Capital Ups and Downs: Week 3

by J.P. on Oct 24, 2011 11:00 AM EDT in Capitals Ups and Downs

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 20: Tomas Vokoun #29 of the Washington Capitals keeps his eye on the puck after a second period save against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on October 20, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Michal Neuvirth		Expected to accompany the team on its upcoming Western swing and could get a game while out there.
Dany Sabourin		With an NHL salary that's more than four times what he makes in the AHL, at least Sabourin was well-paid for his yo-yo impression when in D.C.
Tomas Vokoun		Shutout his former team, then summarily dismissed two of the League's best teams so far. That's a 3-0-0/1.00/.968 week and a 6-0-0/1.15/.966 line since the fifth goal he allowed in his first game of the season. Pretty, pretty good, that.
Defensemen
Karl Alzner		Has just one game in the last six in which he has registered a shot on goal, but he's only been on the ice for two goals-against in that span (both at even-strength), so who cares?
John Carlson		Picked up his first point since opening night on Saturday, and has been on the ice for half as many goals as Alzner (i.e. one) since.
John Erskine		Sounds close to being cleared for contact, which is encouraging.
Mike Green		Busted out of a three-game pointless drought in a big way against Detroit and is now just two power-play goals away from equaling the five he had a season ago. Yes, really. Of the 15 goals the Caps scored last week, Green was on the ice for a team-high eight (tied with Dennis Wideman).
Roman Hamrlik		Settling in a bit, Hamrlik potted the eventual game-winner in Philly and actually was Bruce Boudreau's top choice among blueliners to face the Wings' Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. Interesting.
Tom Poti		Welcome to the Tom Poti LTIR Comedy Moment... Knock knock. Who's there? Tom Poti. Tom Poti who? Tom Poti's still on Long-Term Injured Reserve. Thanks, you guys have been great. Don't forget to tip the wait staff.
Jeff Schultz		Was on the ice for Detroit's 5-on-3 goal, marking only the third goal-against for which he's been on so far. Add in his primary helper against the Flyers and it was another solid week for Sarge.
Dennis Wideman		Like Green, was on the ice for eight Caps goals, and wasn't on for a single goal against in 61:06 of ice time. Wideman now has a point in each of the Caps' first seven games.
Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom		With five points in the week's three games and a five-game scoring streak, Backstrom's looking more and more like the Backstrom we all know and love (and opponents fear). The faceoffs are a bit troubling (he's at 42% for the year and won just 34% of his draws last week), but his six power-play points have been a huge factor in that unit's resurgence, so we'll take it.
Jay Beagle		Downgraded from day-to-day to week-to-week with a sure-sounds-like-a-concussion-but-the-team-won't-say-it-is.
Troy Brouwer		With assists in each of the last two games and an increased role on the power-play, Brouwer may be coming around. But seven shots through seven games is less than anyone would have expected.
Jason Chimera		Padded his goal total with an empty netter against the Panthers, but failed to register a shot on goal in either of the next two games.
Jeff Halpern		Won 80% of the 25 draws he took last week and hasn't been on the ice for a single goal-against since opening night. Hard to ask for much more than that from a fourth-line pivot.
Matt Hendricks		A three assist/plus-four week in which he also won five of his six faceoffs. Hard to ask for much more than that from a fourth-line wing.
Marcus Johansson		Two game-winning goals for the NHL's early leader in that category (with three already), leaving MoJo with more game-winners than a half-dozen teams. Oh, and the tally against the Wings was a 15-footer, for those of you who are interested in such notes. The faceoffs are a problem, though, in that he won just 34% of his draws for the week, 38% for the year, and just 27% (7-for-26) in the offensive zone on the campaign.
D.J. King		Three games, three scratches, and one would imagine that it'll take an injury to get him back in the lineup the way the fourth line is playing now.
Mike Knuble		A pair of assists in a relatively quiet week for the old man of the bunch.
Brooks Laich		Laich was on the ice for all three goals the Caps allowed last week and won just 38% of his faceoffs. But he had a pair of helpers, bled not once but twice against the Flyers, and did a nice job on Datsyuk, so no down arrow here.
Alex Ovechkin		Back-to-back multi-point games and a modest three-game point streak have to help the captain's confidence, but with just six shots on goal in three games (his fewest over as many games since last November), he's not "back" quite yet. The two-goal effort in Philly was also only Ovechkin's third multi-goal game since last October. How is that even possible?
Mathieu Perreault		Perreault's work on the fourth line has been a revelation, providing energy and creativity, to say nothing of production - he has three goals and an assist in his last two games and won 69% of his 13 draws for the week. And the cherry on top? Perreault hasn't been on the ice for a single goal-against yet this season.
Alexander Semin		A goal and two assists sandwiched a no-point/two-PIM game in which he somehow managed a minus-two rating in a 5-2 win. Sasha is as Sasha does.
Joel Ward		Scored against the Flyers and the Wings and hasn't been on the ice for a goal-against since the second game of the season. How can you not love this guy?

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Comments

His third multi-goal game since last October?

Geeze. This list really highlights how broken the team was at times last season.

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

by RockinRed4Life on Oct 24, 2011 11:05 AM EDT reply actions

But the thing is, you're not wrong...

"Fais gros comme moi!" - Alex Ovechkin

by Gould Old Days on Oct 24, 2011 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs

smaketacular

Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION!

by RedBirdie on Oct 24, 2011 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions

I felt as if this week’s theme was sorta the opposite of last week’s, when I noted that, “it’s somewhat fitting that, individually, there have been a lot of good performances but, overall, the whole has been perhaps less than the sum of its parts.”

This week, it’s almost as if there weren’t a lot of really great individual performances (notable exceptions being Vokoun, Green and Perreault), but the team was greater than the sum of its parts. Which is nice.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Oct 24, 2011 11:12 AM EDT reply actions

Agreed.

And, 2 games this week where all 4 lines had a goal? That’s a group effort if I’ve ever seen one.

by aaw6848 on Oct 24, 2011 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions

Jesus, I don’t miss Jake Hauswirth or that third-round pick. At all.

We're Hüsker Dü and we're on MTV. Who are you, and what are you on?

by bilspacecadet on Oct 24, 2011 11:13 AM EDT reply actions

How much is that haus wirth?

Dontchoo read the papers about the market? It’s going down every day.

If you've read this far...seek help.

by ThePeerless on Oct 24, 2011 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions

not where I live…

We're Hüsker Dü and we're on MTV. Who are you, and what are you on?

by bilspacecadet on Oct 24, 2011 11:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Vokoun was the league’s 3rd star for the week. At first blush it might seem like, “WTF?” But his GAA and SV for the week are roughly what the first star (Jonathan Quick) has for the whole season so far. And to have “he stopped all 83 shots he faced last week” is nice to have on the citation for the 1st star.

If you've read this far...seek help.

by ThePeerless on Oct 24, 2011 11:40 AM EDT reply actions

Quick had 3 consecutive shutouts, too. No doubt he was a lock for first star.

Winterion Game Studios
Visit us online at : http://winterion.com

by winterion on Oct 24, 2011 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions

And those two are my fantasy team goalies. If only my offense didn’t completely fail, I would have dominated this week…

by JbCapsFan on Oct 24, 2011 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions

“Knock Knock”

“Who’s There?”

“Interrupting Poti”

“Interrupting Poti Who?”
“Interrupting Poti Who???”
“Interrupting Poti Who?!?!?!?!?”

Everything sounds smarter in Tikkanesse....

by Bonzai!!! on Oct 24, 2011 12:04 PM EDT reply actions

I hope Poti will be nothing but a bunch of bad jokes this season

RAMPAGE

by JediChewbacca on Oct 24, 2011 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions

I wish his contract extension was just a bad joke.

Obviously, this is all speculation.

by Rob Parker on Oct 24, 2011 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs

Maybe next year he’ll be well enough to stash completely? God help us if he ever ends up healthy enough to play this year.

↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → b a (select) start

by renstar on Oct 24, 2011 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions

yodel-ay HEE-hoooo

Interrupting po-TI whooooooooo

If you've read this far...seek help.

by ThePeerless on Oct 24, 2011 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions

No complaints here. I could have gone with a green arrow for one of JC or KA, but I’m not bent out of shape about it.

Agree that the results were greater than the sum of the parts this week. I think that’s another way of saying the team got a bunch of favorable bounces in key situations, which I’m not complaining about, of course.

Patron saint of quality footwear.

by fat_daddyo on Oct 24, 2011 12:34 PM EDT reply actions

I’d say the arrows for Carlznerson are just a sign of how great they’ve been and the expectations they’ve developed.

Obviously, this is all speculation.

by Rob Parker on Oct 24, 2011 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Me too. Personally, I find it quite comforting that those two can have an awesome week and not merit an up arrow. Those boys can play.

I am a hockey fan first, and a Caps fan second.

by iwearstripes on Oct 24, 2011 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions

We definitely got some bounces against Philly…but I think given the level of goaltending we’ve gotten you could expect wins even without bounces in any of the last 3 games.

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

by Davethecapsfan on Oct 24, 2011 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m reading on my phone, so forgive me if I missed one… But couldn’t this be “Caps ups and evens?”

I am a hockey fan first, and a Caps fan second.

by iwearstripes on Oct 24, 2011 12:52 PM EDT via iPhone app reply actions 1 recs

Ha. Nice.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Oct 24, 2011 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions

you’ve got to figure the team and individuals are going to have a down night eventually though

RAMPAGE

by JediChewbacca on Oct 24, 2011 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Blasphemy.

I am a hockey fan first, and a Caps fan second.

by iwearstripes on Oct 24, 2011 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions

He's a lumberjack, when will he be ok?

How will the return oh Big John affect the D-corps? Can the 6 current dmen continue to play at this high level?

RAMPAGE

by JediChewbacca on Oct 24, 2011 2:03 PM EDT reply actions

Nice job, JP. Reviewing your comments and these posts, it occurred to me that maybe an ‘up’ or ‘down’ could be developed for the ‘team.’ That is, since we all agree (perhaps I am projecting here) that one of the issues that has kept the CAPS from going deeper into the playoffs every year, is that they lacked that ‘je ne sais quois’ team “heart” or cohesiveness or whatever (calling Matt Bradley). As noted this week, however, once the sum is greater than its parts, the CAPS are fearsome and it certainly adds an element to the various individual efforts. So, my thinking is perhaps one of your ‘ups’ or ‘downs’ could be a measure of that team effort. It might be kind of fun to comment on that every week as well.

by Wilderthing on Oct 24, 2011 2:21 PM EDT reply actions

(My paranoid fan reaction to 7-0-0) Good work so far, boys, but don’t get sloppy. There is a lot more of the season to go, and you know it’s the playoffs where you’ll be judged.

(My optimistic fan reaction 7-0-0) I’m going to sit back and bask in the afterglow of that 7-1 thwomping of the Red Wings until Thursday and not over-think myself into worrying about the next stretch of games, since that is the coaches and players’ job.

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

by skyywise on Oct 24, 2011 2:42 PM EDT reply actions

When they went on the long winning streak two seasons ago, I saw a team that was winning, but they seemed to be getting worse with each passing win. This time around, they seem to look better every game. Hopefully the approach has changed from “whatever, we played good enough to win” to “okay, we won, but we need to do these things better.”

The first mentality seemed like it was hanging around against MTL in the playoffs. Hopefully the latter will be the mentality come playoff time this year.

I am a hockey fan first, and a Caps fan second.

by iwearstripes on Oct 24, 2011 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm still thinking Poti should have movie quotes...

…

Tom Poti “You can’t handle the truth!”

Tom Poti “Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in.”

Tom Poti “Well, let’s say this Twinkie represents the normal amount of psychokinetic energy in the New York area. Based on this morning’s sample, it would be a Twinkie… thirty-five feet long, weighing approximately six hundred pounds.”

Winnipeg? Winnipeg??? Oy! (And now it's official...)

by MikeL-Pivonka on Oct 24, 2011 3:44 PM EDT reply actions