Jim Turner

Turnersportsdesk.com

March 17, 2010

Two things can happen when you take the two time league MVP, Alexander Ovechkin out of the lineup. The Washington Caps will either implode or explode without their leader. The Caps placed an emphatic check mark in the explode column by thumping the Florida Panthers last night to the tune of 7-3. The Caps already average 3.9 goals per game (GPG) which leads the NHL by a comfortable margin. With Ovechkin out of the lineup the Caps are 6-2 and they average an astounding 4.63 GPG. What does that mean? The assumption that the Caps are a one man team is not accurate according to the numbers.

Not so famous guys like Brooks Laich, Brendan Morrison and Eric Fehr are making a difference. The Caps already have six 20 goal scorers and they have four more guys (Eric Fehr 19, Mike Green 17, Eric Belanger 14, Jason Chimera 14) within striking distance of 20. Jose Theodore is reminding people of just how good he can be when his confidence is high. The Florida Panthers are not a very good hockey team is what the critics will say but the Caps beat the vaunted Chicago Blackhawks in their own barn, minus Ovechkin and came back from a 3 goal deficit to do it in a little over 20 minutes. The critics can poo-poo the Panthers but they cannot ignore what the Caps did to the Blackhawks. On the same day that the NHL sent a message to Ovechkin his Caps team sent a message to the rest of the NHL. They are no longer a one man show. The Caps are deep, talented and ready to make a strong push for Lord Stanley’s Cup.