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

Outlet	This Week	Last Week	What They're Saying
	-	20	Pending.
	18	14	For the Capitals to reach the 95-point mark, which is pretty much a guaranteed playoff spot, they're going to have to go 16-8 over their remaining 24 games (as of Monday). Over their past 24 games they're 12-9-3.
	19	18	The race of snails to the top of the Southeast Division continues, as the Caps can't take advantage of the Panthers' inconsistency because they themselves are the picture of inconsistency. Mike Green's return should prove a catalyst to more W's. "Should" being the operative word.
	17	15	Only four teams have fewer road wins than Washington’s ten. The Caps’ well has run dry recently with an offense that has scored more than two goals only once in five games.
	18	14	Wishy-washy Caps were 12-9-1 under former coach Bruce Boudreau, now 17-16-4 under replacement Dale Hunter
	-	15	The NHL only ranks the top sixteen teams, which means ... yeah.
	21	23	In a desperation-type of situation Monday night in Carolina -- with the Hurricanes missing their top goalie, Cam Ward -- the Caps went out and disgraced the game of hockey. A 5-0 loss -- the game wasn't as close as the score might indicate -- elicits the question: what went so wrong in Washington? Time remains to slip into a playoff spot, but these guys inspire little confidence. Last week: 1-2-0
	24	24	5-8-3 in their last 16 games, the Capitals are one point out of a playoff spot and they did get D Mike Green back in the lineup, which can't hurt a team that has scored a total of 10 goals in the last six games. Key Injuries: C Nicklas Backstrom (concussion).

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

Outlet	This Week	Last Week	What They're Saying
	-	15	Pending.
	14	13	His absence is still showing us just how important and valuable Nicklas Backstrom is to the Capitals.
	18	14	The Caps just can't win on the road. If they don't figure it out, they won't make the playoffs.
	15	14	If the Caps get both Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom back, all of a sudden they’re a team nobody wants to face in the first round.
	14	14	Mike Knuble a healthy scratch for two straight games; expect him to be traded if the pattern continues
	15	15	Following a home tilt with the Sharks, the Caps embark on a four-game road swing with stops in Florida and Ottawa. They need to win those games to stay in the playoff chase.
	23	17	They're edging closer to Buffalo as the league's most disappointing team of the season. They just don't play with enough passion, and their penalty-killing has been lousy (25th in the league). True, injuries are a valid excuse with Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green still out. But nothing has gone all that well, no matter who's been in the lineup. Last week: 1-2-1
	24	24	Alex Ovechkin recently tweeted about missing Nicklas Backstrom, but it's no secret -- the Caps are 7-7-3 (with a minus-5 goal differential) since Backstrom got clocked by Rene Bourque on January 3. Key Injuries: C Nicklas Backstrom (concussion), D Mike Green (groin).

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

Outlet	This Week	Last Week	What They're Saying
	-	13	Pending.
	-	12	One of the other stupid controversies from last week: Alex Ovechkin and the NHL All-Star game. Whether you agree with his decision to back out of the game or not, the fact remains that no matter what he did people were going to find a way to complain about it.
	14	14	The Capitals continue to stutter-step their way through the schedule, as they lost 4-1 to Boston on Sunday and still find themselves hovering around the playoff bubble one point back of Florida for the Southeast Division lead.
	14	15	Brooks Laich was tangled up on a hit by Dennis Seidenberg and will be re-evaluated Monday. There’s still no update on Nicklas Backstrom, who remains out with a concussion.
	14	11	Caps have just one shorthanded goal all season
	-	12	Thanks to a 5-2-1 run to the break, the Capitals have taken the lead in the Southeast away from the Panthers. Is it inevitable that they run away with the division now?
	17	15	Despite turmoil and a bunch of injuries (valuable forward Brooks Laich suffered a knee injury on Sunday and may be out a while), the Caps can move from ninth to third in the East with a victory over Florida on Tuesday night. We're very tentatively hitching a wagon to their Southeast title drive.
	24	17	How far has Alex Ovechkin fallen? He has three points in his last 10 games and hasn't been able to overtake Nicklas Backstrom in the Capitals' scoring race even though Backstrom hasn't played since January 3. Key Injuries: C Nicklas Backstrom (concussion), D Mike Green (groin), C Brooks Laich (knee).

Click on logos for links to full power rankings.

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

Outlet	This Week	Last Week	What They're Saying
	-	13	Pending.
	12	13	One of the other stupid controversies from last week: Alex Ovechkin and the NHL All-Star game. Whether you agree with his decision to back out of the game or not, the fact remains that no matter what he did people were going to find a way to complain about it.
	14	16	Can the Caps finally put away the pesky Panthers for the Southeast Division lead or will it be a race to the end?
	15	15	Alex Ovechkin : It always seems to be about Alex, doesn’t it? With injuries to Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green, Washington’s best players have to perform like their best players every single night. It starts with their captain.
	11	12	All-Star Game holdout Alex Ovechkin can make amends by leading Caps to another division title
	12	14	Thanks to a 5-2-1 run to the break, the Capitals have taken the lead in the Southeast away from the Panthers. Is it inevitable that they run away with the division now?
	-	15	Pending.
	-	17	Pending.

Click on logos for links to full power rankings.

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

Outlet	This Week	Last Week	What They're Saying
	13	15	The Capitals helped their cause entering the break by plucking three-out-four points in games against Pittsburgh and Boston.
	13	12	Surprising fact: Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Penguins was the first time this season that Alex Ovechkin had three points in a single game this season.
	16	13	Weekend losses to Carolina and Pittsburgh (in overtime) suggest reports that the Caps are back might be slightly premature.
	15	14	The Caps have shown some resiliency after having lost Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) and Mike Green (abdominal surgery). They’ll need production from their best players (Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin) when Boston visits Tuesday. Ed. note: No they won't.
	12	11	Caps have East's most impressive home record (17-6-1), but still struggle on the road (8-13-2)
	14	11	What a weird week. The Caps lose 3-0 twice to the Isles and 'Canes, win 3-0 vs. Montreal, then lose a great game in OT vs. Pittsburgh. They still look close to breaking out.
	15	14	They blew a win Sunday in Pittsburgh, and have to play their next three without Alex Ovechkin, who was suspended Monday by the NHL for his hit on Zbynek Michalek. You want to applaud Ovie for his old-school, rough-and-tumble style of play. On the other hand, you can't condone that kind of hit at all, and now it puts his team at a disadvantage right when it was starting to show signs of life again. It's just been that kind of season for the Caps, but they do remain in the East's top eight, which is better than a couple weeks ago.
	17	18	Think the Caps miss C Nicklas Backstrom? They're averaging 20.4 shots per game in the last eight, going 4-3-1 in that time. Tough to be a high-scoring offence without generating more shots than that. Key Injuries: C Nicklas Backstrom (concussion), D Mike Green (groin).

Click on logos for links to full power rankings.

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

Outlet	This Week	Last Week	What They're Saying
	15	18	The Capitals are back among the top-eight in the East, but their first shutout loss of the season to the Islanders on Tuesday did not help matters.
	12	14	The Capitals entered the week in the top spot in the Southeast Division, and it's not going to be much of a surprise if the regular season ends and they're the only team from the division to qualify for the playoffs.
	13	18	The Caps have won seven of their past 10 and, after spending seemingly an eternity away from the Southeast Division penthouse, are back in first place.
	14	14	The Caps will be cautious with All-Star snub Nicklas Backstrom, who hasn’t played since suffering a head injury on an elbow from Rene Bourque during a three-assist performance on Jan. 3.
	11	12	Alex Ovechkin has eight goals, 13 points in past 12 games
	11	13	Will he be physically able to play in the All-Star Game? Probably not, but Nicklas Backstrom should've at least had his terrific first half recognized.
	14	20	They've won three in a row and look ready to overtake Florida in the Southeast. On the downside, Mike Green needs abdominal surgery and will be out four-to-six weeks. But they've had to play without him much of the season already, so maybe they'll be able to better withstand his latest injury, find a way to win the division, and go into the playoffs with a healthy Green. That's the optimist's view.
	18	22	The Capitals are 7-2 in their last nine and G Tomas Vokoun has a .942 SV% during that span. Once they get Nicklas Backstrom back in the lineup, they might even be worthy of their current third seed in the East. Key Injuries: C Nicklas Backstrom (concussion), D Mike Green (groin).

Click on logos for links to full power rankings.

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

Outlet	This Week	Last Week	What They're Saying
	-	-	Pending.
	14	14	Over the past 10 games, Alex Ovechkin has been better than a point-per-game player, scoring eight goals to go with three assists, including a pair of two-goal performances in wins against Buffalo and Columbus (each decided by two goals).
	18	16	Getting pounded in San Jose on Saturday night takes the edge off the Caps' recent four-game winning streak, a stretch of play that represented their best under new coach Dale Hunter. The Caps still reside outside the playoff bracket as of Monday morning.
	14	15	Coach Dale Hunter may be without the services of defenseman Mike Green (groin) and leading scorer Nicklas Backstrom (head) for more than only a game or two.
	12	13	Mike Green's health a significant concern for this year and next; he's scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer
	13	15	Jason Chimera: He led the Caps in goals at times this season. He's on pace for about 27 goals, which would be 10 more than he had in his best season.
	20	17	Two utterly dismal West Coast losses stopped any momentum they had going. Of course, losing Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) and Mike Green (groin) didn't make things easier. Even with Green, their defense just isn't good enough, Without him, it's flat out bad.
	22	14	Had a four-game winning streak snapped in San Jose Saturday but, of greater importance, D Mike Green's return was short-lived and C Nicklas Backstrom remains out thanks to the concussion he suffered when elbowed by Calgary's Rene Bourque. Key Injuries: C Nicklas Backstrom (concussion), D Mike Green (groin).

Click on logos for links to full power rankings.

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

Outlet	This Week	Last Week	What They're Saying
	-	-	Pending.
	14	16	With three straight wins and Mike Green's return on the horizon, things might be starting to look up for the Capitals. When all is said and done this year, it's still going to be them on top of the Southeast Division.
	16	20	The Caps have their first three-game win streak under Dale Hunter.
	15	15	Alex Ovechkin has points in six straight (6-3=9) for the Caps, who appear to be emerging from the wilderness.
	13	14	Only two games for Caps between now and Monday, then seven in the following 12 days
	15	N/R	It looks like the Caps may have turned a corner. They've won three straight and are 5-2-1 in their past eight. Not coincidentally, Alex Ovechkin has seven goals and three assists during that time.
	17	23	They were down 2-0 to Columbus after two periods on Saturday night. Then Alex Ovechkin went into a phone booth, and though he didn't emerge as Superman, just being the old Ovie was good enough. The Caps got a 4-2 win, just the kind that shows character and toughness. But their slow start means they'll have many more such nights ahead that have to go a similarly fortuitous way.
	14	24	Alex Ovechkin has six goals and nine points during a six-game point streak, a span during which the Capitals have gone 4-1-1 and appear to be righting the ship. Getting D Mike Green back after a lengthy absence ought to help the power play too. Key Injuries: RW Alexander Semin (ankle).

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