April 2, 2008
Caps Briefing: Two to Go
First of all, let's remember that the Capitals would be nowhere right now without Jeff Halpern. The Bethesda native, lifelong Caps fan and former Caps captain scored with five minutes left on Saturday night to help the last place Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes were apparently still reeling last night, when the Capitals crushed them 4-1 at Verizon Center. The Caps played a tough, physical game. Alexander Semin and Alexander Ovechkin each flattened Canes superstar Eric Staal, setting a tone that carried over onto the scoreboard. Ovechkin's brutal cross-check on Staal, delivered in defense of Cristobal Huet, is yet another reason he's the favorite for the NHL's most valuable player award. A bigger reason is that the Caps and the Hurricanes are now tied for the last playoff spot in the East.
If the season ended today, the Hurricanes would be in the playoffs based on tiebreakers, but each team has two games left. The Caps host Tampa Bay on Thursday and Florida on Saturday. The Hurricanes host Tampa tonight, and Florida on Friday. The schedule favors the Caps, who get to rest up from last night and face each team after they have been worn down by Carolina, but it could still just as easily come down to the heroics of the first lifelong Caps fan ever to play in the NHL.
The Sporting News says if the Caps make the playoffs, Ovechkin should win the Hart trophy. That's the understatement of the year. More importantly, if the Caps make the playoffs, they should ask what the Lightning want for Halpern this summer.
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I was at the game last night. It was nice to see the place at almost full capacity and you could feel the energy in the air. Not to mention the fact the place was the loudest I've heard since the playoff years. Loud-ass cheers for Ovechkin, including M-V-P!, coach Bruce, and Huet. It's awesome the team had the balls to make him the full time starter, rather than worry about Kolzig's feelings.
Actually, Ken Campbell of The Hockey News (I'd link it, but it's a subscriber-only article) argues - and rightly so - that Ovie should win the Hart even if the Caps fail to make the playoffs. And I agree on that, even though I'm a fan of that black-n-gold team two states over.
Ovechkin's been tremendous this season and with 63 (and counting) goals to the season - most of which have been either the opening goal, the game-tying or the go-ahead goal - he's a virtual lock to win the Hart. And be one of the rare players who do so even if their team doesn't make it to Lord Stanley's Dance.
The NHL has some stupid "customs" and this Hart nonsense is one of them. Hopefully they'll realize that bucking the trend here would be a good thing and not disservice the team or Ovechkin. The kid deserves it.
I've never liked the Caps. They've always sucked.
Ovechkin wasn't enough for me. But, as a transplanted Wings fan, the Fedorov deal piqued my interest, so I started paying attention. Then Kolzig (who they should have dealt years ago) gets bumped to the #2 slot, and I finally feel like the last of the dinosuars just died. Now, I'm rooting for them and actually see myself becoming a Caps fan. I can't believe it.
that's fine --- Ovey can enjoy his Hart at home while the good teams keep playing for Lord Stanley.
(and yes, I realize the trophys arent awarded until after the season)
"The Sporting News says if the Caps make the playoffs, Ovechkin should win the Hart trophy."
This logic doesn't make sense to me.. if the Caps don't make the playoffs, it's going to be by a few points (possibly even no points and just the tiebreaker).
So what TSN is saying is that the awarding of the Hart basically hinges on one game's outcome? Doesn't make sense to me.
Don't. Stop. Believing.
rabo_k - is that a Vonnegut reference?
So what TSN is saying is that the awarding of the Hart basically hinges on one game's outcome? Doesn't make sense to me.
Because typically, the voting grognards in the NHL refuse to award the Hart to a player whose team doesn't make the playoffs. There's been rare exception, which is stupid, as many excellent players have been 'overlooked' by said grognards in years past.
As Ken Campbell said in his article, "In the NHL’s official definition the Hart is awarded to 'the player who is adjudged to be most valuable to his team,' but let’s face it, it has evolved into the award for the best player in the league."
Nothing about "must be on a playoff team" anywhere in there. And I'll repeat: the NHL needs to come to its senses and award the Hart to Ovie, regardless of whether the Caps make or break the playoffs.
GO CAPS! It was so great to see the sea of red at the game last night.
Does Ovechkin have a jump shot? The Wizards are basically going to back into the playoffs again but who knows how healthy they're going to be. If the Caps don't make the playoffs maybe Alex can throw on a Wizards uni and help them out.
Just sayin'.