Fate of Capitals Season Still Up in the Air
However, the Caps have yet to be eliminated from the playoffs, and last night they held off the Tampa Bay Lightning all the way through overtime. In last night's game, backup goaltender Brent Johnson stopped all the shots he should have stopped and a few that he probably shouldn't have, including a brilliant surprise pokecheck on Vincent Lecavalier in the shootout. He looked more like the Brent Johnson who averaged less than three goals against in each of his first six NHL seasons and posted winning records in five of those six than the Brent Johnson who has had losing records and allowed more than 3.5 goals per game in the two years since Washington claimed him off waivers.
Further complicating the decision is the solid play of defenseman Milan Jurcina, who has contributed at both ends of the ice, and worked well with his former minor-league partner Shaone Morrisonn to give the Capitals a better top defensive pairing than they've had all season. Jurcina was a frequent healthy scratch this season for Boston, who are currently one point ahead of Washington in the standings, and was acquired for future considerations that are reportedly likely to be a fourth round draft pick, so it's surprising to see him playing at such a consistently high level.
Photo of Olaf Kolzig by James Calder
In fact, Jurcina's arrival, combined with the return from injuries of defensemen John Erskine and Brian Pothier, has made Steve Eminger a healthy scratch, placed Lawrence Nycholat on the injured list with no specified injury, and returned Young Star Mike Green to the Hershey Bears, where he can help the team defend their American Hockey League title and help other young Capitals develop.
Clearly, on defense, the Capitals can be expected to try to trade some players away, since they've currently got four more capable players than they can use. However, it remains to be seen whether they will trade away young inexperienced players for veteran leadership to carry them toward the playoffs this year and next, or whether they will trade for younger, more talented players to help them compete in the future and improve their draft status this summer.
The team's record in the next couple of games will dictate their priorities, but the potential value of each player on the team will fluctuate wildly depending on their performance in Sunday's game at Pittsburgh, which will be televised nationally on ABC, as the two teams with the most talented young players meet in what is becoming one of hockey's most ballyhooed rivalries. Given the way Bettman has been talking about the Penguins' future plans, this could be our last chance to hate them in Pittsburgh, so it should be a lot of fun.