Sufficiently Insufficient
The Capitals enter tonight's game versus the Canadiens with a record of 4-3-4 in their last 10 games prior to the All-Star break. An apt reflection of how this team has performed over the course of this season, but that is about as far as the team itself cares to go in terms of gauging their performance to date.
If anything, all the players on the Caps would gladly tell you that the 1st half of the season is now safely out of their minds and that the only thing they're focused on these days is re-establishing themselves as one of the powerhouses of the East.
But in order for the Capitals to do that they are going to have to improve on a power play that has clicked at a dismal rate of 7.9% through their last 20 games and a season long scoring drought that has seen the Capitals score 74 fewer goals than last year on this date.
The notable decline in goal production;
Feb.1, 2010: 214 goals in 55 games, 3.8 goals per game
Feb.1, 2011: 140 goals in 51 games, 2.75 goals per game
...has been of great concern to coaching and management over the course of the year, yet as opposed to thinking that there is help available outside the team, the reality is that with a core that is virtually the same as the offensive group that dominated the East last season, the answers an in-house.
The Capitals will only be successful if they manage to get their key players going again, but that has been the hope all along - and now that the dawn of the most important stretch of hockey is upon them, there won't be any room for error.
The Capitals need Alex Ovechkin to score goals and for Nicklas Backstrom to recapture the confidence that made him such a dominant puck-possession player. Add to that the *hopeful* healthy return of Alex Semin and a hopeful boost from the blue line from either Mike Green of John Carlson and that about sums up the key ingredients necessary for Washington to surge in the 2nd half.
Oh, and a breakout string of performances from one of Varlamov or Neuvirth.
That's a heck of a grocery list though, and for the coach who has been deemed the easiest to play for, that's an awful lot to overcome.
Needless to say that for as lousy as the ride has been up to now, if the Capitals do not start putting it together, beginning this evening versus Montreal, than the frustration and panic will only begin to erode a team that had very strong Stanley Cup aspirations at the start of the season.
A few notes heading into the game:
- After 3+ days of rest, the Caps are 4-0-0
- When outshot, the Capitals are 13-3-5
- The Capitals are 2nd on the penalty kill(86%), but rank 19th on the power play(17.%).
- It would appear that Alex Semin will be in the lineup for the Caps.
- Semyon Varlamov vs Carey Price are your goaltender matchups.
This is a 4 point game as both teams need the win to stay the course in the playoff race.
With plenty on the line tonight the Capitals are in desperate need of rekindling their offense and playing a dominant puck possession game.
Needless to say they will be in tough against one of the best defensive teams in the NHL.
I wouldn't be surprised if this one went past 60 minutes as neither team can afford to leave the ice without at least 1 point tonight.
Here is a PreGame Primer from earlier today:
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Go Caps!!!!!
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