Tops in the East through 21 Games
As the Washington Capitals prepare for their 22nd contest of this 2009-10 NHL season against the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow night at the Verizon Center, I thought it would be a great time to review how this team has fared through the first quarter of play.
Games 1 – 10
October 1 – October 24
* Accumulated totals will be in brackets
Record: 6-2-2
Points: 14
GF: 37
GA: 29
Winning Percentage: .700
Following their strong finish to the 2008-09 season, the Capitals picked up right where they left off. Although there are new faces in the mix this season, the core of this Capitals squad has remained intact and has developed and gained tremendous maturity over the last 2 years.
The Caps are the toast of the Southeast division and they made sure to stake their claim early, vaulting into 1st place by the 5th game mark of the season and they haven’t looked back.
Goal scoring seems to be coming more easily than in seasons past and that may be due to the significant contributions from the team’s secondary and tertiary scoring.
As usual though, goaltending and the defensive awareness on the blue line has caused constant consternation, but with the ability to lead with their offensive foot forward, Washington has the opportunity to work out the kinks on defense while not compromising their winning ways.
Games 11-20
October 27 – November 14
Record: 6-2-2(12-4-4)
Points: 14(28)
GF: 38(75)
GA: 29(58)
Winning Percentage: .700(.700)
The Capitals mirrored their first 10 game stretch with virtually the same results through their second 10 game stretch. With nearly identical offensive and defensive totals, the Capitals ran their record up to 14-4-4 through 20 games and boast a .700 winning %, the best winning margin in Capitals history through the first 20 games of play.
Injuries and defensive miscues continued to play a role during this stretch, but as mentioned about the first 10 game segment, the secondary and tertiary scoring stepped up heavily, especially in the absence of both Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin. Standout plays at one time or another, from virtually every player on the team, have propelled the Caps night in and night out.
During this stretch of games, the Capitals were also able to pass Michael Nylander through the waiver wire, thus enabling Washington to get one more step closer to freeing up over $3.5 million in cap space. With room opening up on the cap, the Capitals should be able to make some impact moves moving forward through the season.
The Washington Capitals officially reached the first quarter mark of the 2009-10 NHL season with a 4-2 victory over the Flyers on Tuesday night. Having played 21 of the 82 games in the 2009-10 calendar, the Caps are right on track, if not slightly exceeding pre-season expectations.
- 1st in the Eastern Conference with 30 points(2 ahead of New Jersey, but the Devils have 2 games in hand)
- 1st in the SouthEast Division(8 points ahead of Tampa Bay)
- 2nd in Overall NHL standings(13-4-4)
- 1st in the NHL in Goals For(3.67 goals per game/79 goals in 21 games)
- 23rd in Goals Against(3.00 goals per game/60 goals in 21 games)
- 3rd on the Power Play(25.6%)
- 23rd on the Penalty Kill(78.2%)
Judging from the statistical analysis, it’s easy to see that the Capitals are clearly dominating the NHL in scoring. Their offense has seemingly gotten better with the additions of Mike Knuble and Brendan Morrison as both of the newcomers have enjoyed immediate success under Bruce Boudreau. Others, like Brooks Laich and Tomas Fleischmann have totally surpassed expectations thus far and are giving the top line guys, OV, Semin and Backstrom, plenty of opportunity to find their games.
Defense, on the other hand, has been harder to come by. The goaltending has actually been quite solid, but it has been the team effort of collapsing the play in their own zone to protect against the oppositions scoring. Outside of the need for better concentration in their own end though, this team has earned top marks through the first quarter of play.
With that in mind, here are my quarter-Season grades for all the players who have donned a Capitals uniform this season.
Capitals Forwards:
#8 | Alexander Ovechkin | LW
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
15 15 9 24 +9 87 17.2%
Grade:
A+
- The two-time reigning MVP of the NHL, Alex burst out of the gate once again this year. Ironically, for the first time in his young NHL career, Ovechkin sustained an injury that has actually kept him out of action for more than 1 game. Suffering a left-shoulder strain at the beginning of November, Ovechkin would go on to miss 6 straight games. Thankfully though, the team picked up the slack and managed to enjoy a winning record of 4-2 while he was out of action.
- Outside of the shoulder injury, Alex has been flying. He is currently 5th in NHL scoring, having only played 15 games, but is tied for 1st in goal scoring as he is scoring at an incredible goal a game pace.
- Offense aside, Alex seems to be growing his defensive game as well. He is not becoming a penalty killer, but it is clear that OV has expanded his hockey awareness to include his defensive zone. He is playing strong and inspired hockey at both ends of the ice and, so long as he can remain healthy, Ovechkin will once again challenge for the scoring title as well as dominate goaltenders league-wide.
#19 | Nicklas Backstrom | C
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
21 4 18 22 +1 52 7.7%
Grade:
B+
- Backstrom’s reputation as one of the finest set-up men in the game is continuing to grow as he is currently tied for 3rd in the NHL in assists with 18. Backstrom missed out on having Ovechkin on his wing for a short period of time, but managed to play strong hockey without his left wing lock.
- Nick is quietly maturing into a leader and has played strong hockey so far this year, but more will be expected. He is not known for extremely hot starts, at least not yet as this is only his 3rd season, but his play definitely picks up as the season grinds on, so expect more from Nicklas as the Caps move into the heart of the schedule.
#28 | Alexander Semin | LW
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
18 9 8 17 +1 67 13.4%
Grade:
B
- The player of the month for the month of October in 2008, Alex Semin looked like he was on his way to repeating the feat this year until a wrist injury slowed him down. Following #28’s hot start to the season, nagging issues with his wrist and a bout with illness slowed him down. Currently one of the injured Capitals, Semin’s main priority must be getting back to 100%. He is still scoring at nearly a point per game pace, but considering that everyone knows he can be better, much more will be expected out of Alex #2 as the season wares on.
#22 | Mike Knuble| RW
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
19 5 10 15 +10 42 11.9%
Grade:
A-
- Knuble, who was signed away from the rival Philadelphia Flyers last season, has become an instant favourite in DC, especially among the fans. Knuble’s presence in from of the net has added an element to the Capitals offense that has been seriously absent over the last 2 seasons. Of course Mike is counted on to battle in front of the net and in the corners, and that is exactly what he has done. Unfortunately, Mike’s battling nature is also what led him to a broken finger against the Blue Jackets. Knuble will miss at least the next 2-3 weeks with the broken finger, but hopefully he can return sooner. His 15 points in 19 games have been impressive, but it’s his +10 that makes the statement. Mike has been a constant positive for the Capitals when he is in the lineup and is making the departure of Viktor Kozlov for Russia nothing but an after-thought.
#21 | Brooks Laich | C
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
21 9 11 20 +1 63 14.3%
Grade:
A-
- Speaking of making statements, Brooks Laich currently boasts 2 less points than he had through 41 games last year. Laich is off to his strongest start in the NHL and does not appear to be slowing down. Laich is the Capitals yeo-man, capable of handling anything that is thrown at him while remaining a true leader. What is even more impressive is the fact that, for a grinder and someone who spends a lot of time banging in the corners and in front of the net, the clean-cut Laich has only earned 6 penalty minutes. Laich is blossoming into an excellent 2-way power forward and has been an essential player in the Capitals success so far this season.
#14 | Tomas Fleischmann | LW
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
10 7 4 11 -1 21 33.3%
Grade:
B+
- Tomas Fleischmann, otherwise known as ‘Flash’, has been anything but a flash since his return to the lineup. Tomas missed out on training camp as well as his entire summer due to a deep vein thrombosis which prohibited him from training. After finally getting clearance after the start of the season, Tomas has made an instant impact since returning to the Capitals lineup. We are finally getting to see the potential that Bruce Boudreau has always seen in Fleischmann, and to say the least, it is nothing short of impressive. The real question surrounding Flash will be if he can keep up the pace or if this is just another ‘Flash’. With injuries constantly befalling the Caps, it is likely that Tomas will continue to get quality minutes in a scoring role, so, as long as he keeps putting pucks in the net, expect Fleischmann to remain a key part of Washington’s offense.
#92 | Michael Nylander | C
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Grade:
NA
- Not much to report here as Michael has not seen any action as a member of the Capitals this season. Having currently been waived through to the AHL level, Michael is working on a deal that would loan him out to Europe or Russia. The bottom line is basically that Michael Nylander is no longer a playing member of the Washington Capitals, just a payed member. A decision is expected soon as to where Michael will be loaned to, and once that decision is made, the Capitals will be regain approximately $3.5 million in additional cap space.
#9 | Brendan Morrison | C
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
21 6 10 16 +8 31 19.4%
Grade:
B+
- Brought in to replace Sergei Fedorov, and essentially, Michael Nylander, BMo has rediscovered his game. Following a couple years of injury plagued hockey as he bounced around from team to team, Morrison’s stock as a valuable NHL’er had all but disappeared. Fortunately for him, he was given a shot by the Caps and has been able to return to 100% health after taking the time needed to recover from the injuries that kept him from being an effective player over the last couple seasons. Morrison’s 16 points in 21 games have been very impressive and his +8, much like Mike Knuble’s impressive +/- stat, has been a welcomed addition. Morrison has lived up to expectations, if not completely surpassed them. The fact that the Caps are as deep as they are offensively is obviously a huge boost, but it has been Brendan’s work ethic and on-ice contributions which have validated George McPhee’s risk taking this summer.
#15 | Boyd Gordon | C
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
7 0 1 1 -2 2 0%
Grade:
C-
- It’s kind of hard to give Boyd a “C”, but he receives that mark because he has not been able to make much of a contribution. Gordon has missed 14 games already this season due to ever-worsening back issues and, after re-injuring his back over the weekend, appears to be headed towards being shutdown. Hopefully time away from the game can help relieve Boyd’s back spasms, but it is likely that it will be an issue that requires medical attention.
#39 | Dave Steckel | C
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
21 0 2 2 -1 31 0.0%
Grade:
B
- After enjoying a break-out season last year with the Capitals, Steckel has gotten off to a rather quiet start this year. Although he is the team’s 3rd/4th line center, Dave has yet to provide much offense, although his 31 shots on goal suggests that Steckel is trying harder to think about putting the puck on the net. Offense aside, Stecks is the Capitals top face-off man and one of the best, if not THE best, face-off man in the NHL. Steckel currently sits 2nd overall with a winning % of 62.3. The offense will come over time, but it is quite obvious how important Dave is to this team.
#16 | Eric Fehr | RW
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
11 2 2 4 +2 15 13.3%
Grade:
C-
- A former 1st round pick of the Capitals, Eric Fehr just doesn’t seem to be living up to his billing. A big body and a former two-time 50 goal scorer in the WHL, Fehr brings a lot of intangibles to the ice. Unfortunately for Eric, injuries have seriously set back his progress over the last couple of years and, sadly, they still do. The fact that Eric has only suited up for 11 games this year has a lot to do with his health, but also has to do with his level of contribution. It’s hard for a guy to put up big numbers when he can’t play his into that opportunity. Considering all of the other draft picks that keep rising through the ranks, it would appear that Eric Fehr’s time as a Capital may be drawing to a close if he cannot step up his game and start providing the offense expected from him.
#10 | Matt Bradley | RW
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
21 4 5 9 +4 27 14.8%
Grade:
A-
- With the departure of Donald Brashear over the summer, a lot of pressure was placed on Matt heading into this season and he has not disappointed. Bradley has been the Capitals bruiser and fighter, but has also played extremely effective two-way hockey while chipping in some very timely offense, including the game winner that he scored in the Caps last game. Matt has always been a workman’s kind of hockey player, yet this year the increased pressure has had some very positive effects.
#85 | Mathieu Perreault | C
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
7 2 3 5 +5 19 20.0%
Grade:
B+
- Called up to cover for some of the injured Capitals, Mathieu Perreault has been quite impressive. He has received nothing but kind words from the coach and his team-mates as he steps into the lineup as the 5th member of Washington’s 2006 draft class. Perreault looks to be sticking around for the immediate future and if he can keep up the strong play, there is a good chance that he could stick with the team for the remainder of the season.
#17 | Chris Clark | RW
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
21 1 7 8 -5 28 3.6%
Grade:
C+
- The Captain is back! Can you imagine that for the first time in 3 years ,Chris Clark has played in all 21 Capitals games so far this season. That alone earns the captain a “C.” Now, beyond the fact that he has stayed healthy and been able to stay in the lineup, Clark’s play has been lacking a little something. A team worst -5, Clark needs to improve his defensive coverage. Fortunately, Chris is no longer counted on for his offensive contributions, so now that he is healthy and back with the team full-time, we should expect his play to get better and better(we can’t forget that he has missed 111 games in the last 2 seasons).
#33 | Alexandre Giroux | C
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
3 1 0 1 +1 2 50.0#
Grade:
B
- The reigning AHL MVP, Giroux just doesn’t seem to have the same success at the NHL level. Although he only got 3 games with the Caps before being sent down, Giroux’s play wasn’t what the team expected. He is a lot more tame when he plays with the Capitals than when he plays with the Bears, so one has to wonder if he will ever find his way into the NHL. For the meantime, the Bears love him and the Caps will keep him on their short-list of call-ups.
#53 | Quintin Laing | LW
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
18 2 0 2 +3 22 9.1%
Grade:
B+
- Quintin can’t buy a break. He finally made the Capitals out of training camp this year and, following a strong start to the season, has found himself back on the IR. Quintin suffered a broken jaw in the Capitals last game versus the Rangers and, with plates being freshly inserted into his jaw, will be out of action for the next 4-6 weeks. After having multiple injuries over the last season, including a torn spleen during the playoffs last spring, it just seems like the Capitals “shot blocking machine” just can’t catch a break. Laing is an impressive team-mate and one of the hardest working defensive players in Washington, so it will be a huge boost when he does return.
#20 | Keith Aucoin | C
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
8 1 4 5 -1 3 33.35
Grade:
C
- Much like Alex Giroux, Keith Aucoin is an incredible player at the AHL level. Unfortunaly for both of them, they just can’t seem to get it right at the NHL level. Giroux played a quiet role for the Caps while he was here but did not demonstrate enough positives to remain with the big club.
#83 | Jay Beagle | RW
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
1 0 1 1 0 1 0.0%
Grade:
B
- Jay was only recently called up so it is pretty hard to grade the guy on only 1 game played. Beagle is a good two-way player and has the ability to contribute offensively when he needs to. Expect Jay to hang around for awhile while the team attempts to figure out how to replace Quintin Laing.
Defense:
52| Mike Green| D|
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
20 3 17 20 +3 62 4.8%
Grade:
B+
- A Norris Trophy finalist last season, Green has picked up right where he left off. Mike is 2nd in the NHL among defensemen in scoring and is among the league leaders in assists. Obviously the criticism over Mike’s defensive game, which spilled over from the Norris Trophy considerations of last year, has not changed much. Green is often lamented for being a strictly offence-only defender, but with all of the pressure placed on his shoulders as the lynch pin on Washington’s blue line, I would say he is doing just fine at living up to expectations. It’s hard to say that Mike has really taken off as it does not appear that he has reached top gear yet.
#23 | Milan Jurcina | D
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
17 0 2 2 +2 19 0.0%
Grade:
B+
- Jurcina saw a remarkable improvement in his play during the playoffs last season and has continued to do so this season. Milan has not grown at the rate that Caps management expected, but he is now slowly emerging as a steady defender. He still has a long way to go, but with a much improved physical game, the hope is that Jurcina will be able to become a strong shutdown guy. While paired with Karl Alzner last season, Milan grew in leaps and bounds, so it should be interesting to see if and when Karl gets called up, and whether or not he gets re-paired with Jurcina.
#3 | Tom Poti | D
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
21 0 4 4 +6 16 0.0%
Grade:
B-
- Tom has already played 21 games this year. At the half-way mark of last season he had only played in 23 games. This is great news for the Caps as having a healthy Poti in the lineup is key to the strength of Washington’s defensive depth. Positives aside, Poti’s play thus far hasn’t been all that inspiring. He has played a fairly competent game, but with more offense expected from the veteran blue liner, there is room to improve. If Poti is foregoing his former offensive abilities to better his D, hopefully it starts to show sooner than later.
#55 | Jeff Schultz | D
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
14 1 4 5 +6 9 11.1%
Grade:
B
- Like almost everyone else on the Caps so far this season, Jeff has had to deal with his fair share of injuries. Unfortunately for Cap fans, it has come at a time when Schultz was just beginning to show us flashes of the promise that Boudreau constantly reminds us of. With a need to remain healthy, this could be a very important season for Schultz. He has the large frame to be an imposing defender and the ability to chip in on offense when he needs to, hopefully with some more seasoning Schultz will begin to show off why he was taken in the 1st round ahead of fellow Cap blueliner, Mike Green.
#26 | Shaone Morrisonn | D
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
20 0 3 3 -3 9 0.0%
Grade:
C
- ShaMo continues to quietly do his job as Mike Green’s defensive counterpart, but hasn’t really grown all that much over the last 2 seasons. He is a competent and capable defenseman, but his ability to go unnoticed can sometimes be a problem. He has tried to step up his physical play, and has done a decent job, but with a need to be a stronger partner for Mike Green, more is expected out of Morrisonn.
#89 | Tyler Sloan | D
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
11 2 1 3 -1 11 18.2%
Grade:
B+
- Sloan, who made the Capitals out of training camp over 1st rounder Karl Alzner, has impressed as a versatile player. He has become the Capitals utility player, pitching in on offense and defense when needed and doing whatever has been asked of him by the coaches. It is never an easy thing to switch back and forth between the two positions, but Tyler has done a great job at it and has been a big help as the Caps get swamped with injuries.
#2 | Brian Pothier | D
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
19 3 4 7 +8 23 13.0%
Grade:
A-
- Following 2 years of concussion problems, Brian Pothier has returned to the Capitals blue line with a force. Although he came back late during last season, it has not really been until the start of this year that Capitals fans have been able to get a look at what Pothier is capable of. Not known for his physicality, Potsy is a great skater and puck mover as his point totals from this year suggest. He has already collected one game winner and is a very impressive +8 already. With a healthy Pothier in the lineup, Mike Green gets to enjoy a little relief from the constant pressure to score. If both Green and Pothier continue to put up strong offensive numbers, Washington may actually be able to say that they have 2 quality offensive defensemen.
#4 | John Erskine | D
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
10 0 1 1 +4 16 0.0%
Grade:
B
- Called upon to be another one of Brashear’s physical replacements, John has been hesitant to drop the gloves as often as the Donald. And who can blame him? With concussion problems looming over the big defenders head, he has to continue to be very careful with when and where he picks his spots. Erskine’s physical play has been missed over the last month as John has dealt with an injured hand, but now that he is healthy, and with apparent injuries to both Juricna and Morrisoon, John will be counted on by his coach and team-mates to intimidate the opposition’s offense. If Erskine can avoid injury, he will grow into a very important role on this team as the year progresses.
_______________________________________
Scoring Totals:
GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | S | S%
Total | 21 | 79 | 122 | 201 | +60 | 671 | 11.8%
With 79 goals on 671 shots, the Caps are scoring at a 11.8% rate.
At +60 as a team, through 21 games, the Capitals have clearly become a better team. The Caps used to struggle with their team +/- only as recently as mid way through last season when they even through 41 games.
Overall, the Caps are just ripping it up. They are far better than the competition they have faced in their divison and for all of those who believe that the Capitals are only as good as they because of the division they play in, they should realize that the Caps are 4-3-3 vs the Atlantic Division, 2-0-0 vs the NorthEast Division and an impressive 4-0-0 against divisional opponents in the SouthEast.
The Capitals are 7-1-3 at home and 6-3-1 on the road. 10-3-3 vs the Eastern Conference and 3-1 vs the Western Conference.
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Goaltending
#60| Jose Theodore| G|
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
14 0 0 0 0 0 0
GP| GS| S| GA| GAA| SVS| SV%| SO|
14 13 364 39 3.24 325 .893 0
MINS| W| L| OT|
722 5 3 3
Grade:
B
- Theo has actually gotten off to a good start this year, although his numbers do not necessarily reflect that. Jose is in the midst of a very difficult season as he had a very difficult summer as the Theodore family lost their youngest child. Jose has been given a lot support and room to handle this difficult situation and given what is on his mind, has played solid hockey for the Caps. Jose’s numbers will come around, but it’s his focus and passion that have me giving him a B. We know Theo can be better, and will be, but for now, compliments to Washington’s veteran netminder for playing such solid hockey during such a difficult time.
#40| Simeon Varlamov| G|
GP| G| A| PTS| +/-| S| S%|
10 0 1 1 0 0 0
GP| GS| S| GA| GAA| SVS| SV%| SO|
10 8 270 24 2.59 246 .911 0
MINS| W| L| OT|
555 8 1 0
Grade:
A
- The goaltender of the future for the Caps is slowly becoming the goaltender of today. Varly, who made the team straight out of camp as former backup Brent Johnson moved onto Pittsburgh, has been very impressive. With one of the best winning records in the NHL, Varly has got to be in the running for rookie of the year honors. The guidance and leadership that is being provided by Theo, especially through work-ethic, has been a true bonus and is starting to pay off as Varly starts to show more poise and confidence between the blue paint. Bigger and better things are still expected from the young Russian, including a hopeful spot on Team Russia in February.
Coaching and Management
B+
- Bruce Boudreau has become one of the best coaches in the NHL over the last 2 seasons and continues to impress with his ability to propel Washington to greater and greater success. Coupled with General Manager George McPhee, Gabby has done a great job at raising the youngsters from Hershey as well as adding key UFA components. This team is headed into the best years in franchise history thanks to these two, but questions still linger.
The successful aspects of this team have been based around strong coaching, excellent drafting and impeccable development of prospects. The negative side remains the dissenting situation between McPhee and Nylander. This alone has brought a shade of gloom onto an otherwise unprecedented rise to the top.
The key in addressing this situation, and whether or not McPhee and Boudreau can improve their current grade, will lie in how they handle this situation and if they can recoup valuable cap dollars that can be used this season. Time will tell, but the bottom line is that this situation has cast a dark shadow on an otherwise incredible run so far this year.
I will be back with a preview for the Caps and Canadiens tilt tomorrow.
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