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

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Michal Neuvirth		Thirty-four saves on 37 shots against is fine (well, actually, that's not true - Dale Hunter's Capitals are just 2-11-1 when allowing three goals in a game), but the 88-footer Neuvirth allowed early in the second period in Sunrise followed up by a leaky power-play goal a period later were saves this team needs right now... and didn't get in Neuvirth's one appearance of the week.
Tomas Vokoun		Vokoun's week show just how much the Caps are leaning on their goaltenders right now - a 2.31 goals against average and .922 save percentage was good enough for just one win in three starts. Vokoun was good (and at times great), but he's going to have to be great (and at times perfect) for this team to have success.
Defensemen
Karl Alzner		Alzner played big minutes and played them well for the week, on the ice for just one goal-against in 86:08 of ice time (including a perfect 8:50 of penalty-killing) and posting a plus-three rating. He'll learn from the mistake he made on the Brad Marchand goal on Sunday, but had a good week overall.
John Carlson		After a brutal night in Tampa (on for all four Bolts goals), Carlson rebounded with a big goal against the Panthers (the only Caps goal for which he was on all week) and good efforts in Montreal and against the B's, two games for which he was reunited with frequent partner Alzner. With any luck, a corner's been turned.
John Erskine		Plus-one against the Lightning, but spent the rest of the week watching in civies, perhaps pondering his 22-game point-less streak (or why he's sitting out with three plus-one's in his last four games).
Mike Green		Really encouraging news on the Green front - he's been skating and sounds very upbeat about his recovery. There's still no target date for his return... but it sounds imminent.
Roman Hamrlik		Terrible in Tampa, better the rest of the week, with 14 blocked shots along the way. And while it's by no means all on him, the Caps only got one assist from a defenseman all week (Alzner), which tells you a lot about how the offense is (and isn't) producing right now.
Dmitry Orlov		Tough week for the rookie, who had some hard luck in Florida (playing pretty well but being on the ice for four goals, including getting walked around on the game-winner in Tampa) and over the weekend (a broken nose in Montreal and a subsequent puck to the face against the B's). But he's hitting and playing within himself, and his development is certainly one of the season's bright spots.
Tom Poti		The Caps are 141-67-33 all-time with Poti in the lineup... so let's just blame this year's struggles on him.
Jeff Schultz		Actually played, and three-straight games, no less. And, to paraphrase the coach, as long as he doesn't screw up, he can keep playing. What a vote of confidence.
Dennis Wideman		Scored the eventual game-winner in Montreal with a lob-wedge from the point, but that was the lone highlight in a week that featured defensive gaffes (most notably against the Bruins) and got the most ice time for an 0-for-9 power play.
Forwards
Keith Aucoin		Recalled to provide some offensive spark... but got just one minute of power-play time (with the second unit) and fourth-line duty at even-strength in two games. It's hard to imagine him having much impact under those conditions, and minimal impact is exactly what he had.
Nicklas Backstrom		As encouraging as the news on Green is, it's more discouraging on Backstrom... given that there's no news at all. By the way, despite not playing a single game in over a month, Backstrom still leads the team in scoring.
Jay Beagle		Scratched four-straight games, Beagle will get back in the lineup... as soon as someone figures out what he can bring to the table that someone else in the lineup isn't already doing better.
Troy Brouwer		Scored in Tampa and alternated plus- and minus-games all week. With ten shots on goal in the week's middle two games, he was providing plenty of bang on the team's hardest-working line (alongside Brooks Laich and Matt Hendricks), but it didn't translate into results on the scoreboard.
Jason Chimera		No Caps forward was on the ice for as many goals-against as the half-dozen for which Chimera was on (Carlson also was on for six), and that was only offset by one Caps tally. With only one goal and a minus-9 rating in his last 19 games, that hot start is nothing but a distant memory at this point.
Cody Eakin		Played very sparingly in Florida before being sent back to Hershey (with just one goal and one assist in his last 14 NHL games), which is probably best for his development at this point.
Jeff Halpern		Halpern spent most of the week centering Chimera, and struggled similarly, on the ice for five goals-against and nary a one for (and he even had a sub-par week in the dot, winning just 49% of his draws). Halpern hasn't scored since December 13, a span of 23 games.
Matt Hendricks		A pair of goals (his first since late December) and a ton of energy (15 hits in Florida, a fight against Boston) made it a great week for Hendricks. But with all due respect to the Caps' sparkplug, when he's getting 16-plus minutes a night (as he did for the first three games of the week), it's probably an indication that things have gone sideways. Things have gone sideways.
Marcus Johansson		A lucky goal broke-up Tim Thomas's shutout bid on Sunday and kept Johansson from a point-less week (despite most of it spent centering one or two Alexes), which was merely lipstick on a pig-ugly quartet of games that featured a 29% win percentage in the faceoff circle (12-for-41), poor shot/pass decisions and moments of complete cluelessness in the defensive zone.
Mike Knuble		A minus-five week on that Halpern-Chimera line and a 26-game goal-less streak are signs of a player who's nearing the end of the line, is misutilized and/or is in desperate need of a change of scenery.
Brooks Laich		Had a three-game point-streak coming out of the All-Star break, was playing the best hockey of any Caps skater (including being on the ice for six of the nine goals the team scored for the week), and then... (potential) disaster struck, as he left Sunday's game with an apparent leg injury. But he deserves a green arrow for the week - we'll wait 'til next week to give him the ol' Band-Aid.
Alex Ovechkin		Returned from suspension as a non-factor against Montreal and looked much better against Boston, but failed to get on the scoresheet. Ovechkin has just six points in his last 11 games (half of which came in his last game pre-suspension), which isn't even in the same area code as "good enough;" it's time for the Caps' leader to lead.
Mathieu Perreault		Potted a goal against the Lightning in the week's first game and a helper against the Bruins in the last, but inexplicably was dropped down in the lineup against the team against whom he'd had a hat trick just a dozen days earlier. Huh.
Joel Rechlicz		Noted pugilist was signed Monday, played in two games, got six shifts and 4:26 of ice time. Total. Without a fight. Seriously?
Alexander Semin		As the only Young Gun in the lineup for three games, Semin stepped up with... no goals and one assist. He had a goal and an assist in Montreal, and does have 19 points in his last 21 games... but not many of them have been particularly memorable (to wit, not one of his 13 goals on the season has been a game-winner).
Joel Ward		Small minutes, small impact... big salary. But hey, he had a helper on Sunday, his second point in five games.

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

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Michal Neuvirth		Rode the pine for the week's only action but has looked strong in his limited pre-break action; the hope is that he can continue to rotate in when needed and provide the Caps with two strong netminders going forward. He’s certainly capable of doing so.
Tomas Vokoun		Stopped 29 of 32 shots against Boston and continues to provide the Caps with what they were missing earlier in the season: consistency in net.
Defensemen
Karl Alzner		If you were only looking at the base stats from Tuesday night, you might think Karl had a relatively quiet 22+ minutes, with one shot, one blocked shot, one hit and a plus-one rating. Dig a little deeper, though, and we find he was very active indeed, on the ice for two of Boston's three goals (including the one he put in his own net...that one hurt) and three of Washington's four.
John Carlson		Finished the week’s only game with the team’s top Corsi rating and was on for two of Perreault's three goals… but it was his forehead-smacking bad clearing attempt up the middle that led to Tyler Seguin’s goal Tuesday night. Still, it'd be unfair to give him a down arrow based on one bad play in one game (and sadly we've come to expect it), so he gets a reprieve. Just this once.
John Erskine		Finished Tuesday’s game in the plus column and added two hits (as well a giveaway) to his resume for the night, but was also on for one of Boston’s three goals and did so in less than ten minutes of ice time. So... he's efficient, at least.
Mike Green		The road to recovery begins for 52, and GMGM even suggests he could start skating this week. Fingers crossed and ready the bubble wrap.
Roman Hamrlik		Not only did he pick up assists five and six on the season (rolling!), but Tuesday’s game was also his first multi-point game of the season. Which is mildly incredible.
Dmitry Orlov		Wasn’t particularly active – in a good or a bad way – Tuesday night but he hasn’t looked all that great lately (which, granted, is at least partly based on how unexpectedly good he looked early on). So it’s probably for the best that he got a little rest instead of a trip to Hershey this weekend.
Tom Poti		*crickets*
Jeff Schultz		Good thing he got that All-Star break to recuperate from several weeks of doing... well, nothing beyond practice and morning skate.
Dennis Wideman		On for two goals-against and two goals-for - including his own empty-netter - in a very active game versus his old team, then headed up to Ottawa to represent the Caps in his first All-Star Game. A 95.3 mph slapshot in the SuperSkills competition and an assist and only a minus-two rating in a goalfest? That'll do.
Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom		Stuck in "no timetable for his return" hell; here's hoping he got plenty of rest over the weekend and breaks out of the holding pattern sooner rather than later.
Jay Beagle		His assist on Cody Eakin's goal Tuesday night was his first point of the season, in lucky game 13 on the year, and capped off an all around decent effort by the fourth-liner in a game where the Caps needed all hands on deck.
Troy Brouwer		Picked up an assist on Wideman's ENG but was also "only" credited with two hits. Subjective stat, sure, but with one of their big hitters out of the lineup until next weekend, the Caps really need him to step up the physicality against a rough-and-tumble team like Boston (and really any team, for that matter).
Jason Chimera		He may have been tagged with a minor penalty Tuesday night, but it was one that came about as a result of being a pain in the rear around the Boston net - and resulted in him taking not one but two Bruins' defensemen (including a certain 10-foot-tall blueliner) off the ice for two minutes. We'll take that tradeoff any day.
Cody Eakin		Opened the scoring against Boston with his fourth goal of the year, and celebrated it by getting to spend his All-Star break in beautiful, exotic... Hershey.
Jeff Halpern		His assist on Wideman's empty-netter was his first point in six games, but more importantly, he skated a season-high 17:44 and won 11 of the 15 draws he took. Solid.
Matt Hendricks		It wasn't enough that he had his ear sliced in half by friendly fire in practice while in Pittsburgh, or that he followed that up by getting elbowed in the head against the Penguins - the assault on Hendrick's skull continued with yet another puck to the ear against the Bruins. Didn't stop him from skating a season - and career - high 17:45 in that game, though... if anyone earned a few days off over the weekend, it's this guy.
Marcus Johansson		Continues to chip in offensively with an assist on one of Perreault's three goals and finished a plus-two, tied with his two linemates for a team-high. Still would like to see him shoot more, however, and his strength on the puck continues to leave something to be desired.
Mike Knuble		Was active, albeit pointless, in the Bruins game, skating over 18 minutes in the injury- and punishment-depleted lineup while being credited with a few takeaways and a couple of blocked shots. Of note, that was the third time this month that he cracked the 18 minute-mark - something he had done only twice the rest of the season (and not at all since the end of November).
Brooks Laich		It's strange to say he was "only" on the ice for one goal-against in a game in which his team gave up three. But after a rough month defensively, being out for one goal - a power play strike, no less - against a potent offensive team will earn you an "only" any day.
Alex Ovechkin		Tough to say what the bigger story was this week, Ovechkin's suspension or the fact that he wouldn't attend the All-Star festivities in Ottawa over the weeke-... actually, strike that, it's not tough at all. Here's hoping that with the All-Star break in the past, the ink spilled and pixels wasted complaining about his absence will be as well - and he can get back to focusing on what really matters. Well, in two more games, that is.
Mathieu Perreault		Brought energy and some scoring oomph as his way of stepping up with Ovechkin watching from the press box. What's truly amazing, though, is that Perreault somehow managed to squeeze two minor penalties and three goals (his first career NHL hat trick, congrats) into under fourteen minutes of ice time. Efficient little bugger, isn't he?
Alexander Semin		With three-quarters of his Young Gun pals either in the infirmary or in detention, all eyes are on #28 to pick up the fairly hefty load and kick up his game a notch. And while his offense in his first opportunity was limited to an assist (a pretty one, at that), he finished the game a plus-two and was fairly active on both ends of the ice. Two more games to prove he can put this team on his shoulders, as he's done in the past - or at the very least raise his trade value.
Joel Ward		Earned his first assist in almost two weeks against the Bruins and saw a slight bump in his ice time... which for now is about as good as it gets. Here's hoping he's one of those slow starter/strong finishers and this one point outburst is just the beginning of the good stuff.

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

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Michal Neuvirth		Got back into the game with a bang after a long layoff, turning aside 54 of the 58 shots he faced this week (including a 30-save shutout in Montreal) and certainly not looking like a guy coming back after a long layoff.
Tomas Vokoun		Gave up three goals in each of his two starts this week and picked up his second set of back-to-back losses in a month… but it’s tough to put much of that on him (aside from that third goal in Raleigh, all you, big guy) when the offense in front of him generated no goals over the course of those two games and the team in front of him generated no energy.
Defensemen
Karl Alzner		Wasn’t atrocious but still hasn’t looked like the dominant defenseman we know he can be, especially with three giveaways on his rap sheet this week. And while he’s not expected to chip in offense all that much, he had started the year on a run of an assist every 5-6 games – he’s now at 10 pointless games and counting.
John Carlson		The good: he got an assist in the win over Montreal, his first in nine games. The bad: he still hasn’t scored a goal since the beginning of December. The ugly: Not only is he not putting up points, he was on for seven of the ten goals the Caps gave up this week, and while he’s blocking a lot of shots (14 this week) it’s mostly because he’s had to.
John Erskine		Played just two of the four games and still somehow managed to end up with the second-highest PIM total of the week (trailing only the guy who had three fights). That triple-minor against Montreal, plus the additional minor he’d taken earlier that same game, was a strange one and perhaps a questionable call, but Big John can’t be putting himself in the position to even allow the refs to consider it.
Mike Green		All indications point to a successful surgery on Tuesday; how successful remains to be seen. And now we wait.
Roman Hamrlik		Was clicking along last week, on for three times as many goals-for as goals-against… right up until Pittsburgh and what was easily one of his worst games in the last month or two. He was on for three of the four Penguin goals yesterday, including the overtime winner, and was at least partly responsible for that last one in particular.
Tomas Kundratek		Has been rotated in and out of the lineup (and given limited minutes when he’s in) and has yet to be on for an opponent’s goal. Which really is all we’re asking of him at this point.
Dmitry Orlov		Picked up an assist against Montreal but slipped a bit this week in his own end, as he found himself on for two goals-against to the one goal-for. Still nothing to panic about, for sure, but there’s no question the kid’s an adventure to watch at times – in a good way and a scary, hide-under-the-couch way. Keep laying out hits like the one on James Neal yesterday, though, and we'll happily move in under the couch.
Tom Poti		His name popped up in the papers for the first time in a long while thanks to Green’s surgery, but it doesn’t sound like the news is any better. Or even news at this point.
Jeff Schultz		Four games played by his team, zero games played by him. At this point it’s almost not a question of if he’ll be moved, but when and for what.
Dennis Wideman		Steady as she goes for Wideman, who picked up an assist in each game in which that was possible. His seventeen shot-attempts lead all defensemen by a pretty significant margin – the next-highest was Carlson, with 11 - and was among the most on the team as well. Not that this is a tough feat to accomplish right now, of course, but worth noting nonetheless..
Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom		Good news out of Kettler today, as Backstrom skated on his own for the first time in almost three weeks. It was brief, and there's still no timetable for his return, but thanks to the All Star break he'll have a chance to heal up a bit more without missing too many more games. We hope.
Jay Beagle		The scoresheet says he played in two of the games this week... so it must be true.
Troy Brouwer		Made a nice pass to set up Johansson's goal in Montreal, set up a nicer scoring chance for the Hurricanes with a big turnover in Raleigh and dropped the mitts with Tyler Kennedy and his giant nostrils in Pittsburgh. Active, but not overwhelmingly productive.
Jason Chimera		Rounded out a week in which he had no goals, no assists and two minors with some questionable play in his own end, and now has just one goal in the last month.
Cody Eakin		Picked up his fourth assist and had an all-around solid game against Carolina (one of the few who did) but continues to be relatively quiet and is a good candidate to make the fabled journey back to Hershey when Backstrom gets back.
Jeff Halpern		Took twenty-nine draws this week and won all but eight of them, which is impressive. Not so impressive? Halpern was on for half of the team's ten goals-against this week, including two of the three in Pittsburgh and all three against the Islanders.
Matt Hendricks		Earned a five-minute rest in the penalty box in two of the four games on the week, which included the much-ballyhooed "revenge" fight against Rene Bourque in Montreal, and now has fights in four of his last eight - just one shy of his total in the thirty-five games prior.
Marcus Johansson		His goal against Montreal was the game-winner, his tenth of the season and his eighth point in the last ten games - and after seeing the first period against Pittsburgh without him and Backstrom in the lineup, his value to this team might have gone up just a smidge.
Mike Knuble		Had back-to-back chances that were thisclose to being his first goal since December 5, but alas, 'twas not to be. Did pick up back-to-back minor penalties to give him the same number of PIMs as his jersey number, so... there's that.
Brooks Laich		We're all very excited about his ninth goal of the season yesterday, his first in almost a month. The other end of the ice, however, is becoming a bit of a concern (to put it mildly) after being one of his strengths. Laich was on the ice for seven of the goals given up this week, including all four against the Penguins, and thirteen of the last sixteen overall. Which is scary.
Alex Ovechkin		Four points in four games is good, as is the fact that he wasn't on the ice for any goals by the opposition. But three of those points came against Pittsburgh, and while he was good in Montreal, he was invisible against the Islanders and Hurricanes. The captain's energy and physicality from the second period on against the Pens was a big reason the team got back into the game (although perhaps it was a bit too physical) - we need to see that dominance more often, and when the team needs it most.
Mathieu Perreault		Seeing Perreault penciled in at first-line center yesterday wasn't exactly what most Caps fans would consider a comforting sight. With Backstrom on the shelf and Johansson ill, however, the task fell to 85 to carry that burden - and he did a great job all things considered, chipping in on two of the three goals and not looking lost in the process. Add in one of the sweetest shots you'll see against hometown Montreal, and that's a fine week for Mathieu.
Alexander Semin		If you're expecting Semin to do anything but run hot and cold, you haven't been watching him long enough - but he didn't have a bad week overall, on for four of the six goals the Caps scored (and earning a point on three of them) and none against while sitting just (yes, just) two minutes in the penalty box. Mild-mannered Sasha.
Joel Ward		Continues to look lost... and probably won't be finding himself anytime soon if his ice time continues to nosedive.

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

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Michal Neuvirth		Continues to warm the bench (though he did get a period in L.A.), but with back-to-back games coming up this week one would think he'd see at least a little action... right?
Tomas Vokoun		The hot hand continues to be hot, as Vokoun has now started in nine straight games and won seven of them (including earning his second shutout of the season over the Penguins). And only once in those seven wins has his save percentage dipped below .946.
Defensemen
Karl Alzner		Finished the week a plus-one, blocked ten shots... and oh yeah, picked up his first NHL fight against the ever-charming Steve Downie in a chippy Tampa game Friday night. All in a week's work for our resident goon.
John Carlson		After a week in which he was a minus in four straight games, Carlson rebounded slightly this time around, finishing even or on the good side of zero in three of the four games this week. That he was on for almost as many goals-for (4) as goals-against (6) is a slight improvement, but he also hasn't picked up a point in eight games - his longest pointless streak in a year.
John Erskine		The doghouse just got big enough for two, as Erskine sat out three of four games this week in favor of a kid making his NHL debut.
Mike Green		Went from day-to-day to "not long-term" to LTIR to surgery and a 4-6 week recovery looming... and some point along the way we went from "get well soon, Green" to "just get well".
Roman Hamrlik		Continued to quietly do his job well, as he was on the ice for just two goals-against, and was a steadying veteran influence on Kundratek. He did, however, fire the puck over the glass and was sitting in the box when Tampa scored a power play goal. Anyone else just have deja vu?
Tomas Kundratek		Was thrown right into the fire in his NHL debut against the Penguins and saw minimal ice time... but didn't have any glaring mistakes and managed to not be on the ice for a goal-against.
Dmitry Orlov		He's gained a bit of a reputation for his shots not quite making it to the net, but you have to give the kid credit - when he does, he's efficient. In fact he had just two shots on goal this week and one of them went in, earning Orlov his first career NHL goal, a game-winner against the Hurricanes Sunday evening.
Tom Poti		Wasn't on the ice for any goals-against this week. Or last week. Or the week before. So... silver lining?
Jeff Schultz		Sounds like Sarge is getting a little tired of sharing nachos with Erskine in the pressbox. Hard to blame him.
Dennis Wideman		Eight shots on goal, two assists, and his first-ever nomination to the All Star Game - yup, that's a good week for the League's fifth-highest scoring defenseman.
Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom		Continues to sit out with aftershocks from the Rene Bourque hit, with no timeline for his return. Which isn't exactly what you want to hear when dealing with head injuries.
Jay Beagle		Cracked the eight-minute mark for the first time in Hunter's tenure (and did so twice this week) but has been fairly quiet otherwise, chipping in with a hit here or a penalty there and not much else.
Troy Brouwer		Had a beast of a physical game against the Penguins, credited with 11 hits, and followed it up with a beast of a game in general when he picked up his first career hat trick against the Bolts. Those three goals bumped him up to 14 on the season, second-most on the team, and with a half a season to go, just eight shy of his career-high.
Jason Chimera		Took on Willie Mitchell after Mitchell took out Joel Ward last Monday night, scored the only goal of the Pittsburgh game in typical Chimera fashion to give him 14 on the year, and added an assist on Orlov's game-winner later in the week. His three shots against Carolina were the most he's had in a single game in almost a month, breaking a streak of nine games in which he failed to register more than a single shot on goal.
Cody Eakin		Got the call mid-week and managed to not be on the ice for any of the seven goals scored in the Tampa game... but hasn't done a whole lot in his once again limited ice time (although he did register the team's first shot on goal against Carolina - five minutes in - Sunday evening).
Jeff Halpern		Picked up two assists, including a beautiful pass to send Chimera against the Pens, and was a dominant 31-for-52 in faceoffs this week (including an insane 10-for-12 against Pittsburgh). Not much else you can ask from a third-/fourth-liner, although you'd probably ask that he not be on for three of the nine goals-against, including two on the penalty kill.
Matt Hendricks		Since we lit him up a bit for not doing much of anything (including one of the things that got him to the show in the first place) he's had two fights, shown some extra physicality in protecting his goaltender and had a monster of a game against one of the team's biggest rivals. So yeah, we're taking all the credit. You're welcome.
Marcus Johansson		Continued to skate alongside Ovechkin and Semin on the top line and picked up two goals and two assists this week, doubling his goal total from the previous twenty-five games combined in one fell swoop.
Mike Knuble		After an eleven-game pointless streak, Knuble now has assists in two of his last four. Could be that slow-starter aspect to his game, could be a product of getting regular time in the top six... it's not much, but it's an improvement, and he's shown some decent chemistry with Laich and Brouwer (even when he's getting his pocket picked by a certain diminutive Tampa forward).
Brooks Laich		Had a rough start to the week, as he was victimized for three of LA's five goals Monday night and finished the game a team-low minus-two, but he went on to snap an eight-game pointless streak with two assists against the Bolts, and almost ended a nine-game goalless streak against the Canes... damn dirty refs.
Alex Ovechkin		A goal, an assist, thirteen shots on goal, numerous hits of the normal and bone-crushing variety, and his fifth straight invite to the ASG... that's still not enough from El Capitan, but the signs are there, even if the points aren't.
Mathieu Perreault		Saw less ice time in the first two games of the week than most forwards had in one game (and wasn't all that noticeable aside from a shift against Pittsburgh in which he and the rest of the fourth line were penned into their own zone), then found himself a healthy scratch the rest of the week.
Alexander Semin		With a goal against Carolina and assists against Tampa and LA (a game in which he was just one of two Caps to finish with a positive plus-minus rating), Semin now has fourteen points in his last fifteen games... after picking up just four in the fifteen games prior. He's likely not going to finish with anywhere near the point totals he's accumulated in past years, but it'd be great for the team if that finish was strong nonetheless.
Joel Ward		Still isn't setting the world on fire offensively - or even creating a mild, friction-induced spark for that matter - but he did earn a hard-working assist on Chimera's goal against Pittsburgh and now has two points in his last five games. Which, believe it or not, is an improvement.

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

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Michal Neuvirth		Hasn't seen any game action since his Boxing Day loss, but with the Caps now a couple of days into a span of five games in nine nights, that stretch of inactivity has to end... doesn't it?
Tomas Vokoun		Stellar in a 3-1 win over the Flames and actually pretty good in a loss to the Sharks in which he stopped 34 of the 38 shots with which he was peppered. Even with that loss, Vokoun is 4-1-0/1.73/.941 in six appearances since Christmas.
Defensemen
Karl Alzner		A pair of minus-1's last week have given Alzner the first run of three-consecutive minus games (minus-four total) of his career, and he was also on the ice for his first power-play goal against in five games in San Jose. Alzner has been on the ice for 11 of the last 17 goals the Caps have surrendered.
John Carlson		Carlson is one-upping his partner Alzner with four-straight minus games (minus-six total), and has been on the ice for 14 of the last 20 goals the Caps have allowed, including nine of the last 11. Could the jump from 22 minutes per game under Bruce Boudreau to a shade under 24.5 under Dale Hunter be taking its toll?
John Erskine		Played just four shifts and 4:48 (long shifts, eh?) as the seventh defenseman dressed against the Flames, but did register a pair of blocked shots and a pair of hits in that limited time.
Mike Green		Had a rusty return to the lineup against Calgary and lasted just nine shifts into Saturday night's game in San Jose before re-injuring his groin. So, to recap, the last four times he's returned from injury, he's lasted one game, two shifts, eight shifts and now one game and change before getting hurt again. Frustration all around.
Roman Hamrlik		Continued his resurgence under the new regime with a couple of solid if unspectacular outings.
Dmitry Orlov		Snapped a six-game streak in which he failed to get a shot on goal with a pair against the Sharks, but has seen his ice time drop from 16:33 per game over his first 18 to 13:38 over the last three, bottoming out with 12:36 on Saturday night, his lowest total since his first NHL game.
Tom Poti		Thursday will mark the one-year anniversary of Poti's last game. (Paper, in case you were wondering.)
Jeff Schultz		If one of Dale Hunter's New Year's Resolutions was to not play Jeff Schultz in an NHL game, he hasn't broken it yet.
Dennis Wideman		Of the last 14 goals the Caps have scored, Wideman's been on the ice for a dozen, including all five last week (two of which he scored and another on which he earned a primary assist). Moreover, he's only been on for two goals-against in the last four games, both coming Saturday night. With 15 points in his last 13 games, Wideman has been a critical component of the team's turn-around and overall success - they're 16-5-1 in games in which he has at least one point, 5-11-1 when he's held off the score sheet.
Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom		This is really a green arrow and a band-aid - Backstrom had three assists to push his point streak to five games before Rene Bourque pulled his chicken... wing move and knocked Nick out of at least the next game. To date, Backstrom has been the team's MVP, and it goes without saying that losing him for any extended period of time would be a disaster not likely to be mitigated.
Jay Beagle		Saturday night's loss was the first of the season for the Caps in a game for which Beagle dressed (now 5-1-0), but his actual impact has been minimal, as he didn't produce much of anything in his 12:59 of ice time over the week's two games and hasn't topped 7:35 in any of his four games under Hunter.
Troy Brouwer		Scored the eventual game-winner against the Flames (his second-consecutive week with a GWG and fourth on the season) and added a gorgeous helper, four hits and two blocks against the Sharks (though he was a minus-two on the night). Of note, both of his points for the week came on the power-play, a unit which has quietly scored in four-straight games, going a scorching five-for-seven over that span.
Jason Chimera		Had an assist against the Sharks and was even on the night, breaking a string of three-straight minus-1's. Chimera's once-torrid goal pace has slowed (he's found the back of the net in just one of his last 13 games played), and the shots have dried up a bit as well - only two shots on goal in the last sixgames for Chimmer.
Jeff Halpern		On the ice for two goals-against (one while shorthanded), none for, and a woeful 36% on draws against the Sharks (after a 59% outing against the Flames) is almost enough to earn a down arrow... but getting trucked by Douglas Murray was enough of an indignity that we won't pile on.
Matt Hendricks		Missed an opportunity, perhaps, to do his thing in the wake of Bourque-on-Backstrom... but with one goal, no assists and five fights since October 22, what, exactly, is Hendricks' thing these days anyway?
Marcus Johansson		A pair of helpers in the win over the Flames were somewhat diminished by a minus-2 night against the Sharks (and the first two goals-against he'd been on the ice for in four games). But with four points in his last five games (and on the ice for four of the Caps' five goals last week), MoJo does seem to have a bit of his, um, groove back. Heck, he even won 11 of the 20 draws he took.
Mike Knuble		No points, two minor penalties and not much else, despite getting some better minutes.
Brooks Laich		Laich has gone six games without a point and is a minus-three over that span, and collected his one goal and one assist over the past 11 games in the same game. The Caps don't need a ton of offense out of Laich, but they need more than that.
Alex Ovechkin		Ran his point streak to seven games with a goal and an assist against the Flames, but had that streak snapped in San Jose, where he also had a minus-three hung on him. Still, being on the ice for 11 of the Caps' last 14 goals (and pointing on eight of 'em), it's pretty clear that as 8 goes, so go the Caps. Duh.
Mathieu Perreault		Returned to action against the Sharks and didn't get that famed "Return of Perreault" boost - it's now been 19 games for Mathieu without a goal.
Alexander Semin		Sat out against Calgary (due to injury) and may very well have had another night off in San Jose (due to other-than-injury) if not for Backstrom's inability to go. Instead, Semin played, picked up an assist, got destroyed by Jesse Winchester and made a defensive play on Marc-Edouard Vlasic that was softer than Jason Mraz doing an acoustic cover of an Elton John tune. All in a night's work.
Joel Ward		Scored his first goal since November 5 and broke a three-game shot-less streak with a trio in San Jose. Ward's goal was actually the first Caps tally he'd been on the ice for since December 17 in Colorado. Like Laich, the Caps don't need much offense from Ward... but they do need more than the one point he's provided in the last ten games.

Our weekly look at individual Washington Capitals' ups and downs¹:

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Michal Neuvirth		It didn't take long to see that Dale Hunter is an ardent believer in "win and you're in" for his goaltenders. Neuvirth didn't... and hasn't been since. Of course, that's not entirely his fault...
Tomas Vokoun		Three starts (including a pair on back-to-back nights), three wins, and a sparkling 1.33 goals against average and .957 save percentage to go along with that trio of much-needed victories. Throw in his relief appearance last Monday and Vokoun has stopped 106 of the last 111 shots he's faced (.954). Stout. Oh, and he added a power-play assist against the Sabres, which is like a pitcher hitting a homerun.
Defensemen
Karl Alzner		On the ice for three of the four goals the Caps allowed for the week (and eight of the last 11 overall), but also on for five Caps goals, two of which he assisted on, giving the Caps' plus/minus leader four helpers in his last seven games, a new single-season career-high in assists and as many points as he had in that career year one season ago.
John Carlson		On ice for all four goals-against and has gone ten games without a goal of his own... but there's no real need for concern.
John Erskine		Pointless in December (and in his last 16 games overall), Erskine ended the month as a healthy scratch in C'bus after a pair of low-minute/low-impact efforts earlier in the week.
Mike Green		Targeting a return to the lineup at some point this week, and when he plays it will be just his second game since October 22, the last game in the team's season-opening seven-game win streak. It's hard to overstate Mike Green's importance to the Caps' success.
Roman Hamrlik		Jumping into the play and picking up points (a helper in each of the last two games) and pluses (plus-four in those last two). But if you want a stat that's really going to blow your mind, here it is - in 11 games since the coaching change, Hamrlik has been on the ice for just two goals-against (after being on for 31 in 22 games under Bruce Boudreau).
Dmitry Orlov		The points will come, but the poise is already there. Orlov did pick up an assist against the Jackets, but now has just one shot on goal - and seven misses - in his last seven games. Get 'em on net, Dima.
Tom Poti		Is anyone else surprised that we haven't heard a quote from Poti on Green's persistent lower-body injury woes? If anyone would be able to offer some insight here, you'd think it'd be Number Three.
Jeff Schultz		Played! Got credited with a hit and a blocked shot! But probably hasn't done enough to change anyone's mind with regards to his role on this team... though they have won four of the last five games he's played and just two of the last five for which Erskine's dressed (but correlation isn't causation and all that).
Dennis Wideman		Was on the ice for seven of the 11 goals the Caps scored last week and was only on for a single goal-against, capping a plus-five week with the game-winning goal, an assist and four blocked shots in Columbus to ring in the New Year.
Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom		Had the Friday night game-winner, an assist in each game, and a plus-four rating for a week spent centering a pair of highly-skilled Russians. You'd like to see more shots (one on goal for the week), a better face-off percentage (46% over the three games) and some power-play scoring (he didn't have a hand in either of the week's extra-man tallies), but the overall production was there.
Jay Beagle		Returned to the lineup after missing 31 games with a concussion (and the associated unpleasant symptoms and whatnot), which is an achievement unto itself, but he'll have to do more than just show up to get a sweater on a regular basis going forward.
Troy Brouwer		Scored the game-winner against the Rangers and took the Sabres' top defenseman off the ice for five minutes (and, unfortunately, a lot more than that) on Friday night. He's been shuffled around quite a bit, line-wise, but keeps delivering the same honest effort night-in, night-out.
Jason Chimera		Firing just one shot on net in the last four games is no way to hold on to the team lead in goals, Chimmer.
Cody Eakin		Rewarded for strong play down on the farm with a call-up, a dozen low-impact shifts against C'bus, and a quick return to Hershey. Happy New Year!
Jeff Halpern		One assist and a plus-three rating for the second- or third- or whatever line center doesn't sound like much, but winning 73% of defensive-zone draws (65% overall) and being on for nary a goal-against is exactly what you hope Halpern will give you.
Matt Hendricks		It's been 26 games since Hendricks recorded an assist and he has just one goal on the season, but four hits in each of last week's three games gives an indication that he's at least delivering in that part of his game.
Marcus Johansson		Broke a lengthy goal-scoring drought against the Rangers and added a helper against the Jackets, but has been shifted to the wing for the most part, raising some eyebrows.
Mike Knuble		A one-goal/one-assist (neither of which came last week) December coming on the heels of a no-goal/one-assist November, all the while playing largely fourth-line minutes with next-to-no power-play time... is this really tenable? I suppose the last two months indicate that it is.
Brooks Laich		No points and a minus-two for the week, Laich needs to produce a bit more offense while continuing to provide solid defensive efforts. A lot to ask? Not at that salary.
Alex Ovechkin		2005-2009 called; it wants its Ovi back. Ovechkin earned "Second Star of the Week" honors after he posted three two-point games in a row (including a pair of two-goal efforts to end the calendar year), marking the first time he's done that since November, 2010 and the first time he's had four goals in a two-game span since the end of the 2009-10 season. Ovechkin was on the ice for eight of the last nine goals the Caps scored last week, averaged four shots and three hits per game, and has seen a spike in his SWAGGER/60. More, please.
Mathieu Perreault		Missed the week after damn-near impaling himself along the boards in Buffalo, but it doesn't seem as if the coaching staff is in any great hurry to pop him back into the lineup.
Alexander Semin		Two goals against the Rangers, a pair of assists against the Sabres, and another tally against the Jackets close out a month of December that matched his combined totals (five goals, five assists) for October and November for Semin. Maybe he remembered that he could sign another contract extension once January 1 rolled around...
Joel Ward		What's going on with JWard? He's not killing penalties, he's certainly not scoring (no points in his last eight games, no goals in his last 25)... among the forwards, he seems to have taken the biggest turn for the worst under Hunter.

¹ Though the first Caps/Sabres game last week took place, uh, last week, it was covered in last week's Ups and Downs and thus isn't included in this week's analysis... which makes this week's Ups and Downs even more enjoyable.

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

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Michal Neuvirth		Was chased after giving up three goals on six shots last night, but he's been strong otherwise, backstopping the Caps to one of their better performances against Nashville and then keeping things as close as he possibly could against the Devils to allow a comeback. In the last two weeks he's seen his save percentage creep up from .873 to .887, his GAA from a terrifying 3.76 to a slightly less terrifying 3.24. Keep climbing, Neuvy.
Tomas Vokoun		Came in to relieve Neuvirth against the Sabres and had a pretty decent outing, turning aside all but one shot he faced through two and a half periods and stopping the bleeding when the team needed him to. He doesn't sound too thrilled about the fact that he's spent so much time on the bench of late, though. Ruh-roh.
Defensemen
Karl Alzner		Coming into last night's game Alzner was on the ice for just two goals-against this week... and then proceeded to get a front row seat to three of Buffalo's four goals in the first period. Ouch. But he did pick up his ninth assist - and tenth point - of the season against Nashville, putting him just one assist and two points shy of his career-best totals in each category.
John Carlson		Was on for five goals-against (including the Predators' lone tally Tuesday night) and just one goal-for, and somehow still managed to finish the week a plus-one and added an assist while leading the Caps in ice time against his former hometown team.
John Erskine		Took a seat in the pressbox against Nashville and then made a triumphant return to the lineup in Newark that saw him take not one but two penalties (and recapture the team lead in PIMs from Semin). Managed to not be on the ice for a goal-against in his limited ice time, though, so that's something.
Mike Green		Skated last Monday for the first time since early December and continued to skate the rest of the week, including taking in some practice time with the team... could his return be far off?
Roman Hamrlik		Finally picked up his first assist as a Cap (a season after putting up 29 shiny red apples with Montreal) and finished the week a plus-two, marking the first week since early October in which he's had a positive plus-minus rating. He was having such a good week... right up until he shot the puck off the rink in the opening ten seconds against the Sabres, finding himself in the penalty box for the first of four Buffalo goals. So close, Hamr.
Dmitry Orlov		Saw his ice time dip a little (down from an average of 19 minutes to around 16.5), registered just one shot on goal in three games and was on for the same number of goals-for (2) as goals-against, but continues to exhibit poise well beyond his years with the puck.
Tom Poti		...who?
Jeff Schultz		Finally returned to the lineup against the Predators, but was essentially benched after a defensive miscue and back in the doghouse pressbox against New Jersey and Buffalo. We're all for teaching and using ice time as a carrot, but knowing just one mistake sends you out of the lineup can't be good for a guy's confidence... can it?
Dennis Wideman		Picked up three assists - including two on the power play, believe it or not - in a week that saw him on the ice for five goals-for and just three against, and continues to be one of Coach Hunter's workhorses on the blue line with around 25 minutes (and sometimes more) a night.
Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom		Had an assist in Buffalo and stepped it up in a big way against Nashville, combining with Ovechkin and Semin to put on a show for the hometown fans and picking up career goal #99 in the process. Balanced that out with a fairly invisible performance vs. New Jersey, though... except when he was too visible, taking an undisciplined, power play-negating penalty.
Jay Beagle		Is now practicing regularly with the team and just needs to get back in game shape. Great news.
Troy Brouwer		Scored his first goal in about two weeks, a cherry-on-the-icing-on-the-cake power play goal against Nashville, and was on for four of the Caps' nine goals this week (without being dinged for one against until last night's opening tally).
Jason Chimera		Continues his hilarious reign as Brodeur-killer, picking up his fifth and sixth goals in the last seven games against the Devils' netminder. Aside from getting into Marty's head, those two goals helped the Caps force overtime and earn a much-needed point in the standings - and put him back on top in the team's goal-scoring race. And this bizarre season continues...
Jeff Halpern		Thanks to some line-juggling that put him on the third line (and a steady stream of penaly-killing work), Halpern turned in a season-high 18:05 of ice time against the Preds... but was back down in the 12-minute range against New Jersey and below 11 minutes in Buffalo. His schizophrenic week extended into the faceoff circle, as well, as Halpern was a dominant 14-for-19 on Tuesday before going an uncharacteristic 2-for-8 Friday night and 1-for-5 on Monday.
Matt Hendricks		Earned almost as much ice time against Buffalo as he had against Nashville and New Jersey combined, and finally picked up his first goal of the season last night (and first point in over two months) by *gasp* going to the net.
Marcus Johansson		Was shifted to the wing alongside Backstrom and Semin, a move which paid off almost immediately with a two-assist performance (including another of those amazing drop passes) in their first game together - his first multi-point game since picking up a goal and an assist against Tampa back in October. Which is more surprising, that or the fact that he registered a shot on goal in three straight games for the first time since early November?
Mike Knuble		Celebrated his 1000th NHL game against the Predators with a season-low 10:07 of ice time... that is until the next game, where he skated just under 9 minutes. At this point it's gone from surprising to bewildering to just plain depressing. Free Knuble.
Brooks Laich		Won just over 50% of his faceoffs, finished a plus-four on the week, and played a huge role in the Caps' near-comeback against New Jersey, breaking Marty's shutout in the third period and then setting up Chimera for the game-tying goal.
Alex Ovechkin		His team has come out flat on the road - repeatedly - and if he's going to be a "lead by example" captain he needs to set the tone and make that unacceptable. Still, he had an Ovechkin-esque goal against Nashville, a bomb of a power play tally in Buffalo and an assist against the Devils in a week that saw him fire 29 shots on or toward the net, all while looking more and more like the old Ovechkin... even if he is on the "second" line.
Mathieu Perreault		Went two games and thirty-nine minutes without making much of an impact at all, for better or for worse - no goals, no assists, no penalty minutes, even plus-minus rating, etc. He then proceeded to cram all the excitement for the week into about twenty minutes in Buffalo in which he picked up an assist on a late-period goal, impaled himself on his stick and took a charging penalty. Get well soon, Mathieu.
Alexander Semin		Despite his poor decision-making that likely resulted in Nashville's only goal, Semin was part of the shining star trio against the Predators, scoring a laser of a top shelf goal to give the Caps back their two-goal lead and reclaim any momentum that may have shifted. He also was one of the better players for the Caps during their third period comeback in Newark and assisted on two of the three goals. Heck, even his penalty was rather badass. Would like to see more than one shot out of him in a game in which his team trailed by four, though...
Joel Ward		Has just one assist in his last seven games, took a penalty against his old team (and another one in front of Momma Ward last night, tsk tsk) and skated a season-low 9:58 against the Sabres. It's not that he's playing badly per se - and he wasn't on for any goals-against, which is good - but he's not having much of an impact right now, either.

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

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Michal Neuvirth		Shutout the Jets on Thursday to earn a Saturday start in Colorado in which he allowed a fluke soft once-in-a-lifetime bad questionable goal-against and another to take a hard-luck loss. But two starts, a 1.01 goals against average and a .963 save percentage (including seven stops on seven shots against in 12 shorthanded minutes) certainly deserve an up arrow for the week.
Tomas Vokoun		After a four-game, 2.27/.929 run which featured three games in which he allowed just two goals against, you might have thought Vokoun was out of the woods. You'd have been wrong, as two routine shots and two unlucky deflections found their way through the Caps' elder Czech netminder and into the net against Philly in just forty minutes of work. But the run-up to that shellacking was somewhat encouraging, so let's chalk it up to (another) bump in the road.
Defensemen
Karl Alzner		Tied a career-high with four shots on goal against the Jets (breaking a streak of eight-consecutive games with exactly one shot on goal), blocked three shots in each of the week's last two games, played 8:09 on the penalty kill without being scored upon, and held the Flyers' top line in check. It's hard to ask for much more from King Karl.
John Carlson		It's odd to see Alzner and his partner headed in different directions for the week, but a pair of minus-2's (minus-four for the week), no points, just one shot on goal, and on the ice for four (of the seven) goals-against and none (of the three) -for will do that.
John Erskine		The minutes have been small and his impact smaller, as Erskine averaged less than 11 minutes per game for the week, five seconds of which have come on the penalty kill.
Mike Green		Met the team in Denver, where he was seeing a specialist about his injured groin, but remains on the shelf for the foreseeable future, which is particularly brutal given that the Caps' power play continues to sputter along, going 7-for-65 (which includes a 4-for-6 game) since he last played.
Roman Hamrlik		More of the same at the offensive end from Hamrlik, who once scored 65 points in a season, had 34 last year, but doesn't have a point in his last 21 games for the Caps. Things have looked up a bit for the veteran blueliner in the defensive zone, but he's still dead last on the team in plus-minus.
Dmitry Orlov		Back-to-back two-shot performances to start the week and a helper to end it would seem to reflect a defender who's feeling more comfortable with each passing game, and an average of 19 minutes per game over those three would indicate that the coaching staff is feeling similarly about their young Russian rearguard.
Tom Poti		Nothing to report.
Jeff Schultz		Jeff Schultz is a man without a country, unable to get a sweater even after the team surrendered five goals to Philly. Bizarre.
Dennis Wideman		Can the power-play woes be pinned on Wideman? Of course not. But with 10:48 of ice time on a unit that went 0-for-9 on the week, he's certainly not blameless. In his own end, Wideman was on the ice for three of the five goals-against in Tuesday night's blowout, but played the next two games without being on for an opposing tally.
Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom		Down week for the Caps' best player to date, as he registered just one point (albeit a big one) via the secondary assist on the game-winner in the 'Peg, failed to get anything going on the power play, and won just 43% of his draws (and just 36% in the two road games). On the plus side, at least he didn't hurt the team defensively, on the ice for just one Vokoun softy for the week and providing some solid penalty killing.
Jay Beagle		Getting closer to a return, upon which his job will be to provide energy, energy and more energy to a team that could certainly use the infusion.
Troy Brouwer		Moved off the top line five games ago, Brouwer responded with a Gordie Howe Hat Trick... and nothing since. It's hard to envision that changing much if he isn't playing with at least one of the trio of über-skilled Caps that currently constitute the top line.
Jason Chimera		Like most of his teammates, Chimera has a bit of a goal-scoring drought going, with his standing at five games, which probably wouldn't warrant mention if he wasn't the team's leading goal-getter. Four shots on goal in each of the last two games show that the effort's there.
Cody Eakin		With limited minutes (and effectiveness) and a healthy scratch in Colorado, it was pretty clear that Eakin's first stint in D.C. was drawing to a close. But he'll be back before too long.
Jeff Halpern		The Caps scored three goals last week and Halpern was on the ice for two of the three, scoring in garbage, err, pride time against Philly. Halpern also took care of business in his own end, finishing the week plus-two, as he wasn't on for a single one of the seven opposition tallies. In his last half-dozen games, Halpern now has two goals, two assists and a plus-five rating - it's like Hanukkah come early!
Matt Hendricks		Returned to the lineup to face the team that gave him his first taste of NHL action and proceeded to get in a fight with an old pal. Unfortunately for Hendricks, it seems it's going to take a lot more than that to spark this team.
Marcus Johansson		Made a beautiful, patient drop-pass on the game-winner Thursday night and actually won 58% of his draws on the week, but his 17-game goal-less streak is a bit concerning, and it may not end any time soon if he doesn't start shooting more - he's failed to register even a single shot on goal in eight of his last 11 games and 11 of his last 14. Needless to say, as second-line center, he's one of the big losers when the team ices an "eggs in one basket" top line.
Mike Knuble		One goal, two assists, minus-9 in his last 22 games, no shots on goal in either of the last two... we'd give him a down arrow, but skating on the fourth line, how much more should reasonably be expected? Maybe Dale Hunter just really, really, really hates the 1998 Red Wings.
Brooks Laich		Laich was on the ice for three goals-against and none -for on the week and won just 38% of his draws in the two road games (including just three of 11 in the defensive zone). But he keeps firing the biscuit (11 shots on goal) and doing yeoman's work on the kill, so at least he's contributing.
Alex Ovechkin		Scored a goal - the only one of the game - in Winnipeg, and fired 13 shots on goal for the week, but he's simply got to do more than that. At this point, I don't think anyone would care if he never set foot in the defensive zone again if he could just figure out a way to get the power-play on track (not that one should necessarily impact the other, of course).
Mathieu Perreault		Had a minus-two rating against the Flyers (one of which was earned as he deflected the puck past his own netminder), and a minor penalty in each of the next two games before leaving the Colorado tilt with a mystery ailment (perhaps "bad sushi"?)
Alexander Semin		Broke an eight-game goal-less spell for the team's only tally against the Avs, but that was it for a week that included a minus-three/five-hit game against Philly. Fun fact: Semin's goal on Saturday was his first in his last 22 December games.
Joel Ward		Like Halpern, was on the ice for two of the three goals the Caps scored for the week, assisting on both. He was also on for just one goal-against. That's good enough for an up arrow this week.