2013 Game #12: Caps @ Pens

As the resident Caps fan in Pittsburgh, I feel obligated to do a recap. Because who would really want to recap that mess? Not me, that's who.

Star: Ovechkin. Possibly his best game yet. He had some great chances on Fleury and MAF and his buddy Posty came up huge  on all but one of those chances. Throw in an assist and several huge hits and there wasn't much more that you could ask for from the Great 8. Honorable Mentions to Green and Fehr for driving play into the offensive zone and doing their best to keep Crosby at bay, and to Ribeiro for another multi-point game.

Goat: Everyone else. I think that's self-explanatory.

• I think Neuvirth can certainly be blamed for the second goal he allowed, and Holtby for his first. Malkin's shot was nigh unstoppable, it was just perfect and those go in the net. The fourth and fifth goals (and to an extent even the third goal) are on some combination of Kundratek, Carlson, Hamrlik, and Schultz. Between poor coverage (Kundratek, Carlson), screening Holtby (Hamrlik, Schultz), and deflecting what would have been easy saves (Schultz), the game should have been much closer than it was, and it lead to far too much criticism of both goalies.
• This was a special teams battle, and one in which the Caps (again) got slaughtered. The Pens scored three powerplay goals and allowed one. The PK and the defense need serious work. At this point, I think the best fix might be to get rid of Johansson. Not Marcus (at least not for these reasons). Calle. Most of these guys have been around for at least two years, if not longer, and the only one who seems to have improved with the new defensive coach is Erskine, and he didn't have much further to fall as it was. Something is amiss on the blue line, and I am of the opinion that is the core issue this squad has.
• The other issue is, and has been for years, roster management. Kundratek has been doing fine on the third pair as a rookie, but there is no reason he should be on the penalty kill against three of the league's top scorers in Crosby, Malkin, and Neal. With Erskine suspended and Poti injured (this is my shocked face), he had to be in there tonight, but as soon as the Caps have seven other healthy and available defensemen, it's time for him to go back to Hershey.
• Back to Marcus, though, he led forwards in shifts, along with Backstrom, at 22 apiece. So how did he follow up his first goal of the season last game? By taking yet another 0 shots in 15:37 of ice time. Only he, Chimera, Schultz, and Hamrlik failed to register a shot on net tonight. That means that only Hamrlik and Jack "I have played some of one game" Hillen have less shots on the season. MoJo has absolutely none of his nickname, and more and more people are starting to shake the old trade-tree and see if something falls out with his name on it. He is a pending RFA, is young, speedy, and theoretically has some offensive ability, so he should get something decent in return. As long as it isn't another bottom-six winger, the Caps might actually be able to use that something, too.
• Roman Hamrlik was healthy scratched for quite a while, and when the other options to start were a rookie and a guy who hadn't played hockey in two years. Seemed ridiculous. Then he played tonight, and it seemed a little less so. At the same time, he didn't really do any worse than Poti or Kundratek, but that's not such a good thing. 
• Bonus!

Onward and upward, mehopes. Also, if you have not read this, you must. The definitive summary of  the Caps' past two years.

The Caps are Losing. So What?

And not just because he is the team's king of bling

Tonight the Capitals lost to the fairly dreadful Toronto Maple Leafs, blowing a 2-1 lead by getting pretty much owned in the third. They were outshot roughly 2-1, but there were a few bright spots. Namely Joel Ward and Mike Ribeiro, but still.

I was going to say Michal Neuvirth, but then I looked at his actual stats this season. They're pretty dreadful, down among the league's worst, same as they were last season. The Caps defense has been nothing short of abysmal through these first seven games (the last five of which Neuvy has started), but that only gets you so far. Devin Dubnyk (4-2-0, 2.74, .922; Islanders), Sergei Bobrovsky (2-1-1, 2.40, .922; Blue Jackets), and tonight's foe James Reimer (3-1-0, 2.80, .914; Maple Leafs) all have far better numbers on (theoretically) far worse teams than the Caps and Neuvirth (1-3-1, 2.97, .899). I don't think Washington fans really want to swap team defenses with any of those three.

Anyway, I digress. What I meant to say is that I am not worried. I really do not care what the win-loss record is this season. Many would chastise me for saying this, but I do not want the Capitals to win the Stanley Cup this year. Silly as even I know it to be, I would not want the first time Lord Stanley is lifted by a Capital to be in a lockout-marred and shortened season. What I think is far more important is that the Caps find an identity.

Over the past year, Washington has seen three coaches, roughly four systems, no starting goalie, and lines that appear to be put together using Colin Campbells old Wheel of Justice. We've seen players effectively chirping each other in the media, coaches questioned, and hints of general locker room disarray. I've heard it suggested, almost in hushed whispers, that maybe this season is like an extended training camp or preseason for this team. I'm hear to shout it from the rooftops: that's a great way of looking at things.  It's probably easier to swallow (and more accurate) than the "R"-word: rebuild.

Now do not read this as me saying we should tank the season. I really believe that where this team finishes in the standings this year should not and does not matter. It's not the team's structure that is being rebuilt nearly as much as it is the team's identity. They had one, and it led them to dominate the league. The hottest of hot goalies cooled the Caps (and pulled the exact same crap on Pittsburgh, though nobody outside of the Steel City seemed to notice), and Washington went into panic mode. The team didn't just lose its identity, it was actively dismantled, destroyed, and dismissed. Here we are, three seasons later, with two more 2nd round playoff exits, and nothing has filled the void. It's time for that to change.

What, me worry?

This is the perfect time to experiment with Ovechkin. Put him on the third line. Put him on the opposite wing. Put him on the penalty kill. Use the shortened season to round out his game and build a repertoire with some other players, or at least learn for certain that it is never going to happen. Try to find out hidden talents of other guys. Joel Ward has been spectacular so far, making me and so many others eat our words about buying him out. Make a decision between Johansson and Perreault, as it is becoming increasingly apparent that there is only room for one of them on this team.

And the goalies. This 1A/1B crap has to end now. Neuvirth and Holtby are both RFAs after this season. Neuvirth will almost certainly lay down  the same lines that Varlamov did, and he should (although his numbers are worse than Varly's every season). With Philipp Grubauer in the wings, there is no need to keep all three young goalies. Trade one for a pick or a veteran tender to back up and mentor whoever is chosen to stick in Washington - my pick is Holtby. I think we've seen Neuvirth's ceiling, and I believe Holtby has more to offer long-term. But that's not the issue, making the hard choice is.

That's what this has to be about. Making hard choices and rolling with them. When Laich, Orlov, and Hillen are healthy, there will be too many players. Some would have to be sent down. Better to trade them, even if it's just for picks or prospects. But choices must be made. Some about specific players, some about linemates, but the biggest question to be answered is "Who?" - Who are these Capitals, and where are they going? It can't be answered in seven games. It won't be answered in twenty. But in forty-eight? We should know by then.