|
|
Bloggers 
My HockeyBuzz
 Hockeybuzz on Versus
Cap Central
Fantasy
Forums
Store
Chat
RSS
|
Season Ticket Login Free Registration! |
Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 |
 |
|
Washington Capitals Blogger •
Game 4 Lineup Notes
Karl Alzner has been sent back to the Hershey Bears. Alzner, who was called up alongside Tyler Sloan on an emergency basis from the Hershey Bears, did not make it into any playoff action during his brief stay as Sloan got the call for the injured John Erskine.
Alzner will be far better served seeing a plethora of ice time back in Hershey as the Bears are still involved in the AHL playoffs.
John Erskine, who has missed the last 2 games, is going to be a game-time decision, but it is likely that he will return to the Caps lineup this evening. His big body has been missed. Erskine has become a new player in this post-season and the Capitals are in desperate need of his physical presence in the corners and in front of Simeon Varlamov.
Sloan will remain as a precaution.
Eric Fehr, the Caps other questionable player, will remain just that. There is no official word on his status, yet Jay Beagle has been called up from the Bears, which could suggest that Fehr will not be ready to play tonight and that Bruce Boudreau would rather have a hard-worker like Beagle in the lineup than the east-west style of Michael Nylander.
Nylander, who has been inserted into the lineup the last two games, has been very unnoticeable. Taking untimely penalties and unable to carry the puck the way he used to, it does not appear that Boudreau has a place for Nylander in his lineup, outside of being a spare part. It is too bad, but for the Capitals sake, they will be better served by the big body of Eric Fehr or the hard-working style of Jay Beagle.
The Penguins lines, although constantly changing, won’t have any new faces, unless Kris Letang suffers a set-back(which, following his Game 3 performance, is highly unlikely.).
With these changes in mind, here is a look at tonight’s probable lineup’s:
Pittsburgh Forwards
26-Fedotenko, 71-Malkin, 25-Talbot
14-Kunitz, 87-Crosby, 13-Guerin
24-Cooke, 11-Staal, 48-Kennedy
9-Dupuis, 27-Adams, 81-Satan
Pittsburgh Defensemen
44-Orpik, 55-Gonchar
2-Gill, 4-Scuderi
7-Eaton, 58-Letang
Goaltenders
*29-Fleury, 32-Garon
______________________________________
Washington Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 19-Backstrom, 25-Kozlov
21-Laich, 91-Fedorov, 28-Semin
14-Fleischmann, 39-Steckel, 10-Bradley
92-Nylander/83-Beagle, 15-Gordon, 17-Clark
Washington Defensemen
26-Morrisonn, 52-Green
3-Poti, 23-Jurcina
89-Sloan/4-Erskine, 2-Pothier
Goaltenders
*40-Varlamov, 60-Theodore
Of huge importance for the Caps tonight, will be the performance of Mike Green. Malkin's disappearance was of note through the first 2 games, yet now it is Washington who is waiting for a breakout performance from one of their most dominant players.
Boudreau & McPhee Sound Off on Officials and Media
Prior to Game 3 on Wednesday, the CBC aired a key piece of private information pertaining to the Capitals game plan. The piece of information was the Washington Capitals 6 keys to victory for Wednesday night’s game.
As a result of this mistake on behalf of the CBC, McPhee will no longer be allowing the crew of ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ access to the Capitals locker-room before games.
To make matter worse, the CBC actually froze the shot of the Capitals 6 keys to Victory and had their analysts break it down.
As upset as the Caps are, the problem seems to have solved itself thanks to the decision by Washington’s management and PR department to no longer allow the CBC into the room prior to the game.
I agree that it was a foolish move by the CBC to broadcast team sensitive information, but they have apologized and , if anything, the Caps learned a lesson in how to protect their game sensitive materials.
As for the officiating from Wednesday night’s Game 3 at the Igloo, McPhee and Boudreau were just as confounded.
McPhee’s words, following the Capitals 3-2 OT loss, were harsh, but he has a legitimacy to his inquiries as the Caps have been called for 19 minor penalties through 3 games, while the Pens have only been called for 11, the majority of those calls(7) coming in Game 2.
The Capitals General Manager’s concern over the fairness of the calls is just, yet the reality of the penalties called is that the Caps players were the ones responsible.
There is no doubt that as a coach or manager, watching your team rack up 6 consecutive penalties against will certainly lead you to feel that you team is being “jobbed”, but the problem lies closer to home rather than with the officiating.
After a day to breathe, it seems that Bruce Boudreau understands this, wanting to move on from comments made and to focus on tonight’s important Game 4.
The coach is right. No point in coming up with more ways to critique the officials. The Caps must address their penalty issues in house and must simply adhere to the words their coach has been preaching, “discipline”.
Caps-Pens Game 4 Versus Preview
Why the Capitals Will Win:
There is nothing the Caps enjoy doing more than rebounding from a loss. After failing to show up as a team for Game 3, Washington still managed to take the Penguins to Overtime thanks to Simeon Varlamov. Knowing that secondary support and discipline must improve, the Capitals will be a force in Game 4.
Why the Penguins Will Lose:
The Penguins out-played the Capitals heavily in Game 3, out-shooting(42-23) and out-hitting the Caps(44-31), yet barely pulled out a victory in Overtime. Varlamov has been stellar against the Penguins, stopping all manner of Pittsburgh attacks. Although goaltending is causing the Penguins fits, they cannot expect the Capitals to be such an easy opponent in Game 4.
Inside the Capitals for Game 4
Despite their lacklustre efforts in Game 3, Washington still holds the advantage. The Caps are always better following a loss and with the opportunity to take a 3-1 stranglehold in the series in Game 4, it will be the most important game for the Capitals. They must regain their discipline as penalties have detracted from their ability to give their offensive players more ice time. The supporting cast must reappear and better defensive zone play in front of Varlamov is needed.
Inside their Heads:
Facing a sea of white at the Igloo, the Capitals were overwhelmed by an aggressive, desperate and hungry Penguins team in Game 3. They did not respond as they should have and they know it. Ovechkin continued his strong play, but the rest of the guys know they need to step up and help him out.
Inside their Positives:
The one positive from their 3-2 OT loss in Game 3 was that the Caps managed to stay in the game even though they didn't deserve to be. Despite letting the Penguins dominate the majority of the game, Washington still took the game into the extra session with a late goal by Nicklas Backstrom. The positive is that the Caps know they can be better and, under Boudreau, they have always responded following a loss.
Inside their Adjustments:
Adjusting to Bylsma pairing Crosby and Malkin together was slightly difficult in Wednesday night's loss, but Boudreau knows that the main reason he did not get his match-ups was due to his team's lack of discipline.The Capitals can no longer afford to keep giving the Penguins power play opportunities, especially penalties for stick infractions or interference. The Capitals must use their speed and puck moving abilities to draw Pittsburgh into penalty trouble and to give their defensemen and goaltender a break. In an attempt to swith things up, Boudreau may switch around his line combinations to get players out of situations in which they are taking penalties.
Inside their Trends:
Too many penalties and too many shots against. The Caps have been out-shot by in 7 games thus far and continue to take more penalties their opponents. These two negative trends must cease for Game 4 in order to give Washington a chance to play on even ground. Offensively, Washington must get stronger performances from Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin.
Inside their Words:
"He was outstanding. When you get a goaltending effort like that, you have to win because they don't come around every day." - Bruce Boudreau on Simeon Varlamov's 39 save performance in Washington's 3-2 OT loss in Game 3.
There is no question that the young netminder was hung out to dry against the Penguins in Game 3, yet he stood to task, keeping his team in the game beyond regulation. Relying on Varlamov is something the Capitals have become comfortable with, yet Boudreau knows his players cannot so comfortable that the hand the Penguins a free pass back into this series.
"I think four you can get away with and when we got the fifth one, I thought, 'Okay, we're playing with fire.' And when we got the sixth one, I said, 'Now we're in the danger zone.' And we were." - Bruce Boudreau on Washington's penalty kill in Game 3.
Discipline has been preached, yet the team has failed to obide by their words. Too many penalties unneccessarily taken by the Capitals have forced their defensemen to be over-worked. Until Washington can corral their penchant for giving the Penguins power play continuous opportunities, their defensemen will be asked to step up with huge performances.
Inside their Trainer's Room:
Tyler Sloan and Michael Nylander replaced John Erskine and Eric Fehr in Game 3, but that will not likely be the case for Game 4. Fehr and Erskine will both likely be available, yet will remain game-time decisions. If either one cannot go, expect Sloan and Nylander to be the replacements. Donald Brashear, serving a 6 game suspension, remains unavailable until Game 6. Jeff Schultz and Brent Johnson are injured and unavailable.
Inside their Bench:
The Pens victory puts them right back in the series, but the Caps cannot continue to sit back. Boudreau will do everything in his power to convince his players to avoid penalties, but it will be up to the team to use their foot speed and passing to turn the tables on Pittsburgh. Varlamov has been a beast and continues to inspire and give his team-mates confidence. The secondary scoring must contribute in Game 4 and the team, as a whole, must do a better job of pushing the Penguins forwards to the perimeter and limiting screened shots and opportunities in the slot.
Game Notes
Clinching the Series in 48 Hours
With back to back games coming up tonight(7pm Mellon Arena) and tomorrow(7pm Verizon Center), the Capitals have an incredible chance to wipe the Pens out with 2 quick wins.
Game 5 should have been played on Sunday, but due to scheduling conflicts(thanks Yanni!!!!) these teams will be forced to wage battle twice in under 24 hours.
It is going to be an excruciatingly difficult time for both teams as each next game in the playoffs always becomes the most important one.
The Pens can leap the Caps if they win twice.
The Caps can eliminate the Pens from the playoffs if they win twice.
Energy levels are going to be the most important factor in both contests as, with travel time between both games, neither team will have much time to regroup before resuming battle tomorrow night.
Overtime tonight could be a back breaker for everyone.
There is no question that Game 4 is the most important game in this series.
The keys to victory will be virtually the same for both clubs:
- stay disciplined
- create traffic in front of the net
- shoot, shoot, shoot
- forecheck and backcheck
- always take your man
These are all very simple tactics, but if either team plans to execute to perfection tonight, success in all 5 categories will be paramount. Yet, with 2 of the most important playoff games of their lives within 24 hours, the most important key will be:
- IF YOU ARE TIRED, GET OFF THE ICE!
I will be in and out of the chat-room during the game and will open a Game 4 thread with any pregame updates at 6:30pm.
steven.hindle@hockeybuzz.com
capitalshockeybuzz@live.ca
Go Caps!!!!!
Karl Alzner has been sent back to the Hershey Bears. Alzner, who was called up alongside Tyler Sloan on an emergency basis from the Hershey Bears, did not make it into any playoff action during his brief stay as Sloan got the call for the injured John Erskine.
Alzner will be far better served seeing a plethora of ice time back in Hershey as the Bears are still involved in the AHL playoffs.
John Erskine, who has missed the last 2 games, is going to be a game-time decision, but it is likely that he will return to the Caps lineup this evening. His big body has been missed. Erskine has become a new player in this post-season and the Capitals are in desperate need of his physical presence in the corners and in front of Simeon Varlamov.
Sloan will remain as a precaution.
Eric Fehr, the Caps other questionable player, will remain just that. There is no official word on his status, yet Jay Beagle has been called up from the Bears, which could suggest that Fehr will not be ready to play tonight and that Bruce Boudreau would rather have a hard-worker like Beagle in the lineup than the east-west style of Michael Nylander.
Nylander, who has been inserted into the lineup the last two games, has been very unnoticeable. Taking untimely penalties and unable to carry the puck the way he used to, it does not appear that Boudreau has a place for Nylander in his lineup, outside of being a spare part. It is too bad, but for the Capitals sake, they will be better served by the big body of Eric Fehr or the hard-working style of Jay Beagle.
The Penguins lines, although constantly changing, won’t have any new faces, unless Kris Letang suffers a set-back(which, following his Game 3 performance, is highly unlikely.).
With these changes in mind, here is a look at tonight’s probable lineup’s:
Pittsburgh Forwards
26-Fedotenko, 71-Malkin, 25-Talbot
14-Kunitz, 87-Crosby, 13-Guerin
24-Cooke, 11-Staal, 48-Kennedy
9-Dupuis, 27-Adams, 81-Satan
Pittsburgh Defensemen
44-Orpik, 55-Gonchar
2-Gill, 4-Scuderi
7-Eaton, 58-Letang
Goaltenders
*29-Fleury, 32-Garon
______________________________________
Washington Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 19-Backstrom, 25-Kozlov
21-Laich, 91-Fedorov, 28-Semin
14-Fleischmann, 39-Steckel, 10-Bradley
92-Nylander/83-Beagle, 15-Gordon, 17-Clark
Washington Defensemen
26-Morrisonn, 52-Green
3-Poti, 23-Jurcina
89-Sloan/4-Erskine, 2-Pothier
Goaltenders
*40-Varlamov, 60-Theodore
Of huge importance for the Caps tonight, will be the performance of Mike Green. Malkin's disappearance was of note through the first 2 games, yet now it is Washington who is waiting for a breakout performance from one of their most dominant players.
Boudreau & McPhee Sound Off on Officials and Media
Prior to Game 3 on Wednesday, the CBC aired a key piece of private information pertaining to the Capitals game plan. The piece of information was the Washington Capitals 6 keys to victory for Wednesday night’s game.
As a result of this mistake on behalf of the CBC, McPhee will no longer be allowing the crew of ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ access to the Capitals locker-room before games.
"They, of all people, should know better," McPhee said.
To make matter worse, the CBC actually froze the shot of the Capitals 6 keys to Victory and had their analysts break it down.
They overstepped their bounds," Caps spokesman Nate Ewell said. "They basically game-planned for the Penguins. It was ridiculous."
As upset as the Caps are, the problem seems to have solved itself thanks to the decision by Washington’s management and PR department to no longer allow the CBC into the room prior to the game.
I agree that it was a foolish move by the CBC to broadcast team sensitive information, but they have apologized and , if anything, the Caps learned a lesson in how to protect their game sensitive materials.
As for the officiating from Wednesday night’s Game 3 at the Igloo, McPhee and Boudreau were just as confounded.
"One team gets seven power plays and the other team gets two, it's hard to win," McPhee said. "The supervisor in this series is as good as they come -- Terry Gregson is terrific. But if the referees aren't going to listen to them, what good is it?
"Some penalties you deserve, and some shouldn't be called in an NHL playoff game. This hasn't been our style to whine about this, but at some point you have to say something."
McPhee’s words, following the Capitals 3-2 OT loss, were harsh, but he has a legitimacy to his inquiries as the Caps have been called for 19 minor penalties through 3 games, while the Pens have only been called for 11, the majority of those calls(7) coming in Game 2.
The Capitals General Manager’s concern over the fairness of the calls is just, yet the reality of the penalties called is that the Caps players were the ones responsible.
There is no doubt that as a coach or manager, watching your team rack up 6 consecutive penalties against will certainly lead you to feel that you team is being “jobbed”, but the problem lies closer to home rather than with the officiating.
After a day to breathe, it seems that Bruce Boudreau understands this, wanting to move on from comments made and to focus on tonight’s important Game 4.
"I'm usually not a whiner," Boudreau said. "I think I've exhausted my bad officiating comments. Let's just let it go. ...Let's move on. Let's just hope the better team is the better team."
The coach is right. No point in coming up with more ways to critique the officials. The Caps must address their penalty issues in house and must simply adhere to the words their coach has been preaching, “discipline”.
Quote source: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/boudreau-on-crosby-hes-the-sec.html#more / http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2009/05/08/9390611-sun.html
Caps-Pens Game 4 Versus Preview
Why the Capitals Will Win:
There is nothing the Caps enjoy doing more than rebounding from a loss. After failing to show up as a team for Game 3, Washington still managed to take the Penguins to Overtime thanks to Simeon Varlamov. Knowing that secondary support and discipline must improve, the Capitals will be a force in Game 4.
Why the Penguins Will Lose:
The Penguins out-played the Capitals heavily in Game 3, out-shooting(42-23) and out-hitting the Caps(44-31), yet barely pulled out a victory in Overtime. Varlamov has been stellar against the Penguins, stopping all manner of Pittsburgh attacks. Although goaltending is causing the Penguins fits, they cannot expect the Capitals to be such an easy opponent in Game 4.
Inside the Capitals for Game 4
Despite their lacklustre efforts in Game 3, Washington still holds the advantage. The Caps are always better following a loss and with the opportunity to take a 3-1 stranglehold in the series in Game 4, it will be the most important game for the Capitals. They must regain their discipline as penalties have detracted from their ability to give their offensive players more ice time. The supporting cast must reappear and better defensive zone play in front of Varlamov is needed.
Inside their Heads:
Facing a sea of white at the Igloo, the Capitals were overwhelmed by an aggressive, desperate and hungry Penguins team in Game 3. They did not respond as they should have and they know it. Ovechkin continued his strong play, but the rest of the guys know they need to step up and help him out.
Inside their Positives:
The one positive from their 3-2 OT loss in Game 3 was that the Caps managed to stay in the game even though they didn't deserve to be. Despite letting the Penguins dominate the majority of the game, Washington still took the game into the extra session with a late goal by Nicklas Backstrom. The positive is that the Caps know they can be better and, under Boudreau, they have always responded following a loss.
Inside their Adjustments:
Adjusting to Bylsma pairing Crosby and Malkin together was slightly difficult in Wednesday night's loss, but Boudreau knows that the main reason he did not get his match-ups was due to his team's lack of discipline.The Capitals can no longer afford to keep giving the Penguins power play opportunities, especially penalties for stick infractions or interference. The Capitals must use their speed and puck moving abilities to draw Pittsburgh into penalty trouble and to give their defensemen and goaltender a break. In an attempt to swith things up, Boudreau may switch around his line combinations to get players out of situations in which they are taking penalties.
Inside their Trends:
Too many penalties and too many shots against. The Caps have been out-shot by in 7 games thus far and continue to take more penalties their opponents. These two negative trends must cease for Game 4 in order to give Washington a chance to play on even ground. Offensively, Washington must get stronger performances from Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin.
Inside their Words:
"He was outstanding. When you get a goaltending effort like that, you have to win because they don't come around every day." - Bruce Boudreau on Simeon Varlamov's 39 save performance in Washington's 3-2 OT loss in Game 3.
There is no question that the young netminder was hung out to dry against the Penguins in Game 3, yet he stood to task, keeping his team in the game beyond regulation. Relying on Varlamov is something the Capitals have become comfortable with, yet Boudreau knows his players cannot so comfortable that the hand the Penguins a free pass back into this series.
"I think four you can get away with and when we got the fifth one, I thought, 'Okay, we're playing with fire.' And when we got the sixth one, I said, 'Now we're in the danger zone.' And we were." - Bruce Boudreau on Washington's penalty kill in Game 3.
Discipline has been preached, yet the team has failed to obide by their words. Too many penalties unneccessarily taken by the Capitals have forced their defensemen to be over-worked. Until Washington can corral their penchant for giving the Penguins power play continuous opportunities, their defensemen will be asked to step up with huge performances.
Inside their Trainer's Room:
Tyler Sloan and Michael Nylander replaced John Erskine and Eric Fehr in Game 3, but that will not likely be the case for Game 4. Fehr and Erskine will both likely be available, yet will remain game-time decisions. If either one cannot go, expect Sloan and Nylander to be the replacements. Donald Brashear, serving a 6 game suspension, remains unavailable until Game 6. Jeff Schultz and Brent Johnson are injured and unavailable.
Inside their Bench:
The Pens victory puts them right back in the series, but the Caps cannot continue to sit back. Boudreau will do everything in his power to convince his players to avoid penalties, but it will be up to the team to use their foot speed and passing to turn the tables on Pittsburgh. Varlamov has been a beast and continues to inspire and give his team-mates confidence. The secondary scoring must contribute in Game 4 and the team, as a whole, must do a better job of pushing the Penguins forwards to the perimeter and limiting screened shots and opportunities in the slot.
Game Notes
Less is Sometimes More—After outshooting the Rangers in six of seven games during the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, the Capitals have now been outshot by the Penguins in all three games of the Eastern Conference semifinals 114 to 82. More shots at the net haven’t necessarily equaled more goals for the Caps—they averaged 37.3 shots the first four games of the playoffs while only registering eight goals (including one four-goal game). In contrast, over the last six games they have averaged 24.8 shots and recorded 20 goals (including one five-goal game and two four-goal games). During those first four games they posted a record of 1-3 and have since posted a record of 5-1 and a 3-1 record when being outshot.
8's stage – Alex Ovechkin has scored goals in each game of this series and six of the last seven games overall (eight goals in that time). He has a hand in six of Washington's nine goals in the series and 13 points in 10 games in the playoffs. He ranks first in the league in shots, second in hits and tied for second in plus/minus (rankings entering Thursday's games). He has had multiple-point games in eight of the 17 playoff games he has played in his career and has points in eight of the 10 games this year.
About face – Washington leads the NHL with a 54.2% success rate on faceoffs, including 56% in Game 3. David Steckel has won 58.1% to lead all Capitals and rank fifth in the NHL. Sergei Fedorov (53.2%) and Nicklas Backstrom (52.0%) are also in the top 20 (rankings entering Thursday's games).
About time – The Capitals scored in the first two minutes and the last two minutes of regulation in Game 3.
Nick at night – Nicklas Backstrom has a team-best six-game point-scoring streak entering Game 4, including his first goal of the playoffs that sent Game 3 into overtime. Backstrom ranks second in the NHL in assists (10; ranking entering Thursday's games) and is just three assists shy of the Capitals single-season playoff record for assists (Andrei Nikolishin, 13, 1998).
Caps Record, Assists in a Playoff Season
13 Andrei Nikolishin, 1998
11 Adam Oates, 1998
Mike Ridley, 1992
Scott Stevens, 1988
10 Nicklas Backstrom, 2009
Two others
Power supply – Nicklas Backstrom became the seventh Capital to score a power-play goal in these playoffs with his Game 3 tally. Only Alex Ovechkin (3) has more than one power-play goal.
You go first – The team that scored the first goal has lost each game of this series.
Clinching the Series in 48 Hours
With back to back games coming up tonight(7pm Mellon Arena) and tomorrow(7pm Verizon Center), the Capitals have an incredible chance to wipe the Pens out with 2 quick wins.
Game 5 should have been played on Sunday, but due to scheduling conflicts(thanks Yanni!!!!) these teams will be forced to wage battle twice in under 24 hours.
It is going to be an excruciatingly difficult time for both teams as each next game in the playoffs always becomes the most important one.
The Pens can leap the Caps if they win twice.
The Caps can eliminate the Pens from the playoffs if they win twice.
Energy levels are going to be the most important factor in both contests as, with travel time between both games, neither team will have much time to regroup before resuming battle tomorrow night.
Overtime tonight could be a back breaker for everyone.
There is no question that Game 4 is the most important game in this series.
The keys to victory will be virtually the same for both clubs:
- stay disciplined
- create traffic in front of the net
- shoot, shoot, shoot
- forecheck and backcheck
- always take your man
These are all very simple tactics, but if either team plans to execute to perfection tonight, success in all 5 categories will be paramount. Yet, with 2 of the most important playoff games of their lives within 24 hours, the most important key will be:
- IF YOU ARE TIRED, GET OFF THE ICE!
I will be in and out of the chat-room during the game and will open a Game 4 thread with any pregame updates at 6:30pm.
steven.hindle@hockeybuzz.com
capitalshockeybuzz@live.ca
Go Caps!!!!!
Join the Discussion:
More from Steven Hindle
 |
 |