Often a good offense is a great defense but for the Washington Capitals, their defense is nothing but offense.
In their last five games, the Capitals have scored 15 goals and their opponents have scored 16, producing a record of 2-2-1. While it is still .500 hockey, the record is less than satisfactory given what the team is capable of. The two wins came when the team has scored four or more and the two losses when they have only scored one. Concerning, too, is that even though the Capitals scored more than four goals in their two wins, the margin of victory was only one.
An offense can't always be hot and a team is not going to score five goals every night but no matter the game a defense should be solid. The Capitals are faced with a greater challenge given Jose Theodore's less than consistent play and his habit of allowing soft goals. All the blame can't be placed on the net minder though as the defense is allowing more than 30 shots a game.
Defense was not something the team was worried about prior to this season. Injuries certainly have been a factor but in reality it is simply players trying to do too much. For instance, last year Mike Green had the most goals by a defenseman in the National Hockey League. As a result, Green is often the first person in the offensive zone trying to create a scoring play when he really should be the last. When the play, like many do, falls apart, Green is then nowhere near his defensive partner creating an easy two on one for the other team.
Green is minus two for the last five games with a goal and two assists, but he is only one example. Some players have stepped up with Alex Ovechkin slumping, such as Alexander Semin and Michael Nylander, but many are not stepping up when it counts. When Tom Potti was out on injured reserve the team had no one step up to take his place and they paid for it.
This is not the time for the defense to falter as only six of the team's next 15 games are at home. Teams like Detroit, Pittsburgh, Anaheim and Buffalo win on the road with help from their defense and special teams. At first it may not seem the defense and special teams are connected but truth is if one fails so will the other.
Special teams, being the power play and penalty kill, thrive off a team's defensemen. On the man advantage, it is up to the defensemen to keep the puck in the zone to ensure the play and scoring chance stays alive. It is much the opposite on the penalty kill as it is up to the defensemen to protect the net and their goaltender. The defensemen are in charge of making sure Theodore can see the play and the puck gets cleared as soon as possible.
The power play and penalty kill execution has been less than stellar for the Caps and it is reflected in their play. The Caps have capitalized on few man advantages while failing to stop the opposition on the kill. Once the Capitals can tighten the special teams, the defense will gain confidence and should fall in to place quickly.
Outscoring a team will only succeed for a period of time. The defense is what sets championship winning teams apart from the playoff teams and right now the Capitals don't look like one of those championship teams. The defense must be solidified and each player needs to focus on what they do best. Everything will fall into place eventually, but the team must play solid traditional defensive hockey to grind out the close games and long road trips.
You can reach this columnist at atomlinson@theeagleonline.com.
