekly NHL Power Rankings. Many times, counting to 18 for them is a chore (see Paris Hilton, Ashton Kutcher, any Kardashian)

I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.

by Rather Bengt on Oct 27, 2010 3:17 PM EDT reply actions 6 recs

Where’s the part about keeping Peter Puck fixed up with hookers and blow?

You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!

by EmilyB on Oct 27, 2010 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions

That’s in the Canadian Culture Enhancement Budget next to the item “Softcore porn featuring Bonhomme”

I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.

by Rather Bengt on Oct 27, 2010 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Part of the reason that softcore porn is so expensive is that it’s soundtracked by Broken Social Scene.

I don’t worry too much. The Caps were down around 16 in ESPN’s power rankings last year after going 4-2-2 in their first 8 games.

by Wheeler on Oct 27, 2010 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions

That is fairly amusing, however, I must begrudgingly dispute that last point, mainly Ashton Kutcher. He went to University of Iowa to study Biochemical Engineering. I bet he can count to AT LEAST 28 or 29.

I need 100% of you guys to give 110% 100% of the time.

by capsfan4life on Oct 28, 2010 7:27 AM EDT up reply actions

I think the rankings are fair. I also think that no one should or will care, except Leonsis, who seems to take pride in owning the “#1 team in hockey,” regardless of the time of year.

by Karl W on Oct 27, 2010 3:34 PM EDT reply actions