Washington Capitals

[Viperar 16]

So with tonight's shootout win in a slugfest with the Pens, the caps now place themselves 1 game above the .500 mark, and are now only 2 spots away from the number 8 seed in the east. Possibly even securing a third seed in the east if they can keep up with the thrashers or hurricanes, now being tied with the thrashers, and 1 point behind the canes.

With Boudreau in place, knowing how to run things with half of his boys from Hershey now, are the caps finally moving forward? I see them having issues with their defense still, but their offense, and a half decent goalie in Kolzig could see them making the playoffs this year.

Does Ovechkin finally get a taste of the playoffs? I sure hope so, while many here write this team off as a group of young guns that cant get their stuff together, or rather most of the NHL does, they're pushing past that horrid start, falling to last in the NHL, and now possibly making a push for the playoffs.

Watching these guys play here in DC, I cant help but to root them on to make the playoffs at any other team's expense in the east.

Go caps!

Edited January 22, 2008 by Viperar

[shannyfan1414 0]

I think that they are a team on the move. They really seem to have turned there crap around since firing their coach. The team has some very gifted offensive players. AO is more then worth the price of admission alone. Kolzig is still a quality goalie who has some gas in the tank. He could get hot and help get this team to the playoffs and maybe they could even get through a round as well.

I'm a big Caps fan, mainly because they have AO. I have been down there the last two falls to go see them play. I hope to be able to continue this tradition. They seem to have grown their fan base over the last year. The fans seem to be excited about this team and i think that all they need is a playoff run to push them over the edge.

[FinRedWing 172]

Does Ovechkin finally get a taste of the playoffs? I sure hope so, while many here write this team off as a group of young guns that cant get their stuff together, or rather most of the NHL does, they're pushing past that horrid start, falling to last in the NHL, and now possibly making a push for the playoffs.

He hasn't really waited that long and by long I mean "Olli Jokinen-long".

That being said I think they'll make the playoffs this year,don't know if they'll make it every year from now on though.

Boudreau has done a great job,they changed those awful jerseys back to retro greatness and locked AO up... Good times in Washington.

(And they don't play in Central,that's a another plus. Right,Vipes? )

[WingMachine91 0]

the caps are the team im cheering for in the east. i always have and every time they started winning i payed more attention to them with center ice. now i find myself watching every game they play unless its the same time as the wings. go caps. ovechkin in the playoffs will tear it up. if u think he plays with fire now, just wait till the playoffs. i hope they make the playoffs as the 8th seed cause they seem to have the senators number. could be an interesting first round

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Its nice to see them finally getting better. Its those new jerseys I tell ya'.

That being said - it would be a travesty if any one of the Southwest teams get in the playoffs as the 3rd seed, while at the same time having fewer points than the 9th seed. So, because I would hate for that to happen, I am really cheering for the Caps to do well.

[Kp-Wings 3]

Everybody in the Southeast sucks. That now takes the title of the worst division in hockey.

Good for the Capitals, but they'd be best off waiting another year and getting a high draft pick? Why? Because we all seen what they did earlier this season. They don't have the pieces yet to contend for a Cup, and getting blown away in the 1st or 2nd round won't do anything for them. They need to focus more on developing players like Backstrom, not be buyers at the trade deadline and give away prospects.

They'll be a very good team in the near future. Heck, somebody from the Southeast needs to step up and finally be the dominant team down there, because nobody seems to have taken control of that yet.

Edited January 22, 2008 by Kp-Wings

[Viperar 16]

He hasn't really waited that long and by long I mean "Olli Jokinen-long".

That being said I think they'll make the playoffs this year,don't know if they'll make it every year from now on though.

Boudreau has done a great job,they changed those awful jerseys back to retro greatness and locked AO up... Good times in Washington.

(And they don't play in Central,that's a another plus. Right,Vipes? )

it hasn't been that long of a wait for ovechkin, but i was more going along the lines of sid the kid has been in the playoffs twice now, and ovechkin has nothing to show for that. Granted they are two very different teams, but if the nhl wants to keep this AO vs Sid thing going, AO needs to be able to compete with Sid on the playoff level as well.

i hope they make the playoffs as the 8th seed cause they seem to have the senators number. could be an interesting first round

truth be told that might be better for them. Somehow they have completely swept the sens this year, each time winning by atleast 2 goals i believe.

[WhiteLightning91 105]

Everybody in the Southeast sucks. That now takes the title of the worst division in hockey.

Good for the Capitals, but they'd be best off waiting another year and getting a high draft pick? Why? Because we all seen what they did earlier this season. They don't have the pieces yet to contend for a Cup, and getting blown away in the 1st or 2nd round won't do anything for them. They need to focus more on developing players like Backstrom, not be buyers at the trade deadline and give away prospects.

They'll be a very good team in the near future. Heck, somebody from the Southeast needs to step up and finally be the dominant team down there, because nobody seems to have taken control of that yet.

They Capital's are not owned by people who necessarily care about winning the Stanley Cup as much as they care about the amount of revenue and buzz they could generate from even 1 playoff round.

[irishtemper14+25 11]

i hope to see AO in the playoffs,

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

This team will only go as far as Kolzig takes them, because their defense is awful in its own zone. I think they can definitely make the playoffs playing in that pathetic division.

[SweWings 45]

I love this, and the main reason isn't AO - it's Bäckström. 4 assists again in his last game, that makes it 8 in two games. As long as he stays healthy he will likely score the most points among rookies now that he's on a line with AO. And they're closing in on a play-off spot, the next few games will be very important... I hope they make it...

[eva unit zero 271]

I wonder...if the Caps are close to the playoffs and the price is cheap in terms of assets...could we see Mr. Fedorov goes to Washington?

[Opie 308]

This team will only go as far as Kolzig takes them, because their defense is awful in its own zone. I think they can definitely make the playoffs playing in that pathetic division.

I was reading through this thread and was about to post the same thing. Kolzig played great last night, and won the game 6-5. That is slightly important, so I will say it again, the goalie played great last night, and still managed to give up 5 goals.

Malkin's goal was a laser beam that could not have been stopped by Kolzig, however the goal was preventable. Instead of both D-men dropping back, dropping back, until they were a very effective screen on Kolzig, then Malkin shot a frozen rope between one of their legs, maybe one of them should have picked him up at the blueline.

Funny thing though, that pass looked like it was intended to go across the ice to the other wing, Malkin came flying through the center and went with the puck.

Most of the goals I would say were not Kolzig's fault, the Sykora one I could have scored, that was a gimme. Pit moved the puck all around against the WAS D.

BTW Malkin would be a superstar/all-star/ hero of the world on another team. Don't get me wrong he is great with Crosby, but with Crosby hurt it looks like he is taking his game to another level, gotta be hard living in the shadow of Crosby. No matter what he does, Crosby will always be the headliner.

Edited January 22, 2008 by Opie

[WingNutt 12]

like I said before the Capitals have been getting worse standing wise the past two years, and have been getting better players every year, the problem I feel was the old Coach Glen Hanlon, they have since replaced him after a shaky or infact terrible start to this season, and have been finding ways to win every since, Alex is still playing his game and is starting to show signs of taking it to the next level, Backstrom is starting to come around late in the season, and I don't have to say anything about Alexander Semin he has been playing spectacular lately, so with that, the Caps have Ovechkin, Semin, Backstom, Kozlov, Pettinger and Green to name a few. and many other young "hungry" players leading them with a new coach Bruce Boudreau Veteran Chris Clark as the captain, veteran goaltender who has had playoff experience in the finals, Olie Kolzig. They have the enforcer Brasher. I don't see why this team can't compete and make it to the playoffs.

I expect this team to be real deadly the more time goes by.

[eva unit zero 271]

like I said before the Capitals have been getting worse standing wise the past two years, and have been getting better players every year, the problem I feel was the old Coach Glen Hanlon, they have since replaced him after a shaky or infact terrible start to this season, and have been finding ways to win every since, Alex is still playing his game and is starting to show signs of taking it to the next level, Backstrom is starting to come around late in the season, and I don't have to say anything about Alexander Semin he has been playing spectacular lately, so with that, the Caps have Ovechkin, Semin, Backstom, Kozlov, Pettinger and Green to name a few. and many other young "hungry" players leading them with a new coach Bruce Boudreau Veteran Chris Clark as the captain, veteran goaltender who has had playoff experience in the finals, Olie Kolzig. They have the enforcer Brasher. I don't see why this team can't compete and make it to the playoffs.

I expect this team to be real deadly the more time goes by.

The problem is that the goaltender's NHL career started 20 years ago, and they don't really have a successor. That's really the biggest problems the Caps face in the next couple years. They have good young forwards, and some decent young defensemen. They need to add a solid defensive defenseman and a goaltender, and they could be pretty good for a while.

[Opie 308]

The problem is that the goaltender's NHL career started 20 years ago, and they don't really have a successor. That's really the biggest problems the Caps face in the next couple years. They have good young forwards, and some decent young defensemen. They need to add a solid defensive defenseman and a goaltender, and they could be pretty good for a while.

That is a great blue print for them, I would say a vet Defensive defenseman, a young defensive defenseman and a legit NHL goaltender (Not Nabby or Luongo, more like Fernandez when healthy).

That way they can get better at those d positions and draft young D.

They could then draft a young stud goaltender, and let him develop as Kolzig and player x hold down the fort. The problem is that every year they are sellers not buyers. The org wants to build from within (read that as is too cheap to pay for talent) and I don't see them helping themselves at the deadline.

They have 14mil in cap room left, why not go out and get Sundin, Foote, Blake and then walk into the post season with great young talent and a solid veteran presence.

Why not, because the org won't do it!!!

[egroen 384]

I wonder...if the Caps are close to the playoffs and the price is cheap in terms of assets...could we see Mr. Fedorov goes to Washington?

Fedorov is such an enigma to me. I don't know... sometimes I think he doesn't even care if he ever plays for a Stanley Cup again.

It amazes me he has not played in a single playoff game since leaving the Red Wings.

Edited January 22, 2008 by egroen

[StaticWithABeat 0]

Washington has a pretty lousy track record when it comes to building competitive teams, but if they play their cards right I think they should be ready to legitimately contend in another 2-3 seasons. Their current defense is not good enough to get them anywhere, and they need to find a goalie to replace Kolzig when the time comes. For now they need to take it slow and continue to build up.

[Viperar 16]

The problem is that the goaltender's NHL career started 20 years ago, and they don't really have a successor. That's really the biggest problems the Caps face in the next couple years. They have good young forwards, and some decent young defensemen. They need to add a solid defensive defenseman and a goaltender, and they could be pretty good for a while.

completely agree with you eva, those are pretty much their needs

Brent Johnson has been ok for them, but they need a solid starter more than anything

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

So with tonight's shootout win in a slugfest with the Pens, the caps now place themselves 1 game above the .500 mark, and are now only 2 spots away from the number 8 seed in the east. Possibly even securing a third seed in the east if they can keep up with the thrashers or hurricanes, now being tied with the thrashers, and 1 point behind the canes.

With Boudreau in place, knowing how to run things with half of his boys from Hershey now, are the caps finally moving forward? I see them having issues with their defense still, but their offense, and a half decent goalie in Kolzig could see them making the playoffs this year.

Does Ovechkin finally get a taste of the playoffs? I sure hope so, while many here write this team off as a group of young guns that cant get their stuff together, or rather most of the NHL does, they're pushing past that horrid start, falling to last in the NHL, and now possibly making a push for the playoffs.

Watching these guys play here in DC, I cant help but to root them on to make the playoffs at any other team's expense in the east.

Go caps!

You should double check the thread about Ovechkin signing his 13 year deal. There were plenty of wings fans here yapping about how the Caps are gonna suck for years to come. Some might be singing a different tune in the next couple months if the Caps keep this up.

AO

Semin

Backstrom

Green

Eric Fehr monster sized forward

Karl Alzner on D

They are doing the same thing Pittsburgh did minus Fleury.

That's the piece they don't have now as far as i'm aware, a young stud goaltender.

Once the pieces were in place it took Crosby 2 years to get the Pens to the playoffs. If not this season one more piece next year ought to get the caps into the playoffs.

[Opie 308]

GS&T I was one saying they will suck, I still think they will.

Not because of the players, oh no, they will probably draft 4-5 more Semin, Green, Backstrom type players in the next 3 or four years. The problem is they are either sellers or dormant at the trade deadline.

Like I said if they went out with the 14 mil they have left and signed Blake, Foote, Sundin they would be beasts in the east. Can you imagine Sundin between Backstrom and AO.

I think I just soiled myself!

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

GS&T I was one saying they will suck, I still think they will.

Not because of the players, oh no, they will probably draft 4-5 more Semin, Green, Backstrom type players in the next 3 or four years. The problem is they are either sellers or dormant at the trade deadline.

Like I said if they went out with the 14 mil they have left and signed Blake, Foote, Sundin they would be beasts in the east. Can you imagine Sundin between Backstrom and AO.

I think I just soiled myself!

None of those players would want to go to Washington. Veterans are looking for a good shot at the cup, not a good shot at the playoffs...

[Opie 308]

None of those players would want to go to Washington. Veterans are looking for a good shot at the cup, not a good shot at the playoffs...

And no one wanted to play for the Celtics before this year, if they signed one player the dominoes would start to fall.

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

And no one wanted to play for the Celtics before this year, if they signed one player the dominoes would start to fall.

I agree. Too many people paint too many players with the same broad brush. Not everybody is Ray Bourque. When you get down to it, there's only 1 universal brush that can be used to paint 99% of pro athletes, and the color of that paint is green.

You shell out enough do, you'll get some vets to sign up even if they have to play in tutu's.

Edited January 23, 2008 by GordieSid&Ted