No posts = Happy blogger

I think the Caps success is inversely proportional to my stress level. i.e. Caps play well and will make the playoffs and I'm a happy dude. Play poorly and look like poo; I'm sending posts from my bed via the phone at 3:00 am.

Ergo, I'm not posting too much. The Caps look pretty good. They still lose their focus for a period or two at a time against teams like Los Angeles and Ottawa making those games much tougher than they should be but overall I'm pretty happy.

However, my stress level will be on the rise here for the next couple of weeks as the trade deadline approaches. I'm of the opinion that there are better options out for a big shutdown D-man than Sha-Mo. His struggles this year have been pretty well documented and will be replaced next year by a less expensive candidate including Tyler Sloan or Sean Collins. If he were to be packaged up for a rental D with a pick, I'd be ecstatic.

What the hell is happening?

Where has Melvis been you may ask yourself... or not. Probably not. In case you're wondering, one word, SUFFERING. This season was to be all Caps glory, all Caps fever sweeping its way across the globe... (sigh). Instead I've seen some pretty inconsistent play over the last month. In general, all the Caps fall into three categories.

1. Awake and Kicking Ass - These are players that are keeping everybody afloat -- Semin, Flash, Nylander, Fedorov, Poti, Bradley, Johnson, Laich -- and they need NO discussion.
2. Awake and Groggy - There are also those that are playing well but are not being rewarded such as Ovi, Brashear, Gordon, Steckel. These players have a consistency about their game and are also of little concern.
3. Still Asleep - The rest, however, look like they're in their pajamas. That said, I'm beginning to see signs of life from the boys as several of their key players seem to have woke from their summer slumber so I'll start with them...

Just woke up and running for the Bus
Victor Kozlov - He played with determination against Carolina that he would no longer be pushed off the puck and when he did lose the puck, he hustled to backcheck and get he puck back. He was pucking good in other words.

Nick Backstrom - Perhaps the most disappointing Cap in my mind woke up on Thursday. He looks like he's been slowed by his ankle and maybe 10 pounds of cupcakes (nice moobs). I've been dissecting his game more than any other so far as he's missed the explosiveness and skating stride of last year. Thus, my wife was shocked that I traded for him immediately after the Canes game. Teemu for Nick... oh dear what in God's name am I thinking. Nick, you better not get tired, lay down, and hit the snooze button. Keep running and lose them cupcakes.

John Erskine - I've always admired Erskine's toughness and pure craziness but wished for him to harness it for good (steady intimidating toughness on the puck and around the net), rather than evil (bad penalties, goes out of way to make punishing hits, etc). His last two games have been perhaps his best as a Cap. I hope he keeps it up because little else from the D stalwarts has gone right.

Almost awake
Chris Clark - He's huffing and puffing and trying hard but seems to have lost his positioning and ability to receive a pass, and get the shot off. Clark won't dazzle you with a sleight of hand, pull the puck off the half wall, walk in front and rip one topshelf, so we should stop kidding ourselves. If Chris wants to be known as a goal scorer, he needs to drive the net consistently when he's on a top line or the PP. He needs to get down low, look for rebounds and be ready to sacrifice teeth, fingers, kidneys, and ears if he wants goals. If he's not in a position to score, he needs to understand his role and plug away. He seems like he's coming around.

Milan Jurcina - I've liked Jurcina ever since he was a Bruin getting 6 minutes a night. Actually that's a lie. I've liked Jurcina ever since I opened $10 pack of 2005 Upper Deck Premiere Hockey Cards (these were the ones that purportedly contained small strands of Ovechkin DNA in every 100,000th pack). So I shelled out for about 30 of these things and all I got was a bit of Milan Jurcina fingernail (Yes, you are correct, I wasn't married yet and No, probabilities and mathematics were never a strength). Now, I'm a fan and he's not terrible (like he was in the Philly series). That's it. Go Milan!

Missed the Alarm
Eric Fehr - I need to see more of him to make a proper judgement but this was to be his year and he's sleeping through it. There's a hungry Finn in the "A" that's waiting for that spot as well...

Mike Green - I believe he's playing with an bum wheel which is limiting his ability to skate backwards. He has three forward gears and only one reverse which makes any issues with that one reverse a big problem... at least for a player who's primary responsibility should be defense. He hasn't shown consistently that he's able to get back and remain effective.

Shoane Morrissonn - I don't know what has happened to his game but I can only think it's his confidence or the lingering effects of a rough post-season. He needs a scrap, a goal, or a new girlfriend... something. I hope its just his confidence suffering and he has a chance to get out of his funk. Outside the goalie, the Caps nation relies on him more than any other player to keep the opposition off the scoresheet.

Go Ahead and Kick Him, But I Think He's Dead
Jose Theodore - Maddeningly ill-equipped to handle the puck. Gaping 5-Hole. Tentative as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. If he can make it past the first period, he's pretty athletic and stops the pucks he should. However, his early play reminds me of Kolzig after Huet appeared last year. Kolzig lost his mojo and began playing a more panicked, less-disciplined game after Huet came probably as a result of knowing his job was in serious jeopardy. I wanted to give Jose the benefit of the doubt, but now I doubt the benefits... huh?

Jeff Schultz - I've tried really hard to like Schultz but nobody gets knocked off the puck by forecheckers more than Jeff. Nobody gets blown by standing flat-footed more then Jeff. I read that he added 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason to become a more physical player, which I thought was terrific. If we could just get all those pesky opposing forwards to stand still so Jeff can hit him, we'll be in good shape.

A New Era Begins

I posed the question yesterday about the prevailing logic of giving Olaf the nod against the Leafs after such a strong showing from Toronto by the French Wall that is Cristobal . After sifting through the reams of responses that were posted.... (ahem.... crickets) I'VE looked into the crystal ball (crysto-ball?.. heh, heh, nevermind) and discerned Boudreau's thinking:

1. Don't disenfranchise the franchise man -- The message was "You're still important, Olie. We need you. You are our rock. We are nothing if you are not something." [sniff] I think I'm going to cry.


2. It's Toronto -- How many times have the Caps played the backup this year as the opposition sees the game as a chance to rest the #1? Did we take the Leafs too lightly? Does Semin take a hooking penalty every second time he makes a turnover?


3. Back-t0-back games -- A chance to rest after Friday's stellar performance and make Olie fight for playing time.

During last night's game, while the team lacked desperation for an appreciable amount of the game, Olie looked panicked throughout. On easy saves, he fumbled several into the air and would flail to knock them out of harm's way. If he was out of position, he was made frantic dives to get back into the net. At one point in the third after a puck had been deflected up and over his head, he threw his arms into the air while looking at a retreating defenseman as if to say:

"I don't know where it is."
"I'm not at fault here."
"You can't blame me if I get scored upon because you deflected it someplace I can't see it."

Olie made several key stops up close including a mini breakaway by Tucker and then an uptight stuff on Tlusty. However, when the Leafs scored some of the blame falls squarely on the goalie. The Antropov deflection was impossible to stop. The onus of deflections have to fall on the D for not clearing out. The second goal could have been stopped but wasn't. I'm not saying it was a soft goal, but Sundin's bullet was a rising shot over the glove hand and Olie was on his knees. The third goal was riddled with problems but the mishaps began with Olie shooting the puck hard into the boards. It ricocheted off Morrisonn into the slot. Green and Fedorov playing Keystone cops didn't help the recovery. I chalk 1.5 goals against to the D and 1. 5 to the goalie.

A more appropriate title to this post may be, "The End of an Era". Whatever the title, the message is the same: Olie is now the #2 in Washington. It's the coach's job to put the players on the ice that give his team the best chance to win the game. I just don't see Olie fitting the definition of "starting goaltender" any longer.

Cats/Caps Recap-- plus Melvisdog live from the SPTF

While wearing my Ovechkin jersey, I will attempt to send live blogging reports directly from my scalped seats someplace from inside enemy territory. My wife, father-in-law, and myself will be making the journey across Central Florida, risking death...er peril.... er ridicule...um, bad thoughts and glances maybe to bring you the most-up-to-the-minute coverage of the Caps v. Tampa 2/16/2008 from the St. Pete Time's Forum.

This should be a good game as Tampa is 6-3-1 in their last 10 while the Caps are 5-4-1. The Caps have lost two in a row for the first time since November which should make them play a pretty feisty, no-holds-barred game (Note: this is not an endorsement to Shaone Morrisonn to hold people whenever possible...coughatlantacoughgame). I expect a good tilt all the way around as the Caps will clutch to their precarious 3rd place while the 'Ning try to pull themselves up.

We, hopefully, will see the premier of Sami Lepisto and the return of the Donald. I'm not sure who they will sit for him, but judging from last night's performance in Sunset, there are many choices. Laing played a physical, drive-the-net, block some shots game that I love to see; Bradley played pretty well in the same mode. Ovie was double-teamed giving Fleischmann a chance to shine, which he did nicely. Backstrom continues to amaze me with his forecheck and puck possession. His game last night was mostly a north/south affair which makes me think he's wearing down a bit not looking to make some of those hard cuts. Semin NEEDS a center to get him the puck in an open space to make him effective. I thought he did well with what he was given.

On the opposite site of my favor were Matt 'Perimeter' Pettinger. The man can absolutely fly out there but he runs so fast around the outside of the play with the puck that its a given that a nudge will make him wipe out. He's definitely lost that driving confidence that made him an in tight scoring threat in the last couple of years.

Eric Fehr's skating is so haphazardous he reminds me of a clothed, newly-born horse whose clothing has been lit on firej and must be taken off while he skates. It amazes me that he doesn't get a high-sticking penalty on every shift. I like his speed, grit, and determination but there's a ton of wasted energy out there.

Gordon, Laich, and Steckel had solid, unspectacular games. I thought Laich could have generated a little more with his speed towards the end of the game. Steckel and Gordon's defense-first mentality is a harbinger for no goals every time they touch the ice. Kozlov was a non-factor which is a shame considering his play of late.

On the defensive side, I thought Schultz played very well. Green was everywhere but took some shortcuts to conserve energy. Eminger was effective in his limited role. Erskine looked overmatched against the top line. Morrisonn was left alone far too much in the defensive zone as his partner raced up ice leading to scoring chances and goals. Somebody needs to buy Jurcina some of those new heated skate blades to get his feet out of the quicksand that seems to immobilize him on some nights.

My conclusion? (Does anybody care?) Start Flash up with the 1st line but be prepared to put Kozlov up there after the first. Bruce needs to find two hard forechecking lines that can get behind Tampa's young defensive core and score some ugly ones. Make Green play defense, conserve energy, and give him orders NOT to challenge beyond the opposing blue line unless he can see only the goalie. He can feign offense but then give Lepisto the 'Go' signal. Once they start paying attention to Lepisto then send Green later in the game. That's the O-Plan. On the D side, Morrisonn should punish Vinny and throw him off. He's very effective when he does this. Limit St. Louis and Prospal to the outside with a fleet of foot 2nd d-man ... i.e. Green who is playing real D. Keep their other lines to the Pettinger...um perimeter, and voila, it's in the bag.

More from Tampa after I get to my seat...