Caps Lessons Learned 2009

It took me a while to write this outlook because I wanted to see who won the Stanley Cup in order to accurately judge how close the Caps are to their ultimate goal. At their current pace of progress they will earn a Stanley Cup in three seasons.  If the Caps want to accelerate their progression I can think of a few things that might help.

1.  The pre-Ovechkin Caps had a well earned reputation for being the hardest working hockey team in the NHL. They were a team you did not want to play because win or lose you were going to be in a battle for 60 minutes or more. The most shocking thing for me to witness in that Pittsburgh series was the Penguins out working the Caps virtually every game. The Caps won the first two games but the fact is Pittsburgh out played them the entire series. So if the Caps expect to take their games up a notch they need to start by going back to the tradition of hard work. The Caps need to learn that talent and cute hockey can only take you so far.

2.  If I told you the Penguins could lose as many guys at the end of the season last year as they did and beat the Red Wings for the Cup the following season you would probably ask me for my crack pipe. The fact is the Penguins got a better combination of players along with a system that fit those players. The Caps could definitely stand to add a little sand paper to all that talent to provide some ugly goals when the pretty well runs dry. They could definitely use some grit and experience on defense. Bruce Boudreau needs to tweak his system if it means playing a little more responsibly on defense. The fact is the Caps team that eventually wins the Stanley Cup may not look the same as it does right now.

3.  All Sergei Fedorov has done since coming here is score some huge goals and is a massively positive influence on the entire team. He is no longer a first or a second line center for 82 games in my humble opinion but he is so intelligent that you can plug him in during critical points of the game and he delivers big time results.

4.  Varlamov could be the goalie of the future but I suggest we keep an eye on Michal Neuvirth. Neuvirth might be the guy the Caps ride to Lord Stanley’s Cup. Varlamov is easily the most talented goalie in the Caps system but Neuvirth is the most technically sound. Varlamov makes incredible saves but Neuvirth doesn’t have to because he is rarely out of position. I believe the Caps defense was so bad they needed a goalie like Varlamov but as they improve a guy like Neuvirth might actually be the better fit for a cup run. All things being equal I want a technically sound a boring goalie as they tend to win more consistently.

5.  Focus - While I enjoyed watching Mike Green and other Caps show off their bling in the form of houses, cars etc. I would like to see more focus on perfecting their craft and winning a cup. As Rick “Doc” Walker says so eloquently on his radio show if you have not won a Championship (no matter the sport) then you have absolutely nothing to boast about. The Caps have made tremendous strides but they need to keep their eye on the big prize and out work the competition both on and off the ice.