Off Wing Opinion

For a team that was supposedly standing pat, the Caps did a lot of wheeling and dealing today. They turned the 2nd round pick they got from Anaheim for Sutherby into Canadiens goalie Huet. The Caps followed that up with Sergei Fedorov from Columbus in return for defensive prospect Ted Ruth. And to cap their day off, they sent Pettinger to Vancouver in return for Matt Cooke.

None are expected to be dressed for tonight's game against Minnesota. This will be a contrast in styles as the run-and-gun style of the Caps faces off against the trapping scheme of the Wild. From Japers' Rink;

And unlike the Caps, who have lost four of the last five games in which they had a lead at any point, the Wild take a lead and go and hide with it - Minny has the League's best winning percentage when scoring first and is 25-0-1 when leading after two periods.

Think that first goal is going to be big tonight?

So the dressing room won't be too different tonight, as the only change will be the absence of Matt Pettinger. The same guys need to step up and get a win tonight, unless they want to drop even further out of the playoff hunt. The Caps ship is starting to list, and it needs to be righted immediately if they want to play into the postseason.

Update: The Caps have sent Joe Motzko to Atlanta in return for forward Alexandre Giroux. After playing for Atlanta's farm team, Giroux returns to the Capitals fold. 9 of his 10 NHL games played were with the Caps last season.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 26th, 2008 at 3:36 pm by Joe Dumas and is filed under 2007-08 Washington Capitals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Well Ottawa and Carolina kicked off the trade season with a bang, with Joe Corvo and Patrick Eaves heading to Carolina in exchange for Mike Commodore and Cory Stillman. The Sens get a couple veteran guys, while the 'Canes get a couple young guys who will be making an impact for years to come. Says the Peerless;

For Carolina, this is a bit of a curious deal...one that suggests the future in mind, not the present. Eaves is a restricted free agent after this year; Corvo is signed through the 2009-2010 season. If nothing else, the Hurricanes get quicker (and a bit younger) in the short term. But on balance, we're wondering how this deal helps Carolina in the 2007-2008 race to the playoffs.

Does this mean that the 'Canes already think they've blown the division for good? Caps fans can only hope so.

In Caps news Sami Lepisto was called up from Hershey, practiced with the Caps, then was sent back down. According to Tarik;

He was merely insurance in case Erskine couldn't go on the trip, and Erskine said he's ready.

It's also a father-son road trip, with the players' dads meeting them in Florida for a few days.

"My dad doesn't get excited about a lot of things, but he can't stop smiling about this," said Eric Fehr, whose father, Frank, will get to escape Manitoba's harsh winter. "He's so happy to get to hang out with the other dads -- and get a trip to Florida."

And over at Japers' Rink it's "Be the GM Day", as JP is taking thoughts on what the Caps should do down the stretch. If the Caps keep winning, and Clark and/or Pothier seem to be able to come back at some point, it doesn't seem like they need to make any serious moves. They have several guys in Hershey that could be brought up and help out. Any one of those guys would kill to come up and bust ass to prove themselves in the playoff push and into the postseason. Let the Caps save their draft picks and continue to build a team that can keep winning for years to come.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 12th, 2008 at 6:15 pm by Joe Dumas and is filed under 2007-08 Washington Capitals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Well today is all about the Caps' visit to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets. It's the first time the two teams have met since Ovechkin's first game on Opening Night, 2005. Notes JP;

Much has changed in the D.C. hockey world in the twenty-eight months since then - that night the bronze and black-clad Caps got points from Ovechkin, Dainius Zubrus, Jeff Halpern, Mathieu Biron and Steve Eminger before an MCI Center crowd - but at least one thing has remained the same: Alexander Ovechkin is still the best player on the ice almost every time he laces up his skates.

And oh yeah, he's the most clutch player in the league.

Tonight's game is horrible timing for the Caps. They have been shut out in 2 of their last 3, and stare across the ice at shutout king Pascal Leclaire. Hopefully the addition of Eric Fehr and shuffling of the lines can get something going tonight. While some people are concerned breaking up that productive first line will hurt them, The Peerless has once again broken down the numbers, and finds that there's no need to panic.

But look a little closer

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 at 4:10 pm by Joe Dumas and is filed under 2007-08 Washington Capitals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.