Biron Dead-On, Series Tied 1-1

If only Alexander Semin's shot doesn't hit the post and finds it's way in, and if only Matt Cooke converted his two chances wide open chances in front of the net, then maybe the Caps find to way to win again and take a 2-0 series advantage into Philly. But that didn't happen, a combination of bad luck on the offensive side and great goaltending on the part of Martin Biron led to a Flyers shutout win and a series now shortened to a best of five. (Photo by Len Redkoles/Getty Images)

Heading into Tuesday night's contest, the Caps main focus needs to be on converting their power play chances, controling the puck on their way into the offensive zone, and preventing the home run pass on the defensive end.

As a result of today's events, a couple of lineup questions to ponder:

Jeff Schultz made his first career postseason appearance after missing game one and was clearly rusty. With as well as Steve Eminger played while Schultz was out, does Boudreau put Eminger back in the lineup for game 3? Might be a good idea.

A lineup change I would definitely like to see is Eric Fehr taking the place of Tomas Fleischmann. Fehr size and play in the corners would be a good matchup against this physical Flyers team.

Overall, the main thing the Caps have to do is just relax. This is going to be a long and tough series. Nobody expected them to win this series in four. One thing is for sure, this team will definitely be prepared for game 3, and having won both contests in Philly during the regular season, they should know what to expect from the Philly faithful.

The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Week in Review

Thanks to Kevin from The Kevin Hatcher Fan Club and Rebecca from A View From the Cheap Seats for joining me on the show today. We talked about the Chris Clark resigning and the roles that Steve Eminger and Brian Sutherby will have in the upcoming season. Plus Michael Wilbon's comment on hockey and even an interesting reference to Harry Potter by Kevin. The show finished with some Redskins talk thanks to a longtime Skins fan and a good friend of mine Matt Garin calling into the show.

To listen to the show you can click on the media player on the right side of the homepage, click on the link at the bottom of this post, or the show is also available on iTunes for download to your iPod or MP3 Player. Don't forget to tune in next Sunday at noon for another live edition.

Late Sunday Update: I just found this article from iGoBlogTalk.com, which provides a very well written synopsis about my show. Check it out, and as always I appreciate the nice feedback.

What Do Eminger and Sutherby Have In Common?

Besides the fact that they were both re-signed today, defenseman Steve Eminger and forward Brian Sutherby have more in common. They are both former 1st round picks who started their professional careers with great fanfare and promise, only to struggle so far to live up to expectations.

Eminger, the 12th overall selection in the 2002 draft, began his Capitals career later that year at the tender age of 19. He showed that he was clearly overmatched at the NHL level, so after failing to secure a regular spot in the lineup, and playing in just 17 games with the big club, the Caps reassigned him back to Kitchner of the OHL.

Here we are five seasons later and the talented but inconsistent Eminger has yet to secure a regular spot in the lineup. In fact he was a healthy scratch nine times last season including six consecutive games back in February. Eminger has always been touted to be an offensive defenseman ever since he tallied 19 goals for Kitchner back in '01-'02. The problem is he has never shown that offensive ability at the professional level totaling only nine goals combined in the NHL/AHL.

Even though he is still only 23 years old, with the abundance of young defenseman at the Capitals disposal Steve Eminger is running out of time to live up to his potential.

It may be hard to believe, but Brian Sutherby was the Caps 26th overall selection all the way back in 2000. Over the years he has excited fans with his ability to agitate opponents and chip in key goals along the way. But nagging injuries and inconsistent play have prevented him from reaching his full potential.

After spending the entire lockout season with Portland of the American Hockey League, Sutherby put up career highs in '05-'06 with 14 goals and 30 points in 76 games. But this past year the checking line specialist failed to build on those numbers, slipping back to only 7 goals and 17 points in 69 games.

With Boyd Gordon emerging as the team's top checking line center, what role will Brian Sutherby have with this team in the upcoming season? While the Capitals brass love the intangibles he brings to the game, the 25 year-old Sutherby will have plenty to prove as he looks to fight off a number of the Capitals young forwards that look ready to try and break into the lineup.

Other Capitals News: The team has announced that it has come to terms with center Jason Morgan who spend the past season with the Minnesota Wild organization. Morgan appeared in four games with the Wild and 57 games with their AHL affiliate, the Houston Aeros, talling 12 goals and 14 assists. He should provide the Hershey Bears with some quality depth at the center position as he is described by sportsnet.ca as a player who, "Posseses sound work ethic and leadership qualities."

Zubrus and Heward Dealt at Deadline

Danius Zubrus to Buffalo for Jiri Novotny and a 1st Round Pick

To For

Overall this is an amazing return for a player that has proven that he is nothing more than a second line center or better yet a right wing. The problem with Zubrus has never been his skill level, where at times he has displayed what a dominate player he can be. He has just never been able to provide the consistency needed to be a first line player, as he has a tendency to disappear for extended periods. While it would have been nice to keep him in Washington for his leadership, his contract demands at the moment did not make that possible.

In Novotny, the Caps get the young center that they coveted who is a former first round pick of the Sabres in 2001. He is a player that has excelled at every level he has played at, but with the quality depth in Buffalo, he has yet to receive an opportunity to play a key role at the NHL level. In Washington he will definitely get that opportunity as he should step right in to the top line with Ovechkin. Novotny's profile from The Internet Hockey Database:

Jiri Novotny

Center
Born Aug 12 1983  -- Pelhrimov, Czech Rep.
Height 6.02 -- Weight 194 -- Shoots R


Selected by Buffalo Sabres round 1 #22 overall 2001 NHL Entry Draft

                                      --- Regular Season ---  ---- Playoffs ----
Season   Team                        Lge    GP    G    A  Pts  PIM  GP   G   A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2000-01  Ceske Budejovice HC         Czech  19    0    4    4    2  --  --  --  --  --
2001-02  Ceske Budejovice HC         Czech  41    8    6   14    6  --  --  --  --  --
2002-03  Rochester Americans         AHL    43    2    9   11   14   3   0   1   1  10
2003-04  Rochester Americans         AHL    48    1   14   15   16  13   0   1   1  10
2004-05  Rochester Americans         AHL    61    5   20   25   36   9   2   2   4   4
2005-06  Rochester Americans         AHL    66   17   37   54   40  --  --  --  --  --
2005-06  Buffalo Sabres              NHL    14    2    1    3    0   4   0   0   0   0
2006-07  Buffalo Sabres              NHL    50    6    7   13   26
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    NHL Totals                         64    8    8   16   26   4   0   0   0   0

Jamie Heward to Los Angeles For a Conditional Draft Pick in 2008

    To  

This seems to be nothing more than move to make some space on the Capitals blue line. With the recent return of Pothier, Erskine, and Muir from injuries, the team had too many defenseman. This opens up a spot for Eminger to get back into the lineup after he had been a healthy scratch for the past 6 games. It also means that Jeff Schultz has solidified his spot in the lineup for the rest of the season. The conditional draft pick most likely is contingent on whether Heward resigns with the Kings over the summer.

Capitals Crash and Burn

Washington Can't Stay Out of the Box, Carolina Makes Them Pay
Carolina Hurricanes 6, Washington Capitals 2
Boxscore

Everything looked to be going their way. Alex Ovechkin had just recorded his 30th goal of the season and the team had recovered from a slow start to tie the game at two just 54 seconds into the second period. But then the penalty bug bit them and a pair of inexcusable plays by center Jakub Klepis swung the momentum in the Hurricanes favor for good.

A goaltender interference penalty by Klepis was quickly followed by a Chris Clark hooking call that gave Carolina a two man advantage. Erik Cole helped the Caps out by taking down defenseman Shoane Morrisonn just after Boyd Gordon had just won a key faceoff inside the Caps zone, ending the five on three situation. They seemed to have escaped a very tenuous situation when Klepis' penalty expired. However, immediately after leaving the box, Klepis took a silly hooking penalty and was sent right back to the box. The Hurricanes would capitalize on the gift as Justin Williams scored on the four on three man advantage for his second on the night and 25th of the season. For his actions, Klepis was benched for the rest of the game after totaling only 2:38 of ice time.

Later in the second period Steve Eminger would save the day momentarily for the Caps. After a chaotic scramble in front of Johnson the puck squirted past the goaltender and was moving slowly towards the empty net when Eminger cleared the puck off the goal line with his right glove. A fight between Chris Clark and Scott Walker ensued and the captain held his own despite trying his best to protect his recently repaired jaw. It was a gutsy effort by Clark who, earlier in the night, had gotten the Caps on the board redirecting a Danius Zubrus pass off his left skate past goaltender Cam Ward into the back of the net for his 20th goal of the season. It is the second consecutive 20 goal season for Clark.

Washington was unable to take advantage of Eminger's save as the Hurricanes would score two goals just ninety seconds apart in the last five minutes of the second period on goals by Justin Williams and Ray Whitney. An Eric Staal goal, his 23rd of the season, just 1:17 into the third period destroyed any idea the Capitals had of making a comeback.

Carolina got on the board first when traditional Cap killer Rod Brind'Amour burst in the offensive zone and flew past a flat-footed Eminger to the slot beating Brent Johnson with a backhand shot for his 14th goal of the season. Justin Williams would add another goal just five minutes later on a hard slap shot after he entered the Caps' zone unchallenged making it 2-0.

Game Notes:
Jeff Schultz recorded his first career point when he assisted on Clark's goal.... Justin Williams had two goals and one assist on the night.... Ovechkin's goal extended his point scoring streak to 10 games.... Both of the Caps' affiliates also lost last night as Hershey lost in overtime to Norfolk 5-4 and South Carolina lost at Texas 6-3.

Will the Real Caps Team Please Stand Up?

Tale of Two Games as Capitals Start Out Strong Then Disappear As Panthers Dominate Once Again
Florida Panthers 4, Washington Capitals 1
Boxscore

In front of a crowd of 13,877 at the Verizon Center, the Caps came out guns a blazing, just as they had two nights ago in Raleigh, North Carolina. They took advantage of a penalty-plagued opening (14 minutes of penalties combined in the first 8 minutes of the game) and converted on a two man advantage when Danius Zubrus took a cross ice pass from Alex Ovechkin, and slipped the puck between goaltender Ed Belfour's pads for an early 1-0 lead. It was Zubrus' 17th goal of the season and the 3rd time he has scored while the Caps enjoyed a two man advantage. Alex Ovechkin's assist extended his career high point scoring streak to 9 games.

But that would be the end of the highlights for the Capitals. Beginning in the second period the game quickly resembled last Saturday's debacle in Florida as the Panthers dominated every aspect of the game. They tied the score at the 2:42 mark on a beautiful backhand cross from Anthony Stewart which Marin Gelenas had no problem depositing into the back of the net for his 5th goal of the season. The Panthers would not let up, and despite a Nathan Horton tripping penalty, they would continue to control the action converting on their second quality scoring chance of the penalty kill when Jozef Stumpel snapped a wrist shot past the glove of Kolzig. The score would give the Panthers the lead for good. The Capitals did not record their first shot on goal in the second period until jthe 14:00 minute mark.

The third period was more of the same as the Capitals were outshot 10-1 early on. The game was put out of reach for good when Steve Eminger turned the puck over in his own end, which quickly turned into a 2 on 1 which the Panthers converted on as Ville Peltonen beat Kolzig for his 8th goal of the season and a 3-1 lead. Martin Gelenas would add his second goal of the game on an empty net goal in the last minute of the game making the final 4-1.

A week after giving up 54 shots to the Panthers, the Capitals were once again manhandled by the Southeastern Division dwellers giving up 42 shots on goal while only recording 18 shots themselves. The one positive stat to take away from this game was the Caps holding the Panthers to 0 for 10 on the power-play.

Game Notes: Brian Pothier was scratched from the lineup with what the team said was an "illness". Make your own judgments on the validity of that statement based on the team's history of not reporting injuries to the press....Jamie Hunt was recalled from Hershey but did not dress as Mike Green was able to return to the lineup....Shaone Morrisonn limped to the dressing room towards the end of the first period after blocking a shot off his foot, something that is becoming an epidemic for the Capitals' defenseman, but he was able to return in the second period and finished the game....Boyd Gordon was dominant in the face-off circle winning 15 of 22 for a 68% win percentage.