Thursday Caps Clips: Caps @ Leafs Game Day

Your savory breakfast links:

• Previews of tonight's visit to Toronto from Vogs, NHL.com, AP, Peerless and RtR and be sure to check out our fabulous SB Nation partner, Pension Plan Puppets, for more from the other side of tonight's match-up.
• Leftover thoughts, musings and recaps from Tuesday night's loss to the Senators. [Wash Times, WaPo, CSNW (and again), Caps Across the Pond, Caps Daily, Caps Outsider]
• One takeaway from the Senators game (and the other five that preceded it) - refs are calling it pretty tight this year, and it's on the Caps to adapt. [WashTimes]
• It shouldn't come as a surprise that the Caps are taking a little time to adjust to the new system. No hurry, boys. [WaPo]
• There is definitely, absolutely, positively no need to panic about the Caps' slow start. [WaPo, RMNB]
• Caps' owner Ted Leonsis was feeling chatty yesterday and took to the airwaves to discuss all kinds of things:
  • Like that new ticketing system everyone loves so much... [Bog]
  • ...as well as the potential for Monumental Network to become the area's third sports network... [Bog]
  • ...but most importantly the performance so far of one Alex Ovechkin. Spoiler alert: Ted is not impressed. [Bog, Puck Daddy, SLAM!]
• Speaking of the captain, just how many goals can we expect from Ovechkin this year? Well, he's got at least one, so... [CBS Sports]
• "You start putting him with a couple of animals, he's gonna learn to bark like a dog himself." Really have to wonder what's up with Mike Milbury's canine obsession. [PHT, Alex Ovetjkin]
• Checking in with the Hershey Bears, who are struggling as the halfway point of their season comes and goes. [RTR]
• And finally, a #fancystats review of some Hockey Hall of Famers (and perhaps others who should be). Hola, Olie Kolzig! [Beyond the Box Score]

Recap: Senators 3, Capitals 2

[GameCenter - Ice Tracker - Game Summary - Event Summary - Faceoff Summary - Play-by-Play - Home TOI - Visitor TOI - Fenwick Timeline]

Coming off their first win of this still-young 2013 season, the Caps headed to Ottawa with a bit of confidence or, at the very least, without a monkey on their collective back (or in the overhead compartment... how do monkeys travel these days, anyway?). They came out guns a-blazin' and the energy and effort that had propelled them to Friday night's comeback and Sunday's victory helped them grab an improbable 2-0 lead early. But whether they took their foot off the gas or simply had a couple of bad lapses, they found themselves tied late and when teams don't take care of their own business, they're often susceptible to letting spotty officiating help take care of it for them, which is exactly what happened in the Caps' 3-2 loss to the Senators on Tuesday night.

Ten more notes on the game:

• Much as American League umpires would defer to Ted Williams' famous judgment with regards to calling strikes - if The Splendid Splinter took the pitch, it was almost certainly a ball - NHL referees should simply assume that if Karl Alzner did it, it probably wasn't a penalty. While that's obviously hyperbole, his interference minor early on was questionable at best... and probably not called once the season gets a month or two old (or perhaps once games get a period or two in).
  
• Good positioning in the neutral zone leads to turnovers and quick counter-strikes. For three-quarters of the 2011-12 season, Caps fans were told to expect that type of offense, but it never materialized. Thirteen minutes into the first period of this game, however, that's exactly what happened, as a Guillaume Latendresse turnover at the Caps blueline was sent the other way by Nicklas Backstrom and a Wojtek Wolski-Troy Brouwer 2-on-1 was converted by the latter on a deke and a backhand finish.
  
• Speaking of Monumental's 404 poster boy (Brouwer), we noted on Twitter pre-game that he had scored just five goals over his last 45 regular season game entering Tuesday night's match-up. Good to see that the reverse jinx is working.
  
• And speaking of the reverse jinx, earlier in the day we'd pointed out that Ottawa netminder Craig Anderson had only allowed one even-strength goal-against in his first four games. Brouwer doubled that with his tally, and four-and-a-half minutes later Matt Hendricks added another. One thing to note on that goal - with the faceoff in the left dot, it was the left-handed Hendricks who took (and won) the draw back to John Erskine, who was able to move the puck to Jay Beagle (who would've taken the draw had it been in the right dot). Beagle put the puck towards the net and Hendricks deflected it past Anderson.
  
• Congrats to Beagle - Alex Ovechkin's center, Jay Beagle - on setting a new career high for assists in a season... with two. Beagle had three assists in his first 84 NHL games (one in each of the previous three seasons) and now has two in his last four. Of course, it should be noted that Ovechkin didn't have a single shot on goal until the two minutes into the third. But, hey... playmaker!
  
• By putting Mathieu Perreault and Eric Fehr together on the fourth line, Adam Oates is giving each a chance to make his case for a sweater. And while they generated a bit of offense (including a good Fehr chance in the second-half of the second period and a momentum-stemming third period shift), Perreault didn't help his cause with a pair of iffy penalties (one of which was offset by a Kyle Turris dive call).
  
• The Senators got one back late in the second after a terrible gamble at the top of the Ottawa zone by John Carlson led to a break the other way. The strange thing is, though, that the Caps looked to have the rush well-defended, but simply didn't tie up Jim O'Brien's (whose?) stick, and with 1:23 left in the middle stanza, the Caps lead was halved. (Mike Ribeiro, the guilty party on the non-check, hadn't been on the ice for an even-strength goal-against up until that point.)
  
• Important point: the Caps owned the game at even-strength through 40 minutes, out-shooting Ottawa 22-10 and outscoring them 2-1. For the game, even-strength shots ended up 29-16 Caps, which is a good formula for success... if they can straighten out their special teams.
  
• Michal Neuvirth was solid-if-not-super through two periods, but had a bit of a brian cramp 2:20 into the third when he was seemingly unprepared after a faceoff to his left appeared to be won back by Nicklas Backstrom only to see Neuvirth's fellow countryman Milan Michalek somehow beat another (unprepared) fellow countryman, Tomas Kundratek, to the puck and put it past Neuvirth. Czech, please.
  
• And then... Joel Ward took a stick penalty late. Yeah, yeah, shades of last year's Rangers series. Except this was more shades of the 2003 playoffs against Tampa when Olie Kolzig got dinged for a high-stick on a follow-through... which isn't a penalty. Here's how the rule reads today: "a player is permitted accidental contact on an opponent if the act is committed as a normal windup or follow through of a shooting motion. A wild swing at a bouncing puck would not be considered a normal windup or follow through and any contact to an opponent above the height of the shoulders shall be penalized accordingly." You be the judge. Tough call, and the Sens scored on the ensuing power-play. Game. Over.
  

It's tough to lose a game after having a two-goal lead with 22 minutes left (in regulation, no less). But there were positives to be taken from this game and built upon, and with points at a premium, that building needs to turn into something more tangible soon. A point tonight would've been nice. Two in Toronto on Thursday starts to feel real important with a couple of Pennsylvania-based teams following them on the schedule.

Game highlights:

Capitals vs. Senators: Game 6 of 48

Washington blows a 2-0 lead and fall in regulation in Ottawa

---

Next Game

Washington Capitals
@ Ottawa Senators

Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013, 7:30 PM EST
Scotiabank Place

The Noon Number: 1

Tuesday Caps Clips: Caps @ Sens Game Day

• Previews of tonight's showdown with the Senators from Vogs, NHL.com, STATS, Peerless, RtR and Sick Unbelievable, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner Silver Seven for more from the other side of tonight's match-up.

Complete Coverage >

---

Tonight's probable netminders:

---

	GP	MIN	W	L	O	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
Michal Neuvirth	3	185	1	1	1	9	2.92	91	82	.889	0
Craig Anderson	4	245	3	0	1	3	0.74	119	116	.975	1

---

Keep up with the latest Caps-related Tweets right here:

Look for updates in this story stream throughout the evening, including tonight's lines, new open threads for each period, and more.

And of course... have at it, people.

Wednesday Caps Clips: Capital Collapse

Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's loss from us, Monumental video (Oates, players), Vogs, NHL.com, AP, WaPo (gamer, blog), WashTimes, Peerless, Caps Basketball, DSP, Capitals Outsider and RMNB with the view from across the border from the Ottawa Sun, the Ottawa Citizen (quotes, pics, Scanlan), the Globe and Mail (and again) and our SB Nation pals over at Silver Seven.
  • The Senators mounted an impressive comeback last night despite being without the services of top center (and noted Caps-killer) Jason Spezza, who was out with an upper-body injury. [SLAM! Sports, CSNW]
  • Meanwhile the Caps went back to what seemingly worked over the weekend, with Alex Ovechkin back on a line with Joey Crabb and Jay Beagle... much to Pierre McGuire's dismay. [Bog]
  • Adam Oates smiled! He smi-...oh, wait, it's over. [Caps Basketball]
• Lots of Caps-related goodies in Elliotte Friedman's 30 Thoughts this week, including the fact that the Caps have no immediate plans to change things around. Yet. [CBC]
• Panic! It's time to panic!! Dear god, what are you people still doing in your seats...TO THE LEDGE!!! [Grantland, Capital Spirit]
• If the captain doesn't start to captain (and soon), the Caps are going nowhere fast (and for a long time). [DSP]
• With a new coach, a shortened warm-up and little time to adjust, is it fair to say the entire season is something of a training camp for the Caps? [Peerless]
• The Caps may be off to a slow start, but it's full speed ahead for a 100%-healthy Mike Green. Hear, hear. [DCEx, CSNW]
• Meanwhile in the AHL, the Bears are nearing the halfway-point of their season - and may have to make a move or two to make the playoffs. [LDNews]
• Alex Ovechkin: Cover Boy. [Alex Ovetjkin]
• If you're looking to share some pre-game libations with Rink-tastic people, you're in luck - raise a glass this Friday before the Caps take on the Flyers! [FanShot]
• And finally, happy 41st birthday to Chris Simon - enjoy this classic Caps' ad in Big Si's honor:

Tuesday Caps Clips: Caps @ Sens Game Day

Your savory breakfast links:

• Previews of tonight's showdown with the Senators from Vogs, NHL.com, STATS, Peerless, RtR and Sick Unbelievable, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner Silver Seven for more from the other side of tonight's match-up.
• Notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday out at Kettler:
  • In general. [Monumental video (Oates, Backstrom, Alzner, Chimera, Brouwer), WashTimes (and again), WaPo, DSP]
  • A bit more on that whole Ovechkin-Beagle-Crabb thing that's apparently still a thing. [WaPo, CSNW, DCEx, SI]
  • Brooks Laich is on the trip, and probably not just to visit the team that drafted him. [CSNW]
• Michal Neuvirth (tonight's "no-brainer" starter) is cool, calm and collected... exactly what the Caps have needed during this rocky start. [WashTimes, WaPo, CSNW]
• If you look back at Friday night's win in Jersey, you can see the building blocks were there. [Dump 'n Chase]
• "Predictable and pedestrian" - description of AO or description of describing AO as "predictable and pedestrian"? Probably a bit of both right now. [Puck Daddy]
• Worthwhile leftovers and fallout from Sunday's big win. [WaPo (and again), WashTimes, NBC4, Caps Daily]
• A glance back at the week that was... [Peerless]
• ... and ahead to the week that will be. [CSNW]
• Mike Green looking like Mike Green again is one of a few early-season bright spots. [Sick, Unbelievable]
• Important laundry update! [Capitals]
• Has the worm turned on Lady Luck? [Sick, Unbelievable]
• Some thoughts on how to fix the Caps. (Spoiler alert: the captain raising his level of play may be mentioned). [Capitals Outsider]
• Noted Ravens fan Joel Ward makes his Super Bowl prediction. [WUSA9]
• Nicklas Backstrom... gnome? (Not personally, but I certainly know of him.) [Hockey Shopped]
  
• Stanislav Galiev's professional career may not be off to the start that some had hoped, but he seems to be handling the ECHL nicely. [Reading Eagle]
• Finally, lots of candles to blow out today: Ed Kastelic is 49, Jason Doig is 36, Roman Tvrdon is 32 and Chris Bourque is 27. Many happy returns, gents (and here's to the late Wayne Stephenson, who would've been 68 today).

Capital Ups and Downs: Week 2

Your weekly look at individual Washington Capitals' ups and downs:

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Michal Neuvirth		Neuvirth got his first start of the season on Thursday against Montreal and earned a second on Friday in Jersey and a third on Sunday versus Buffalo. And while the his stat line doesn't sparkle (yet), no one has been more responsible for the three points the team has earned than Neuvirth, who capped the week with a brilliant game against the Sabres... and the Caps' first win of 2013.
Braden Holtby		Holtby hasn't been quite as bad as his numbers would indicate, but for a guy whose NHL career to date has been largely characterized by perhaps not being quite as good as his numbers, this is part of the regression we've all been waiting for. Hopefully it doesn't last long.
Defensemen
Karl Alzner		After being on the ice for seven of the eight goals the Caps allowed over the first five periods of the week, Alzner was split from usual partner Carlson and was only on for two (one at 3-on-5) over the week's final seven periods. So if the problem with the pair wasn't Alzner...
John Carlson		... it was - and maybe still is - Carlson. After getting a new partner, Carlson was on the ice for all three Devils goals on Friday night and the first Sabres tally, which ran his personal streak to eight-straight opposition markers for which he was on the ice (three were shorthanded, one was two men down). Was he to blame on each of the goals? Of course not. But he's now been on the ice for 13 of the 19 goals the Caps have allowed this season, which is... something. Anyway, we just want "last year's playoffs" Carlson back, and we've gotten "last year's regular season" Carlson so far.
John Erskine		Saw his first action of the season on Friday night and followed that up with something even more improbable on Sunday - a goal, his first since the end of the 2010-11 season. Good on you, Ersk.
Mike Green		Had both a power-play assist and the game-tying goal in the second-half of the third period in Jersey and teed one up beautifully for his captain's first goal of the season on Sunday. But more than those big points, Green is skating well (and a lot - he's among the League-leaders in ice time) and was on the ice for five Caps goals last week and just one goal-against.
Roman Hamrlik		Wasn't stand-out atrocious in either of the week's first two games, but Adam Oates went in a different direction on Friday night and it wasn't broke so he didn't fix it Sunday.
Jack Hillen		If and when Hillen gets healthy, there are an awful lot of back-end blueliners here.
Tomas Kundratek		Hasn't looked out-of-place... but that may be a bit of damning by faint praise. Kundratek hasn't been able to replicate the somewhat out-of-nowhere success he's had in Hershey in this NHL stint (despite getting decent power-play time), but his familiarity with Oates and Calle Johansson from earlier in the season probably help his cause right now.
Dmitry Orlov		There's "hope" that he'll be able to start skating again shortly after the AHL All-Star Break, but we'd hope there'd be more than hope by this point.
Tom Poti		See Hamrlik, Roman. With Hamrlik and Poti - the Caps' two oldest players - in the press box, that's more than 2,000 NHL games (and a pro-rated $6 million in salary) watching in civvies.
Jeff Schultz		Got back in the lineup against the Devils and Sabres and played two solid Schultz games (i.e. you didn't notice him much... though his three blocked shots on Sunday were worth a mention).
Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom		With just two points through five games (a pair of assists Tuesday night against the Jets), Backstrom has only for brief stretches looked like the player with whom we're all familiar. But those stretches seem to be coming more frequently, and it's really only a matter of time before he's truly back... right?
Jay Beagle		As the Caps' top (healthy) penalty-killing forward and with next-to-no power-play time, any week in which Beagle is on the ice for just one less goal-for than goals-against, he's probably doing his job. That was the case this week (one goal-for, two against, one of which was on the penalty-kill, and 64% of 53 faceoffs won, including 67% in the defensive zone), and Beagle was rewarded with a new, high-price left-wing for a while. Strange days...
Troy Brouwer		Keeps getting top-six opportunities, but isn't doing much of anything with them (though he did have a nice garbage-time power-play goal against Winnipeg). Brouwer has now gone 21 regular-season games without an even-strength goal (and has just the one power-play score over that span) and has just five goals of any kind in his last 45 regular-season games. To say that's not good enough would be an understatement.
Jason Chimera		Picked up an assist against Montreal and another couple against Buffalo as part of the Caps' best line on Sunday. For the week, Chimera was on the ice for those three Caps goals (all at five-aside) and none by the bad guys. Hard to ask for much more from a third-liner.
Joey Crabb		Broke the shutout against Montreal and got praised for his effort... and hopefully getting praised for effort is a thing of the past for this club.
Eric Fehr		Can Fehr be a contributor as a fourth-liner? Because that seems to be his role for now, and the early returns aren't particularly favorable.
Matt Hendricks		Went goal-fight-fight in the home opener and then dropped 'em again two nights later. If each of his teammates put in half the effort Hendricks does on a nightly basis, this team would be in good shape.
Marcus Johansson		Within a span of eight days, Johansson went from the top line to the fourth line to the press box. He's had some bad luck, but even more bad play, and has been on the ice for six opposition tallies (only one on the power-play) and nary a Caps goal.
Brooks Laich		The Caps obviously miss Laich terribly, probably nowhere more than on their woeful penalty kill... and in the locker room... and in the post-game media scrums.
Alex Ovechkin		Finally looked like Alex Ovechkin again on Sunday (though the real Alex Ovechkin doesn't miss empty netters), but one even-strength point, one goal and one win obviously ain't gonna cut it over the next five games.
Mathieu Perreault		Perreault is in a spot. He needs ice time and decent linemates to produce, but in order to earn ice time and decent linemates, he needs to produce. Oh, and publicly voicing your displeasure isn't going to help things either.
Mike Ribeiro		Know which line has been the Caps' best so far? Whichever one Ribeiro has been on. He leads the team in scoring, has been on the ice for more goals-for (seven) than any other Cap and has yet to be on for an even-strength goal-against. Ribeiro is playing like the second-line center this team has been missing all these years.
Joel Ward		In five games, Ward is half-way to his 2011-12 goal total, which says more about his two coaches for the respective seasons than it does Ward - as Mike Vogel points out, Ward has already seen more power-play time in 2013 than he did all of last season. He's also been the anti-Johansson so far - whereas has been on the ice for six goals-against and none for, Ward has been on for six-for and none against. This is what he got that nice contract for.
Wojtek Wolski		Well here's a disturbing trend - no points and a minus-one in each of the last four games for Wolski. But if he keeps shooting like he has (15 shots on goal in those four games), at least the first part of that double-dip of downers is likely to reverse itself.

Recap: Capitals 3, Sabres 2

[GameCenter - Ice Tracker - Game Summary - Event Summary - Faceoff Summary - Play-by-Play - Home TOI - Visitor TOI - Fenwick Timeline]

The Washington Capitals entered this Sunday matinee still looking for their first win of the season against the Buffalo Sabres. The other night the Caps had their best game so far, forcing the New Jersey Devils to play for over 64 minutes before securing a win. The Caps have had 4 game slumps before and overcome them. 5 games isn't a lot, but another loss today would mean the Caps were winless in the first 10% of the 2013 NHL season. A great team effort, with strong goaltending and special teams, helped the Caps leave with their first win on the season, and a glimpse of what people thought this team could be.

Ten more notes on the game:

• John Carlson has had a tough start to the season, as everybody has noted. Things got worse when he turned the puck over in the neutral zone and the puck ended up in the net. Calle Johansson said the coaching staff was willing to live with a bad bounce, and didn't seem nearly as frustrated as the fan base. We're sure Carlson will take some more heat for that gaffe, but he also rebounded nicely and had a solid defensive performance after that, including some very good penalty killing.
• Joel Ward continues to score like it's the playoffs and is showing Caps fans why he got that handsome contract. There's no secret to his game, when he's effective, it's all hard work. He won't score at this clip all season, but it's nice to see the hard work guys get rewarded. And while the big guns are slumping, the Caps need all the scoring they can get.
• John Erskine's goal in the second period was a big goal. It was only the second time the Caps led all season, and when the team was able to hold the lead it gave them their first intermission lead of the season. It was also the first second period goal since opening night. Until today's game, the Caps had been outscored 8-2 in second periods. Erskine's goal gave the Caps a lead for longer tonight than they had for the rest of the season combined.
• The power play has created more discussion than scoring so far this season. An early observation is that when Mike Ribeiro quarterbacks the PP from the right wing half-wall, it sets up Ovechkin all the way across the formation. Passing through a penalty kill formation is not a high percentage play, and when you go all the way across the ice, or take two passes to get to Ovechkin, a smart goalie like Ryan Miller is going to read the play and get in position for the shot. That puts a high premium on moving the puck, and players moving their feet, to get Ovechkin quality shots. In the first period, Miller was square for the save. In the third period, Ovechkin blasted the puck into a half-open net.
• Mathieu Perreault got his wish and was back in the lineup tonight. While he wasn't necessarily bad enough to give a roster spot back to Marcus Johansson, he didn't exactly seize the opportunity, either. He had a couple nice offensive plays, but he was also a step behind Marcus Foligno when the Sabres scored their second goal. Perreault has a good offensive skill set, but he doesn't produce enough to be a defensive liability.
• Coming off a season in which Ovechkin was given 4th line minutes, Ovechkin played the last game and started this game with 4th line linemates. Part of that is on Ovechkin, but it can't be a coincidence that he started getting dangerous chances when he was reunited with Nick Backstrom. He had several high quality chances tonight, and if he does that every game the goals will continue to come.
• In the two days after I said goaltending has not been an advantage so far, Michal Neuvirth has put up back to back strong performances. We anticipate a seesaw battle in net over the course of this season, but for now Neuvirth has clearly taken control of the crease. If he can keep this play up it will give the skaters a little bit more margin for error as they continue to refine Adam Oates' systems.
• Protecting a two goal lead in the third period, the Caps went on to the penalty kill. Troy Brouwer had a wide open sheet of ice to clear the puck, and he put the puck into the Caps' bench. That's the kind of thing that can lead to a goal against, but after the ensuing faceoff Matt Hendricks had some incredible board work to protect the puck and then deftly pass the puck back through his legs to John Erskine for the clear. It was a small play, but it effectively killed the rest of the Sabres power play.
• Speaking of the PK, after an ugly start to the season the Caps have now killed 9 of the last 10 opposition power plays. The emergence of credible special teams has been a major factor in the Caps becoming more competitive.
• Nice job icing five players looking for the tying goal right out of a timeout, Buffalo.

The Caps finally win a game, and while it wasn't a perfect game by any means, it was easily the best game the team has put together this season. The power play has finally started looking dangerous, and team defense has kept the goals against under 4 in back to back games. It's a short season, but there is still plenty of hockey to be played. If this is a sign that the Caps are getting comfortable with the new systems and are able to build off of this win, the division is theirs for the taking. As always, what happens next is anybody's guess with this team.

Game highlights:

Capitals-Sabres Postgame Quote Sheet

Via the Caps, post-game quotes following their 3-2 win over Buffalo:

Washington Capitals head coach Adam Oates on improvement on the penalty kill...

"It was better. I think we've had a couple of tough bounces; 5-on-3 goals are different. Our rebounds [had been] bouncing over guys' sticks whereas today they hit our guys' sticks and we got a clear out of it."

Washington Capitals head coach Adam Oates on Alex Ovechkin...

"I thought Ovi [Alex Ovechkin] played well today. He obviously could have had a couple [of goals] in the first, and had a chance in the second. He scored a big goal for us, and then could have had an empty netter. So I hope he would look at it like ‘yeah, I had a lot of good chances."

Washington Capitals Forward Jason Chimera on the success on the ice today...

"Today I thought we played a pretty complete game. Neuvy [Michal Neuvirth] played really well for us; he made some big saves for us. The power play got us one, which is huge; Ovi [Alex Ovechkin] got one, which is huge for us."

Washington Capitals Forward Jason Chimera on the play of the Capitals...

"You've just got to get pucks to the net. I think when you get pucks to the net good things happen. Look at Erskine's [John Erskine] goal. He threw it to the net and found a way to make things happen. You've got to do those. Once you start working hard, those ones seem to bounce your way."

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin on playing with Troy Brouwer and Nicklas Backstrom...

"I think it's more [about being prepared] mentally and the guys getting in shape. When you're in shape, you have more power and more physicality. I think our line - me and Brouwsy [Troy Brouwer] can hit.

Washington Capitals goaltender Michal Neuvirth on the first win of the season...

"Finally we got the win, and that is all that matters. We are extremely happy, but tomorrow is another day and another game on Tuesday and we've got to be ready."

Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff on the second period and the lack of an attack...

"I thought in the second [period], we passed up on some opportunities to take it to the net or even get pucks to the net. We looked in some situations for a high slot, and I thought there were four or five [times] that we could have attacked and didn't, and that resulted in not a lot of opportunities."

Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff on his team in the first period and why they were able to capitalize...

"There was a lot more determined play [in the first period]. There were a lot of plays there tonight I liked, from forcing turnovers, to getting in top of people, to not giving them time, the bottling up the neutral zone. We just as a team have to do a better job out in front of their net. We're not getting enough bodies there."

Buffalo Sabres forward Cody Hodgson on his line's play tonight...

"There were a couple bad bounces, the one goal [by John Erskine] it hit off my stick but other than that, like in the third period last game, we've got to create better chances. [Marcus Foligno] did a great job keeping the puck down low [on his goal] and attacking the net and that's what we need to do more of."

Buffalo Sabres forward Cody Hodgson on the loss of Thomas Vanek and how they need to respond ...

"Obviously, you can't replace Thomas Vanek, but other guys can step up, and it takes the whole team to compensate for a guy like that. We need to put in a better effort all-around but especially our line could have done more."

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller on the team's play and the game-winning Ovechkin goal...

"It's coming around, I thought there were a few better habits out there. It was tough to give Ovechkin one in the third period there and spot them another goal. I think my read could have been a little bit better. He came from a down low position and their first look is usually Ovechkin. It was a bad read."

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller the injuries and how the team played tonight...

"Vanek has been going real good so it's tough to lose him. I think he got tripped up last night and he tweaked something. Hopefully it's not long, but you can't be defined by one guy. It's great when we have a full team, but that's not going to be the case this year. It's going to be too fast and not a lot of rest. There are going to be things that pop up and you have to deal with them. We made a few adjustments tonight to our game, and compliment that with play-making and goal-scoring that we saw early on and maybe we'd have a few more [goals]. I'm not going to say we had a great game but I saw some things that we did a lot better."

Monday Caps Clips: Return of the Great 8

Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on yesterday's big win from us (with quotes), Monumental video (Oates, Alex Ovechkin, players), Vogs, NHL.com, ESPN, Sports Xchange, WaPo (gamer, blog, Svrluga), Wash Times (gamer, blog), CSNW (gamer, blog, blog part 2, Joe B), DCEx, DSP (with audio), WNST, Caps Basketball, RMNB, Peerless, CapCentre, Caps by Puck (pics), Sick Unbelievable, Caps Outsider, and HockeyShopped, with the view from the other side by the Buffalo News (with audio) and our SBN pals Die by the Blade.
• Along with a big goal from Alex Ovechkin, yesterday's game also featured the first of the year (and the first since May 2011) for John Erskine, his gap-toothed grin and the phrase "threw a little muffin". [Caps Basketball, RMNB]
• Welcome to the doghouse, Marcus Johansson. Enjoy the nachos. [WaPo, Wash Times]
• Before the game, the overwhelming sense around the Caps was that they needed more from their top players - especially the captain. And he delivered. [WaPo]
• Speaking of Alex, it really shouldn't be that hard for him to play the right wing. And Troy Brouwer has a potty mouth. [RMNB]
• With his team off to a slow start, all eyes are on George McPhee to right the ship and quick. [Toronto Sun]
• Down on the farm, the Hershey Bears dropped their fourth straight as they fell to the Binghamton Senators in the shootout. [LDNews, PennLive]
• A guide to being a Caps fan for you menfolk out there... because everyone knows we gals need no additional help. [CapsOutsider]
• And finally, happy 64th birthday to Jack Egers and happy 47th birthday to Michal Pivonka (whom we mistakenly wished happy birthday to a day early... but whatever, Pivo deserves it).
  

Sunday Caps Clips: Sabres @ Caps Game Day

Your savory breakfast links:

• Previews of this afternoon's duel with the Sabres from Vogs, NHL.com, WashTimes, CSNW and Peerless, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner Die By The Blade for more from the other side of today's match-up.
• Notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday out at Kettler:
  • In general. [Monumental video (Oates, Ovechkin, Green, Carlson, Ward, Erskine), WashTimes]
  • John Erskine got a sweater on Friday night and, judging from how he played and what he brings to the lineup, probably won't have to wait as long for his next one. [Dump 'n Chase, WashTimes]
• Major Problem Number One: The penalties. [WaPo]
• Major Problem Number Eight, err, Two: Number Eight. [WashTimes]
• Worthwhile leftovers and fallout from Friday night's loss. [WaPo, WashTimes]
• For gear nerds, here's a look at how CCM sticks are once again popular amongst the boys in red. [Sick, Unbelievable]
• A Ducks game, as experienced by a Caps fan. [Capital Wasteland]
• Finally, happy 47th birthday to Michal Pivonka.

Capitals vs. Devils: Game 4 of 48

The Caps rally late to grab a point... but that's all they'd get as they fall to 0-3-1.

---

Next Game

Washington Capitals
@ New Jersey Devils

Friday, Jan 25, 2013, 7:00 PM EST
Prudential Center

The Noon Number: 1.4

Friday Caps Clips: Bad Hab-its; Caps @ Devils Game Day

• Previews of tonight's game in lovely downtown Newark from Vogs, NHL.com, Peerless and RtR, and be sure to check out the other side of the matchup from the Devils (Kovalchuk, Zajac), Fire & Ice (and again) and of course our SB Nation friends over at In Lou We Trust.

Complete Coverage >

---

Tonight's probable netminders:

---

	GP	MIN	W	L	O	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
Michal Neuvirth	1	60	0	1	0	4	4.00	22	18	.818	0
Martin Brodeur	2	120	2	0	0	1	0.50	43	42	.977	1

---

Keep up with the latest Caps-related Tweets right here:

Look for updates in this story stream throughout the evening, including new open threads for each period, and more.

And of course... have at it, people.

Saturday Caps Clips: A Point Well Taken

Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's overtime loss from us, Monumental video (Oates, players), Vogs, NHL.com, ESPN (and again), AP, WaPo (gamer, blog), WashTimes (gamer, blog), CSNW (blog, Joe B.), Frankovic, Peerless, DSP, Examiner, RMNB, Sick Unbelievable, Puckhead, Caps Daily and Capitals Outsider, and for the view from the other side, NJ.com (and again and again), Fire & Ice, and our fellow SB Nationites, In Lou We Trust.
  • A major reason the Caps even managed a point last night was the inspired play of Michal Neuvirth in net. Here's just one of his sparkling saves in a game full of them. [Caps]
  • Alex Ovechkin didn't just shift back to left wing for this game - he gained two new (and surprising) linemates. [Wash Times, RMNB]
• As I'm sure most of you have noticed, the Caps aren't off to the best start...the rest of the hockey world seems to have noticed, as well. [NHL.com, WaPo, Cross Checks Blog, BHS (podcast), ESPN ($), Yahoo!]
• Tough to do while staring at a 0-3-1 record, but the Caps know the new system is going to take patience. [CSNW]
• If one window has closed, is another about to open? [RtR]
• Speaking of the new system, the captain chatted about it with Russia's version of NHL.com, explaining that it was 60% offense and 40% defense. Can't wait to see it! [Alex Ovetjkin]
• And speaking of the captain, how much of the blame for the season-opening losing streak falls on Ovechkin's shoulders? [WNST]
• The Bears lost, but Philipp Grubauer was good, so there's that. [Patriot-News]
• Finally, happy 55th birthday to Mark Taylor.

Caps Questions: How Worried Are You?

As much as we are one big, happy Rink family, the shocking fact is that we don't always agree on everything about the Caps - so throughout the season we'll present mini-roundtables, with each of us weighing in on a pressing question or issue facing the team, a player or the League as a whole. Next up, gauging our collective panic level.

Q: On a scale of 1 (totally zen) to 10 (climbing onto the ledge), how worried are you about the current direction of this team and its chances in this shortened season, and why?

J.P.: Well, "worried" implies a level of emotional investment that I’m pretty sure the lockout sapped me of, at least in the short term. But if we’re talking about my confidence that they’ll be alright this year (i.e. make the playoffs or whatever), I’d peg my level of concern at around 6, which is probably up one from a week ago.

As we’ve discussed before, implementing new systems on the fly was always going to be a challenge. I’d like to have seen some more progress from Game One to Game Three than we have, but it’s not surprising that they’ve struggled early.

What is surprising, however, is the effort level these guys have displayed. Adam Oates nailed it – "some of [the] mistakes are pure effort. It's very upsetting." So, like Oates, "I'm not pushing the panic button, but obviously it's upsetting." The system stuff is forgivable and hopefully correctable. The other stuff? That’s much more concerning.

Becca: I'm not on the ledge... yet. I think what concerns me most right now is that a lot of the issues seem to go hand in hand with learning a new system – even the apparent work ethic, because I think a lot of times what is happening is guys are thinking too much rather than reacting and it makes them look hesitant, slow, and unaware. And while I think this team has the capacity to pick it up eventually (as they’ve done with mid-season coaching replacements in recent history) I worry that there isn’t enough practice time to implement it as quickly as it needs to be. Before the season started I was more comfortable with the fact that they could have a slow start and bounce back, but looking at the schedule now – with a game tonight and a game on Sunday, which likely means a day off tomorrow – I’m not sure when that practice time they so badly need will come into play.

That said, I still find it hard to get too worked up over three games. The Caps have, for the most part, looked terrible to start the season - even I can admit that. There has been very little good that’s come out of the start of the season. But it’s still only three games, even in a shortened season; the equivalent of six, maybe seven games in a full one. And it’s still only January. I honestly don’t know what I expect out of this team but it’s definitely more than what we’ve seen and I think what we’ve seen so far isn’t anywhere close to what they’re capable of being, or what they’ll look like at the end of the season (let alone in a few weeks). I’ll panic if/when they’re still doing this in a few weeks.

Kareem: Am I panicked about a middle-of-the-road NHL team starting out slowly with a new coach? Not really. Am I panicked that the team won’t make the playoffs? A bit, although my expectations going into the season were dulled as I believe the Caps are no longer a top tier team. They’re more of a 6 through 10 seed, so playoffs were never a guarantee. Am I panicked that there are serious structural problems with the team and that this mediocrity is what we’ll have to endure for the next several seasons? Very much so.

Rob: I'll go with 8...since that's the biggest problem right now.

I’d echo everything J.P. said, and most of what Kareem said. I’m not any more worried now about this season than I was a week ago. The one thing I will add that is worrisome is that the two advantages the Caps looked like they might have, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom playing together (and producing) during the lockout, and the play of both goaltenders during the lockout, hasn’t been much of an advantage at all. Ovechkin and Backstrom haven’t done anything that looks like a top line in the NHL, much less one of the best lines in the NHL, and the goaltending, while not really to blame, hasn’t been doing much to bail the team out. Right now this team is bringing Bruce Boudreau’s defense and Dale Hunter’s offense. And it’s not pretty.

Recap: Devils 3, Caps 2 (OT)

[GameCenter - Ice Tracker - Game Summary - Event Summary - Faceoff Summary - Play-by-Play - Home TOI - Visitor TOI - Fenwick Timeline]

What’s the best way for the Caps to overcome three ugly and disenchanting losses to open the season? How about going down a pair of goals after two periods and then watching your opponent, seemingly with the game in hand, melt down, take five third period penalties, and allow your fatigued team to tie the game with two goals in the last eight minutes? Would any Caps fan have envisioned a script like that?

When all was said and done, the Caps did lose the game in overtime, 3-2, to the New Jersey Devils in Newark. But the Caps gained what, at one point in the night, was thought to be an improbable point. And while they remain winless on the season, their gutsy comeback in the third period may be the spark needed to wake the team from its early season doldrums.

Ten more notes on the game:

• So let’s get this out of the way. Ovi moved back to LW, but demoted to play with fourth line players? Bold. Poti and Hamrlik benched? Interesting. Erskine and Fehr in? Okay, message sent: play better, no exceptions. As expected, the first ten minutes of the game the Caps came out pumped and carried the play. Regrettably they got nothing in the net, despite some prime chances.
• But...props to the boys for not giving up on this game while down two goals late in the third! And props to the Ribeiro-Ward combination for getting the rally started and continuing to be the Caps offensive lifeblood
• Your Caps MVP for the night is none other than Michal Neuvirth. He finished 32 for 35 playing in front of what continues to be a mistake-prone defense and helped the team salvage its first point of the year.
• There was an Alex Ovechkin sighting in the first period. He set up Mike Green for an open look right in the slot early in the game, which Green couldn’t finish. Not sure if Ovi played after that…if he did, no one noticed. (Well, I guess folks noticed the toe pick late in overtime that led to an odd-man break for the Devils, and, ultimately, their game-winning goal.)
• Mike Green, on the other hand, reminded us of the old days. He created chances, he scored goals, he set people up. And then he got hurt. Feels like 2010 all over again!
• If the Caps are going to insist on playing horribly at even strength, then they need to punish teams on the power play. Going 1-for-8 on the PP – with your only goal being on a 5-on-3 – isn’t the way to do that.
• Before we throw Tomas Kundratek under the bus for getting turned inside out by Jacob Josefson on the Devils first goal, let’s also not forget that it was John Carlson who unnecessarily got caught up ice and left Kundratek alone. One’s a borderline NHLer; the other is a cornerstone of this franchise. You can decide who deserves more blame. On that same sequence, you can argue that Michal Neuvirth shouldn’t be at fault, since it was essentially a mini-breakway that Gionta scored on. But Neuvy left his five hole wide open and when he sees it on film he’ll want that goal back. That sequence has been a microsm of this short season: a short burst of mistakes committed by numerous Caps players leading to unnecessary goals against.
• That first penalty on Jay Beagle in the first period (for holding)? That’s one of those tick-tack calls that you chalk up to early season enforcement of rules. No way that gets called late in the year or in the playoffs. That John Carlson interference penalty? That call is here to stay (as it should).
• Remember that blurb from above about too many short bursts of mistakes killing the Caps? Taking two questionable penalties 20 seconds apart is another example. That second period set of gaffes led to a 5-on-3 for Jersey, which they scored on and took a two-goal lead.
• Troy Brouwer wasn’t happy with the team’s performance last night against the Habs. So Troy set an example for the team tonight, with 0 points, 1 shot, 2 hits and finishing -1 in 22+ minutes of action.

Hopefully the Caps can build on their third period comeback and begin the chore of turning the season around. Granted, the Devils assisted them with a poorly played, undisciplined third period, but, honestly, who cares? Salvaging a point on the road against one of the better Eastern Conference teams isn’t a bad thing, especially since it seemed like the Caps were staring down another deflating loss. Let’s see how they come out Sunday against the Sabres.

Game highlights:

Capitals-Canadiens Postgame Quote Sheet

Via the Caps, post-game quotes following their 4-1 loss to Montreal:

Washington Capitals head coach Adam Oates on tonight's performance...

"Things haven't been going our way. The team's probably a little fragile, and we gave them a 5-on-3 goal, which right away took the wind out of our sails a little bit."

Washington Capitals head coach Adam Oates on the team's effort...

"I would say some of our mistakes are pure effort. It's very upsetting. I'm not pushing the panic button, but obviously it's upsetting. We're pros, you've got to be a pro, and you've got to do your job."

Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom on moving forward...

"It's up to us. We're playing. Even if we have a new system, it's not such a big difference from the last system. It's just a matter of work and making the right decisions at the right time. And right now, we're not doing that."

Washington Capitals goaltender Michal Neuvirth on how the Capitals can improve...

"We've got to stay out of the box. It would be easier for everyone. And if we do take a penalty, we've got to kill it."

Washington Capitals forward Wojtek Wolski on losing three in a row...

"I think we just need to get one win under our belt and get rolling. Obviously we are frustrated and yeah we are concerned, but it's nothing like hitting the panic button where we think we can't come out of it. We've got skill and we just need to put a full game together."

Washington Capitals forward Wojtek Wolski on the play of the team...

"We've got a lot of skill on this team and sometimes that's something you can't control on a lot of teams. But something you can control is your work ethic and how hard you play. Obviously, we know what we've got to do."

Montreal Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien on goaltender Carey Price...

"He's been phenomenal since day one and he reported, first of all, in great shape. He gives us a huge chance every night to win the hockey game and he's playing terrific for us."

Montreal Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien on his team's special teams play being the difference...

"We took advantage of our power play, especially in the second period, and the power play gave us a chance to win this hockey game. We were pretty solid too 5-on-5 and at the time where we needed the [penalty] kills, guys sacrificed themselves to kill those penalties, so it was a good team effort."

Montreal Canadiens forward Brian Gionta on shaping the team's identity...

"That's what we want our identity to be [i.e. blocking shots], full team effort, making those sacrifices. [We] had a couple big [penalty] kills, [defenseman Alexei Emelin] had a couple big blocks [shots] on those kills too, so that's what we want our identity to be."

Montreal Canadiens forward Brian Gionta on giving the full effort and taking it to the Capitals...

"The good thing is we're playing on our toes and we're forcing them. When we gave [the Capitals] a little bit, we started to back off but we're trying to work towards our sixty minute effort. The last two games, we've done a fairly good job of that."

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Raphael Diaz on his and the team's confidence...

"I think the whole confidence from the team, if we keep playing like that, we will be successful. We know what happened last year, it's over, we learned a lot. This year, we stick to the system and we play from period to period."

Recap: Habs 4, Caps 1

[GameCenter - Ice Tracker - Game Summary - Event Summary - Faceoff Summary - Play-by-Play - Home TOI - Visitor TOI]

The Caps entered Tuesday night's game against the visiting Canadiens trying to avoid an 0-3 start to this shortened 2013 season. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say they were hoping to avoid an 0-3 start. Because the requisite effort, once again, wasn't there and the result was predictable - a 4-1 loss that probably wasn't even as close as the score.

Over the course of a season, even a shortened one, a three-game losing streak can be brushed aside if it's just a bump in the road. But right now, there's little reason to think the road is passable, as the Caps have been outscored 14-6 over three games and haven't been good at even-strength or on either special teams unit. If and when things get better, it may be hard to trace many of the roots thereof to these first three games.

Ten more notes on the game:

• It's pretty simple - a team with what appears, at least for now, to be a horrendous penalty kill cannot afford to take bad penalties. But there was Alex Ovechkin needlessly interfering with Andrei Markov roughly half a mile from the puck (after a good backcheck, no less), then Troy Brouwer flipping the puck off the rink 25 seconds into the ensuing penalty kill. Montreal 1-0 after a 5-on-3 goal a minute-and-a-half later. Then Matt Hendricks got dinged (questionably) for interfering with Carey Price 200 feet from the Caps net less than a minute later. Montreal 2-0.
  
• Michal Neuvirth had a good first period and was actually pretty good in the second as well. But at this point you could probably put Neuvirth and Braden Holtby next to each other in net and have minimal success, the defensive coverage has been so bad. A fifteen-minute span of the second period turned a scoreless game into a 4-0 blowout and that was that.
  
• Back to the penalty kill. Conventional wisdom: the team misses Brooks Laich enormously. Smarter take: the team misses Dean Evason enormously.
  
• As for the defense, the Caps' top pairing of Karl Alzner and John Carlson has had a rough start to the season, with Alzner on the ice for eight goals-against through eight periods (five on the penalty kill) and Carlson on for nine over that span (six on the PK). With struggles like that, it's not surprising that Adam Oates split the two up for the third period.
  
• Over the past day or so, much was made of Mathieu Perreault's disappointment with his ice time, and how he and the team were dealing with it. Oates's answer? He spoke with and then started Perreault, and the pivot ended up with more ice time than in games one and two combined, including a good chunk of power-play time. That's quite a (welcome) departure from how Oates's predecessor handled things.
  
• Mike Green led the Caps with 12 shot attempts (5 of which made it on net). Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom combined for 12 attempts (4 on goal). As long as the top line does nothing, this team will do nothing.
  
• Late in the third, Joey Crabb finally ruined Price's shutout bid. That makes two goals apiece for third- and fourth-liners, with opening night second-liners Troy Brouwer and Wojtek Wolski adding the other two. Again, nothing from the first line.
• Rene Bourque can still kick rocks. #neverforget
  
• Positive? The Caps won 55% of the game's faceoffs. Yeah, we're grasping.
  
• The last time the Caps allowed 14 goals over a three-game span was November 23 -26, 2011. The last of those three games was Bruce Boudreau's final night behind the Caps bench. So it's not just your imagination - this has been some kind of terrible.
  

To put a three-game losing streak during a 48-game season in perspective, it's roughly the equivalent of losing five-straight in an 82-game campaign. The last time the Caps did that, in 2010-11 (when they dropped eight in-a-row), they finished first in the Eastern Conference. So there's time. But right now, there's little indication that time is going to do anything but deliver more of the same.

Game highlights:

Friday Caps Clips: Bad Hab-its; Caps @ Devils Game Day

Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's loss from us (with quotes), Monumental (Oates, players), Vogs, NHL.com, Puck Daddy, Reuters, WaPo (gamer, blog), Wash Times (gamer, blog), CSNW (gamer, blog), DCEx, DSP (and again), Peerless, Puckhead, CapCentre, Caps Basketball, Hockey Shopped, RMNB (and again) and Caps Daily, and for the view from across the border, the Habs (with numbers), Montreal Gazette, RDS (via Google Translate... worth it just to read "Russian and Troy Brouwer also had a dungeon"), La Presse and Le Journal (ditto), Boucher Scouting and our pals over at Eyes on the Prize.
  • Relive Matt Hendricks' fight with Brandon Prust. And for those keeping count at home, Hendricks now has the same number of fights in the last two games as the Caps have goals. [Caps Outsider]
• Previews of tonight's game in lovely downtown Newark from Vogs, NHL.com, Peerless and RtR, and be sure to check out the other side of the matchup from the Devils (Kovalchuk, Zajac), Fire & Ice (and again) and of course our SB Nation friends over at In Lou We Trust.
• Notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday's morning skate:
  • In general. [Capitals Voice (Beagle, Oates), DSP]
  • He may be unhappy with his ice time so far under his new coach, but Mathieu Perreault is adamant that he didn't ask for a trade...he just said "trade me if I'm not a part of your plans". Which is different. Sort of. [BHS, CSNW, WaPo, Wash Times (and again), DCEx,
  • The word is out that guys are going to have to earn their spots. Well... most of them, anyway. Ahem. [Wash Times]
  • Case in point: Marcus Johansson, who was relegated to fourth-line duty for (most of) last night's game against Montreal after failing to impress on the top line. [WaPo]
  • Going into last night's game the Caps wanted to a) gain and hold a lead and b) improve their penalty-killing in order to c) win their first game. Three strikes, you're out. [Dump 'n Chase]
• Despite the loss of Alexander Semin to free agency, the Caps haven't lacked for secondary scoring so far. That pesky primary scoring, on the other hand... [Sick Unbelievable]
• Notes from Chocolatetown. [Bears Thoughts, Penn Live, RtR]
• Considering how steady they usually are, it's somewhat staggering to note that John Carlson and Karl Alzner have been on the ice for roughly two-thirds of the Caps' goals-against so far. Yikes. [RMNB]
• Braden Holtby hasn't been the reason for the Caps' woes, but his early season struggles certainly aren't helping any. [CapCentre]
• With the Caps struggling early on, will George McPhee try to make a splash on the trade market? [WNST]
• "The Caps are fighting themselves more than any specific opponent." Hey, look, they ARE able to beat someone! [Fannation]
• Wojtek Wolski checks in with The Tommy Show. [94.7 Fresh FM (audio)]
• In case you were wondering (you were, right?) - yes, "Unleash the Fury" is still alive and well at VC. And rolling out awfully early in the game these days, judging by last night's early second period unleashing. [RMNB]
• Verizon Center is celebrating it's 15th season of Caps' hockey - and the man behind the bench was out on the ice when it all began. [Caps OT]
• Just how good are the Caps? Um...*checks standings*...*checks scoreboard*... I'll take "not very" for $200, Alex. [WaPo]
• Sign a petition to bring Obama to a Caps game. You know, because it isn't taking long enough to get through the Verizon Center doors these days without the Secret Service. [Bog]
• The trials and tribulations of Mike Green's facial hair... as ugly as Caps hockey right now, amirite? [Caps Basketball]
• If I had a nickel for every story I read about a smiling baguette wearing Caps' gear and posing in front of an ice rink... [Bog]
• Congrats (we suppose) to former Cap Mike Knuble, who turned a tryout with the Red Wings and a brief stint in the AHL into an NHL contract... with Philly. See you next week, Mike. [Flyers, NHL, CSNW, Wash Times, RMNB]
• And finally, happy 44th birthday to Steve Maltais and happy (yes, happy) 48th birthday to Esa Tikkanen.

Thursday Caps Clips: Habs @ Caps Game Day

Your savory breakfast links:

• Previews of tonight's clash with the Canadiens from Vogs, NHL.com, Peerless, Hockey Shopped, Nosebleeds and RtR, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner Eyes On The Prize for more from the other side of tonight's match-up.
• Notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday out at Kettler, where the Caps had an optional skate:
  • In general. [Monumental video (Oates, Hendricks), WaPo, WashTimes, DSP]
  • The optional skates are probably going to be pretty common, League-wide, this year. [Puck Daddy]
  • Marcus Johansson, welcome to Chez Bow Wow. [Monumental (video), CSNW, WashTimes]
  • After watching Braden Holtby for two nights, Michal Neuvirth will get the start against the Habs. [WashTimes, CSNW, WaPo, NBC4]
  • John Carlson is trying to do too much, says Calle Johansson. [WashTimes]
  • But really, the transition to a new (old) style of play shouldn't be all that hard. [Monumental (video), CSNW]
    
• On implementing this new system of Adam Oates's. [Dump 'n Chase, WaPo]
• Panic? Nah. Play with a bit more urgency? Uh, yeah. [WashTimes]
• Mathieu Perreault doesn't sound like a happy camper about the 8:50 of ice time he's gotten through two games. [Google Translate via La Presse (h/t @sunnydaycrash), RMNB]
• There weren't too many bright spots in the home opener, but Matt Hendricks was certainly one of them. [WaPo, Capitals Outsider]
• Other worthwhile leftovers and fallout from Tuesday night's loss. [WashTimes, WaPo, CSNW (and again), OFB, Homer McFanboy, RMNB, Caps Across The Pond, Caps Centre, Puck 'N Hockey, Caps Daily]
• Bob + Caleb = best. [DC Sports Bog]
• Don Cherry + Twitter = worst. [WashTimes]
• Tomas Kundratek is getting his chance; hopefully he makes the most of it. [THW]
• Please, Hammer, don't hurt 'em. Or do. Whatever, it's hockey. [DC Sports Bog (with related Michael Jenkins awesomeness here)]
• So how was your experience actually physically getting into the game on Tuesday? [DC Sports Bog]
• The viewers... they're back... [CSNW]
• ... as are the fans at the arenas. And what's their reward for their loyalty (or whatever)? Well, it varies. [McKeen's, SI]
• Roughly one out of every eight NHLers was never drafted, including a couple of Caps. An inexact science, drafting is. [CBC]
• Is that one "r" or two in "Agent Insider"? [Go Five Hole]
• Philipp Grubauer will (likely) cap off his ECHL career in style. [HF]
• Tom Wilson was slapped with a five-game suspension yesterday for a bad hit over the weekend. [CSNW]
• This is probably the first time I've seen "Bates Battaglia" and "amazing" in the same sentence. [CBS]
• Hey, here's some Monumental news. [Capitals]
• Finally, happy (and hopefully relatively pain-free) 27th birthday to Jack Hillen, happy 40th birthday to the Ferraro twins, Chris and Peter and happy 64th to Guy Charron.

Recap: Jets 4, Caps 2

[GameCenter - Ice Tracker - Game Summary - Event Summary - Faceoff Summary - Play-by-Play - Home TOI - Visitor TOI]

In their previous ten home openers leading up to tonight's fourth-month delayed Verizon Center debut, the Caps had a spotless 10-0-0 record, having outscored their opponents by a total of 48-21. But none of those Caps teams were dealing with learning a new coach's new systems with a mere week of training camp, and so perhaps it was unsurprising that the streak ended on Tuesday night as the Caps dropped a 4-2 decision to the visiting Jets.

Those extenuating circumstances aren't to excuse a poor effort, of course, but rather to add context to it. Adam Oates's Caps are a work in progress, to be sure. But to date they're lacking the progress and, at times, the work. And in this shortened season, it's going to get late early if they don't turn things around soon.

Ten more notes on the game:

• The last time Braden Holtby lost consecutive NHL games (within a single season) was in his first month in the League, way back in November of 2010. Since then, he'd followed up his 11 losses (regulation or otherwise) with 11 wins. That's called being a stopper. Tonight... not so much. And while reasonable minds could disagree as to how many of the Jets' goals on Tuesday night were on Holtby (Winnipeg shooters had far too much space all night), he wasn't sharp - again - and now has given up as many goals in two games as he did in the last six-plus games worth of the Caps/Rangers series last spring. These ain't Dale Hunter's Caps... but this ain't Dale Hunter's Braden Holtby, either.
  
• While Ondrej Pavelec is Winnipeg's clear-cut number-one netminder, it was perhaps a bit surprising to see him get the start after taking a shootout loss in Boston on Monday. After all, over the past two seasons, Pavelec was 0-9-0/4.13/.861 in the second of back-to-backs in which he played in both games prior to Tuesday in Washington. But the Caps didn't make life particularly difficult for Pavelec, who cruised to the 32-save win without having to make too many tough stops (though one on Jay Beagle was noteworthy).
  
• Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom knew they had to be better in Game 2 than they were in Game 1. Were they? Maybe marginally. The pair combined to set-up Matt Hendricks' game-opening goal (and Backstrom added a secondary helper on the late Troy Brouwer power-play tally), but were otherwise pretty quiet offensively at both even-strength and on the power-play. Oh, and they were both out on (and at least partially to blame for) the first Jets power-play goal.
• Back to Hendricks, his goal came on a beauty of a redirection with his boot, he generated decent offense all night, and his fight at the end of the second period was perhaps the most passion anyone on the team has shown through two games. You can always count on Hendricks (who answered the bell when Chris Thorburn rang it in the third)... but when he's the only guy you can count on, you're in trouble.
• And speaking of the second period... yikes. The Jets outshot the Caps 20-9 and outscored them 2-0, and it could've been worse than that. Evander Kane turned John Carlson inside-out in the neutral zone before laying a saucer pass out to Blake Wheeler for a tap-in conversion of a 2-on-1, and a last-minute power-play-looking even-strength tally was the nail in the Caps' coffin as the lead was pushed to 4-1 after 40 minutes.
• The Caps' penalty kill allowed a pair of first period goals, which put them at 4-for-9 on the season. Obviously that's beyond terrible. But a couple of abbreviated kills and a full two-minute job in the third pushed them above 50% for the campaign, so there's that. Think they could use a healthy Brooks Laich? Put it this way - no Cap played more down a man on Tuesday than Mike Ribeiro did. Not one.
  
• It's hard to imagine anyone doing less in a better situation than what Marcus Johansson has (not) done riding shotgun on the top line. The result? The young Swede was deservedly stapled to the bench in the third period.
  
• Were the Caps going to come back after cutting the lead to 4-2 (on a power-play that looked exactly like it should, by the way)? Probably not. But Ribeiro's selfish unsportsmanlike conduct penalty effectively killed even that longshot chance.
• One last point on Backstrom - when you're out there for half of the game's faceoffs, you really can't be below 40% effective. Tough night for a player who's much better than he showed.
• Stop! Hammer time. Also, stop Hamr time - he and Tomas Kundratek struggled as a defensive pairing.

And so the Caps drop to 0-2-0. It's too early to panic, of course... but when would be the right time for that? Asking for a friend...

Game highlights:

Wednesday Caps Clips: Grounded

Your savory breakfast links:

• Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's loss from us, Vogs, Caps365 (Oates, players), NHL.com, Capitals Voice, Puck Daddy, WaPo (gamer, column), Wash Times, CSNW (gamer, blog, Joe B.), DCEx, Frankovic, Peerless, DSP (and more), Puckhead, Hockey Shopped, RMNB and Caps By Puck (pics), and for the view from the other side, the Winnipeg Sun, Winnipeg Free Press and our friends over at Arctic Ice Hockey.
  • Relive the magical game-opening Matt Hendricks tally from last night that was so cool it almost didn't look like it was on purpose. [RMNB]
  • Before the game Craig Laughlin made the excellent point that, in order to avoid going 0-2 to open the season, the Caps' stars needed to be their stars. Funny thing, that. [CBS DC]
  • Alex Ovechkin: "We know what we have to do." (Caps fans: "Then DO it.") [CSNW]
  • After he and Joey Crabb each got tagged for yelling at the refs, Mike Ribeiro had plenty to say post-game about the officiating and the lack of high-sticking calls (understandably, given his history) [Puck Daddy, Wash Times (and again), WaPo, CSNW, DCEx]
  • The lack of a preseason warm-up is going to have more of an impact on the Caps than other teams. Wait...last night wasn't a preseason game?? [Wash Times]
  • Congratulations to Mike Green, who (finally) appeared in his 400th career game last night. Seems like just yesterday we were watching him do this, doesn't it? Sunrise, sunset... [CSNW]
  • And a warm welcome to Joey Crabb, who emerged from the press box to make his Caps debut last night. [CSNW]
• Alan May dishes about the lockout, the Caps buzz in DC and his six hockey-filled DVRs. Jealous. [WaPo]
• They may not be the wholesale changes of the last lockout, but the NHL has put some new rules into place. Learn all about them so you can sound smart at the next game or at cocktail parties. [WaPo]
• With fewer games to play - and by extension fewer points to go around - the shootout is likely going to take on even greater significance this year. The Caps are ready for it. [Sick Unbelievable]
• McKeen's unveils this month's top goalie prospects. Spoiler alert: the name at the top of the list may look familiar. [The Goalie Guild]
• Because there can never be enough sports talk in the District, 1580 AM is switching from unimportant stuff like government and business to 24-hour sports chatter. [DC Sports Bog]
• Incredibly touching story about Joel Ward, as he dedicates this season to the memory of a close friend. [Wash Times]
• The Caps are glad that the fans are back... [Caps OT, Caps Outsider, Wash Times, Ted's Take]
• ...and the fans are (mostly) glad that hockey is back... [Caps Outsider, DSP, RMNB (and again)]
• ...but perhaps the gladdest of them all that the fans are back and hockey is back are the folks who make their living off of Caps fans before and after hockey. Feel the love, people. [NBCW, WaPo]
• Twenty-nine different words to describe Mike Ribeiro, all of them safe for work... for now. [Sick Unbelievable]
• Finally, happy 52nd birthday to Timo Blomqvist and happy 34th to Scott Hannan.

Capitals-Jets Postgame Quote Sheet

Via the Caps, post-game quotes following their 4-2 loss to Winnipeg:

Washington Capitals head coach Adam Oates on learning the new system...

"It is a good system. It's going to be hard and we have to fight through that. I thought we could have had better execution. We didn't give ourselves the opportunity to play the team game. We turned it over on the blue line too many times, little subtle things that could have gone better to help ourselves."

Washington Capitals head coach Adam Oates on the energy level of the team...

"The guys didn't look like they had much in the tank. I'm sure that's a product of this season and what happened and our conditioning levels which we talk about every day."

Washington Capitals forward Matt Hendricks on the energy on the ice ...

"I didn't think we had the energy we needed tonight. One of our keys to success was to put them on their heels, put pucks in their end, get them to turn, get them to work. They played last night and we didn't make it look like that."

Washington Capitals forward Matt Hendricks on the level of play tonight...

"It was a little surprising. We have been talking since we got back in town about how much we missed Verizon Center and our fans, playing in front of them and the support they give us. I thought guys worked hard, but we need a little bit more energy."

Washington Capitals forward Joel Ward on the urgency to catch up...

"It's two games out of 48. It's a long way to go. Anything can happen, obviously. We are just focused on the next day and the next game."

Washington Capitals forward Joel Ward on the energy from Matt Hendricks...

"Hendy [Matt Hendricks] brings it every night. He is a solid player obviously and he brings a lot of energy. He was just trying to do his best to get the team going a little bit and we just had a few lapses and they just capitalized."

Winnipeg Jets head coach Claude Noel on getting three out of a possible four points on the road ...

"Three out of four points on the road is real good for us, I thought we played well, I thought [goaltender Ondrej Pavelec] was outstanding. He was in a real good groove and our power play [was good as well], and I thought we played a good team game again so you've got to like what you see from our group, especially after the first game."

Winnipeg Jets head coach Claude Noel on his team's power play tonight...

"We were a little bit fortunate, I thought [forward Evander Kane's] goal was a little bit lucky but that's what happens when you put pucks to the net. The other [power play] goal, the Antropov [pass] to Ladd, I thought was a really good play. It's a matter of time, they usually go in waves, but we'll take them when we can."

Winnipeg Jets forward Andrew Ladd on how the team was successful tonight...

"I thought it was a really solid effort from start to finish. We had four lines going and we were smart with the pucks, and that lead to a lot of good things...I think winning in general, that's the way we want to play. Our defense played great, they blocked a lot of shots, we were strong defensively and when we had the puck offensively, we did good things with it and put it in good spots."

Winnipeg Jets Andrew Ladd on winning the special teams battle...

"It's always good, special teams are such a key [part of the game] especially against a team like this, [the Capitals] power play is one of the best in the league. You have to be able to counteract that with a good one yourself. It's always good to get one [a power play goal] early and it's going to be big for us going forward."

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tobias Enstrom on his team carrying some momentum over from the Boston game yesterday ...

"Every point is important and it feels like the Boston game, we were moving in the right direction, and coming out with two points on this game makes me happy."

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tobias Enstrom on getting the two points in a tough building...

"We have to keep building from last year and keep learning [and] it feels like we're doing that. Two points here in Washington is not an easy road game so that's good."

Capital Ups and Downs: Week 1

Your weekly look at individual Washington Capitals' ups and downs:

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Michal Neuvirth		Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, Neuvirth will get his chances this season, perhaps sooner rather than later.
Braden Holtby		It's tough to hand out our first down arrow of the season based on one game playing a new system after a shortened training camp, but expectations are sky-high for Holtby this season, and six goals-against in sixty minutes ain't gonna cut it. Welcome back to the NHL, Braden - let's hope the re-acclimatization doesn't take long.
Defensemen
Karl Alzner		Alzner logged just over 22 minutes on opening night, including nearly six with the Caps down a man, and was only on the ice for the 5-on-3 goal-against. Steady as she goes.
John Carlson		All three goals that the Caps scored on Saturday night tied the game. The other thing they had in common was that John Carlson was on the ice. (He was also on the ice for all three Tampa power-play tallies, but nary an even-strength goal-against.) Carlson finished the night with a helper, a plus-two rating and twice as many blocked shots (4) as anyone else in the game in 25 minutes played.
John Erskine		When the team dresses seven defensemen and you're not one of them... welp.
Mike Green		Green led all skaters in ice time with 26:57 that included more than ten minutes of special teams time (six on the power-play, four-and-a-half shorthanded), and looked pretty decent - and healthy - doing it.
Roman Hamrlik		Hamrlik managed a secondary assist in limited ice time, which is notable in that it took him until his 28th game to notch his first helper a season ago.
Jack Hillen		"Week-to-week" with an upper-body injury after being run into the boards by Vinny Lecavalier just six shifts into his Caps career.
Dmitry Orlov		Has been sidelined since the December 6 game he and the Bears played at Verizon Center, so at least the Caps' first home-ice injury of the season is out of the way.
Tom Poti		Playing his first NHL game in two year and a week, Poti picked up an assist in 13:20 of ice time. That's purple heart-worthy stuff... but the honeymoon will end pretty soon (if it hasn't already).
Jeff Schultz		Even with Hillen missing half of the game, Schultz only skated ten shifts on the night. If Adam Oates places a high premium on defensemen who can move the puck up ice quickly and safely, Schultz may be in trouble (and looks to be a healthy scratch tonight).
Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom		Backstrom (and his linemates) need to be better. They know that. They will be. (Of note, by the way, Backstrom took 24 of the game's 74 draws, playing in all situations... he certainly looks to be Oates's Oates.)
Jay Beagle		While the penalty kill was pretty poor on the whole, Beagle skated 5:04 with the Caps down a man and wasn't on the ice for any of the three Tampa power-play tallies. So there's that.
Troy Brouwer		A second-liner to start the season, Brouwer played nearly four minutes shorthanded and more than four with the Caps up a man, but was unable to find the same kind of mojo he had last year when he lit the lamp five times against the Bolts.
Jason Chimera		Picked up the primary helper on the Caps' second goal and had a team-high three hits (tied with Brouwer). If the third line can pot a goal every night, the Caps should be in decent shape.
Joey Crabb		Scratched for Game One as Oates went with just 11 forwards, but Crabb will get his chance soon enough (likely tonight, in fact).
Eric Fehr		Also scratched for the opener, it might've been a nice little story line if Fehr got a shot at redemption against his former (and hometown) team tonight... but that doesn't appear to be in the cards.
Matt Hendricks		Hendricks will look to stay perfect in the faceoff dot after going six-for-six on Saturday. That probably won't happen.
Marcus Johansson		Only Poti was on the ice for as many even-strength goals-against (two) as Johansson, who did next-to-nothing with the 4.5 minutes of power-play time he was given.
Brooks Laich		There's no timetable on Laich's return, but that non-existent clock no doubt speeds up with each Caps loss.
Alex Ovechkin		Came out of the gates strong, firing four shots on goal in the first ten-or-so minutes of the game and blowing up Cory Conacher on the PK, but was otherwise a non-factor. Not worried. Yet.
Mathieu Perreault		Perreault managed to cram a lot into the five shifts he got, and not much of it was good, as he was part of the first-goal-against-goat-rodeo and took a third-period tripping penalty (on which the game-winning 5-on-3 goal was scored). One wonders how effective a fourth-liner Perreault can be and how long a leash he has.
Mike Ribeiro		The Caps' most notable off-season acquisition was perhaps their best skater on Saturday, picking up a pair of helpers for his efforts.
Joel Ward		Ward skated 2:35 with the extra man - a mere 2:27 more than he averaged per game a season ago - and got a regular third-line shift. The hockey gods rewarded the Caps for finally properly deploying the winger with a pair of Ward tallies, one coming a man-up.
Wojtek Wolski		A low-risk/moderate-reward signing last summer, Wolski scored on his only shot of the game. Shoot more, DubDub.