Predictions for Habs/Caps

Sorry for how late I am, I was stuck in a meeting!

Here are my predictions:

total # of goals scored by the Habs over the 2 games: 6

total # of goals scored by the Caps over the 2 games: 6

total # of goals scored by Ovie over the 2 games: 3

total # of goals scored by Kovy over the 2 games: 2

Winner of Tuesday night game: Habs

Winner of Thursday night game: Caps

pick one person from the Habs who will get into a fight: No one, because they are all little bitches.

pick one person from the Caps who will get into a fight: Bradley will try to get something started, but no one on the Habs will step up.

Forgot to add: let the trash talkin' begin. The guys gets us started:

When do we get to start the trash talking? I want it on record that our Russian star is an enigmatic, airplane flyin, blonde-haired Adonis type renaissance man, while theirs is a gap-toothed, yellow-skate lace and tinted visor wearin, hair-by-hillbilly-barber goofball. Or something.

Interesting, because our Russian scored 46 goals and had 92 points last season, while your Adonis type Russian had 18 goals and 47 points. On a separate note, I distinctly remember that statue...lacking....in a certain department.

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Can someone explain to me how Sidney Crosby's ankle is getting so much attention? Example one: ESPN's entire NHL page is dominated by updates on "ankle-gate" and its repercussions. They barely bother to mention the Caps thrilling SO win, swirling Leafs stories, and other hockey news. Ugh.

Tarik on last night's win:

"It was an important game in our season right now," said Ovechkin, who scored twice in regulation and now leads the league with 38 goals. "We are at .500, but we don't want to stop. We want to keep it going."

Corey rightly gives Quintin Laing credit for last night's win:

The score sheet says Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin provided the heroics in the shootout last night, but it might not have been possible without the effort in overtime by Quintin Laing.

Laing blocked three shots during a 3-on-5 situation to preserve the tie as the Washington Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5 in front of a standing-room only crowd at Mellon Arena.

It looks like things are swinging the right way for the Caps. Injuries have hurt the team, but despite that, they are finding a way to win. Backstrom and Green have found their rhythm, Semin finally looks fully recovered and is notching some goals, and it looks like Flash and Kozlov are heating up. Can the Caps stay hot through the rest of the season? I hope so - and I'll be knocking on a lot of wood for the next 11 weeks. They face a Leafs team on tomorrow night that is pretty low in the standings, but just got a shake up with the firing of their GM. The next month of games is going to be critically important to finding out if the Caps can stay in the playoff hunt.

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Last regular season game against Ottawa tonight...can we sweep them? I hope so. Check out fellower HLOG'er Sherry at Scarlett Ice to see what Sens Nation is saying.

Mo gets a little love from the WaPo:

Morrisonn, who has not scored a goal but has blocked 44 shots and anchors the penalty kill, attributes his turnaround to skating alongside Green and Boudreau's more aggressive forechecking system.

"It's a little bit of everything," Morrisonn said. "I love Bruce's system. It's a great system, and when we're playing it correctly, we're not in our own end all night."

And Corey takes a look at Matt Pettinger and his diminished playing time under BB:

Both he and Clark got off to slow starts, and Pettinger hasn't recovered. He has two goals and three assists in 40 games. He also has been scratched in two straight and three of the past six games.

"I want to contribute whenever I can, and I feel like I can play better," Pettinger said. "I don't feel like I've played bad hockey to this point, but I am just not getting the results. In this business that is what it is all about."

Added coach Bruce Boudreau: "I don't know [what is different]. We had a long talk today about it. Whatever it is, I'd like to get him to go find it."

Corey also makes reference to some mysterious ailment Pettinger might be nursing.

In other hockey news:

Dont ask a member of the Canes to shake your hand...

Spezza is likely to play tonight.

Malkin got his second hat trick of the season last night.

Marc Savard replaces Dany Heatley in the All-Star lineup.

Mats Sundin says he doesnt want to be traded, but he means that he does want to be traded. Or something. I think I might need to contact a 13 year old to decipher that one.

They havent fired their current GM, but the Leafs are already looking for a new one. Good strategy guys!

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The Caps' game on Sunday vs. the Flyers was a hard loss, since that was a winnable game against an Eastern Conference foe. On the plus side, this has been the second consecutive game when the Phone Booth has been pretty full (in fact, it was the second largest crowd this season, per the WaPo). The last home game was against Colorado, a team that doesnt get to play in DC very often. And the Flyers are one of the Caps traditional enemies, with the Daniel Briere-AO enmity adding to the effect. Lets hope that the new schedule next year brings in more teams that we havent seen in a few years, and with that more fans. And it'll probably take an act of God, but maybe one of these years, divisions will be tweaked so that the Caps can re-kindle those old rivalries (like the Flyers) that pack the house at the VC.

Tarik has Chris Clark nailing yesterday's loss:

"Every time we tried something cute, or out of the game plan, or individualistic, it ended up in the back of our net," Clark said.

And even worse news - Clark has apparently re-injured his groin, and is being assessed.

Corey has BB's view:

After winning four of five and losing once in regulation in the past eight contests (5-1-2), Washington failed to continue the momentum in the second of a critical five-game homestand.

"They're only going to give you so many opportunities," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "Eventually Carolina is going to start winning a lot of games, and the teams in the division that are losing are going to start winning. We have to make hay. This is a big week for us."

I would also add the power play should probably start shooting on net, instead of making elegant passes to each other.

In other hockey news:

The Senators lost at home on Sunday to the Islanders, and will be riding that into Tuesday's game versus the Caps. To add insult to injury, both Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza are injured.

The Leafs turned Scotty Bowman away from a position with the team. Yeah, really.

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Little bit of late start today, so you probably already know everything Caps related happening on the inter-tubes. That said, I trek on:

Tarik talks about Ovie being excluded from the All Star game (he has a title on this article that makes me want to go "Shazam!" after reading it.). Injury update from him:

Forwards Alexander Semin (tailbone) and Michael Nylander (shoulder) said they intend to play tonight against the Colorado Avalanche, and Matt Pettinger should be available after leaving Monday's practice early because of an undisclosed injury. Right wing Chris Clark (groin) has been ruled out.

Be sure to read his piece today for an update on Eric Fehr.

Corey looks at the Caps losing record on home ice:

"Teams are probably coming into our building and going, 'Oh, they are under .500. This might be an opportunity for us to win,' " Kolzig said. "We are playing better, but still teams look your overall home record and say, 'They're not playing that well at home.' "

In other hockey news:

Anyone see the Mike Green shout out in the "Plus/Minus" section of this week's The Hockey News? Very cool.

Ovie confirms that rumor about an offer from the SuperLeague, and that he has no intention of going there. I'll say this again: Alex Ovechkin isnt going anywhere. His contract negotiations might be ongoing, but GMGM and Uncle Ted are never gonna let him go.

Chris Chelios hits a milestone.

Interesting read about hockey in Cali.

Carey Price has been sent to the minors.

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The Captain is baaaaack! Well, kind of. He's practicing again, which is a good sign. But other injuries still plague the Caps:

Veteran center Michael Nylander, who has been playing with a shoulder injury, was held out of practice yesterday while wing Matt Pettinger left the ice after just a few minutes.

{...}

Also absent from practice were Tom Poti and Brian Pothier, the Capitals' No. 1 and No. 4 defensemen. Poti, the team's leader in ice time, has missed two games because of an upper body injury that's held him out of the lineup twice this season, while Pothier is believed to have suffered his second concussion in a year when he was crushed along the boards Thursday in Boston by Milan Lucic.

Tarik mentions that Nylander's injury might have to do with his rotator cuff and might warrant surgery. Thats a lot of "mights", so we'll see how it shakes out.

Another quiet day on the homefront other then that. We are still waiting on the official word regarding Ben Clymer.

In other hockey news:

Ovechkin not selected as All-Star starter. We have no comment on how utterly stupid it is that the second leading scorer in the league was not chosen as a starter. Oh wait...was that a comment?

Mike Ribiero awarded five year deal with Stars.

Karma is a bitch.

The Canes claimed Sergei Samsonov off of waivers. I think its fair to say this should be his LAST chance.

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The Caps are practicing, but have no game until Wed. against the equally injury ladden Avs, so its a bit quiet today. Tarik has some bits and pieces from that sweet OT win against Montreal:

I apparently offended defenseman John Erskine when I asked him about setting up the Caps' fourth goal with a well-timed pass to Alex Ovechkin as the winger stepped out of the penalty box.

Erskine, who has six assists, shot back with a smile, "What are you trying to say? I can make plays."

Ha.

Corey has this from the Montreal game:

Boudreau said a pep talk from forward Donald Brashear during the first intermission helped the team settle.

"One of our leaders came in after the first period and gave the group [heck]," Boudreau said. "We had a game plan, and some of us were on it and some weren't."

The sense of accountability seems to have ratcheted up under Boudreau, which is nothing but good.

In other hockey news:

The Flyers, again. Steve Downie, again. Is anyone surprised? The real question here is about the next step with the Flyers. Last time this happened, the league threatened action against the team. Lets see if they hold it up.

Peter Forsberg might come back. Blah, blah, blah.

Canada won the under-20 tournament. Sweden, Russia and the US came placed respectively.

The top scorers from UND and UNH hockey have been suspended after they were arrested for disorderly conduct.

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Tarik looks at whats what in Caps World, including injuries, possible Hershey call-ups, AO contract talks, and Uncle Ted on Boudreau, among other things. Semin is a maybe tonight with his bruised tailbone, and Poti is out, to be replaced in the lineup by John Erskine. Quintain Laing will travel with the team after missing a game due to blocking a hard shot in Ottawa. AO and Nylander didnt practice yesterday, but it doesnt sound serious:

Boudreau gave Ovechkin and Michael Nylander the day off yesterday to recover from minor but nagging ailments. The Capitals' first- and second-leading scorers are expected to suit up against the Bruins, who have lost six of their past seven games.

"They're sore," Boudreau said. "As much as coaches always want them to practice, sometimes it's better to have guys take a day off, rather than not go full out and me get mad at them."

Corey gives a fuller injury report and speculates on Mike Green making the All-Star game:

"I don't even know if he is a dark horse; I think he could be going there," defense partner Shaone Morrisonn said. "He's got my vote. He's a spectacular player — a great offensive player and fun to watch. I usually see him up in the offensive zone, and I am alone on the back end, but that's how it has worked, and it has worked great."

The Caps are at the Bruins tonight, 7pm on CSN, here is the preview.

In other hockey news:

Has anyone else started obsessively checking scores for SE teams playing....?

The Winter Classic did great on TV ratings.

This dude is still trying to buy the Oilers, after being shot down a bunch of times.

John Paddock and Mike Babcock will be the coaches at the All-Star game.

UPDATE: Tarik has word that Backstrom (or Nicky, as I will refer to him from here on out) is the NHL's rookie of the month:

When I broke the news to him after the morning skate, he cracked a big smile then said, "What is that?"

"I don't know what it is, actually," Backstrom said with a nervous laugh. "But it's good. I've never seen it before, but it's fun to get."

"The whole team had a pretty good month," he added. "We started winning a couple of games. I play with good players, so that makes it easy for me. So I want to thank them for this trophy or ... month thing."

After the interview, I told Alex Ovechkin about Backstrom's honor. He shouted over to Nicklas, "Congrats, Nicky!" Then Matt Bradley chimed in: "I was rookie of the month in San Jose. ...What's so funny? I was."

"Everyone else got hurt that month," Bradley joked. "Seriously."

That was pretty classic. Not so classic? Semin is out for tonight.

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The Mike Green train continued its roll yesterday, this time steaming over the Senators. And dont they sound a bit bitter about their third season loss to the Caps? From Tarik:

"You can tell they feel confident playing us," Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson said. "They have nothing to lose."

Corey calls it a "barrage" against the Senators, and I couldnt agree more:

"I think we are a different hockey team than we were, say, six weeks or a month ago," goaltender Olie Kolzig said. "We're confident. We're scoring goals. We're winning a lot more than we are losing, and I think we are starting to believe we are a good hockey team."

On the injury front, the Caps lost Semin and Poti during the game. As of now, the injuries are not supposed to be serious.

And some Ovie contract news. True or not? Who knows.

In other hockey news:

BB's daughter is an ice girl...for the Senators.

The Ottawa Sun on Brashear.

Some more player tidbits from the game.

Crosby scored the winning SO goal in the Winter Classic. Isnt that cuter then crap?

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Tarik gives us the word on Backstrom, and a brief update on Gordon:

Backstrom's offensive upturn has put him third among rookies with five goals and 21 points, behind Chicago's Patrick Kane (32 points) and Jonathan Toews (26). It also has resulted in more ice time under interim coach Bruce Boudreau, who has played the 20-year-old Swede a minimum of 19 minutes since putting him on the top line on Dec. 8, including a career-high 23 minutes 10 seconds against the NHL-leading Detroit Red Wings on Monday.

Anyone who has counted Backstrom out of the Calder race had better think again.

Corey looks at Bruce Boudreau, and how long the "interim" is going to be in front of his name (he also has perhaps the jolliest picture of BB, ever. If you gave him a beard, he could pass for Santa):

"Everyone says, 'Oh, he's an interim coach.' We're all interim coaches. Everyone in the National Hockey League is on an interim basis, and we all know it." - Jay Leach

Dan Steinberg's got Ovie, Backstrom, Green and Bradley on a Segway tour of DC. Good stuff (and apparently video is on the way).

In other hockey news:

Game day preview of Caps vs Habs, courtesy of USA Today.

The Cane's Craig Adams is suspended two games for hitting Alex Steen with his stick.

Kyle Okposo, a 2006 first round pick by the Islanders, joins the growing number of college players abandoning ship for the NHL (be sure to check out the quote from his coach).

Mike Keenan has re-discovered his joy for coaching. Ick.

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Tarik takes a look at Jeff Schultz's "new weapon" (insert dirty joke):

Schultz's scoring surge has come as a surprise, even to him. He never has been considered an offensive dynamo. In fact, his half slap shot isn't very hard -- but it's accurate, and he gets it off in a hurry. Schultz's five goals have come on just 13 shots. His .385 shooting percentage is tied for fifth in the league.

"It's been effective for me," Schultz said. "The last four goals I've scored have all been half slap shots."

Corey's got his weekly NHL Report, and the Q&A this week is with Tom Poti:

Q: Biggest phobia?
A: Probably getting old - I don't want to get old

Fair enough, dude.

In other NHL news:

More on Crawford allegedly ordering Todd Bertuzzi's hit on Steve Moore.

Chris Simon will be suspended 30 games for stomping on the back of Jarkko Ruutu's leg. According to TSN, Simon will appeal but since this is his eighth NHL suspension, I'm not exactly sure what kind of case he thinks he has (he has been suspended for using racial slurs, kneeing, cross checking across the throat, and of course stick swinging, among others).

Ben Eager gets traded to the Hawks.

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As we have mentioned, we enjoy Mike Green/Mike Green's hair. So we are really happy that he is having such a terrific season, and is becoming the star that everyone had anticipated.

On that thought, a LOT of the Caps are breaking out. Joe Motzko with two goals against King Henrik....Donald Brashear with two assists (and occasionally, some pretty skating)....Jeff Schultz with a goal in three consecutive games. The list goes on, but it seems that all those bounces that were not going our way in October and November are making up for it now. And thats exactly what the Caps need, because to be a true contender, you cant just have some guy with the name Ovechkin scoring all the goals.

Tarik give Mike Green props:

Green and teammate Brooks Laich raced into the Rangers' zone on a two-on-one rush. Laich dished the puck to Green, who snapped his shot behind Henrik Lundqvist with 1 minute 19 seconds in overtime left to deliver a thrilling 5-4 victory -- and put a punctuation mark on his breakout season.

Corey give Green some love as well:

"It took me all of last year to really get an understanding of what it takes to be a pro hockey player," Green said. "Also, [coach] Bruce [Boudreau] has been really good. I know what is expected out of me with him, and he makes that very clear."

A few other thoughts from last night:
- Alex Semin checked someone. It wasnt a very good check, and he did it a little half heartedly, but my jaw still dropped. When I see Alex Ovechkin checking people and scoring goals, and the see the aggressive forecheck/backcheck making such a big difference, it hammers home that everyone has to buy into the system. Alex Semin doesnt need to throw five hits a night, but he needs to look in sync with the team.
-Brooks Laich has been playing smart hockey this year
-Donald Brashear has found a role more satisfying then hired muscle, and he is making the most of it by building a case to play more then 3 minutes a night
- Olie Kolzig needs to get UP if he doesnt know where the puck is and a whistle has not been blown

In other hockey news:

Ray Emery is injured again, but with a great back up like Martin Gerber, I dont think the Sens are sweating.

There is some tough luck floating around the league for goalies, as Marc-Andre Fleury might be out two months, and Fernandez will likely miss the rest of the Bruins season.

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Tarik, you tease (I'm sure Washington Post sports writers are regularly referred to as teases). With a teaser title like "Clark's Agony on Rise", I dont think many Caps fans going to not read Tarik's article in today's WaPo. So be sure to read it.

From Capitals Insider:

*If you read my notebook in today's Post, then you already know that Chris Clark (strained groin muscle) has been downgraded to week-to-week and that Michael Nylander (undisclosed) is aiming to return this weekend. Defenseman Brian Pothier, after being scratched the past two games, also figures to get back into the lineup.

Corey takes a look at Nicklas Backstrom:

"I felt pretty good the first games, but I did not score or get many assists," the 20-year-old said. "The stats are counting now, and so are the victories, so absolutely I feel better."

Thats right, my little Swedish meatball, the stats are really, really counting now. So dont slump, or we'll deport you. Just kidding (mostly).

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Phew. I was getting pretty tired of watching (and paying) the Caps drop game after game, sometimes with good reason (injuries) and a lot of times with no good reason (effort). The Caps are home tonight, Wed. and Friday, and during that time I am fervently hoping they continue their winning ways. In fact, they have to if they have any shot at all left at the playoffs.

Tarik profiles Bruce Boudreau:

Center Brooks Laich, another former Bear, added: "He's not above yelling at anybody. Doesn't matter if you're a veteran or a rookie. He's the exact same as he was in Hershey, down to the awful ties and the bad suits."

Tarik follows that up with a piece on his blog that has all the good stuff that didnt make it to the article. Check it out.

And, Corey profiles Boudreau as well:

"His ties were the worst," said Caps defenseman Mike Green, one of nine current players whom Boudreau coached with the Bears. "He might have the worst tie-shirt combinations I have ever seen, but whatever works for him."

Added Steckel: "If you look at Bruce, you know he's not the fittest guy in the league. Everybody has their own way of being professional. Him having his tie untucked or a little mustard stain on his shirt — that is standard for him."

In other hockey news:

The Devils's winning streak has finally been snapped, coming into tonight's game against the Caps.

The Preds are officially sold.

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I am back from my travels to find Michael Nylander joining Chris Clark and Boyd Gordon on the list of injured Caps. And another 1-goal loss last night, this time to the NJ Devils. I am hoping for better tonight against the Thrashers.

Tarik on last night's game:

NEWARK, Dec. 7 -- Bruce Boudreau has been behind the Washington Capitals' bench for only seven games. But the interim coach has apparently had enough.
Enough of the inconsistent efforts. Enough of the egregious turnovers. Enough of the excuses.

[...]

"We didn't play good enough to win, or we would have won," Boudreau said. "That was a horrible giveaway for the first goal, and Olie should have had the save. He's too good a goalie to let those things go in."

Corey's headline says it all - "Bottom line: Capitals lose again". He has this from Boudreau:

"I don't want to be the guy who has to come in [to the dressing room] and blast them every time they don't play well because they should be professional and they should come to play every night.

"In the first period, we didn't come to play and that is unforgivable."

I am finding it harder and harder to keep a positive attitude about the Caps. As a fan and STH, its terrible to watch the team simply not perform for portions of the game, and then show up when they feel like it. As Bruce Boudreau said, they are professionals. What in the world is it going to take to get them to start acting like it on the ice? Their long time coach has been fired, they are getting lashed in the media by their new coach, the roster is being shaken up....whats left? I guess we will find out tonight.

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Ouch. Thats what Boyd Gordon, Chris Clark and Alex Semin are saying this morning. I daresay that Caps players, management and fans are echoing that sentiment as well.

Tarik on player injuries:

Alexander Semin aggravated his sprained right ankle in overtime of the Capitals' 2-1 loss to the Panthers and did not participate in the shootout. In the third period, captain Chris Clark suffered a strained groin muscle and did not return. Checking-line center Boyd Gordon has an undisclosed injury and is listed as week-to-week.

Corey takes a look at Boudreau's new systems for the Caps:

"It is just a matter of sort of relearning, reboot and start over. Hopefully it won't take too long," defenseman Brian Pothier said. "It is a minor adjustment. It is not a huge change. I think we've all at some point in our careers played something similar to this. It is just a little more aggressive and a little more assertive. Instead of sitting back and letting them come to us, we are trying to initiate."

Sounds good to me. One of the things that has really bothered me about the Caps this season is that they seemed to be watching plays, rather then participating in them.

In other hockey news:

Scott Burnside discusses the new hockey schedule (which is really just the old hockey schedule).

And Mike Vogel says Quintin Laing is the call up from Hershey to help fill the hole caused by injuries.

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Tarik takes a look at Matt Pettinger's scoring woes, and confirms he will be back in the lineup tonight after sitting out Monday's loss to the Sabres as a healthy scratch:

During his drought, Pettinger has experienced a range of emotions, from frustration to guilt, which stems from the firing of former coach Glen Hanlon. Hanlon was replaced by Boudreau on Thursday after the Capitals got off to their worst start in 26 years.

"We weren't producing offensively," Pettinger said. "Part of that is me."

Yet as dejected as Pettinger was after his blown scoring chance in Philadelphia, Clark considered it a positive, perhaps a sign of things to come.

Corey focuses on Boudreau's use of the whole Caps roster and the reason behind it:

Part of the reason for Boudreau's plan comes from his experience as a player. He was a prolific scorer in the American Hockey League, but he never played more than 40 games in an NHL season. He was shuttled back and forth between leagues and spent many nights watching from the press box when he was on an NHL roster.

“I know exactly what the players are going through, and it wasn't conducive to winning,” Boudreau said. “You sit in the stands for an awful lot, and whether you like it or not, human nature is, 'Oh, I hope they don't do well.' I want everybody to believe and to pull for everybody.”

In other hockey news:

Kukla's Korner has a link to a great article on the effect of the salary cap.

Gary Bettman is considering more NHL games in Europe, and rolling back the NHL's policy on shutting down NHL play so players can compete in the Olympics.

More speculation about Ovie leaving the Caps. Blah blah.

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I gave you my take on the game in the post below, here is Tarik's:

The Washington Capitals came out with energy last night against the Buffalo Sabres, and for a while appeared capable of beating one of the league's hottest teams. But turnovers led to two second-period goals for the Jochen Hecht-led Sabres, who skated off with a 3-1 victory.

And Bruce Boudreau is a quote machine. On Semin:

"I've never seen him play," Boudreau said. "I have to believe he's going to be better."

On the game:

"We played as hard as [Buffalo] and as good as them," Boudreau said, "just not as smart as them."

Corey talks to Olie and Clark about the game:

"Until we clear that up, it doesn't matter who is behind the bench, it doesn't matter who we have in the net and it doesn't matter who is on the ice: We're not going to win hockey games," Kolzig said. "Until guys get it through their heads to get the puck deep and not commit these turnovers, we're going to have nights like this."

Added Clark: "Everybody has to buy in. It is a team thing. It is a pretty easy thing to do is to get the puck in deep. It is not hard. You don't have to be skilled. You don't have to smart. You don't have to be overly everything. ... It is just an easy hockey read sometimes."

And in other hockey news:

The sale of the Ning to the group headed by former Columbus GM Doug McLean is off. Or might be on. Or might be off. I am having Predators deja vu.

Corey has launched an NHL Report on Sundays with the WaTimes. Check it out. Its great to have an NHL wrap up from a major paper again.

NOTE: We are sad to report that the Redskin's Sean Taylor passed away this morning, from a gunshot injury he sustained during an armed robbery attempt at his Florida home.

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Since I was a lot closer to Hershey, PA then Washington, DC on Saturday night, I caught the Bears game. More on that later. It sounds like a missed a terrific game, and a second win under Bruce Boudreau. If the Caps continue to play this well, I think the "interim" part of head coach will be dropped pretty quickly.

Tarik on the Caps 5-2 win over the division leading Canes:

Alex Ovechkin scored twice and Michael Nylander had a goal and two assists as the Capitals controlled play for long stretches against one of the league's best teams. But the story was the power play, which hadn't scored three goals in a game since Feb. 27, a 6-5 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers.

And a bit of good news:

Capitals Notes: Alexander Semin missed his second consecutive game after tweaking his sprained right ankle in practice on Thursday. After suffering the injury during training camp, the high-scoring winger has returned three times only to sit out again. He said he will play Monday.

Tarik also talks to Ben Clymer about Boudreau (and wins the understatement of the year award talking about John Tortorella):

"They are both very good with X's and O's," he said. "Torts is a little bit more angry, and Bruce is a little bit more controlled and reasoning. But Bruce knows his stuff. Anyone who questions that doesn't know their stuff. He gets nothing but high marks from me."

And finally, if you still feel like reading, Tarik has some funnies from "Gabby".

Corey takes on the Caps PP -- with a good explanation of how its working under Boudreau:

"I think [assistant coach] Jay [Leach] saw a lot of stuff and has fed me some information," Caps interim coach Bruce Boudreau said. "Maybe it is the different voice that they are doing it without balking. We haven't tweaked a lot, but we are being more aggressive."

David Amber looks at player contracts that are strapping clubs this season. Not surprisingly, the list includes Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe....and Michael Nylander.

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were a lot of great things to come out of the Caps -Flyers game yesterday-- Backstrom's fantastic play, another "Thank God we have Clark" moment, a thrilling OT win, and some pie in the face. Check out Tarik for the full low down:

As the Capitals boarded a charter bus afterward and headed back to Washington for Saturday night's game against the Southeast Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes, they still were in last place in the league with a meager 15 points. But there was no way to measure the amount of confidence they gained when Backstrom's shot found the back of the net, giving them just their second win this month.

Corey thinks Backstrom made the difference for the Caps:

Boudreau, who was named interim coach Thursday when Glen Hanlon was fired, put Backstrom on the fourth line between grinders Donald Brashear and Matt Bradley, but he also promoted him to the top power play unit and gave him a couple of penalty-killing shifts.

Brashear scored his first goal of the season and fought Philadelphia's Randy Cote, while both he and Bradley were credited with three of the team's 15 hits. Backstrom responded with three points for his first career multipoint game and Boudreau considered his fourth unit the best line on the ice.

I'm still out of town for the holidays, so I wont make it to the game tonight. But, I am going to the Giant Center in Hershey to see the Bears take on the Phantoms.