Still Waters


First things first, Washington's trade dud-line.

Was it a whiff by George McPhee?

Unable to offload assets who are clearly in the dog-house. Unable to add any of the missing elements this team truly needed to add for a playoff push.

What gives?

Truth be told, nothing. Nothing gave whatsoever.

It was that brutal of a deadline that the reality of parting with whatever enticing assets the Caps had to acquire help was simply not worth it.

In that same vein, what was being offered up, if anything, for any of the Capitals maligned players was clearly of no interest to McPhee.

So what really happened?

With Nicklas Backstrom's salary hitting the LTIR on trade deadline day, excitement spiked as it indicated the Capitals were opening up room for an acquisition.

What that acquisition would be no one was sure of, yet with Nicklas Backstrom, the Capitals lone bona fide 1st line center, now out for the remainder of the regular season, the emphasis was likely on pursuing a temporary replacement.

Considering that need, once Jeff Carter found his way to Los Angeles at the price he went for, the odds of Washington turning a bargain for some help up the middle became very slim.

With little out there to begin with, and with the Caps having added "depth" during the off-season, the market for impact players was too lofty for Washington.

To part with a Cody Eakin or a Braden Holtby for temporary help would have been madness, while there was obviously little interest in anything off the roster.

It's sad to say, but the Caps made their bed when they added those assets this past summer and with as stagnant a deadline as the one we just witnessed, it's clear they're now forced to sleep in it.

It's a dangerous situation as this has been one heckuva volatile season.

The coaching change, the obvious stressors which have fractured this team and the injuries have put a damper on what was supposed to be a year where hope was to be restored.

Instead, it's pins and needles and eggshells all around as no one really knows what will happen with this team if they miss the playoffs.

It's a fear that is wreaking havoc on the team's confidence, yet it's also an element they must harness. To salvage this season, they are going to need to capitalize on the adversity and remember what it was like to be the underdogs.

There was once a time when the core of this Caps squad was forced to prove they were more than what people believed they were. Ironically, they are right back in that situation thanks to the season they have had.

It's a tough call as to whether or not they'll be able to do it, yet there's no denying the reality that the pressure this time around is ten-fold what it was four years ago.


Caps vs Devils


A playoff opponent.

An actual challenge.

If the Caps have any hopes of restoring faith in themselves, it's going to come in with a big win over a team that is safely in the playoff picture.

Forget that it's the Devils, the Caps biggest concern is that this is the quality of competition they need to rise above for the remainder of the month if they plan on seeing hockey in late April.

A bonus comes in the form of tonight's contest being a home game.

Entertaining New Jersey in what is the second game of a five game homestand for the Caps, this stretch of hockey may be Washington's most important.

Why it's so important lies in the fact that home ice is the only place these Capitals have played up to their potential.

With a 21-8-2 record at the Verizon Center, Washington boasts the 2nd best home record in the Eastern Conference, and while that certainly bodes well for the playoffs, it will only come in handy if they can supplant the Jets (or Panthers) for the top spot in the Southeast division.

Otherwise, there's reason to panic.

With a road record of 11-18-3, the Caps have simply been the polar opposite of themselves when away from the VC.

Given that this marks game #32 of 41 on home ice for the Caps, there's little else to emphasize other than for them to continue winning at home as it just might be the only hope they have for making the playoffs.

Having collected 44 of a possible 62 points on home ice, the Caps are projected to add another 14 or so points at the VC before the end of the season. At that rate, the Caps would still be on the outside looking in at the end of the month.

So, even at their current rate, if the Caps don't improve on their 25 points away from home, the playoffs may be a moot point.

Producing points on the road at a rate of .39 per game, the Caps may only wind up with 7 more points away from home.

Combining the two projected totals will have Washington sitting at 90 points at the end of the regular season, meaning that between now and game #82, Washington is going to need to improve their winning percentage.

It may very well come down to one or two games for this team, and with the next four games coming at home, beginning tonight against a legit rival in the New Jersey Devils, there is no better time than the present for these Capitals to get on a winning streak.



www.twitter.com/StevenHindle

Join the Discussion: » 7 Comments » Post New Comment

» Realignment Opens Door to Many Possibilities...

» Caps Extend Holtby & Erskine for 2 More Years

» Runaway Train

» Time for a Look in the Mirror

» Who Are These Guys?