Coaching - Is the team prepared to play and win every game? Is the team motivated, competitive, consistent and disciplined? Do they adjust well on the fly? Ultimately the coach is responsible for all of those aspects of the game. Since there was a coaching change it would be unfair to grade Hunter on a mess he did not create so this grade is split.

Bruce Boudreau: Grade F - Bruce became white noise and the effort on the ice reflected as much. Bruce lost the room and his hard skates after inexcusable losses were just not motivating anyone anymore. Everyone likes Bruce but in the end he just could not get it done.

Dale Hunter: Grade C - Dale has simplified things defensively which is a plus and those guys are playing much better. The problem that remains is the lazy fore check and back check efforts by his top six forwards as a group. Hunter got Ovechkin going but at what cost? Now no one else even appears interested in shooting the puck or going to the net. If Dale's big plan is to have Ovechkin not back check and hang around waiting for the outlet pass he may want to talk to Boudreau about how that plan worked in the playoffs (it didn't work). If is my sincere hope that Dale has a long term plan to correct the lazy, stupid hockey we are seeing. My guess is both he and McPhee have already determined that some of these guys must go. I cannot flunk Dale but I cannot give him anything higher than a C either. I am a little surprised that a Dale Hunter coached team is not going to the net and getting more dirty goals.

Forwards: Grade F - The Caps will go as far as the forwards take them and right now the top-six in particular are the jack of all trades but clearly the masters of none. They are talented but they do not fore or back check with any consistency or tenacity. They do not understand the benefits of positioning and they insist on the perfect shot instead putting shots on the net with traffic. It is truly unfortunate that some of the Caps forwards just don't get it. Watch them pass you to sleep during the powerplay and you will quickly understand that these guys are trying to eat crabs with a knife and a fork...good luck with that. Some forwards are playing old school hockey (Brooksie, Brouwer, Chimera, Knuble and others but they are overshadowed by the big names that are absolutely clueless on how to play consistent two way hockey.

The Great Scotty Bowman said that the measure of a good team is how hard and consistent they fore and back check. Since Scotty has forgotten more hockey than the entire Washington Capitals brain-trust I can only imagine what he would say over a cup of coffee and some film of this bunch. My guess is it would not be complimentary. What I admire about Scotty's teams loaded with talent is that they worked super hard. Guys like Fedorov, Yzerman back in the day and now Zetterberg and Datsuyk now are all hard workers. Ovechkin works hard...just not very smart and Semin will never be confused with a hard worker.

Defense: Grade C+ - Ever since Dale showed up the defensive play has improved. He has simplified things with better results. The problem is that the forward play (particularly the top six) is so pathetic that the defense and the goalies are often exposed. Wideman and Orlov join Carlson and Alzner as guys playing some good hockey. New defensive coach, Jim Johnson is making a real difference and hopefully the Caps can move some dead weight...Schultz, Hamrlik etc. Mike Green should be shut down for the rest of the year and just allowed to heal. He is an oft-injured RFA that no one is going to sign to an offer sheet so the Caps just need to let him heal and see what they have. I expect the Caps to be looking for defensemen that actually hit people (novel idea right?) and do not skate like they have a ship's anchors tied to each boot...cough Hamrlik. The Caps defense could use more speed and more physical guys that have no problem violently (but legally) separating opponents from the puck.

Goalies: Grade C+ - Confident goalies make confident plays. Shell shocked and exposed goalies get sun burn from the score siren being lit so often. The Caps goalies (both of them) have performed admirably under insane circumstances. The folks blaming everything on the goalies need to understand how hockey works. The five guys in front of the goalie get paid to limit access to the goalie. A team's confidence starts from the goalie and works it's way out to everyone else. If you make protecting your goalie a priority you will get better play. Protecting your goalie means fore checking to keep the puck at the other end of the ice. It means shooting to keep the opposing goalie on his heels. Protecting your goalie means back checking to limit the amount of shot opportunities the opponents get. Contrary to popular belief I think both Vokoun and Neuvirth have played well under horrible circumstances. They are playing goalie for a bi-polar hockey team that has no clue what it means to protect your goalie. Anyone think Tim Thomas isn't appreciative of the fact that his team will protect him at all costs? Tim makes big saves because he is very confident. He is very confident because his team protects him. Anyone think the Caps protect their goalies well enough for them to have any sustained confidence? Heck, this is the same team that is struggling to get shots.

Overall: grade D - The Caps have some BIG decisions to make leading up to and beyond the trade deadline. They have players that definitely need to go while others still need to buy in and play two-way hockey. On the strategy front force feeding the puck to Ovechkin is not the answer. Mike Green's return is not the answer nor is the return of Nicky Backstrom. The Caps as a team need to find a personality and stick to it. If they want to be a fast break hockey team they should be that. If they want to be the second coming of the trapping NJ Devils they should do that. Perhaps the true personality will take place once the Caps have the right personnel to become what Dale Hunter wants them to be. Stay tuned because the days leading up to February 27th's trade deadline will be interesting to put it mildly.