Capital Disappointment

Well, at least not everything's going poorly in the nation's capital with President Obama receiving plenty of deserved kudos for giving the okay on a successful mission that killed Osama Bin Laden. The President visited Ground Zero today along with Rudy Giuliani and Mayor Bloomberg in a fitting 9/11 tribute that finally had some kind of closure. Of course, it'll never be over. But at the very least, we can take pride in the red, white and blue for accomplishing what George W. Bush set out to.

I'm not quite sure how to transition from 5/1/11 to the latest Capital disappointment but here goes. Many came away impressed with the Caps' improved defensive oriented system, which conquered the Rangers in five games. Myself included, I expected Washington to oust Tampa Bay and advance to the Conference Finals. I chose the Caps in six thinking Alex Ovechkin would continue to get support from Alex Semin, Marcus Johansson, Brooks Laich, Mike Knuble, Jason Arnott, Jason Chimera, Mike Green and John Carlson. I also figured Nicklas Backstrom would awaken from the malaise he was in all year.

Instead, I underestimated a strong Bolts club that had been my darkhorse due to real MVP Martin St. Louis, Vinny Lecavalier, Ryan Malone, Teddy Purcell, Victor Hedman, Eric Brewer, Mattias Ohlund, Dwayne Roloson and my favorite third line featuring one-time Ranger Dominic Moore along with former Islander Sean Bergenheim and super pest Steve Downie. Did we mention ex-Isle Nate Thompson does a lot of the grunt work, becoming a real valuable player under snubbed Adams candidate Guy Boucher? Truthfully, the Lightning were always going to be a tough match up for the Capitals due to a solid nucleus that executed Boucher's 1-3-1 to perfection, allowing Roloson to see the puck without a plethora of chances versus a highly skilled opponent.

Nobody is playing at a higher level than St. Louis, who of the three Hart nominees (Daniel Sedin, Corey Perry) hasn't come down yet in crunch time. There, the cool small wonder sits atop the playoff leaderboard with six goals, seven assists and 13 points. The '03-04 former league MVP who last time the Lightning went this far led them all the way to Lord Stanley, is a constant waterbug every shift. The undrafted gem from Vermont is always on the puck utilizing his speed and skill to create as was evidenced on a nice set up for linemate Lecavalier that steered the Bolts back ahead in Game Three. Speaking of the rejuvenated Vinny C, he's back in a big way scoring huge goals like his sudden death crusher during Game Two that proved to be a fatal blow to the Caps. His dozen points (5-7-12) include a playoff tying three deciders (tied with David Krejci). The dynamic duo are joined by Downie, who Boucher shifted off the top line to a checking type that's wreaked havoc. All season, the rambunctious play of Moore, Bergenheim and Thompson have given opponents fits. Perfect players for the postseason where board battles are frequent and play gets chippy.

The genius behind bringing in Bergenheim, Moore, '04 hero Kubina, Simon Gagne and adding Brewer at the deadline is someone who knows a thing or two about winning in GM Steve Yzerman. The same young executive in Year One that hired Boucher under new management. Imagine that. From top to bottom, the Lightning Bolts got a remake and look equipped to challenge Boston for their second Cup appearance. If only it worked that way on Broadway.

Most impressive has been the play of Brewer, who plays the kind of aggressive, physical style the Islanders wanted no part of, trading him a decade prior to Edmonton for Roman Hamrlik. The Oilers didn't keep him. The Blues were sellers. So, they got what they could for a former '97 fifth overall pick that's better than his career stats. Won battles and clearing out in front don't show up on the stat sheet. He's the biggest reason Tampa's blueline is so much tougher, allowing Hedman to settle in while Brew and Ohlund manage the game's elite. Even minus Kubina and Gagne, Boucher's Bolts got it done quickly for a stunning sweep of the No.1 seed. Toss in stellar goaltending from Roloson (10 GA in series, 14 during 7-game win streak) and the Lightning are right there for the hardware. Roli is the youngest 41 year-old, sparking the Bolts back from a 3-1 deficit to oust the Pens. Now, they get the Bruins, who should be a stiff challenge after sweeping out Philly to avenge last year's humiliation.
While the Bolts move on, once again the Caps end in turmoil, unable to get past Round Two with a disastrous result to a close rival. How'd it happen? Ovechkin became the only scorer who held up his end of the bargain while Semin again disappeared and Backstrom continued his mystifying slump to conclude a dreadful first year in a new 10-year deal that has Charles Wang drooling. What happened? As new star Jeremy Roenick remarked on Versus, he's far too talented for this and will have plenty to answer after a long summer.

As for Semin, we have never trusted the enigmatic Russian, who is a classic tease that floats and loses composure. When he's not engaged, undisciplined penalties creep up that prove costly. Not exactly the kinda player you can trust with a year left at $6.7 million with a cap hit of $6 M. Might GM George McPhee consider trading the Russian enigma? If they could get a proven performer who plays a more straight forward game conducive to the postseason, they'd have to consider it. Semin's style might be a better fit in Hollywood where the Kings could use another finisher.

Offensive domino Mike Green also enters the final year of his contract and will earn $5 million ($5.25 M cap hit) before turning restricted in 2012. No one would argue how dangerous the top Cap power play rover is. One of the best quarterbacks in the game who possesses a rocket, Green's also a great skater who can transition the puck from defense to offense in a jiffy. For all his skills, he's still an adventure defensively. If Washington decided that they needed an overhaul, they could get creative and propose a blockbuster involving Semin and Green to LA for Ryan Smyth and Drew Doughty, who's due a raise this summer from the $3.475 million hit. The age difference between Doughty (21) and Green (25) is four with both celebrating birthdays during '11-12. Both are elite blueliners who'll earn hefty new contracts. The bigger risk is dealing a player with untapped potential eight years younger for a rugged, experienced warrior who's been where the Caps are trying to get.

If Bruce Boudreau sticks around, then owner Ted Leonsis is a man of integrity who understands that it takes time to adjust on the fly to a new system. It'd be easy to point out the latest failure as grounds for axing our favorite Haagen Dazs fan. However, his gutsy move to abandon the run 'n gun for a more diligent checking system produced a great second half with the Caps winning the East with 107 points in an improved division. That has to be considered along with a track record that's produced four division titles, a President's Trophy and tops in the conference. Something Leonsis alluded to on his blog, which indicated that they needed to take a few days before making up his mind. When you make such a radical change mid-season, there's bound to be some road blocks. Maybe it was too much to expect the Caps to win the Cup. More time is needed so that players don't panic when it fails.

The Caps have important decisions to make come July with Brooks Laich, Jason Arnott, Marco Sturm, Matt Bradley, Boyd Gordon and Scott Hannan all up. Laich's been a good player who they should bring back while Arnott played well after the trade from the Devils. If he took a one-year discount, they'd be nuts not to re-sign the vet, who still is hungry for another Cup. The other four probably are gone even though Bradley and Gordon were good soldiers. Hannan was a risk after dealing offensive playmaker Tomas Fleischmann, who was a point-a-game before a pulmonary embolism ended his year. They missed his creativity.

Washington needs another rugged defenseman that can support Carlson and pup Karl Azner (RFA). If they keep Green, then the top six should remain intact featuring Jeff Schultz, John Erskine and Dennis Wideman, who was hurt. They also could get more mobile so that they're not pinned in like they were by Tampa. Tom Poti is likely finished which is a shame since he developed into a solid D in the nation's cap. They definitely missed him. Words I never thought I'd utter.

Where the Caps go from here remains to be seen. There's enough talent obviously to compete. But until they take that next giant step, there will remain skepticism. Is it time for a change?

Why the Rangers can comeback

Anyone who's followed this first round series rematch of two years ago knows how close the games have been. The Caps talent has been the difference thus far, delivering an overtime win in Game One courtesy of enigmatic Russian Alex Semin and utilizing talented young guns Marcus Johansson and John Carlson to turn Game Four around in historic fashion. Amazingly, Alex Ovechkin didn't do much in the comeback thanks to splendid netminding from snubbed Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who somehow was left out of the Vezina while the superhyped Roberto Luongo got the nod from dopey GMs today with more deserving Tim Thomas and Pekka Rinne.

The combo of Marc Staal and shot blocking warrior Dan Girardi have limited Ovechkin's time and space. Girardi's play the other day was heroic, making nearly 10 blocks including a pair that defied logic. Sure. Ovi has factored into his team's more favorable 3-1 lead with the Capitals looking to finish the Blueshirts off tomorrow afternoon at 3 ET on NBC at the noisy Verizon Center. Look at both of the Washington captain's goals for proof with him going into the trenches to score a garbage goal that tied Game One and making a great play in Game Three to deflect a Jason Arnott feed past Lundqvist prior to Brandon Dubinsky playing ultimate hero.

Simply put, the Rangers have no one to blame but themselves for what happened Wednesday. They had the Caps on the ropes and let them breathe by backing off in the third. As this postseason's already shown, no lead is safe. Just ask the Kings who blew a 4-0 lead, allowing the Sharks to come all the way back in the best series for a dramatic overtime win that LA hasn't recovered from. As if it wasn't enough, the Bruins turned the tables on the Habs in rallying from a 3-0 hole with ex-Canadien Michael Ryder doing Montreal in. The road team has won every game of that electrifying match up.

So, how did the other night happen? Rookie Ryan McDonagh assumed he had an easy outlet but Semin, who was braindead for two periods- anticipated the pass and turned it into the Caps' first goal. The second time in the series a ref's failure to blow the whistle cost us a goal against. Granted. That's hit or miss. But it looked like Lundqvist had it long enough for Paul Devorski to blow it dead. Instead, he never saw it frozen and that allowed the Caps to flip the switch. Everyone knows how potent they can be despite five fewer goals than our team during the regular season. You can't compare the rosters. Not when they can throw Ovechkin, Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Arnott, Johansson, Green and Carlson at us. Even without Mike Knuble, Bruce Boudreau's club found a way to silence MSG, who appropriately chanted, "Can You Hear Us," in response to the comical Caps' coach's comments that his club got better support at home.

The Rangers deviated from the strategy that worked, failing to get the puck deep and allowing the Caps easier access. Before you knew it, Johansson snuck behind Dubinsky for an easy tip that trickled off Lundqvist and in. In less than four minutes, it went from 3-zip to 3-2. A recipe for disaster. Throw out the overrated stat (29-0-0) that our team hadn't lost when leading after two all season. Even as a former ESPN researcher, I know better than to assume such stuff. The playoffs are a different animal. And don't forget, our team blew several leads in the third this year before prevailing in overtime/shootout. In the postseason, there's no five minute four-on-four or a skill competition to save you. When Carlson's harmless shot that was going wide went off Johansson, it set off a fire alarm. The Caps are the more skilled team and it's been on display twice, where again Lundqvist was victimized in our new Achilles heel sudden death. Ever since Michal Rozsival beat Buffalo in the '07 Conference Semis Game Three, it's been nothing but nightmares for Garden Faithful, who've seen our heroes drop five straight in a format we once owned during the Glory Days.

Even though the Caps generated more opportunities, our team didn't play as poorly, making a few bids to win it. There was Sean Avery with Michal Neuvirth down and a gaping net but all too predictably missing it completely. There was even goat Marian Gaborik, who already scored off a beauty of a set up from the Game's No.1 Star Ruslan Fedotenko, getting not one but two quality chances on Neuvirth, who got just enough of both to keep them out. Truth be told, he played his strongest game in months until the incredible gaffe that turned MSG into a morgue. As screwed up as it sounds, I can still see that idiot ref getting in Dubinsky's way for what looked like a three-on-two in the first overtime and Dubi can be seen screaming at him like I was at the TV. Even the refs are against us. You can't make this stuff up.
Matt Gilroy was tremendous, dancing in for chances. Off what we've seen, re-sign the kid. No way they're qualifying him at $2.1 million. But he has gained John Tortorella's trust with our coach rewarding him with power play time next to Old, Older and Oldest Bryan McCabe. Is there a slower player? I'd reinsert Steve Eminger. McCabe brings nothing. Ever since Ryan Callahan went down, our powerless play is like a free pass. Cally led the club with 10 PPG because he did the grunt work in front. Now, it's back to the slow, deliberate snail pace. The 0-for-7 was just as responsible for the stunning loss.

It's still amazing to me that as soon as the newest John Druce, Jason Chimera was coming, I sensed doom. I can't explain why but these are the types of players who victimize us. It would be easier to swallow if it was more conventional like his winner in Game Two off a great feed from Brooks Laich. Maybe it was seeing McCabe out with Gilroy even though Hobey's acquitted himself well outside of being outmuscled by Laich on the aforementioned play. Or perhaps it was seeing Lundqvist going to cover it when suddenly Gaborik was coming right at him, throwing a simple play to get a stoppage into utter chaos that ensued. I will never know what Gabby was thinking. Disaster struck when he unintentionally knocked the puck away from Henrik right off Chimera's chest. Chimera did the rest for the easiest goal in his life. Maddening. It's as painful a loss as you can have. Right up there with the final 80 seconds of Canes-Devils a couple of years prior that's still a sore spot for our resident Devil blogger. When it happened, I just sat in stunned disbelief and said nothing until a bunch of angry tweets with one expletive themed. Could you blame me? It took a long walk to my old public school to recover.

So, why then do I believe this team is still capable of pulling this off? Because the Caps haven't been that impressive. Sure. Neuvirth was excellent the other day and saved his team several times. But he also was leaking a lot of rebounds. Shoot high when you can and get traffic. He can be had. Lundqvist hasn't had one off game despite our predicament. He's capable of stealing Game Five and then a Game Six back in our barn, I wouldn't bet against us. This team has done things the hard way all year long. They also can win on the road. What better time than Saturday? Get an early lead a la Chicago yesterday in a game I guaranteed that turned into a laugher at Luongo's expense. You never know. The Caps have blown a 3-1 series lead four times. Last year's still fresh at the hands of the Habs. Create doubt. We weren't far off from leveling it until the roof caved in.

Ever since Tort put Dubi at center with Fedotenko and Gaborik, they've looked like a better team. Boyle's unit consistently forechecks the Caps to death. Maybe tomorrow, they finally breakthrough. We'll need better out of Derek Stepan to get this done. He's improved every game, which means he could be ready to finally pop one. The kid has a flair for the dramatic. Don't bet against him. Chris Drury had a superb Game Three, nearly winning it. He knows what it takes. Artem Anisimov is also coming off his best game. Vinny Prospal is probably our most clutch player. He will die to extend this series in what could be his final game.

I still have faith. This team has been resilient and there's still a belief they can get it done. I'm guaranteeing Game Five and Six, forcing a Game Seven. Why? Because I believe in this group.

Ovechkin and Semin lift Caps past Rangers in overtime

For nearly 54 minutes, the Rangers had it going their way. With Henrik Lundqvist having stoned the top seeded Capitals keeping a tactical Game One scoreless until Matt Gilroy scored in his first postseason game early in the third, it looked like a recipe for success. However, a fluky tying goal from Alex Ovechkin that needed video review and an Alexander Semin appearance doomed the Blueshirts to a cruel 2-1 overtime defeat at Verizon Center last night in D.C.

“Obviously anytime you lose in overtime you feel like it got away because all you have to do is get one goal and you win the game,” main culprit Marc Staal said after his turnover allowed former Devil Cup hero Jason Arnott to set up Semin's OT winner at 18:24 to give the No.1 seed a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarterfinal. “It’s disappointing. It’s the playoffs, so we’ll come back and try to win the next one.”

That'll be the mantra the Rangers will adhere to. One they've been familiar with all season, finding ways to bounce back from tough losses. Albeit this one a bit more magnified due to the pressure attached to the first round rematch of two years ago. Staal, who for the most part did a sound job along with partner Dan Girardi stifling Ovechkin- wound up minus-two despite logging nearly 34 minutes while Girardi almost 33. They know what to expect from Ovechkin, dangerous centerman Nicklas Backstrom and gritty ex-Blueshirt Mike Knuble, who was one of three Caps to hit the post in the first two scoreless periods. Outside of one blown coverage that allowed Backstrom to sneak in on Lundqvist, who foiled his backhand five-hole try, they had the upperhand until the oddest of plays allowed Washington to tie it.

In his first game back from a concussion which he missed 20 games prior ironically due to a Derek Stepan collision, offensive defenseman Mike Green factored in on the tying goal. Behind his own net, Green sent a long outlet for Semin, who Cap coach Bruce Boudreau had out in place of Knuble searching for offense. The slippery Russian got away from Staal and Girardi, who collided at the Ranger blueline, allowing Semin to move in. With Rangers scrambling back including Girardi, Semin took a shot that Lundqvist tried to cover. The whistle never came with Ovechkin bulling over Girardi before slipping a stuff-in through Lundqvist. Thinking he scored, the Washington captain celebrated along with teammates while the confused officials never indicated a goal, calling up Toronto. Conclusive replays showed that the puck crossed the goal line. However, you have to wonder if when the ref blew his whistle, he intended to blow it dead. Instead, Ovechkin and the Caps celebrated the tying goal with 6:16 left in regulation.

“I think it’s underneath me and the whistle never comes, so then I move,” Lundqvist noted to no avail. “I think that’s the case. It just crossed the line. Sometimes they’re real fast blowing the whistle, but it is what it is. Me personally, I’m kind of stuck in that position so I have to hope for a whistle or for someone to clear the puck. That didn’t happen.”

Bad break or not, the game was suddenly tied. Four Rangers watched instead of taking Ovechkin, who made a smart play to spark his team. Lundqvist probably should've had it regardless. Regardless, they still had a chance to steal this one against a stingier Capital defense that allowed 11 shots through two periods and finished with 32 blocked shots to the Rangers' 28.

The Blueshirts never established a consistent forecheck with only the line of Brian Boyle, Brandon Prust and Wojtek Wolski effective enough to help get a puck past rookie Michal Neuvirth, who finished with 24 saves in capturing his first playoff win in his debut. That included four stops on Marian Gaborik, who had a great chance to be the early OT hero when Boyle found him in front but Cap rookie who won 27 games during the regular season calmly slid across for the big save. Neuvirth was good, also denying Artem Anisimov's bid and a Gaborik rebound before his teammates seized control to finally pull out the win in sudden death.

"We had to stay the course. We couldn’t get frustrated,” Backstrom said of his team that's trying to avoid a second consecutive first round upset as the conference's top seed. “I think we did a great job with that. Hopefully this can give us a little confidence.”

It didn't come easy for the Caps despite a few chinks in the armor for their Broadway opponent that allowed glorious opportunities only to see pucks from Knuble, Arnott and Semin go off the post. They also had to contend with Lundqvist, who was outstanding in making 31 saves, featuring highway robbery on a Green high labeler along with a pair of sparklers to deny Jeff Schultz and rookie Marcus Johansson in the extra session.

Despite being unable to sustain a consistent attack, the Rangers remained in good position to take Game One. Finally coming on in the final minutes of the second, they carried momentum forward by striking first in the series thanks to some diligent work from Boyle, Prust and Wolski. After Boyle took a hit to work the puck deep, Prust won a board battle and sent it to Wolski who then turned and found a pinching Gilroy for his first playoff goal at 1:56. Consider that it was his first goal since Jan.5 and only in his second straight game including the fateful Game 82 when he replaced Steve Eminger and it speaks volumes about Gilroy's maturity. The former Hobey Baker winner also had a chance late but fired wide.

Part of the problem for the Rangers was the power play, which went 0-for-2 looking all too predictable against one of the league's best penalty killing units. The Caps were aggressive, easily moving the puck out when they had the chance. Meanwhile, our PK blanked the Washington hosts in two opportunities despite some decent chances. But Lundqvist was there to save their bacon.

Nursing a one-goal lead, it looked like they would protect it for the win. Our shifts were stronger following Gilroy's goal with players paying close attention to assignments, working the puck out efficiently and getting it deep to take time off. Particularly effective was the dynamic rookie tandem of Ryan McDonagh and Mike Sauer, who looked unfazed by the circumstances. Each were trusted by John Tortorella, getting 36 shifts apiece averaging a shade under 27 minutes. One shift was impressive with the Caps pressing for the equalizer. They were pinned in for a while but McDonagh made two strong plays to free the puck up behind the goal, which was finally cleared.

Also looking poised was Derek Stepan, who made some nice reads chipping the puck in and using his speed to outhustle Caps behind the net. He was good as was Ruslan Fedotenko but outside of two strong shifts, leading scorer Brandon Dubinsky had a miserable night, losing 13 of 20 faceoffs while registering only a shot with a minus-two rating. He must be better tomorrow if we're going to gain a split.

"We've gotta get the next game from them," Dubinsky said. "I'm sure we'll talk about this one, the positives and the negatives, and just continue to try to get better. With the way we play, we feel like we're going to make it tough on them."

Despite each team going for it with especially ours coming close near the end of regulation, the closely fought contest needed overtime to decide. Both teams nearly ended it with Semin denied by Lundqvist and Backstrom stoned while Neuvirth saved his best for Gaborik, Anisimov and Vinny Prospal. As play continued, it became more apparent the more talented Caps were taking it to us. Eventually, their persistence paid off when Chris Drury failed to clear the zone. After it was pushed back down to Staal, he saw three Caps in his way but instead of reversing to an open Girardi, he tried to lift it past Arnott, who knocked it down. The savvy vet settled the puck before dishing across to Semin for a rocket that finally ended his playoff scoring drought.

"Henrik Lundqvist is a great goalie, and it's very difficult to score an easy one on him," the jubilant Semin told a translator after scoring his first playoff goal in 15 games. "We couldn't get a nice goal on him, so we scored a junk goal - just pushed it in, whatever worked."

“We’re not getting anywhere without Alex Semin scoring,” explained Boudreau. “We need him to go and create that other offensive threat.”

"I tried to move across, and I was probably covering the middle of the net, but I just didn't have time to react on it," lamented Lundqvist, who dropped his fourth consecutive decision in sudden death. "It was a hard one. It was going up and down a little bit - he just fired it real hard. It's tough. Obviously, you want to try to be the difference, and try to help the team to get a win here but you just move on."


Instead, it's onto Game Two. Another chance to take home ice away from the Caps and give themselves a realistic shot at the upset.


BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers (31 saves, falls to 1-4 career in playoff OT)
2nd Star-Alex Ovechkin, Caps (1st of playoffs-21st career, 6 hits, block, 6 SOG, +1 in 26:46)
1st Star-Alex Semin, Caps (OT winner at 18:24, assist, 4 SOG, +2 in 22:15)