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Washington Capitals Blogger •
Caps Vs. Blue Jackets
The Capitals square off with the Columbus Blue Jackets this afternoon in a rare late-afternoon game at 5pm at the Verizon Center.
The storyline for this afternoon's game is quite simple: Washington failed to score a single goal against these upstart Blue Jackets all of last year, losing both games by identical 3-0 scores, so, obviously, the Caps have got to SCORE!
Considering how dominant on offense the Caps have been over the last 2 years under Boudreau, it's rather remarkable to think that Steve Mason and the Jackets were able to stifle Mr.Ovechkin and company so easily.
The difference this season is that Steve Mason has not been as stellar as he was last season. The reigning NHL Rookie of the Year, Mason has apparently begun to suffer from the sophomore jinx as his current numbers do not even place him in the top 20 netminders in the league. Of course, it's still too early to say that Mason is truly suffering from the 2nd year jinx, or that he has played his way out of contention for Team Canada, but for the Jackets to repeat and improve on their successes from last year they will need the young goaltender to round into shape post-haste.
Given the fact that Mason hasn't been as good as he was last year, that doesn't mean these Jackets are not going to be a hand full for the Capitals.
Columbus currently sits in a 3-way tie with the Predators and Red Wings for 2nd in the Central divison with 13 points in 12 games. The fact that Rick Nash has been explosive out of the gate(8-9-17) has helped the Jackets thus far, but after they went 5-1 in their first 6 games, the Jackets have now gone 1-4-1 in their last 6 games and are coming off of a 4-3 shootout loss to the Penguins where they blew a solid lead late in the game.
Washington, on the other hand, has collected 13 out of a possible 14 points in their last 7 games and are working on a strong start to the season that has them safely in 1st place in the Southeast division with a record of 8-2-3 in 13 games. The Caps 19 points are second only to the Penguins 22 in the East and have them tied with the Sharks for 2nd in points in the NHL(Pitts-22, Col-22, SJ-22, WSH-19).
Coming off of a 4-3 overtime loss to the streaking Islanders, the Caps are still working on perfecting their game. Defensive miscues and some miscommunications have led to the majority of Washington's break-downs this season and, although the team is cruising right along, Boudreau is extremely focused on working out the kinks in the system as early as possible so that the Caps can start focusing on becoming a solid playoff team.
Alex Ovechkin is off to the hottest start in his career, having racked up 23 points in 13 games in October and is only starting to pick up steam.
I don't know about you folks, but it appears to me that #8 seems to be stronger and faster this year. I am not sure if it is just Alex growing into his adult frame or if it has anything to do with his training, but he certainly seems more powerful and determined.
Other bright spots for the Caps over their recent 6 game winning streak have been the play of both netminders. Jose Theodore, who will likely get the start this afternoon versus Steve Mason, has had a much stronger start than many would have expected while his rookie counter-part, Semyon Varlamov, has also begun to work out the jitters, collecting 4 wins in his last 4 starts.
Brendan Morrison and Mike Knuble are working out perfectly and have seemingly fit in with the team's systems without a problem. Morrison is enjoying his strongest start to a season since he played alongside Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi all those years ago in Vancouver while Knuble has been the resounding answer to the Caps need for a big-body who isn't afraid to get dirty in front of the net and can shovel in rebounds at ease.
Finally, Mike Green, the Capitals most severely scrutinized defender, has rebounded into form after a slow start through his first 5 games and has now collected points in 8 straight games, earning 2 goals and 8 assists during his recent streak, giving him 10 points on the season.
Brooks Laich has also had a very successful beginning to the year with 12 points in 13 games, while Jeff Schultz finally seems to be showing sparks of progress and development. Milan Jurcina has also been impressively solid.
Although many of the players on the team are having great starts, guys like Alex Semin, Tom Poti and Shaone Morrisonn have struggled. Considering the Caps are searching for a way to get the team to play solid systems and to settle down defensively, it would be of great importance for these players to step up. Semin, not exactly known for his defensive prowess, has cooled down alot since he was out of the lineup for a couple games with an illness and has yet to seemingly regain his energy and speed. It always takes a little while to recover from a physically draining illness, so I am sure that Alex will begin to see his game turn around in the very near future.
The key for tonight's game is obviously finding a way to beat Stever Mason. Once the Caps can find a way to put a puck past the Jackets netminder, then they can take their game plan to the next level, that level being winning by playing strong hockey to preserve a lead.
Columbus will be a big test so the Caps must be entirely focused and prepared.
Game Notes
Lineups
Washington Capitals
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble
Laich-Morrison-Semin
Fleischmann-Aucoin-Clark
Sloan-Steckel-Bradley
Morrisonn-Green
Poti-Jurcina
Schultz-Pothier
*Theodore
Varlamov
- It looks like Jose will get his 2nd consecutive start. He is off to a very hot start and has continuously been given votes of confidence by his coach and team-mates so it comes as no surprise that Theo will be between the pipes.
- Eric Fehr(ribs), Boyd Gordon(back spasms) and John Erskine(hand) continue to be sidelined but are all nearing a return.
- Michael Nylander's conditioning stint in Grand Rapids is coming to a close. He has collected 1 goal and 5 pp assists in 4 games, including a +3. The Griffins did not lose during Nyls short trip to Grand Rapids and only appeared to be getting into gear during his last game. It should be beyond interesting to see where this situation goes now?
Columbus Blue Jackets
Huselius-Vermette-Nash
Umberger-Brassard-Voracek
Chimera-Pahlsson-Dorsett
Torres-Blunden-Filatov.
Tyutin-Stralman
Klesla-Methot
Commodore-Russell
*Mason
Garon
- Lineup obtained from Puck Rakers. It is to be noted that this is the lineup that the Jackets used in their last game against the Penguins. It also to be noted, I believe, that Nikita Filatov, wound up being a healthy scratch that night in favor of Jared Boll.
- Speaking of Filatov, it's interesting to note that he keeps getting scratched by Ken Hitchcock. Obviously the young speedster has yet to mature into his adult frame and is being held back by this, but if he is smart, and works hard to add some muscle mass, this kid can wind up being the key to the Jackets success further into the season.
That's all for now, I will check back with any updates if I get them.
Enjoy the game! Puck drop is @ 5pm.
steven.hindle@hockeybuzz.com
capitalshockeybuzz@live.ca
Go Caps!!!!
The Capitals square off with the Columbus Blue Jackets this afternoon in a rare late-afternoon game at 5pm at the Verizon Center.
The storyline for this afternoon's game is quite simple: Washington failed to score a single goal against these upstart Blue Jackets all of last year, losing both games by identical 3-0 scores, so, obviously, the Caps have got to SCORE!
Considering how dominant on offense the Caps have been over the last 2 years under Boudreau, it's rather remarkable to think that Steve Mason and the Jackets were able to stifle Mr.Ovechkin and company so easily.
The difference this season is that Steve Mason has not been as stellar as he was last season. The reigning NHL Rookie of the Year, Mason has apparently begun to suffer from the sophomore jinx as his current numbers do not even place him in the top 20 netminders in the league. Of course, it's still too early to say that Mason is truly suffering from the 2nd year jinx, or that he has played his way out of contention for Team Canada, but for the Jackets to repeat and improve on their successes from last year they will need the young goaltender to round into shape post-haste.
Given the fact that Mason hasn't been as good as he was last year, that doesn't mean these Jackets are not going to be a hand full for the Capitals.
Columbus currently sits in a 3-way tie with the Predators and Red Wings for 2nd in the Central divison with 13 points in 12 games. The fact that Rick Nash has been explosive out of the gate(8-9-17) has helped the Jackets thus far, but after they went 5-1 in their first 6 games, the Jackets have now gone 1-4-1 in their last 6 games and are coming off of a 4-3 shootout loss to the Penguins where they blew a solid lead late in the game.
Washington, on the other hand, has collected 13 out of a possible 14 points in their last 7 games and are working on a strong start to the season that has them safely in 1st place in the Southeast division with a record of 8-2-3 in 13 games. The Caps 19 points are second only to the Penguins 22 in the East and have them tied with the Sharks for 2nd in points in the NHL(Pitts-22, Col-22, SJ-22, WSH-19).
Coming off of a 4-3 overtime loss to the streaking Islanders, the Caps are still working on perfecting their game. Defensive miscues and some miscommunications have led to the majority of Washington's break-downs this season and, although the team is cruising right along, Boudreau is extremely focused on working out the kinks in the system as early as possible so that the Caps can start focusing on becoming a solid playoff team.
Alex Ovechkin is off to the hottest start in his career, having racked up 23 points in 13 games in October and is only starting to pick up steam.
I don't know about you folks, but it appears to me that #8 seems to be stronger and faster this year. I am not sure if it is just Alex growing into his adult frame or if it has anything to do with his training, but he certainly seems more powerful and determined.
Other bright spots for the Caps over their recent 6 game winning streak have been the play of both netminders. Jose Theodore, who will likely get the start this afternoon versus Steve Mason, has had a much stronger start than many would have expected while his rookie counter-part, Semyon Varlamov, has also begun to work out the jitters, collecting 4 wins in his last 4 starts.
Brendan Morrison and Mike Knuble are working out perfectly and have seemingly fit in with the team's systems without a problem. Morrison is enjoying his strongest start to a season since he played alongside Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi all those years ago in Vancouver while Knuble has been the resounding answer to the Caps need for a big-body who isn't afraid to get dirty in front of the net and can shovel in rebounds at ease.
Finally, Mike Green, the Capitals most severely scrutinized defender, has rebounded into form after a slow start through his first 5 games and has now collected points in 8 straight games, earning 2 goals and 8 assists during his recent streak, giving him 10 points on the season.
Brooks Laich has also had a very successful beginning to the year with 12 points in 13 games, while Jeff Schultz finally seems to be showing sparks of progress and development. Milan Jurcina has also been impressively solid.
Although many of the players on the team are having great starts, guys like Alex Semin, Tom Poti and Shaone Morrisonn have struggled. Considering the Caps are searching for a way to get the team to play solid systems and to settle down defensively, it would be of great importance for these players to step up. Semin, not exactly known for his defensive prowess, has cooled down alot since he was out of the lineup for a couple games with an illness and has yet to seemingly regain his energy and speed. It always takes a little while to recover from a physically draining illness, so I am sure that Alex will begin to see his game turn around in the very near future.
The key for tonight's game is obviously finding a way to beat Stever Mason. Once the Caps can find a way to put a puck past the Jackets netminder, then they can take their game plan to the next level, that level being winning by playing strong hockey to preserve a lead.
Columbus will be a big test so the Caps must be entirely focused and prepared.
Game Notes
Mason’s brick wall – Washington and Columbus met twice last year and both games ended as 3-0 wins for the Blue Jackets. The Caps fired a combined 71 shots, which included 18 from Alex Ovechkin, on Columbus goalie and Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason, but could not score. On Sunday, the Caps will have to find a way to solve Mason to end a two-game drought to the Blue Jackets.
Shining with the Capitals – Brendan Morrison’s nine points (four goals, five assists) in 13 games is the centerman’s most points to start a season since the 2005-06 season when he was with Vancouver. Last season, the 34 year old didn’t record his fourth goal until the 30th game of the season and recorded his ninth point in his 34th game of the season.
Blank stare –Washington enters tonight’s game having been held scoreless for 120 straight minutes by Columbus, since a 4-3 overtime win on Feb. 5, 2008. Chris Mason stopped 71 Capitals shots in two 3-0 wins last season. Before last season Alex Ovechkin had scored two goals in each of his two games against the Blue Jackets, including his NHL debut in 2005.
Ovi in October –Alex Ovechkin finished October with 14 goals, tied for the most he has scored in any month in his career (March 2008). Entering Saturday’s games he had 40% more goals and 60% more shots than anyone else in the NHL. Ovechkin, who matched Mario Lemieux’s NHL record with six two-goal games in October, has scored the first goal of a game four times, most in the league.
Another great 8 –Mike Green has points in eight straight games (2g-8a); only Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis (10 games) has a longer streak this season. It matches the longest point streak in Green’s career, previously set in his record-setting eight-game goal streak last season. After posting two points in his first five games, Green now ranks tied for third in scoring by a defenseman with 12 points in 13 games and leads all defensemen in shots on goal.
In a Flash –Tomas Fleischmann scored twice Friday night in just his second game of the season after recovering from a blood clot in his leg. A 19-goal scorer last season, Fleischmann entered this year with two two-goal games to his credit. He is the fifth Capital to record a two-goal game this season.
Innocent men –The Capitals have taken two or three minor penalties in three of their last four games.
Power surge –Washington is 5-for-15 (33%) on the power play in its last three games after producing at 16.7% through 10 games. The Capitals have scored two power-play goals in each of the last two games, the first times since the season opener.
Lineups
Washington Capitals
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble
Laich-Morrison-Semin
Fleischmann-Aucoin-Clark
Sloan-Steckel-Bradley
Morrisonn-Green
Poti-Jurcina
Schultz-Pothier
*Theodore
Varlamov
- It looks like Jose will get his 2nd consecutive start. He is off to a very hot start and has continuously been given votes of confidence by his coach and team-mates so it comes as no surprise that Theo will be between the pipes.
- Eric Fehr(ribs), Boyd Gordon(back spasms) and John Erskine(hand) continue to be sidelined but are all nearing a return.
- Michael Nylander's conditioning stint in Grand Rapids is coming to a close. He has collected 1 goal and 5 pp assists in 4 games, including a +3. The Griffins did not lose during Nyls short trip to Grand Rapids and only appeared to be getting into gear during his last game. It should be beyond interesting to see where this situation goes now?
Columbus Blue Jackets
Huselius-Vermette-Nash
Umberger-Brassard-Voracek
Chimera-Pahlsson-Dorsett
Torres-Blunden-Filatov.
Tyutin-Stralman
Klesla-Methot
Commodore-Russell
*Mason
Garon
- Lineup obtained from Puck Rakers. It is to be noted that this is the lineup that the Jackets used in their last game against the Penguins. It also to be noted, I believe, that Nikita Filatov, wound up being a healthy scratch that night in favor of Jared Boll.
- Speaking of Filatov, it's interesting to note that he keeps getting scratched by Ken Hitchcock. Obviously the young speedster has yet to mature into his adult frame and is being held back by this, but if he is smart, and works hard to add some muscle mass, this kid can wind up being the key to the Jackets success further into the season.
That's all for now, I will check back with any updates if I get them.
Enjoy the game! Puck drop is @ 5pm.
steven.hindle@hockeybuzz.com
capitalshockeybuzz@live.ca
Go Caps!!!!
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