Hooray for Huet

How's that for a debut? Eight-teen saves and a shutout over the Eastern Conference leading Devils. Not a bad way to start your Capitals career Cristobal. Here's to continued success in the future. I did find it interesting to hear that Coach Boudreau was still committed to starting Olie Saturday night. Coming into Friday's game, the talk was that if Huet blew the doors off, which he clearly did, he would get the nod against the Maple Leafs as well. But apparently that is not the case. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Fedorov also had an impressive debut. He helped to setup Mike Green's PP goal that gave the Caps the 1-0 lead and won 77% of his faceoffs on the night. That is the type of performance we need to see night in and night out from the Russian veteran. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

And don't forget, we still have Matt Cooke's debut to look forward to tomorrow night. The new Capital seemed to like his first impression of the team's system in Friday's practice. From Tarik:

"It's a pressure team here" in Washington, Cooke said. "Whereas Vancouver was more sit back and let them come to you. I think I'm fortunate because [the Capitals' system] kind of fits my style."

Things are certainly looking up. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Richard Lam)

Prospect Update: Mathieu Perreault had 3 assists last night and won 60% of his faceoffs in Acadie-Bathurst's 5-4 loss at Rouyn-Noranda.
Defensemen Karl Alzner and Keith Seabrook each had an assist in the Calgary Hitmen's 6-5 shootout win over Moose Jaw.

Official Retraction

Okay, I'd officially like to retract my previous post that declared the Capitals as players for the #1 overall pick and the rights to Steven Stamkos. With the moves made at the deadline, the team obviously has no aspirations of finishing in the top 5 for a spot in the draft lottery. No, the Caps have decided to add to their lineup and compete now for a playoff spot.

You have to give GM George McPhee a lot of credit with these deadline moves. The Caps gave up next to nothing to acquire a #1 goaltender in Cristobal Huet, a former #1 center in Sergei Fedorov, and an agitator in Matt Cooke. All of these assets were had for a grand total of Anaheim's 2009 2nd-round pick, which we received for Brian Sutherby, defensive prospect Theo Ruth, who is a freshman at Notre Dame and is still multiple years away from seeing an AHL rink let alone an NHL rink, and Matt Pettinger who I would say didn't even deserve to receive a jersey on a nightly basis anymore.

Huet, Fedorov, and Cooke will all be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. But that doesn't mean that they will all depart this summer. It's not as if teams will be lining up to sign a 38 year-old center, or a 29 year-old winger with a career average of about 20 pts/season. If either or both of those players fit well with this team, the Capitals will pay up and bring them back this fall. Huet on the other hand, will most likely be the best free agent goaltender available this summer. His performance down the stretch could earn him a big payday. McPhee will have to make the decision of whether or not he is worth the money it would cost to keep him here. To say the 3-way goaltending battle down the stretch will be interesting is an understatement. Hopefully the cream will rise to the top and one of the three will establish themselves as the #1 man.

As the New York Giants proved this season, once you get into the playoffs anything can happen. With the best player in the world on their side, can Ovechkin take his game to yet another level and lead the Caps on a Stanley Cup run this year? Only time will tell.

The Stamkos Countdown is Now On!!!

After the past weekend of disappointing outings, the time is now to start the official Stamkos countdown. The Caps are currently two points out of the 5th worst record in the league, a spot currently held by the Atlanta Thrashers. They are also still only four points out of the final playoff position currently held by Buffalo. If they finished with one of the 5 worst records, they would be in the draft lottery for a chance at the #1 overall pick and the right to select Steven Stamkos. Remember last season the team that finished in that position was none other than the Chicago Blackhawks, who ended up winning the lottery and budding star Patrick Kane. Just think at what our lineup would look like next season with Backstrom and Stamkos as our top two centers. The dream is still alive.

Caps Come Up Empty in "Biggest Game of the Year"

It started out good as the Capitals dominated the first half of the opening period and took a 1-0 lead on the road. However, a couple of things happened that just told you despite their early success the Caps were in for a long night. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

First of all, they had multiple chances to score but failed to do so. Viktor Kozlov hit the post on a sneaky wrist shot that should have made it 2-0, and Tomas Fleischmann whiffed on a wide open net from about 16 inches away that should of then made it 3-0. And what have we learned about today's NHL? If you don't capitalize on your chances, it's going to come back and bite you. Well that's exactly what happened.

The momentum changed when defenseman Mike Green was called for a post whistle roughing penalty. Now I have a big problem with this particular penalty. I believe it was Erik Cole who had charged Kolzig and and swatted multiple times after Olie had the puck secure. In the "old" NHL, Greenie would never have been penalized for standing up for his goalie. But it seems that in the "new" NHL, the players are not allowed to police themselves anymore. This was a horrible call that swung the momentum in favor of the Hurricanes and quickly tied the scored at one. Later in the night, Panthers defenseman Jay Bouwmeester was penalized in the exact same scenario in a game against the Flyers. That power play resulted in a Daniel Briere goal and a 1-0 lead that Philly ended up squandering with three seconds remaining. Referees seriously need to be more lenient in these situations and allow the players the ability to police themselves.

Now that I got that rant off my chest, the referees were not to blame for the Capitals ineptitude on the penalty kill. The combination of poor defensive coverage and the inability of Kolzig to secure a loose puck led directly to the 'Canes four power play goals. Before the game Kolzig had described the matchup as the "biggest game of the year". Well in such an important game, godzilla failed to deliver and continued his run of inconsistency this season. Without a doubt the weakest position on the team this season has been goaltending. And with Kolzig set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, you have to believe that we will have a new #1 next year for the first time in a decade.

After this outcome, Sunday's game versus the Devils now becomes the most important game of the year. If the result is similar, the Capitals should reevaluate their position going into Tuesday's trade deadline. With the playoffs becoming less likely, they should look at moving a John Erskine or Steve Eminger, who could provide defensive depth for a playoff team, and forwards Matt Bradley or Matt Pettinger, who once again could be depth players in the right scenario. Of course these moves would not provide much in return except for draft picks, but they would allow players such as Sami Lepisto, Chris Bourque, and Andrew Gordon an opportunity to get some ice time heading into next season.

Also, expect some of our better prospects to join the Hershey Bears for their playoff run. Defenseman Karl Alzner, Joe Finley, and Josh Godfrey along with forwards Francois Bouchard, Mathieu Perreault, and Luke Lynes could all play key roles for the Bears this spring.

The future looks bright, but for now we have one more season of jumping on the Hershey bandwagon as they look for their third straight trip to the Calder Cup finals.

Caps Hold Off Lightning 3-2

Well they almost blew it, thanks to a pair of Lightning goals within about 30 seconds late in the 3rd period to tie the game at 2. But Alex saved the day in the end, Alex Semin that is, with his quick reflexes that deposited a loose puck past Johan Holmqvist with three minutes to go. Now the Caps players and their dads will be able to enjoy a Sunday outing in the sunshine state. A couple key contributors for the Caps silenced their critics tonight: (Photo courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

1. Olaf Kolzig - 39 saves on the night, Godzilla was spectacular in net. Neither goal in the 3rd period was his fault. The Caps will need more consistent performances like this one from their number one netminder if they hope to make a playoff run this spring.
2. Tomas Fleischmann - His promotion to the first line resulted in his second goal in as many nights. He is proving why the organization is so high on him. Fleischmann must continue to be a reliable secondary scoring option for this team to succeed.

And how about the debut of defenseman Sami Lepisto? He showed flashes of brilliance in his 14+ minutes of ice time, contributing on the second power play unit while also delivering some big hits, which is a bit unexpected considering his size. He has definitely proved that he deserves a good look with the big club. Hopefully he is here to stay. (Photo of Sami Lepisto during Rookie Camp, Summer '07)

Bears Fall in Rochester

Hershey got two goals from Joe Motzko, extending his team lead to 21 on the season. But it was not enough as the North Division cellar dwellers, the Rochester Americans, upset the Bears 4-2 in front of 7,424 at the Blue Cross Arena. Check out the highlights with the video courtesy of B2Networks.

Hershey Bears On The Air Tonight!

Just a reminder for everyone out their with Directv that the Hershey Bears will be on tv tonight as they start their road trip against the Lake Erie Monsters. The game will be broadcast on FSN Ohio (637) and FSN Cincinnati (638). Or if you don't have Directv then the NHL network will be broadcasting a replay of the Bears game last Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre against the Penguins. Don't miss out on this opportunity to see some of our future Capitals in action!

Hershey Bears Highlights

The Hershey Bears defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5-3 on the road Saturday night. Chris Bourque led the way for the Bears with two goals on the night, giving him 17 on the season. Andrew Gordon also tallied his 11th goal on the season and Daren Machesney had 22 saves for his 15th win. Check out the highlights from the 1st period, video courtesy of B2Networks.
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Where Are They Now: Jared Aulin

It seems a lot of former Capitals are in the news this weekend. Here's a story about Jared Aulin, a former top prospect with Washington and the Los Angeles Kings. Video is courtesy of CBC Sports.

Joe Juneau Part 2

Part 2 of Joe Juneau's story, courtesy of Rogers Sportsnet.

Joe Juneau Part 1

Joe Juneau is making a difference in the lives of children in Nunavik. He is part 1 of his story courtesy of Rogers Sportsnet.

Former Capital Joe Juneau is Trying to Make a Difference

This is an amazing story that will be shown on Rogers Sportsnet's news show "Connected". Hopefully, we can get this on CSN as well in the near future. In the meantime check out the article.

Here is an excerp. (Photo courtesy of TSN.ca)

In the northern reaches of Quebec, far from the spotlight of the National
Hockey League he knew for 13 seasons, Joe Juneau is making what he might call
the most important assist of his career.The 40-year-old has established a school
that combines hockey with academics for the children of Nunavik, a collection of
14 villages and 10,000 residents that dot the coast of the Ungava
Peninsula.
Juneau, who finished his career with the Montreal Canadiens in 2004, moved
to the village of Kuujjuaq, nearly 1,500 kilometres north of Montreal, with his
family last year after first visiting the region three years ago. He was moved
by the challenge the residents, and in particular the children, face in the
remote region.