With the M*A*S*H unit closed up, the Washington Capitals have shown they can tangle with the leagues elite.
The Capitals are arguably the hottest team in the NHL today. They have won six of their last 10, with strong victories against the Eastern Conference-leading Boston, defending champs Detroit and Pittsburgh. With consistent goaltending and solid play from Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green and Alex Semin, the team has been able to maintain its high level of play.
Saturday's game against Detroit marked the first game since Nov. 8th where injuries have not been a factor. Tom Poti was the last player to return to the line up. The hope was that his presence would help the struggling penalty kill. While it wasn't perfect, his presence was felt as Detroit only scored on one power play.
The penalty kill is probably the only part of the Capitals game that should have any cause for concern. They penalty kill has now awarded at least one short-handed goal in 12 games. Even though the Caps are still winning that is a trend that needs to be stopped before the playoffs. The team taking fewer penalties can easily fix part of the problem. While it is not a huge cause for concern it is something to keep an eye on.
Even though the injury epidemic has ended on the team, they have still lost one more player. Their captain, Chris Clark, is undergoing season ending wrist surgery. Clark has not had much production this year, which the team has attributed to his wrist. The important thing that is lost though is his leadership in the locker room.
Players look to their captain through adversity and slumps for guidance. It is the captain's job to make sure there are no problems in the locker room. With Clark gone those responsibilities fall on someone else's shoulders.
Sergei Fedorov and Alex Ovechkin are currently the two alternate capitals for the team. No one could fulfill the role of Captain better than those two. Both of them not only set a great example but also have great leadership skills.
Fedorov is a veteran who brings a career built on leadership to the table. Coach Bruce Boudreau said he looks to Fedorov as a locker room presence. He is not going to go out and score three goals every night but he will be there to help lead the offense and set up good chances for others.
Then there is Ovechkin. It really becomes a question of what can't he do: he scores goals, lays body checks, and helps set up plays for his teammates. It is that last thing that makes him a good leader. He is not focused solely on scoring his own goals. But rather makes it a point to move the puck around.
A perfect example of Ovechkin's selflessness came Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils. He is one goal away from number 200. Instead of firing the puck at the net all night he shot it only once, a season low, and recorded two assists on the night. A good leader will always put the team first and that is what Ovechkin did Tuesday.
Let's hope the team wasn't hoping of getting some rest during February because they won't be getting it. The have 11 more games this month with four divisional contests and four against the Eastern Conferences elite. The good news is that only four of those 11 games will be played on the road.
To maintain the second seed in the conference, it is going to take a team effort. The Russian four must continue their high level of play and Mike Green needs to continue his scoring. With such a cramped schedule the team could start looking to players like Brooks Laich, Matt Bradley and Donald Brashear to carry them through some games.
With key victories over tough teams, the Capitals don't seem to be slowing down any time soon. They have brought their road record back to .500 and have found their goaltending. Once they fix the penalty kill, they will be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.
You can reach this columnist at
atomlinson@theeagleonline.com.
