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?

Bravo Team USA

Bravo Team USA on dethroning Canada in an electrifying WJC gold medal game with Cap D prospect John Carlson winning it in overtime 6-5. Congratulations to our best team since 2004 when they also captured the world championship by stunning their North American rivals in Saskatoon.

It's a great victory for USA Hockey that should be celebrated by everyone. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see it as I had to attend a close friend's wake for their grandmother. Condolences. On such an emotional night for our boys to shine through was great. I knew they had it in them but to actually do it in enemy territory after blowing a two-goal lead speaks to the character of this championship team. That Ranger prospect Derek Stepan led them to such a huge triumph is extremely gratifying for a fanbase that hasn't had much to get excited for. The USA captain paced everyone in the tournament with 15 points (5-10-15), tallying a goal and helper in the third en route to getting named with Carlson to the All-Tournament Team. Canada's Jordan Eberle, whose eight goals tied for the tourney lead, took MVP honors. Very deserving since he scored both of Canada's goals to force sudden death. He was dominant.

A lot more can be said about how special a tournament it was for Team USA, reestablishing themselves. We'll review it in better detail later.

USA comes back to beat Sweden, play Canada for Gold

Maybe someone forgot to tell Team USA that they were supposed to roll over at the sight of a more experienced Swedish team that was expected to challenge Canada for the gold. Playing for a second consecutive day against a rested and favored Sweden, USA took their best punch to string the upset- coming back to win the second 2010 WJC semifinal 5-2.

By scoring four unanswered and eliminating a very good team, it allowed the Americans to advance to a rematch with Canada. They played the best game of the tournament on New Year's Eve with the hosts digging out of a 4-2 hole to win 5-4 in a shootout. That time, it just determined who won Group A. Tomorrow night, the stakes are a lot higher with the two North American rivals vowing for a gold medal in Saskatoon. For Team USA, it's the first time they'll be vying for the WJC championship since 2004 when they came back from a 3-1 deficit to stun Canada 4-3. The infamous game where Marc-Andre Fleury misplayed a puck off teammate Braydon Coburn and in for the decider. Now, a new chapter will be written.

It sure wasn't easy getting to this point for Dean Blais's scrappy bunch who were decidedly outplayed in a flat second period that saw Sweden use their superlative skill to go in front. Consecutive goals by Anton Lander eight minutes apart off rebounds erased an early USA one-goal lead. Only 84 seconds in, Tyler Johnson took full advantage of a forced turnover by teammate Kyle Palmeiri to bury the chance. In a period they started strong in holding an 11-8 shots edge, they allowed Sweden to mount a good attack for the second half, leading to a few chances which steady netminder Mike Lee stopped in their tracks. Oddly enough, he became the story over last year's top goalie Jacob Markstrom. He didn't make as many saves as his counterpart but when called upon, Lee was cool finishing with 27 stops.

Sweden came close to tying it but a shot rang off the far post. They were just getting started. Using their speed and skill, last year's runner-up came in waves at a shaky USA who had problems dealing with the Swede's attack. Eventually, Lander got it tied when he rebounded home an Anton Rodin shot at 4:17 of the second. Peter Andersson started the rush and fed Rodin, who took a tricky low shot on Lee that caromed right to Lander for the gimme. With renewed confidence, Sweden killed off back-to-back American power plays, even using their aggressiveness to generated shorthanded chances. Superb work done by Magnus Paarjavi Svensson, Marcus Kruger and Jacob Josefson.

Unable to rebuild momentum from special teams, Team USA continued to be a couple of steps behind. Only some last second backchecks, blocked shots and Lee saves kept it tied. However, they couldn't hold off Sweden for long with Lander again striking for his second off a similar play. This time, Jakub Silfverberg forced Derek Stepan into a turnover, allowing Rodin to come out with the puck. He outmuscled Stepan releasing another low shot which Lee kicked out. But nobody took Lander, who deposited the garbage for a 2-1 Swedish lead.

At that point, it seemed like Sweden would prevail. Then Blais sent out Luke Walker for a momentum turning shift. During a scrum, the gritty Walker got into it with Martin Lundberg. Each received matching roughing minors. The unsigned kid who impressed in Ranger camp, seemed to envigorate his teammates. On the very next shift, they tied it 64 seconds later when Jeff D'Amigo finished off a two-on-one with John Carlson for the first of two on the night. A smart defensive read by Jake Gardiner behind his net got it started, feeding Carlson who then dished off for a streaking D'Amigo in the neutral zone. He then undressed David Runblad before beating Markstrom thru the pads for a huge goal with less than five minutes left.

"This is a great opportunity for us to show that we're a good team and we're here to win gold," explained the hero who was tabbed as his team's top star for his two goal performance.

Team USA hung tough after Stepan took an undisciplined minor for delay of game, relying on solid penalty killing and timely Lee saves to keep it all knotted with one period left in regulation. As the game developed, it became chippy with players from both sides mixing it up, including captain Stepan who tried to lead by example following a hard shift. Perhaps that bothered their opponent because just 39 seconds into the third, captain Marcus Johansson received a major and game misconduct for hitting a player from behind. The Swedes lost one of their best players but still managed to kill off the major. Draft eligible defenseman Cam Fowler came close a couple of times but couldn't beat Markstrom, who also got help on a point blank opportunity from his D. A Fowler slash gave the Swedes a man-advantage but they couldn't capitalize either.

With the game still tied, something changed. Suddenly, Sweden stopped attacking. Part of it was due to the US team defense with everyone coming back. Svensson used his skating to generate a couple of quality chances including a backhand wrap try Lee snuffed out. But his team just didn't come as hard. Mattias Tedenby was invisible finishing with no shots and a minus-three rating.

Instead, it was Team USA who were more poised, finally using some grunt work to surge ahead when Carlson connected from the right point with 7:26 remaining. It started with Jeremy Morin winning a battle in the corner to keep the play alive, eventually getting the puck to a vacated Carlson. He patiently waited before firing an innocent wrister which fooled Markstrom due in large part to Chris Kreider, who was in the vicinity screening. A goal Markstrom should've had instead gave the Americans a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Ryan Bourque, who had an inspired PK shift earlier in the stanza, took a delay of game minor- giving the Swedes one more chance. All tournament, Stepan has been dangerous shorthanded. On the next shift, he nearly scored before setting up D'Amigo for the nail in the coffin.

After coming close, an active stick by Stepan intercepted a pass at the point for a two-on-one. As the Ranger 2008 second rounder came down the right wing, his eyes went to Markstrom as if he were going to shoot. Instead, he made a no look pass to D'Amigo, who went upstairs for the backbreaking shorthanded goal that gave a pumped up USA a 4-2 lead with 4:28 left. The play drew praise from the NHL Network color analyst, who went out of his way to talk up our three American prospects (Kreider, Bourque). It was pretty cool. If only they could get here now instead of 2-3 years down the road.

"For us, we set a goal in Lake Placid this summer and in North Dakota where we had our tryout camp and our goal was to come out with a medal and the other was to win that gold medal," Stepan pointed out.

Desperate, Sweden pulled Markstrom with over two minutes left for an extra attacker. However, they couldn't make it interesting. Thanks in large part to some yeoman work from our players who wouldn't allow the Swedes a sniff, A.J. Jenks sealed it when he one-timed a Morin feed into the vacated net with 55 ticks to go, ensuring a USA/Canada rematch for all the marbles.

"Nobody really expects us to win because Canada has won five years in a row, so you have to tip your hats to them,"draft eligible forward Jason Zucker added. "We're going to go out there and give it our best and hopefully win a gold medal."

They'll get their shot at redemption.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Mike Lee, USA (27 saves incl.10/10 in 3rd) 
2nd Star-Anton Lander, SWE (2 goals, 4 SOG, +1)
1st Star-Jeff D'Amigo, USA (2 goals incl.GT and SHG, 3 SOG, +1)