NHL FanHouse

Sherry Ross Pioneers NHL Play-by-Play Broadcasting for Women

Christopher Botta — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:48:00 EST

On Wednesday night, New Jersey Devils broadcaster Sherry Ross made history when she became the first female broadcaster to provide play-by-play in English for an entire NHL game.

Ross, who is usually the color commentator on Devils radio broadcasts, took over the play-by-play when fourth-year New Jersey announcer Matt Loughlin took time to be with his family after the passing of his father-in-law. Ross called the game, with former Devils forward Rob Skrlac serving as analyst.

"I had a great time," said Ross, a former hockey reporter for twelve years with the New York Daily News. "Overall, I was happy with how everything turned out. I've only listened to the goal calls so far. I have the entire game on CDs and will give them a listen after the holiday."

Ross had never aspired to do play-by-play, but welcomed the challenge when Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello asked her earlier in the week if she wanted the opportunity. Now that she has broken a barrier and called an entire NHL game, Ross says she'd do it again.

"It's such an adrenaline rush," she told FanHouse over the phone on Thursday, just moments before joining her family for Thanksgiving dinner. "I never saw myself as a play-by-play announcer, but I would consider doing it again."

Ross is humbled by the calls and emails in the hours after, declaring that she has paved the way for women to become NHL announcers. "I was told about one young girl who already contacted the NHL and wanted to speak with me. She wants to call play-by-play and now feels she has a chance," said Ross. "That made me feel amazing, like I have made an impact. If this opens some doors, Wednesday night was something the Devils and I and everyone who was involved can be very proud of."

Sherry Ross Pioneers NHL Play-by-Play Broadcasting for Women originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sidney Crosby Nets Hat Trick In Rout

Adam Gretz — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens, Penguins, NHL Press Box

Since Gretz was at Wednesday's Penguins vs. Canadiens game for FanHouse, consider this your abbreviated version of Newsmakers in the NHL, our weekday recap of the previous night's action across the league.

PITTSBURGH -- I'm not quite sure how it happened, but I'm probably the only hockey fan in the world that had never seen a player record a hat trick in person, whether it be as a fan in the stands, or sitting in the press box. Thanks to Sidney Crosby's three goal effort on Wednesday, I can now cross that off the list.

Crosby was a one-man wrecking crew in the Penguins' 6-1 win over Montreal, scoring three goals -- giving him nine on the season -- and narrowly missing on at least one more.

Brian Gionta on the loss:
"When you give them that many turnovers they have a lot of skilled guys that can make things happen. They don't need that many opportunities to hurt you. That's kind of what happened. A little too soft on the puck at times, turnovers at the blue line kind of killed us, and they transitioned with their good players."

"I felt like I was getting chances," said Crosby. "But I try to not to think about hat tricks too much. You don't want to jinx it or think about it. I just wanted to make sure I kept generating chances."

"When Billy [Guerin] and Kuny [Chris Kunitz] are forechecking like they were, and creating loose pucks and stealing pucks, I just try to get ready for those opportunities.''

His first goal came on a one-timer from the faceoff circle to the right of Montreal goaltender Jaroslav Halak after Kunitz managed to keep the puck in the offensive zone on two separate occasions. Following his second tally of the game at the 5:08 mark of the second period, Crosby completed the trick with this nifty move -- and lucky bounce off his skate -- at the 15:33 mark:

More From Wednesday's Game

-- Halak made his fifth consecutive start in net for the Canadiens (the previous four starts were all wins) and was lifted following the second period after giving up four goals on 23 shots. Carey Price played the final 20 minutes and surrendered two goals. We'll have much more on the goaltending situation in Montreal on Thursday or Friday.

-- Entering play on Wednesday, Kunitz had not scored a goal in 41 straight games (including last year's playoffs) which is an impressive, perhaps even mind-blowing, number when you consider he plays almost entirely with one of the games best playmaking centers in Crosby. His drought ended late in the third period when he picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and beat Price on a breakaway to give the Penguins a 6-1 lead. He's always been a streaky player, so perhaps this could be the start he needs.

-- You can't stop Mike Rupp, you can only hope to contain him. The fourth-liner scored his third goal in six games on a delayed penalty situation midway through the second period. To put his early season goal-scoring numbers into perspective, consider that he scored three goals in 72 games a season ago.

-- Canadiens center Scott Gomez was in the starting lineup despite being questionable with flu-like symptoms. Penguins winger Tyler Kennedy was out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury and was replaced by forward Chris Bourque. On a semi-related note, Bourque's father, Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque, was in attendance.

Wednesday's Other Key Games From Around The League

Colorado wins again and stays atop the NHL standings with a 10-1-2 mark

Dallas picks up an overtime win against Toronto

The Islanders upset the Rangers thanks to goals from John Tavares, Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson

Sidney Crosby Nets Hat Trick In Rout originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Five Steps to a Capitals Comeback

Christopher Botta — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:15:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Islanders, NHL Press Box

UNIONDALE, NY -- What does a Stanley Cup contender do when nothing is working, their feisty underdog of an opponent is giving them fits and they're down 2-0 with 15 minutes left in the game? To hear the Washington Capitals tell it after coming back to beat the New York Islanders 3-2 on Saturday night, a few things.

More: Cherry Rips Ovechkin Again

Be Aggressive: "The coaching staff told us before the third they wanted all the defensemen rushing the puck and getting it deep," said veteran blueliner Tom Poti. "There shouldn't be any wasted time in the neutral zone."

Defenseman Mike Green scored at 6:02 of the third period to close the gap to 2-1. Although the Islanders out-shot the Capitals 16-8 in the third period, the stat is misleading. While the Islanders had their chances to put the game away, Washington had a significant territorial edge in the final 10 minutes.

Get Angry: The Islanders won most of the one-one-battles through two periods and the game was chippy, with star wing Alexander Ovechkin engaging in personal battles with Andy Sutton, Sean Bergenheim, Jon Sim and Radek Martinek during the game and after whistles. Emotions boiled over when Islanders center Nate Thompson put a penalized knee-on-knee hit on Green, who was hobbled but stayed in the game.

"When Mike scored that goal," said Washington coach Bruce Boudreau, "you could tell how badly he wanted it, how badly he wanted to win. He got mad, like 'What the heck, let's win this game.' He played like he's capable of playing. For me, he was the best defenseman in the league last season."

Pray for Goaltending: A 1-0 Islanders lead after the first period could have been a lot more if the home team finished their chances and Capitals goaltender Jose Theodore didn't make several key stops.

"They really came hard and out-worked us," said Theodore. "As a goalie, especially with the talent we have, you just want to keep it close."

Said Boudreau: "I was thinking on the bench, Jose has played so well for us with not much to show for it. Let's win one for him."

Make Adjustments: Mid-way through the game, Boudreau split up Ovechkin and veteran right wing Mike Knuble. "I didn't see the chemistry," said the coach. "They were fighting the puck. I thought it was best for Knuble and Alex."

Keith Aucoin, just called up from the AHL, scored on a scramble near the crease off Islanders second-year center Josh Bailey to make it 2-2. Assists were credited to Ovechkin and Jeff Schultz.

Never Quit: Less than 10 minutes after scoring the overtime goal to give Washington the win, Capitals center Brooks Laich made it clear that the Islanders gave his team all they had.

"We have a lot of respect for that team," said Laich. "They work hard and are extremely well-coached. Teams talk a lot about working hard, but I don't think you can say that for every team in this league. The Islanders do. There's a reason five of our last seven games against them have gone to overtime."

Laich wasn't aware of the Islanders' recent tendency for blowing third period leads (New York is now 1-0-3 this season when leading after two periods). But he did think the Islanders could be taken.

"On the ice you could see fatigue in their faces in the third when we started carrying the play," said Laich. "They looked a little tired."

Boudreau cited the Islanders having played their third game in four nights, but his pride over his team's comeback out-weighed any disappointment in their disjointed first 30 minutes.

"Any time your team comes back from down 2-0 in the NHL, you're happy," said Boudreau. "It means you never quit."

Five Steps to a Capitals Comeback originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blues Get Blown Out in Pittsburgh With 'Unacceptable' Performance

Adam Gretz — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:45:00 EST

Filed under: Blues, Penguins, NHL Press Box

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the story lines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

PITTSBURGH -- St. Louis Blues head coach Andy Murray lifted his starting goaltender, Chris Mason, following the second period of his team's 5-1 loss in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. And it wasn't due to poor performance by the veteran netminder.

Sure, he gave up four goals through two periods, but the Penguins were coming at him in waves over the opening 40 minutes. Had it not been for the play of Mason, the Penguins could have -- and would have -- blown the doors off this game much earlier than they did.

Also: Reactions from St. Louis locker room, video of the day, and more

"When they scored their fourth goal ... I don't believe you pull the goalie right away unless it's the goalie's fault," said Murray. "And obviously that wasn't the case tonight.

"When a goalie has to skate off the ice it's a lonely feeling, and he didn't deserve that tonight. He wanted to play in the third. It had nothing to do with him and that's why we waited until the period was over so we could do it quietly and he didn't have to skate off the ice."

The Penguins finished the game with a season-high 43 shots on goal, including 20 after the first period, rarely giving Mason an opportunity to catch his breath. There were only six Penguins players in uniform (one of which was goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury) who didn't record a point in what was a total team-effort.

"There was a few times I was pretty tired," said Mason. "They had it in our zone, you know, one of the best teams in the league and they're moving the puck around and it was pretty tiring, but, that's the way it goes sometimes."

He continued: "For us not to be ready to play the defending Stanley Cup champions is unacceptable. We came off a good second and third period in Anaheim, against a very good team, and I don't know if we're getting ahead of ourselves and getting a little cocky and thinking that it should be easier than it really is, but to come out like we did against these guys, this is what's going to happen."

Murray was also at a loss for words after his team closed out its three-game road trip with its worst performance of the season. Giving Pittsburgh the first four power plays of the game, resulting in a pair of power play goals, put the Blues in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

"When you don't have the energy or the legs," said Murray. "It means you're reaching with your sticks and you're doing things you shouldn't be doing. Obviously with the shots it was total domination by Pittsburgh. It was pretty clear to see such a drop-off. It's difficult to understand why we didn't have legs and why we didn't have energy."

With the win, the Penguins now have the best record in the league at 8-1. The only negative on the night for Pittsburgh is the injury to No. 1 defenseman Sergei Gonchar, who left midway through the second period with an undisclosed injury and did not return.

Tuesday's Other Games

Montreal ends its five-game losing streak with a 2-1 shootout win against Atlanta. [Box Score, Recap]

Calgary picks up a 6-3 win at home against Columbus. [Box Score, Recap]

Loose Pucks

-- From the waiver wire a year ago to a millionaire today. Rich Peverley signs a two-year contract extension with the Atlanta Thrashers worth $2.6 million. [TSN]

-- The Dallas Stars need more production from their centers. [Defending Big D]

-- Mathieu Dandenault signs a tryout deal with the Hartford Wolfpack of the AHL. [Steve Zipay, via Blueshirt Banter]

-- The Buffalo Sabres traded forward Dan Paille to the Boston Bruins for a couple of draft picks, including a third-round selection and a conditional pick. He's yet to play a game for the Sabres this season. [WGR]

Video Of The Day

The St. Louis Blues were dominated on Tuesday night, but like I said before -- and multiple times in my live blog -- it wasn't because of the play of Chris Mason. He kept this game from being 7-1 or 8-1, and it was because of saves like this:

Wednesday's Key Games

Hurricanes vs. Islanders: The New York Islanders are still looking for their first win, and they get another crack at it when they host the Carolina Hurricanes. The 'Canes have lost three in a row entering play on Wednesday night.

Avalanche vs. Wild: Colorado has lost one game in regulation. Minnesota has one win. The Wild will be playing its first game with the recently acquired Chuck Kobasew.

Canucks vs. Blackhawks: In a rematch of last year's Western Conference Semifinal, Roberto Luongo and the Canucks look to get back on track in Chicago.

Blues Get Blown Out in Pittsburgh With 'Unacceptable' Performance originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dave Tippett, Coyotes Talk About Shutting Out the Champs

Adam Gretz — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coyotes, Penguins, NHL Press Box

PITTSBURGH -- The Phoenix Coyotes opened their season on Saturday with an impressive 6-3 win over a Los Angeles Kings team that many are predicting as a playoff team in the Western Conference this season.

On Wednesday, the Coyotes were perhaps even better in what was a rather surprising 3-0 win over the defending Stanley Cup Champion Penguins, in Pittsburgh -- a fact that was mentioned multiple times in an excited Coyotes locker room following the game.

"I think it's a very important two points for us," said Coyotes goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who stopped all 24 shots he faced for his ninth career shutout. "Especially since we're facing the defending Stanley Cup champion it was a big challenge for us. I think we played very well."

The Coyotes did play well, and they spent much of the night on the power play, converting on two of their nine chances throughout the game. They had three power play opportunities in the first period alone, including a four-minute advantage after Evgeni Malkin was sent off for high-sticking Keith Yandle in the offensive zone. Ed Jovanovski scored what proved to be the game-winner on the ensuing power play.

"I'm sure the people in Pittsburgh didn't like to be on the penalty kill for seven-and-a-half minutes in the first period," said Phoenix coach Dave Tippett. "But I thought our speed and our competitiveness drew some of those penalties. That's a credit to the players. They came out and they really fed off the energy of playing against the Stanley Cup champions and they did a lot of good things."

Pittsburgh looked off its game for much of the night, struggling to connect on passes, not generating much of a forecheck, and taking multiple penalties, including an interference call on Matt Cooke in front of the net that negated what would have been Alex Goligoski's first goal of the season.

"We competed hard," said Tippett. "We did a lot of the little things well. I didn't think we gave them a ton of chances. The penalty kill was much better tonight and Bryzgalov was excellent. We had a couple of power play goals that gave us the lead and then we just competed with hard, simple strong hockey to get the win."

Phoenix continues its season-opening three-game road trip on Thursday with a game in Buffalo.

"Another team that has ogood quickness and we'll have to go in there and play a similar kind of game," said Tippet. "A very disciplined game. "Make sure we're doing little things well, find a way to get a couple of goals and see if we can make this a great road trip.

Quotable

Dave Tippett on the possibility of Phoenix "sneaking up on teams" this season: "There's no sneaking up on anybody in this league. We have a very competitive group right now and we'll go into every game and compete as hard as we can and try to get the results that we want."

Dave Tippett on building confidence: "We talk about how confidence is earned all the time, when you come in here and beat the defending champions it continues to push our group going the right way."

Loose Pucks

Czech Connection. The line of Martin Hanzal, Petr Prucha and Radim Vrbata has been off to a fast start for the Coyotes, as the three countrymen have combined for four goals and three assists through the first two games of the season.

"It's great, it's just great," said Prucha following Wednesday's game. "We know each other and we're obviously playing with some great chemistry and scoring some goals. Vrby is the best so far and he can make some plays. Marty is great at backchecking and helping defensively in our zone and I can do whatever we need. So far it's been good."

Both players scored on Wednesday, including Prucha's highlight reel goal that was scored while sitting on the ice to give Phoenix a 2-0 lead.

"I was just waiting for a rebound in front of the net and I fell down," laughed Prucha. "Vrby tried to score from the goal line and the rebound just came to me when I was sitting on the ice."

Welcome home. Wednesday's game turned out to be reunion of former Penguins. Coyotes head coach Dave Tippet played for the Penguins during their Presidents Trophy winning season in 1992-93, while assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson won two Stanley Cups with the team during the 1991 and 1992 seasons. Also in attendance -- as a guest -- was former Penguins forward Gary Roberts. While he only played 57 games in Pittsburgh over two years, he still received a lengthy standing ovation from the sellout crowd when he made an appearance on the video board early in the first period.

Penguins sign first-round pick. The Penguins announced prior to the start of Wednesday's game that the team had signed first-round pick (No. 30 overall), defenseman Simon Depres, to a three-year entry level deal. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

In the faceoff circle. Penguins center Jordan Staal started the night winning his first 10 faceoffs, until he lost a shorthanded draw to Matthew Lombardi midway through the third period. He finished the night 12 of 13 on draws. Sidney Crosby, who entered the game was one of the top faceoff men in the league this season, won just five of 17 on the night.

Dave Tippett, Coyotes Talk About Shutting Out the Champs originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Welcome to the NHL, John Tavares. Here's Sidney Crosby.

Christopher Botta — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Islanders, Penguins, NHL Press Box

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- When the NHL schedule was released in July, John Tavares could not help but notice the opponent for his National Hockey League debut. Not looking to break in the 2009 first overall pick easily, the hockey gods matched up his Islanders with the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

"Sure, I noticed it," Tavares said with a smile Saturday after the Islanders' morning skate at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. "It doesn't make it any easier, that's for sure. This is going to be quite a challenge, but I'm excited for it."

On the other side of the faceoff dot Saturday night will be Sidney Crosby, former Canadian junior sensation turned international hockey icon at the ripe age of 22. While the expectations for Tavares are not quite in the stratosphere as the ones Crosby faced -- and has already matched -- the Islanders' center is facing a role model tonight.

"You watch the way he has handled things, the way he plays," Tavares said of Crosby, "and you learn from it. His influence is big on me."

Crosby remembers his NHL debut four years ago, a loss in New Jersey. "My first shift, I had a really good scoring chance and missed," he recalled today after the Penguins' workout. "I skated back to the bench and thought, 'It could be worse.' We lost the game, but I'll remember the experience forever." His advice for Tavares? "Enjoy it. Your NHL career is not going to be judged on this one game."

The curtain opens on Tavares' career tonight as the Islanders attempt to keep those expectations at a reasonable level. "You have to understand he's 19," said coach Scott Gordon. "We have to let John grow into a superstar. We don't want to give him the burden of saving the franchise."

The young center will play tonight on a line with potential star right wing Kyle Okposo and former Kings farmhand Matt Moulson to his left. But you could not blame Tavares for looking straight ahead a few times. In Crosby, Tavares can see what it's like to have the weight of the league and a town on your shoulders, and carry it with excellence and grace.

Penguins' Projected Lineup
Forwards
Matt Cooke - Jordan Staal - Tyler Kennedy
Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Bill Guerin
Ruslan Fedotenko - Evgeni Malkin - Pascal Dupuis
Mike Rupp - Craig Adams - Eric Godard
Defensemen
Brooks Orpik - Sergei Gonchar
Mark Eaton - Kris Letang
Jay McKee - Alex Goligoski
Goalies
Marc-Andre Fleury
(Brent Johnson)

Islanders' Projected Lineup
Forwards
Matt Moulson - John Tavares - Kyle Okposo
Jon Sim - Josh Bailey - Trent Hunter
Jeff Tambellini - Richard Park - Sean Bergenheim
Joel Rechlicz - Nate Thompson - Tim Jackman
Defensemen
Mark Streit - Bruno Gervais
Brendan Witt - Radek Martinek
Freddy Meyer - Andy Sutton
Goalies
Dwayne Roloson
(Martin Biron)

Game Notes: Pittsburgh's scratches will likely be W Chris Bourque and D Martin Skoula ... Max Talbot (offseason shoulder surgery) is not expected to return to the lineup for two months. Alex Goligoski, an offensive defenseman prospect on the verge of a breakout, was arguably the Penguins' best defenseman throughout training camp and had two points in the team's 3-2 win in their home opener against the Rangers on Friday night.

Islanders scratches are forwards Doug Weight, Rob Schremp, Blake Comeau and defenseman Jack Hillen. Weight, named captain on Thursday, is coming back from a groin injury and Gordon does not want to push the veteran back too soon. The Islanders' second game of the season is not until Thursday in Ottawa. Dwayne Roloson gets the start in goal.

Welcome to the NHL, John Tavares. Here's Sidney Crosby. originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alexander Ovechkin Stars, Caps Prove They're a Team

Christopher Botta — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:50:00 EST

Filed under: Bruins, Capitals, NHL Press Box

BOSTON -- On the first day in October, more than eight months before the Stanley Cup is rolled out to center ice, the Washington Capitals demonstrated in NHL Game No. 1 in Boston on Thursday night why they may be the Eastern standard.

These Capitals are not just Alexander Ovechkin, but a team constructed with precision from top to bottom.

The Washington superstar put on another magic show in the Capitals' 4-1 win in Boston -- earning another First Star, ho hum -- but it was far from a one-man production. His two goals came on splendid tape-to-tape passes, first from linemate Alexander Semin, later by defenseman Tom Poti. On both goals, Ovechkin outworked and out-muscled his coverage -- tonight was the Silence of Milan Lucic -- but he knows he's not getting world-class assistance if he's on just any team.

"I get the goals and a lot of the attention sometimes," said Ovechkin in a rare understatement, "but a game like tonight shows a lot about all the talent we have. I'm very lucky. You saw it tonight. Those guys are just sick players. These guys know how to get me the puck."

And they don't just get it to Ovechkin. His brilliant linemate, the still-rising 21-year-old Swedish center Nicklas Backstrom, had assists on the first three goals of the game. On the rare night when Ovechkin doesn't have it, Washington is deep enough for a different unsung hero to emerge. Thursday they had the best of both worlds; Ovechkin's pair of goals were equaled by second line left wing Brooks Laich.

The 26-year-old Laich, a former sixth-round pick dumped by Ottawa and plucked by Caps GM George McPhee in a string of unheralded but franchise-building moves, is a garbage man. Over the last two years he had 44 goals and could reach 30 in 2009-10. His goals Thursday were vintage Laich: "I got two goals from a combined two feet out of the net," he said with a laugh -- although his facts were accurate. Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau was happy for the grand-stage illustration that his team is not all about Ovechkin. "We've got guys on all four lines that know their roles," Boudreau said. "We've got guys that know how to play the game."

On the other end was Capitals goaltender Jose Theodore, showing more heart than anyone on the ice. The 32-year-old goalie is mourning the loss of his two-month old son, who died in August. Theodore was sharp from beginning to end, making 19 saves on 20 shots and controlling his rebounds. It was a remarkable debut under circumstances few could ever understand.

"I'm very lucky. You saw it tonight. Those guys are just sick players. These guys know how to get me the puck." -- Alexander OvechkinDuring training camp, Theodore spoke of the distraction of "being around the guys" and teammates like defenseman Brian Pothier talked about the Capitals as "an extended family" who "carry each other's burdens." After the victory Thursday, there was an admirably noticeable attempt to move on publicly, to keep the Theodore tragedy within the family. Boudreau said he was "really happy for him," but only in the context that his starter is sometimes a "much-maligned goalie," not a parent in pain.

Theodore also did not want to go there. "Tonight was about putting everything together with the guys in front of me," he said, "and respecting the game plan." Then he politely walked away, headed for a warm handshake from team owner Ted Leonsis and a quiet, proud celebration with his teammates.

This is what a true family does. This is how a successful franchise operates. This is how a perfectly-rebuilt hockey team becomes a contender.

Alexander Ovechkin Stars, Caps Prove They're a Team originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Caps Implode, Penguins Advance to Eastern Conference Finals

Eric McErlain — Wed, 13 May 2009 23:38:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Penguins, NHL Press Box

WASHINGTON -- After watching the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals play six of the most tightly-contested playoff games in recent memory, just about every last one of the 18,277 fans who showed up at Verizon Center on Wednesday night were probably expecting yet another nail-biter between two teams that couldn't be more evenly matched.

What they got instead was a 6-2 blowout win by Pittsburgh.

How did it happen? Simply put, the Penguins put their foot on the gas early and didn't let up.

Penguins 6, Capitals 2: Recap | Box Score

The highlight of the night for Washington came a little more than three minutes in when Alex Ovechkin -- whom we would later find out was dealing with a groin injury all series long -- was sprung on a breakaway on Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Ovechkin let loose with a snap shot, but Fleury snagged it with his glove hand. "In this series, he got some goals, but I saw him coming down [tonight] and it was coming pretty quick," said Fleury. "I just try to make some saves. It was nice to my teammates [to] take the goal away and turn the game around."

It was all downhill for Washington from there.

With defenseman Shaone Morrisonn in the box at 11:29 of the first period for slashing, the Penguins got the opportunity they needed to break through against Washington goalie Simeon Varlamov. Early in the series, Sidney Crosby set up an office down low just outside the Washington crease and was never asked to move, scoring garbage goal after garbage goal. That scenario replayed itself to put the Penguins on top.

With Pittsburgh on the power play, defenseman Sergei Gonchar let loose with a slap shot from the top of the slot. But the puck was deflected, and Crosby kicked it onto the blade of his stick and tapped it in for a 1-0 Penguins lead.

"So many times throughout the first six games we got a lead, and it was only a one-goal lead and we allowed basically one mistake to get them back in the hockey game," Crosby said. "Varlamov made some huge saves throughout the whole series, and tonight I'm sure he'd like a couple back, but we did a lot of good things and deserved the ones we got.

Only 8 seconds later, Pittsburgh stretched the lead to 2-0. Taking advantage of a weak clearing pass by Brian Pothier, the Penguins were able to gain the Washington zone off the turnover. After intercepting Pothier's clearing attempt, Ruslan Fedotenko found Craig Adams all alone with a pass on the right wing. Adams let go with what looked like a stoppable wrist shot that beat Varlamov through the five hole, stunning the home crowd into silence.

All in all, the first period was a textbook display of dominance by the Penguins as they outshot the Capitals, 16-5. Pittsburgh's forecheck kept Washington bottled up inside its own zone and consistently short-circuited the Capitals breakout. "Discipline was huge," said Pittsburgh defenseman Brooks Orpik after the game. "We kept their power play off the ice the entire game."

Under such unrelenting pressure, it was a miracle that Washington's rookie goalie didn't break earlier. Just seconds into the second period, though, that's exactly what happened.

Inside of the first minute of the middle period, Crosby broke up the right-wing boards and into the Capitals zone. Washington defenseman MIke Green -- whom we also learned after the game was hurt all series long -- picked up Crosby at the Washington blue line, but made the mistake of giving the Pittsburgh center too much room to operate. That allowed Crosby to hit a trailing Bill Guerin with a pass as he crossed over the Washington blue line, unleashing a slapper that Varlamov just couldn't handle to make it 3-0.

"I still thought after the first period, you know, we have had bad periods before and always come back," said Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau."I thought that when it was Simeon, after the third goal, I was thinking of pulling him because he looked really dejected and maybe I should have called a timeout at that point."

Less than two minutes later, the lead increased to 4-0, as Varlamov was scorched by a Kris Letang slap shot from the top of the right wing faceoff circle. With that, Boudreau yanked the rookie in favor of Jose Theodore, whom we hadn't seen since the end of Game 1 in the Caps' opening-round series with the Rangers. "But I think after the fourth goal the wind came completely out of his sails emotionally," Boudreau said. "He has been holding us in and done so much ... I wish I had made the change one goal sooner."

Later, Varlamov wasn't arguing: "I did not have my game tonight, and at that point we were down 4-0 and coach's decision was absolutely right."

The Penguins weren't fazed. A few minutes later, Jordan Staal scored on a beautiful give-and-go play off a pass from Miroslav Satan to make it 5-0 as the rout turned into an utter embarassment.

Washington would get a couple of goals to make it a little more respectable. Ovechkin got one back before the end of the second period by taking advantage of a misplay by Fleury. But any hope of a comeback was snuffed out by Crosby, as he took advantage of a giveaway by Ovechkin during a Pittsburgh third-period power play. Skating in all alone on Theodore, Crosby stuck in the dagger and made it 6-1.

Washington's Brooks Laich closed out the scoring at 6:35 of the third to make it 6-2, as the home crowd counted down the last few minutes of the season.

Afterward, the Washington locker room was pretty somber, with Ovechkin eschewing a trip to the postgame podium to face the press in front of his locker. "I'm very disappointed," he said. "They play better. First ten minutes were pretty good, getting pucks in deep. I didn't score on the breakaway, so if I score first goal, maybe a different game. I didn't score it. They're experienced guys. They're a great team. They played great."

Indeed, the Penguins did. But while Washington will spend the summer answering questions about how it could possibly get blown out at home during a Game 7, the Penguins will get to rest up and wait for the outcome of the Boston-Carolina series Thursday night. For a Pittsburgh team that fired its coach a little more than midway through the regular season, it's an unlikely and delightful place to be.

Caps Implode, Penguins Advance to Eastern Conference Finals originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 13 May 2009 23:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Malkin Overtime Winner Gives Pittsburgh 3-2 Series Lead

Eric McErlain — Sat, 09 May 2009 23:32:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Rangers, NHL Press Box

Just a few minutes ago as he sat at a podium following his team's 4-3 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, it was obvious that Washington Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau was more angry than heartbroken.

Who could blame him? Washington, a team that got two goals from the best player in the world, Alex Ovechkin, had played its most complete game of the series, yet still couldn't find a way to win.

In the end, this game turned on two sequences on either end of the ice in the overtime period. The first came early in the period when Washington center Dave Steckel, one of his team's more consistent performers, couldn't put the puck into an open net early. The second came just a few minutes later, as an Evgeni Malkin pass intended for Sidney Crosby deflected off the stick of sprawling Capitals defenseman Tom Poti and through the legs of a stunned Simeon Varlamov.

Penguins 4, Capitals 3: Recap | Box Score | Saturday's Scores

Malkin's overtime goal put an end to yet another intense evening between these two teams, as things seemed ready to boil over in the wake of the brutal knee-on-knee hit Ovechkin delivered to Pittsburgh defenseman Sergei Gonchar in Game 4 just one night ago in Pittsburgh. And indeed, things boiled over into open warfare at the end of the first period, when a scrum along the far boards saw Malkin, Brooks Orpik, Ovechkin and Alexander Semin all sent to the box for roughing to start the second period.

That scrum came at the end of a period where the teams traded scoring chances evenly, and the Capitals showed, at least initially, far more energy than they did in Friday's night's 5-3 loss on enemy ice. In fact, Washington got off the first eight shots of the period, yet Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was able to keep Washington off the board. In the end, it was the first scoreless period of the series.

Jordan Staal finally broke the deadlock at 5:17 of the second period with a wrist shot from the right wing faceoff circle that eluded Washington goalie Simeon Varlamov to his stick side. But the lead didn't last long, as Ovechkin seemed to take the tally as a personal affront to his dignity. Taking a pass from Poti, Ovechkin skated up ice, and taking advantage of all the space Pittsburgh was giving him, fired a wrist shot past Fleury to tie the game 1-1.

Before the end of the period, Nicklas Backstrom gave Washington a 2-1 lead on a pretty give-and-go courtesy of Ovechkin and Sergei Fedorov. Carrying the puck in the right wing circle, Backstrom found Ovechkin below the goal line with a pass and then cut on an angle to the net, where he collected a quick pass back from Ovechkin and tapped it past Fleury.

During the regular season, the Capitals were 33-3-2 when holding a lead going into the third period. But as Boudreau himself pointed out in the postgame, Pittsburgh had more come from behind victories than any other club in the NHL this season. The Washington lead was erased only :51 seconds into the third period when Ruslan Fedotenko -- a playoff hero for Tampa Bay during their 2004 title run -- scored for Pittsburgh. But while he might get credit for the goal in the scoresheet, he got a big hand from Evgeni Malkin, who had gained the Washington zone before leaving Fedotenko a perfect drop pass that he rifled past Simeon Varlamov high on the glove side.

At 6:27 Pittsburgh took the lead on the sort of goal teams that win in the playoffs seem to know how to score. Taking advantage of a scramble in front of the Washington net, former Capital Matt Cooke streaked across the goal mouth and swiped the loose puck into the net. It was the second goal scored by Pittsburgh's third line of Staal, Cooke and Tyler Kennedy, a line whose play in the first round against Philadelphia was so critical.

"Very seldom have we had the chance to carry the momentum," said Cooke. "Staalsie chipped in and got a big aol for us. He's supporting me tonight and that's how I was able to get the puck and make a play over the blue line."

"It's always great for the third and fourth line to chip in with a couple of goals. It's no better timing than now," said Staal. "We're happy for it ... You've just got to keep pushing forward on every shift."

At that point you wouldn't have been blamed for leaving Washington for dead. Fortunately for the Caps, they still have the best hockey player in the world on their roster, and he still had plenty to say about the ultimate outcome of this game.

Working with defenseman Mike Green and Backstrom, Ovechkin suddenly found himself open on the right wing on the opposite wing of where he usually works. But while the spot on the ice might have been unfamiliar, the outcome was just the same, as Ovechkin took a pass from Backstrom on his forehand and rifled a wrist shot past Fleury to tie the game 3-3 with less than five minutes to go.

While that would be the last goal in regulation, there was still one more play that would have a bearing on the outcome in overtime. Late in the game, Sidney Crosby, who had hit the post more than a few times in regulation, found himself streaking in on the right wing with only Washington defenseman John Erskine to beat. After Crosby turned the corner on Erskine, the Washington defenseman dove in desperation to poke the puck away from the Pittsburgh center, but instead sent himself spinning into the boards, which he hit head first.

With Erskine out of the lineup, Boudreau had to ask Fedorov, who has taken more than a few shifts on defense in his career, to step back to the blue line one more time. After the game, Boudreau said he made that choice because of Fedorov's ability to make the first pass out of the zone, but in the end, it was a matchup that Malkin was able to take advantage of in the overtime.

Finding himself one-on-one with the 39-year old veteran, Malkin was able to turn the corner on Fedorov with the puck on his backhand. It was then that Malkin threw a pass at Crosby, who was streaking toward the net through the slot. Desperate to stop the pass, Poti dove with his stick extended. He caught a piece of the puck, but luck wasn't on his side as he got a front row seat to see it deflect between Varlamov's legs for the game-winner.

After the game, Ovechkin continued to put on a brave face. "It's a hard situation for us. But before when we lost the first two to New York we were in the same situation. Our next game is going to be our biggest .. We want to come back here and play."

For that to happen, Washington will have to figure out a way to match the Penguins, and steal a game on enemy ice in Pittsburgh on Monday just like the Penguins did tonight. It's a tall order, but one Ovechkin seems primed to take on.

Malkin Overtime Winner Gives Pittsburgh 3-2 Series Lead originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 09 May 2009 23:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reactions to Alex Ovechkin's Hit

Adam Gretz — Fri, 08 May 2009 23:40:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Penguins, NHL Press Box

It's probably a matter of perspective when discussing Alex Ovechkin's hit on Sergei Gonchar during Pittsburgh's 5-3 win on Friday night. The hit, which resulted in Gonchar leaving the game with an undisclosed injury, appeared as if it were a knee-on-knee hit, while the Capitals' superstar was issued a two-minute minor for tripping.

Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma would not offer any information regarding the severity of Gonchar's injury, but the tone of his voice and his facial expressions weren't exactly promising if you're the Penguins.

Gonchar already missed significant time this season due to a shoulder injury suffered in the preseason, while his loss would be a sizable blow to a power play unit that has already been inconsistent at its best this postseason.

"Yeah, it was probably knee on knee," said Ovechkin. "I tried to hit him with my shoulder and he just moved left into the same spot. I don't know what's going to happen. I wanted to hit him, but I don't want hurt him, especially knee on knee."

Meanwhile, on the Pittsburgh side...

Bylsma was asked if he would openly campaign or petition for the league to step in and suspend Ovechkin prior to Game 5 on Saturday night in Washington.

"We don't have to do anything," said Bylsma. "The league reviews all hits and all situations."

"We've all probably seen the replay, and I think it was knee cap on knee cap. The league reviews these things and they'll take care of it as they see fit."

Penguins defenseman Brook Oprik, who was involved in a highlight reel collision with Ovechkin on Wednesday night, also weighed in:

"I mean, you can run guys, and guys are fair game, but the guy takes strides every time and leaves his feet a lot of times,'' said Orpik. "To us, we got the feeling he's really trying to hurt guys at times.''

Aside from the incident involving Gonchar, it was a relatively quiet night for the Capitals dynamic forward, as Game 4 was the first time Ovechkin did not score a goal in this series, while the Penguins limited him to just two shots on goal -- an unheard of number for Ovechkin, who seemingly averages nine shots per game in his sleep.

"They get the last change and they did a good job," said Boudreau. "They were desperate down here. Alex is only human, he can't be unbelievable every night and if you take analogies of baseball players, they don't hit home runs all the time, they can go eight games and then they'll get three and everyone's back on the bandwagon. Alex is a good player ... he's a great player. He just had one of those nights where he's not going to get three goals."

The league won't have much time to review the incident, seeing as how the two teams square off in less than 24 hours in Washington. While it's extremely doubtful that the league will actually suspend Ovechkin for Game 5, it probably shouldn't be ruled out, seeing as how the NHL's wheel of discipline has been spinning wildly out of control for much of the postseason, deeming certain borderline hits suspension worthy, while seemingly overlooking others.

Alex Ovechkin Photos

MONTREAL - JANUARY 24: Eastern Conference All-Star Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals competes in the 'Scotiabank NHL Fan Fav Breakaway Challenge' during the Honda NHL Superskills competition as part of the 2009 NHL All-Star weekend on January 24, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images)

Dave Sandford, Getty Images

WASHINGTON - MARCH 27: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates his first period goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 27, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Bruce Bennett, Getty Images

WASHINGTON - MARCH 27: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals checks Matt Smaby #32 of the Tampa Bay Lightning into the boards during a NHL hockey game on March 27, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/NHLI via Getty Images)

Mitchell Layton, NHLI / Getty Images

RALEIGH, NC - MARCH 21:Alexander Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates hard for position during a NHL game against the Carolina Hurricanes on March 21, 2009 at RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)

Gregg Forwerck, NHLI / Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA - MARCH 12: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates in towards the crease against Danny Briere #48 and Martin Biron #43 of the Philadelphia Flyers on March 12, 2009 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

Len Redkoles, NHLI / Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA - MARCH 12: A young male fan holds up a sign for Alex Ovechkin during the pregame warm ups at a NHL game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals on March 12, 2009 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

Len Redkoles, NHLI / Getty Images

BOSTON - FEBRUARY 28: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals during warm-up against the Boston Bruins at the TD Banknorth Garden on February 28, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

Steve Babineau, NHLI / Getty Images

SUNRISE, FL - FEBRUARY 15: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals sits on the bench during a break in the action against the Florida Panthers at the Bank Atlantic Center on February 15, 2009 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)

Eliot J. Schechter, NHLI / Getty Images

NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 03: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on February 3, 2009 in Newark, New Jersey. The Capitals defeated the Devils 5-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

MONTREAL - JANUARY 24: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates during the Honda NHL Superskills competition as part of the 2009 NHL All-Star weekend on January 24, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Mike Stobe, Getty Images

Reactions to Alex Ovechkin's Hit originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 08 May 2009 23:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's a New Series for Penguins, Capitals

Adam Gretz — Fri, 08 May 2009 22:46:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Penguins, NHL Press Box

PITTSBURGH -- Thanks to their 5-3 win on Friday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins evened their Eastern Conference semifinal series with Washington at two games apiece, setting the stage for what is, essentially, a brand new, best-of-three series starting Saturday night in Washington.

The Penguins overcame another shaky performance by their power play, as well as the loss of defenseman Sergei Gonchar following a hit from Alex Ovechkin midway through the first period to pick up their second consecutive win in the series.

Penguins 5, Capitals 3: Recap | Box Score | Friday's Scores
Reactions to Ovechkin's Hit

Capitals goaltender Simeon Varlamov had what was, arguably, his worst performance of the postseason, surrendering five goals on 28 shots, including an innocent looking wrist shot off the stick of Ruslan Fedotenko at the 15:25 mark of the first period that seemingly found a hole in the 20-year-old netminder's glove.

"He struggled," said Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau. "He's human. He hasn't had a bad game. When you look at it, it's his 10th game I think in the playoffs and arguably there were four soft goals out of the five, but he'll bounce back."

Boudreau was then asked if his rookie goaltender would start Game 5 on Saturday. "As far as I'm concerned," said Boudreau. "Yes."

After Washington cut the deficit to 3-2 late in the second period thanks to a Chris Clark goal, the Penguins regained their two-goal advantage early in the third period when Bill Guerin worked a loose puck up the boards, springing Miroslav Satan and Sidney Crosby on a 2-on-1 break, resulting in Crosby's league-leading ninth goal of the postseason.

"They had a lot of them [odd man rushes], said Boudreau. "We were down. You've got to take chances when you're down. I thought we had a little mistake on the fist goal with the penalty killing, but the odd-man rushes like the one on Crosby's goal, we were pressing to get a goal and that's whats going to happen."

The Penguins managed to overcome another lackluster performance from their power play, going 1-for-6 with the man advantage, while also allowing their second shorthanded goal of the postseason. The potential loss of Gonchar, who scored the only power play goal in the game prior to his exit, only further weakens a unit that has struggled to consistently put the puck in the net for much of the season.

While Pittsburgh continued to struggle with the man advantage, its 5-on-5 play was stellar, as the Penguins received goals from five different players, including Bill Guerin and Max Talbot. For Guerin, it was his first goal since scoring the overtime winner in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against Philadelphia, while Talbot's goal helped clinch the victory late in the third period.

"It was good to see a number of guys contribute on the score sheet again tonight," said Bylsma. "We need that."

Aside from being highly entertaining and extremely physical, this series has been, through four games, relatively predictable, as it's followed a steady script throughout.

1) The home team has won every game. Seeing as how the Capitals have home-ice advantage, this seems to be a strong advantage. The Penguins need to find a way to get a win in Washington at least once.

2) The team to score the first goal has lost every game. Nicklas Backstrom gave Washington a 1-0 lead just 36 seconds into the contest, when he blasted a slap shot behind Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. The lead was short-lived, as the Penguins quickly tied the game at 1 and then erupted for two more goals in the first period.

3) The Penguins power play continues to be anemic. After their 1-for-6 showing on Friday (and that one came just seconds before the penalty to Chris Clark expired) the Penguins are just 4-for-23 in the series.

The two teams return to action on Saturday, in Washington, with a 7 PM ET face-off.

It's a New Series for Penguins, Capitals originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 08 May 2009 22:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Calm Before the Storm

Adam Gretz — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Penguins, NHL Press Box

PITTSBURGH -- After being a part of the 17,132 maniacs on Wednesday night, it's a little bizarre to be sitting here in Mellon Arena when it's absolutely empty. That said, there's a rather large game set to take place in a little over an hour, and it could go a long way toward deciding the outcome of this series. If the Penguins win? It's a new, best-of-three series. If the Capitals win? They take a commanding 3-1 lead with an opportunity to close it out on home ice Saturday evening.

Here are a few things to watch for in Friday's game, and I didn't have to analyze the Capitals whiteboard to figure them out.

1. Scoring First Is Bad: Well, in this series it's not only bad, it's a perfect recipe for defeat. The team to score the first goal in each of the first three games has gone on to lose, including the Capitals on Wednesday night.

2. One-man Bands: Overall, this series has lived up to the hype, including the performances of the two biggest names, Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Washington's Alex Ovechkin. The two players are tied for the league-lead in goals this postseason with eight, while the two superstars have figured in on 12 of the 17 goals in this series.

3. The Penguins Power-less Power Play: Despite getting a late third period goal from Evgeni Malkin on Wednesday, the Penguins are just 3-for-17 with the man advantage in this series, and just 7-for-50 in the playoffs. Only the Carolina Hurricanes have a lower success rate of the teams still playing in the postseason.

The Calm Before the Storm originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 08 May 2009 17:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Caps Irate Over Locker Room Footage

Eric McErlain — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:35:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Penguins, NHL Press Box

As was first reported by Dan Steinberg at DC Sports Bog last night, both the CBC and Versus aired some video footage last night during the pre-game show before Game 3 of the Caps-Penguins series that featured a shot of a dry erase board listing the team's "keys to victory." While nothing earth-shattering was revealed -- "Don't let Crosby/Malkin have any room," is hardly a state secret -- that didn't stop Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau and general manager George McPhee from expressing their displeasure to the press Thursday while announcing they won't be allowing any locker room access to camera crews before Game 4.

Before going any further, we should get some basic facts straight. The original footage -- which was shot in order to get some tape of Alex Ovechkin preparing for the game -- was taken by the CBC. By contract, they're required to share this footage with Versus. The CBC did go a step further by not only airing the footage, but by having two of their studio analysts -- Mike Milbury and Kelly Hrudey -- go over the list point by point. In response, Boudreau called the CBC "classless," while McPhee said, "They should know better than to do that. They've been talked to."

Alex Ovechkin Photos

Dave Sandford, Getty Images

Bruce Bennett, Getty Images

Mitchell Layton, NHLI / Getty Images

Gregg Forwerck, NHLI / Getty Images

Len Redkoles, NHLI / Getty Images

Steve Babineau, NHLI / Getty Images

Eliot J. Schechter, NHLI / Getty Images

Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

Mike Stobe, Getty Images

In kicking this story around with some of my FanHouse colleagues, one said that if you let the cameras into your locker room, you have to expect something like this might happen if you don't make arrangements to cover things up. Fair enough, I guess, but after carrying a press pass in Washington for three years, I came to understand that there were a few unwritten rules about locker room access.

Back in 2006, one writer who was working with me at my own blog, Off Wing Opinion, attended a pre-game skate, camera in hand. He took a couple of shots of players being interviewed in the locker room, but also happened to take a shot of the team's line combinations for that night's game written on the same kind of dry erase board that's in every NHL locker room.

A couple of hours after the shots were posted, I got a phone call from the team's PR office. The tone of the call was polite, but firm: please take down the photo of the line combinations. Their explanation: the press gets locker room access to facilitate interviews with the players, not to serve as spies for the other team, even inadvertently.

The team still dictates the terms for access to its locker room before the game, and if you want to keep your pass, you learn to live by the rules. Truth be told, Boudreau and McPhee aren't the first figures in Washington sports history to cuff the working media. Back in the 1970s, Washington Redskins head coach George Allen was manic about secrecy, so much so that he damaged his relationship with a number of reporters covering the team. Simply put: we might not think it's a big deal, but we're not the ones fighting for our careers during one of the most brutal playoff series in recent hockey history.

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Russian Alexander Frolov (R) of Los Angeles Kings fights with US Jack Johnson (C) of the same NHL club during a semi-final game of the IIHF International Ice Hockey World Championship in Bern on May 8, 2009. AFP PHOTO/ ALEXANDER NEMENOV (Photo credit should read ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images)

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Russian Ilya Kovalchuk (R) of Atlanta Thrashers vies with US Ron Hainsey of the same NHL team during a semi-final game of the IIHF International Ice Hockey World Championship in Bern on May 8, 2009. AFP PHOTO/ ALEXANDER NEMENOV (Photo credit should read ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images)

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ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 7: The Detroit Red Wings head to the locker room after a 6-3 win against the Anaheim Ducks during Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 7, 2009 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images)

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ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 7: Jonathan Ericsson #52 of the Detroit Red Wings collides alongside the boards against Todd Marchant #22 of the Anaheim Ducks during Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 7, 2009 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Todd Marchant;Jonathan Ericsson

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ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 7: Brad Stuart #23 of the Detroit Red Wings gets tripped up against Ryan Carter #20 of the Anaheim Ducks during Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 7, 2009 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brad Stuart;Ryan Carter

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ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 7: Darren Helm #43 of the Detroit Red Wings trips up Ryan Carter #20 of the Anaheim Ducks during Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 7, 2009 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ryan Carter;Darren Helm

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ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 7: Darren Helm #43 of the Detroit Red Wings checks Petteri Nokelainen #17 of the Anaheim Ducks into the boards during Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 7, 2009 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Darren Helm;Petteri Nokelainen

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ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 7: Tomas Kopecky #82 and Kirk Maltby #18 of the Detroit Red Wings fight to control the puck against Brett Festerling #53 and Mike Brown #13 of the Anaheim Ducks during Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 7, 2009 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brett Festerling;Mike Brown;Tomas Kopecky;Kirk Maltby

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ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 7: Tomas Kopecky #82 of the Detroit Red Wings fights with Francois Beauchemin #23 of the Anaheim Ducks during Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 7, 2009 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tomas Kopecky;Francois Beauchemin

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ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 7: The Detroit Red Wings celebrate a first period goal against the Anaheim Ducks during Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 7, 2009 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images)

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Caps Irate Over Locker Room Footage originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 07 May 2009 19:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ovechkin's Trick Tops Crosby's, Pens

Eric McErlain — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:45:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Penguins, NHL Press Box

WASHINGTON -- For those of you who are tired of all they hype around the Alex Ovechkin-Sidney Crosby clash in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I have bad news.

You better get ready for more. A whole lot more.

In a duel that evoked memories of the titanic struggles between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in the NBA playoffs back in the 1980s, Crosby and Ovechkin answered each other all night long, goal for goal, until each player had a hat trick of his own.

But while both superstars sought to carry their teammates on their backs, it was Ovechkin who got the extra help he needed from rookie goalie Simeon Varlamov and third-line center Dave Steckel that made the difference in a 4-3 Washington win.

Capitals 4, Penguins 3: Recap | Box Score

The Caps, who just 11 days ago were staring down the barrel of a 2-0 series deficit against the Rangers, now have a 2-0 series lead of their own as the scene shifts to Pittsburgh for Game 3 Wednesday night.

As it turned out, Game 2 started out with something in common with Game 1: Crosby scored the opening goal. At 5:28 of the first period, Pittsburgh's Brooks Orpik and Washington's Alexander Semin got tangled up in the Penguins zone along the right wing boards. Though they traded a couple of shoves, Semin came out of the tangle with a pair of minors for roughing and high-sticking while Orpik got just two for roughing as Pittsburgh went to the power play.

With 50 seconds left in the man advantage, Crosby claimed some space down low in front of the Washington crease, and nobody on the Capitals seemed prepared to run him off. When you go to the net and battle, good things happen, and when a rebound landed at Crosby's skates he was in perfect position to tap a rebound past Varlamov to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead, one they would hold until early in the second period.

Earlier in the day, Washington's Matt Bradley told reporters that his team's game plan was easy: just get the puck to one of the Russians on the team and something good is bound to happen. It was then that one of Washington's Russian trios hooked up to tie the game.

This time, the play started with defenseman Milan Jurcina chipping the puck up the right wing boards where Sergei Fedorov picked up the puck just outside the Washington defensive zone. He streaked up right wing, broke over center ice and into the Pittsburgh zone where he found Viktor Kozlov heading toward the net on the right wing side of the slot. He passed the puck to Ovechkin skating in on the left wing and he beat Marc-Andre Fleury with a shot just inside the far post to tie the game.

But a little more than eight minutes later, Crosby answered again, this time at even strength, when Chris Kunitz shuffled a pass across the crease to Crosby that Washington's Mike Green couldn't get a stick on. Once again, Crosby tapped in the puck and the Penguins had a 2-1 lead.

But less than four minutes later, Washington answere, this time courtesy of a couple of players with considerably lower profiles than Crosby and Ovechkin. Defenseman Tyler Sloan, who was recalled from Hershey of the AHL earlier in the day to step in for an injured John Erskine, let loose with a wrist shot from the top of the slot just inside the Pittsburgh blue line. Fleury made the save, but Steckel, who had staked out some real estate of his own down low, jumped on the rebound and put the puck past Fleury to tie the game 2-2 at the end of two periods.

The goal was Steckel's second of the series, and his play, along with that of linemates Matt Bradley and Brooks Laich, is providing Washington with some unexpected energy. "They're two easy guys to play with," said Laich, who has comfortably settled into a role where he's become one of the team's leading spokesmen. "They're north-south guys, and I try and incorporate my game into theirs and we've been getting a couple of breaks too. It's nice that we're contributing and getting timely goals."

It was in the third period that the league's reigning MVP almost blew the roof off the joint. With Evgeni Malkin in the box for tripping Steckel -- a bad penalty if there ever was one -- Nicklas Backstrom won a faceoff in the right wing circle back to defenseman Mike Green. The defenseman took the puck on his forehand and slid the puck across the zone to the opposite wing, where Ovechkin was waiting to one-time a slap shot past Fleury just four seconds into the power play -- a sequence that seemed to leave Pittsburgh dumbfounded.

"Like all the time, it's like 50-50 [that Ovechkin puts that shot in] because he's been scoring in the same situation so many times," Backstrom said. "He has such a good shot. He's kind of unique."

Let it never be said that Backstrom doesn't have a gift for understatement.

At 15:22, Ovechkin did it again. This time, Kozlov chipped the puck out of a tangle along the right wing boards to Ovechkin at center ice. The pass sprung Ovechkin on a one-on-one break against former Caps defenseman Sergei Gonchar. Try as he might, Gonchar simply couldn't handle Ovechkin all alone, backing up into the zone and giving his fellow Russian all the room that he needed to launch a wrist shot that beat Fleury to the glove side for a 4-2 Washington lead with less than five minutes to go.

The goal gave Ovechkin the first playoff hat trick of his career, and marked the first time a Washington Capitals player posted a playoff hat trick since Al Iafrate had one against the Islanders in 1993. The home crowd showed its appreciation by littering the ice with so many hats, the ensuing faceoff had to be delayed several minutes in order to clear the ice.

But the Penguins, and Crosby in particular, still weren't done. Inside of the last two minutes, Jurcina was sent off for cross checking, giving the Penguins one last chance to get back into the game. Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma pulled the goalie, and the gamble paid off with just 41 seconds to go. Parked along the goal line on the right wing side, Crosby took a pass from Malkin from behind the net before taking five consecutive hacks at the puck. On his fifth and final swing, Crosby batted the puck out of the air and past Varlamov to cut the lead to 4-3.

But that's where the comeback would end, and perhaps we should all be thankful as I'm not sure the crowd could have handled any more stress in just one evening. Said Crosby after the game: "I'm sure it's entertaining for people to watch. If I were to look at it from a fan's point of view, obviously that would be the case. As a player, seeing a guy like him get a hat trick is not a good sign."

"Sick game," said a happy Ovechkin afterwards. "Three goals by me and him. If I was a Capitals fan, I'd be really happy right now ... I think it's good for fans to see great players play against each other and two great teams play against each other. It's unbelievable when we play against great players and you win a game like this."

"The whole team fought. It's not about me and him, it's about the whole team," Ovechkin said.

While Ovechkin's dead right on that -- rookie Simeon Varlamov put in yet another solid performance that prevented the Penguins from stretching either of their leads -- you could excuse the rest of the world on the outside looking in if it begs to differ.

Ovechkin's Trick Tops Crosby's, Pens originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 04 May 2009 23:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rangers Put Caps in a 2-0 Hole

Eric McErlain — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Rangers, NHL Press Box

WASHINGTON -- What a difference a week makes.

One week ago, after the Washington Capitals ended their regular season with a desultory 7-4 loss to the Florida Panthers, things couldn't have looked better.

Thanks to a late season slump on the part of the New Jersey Devils, the Caps had slipped into second place overall in the Eastern Conference. Their opponent: the New York Rangers, a team that the Caps had dealt with rather easily, posting a 3-0-1 record against them during the regular season.

But if one thing is clear after the Rangers have taken a 2-0 lead in this playoff series, it's that these are not the same New York Rangers that the Capitals faced during the regular season -- not by a long shot.

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So what's happened here? How in the world has a team that finished 10 points behind the Capitals in the regular season standings and struggled all year long to win games in regulation now have a hammerlock on a series against a team that just about everyone in the hockey world favored to win and win easily?

On the surface, the changes are fairly obvious. The Rangers team that the Caps faced during the regular season, didn't have Nik Antropov, Derek Morris and Sean Avery in the lineup. But perhaps most important of all, this club didn't have former Stanley Cup-winning head coach John Tortorella behind the bench either. It seems pretty clear that he knew exactly what sort of gameplan the Rangers had to execute against Washington in order to win. Thus far, it's clear that Tortorella and his staff are working that plan to perfection.

The game's only goal came at 7:44 of the first period when Brandon Dubinsky sprung Markus Naslund and Ryan Callahan on a two-on-one break against surprise Washington starter in goal, Simeon Varlamov. With Washington defenseman Tom Poti back deep all along, Naslund put a perfect pass onto Callahan's stick and he wristed it past Varlamov for the only goal the Rangers would need all afternoon.

On that shift, the Caps simply stayed out on the ice too long. You can tell just by watching Alex Ovechkin, as he simply didn't have enough gas left to get back in the play on the backcheck, just one of the the critical breakdowns that allowed Callahan to skate down the right wing unmolested for the goal.

So what happened the rest of the way? Put simply, the Rangers played perfect positional hockey, denying time and space to players like Ovechkin and Alexander Semin. And when those players were able to get off any shots, the Rangers continued to show the willingness to pay the price in order to win, blocking 29 shots. Time and again the Rangers demonstrated that they wanted to win that much more, winning the little battles along the boards and in front of the net and playing the sort of physical playoff hockey that has knocked the Caps off their game.

"We blocked a lot of shots," said Rangers goalie Henrik Lunqvist. "A lot of guys sacrificed their bodies in a series like this. We had a lot of blocks in the first game -- especially on faceoffs. Tonight, again, a couple of blocks where they had pretty good shots. We did a lot of good things. I think these first two games have been really focussed, and we're minimized our mistakes. And that's been the difference," Lundqvist said.

One signature play that the Capitals have sprung all season long is hitting defenseman Mike Green with a back door pass as he streaks to the goal from the right wing point. But after two games, we've yet to see that play in the series. "A lot of our shots were coming from the outside," said Green. "But rebounds were coming to spots where we should be, and we just weren't there to see it."

"We want to keep them to the outside as much as we can," said Rangers defenseman Wade Redden. "Hank came up with some big saves for us again. We held on. It was great to get that win,"

"It's the playoffs and you got to sacrifice your body. Our guys did a great job of that tonight," said Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky. "You got to do that against a team like that. They're going to shoot everything."

After the game, Ovechkin was trying his level best to fight off the sad reality that his team is in a 2-0 hole. "We have opportunity to bounce back and we have to use that opportunity. It is going to be a hard road trip, but we have to figure out our mind and try to win the game. Try to score goals and win the game. That is what it is all about."

So if you're the head coach of the Washington Capitals, is there anything at all that you have to do differently to win Game Three and get your team back in the series? Even Caps head coach Bruce Boudreau seemed to be at a loss for answers. When asked what was wrong with his team's play on Saturday, Boudreau said, "I can't think of any faults. I thought they played a good hockey game, I thought we played a good hockey game."

"Usually, when either team works that hard for twenty minutes there might be a lull. I didn't see any lulls in either team. It was just two teams playing extremely hard," said Boudreau.

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Teammates surround New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist of Sweden, as they celebrate their win against the Washington Capitals in game two of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals NHL playoff hockey in Washington, Saturday, April 18, 2009. New York won 1-0. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin (3rd L) looks up at the scoreboard from the bench during their loss to the New York Rangers in Game 2 of their NHL Eastern Conference quarterfinal hockey game in Washington April 18, 2009. REUTERS/Molly Riley (UNITED STATES SPORT ICE HOCKEY)

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Washington Capitals center Boyd Gordon (15) has his shot stop by New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist (30) from Sweden as he is covered by Rangers Daniel Girardi and Lauri Korpikoski from Finland during the third period of game two of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals NHL playoff hockey in Washington, Saturday, April 18, 2009. New York won 1-0.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

New York Rangers' Nik Antropov (90) has his shot stopped by Washington Capitals' goaile Simeon Varlamov (40) while being covered by Capitals' John Erskine (4) during the second period of game two of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals NHL playoff hockey in Washington, Saturday, April 18, 2009. New York won 1-0.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) from Russia has his shot stopped by New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist (30) from Sweden and Michal Rozsival (33) from the Czech Republic during the first period of game two of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals NHL playoff hockey in Washington, Saturday, April 18, 2009. New York won 1-0. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON - APRIL 18: Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers makes the save as Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals looks for a rebound during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Round of the 2009 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center on April 18, 2009 in Washington, DC. Dan Girardi #5 of the Rangers also helps out. The Rangers defeated the Capitals 1-0. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Henrik Lundqvist;Alex Ovechkin

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WASHINGTON - APRIL 18: Fredrik Sjostrom #20 of the New York Rangers is stopped by Simeon Varlamov #40 of the Washington Capitals during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Round of the 2009 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center on April 18, 2009 in Washington, DC. The Rangers defeated the Capitals 1-0. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Fredrik Sjostrom;Simeon Varlamov

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WASHINGTON - APRIL 18: Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers makes a save during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2009 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Washington Capitals on April 18, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Henrik Lundqvist

NHLI via Getty Images

WASHINGTON - APRIL 18: New York Rangers celebrate a win after Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2009 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Washington Capitals on April 18, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/NHLI via Getty Images)

NHLI via Getty Images

WASHINGTON - APRIL 18: Scott Gomez #19 of the New York Rangers is stopped by Simeon Varlamov #40 of the Washington Capitals during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Round of the 2009 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center on April 18, 2009 in Washington, DC. The Rangers defeated the Capitals 1-0. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Scott Gomez;Simeon Varlamov

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Safe to say, the mood here in Washington is pretty glum. With 7:39 remaining, a significant portion of the crowd started heading to the exits early to beat the traffic. After the game, as the press gaggle waited to get access to the Washington locker room, Caps owner Ted Leonsis made his way through the scrum looking as depressed as I have ever seen him in his decade owning the team.

Over and above the 2-0 hole the team is staring at after a wildly successful regular season, there are plenty of other reasons to be worried. Making the switch to Varlamov from Theodore was wildly welcomed by the home crowd, but now that Boudreau has made the switch, he's going to have to ride the rookie for the rest of the way unless he falters badly. Meanwhile, folks need to remember that Theodore has another full season remaining on his contract, and another full season to mull over the fact that when the chips are down, his coach doesn't have any confidence in him.

It's also easy to remember that Washington General Manager George McPhee stood pat at the deadline. And now that the playoffs are here, it's also easy to see that the Washington lineup is missing something when it comes to grit and sandpaper. At the deadline, plenty of players like Bill Guerin and Steve Montador were available with just those sort of qualities, yet McPhee declined to pursue them, in part because the team simply had little to no room to work with under the salary cap.

As for the Rangers, Game Three Monday night at Madison Square Garden probably can't come fast enough, with an opportunity to put the Caps down 3-0. "We need to be ready to play Game Three," said Tortorella. I don't doubt that the Rangers will be. For the moment at least, all of the unanswered questions are being asked on Washington's side of the ice.

Rangers Put Caps in a 2-0 Hole originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rangers Steal Game 1 in Washington

Eric McErlain — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:05:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Rangers, NHL Press Box

WASHINGTON -- If you took a quick look at the box score of Wednesday's game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers, you could be forgiven if you were surprised that the home team and higher seed didn't come out on top.

The Caps outshot the Rangers, 35-21, dominated the face-off circle and limited the opposition's chances at even strength, yet still came up short in a Rangers victory in which uber-pest Sean Avery was hardly a factor. How did it happen?

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There were a few reasons that led to the result. The first being a bad call.

After the Caps took a 1-0 lead on a deflection goal by Tomas Fleischman, the Rangers evened the score at 1-1 thanks to a Scott Gomez goal. Unfortunately, during the run of play, the refs missed a penalty when Rangers center Nik Antropov dumped Fleischmann deep in the Rangers zone, while the rest of the Rangers raced up ice. Later, as Gomez came across the blue line, it appeared that Avery tripped Caps defenseman Mike Green.

Asked after the game if the refs missed the call, Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau agreed.

Critical defensive breakdowns didn't help, either. After Antropov scored on a power play to make it 2-1 Rangers, the third and fourth New York goals provided an object lesson in how a team can play a solid all-around game defensively, yet still snap at critical moments to let the opposition back in it. With the Rangers once again on the power play, Gomez was easily able to gain the Caps blue line, forcing both Washington defenders to retreat and give him more room and respect than he deserved. With all that room to work with, Gomez left a drop pass for Markus Naslund, who rifled the puck past an exposed Jose Theodore.

The game-winning goal was far more painful. With his back to the Caps net at center ice, Naslund found Brandon Dubinsky with a pass as the young forward was streaking up the left wing. With only Washington defender Jeff Schultz to beat, Dubinsky put the puck between Schultz's legs and skated all alone in on Theodore, beating him with a wrist shot.

Speaking of Theodore, New York simply had the better goalie. In the first period, obviously feeding off the energy of the home crowd, the Caps came out firing, out-shooting New York 14-4 and enjoying a pair of power plays. But every time the Caps created a scoring chance, Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was there to keep them off the board. It was much the same late in the third period, when Washington outshot New York again, 12-6.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the ice, Theodore did little to quell the doubts about his ability to come up big when it matters, as he allowed four goals on just 21 shots. You might ask if Theodore really played that badly tonight. Well, know this: one of the top questions on the minds of the press gaggle after the game was whether or not Boudreau was considering making a change in net before Saturday's Game Two. One reporter, Tarik el-Bashir of the Washington Post, even asked Boudreau if he had considered lifting Theodore before the start of the third period tonight.

To his credit, after the game, Theodore wasn't making any excuses, and he wasn't looking to dwell on what happened either:

So what does Washington have to do to turn things around in Game Two? Given how they dominated the run of play for long stretches of Wednesday night, I'm tempted to say nothing at all. Then again, given how they still seem prone to defensive breakdowns at critical moments and don't seem to have a goalie who can pull their fat out of the fire if and when it all goes wrong, I'm sure Boudreau will be wracking his brain for some solution.

Rangers Steal Game 1 in Washington originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHL Playoffs Live Blog: Caps vs. Rangers

Eric McErlain — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Rangers, NHL Live Blogging, NHL Press Box

WASHINGTON -- The buzz around the Capitals will always primarily revolve around Alex Ovechkin and their high-powered offense. Yet in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Rangers, the Caps were matched in that department. The Rangers got to Jose Theodore, eventually taking the first game between the two teams, 4-3.

Through it all, we chatted. You can read the chat wrap after the jump.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=764ffe1cb6" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;NHL Playoffs: Capitals vs. Rangers, Game 1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

NHL Playoffs Live Blog: Caps vs. Rangers originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Baddest Hockey Bounce of All

Eric McErlain — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 23:35:00 EST

Filed under: College Hockey, NHL Press Box

FanHouse brings you full coverage of the 2009 NCAA Men's Frozen Four in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON -- Chances are, you've never heard of Kevin Roeder, a defenseman for Miami University. But whether or not you've heard his name before tonight, I'm pretty much certain he's the most miserable hockey player in the world right now.

After all, what can you possibly say to a player who did exactly what he was supposed to do, yet who at this moment probably thinks that his actions cost his team a national title?

We've seen it all the time in sports. They call it the bad bounce. And tonight, Roeder, a senior defenseman from Glenview, Ill., was victimized by the baddest of all hockey bounces.

Let's set the scene. After a solid, but by no means spectacular regular season and an early exit in their conference tournament, the Miami RedHawks caught fire at the right time and managed to fight their way to the Frozen Four. After dispatching Bemidji State in the semifinals on Thursday night, Miami had a 3-1 lead over Boston University in the national title game with just one minute remaining.

Which is right about the time the world came crashing down around their ears.

With just 59 seconds to go and Boston University's goalie pulled, defenseman Zack Cohen threw what can only be called a seeing-eye backhand from the right wing faceoff circle onto the net that somehow beat Miami's Cody Reichard to cut the lead to 3-2. Forty-two seconds after that, BU's Nick Bonino fired a shot past Reichard on his glove side to tie the game, 3-3, a goal that that sent the game into overtime.

In just 42 seconds, Miami went from potential national champions to once again having to fight for their lives against a team that all season long was considered to be the best in college hockey.

But the ultimate indignity would eventually fall to to the guiltless Roeder. With 8:13 remaining in overtime, BU's Kevin Shattenkirk left a drop pass for Colby Cohen. He fired a big slap shot on net from the left point.

In response, Roeder did what every defenseman has been taught to do from their earliest days in the game: do whatever you can to block the shot. So Roeder threw himself in the path of the puck.

And his instincts were right, as the shot clipped him and bounced high in the air.

It bounced so high, in fact, that Reichard, Miami's goalie, simply lost track of it.

And that's when the puck fell back to the ice surface behind him and into the net to give BU its fifth national title and send Miami back home to Ohio with nothing but questions about what might have been.

In time, I'm sure that the RedHawks will realize just how much the team accomplished in getting to the Frozen Four. Just a few minutes ago, Miami head coach Enrico Blasi mentioned how this senior class of RedHawks had won more hockey games the last four seasons than any other program in college hockey. In time, perhaps the pain will fade and they'll be able to appreciate what they've done.

Then again, it's hard not to be reminded of the words of another great college hockey coach, Herb Brooks. Before the game against Finland that the USA needed to win in order to secure the gold medal in ice hockey in the 1980 Winter Olympics, Brooks didn't have much to say before his team took to the ice outside of this:

"If you lose this game, you will take it to your f****** grave. To your f****** grave."

In the case of a gallant Miami Red Hawks team, let's hope not.

The Baddest Hockey Bounce of All originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 23:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Martin Brodeur, Patrik Elias Took Different Paths to Record-Breaking Night

Tom Mantzouranis — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, NHL Press Box

NEWARK, N.J. -- As we wrap up our coverage of Tuesday's record-breaking night in New Jersey, it's important to note the symmetry and asymmetry alike between Martin Brodeur and Patrik Elias.

Brodeur, you may have heard, set the NHL's all-time wins record, but it wasn't the only record broken on the night. With an assist on Brian Gionta's shorthanded, game-winning goal, Elias surpassed John MacLean with his 702nd career point, making him the leading scorer in franchise history ("I was very excited. I think you could see that in me right away," he would comment later). That the players' two careers dovetailed, leading them both to milestone moments on the same night, is pretty remarkable considering the paths both players took to get here.

First, some trivia. One player has played in more of Brodeur's 552 wins than anyone else, and it's not franchise icons Scott Stevens, Ken Daneyko, or Scott Niedermayer. It's Elias, who played his first NHL game in '95-'96, Brodeur's third full year in the league, and has been a part of 399 of Brodeur's wins. The two are lifelong Devils, so they've accumulated a lot of ice time together, but that's about where the similarities end.

Brodeur's career has largely lacked adversity -- building on his Calder Trophy award for rookie of the year in '94 and Stanley Cup championship in '95, the ensuing seasons have found Brodeur continuing an upward trajectory that has had few dips. Losing to Patrick Roy in seven games in the '01 Stanley Cup finals remains a sore spot, but if you could offer 95 percent of the leagues goalies that fate, they'd surely trade their current conditions for it. There were also the messy, public details of his '03 divorce, which was ill-timed to coincide with the playoffs that year, but that drama hardly spilled on to the ice, as Brodeur posted seven shutouts that postseason, including a record three in beating the Ducks in the finals. Otherwise, it's pretty much been nothing but great for Brodeur's NHL career.

Elias, on the other hand, has been a bit more star-crossed. A steady build in production led to a breakout season in '99-'00, when he posted 35 goals and 72 points as part of the A-Line (with Jason Arnott and Petr Sykora). Elias capped that season by dishing a double-overtime pass from the corner to Arnott in Game 6 of the Finals, clinching the team's second championship. He would better those numbers the next year, but that's when the struggle started.

Sykora, Elias' best friend on the team, and Arnott were both jettisoned two years later, breaking up the Devils' most famous line of all-time. During the lockout, Elias went to play in Russia, only to contract Hepatitis A, an illness which put his career in jeopardy and caused him to lose 30 pounds as well as miss the first three months of the league's return season. Though he posted 45 points in 38 games that year and dominated a first-round sweep of the Rangers, it was but a brief lift before the bottom dropped out again.

Coming off of that stellar return, then-coach Pat Burns named Elias the team captain, the first European-born captain in team history and successor of the legendary Stevens. Elias, better without the spotlight, didn't respond well to the captaincy or the pressure to replace Stevens, and his stats dipped significantly as he led a team that performed listlessly. The captaincy would only last a year, as incoming coach Brent Sutter would remove Elias' captaincy in '07-'08, giving it instead to Jamie Langenbrunner. While the move must have been a relief on the inside for Elias, who no longer had to be the face of the team, it was an embarrassing public turn of events. He responded with the worst season of his career last year, scoring just 55 points in 74 games. His legacy as captain caused some derision from fans, who misinterpreted Elias' reserved persona with indifference.

It's been a redemption year, though, for No. 26. He's on pace to post the second-best statistical year of his career as well as his fourth 30-goal season. He's been a big part of a Devils' squad which has absolutely owned the league's second half, posting the best record by far since the midpoint of the season. Elias' tenacity was questioned during his stint as captain, but to continue to fight through the ups and downs with one organization shows toughness, perseverance.

Elias may look at Brodeur's career and wish his was so seemingly struggle-free, but the past is the past and the present is all that matters. At present, both players are on top of their respective worlds. That they reached that point on the same night is just another testament to the fate and folly of life.

"It was great," said Brodeur of watching Elias break MacLean's mark. "It was great for Patrik, and I think the ovation was great when he got that point and it was announced to everybody what he accomplished. Definitely it's tough, he kind of got a little overshadowed because of what I accomplished, but it's a tremendous feat, what he did tonight. The relationship that I have with Patrik, he's one of the players who has played here the longest in New Jersey, so it's kind of nice that we got to share the same date on a big record like that."

Martin Brodeur, Patrik Elias Took Different Paths to Record-Breaking Night originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Martin Brodeur Wins No. 552 in Classic New Jersey Devils Style

Tom Mantzouranis — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Blackhawks, Devils, NHL Press Box

NEWARK, N.J. -- Martin Brodeur and the Devils clearly didn't have any interest in dramatic flair. With the storybook stuff out of the way, the Devils' focus was not on providing column fodder for the packed press upstairs. They wanted the win, as quickly, efficiently and mercilessly as possible.

The result? A 3-2 win over the Blackhawks that pushed Brodeur over the top of Patrick Roy. It was Brodeur's 552nd career win, the most of any goaltender in NHL history.

Devils 3, Blackhawks 2: Recap | Box Score | Martin Brodeur Player Page

There weren't many blanks to fill after the game's opening minutes, a span in which the Devils dominated, staked themselves to a 2-0 lead, and never looked back. It took just a hair over six minutes to build that cushion and make clear that, for emotional and practical reasons, they didn't want Brodeur to go another day having to wonder when he'd reach the mountaintop.

They were determined. Now, everyone can breathe.

"What a relief," exhaled Denis Brodeur, Martin's father, to no one in particular.

"It's finally over," said Martin later, recalling the singular thought that crossed his head as the final seconds bled off the clock. "I had a lot of work during the game, so I didn't have time to think, but with 10 minutes left, I said 'This is gonna happen.' I was a clock-watcher a little bit."

The Blackhawks didn't make those last 10 minutes easy, though, scoring late to narrow the gap. If Brodeur's mind was wandering, Chicago's second goal brought everything back into focus.

"When they scored with a couple of minutes left, I remembered -- 'I have two more minutes to kill.'"

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Phoenix Coyotes' Kyle Turris (91) is flanked by teammates Matthew Lombardi (15) and Brandon Prust (29) as they wear green St. Patrick's Day uniforms prior to an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, March 17, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. The autographed jerseys will be auctioned off by the team for charity. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur skates around the ice to acknowledge cheers from fans after recording his record-breaking 552nd career NHL win in the Devils' 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in a hockey game Tuesday, March 17, 2009, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

New Jersey Devils' Brendan Shanahan, right, hands goalie Martin Brodeur a game puck after the Devils beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 17, 2009, in Newark, N.J. The win gave Brodeur sole possession of the record for NHL wins by a goalie, at 522. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 17: Goaltender Martin Brodeur #30 of the New Jersey Devils is congratulated by head coach Brent Sutter after becoming the winningest goaltender in history with 552 wins after defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 at the Prudential Center on March 17, 2009 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Martin Brodeur;Brent Sutter

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SAINT PAUL, MN - MARCH 17: Owen Nolan #11 of the Minnesota Wild and Marek Svatos #40 of the Colorado Avalanche battle for control of the puck during the game at the Xcel Energy Center on March 17, 2009 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Owen Nolan;Marek Svatos

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SUNRISE, FL - MARCH 17: Karlis Skrastins #3 of the Florida Panthers skates down the ice against Milan Jurcina #23 of the Washington Capitals at the Bank Atlantic Center on March 17, 2009 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Karlis Skrastins;Milan Jurcina

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SUNRISE, FL - MARCH 17: Gregory Campbell #11 of the Florida Panthers battles for the puck during a face off against Nicklas Backstrom #19 of the Washington Capitals at the Bank Atlantic Center on March 17, 2009 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Gregory Campbell;Nicklas Backstrom

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 17: Goaltender Martin Brodeur #30 of the New Jersey Devils saluates the crowd after defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 and becoming the NHL's all-time winningest goaltender with 552 victories at the Prudential Center March 17, 2009 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Martin Brodeur

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New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur cuts out the net as he celebrates after beating the Chicago Blackhawks for his 552nd career victory during NHL hockey play in Newark, New Jersey March 17, 2009. The win sets an NHL record for wins by a goalie, breaking the former record of 551 set by Patrick Roy. REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES SPORT ICE HOCKEY)

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New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur celebrates after beating the Chicago Blackhawks for his 552nd career victory at their NHL hockey game in Newark, New Jersey, March 17, 2009. The win sets an NHL record for wins by a goalie, breaking the former record of 551 set by Patrick Roy. REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine (UNITED STATES SPORT ICE HOCKEY)

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While Brodeur will obviously and rightfully get all of the attention tonight, he didn't have to be anywhere near perfect. The Devils back-checked with authority, cleared pucks from the slot constantly, and relegated the Blackhawks to low-percentage shots. Brodeur responded when he had to, but that wasn't very often. The score might indicate otherwise, but the Blackhawks were never really in the game.

The style in which the Devils won is what makes the win perhaps most fitting. For the last 15 years, Brodeur has benefited from a team that has emphasized defense over all else. That's led to detractors marginalizing his impact on a New Jersey bunch that will make its 12th-straight playoff appearance this year (three of which resulting in championships), but 552 wins are 552 wins, whether you have to stand on your head to get them or not. That he's gotten them (in 38 less games played than Roy, with a season-and-a-half missed to labor troubles) is a remarkable feat regardless of the teams which have played in front of him.

"Being around the organization for over the last year," second-year coach Brent Sutter, no stranger to on-ice success himself, began, "you understand why Marty and the team have accomplished what they've accomplished. This is a team record."

"I've been really fortunate to play in a great organization," Brodeur added.

Still, his teammates were more than happy to allow him some time in the spotlight, cutting the netting off of the goalposts as a keepsake and taking a celebratory lap while the 17,625 present showed their appreciation.

"It's definitely harder than in basketball," Brodeur joked, referring to the annual March Madness championship tradition of cutting down the nets. "They have a little net, mine was a bigger.

"Today was very special. It was a great reception from the fans. I thought it was pretty cool (tying Roy's record in Montreal), but this topped it."

******

So we can mark this one down as a true "team win," a Devils trademark. While the headlines will tout No. 30's greatness, you can bet that Brodeur appreciates the effort from his teammates. And by the way they've played in front of him since returning from a torn tricep injury which cost him most of the season, a nine-game stretch in which they've gone a near-dominant 8-1 to expedite the record-breaking process, you can tell they appreciate him too.

"It's been great since returning," Brodeur noted. "The team has been scoring. My job's been easy. I didn't think about the record (during his four-month layoff), because I wasn't sure how I was going to be when I returned, but after we won the first four games I realized that it was going to come quicker than I thought."

They're a team, in the truest sense of the word. A team with the greatest goaltender in NHL history, that is. Even Brodeur, as diplomatic as they come, had to succumb to the significance of the moment.

"It's hard to think about getting a record like this. It's the ultimate record (for goalies), in my mind."

Martin Brodeur Wins No. 552 in Classic New Jersey Devils Style originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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