Coming full circle

It seems fitting that the Caps moved into first place tonight in the SE Division by winning a 4-3 game against the Flyers. Bruce Boudreau, who intiated the Caps resurgence after his Thanksgiving Day promotion from Hershey, led this team to a 4-3 win versus the Flyers during is first game behind the bench.

From Ovie after that first win under BB:

This win was very important for us because of the hard situation for our team."

More to come tomorrow, but for tonight, I'm just enjoying the Caps perch.

Bruce Boudreau online chat/Caps biz

BB will be online Thusday at the Washingon Post to take all your pressing questions. An online chat with a man nicknamed Gabby....this has the potential to be nothing short of awesome.

The Washington Capitals have been one of the hottest teams in the NFL since Coach Bruce Boudreau took over in November. He will be online Thursday, Feb. 6 at 1:30 p.m. ET to take your questions about the team and his coaching philosophy.

You can submit your questions here. Anyone going to ask about the clothes? I thought the green shirt the other night was particularly fetching.

The Caps are continuing their ESPN Zone Q&As. Brooks Laich is up next:

Capitals center Brooks Laich will be at ESPN Zone Washington D.C. on Monday, February 11th, to talk with fans in a dinnertime question-and-answer session. It’s the perfect opportunity for fans to get personal, candid answers to all their hockey questions while getting better acquainted with Laich, now in his fifth year with the Capitals organization.

After the Q&A, which will be hosted by a Capitals broadcaster, Laich will sign autographs and help give away Caps memorabilia, including autographed sticks, pucks, and more. Fans can also enter to win an autographed Capitals DreamSeat recliner, which will be given away later in the season.

Laich is scheduled to take questions from 7-8pm.

And a final plug for a good cause:

The Washington Capitals players and their wives and girlfriends would like to invite you to the 2008 Amazing Auction, which benefits Washington Capitals Charities and Sports Plus. This year’s event will follow the Caps game against the Boston Bruins on Sunday, March 16. The auction will take place from 6-8:30 p.m. in the Acela Club located on the second floor of Verizon Center.

[...]

All funds raised from the 2008 Amazing Auction will benefit Washington Capitals Charities and Sports Plus. [...] Sports Plus is a metropolitan Washington-based nonprofit organization that offers year-round, uniquely structured co-ed sports and swimming programs for children between the ages of 5-14 with mild to moderate autistic spectrum disorders, ADD/ADHD and other developmental disabilities.

Tickets are $125 for adults and $50 for kids 3-10. My seatmates tell me that they went last year and they had a blast. They have already bought their tickets for this year's auction. Apparently, its a pretty small crowd and a great opportunity to meet your favorite Caps, get autographs, and bid on some pretty cool stuff. Buy your tix here.

Fehr: Time to put up or shut up

Tarik's article in today's WaPo focuses on the return of Eric Fehr to the Caps. Fehr, the 18th overall pick in the 2003 draft, has been a vaunted prospect in the Capitals organization for a handful of years. Fehr has only played ten games in Hershey this season, after suffering a herniated disk that kept him out of hockey for nearly a year.

With only those ten games in the AHL this season, Fehr comes to the Capitals with a lot of pressure on that recently healed back. The Capitals are in desperate need of scoring from someone not named Ovechkin, and they are hoping Fehr is that person. Fehr is ready to take up the challenge:

Fehr finally returned to Hershey's lineup on Jan. 9 against the Norfolk Admirals and recorded an assist on his first shift. He has played in 10 games for the Bears, amassing two goals and four assists.

"I've taken a few hits and I given a few hits," Fehr said. "I've rolled around on the ice battling. It's like nothing ever happened to me. . . . Now it's time to put up or shut up."

If it's Fehr's time to put up or shut up, the same goes for the Capitals. After Boudreau's Thanksgiving Day takeover the Caps have gone 18-10-4. In theory that looks okay, but in the tight SE Division (and after a slow start), the Caps need to be winning a solid 2/3 of their games to make the playoffs. And even more importantly, they need to be winning against their SE Division rivals.

Sounds like nothing the Caps and the fans dont know, right? But in the words of Eric Fehr, its time to put up or shut up. The last and toughest stretch of the season has just begun. The Caps kicked it off with a loss to the Thrashers, after Ovie's heoric performance saved them in a tight game against the Habs just a few nights earlier. But even AO cant save the team every single night, and if the Caps are going to remain in the playoff hunt, fellow first liners, along with second and third liners, need to start putting up some numbers. Enter Eric Fehr.

Its not fair to put all the burden on Fehr's shoulders, but the Caps are desperately hoping he can be an offensive spark. Chris Clark was one of the few Caps to crash the net and grind out some gritty goals. Brooks Laich has already matched his career high in goals from last season (8), but he, Boyd Gordon and Dave Steckel are going to have to work harder to step into the hole left by indefinitely injured Clark. Victor Kozlov has overcome his slow start to the season with 11 points in his last 10 games, but with Fehr's call up, he will become the second line pivot. For the Caps to be successful, Kozlov needs to continue that pace with Flash and Semin on wing. Caps fans can only hope that his switch back to the second line will set off Semin, who has been centered largely by Gordon since Michael Nylander's mid-season exit with a shoulder injury. And with the return of Shaone Morissonn, a confident Mike Green should start racking up points again.

For the Caps to extend their playoff hopes, they have the perfect opportunity to beat up on their SE rivals over the next two months. The Caps have 29 games left and nearly half are against SE Division teams. Thats a departure for the Caps, who have largely been playing outside the SE Division in December and January, when Bruce Bodreau took the reins. So for the Capitals, the next two months are their time to put up or be shut up.

Santa WAS listening!

Bruce Boudreau knocks off the "interim" tag, the Caps win over the Bolts, Brian Pothier is back on the ice, and Eric Fehr is skating (scroll to the bottom of the article). Plus, all you ever wanted to know about what it feels like to block a slap shot via Quintin Laing.

News from Hershey

The always excellent Tim Leone has a piece out today about some of the players who took part in last week's development camp. Andrew Gordon and Sami Lepisto will be in Hershey, but expect the Cap's recent signee, Jason Morgan, to make it up in case of injuries. After finishing up the year with St. Cloud State, Gordon played on the Bear's practice squad during the playoffs and even sported the team's trademark mohawk.

Leone also speaks with Oskar Osala (how can you not love that name?) about his prospects in the pros. And Leone has some fun facts: Sami Lepisto's godfather? Jari Kurri. And Bruce Boudreau knows Jason Morgan, as he coached him in the ECHL during the 97-98 season. Some highlights from the column:

Boudreau said he likes the reality and ego check young players get when they're able to get a taste of the AHL before their formal rookie campaign.

"These kids that weren't Aces (Bear's practice squad), they come to camp and think automatically they've got a job, for one," Boudreau said. "They think, Oh, I didn't make the NHL, I'm going to eat up the American Hockey League. I think these kids [who were 2007 Black Aces] are going to be so ahead of that.

And this from the 6-4, 222 pound Osala:

"When you're big like me, you have to finish every check," Osala said. "That's just a part of the North American game. That's what I will always do.

"I try to do everything to help the team win. I try to finish my checks, shoot a lot, and try to make room for my teammates.

I would love to see Osala in Washington or Hershey soon, and from GMGM's quotes, that shouldnt be too far off the horizon.

NHL in the future for Boudreau?

This is a good article about Hershey Bears Coach Bruce Boudreau. I know his name has been mentioned a number of times as a possible replacement for Glen Hanlon, should he get the ax. Personally, I hope the Caps keep Hanlon around but its clear that Boudreau is eager to make the jump.

Fans in Washington were clamouring for his promotion given that club’s disappointing 2006-07 season. And Boudreau has a heck of a resumé with the Calder Cup, the ECHL title and trip to the Turner Cup finals in the old IHL among his coaching accomplishments.

“This is our second finals in a row,” said Boudreau. “I think our teams have been pretty well prepared. We’ll let the people in the higher-ups make the decision.