Capital Ups and Downs: Week 12

by J.P. on Dec 27, 2010 11:00 AM EST in Capitals Ups and Downs

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

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Michal Neuvirth		Stifled the lowly Devils and was strong against the Pens (in his fourth-straight start before sitting out Carolina) en route to a 1-0-1/1.44/.952 week.
Semyon Varlamov		Stopped 33 of the 35 shots he faced in Sunday night's win, looking both calm and sharp the entire way. Perhaps keeping his minutes down will be good for everyone involved.

Defensemen
Karl Alzner		On the ice for five Caps' goals and one opposition tally (the Chris Kunitz goal on Thursday night) for a three-game, plus-four week that featured 6:31 of scoreless penalty-killing. Actually, that's not exactly accurate - the Caps scored a shorty with King Karl on the ice against the Pens.
John Carlson		The Caps scored 10 goals this week and Carlson was on the ice for six of them, and was only out for two goals by the bad guys (though neither came during his 8:16 of shorthanded time).
John Erskine		Another big penalty-kill performer, with 5:44 of gettin' the job done in an otherwise nondescript three-game stretch.
Mike Green		Broke a 14-game goal-less drought against the Pens, but gets the up arrow for his superb defensive play over the 89:31 of ice time he had in the three games, which included five blocked shots and eight hits against Pittsburgh, and another four blocks against the 'Canes.
Scott Hannan		Seems to have turned the corner a bit at even-strength, and killed 9:08 of shorthanded time over the past two games. That's why he was brought to D.C.
Tom Poti		Hurt. Again. But at least it's not his man-area, right?
Jeff Schultz		Could Sarge be a go for the Winter Classic?
Tyler Sloan		Played his first game in more than three weeks on Sunday and... well, let's chalk it up to rust.

Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom		Had a helper against the Pens, but was also on the ice for three of the five goals the Caps allowed, and hasn't scored a goal in his last dozen games (registering just five assists along the way).
Jay Beagle		Scored his first goal of the season against the Devils, which makes sense, as that must have felt like just another AHL game for Beags.
Matt Bradley		Broke a finger against Jersey, had surgery, and is out 2-4 weeks. Shame he'll miss the Classic.
Jason Chimera		Ended a 14-game goal-less spell on Tuesday night. Next up? Maybe that 17-game assist-less streak. Or doing something about his minus-9 December.
Eric Fehr		Played only the Pittsburgh game this week, and will need to get more consistent action if he's going to turn around his disappointing-to-date season.
Andrew Gordon		The Andrew Gordon Hat Trick? Goal, assist, kiss-a-teammate. Just 11:27 of total ice time in the week's last two games give a pretty strong indication of how long he's likely to be in Washington. But he'll be back.
Boyd Gordon		Should be close to returning to the lineup.
Matt Hendricks		Only played against the 'Canes, but had two highlights for the week: challenging Tim Gleason after the latter's hit on Mathieu Perreault and frightening HBO viewers.
Marcus Johansson		Had more assists this week (one) than shots on goal (zero), and won just 37.5% of his faceoffs... which actually raised his win percentage for the season. We need more, MoJo.
D.J. King		If forced to choose whom I'd like to see get played more by the Caps between D.J. King and DJ Pauly D, I'm choosing the latter every time.
Mike Knuble		With goals in each of the week's first two games, including the enormous shorthanded marker against the Pens, Knuble has five goals in his last dozen games. He's certainly doing his part.
Brooks Laich		No one's going to confuse Laich with Nick Backstrom, but 21 is riding a four-game assist streak, the most impressive of which came on the Knuble shorty.
Alex Ovechkin		When the puck dropped against the Pens, it seemed to snap Ovechkin out of his season-long slumber. He fired eight shots on goal in that one, landed five hits (including a monster on Evgeni Malkin early) and added a shootout score before moving on to Carolina and notching the game-winning goal and an assist. It's too early to say "he's back," but, well, he sorta is.
Mathieu Perreault		Didn't do much in the romp over the Devils and was pretty awful against Pittsburgh, but then scored against the 'Canes before getting his face blown up. Hopefully the "getting his face blown up" stuff remains the most inconsistent part of his game.
Alexander Semin		Made one of the prettier passes we've seen in a while on that Perreault goal, but would you believe that he hasn't scored a goal yet in December? That's ten games without one after a November with a dozen lamps lit. Such is life with Sasha.
David Steckel		Steckel scored and added an assist in the same week. That's something. So was 7:39 of perfect penalty-killing and 73.8% in the dot.

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Comments

Disagree on Ovechkin. I thought his last three games were among the best I’ve seen from him in over a month. He was a physical force against Pittsburgh, the quality of his shots was much higher than in previous games and the SO move against Fleury was vintage Ovehckin. Then the game winner last night and the assist on the Steckel goal. If the luck starts to return, the shots that are hitting the posts or just going wide will be finding the back of the net.

by b.orr4 on Dec 27, 2010 11:08 AM EST reply actions

Doesn’t sound like you disagree much – I stopped just short of saying the last two games were some vintage Ovi.

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by J.P. on Dec 27, 2010 11:10 AM EST up reply actions

Heh, probably right. Just disagree on the lack of a green arrow.

by b.orr4 on Dec 27, 2010 11:11 AM EST up reply actions

High standards.

I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck

by twistedlogic on Dec 27, 2010 11:24 AM EST up reply actions

Yea, he’s been playing like “vintage Ovi”, which is exactly what we expect. Remember that the arrows are all about expectations.

Less drama, more hockey

by SeattleCapsFan on Dec 27, 2010 1:09 PM EST up reply actions

I haven’t watched the Pens game but CAR wasn’t vintage Ovi. We haven’t seen it all year. Giving him credit for “vintage Ovi” is more of a sign of how far our expectations have dropped, IMO.

Drunk Guy: "Alex Ovechkin is playing more like Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan this year."
Laichitor: "He has AIDS?"

by Rob Parker on Dec 27, 2010 4:05 PM EST up reply actions

Didn’t realize it until just now, but I guess it wasn’t a good week to be a Swedish center for the Caps (kisses notwithstanding).

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by J.P. on Dec 27, 2010 11:17 AM EST reply actions

Johansson not on the ice for practice this morning. Hmmm.

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by EmilyB on Dec 27, 2010 11:26 AM EST up reply actions

Maintenance day for a nagging injury, they say.

Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.

by CapsFan75 on Dec 27, 2010 3:17 PM EST up reply actions

I felt like MJ90 could have gotten an even for the week. He was stellar against the Devils, and while didn’t show up too much offensively his defensive play and PKing have been major bright spots, and haven’t really gone away for awhile now even when he isn’t producing offensively. I’d like to see him get some consistent linemates though.

Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.

by Davethecapsfan on Dec 27, 2010 2:33 PM EST up reply actions

I, probably like everyone else, have been furstrated in seeing Ovie trying to go THROUGH defenders this season and lose the puck.

I noticed this past week that twice, when someone was following behind him during his attempts, the stick-checked puck has ended up on the stick of Ovie’s flank resulting in a goal.

New strategy maybe?

(swirly dream-sequence shift to the locker room)

BRUCE “I’m tired of this shit! Every time Ovie charges in and loses the puck I better see someone’s head so far up his ass that you pop out of his mouth!”

by Brainumbc on Dec 27, 2010 11:22 AM EST reply actions

If people are going to cheat defensively on Ovechkin, the onus is not only on Ovechkin to change things up but also the guys around him. Backstrom/Semin need to go play below the dot and on the rush people need to be ready to pick up the puck like Stecks and Carlson did

My death was arranged by special plans in Heaven and only occasioned comment by ten persons in Adams, Massachusetts. The best thing ever said about me was that I was deft at specifying trump.

by sydtron on Dec 27, 2010 11:27 AM EST up reply actions

“Cheat defensively”?

The only problem with having someone flank Ovie is that he barrels in so fast that by the someone realizes where’s he’s going, he’s already whizzed past you.

That’s an excuse for the opposing D, I suppose, but everyone else should probably be used to it by now.

by Brainumbc on Dec 27, 2010 11:29 AM EST up reply actions

Cheat as in cheat over to him or cheat up on him in their positioning/play. They’re doubling Ovechkin or playing him tight enough that the defender is woefully out of position.

My death was arranged by special plans in Heaven and only occasioned comment by ten persons in Adams, Massachusetts. The best thing ever said about me was that I was deft at specifying trump.

by sydtron on Dec 27, 2010 11:32 AM EST up reply actions

out of position if the puck gets moved, ala the “oops” drop pass to Carlson or the pass to Steckel. I mean, Steckel scored pretty cleanly because he had was on Ward’s doorstep with no defender in front of him. That was all Ovechkin drawing attention and Steckel being in the right place to make the play.

My death was arranged by special plans in Heaven and only occasioned comment by ten persons in Adams, Massachusetts. The best thing ever said about me was that I was deft at specifying trump.

by sydtron on Dec 27, 2010 11:33 AM EST up reply actions

Steckel with 2 points in one week, that’s nearly his production all of last season. He’d have had another with that beautiful pass if Chimmer buried his chance. It’s a proud day to wear my Steckel sweater.

Really digging the goalies. We’re getting to see what competition can breed. Just need to lock up Varlamov to a deal now.

My death was arranged by special plans in Heaven and only occasioned comment by ten persons in Adams, Massachusetts. The best thing ever said about me was that I was deft at specifying trump.

by sydtron on Dec 27, 2010 11:22 AM EST reply actions

Overall reaction – it’s nice to see some green arrows.

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by STLSpidey on Dec 27, 2010 11:33 AM EST reply actions

I could do with fewer red crosses. Oy.

If wishes were horses, we'd all be eating steak.

by Hang a Laingtern on Your Problems on Dec 27, 2010 12:09 PM EST up reply actions

As long as we don’t have arrows pointing at red crosses and have the inadvertent prediction come true.

by Dimagus on Dec 27, 2010 12:52 PM EST up reply actions

As blasphemous as it may be, I have never been the biggest Mike Green booster but his play against CAR, and especially, PIT warmed my cold Canadian heart.

The OatesStache: Tickling taints since 1975.

by Rather Bengt on Dec 27, 2010 1:02 PM EST reply actions

I have always been a major fan of Green (with a bit of a school-girl crush on him) and I am so happy with how he has played the past few games. Defensively his game looks much much more solid. Hopefully he keeps it up and avoids injury.

I like Laich, but I <3 Green
Keep the faith!!!!!!

by RockinRed4Life on Dec 27, 2010 1:19 PM EST up reply actions

my pledge sheet is very happy Mike Green seems to be returning to form! All those zeros were kind of a bummer.

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by RedBirdie on Dec 27, 2010 1:46 PM EST up reply actions

How in the world did Beat Da Beat become the Cap’s victory music…. if you can call it that ….. I’m sickened …. Pauly sucks …..

" I don't have a certain type, only the heart can tell. If the heart responds, then it is my type."

by TheFuryUnleashed on Dec 27, 2010 1:06 PM EST reply actions

In fact … this cat is better then him …. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvt_1rmbMB0

" I don't have a certain type, only the heart can tell. If the heart responds, then it is my type."

by TheFuryUnleashed on Dec 27, 2010 1:10 PM EST up reply actions

Notice the only two players with down arrows are the only two Swedes in the lineup. It’s the Nylander Curse.

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by Jake Shapiro on Dec 27, 2010 1:10 PM EST reply actions

Let all parties involved remember what “Life With Sasha” is like when they start to talk contract in January.

You had me at no problem.

by Ninjak on Dec 27, 2010 1:54 PM EST reply actions

Sasha getting healthy again should go a long way to improving his goal scoring numbers. Spent all month either sick or with unidentified lower body injury (but appearing to be limping). Think the health may finally be improved.

Could health be a problem with Nicky B as well? It seems that whenever Semin is ever sick, so it Nicky which also begs the question about Ovi since they’re his main buddies on the team.

Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.

by CapsFan75 on Dec 27, 2010 3:21 PM EST up reply actions

On the injury front, don’t think Boyd Gordon is close to returning. His cut is infected.

On Poti, all we know is head injury, with no specifics.

Let’s hope Perreault is okay. He’s been the Caps’ leading goal scorer for this month, which is a sad commentary on how the rest of the team has been doing in that department.

Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.

by CapsFan75 on Dec 27, 2010 5:45 PM EST reply actions

Erskine’s play — to me — has been really erratic, and he’s not been particularly great for weeks. In the Pens game ~~- even after Poti was injured and the Caps were down to 5 defensemen and the game went to overtime~~- he played only 12:13, which is 3 minutes less than he’s averaging.

It’s as if — even shorthanded — Boudreau won’t go to him in the most important of games/situations. That contract extension continues to baffle me.

by RCheli on Dec 27, 2010 5:51 PM EST reply actions