Redskins Round Table Introductions:

Our View:  We here at DC Pro Sports Report give our view on the questions submitted to the round table.   

Dan Steinberg, Washington Post:  Steinberg has one of the most popular sports blog on the Internet.  DC Sports Bog brings us hilarious and creative content, right up front in the face of DC Sports, on the Redskins, Wizards, Nationals, and Caps.  Steinberg has been a frequent guest of DC Pro Sports Report and we greatly appreciate his participation.  We assume no introduction to DC Sports Bog is needed.  If you haven’t heard of it, we would be more than happy to help pull your head out of your _ _ s.

John Keim, DC Examiner, Redskins Confidential:  Keim is one of the very best Redskins beat reporters out there, hands down.  His articles are intuitive, insightful, and he works the beat hard.  Link over to Redskins Confidential if you never have before and we promise you will bookmark it.  Keim brings you his insight and the very latest Redskins news up to the minute. 

John Jeffries (aka Boone) BGObsession.com.  John is the owner of BGObsession.com.  In case you haven’t noticed, by glancing at our panel, we are pretty big fans of BGO.  You will be too when you click over and give a good read to the BGO boards.  John is a straight up guy and tells you like it is.   

John Pappas, Warpath Confidential:  Warpath Confidential is a high quality, Redskins concentrated website complete with official Warpath Confidential magazine.  You can check out subscription prices here for online access, print magazine sent directly to your home, or both!  Great stuff, great content, and it is for die hard fans who need all Redskins, all the time.  John Pappas is also an Editor of Warpath Confidential and former Editor of Extremeskins.com. 

Rich Tandler, Real Redskins, Tandler is an Editor at BGO and blogger of his own Blog, Real Redskins.  Tandler’s Redskins connection goes way beyond that.  He is also a very well noted Redskins historian and author of Redskins history books.  Redskins A to Z was published in 2002 and you can order his latest, Redskins Chronicles, by clicking HERE.  Tandler is also an Editor for Warpath Confidential magazine.  We appreciate Rich’s participation.    

Al (aka Walking Deadman) from BGObsession.com and Walking Deadman Blog:  Al is a die hard, dedicated Redskins fan, great BGO poster, and a fellow blogger.  His insight into the Redskins is valued and we appreciate his participation here with us on the round table.  His quality posting at BGObession.com led us to believe he would be a great addition to the discussion.  Visit Al’s Walking Deadman Blog.

Sarge:  How many of you do not know Sarge?  Sarge was one of the leading posters at Extremeskins.com and ventured his way over to BGObsession.com and putting up great, quality posts.  A round table is only complete with more than pundits, but great fans.  Sarge fits the mold. 

Yusuf06:  Read above.  Yusuf was a top poster at Extremeskins who made his way over to the new BGObsession.com.  His posts content drew us to ask him to be part of this discussion.  Again, a real round table has to include die hard fans and we got another one right here. 

Up next, the first edition of the Redskins Round Table. 

Issue:  Should Jim Zorn be fired during the season?

“I’d have tried to get him down a little more aggressively.”  DeAngelo Hall on reflection back to the Carolina game and Jake Delhomme’s scramble to end the game, in which Hall missed the tackle. 

DCPSR Response:  Oh goody.  Glad you would have tried harder in reflection than you would during the game.  Perfect!

a ticket broker says prices starting at $30 for upper-level seats this weekend, and $69 for lower-level seats, marking 10-year lows.

One thing not on that list, which coming into the season would have been the biggest question mark, is the goal tending.  Not only did Jose Theodore have significant, tragic off-season issues with the death of his child, but as a veteran, he was being challenged for the starting role by a young Russian who ousted him from that role in last season’s playoffs.  That was then, this is now, and I can’t help but think the Washington Capitals are blowing some of Theo’s best stuff. 

It really is a shame the Caps are on a four game losing streak, and have posted a 1-2-2 record under Theodore.  His play has been way beyond the results.  The only one not surprised by Theodore’s strong net performance is Theo himself.

“Like I said in camp, I came here with a purpose,” Theodore said. “I
just have to say it’s all about having confidence and right now, I’m
feeling really good about where my game is. I’ve had some good
stretches, but this is the best I’ve felt since before the lockout.”

No one — not even Theodore — knew how he would perform after the
death of his two-month-old son in August.

“I came to camp with mixed emotions,” Theodore said. “The first part
of the summer, my mind wasn’t really on hockey. But when I was coming
here in August, I was obviously working twice as hard to make up for
[lost] time and training with a lot of frustration and, I guess, doing
extra training on the ice, just letting everything out.”

The tragic off-season seems to have inspired Theodore as he continues to take steps through quality net-minding to lock down the starting role.  HC Bruce Boudreau has not declared Theo starter over Varlamov, but Theo is getting the bulk of net time and I would be surprised if Theo does not get the nod tomorrow against San Jose.

Theo stats:  REC:  1-2-2, GAA:  2.65.  Save %:  .910

Not bad Theo, not bad!

The one thing the Capitals need to do is finish games.  They are clearly struggling int he final period.  Captain Chris Clark thinks it may be a mental block to overcome. 

“I think it’s been different each game, but now that it has happened a
few times I think guys are thinking about it too much and maybe putting
a lot of pressure on themselves instead of just playing the way we do
the first couple periods,” captain Chris Clark said. “Right now, it is
something that might be a little mental, and we have to get over it
because we are professionals.”

Brooks Laich agrees;

Added Brooks Laich: “I think mental mistakes are all [that is wrong]
and that encompasses everything. That’s taking ill-timed penalties and
turnovers, and we’re a better hockey team than what we’ve shown. We
just have to make sure the focus is better. We’ve talked about it, and
we care about results around here – not intentions.”

Flash nearing return . . . Tomas Fleichmann is nearing his return to the ice.  Flash has been sidelined by a blood clot in his left leg.  His return could provide an immediate boost to the lack of secondary line scoring for the Caps.  Personally, I subscribe to the notion that I think Eric Fehr and Flash can provide the needed scoring boost.  Fehr is back, but needs at least a week or two to get back to game shape and stamina.  Same goes for Flash. 

Boudreau not as mad . . . Boudreau does not like to lose.  At all.  But, the coach also has recognized that the Capitals are played better hockey in the shootout loss to New Jersey than in previous games during this streak.  

“I’m, looking at the tape this morning,” Boudreau said. “We did so many
good things except get a win. But I think because of our expectations
and what we made the people feel, that it’s [going to be] an 82-0
season or it’s not going to be successful. … The schedule has been
really grueling and we’ve competed and had leads in every game. Again,
as Mike Knuble said yesterday, these are fixable problems and it will
straighten itself out.”

I noticed the Caps taking more shots and getting better positioning
to socre on the power play.  I would not chalk up the lack of scoring
in the loss to New Jersey on poor power play, but more so to a great
game by Marty Brodeur.  Caps had their chances and tooks some great
shots, but Marty was there and made the stops.  Quite simple.  Another
positive fromt he also was the perfect penalty kill.  The Caps are
clearly taking way too many penalties, putting Theo in difficult
circumstances, but the penalty kill was a perfect 5-5 against New
Jersey.  

In the System . . .

Holtby to South Carolina . . . 2008 draft pick Braden Holtby
has not only filled in for the injured Michal Neuvirth in Hershey, but
has done a spectacular job.  Check out these stats:  In three games,
Hoby is 3-1with a 1.01 GAA and a .967 save percentage. 

Unfortunately, I was at the Giant Center for Holtby’s only loss. 
Holtby again was stellar in goal, but the Bears, playing their third
straight game, were winded and tired and managed only 1 goal of support
as the Bears fell to Manchester 2-1. 

Holby was optioned to South Carolina (ECHL) yesterday since Neuvirth
is ready to return.  The Capitals simply want Holtby playing everyday
and in Hershey he would be sitting behind Neuvirth.   

The decision was not an easy one for the Bears.

“It was a tough decision,” said Doug Yingst,
president and general manager of the Bears, “but as a rookie, you want
to give him the best chance to play, so you put him in a situation
where he can play 70 percent of the games instead of 30 percent of the
games. There’s no question that he’ll get more game time in South
Carolina than he would here.”

Hershey coach Mark French agreed with that assessment.

“I think the decision should be made based on what’s best for Braden
Holtby, for him to play for the Washington Capitals some day,” said
French.

The Bears are now 3-1 on the season.  Here is your Hershey Bears Leaderboard:

Points:  Andrew Gordon, 8 points

Goals:  Andrew Gordon, 4 goals

Assists:  Gordon, Giroux, Aucoin, and Carlson, 4 assists

PP Goals:  Andrew Gordon, 4 goals

Def Scoring:  John Carlson, 4 points

+ / - :  Sean Collins, +4

PIM:  Steve Pinizzotto, 19

Finally, this is opening weekend for the 2009 Kelly Cup Champs, Caps affiliate South Carolina Stingrays.  Youc an bet we will cover them as well.

Portis stressed the dispute was overblown.

“Man, I think it was a minor situation that was blown out of
proportion,” Portis said on ESPN 980′s The John Thompson Show.  “I think me and Mike handled that, and I
thought it was between me and him.  You know, there was only two other
people in the locker room when it happened, so how it got out to the
media.  I mean, it’s exchanging words.  You know, when you work with
somebody year round, every day, you know, Mike always feel like that
big brother-little brother role. 

“I think Mike being an older cat and a
veteran cat, Mike always want the big brother role, and sometimes
little brother and big brother not gonna co-exist,” Portis said.  “But you know, we
exchanged our words and it was done with, and all the sudden the media
got a hold of it.  So we discussed it, and we fine.”

Nats reliever Josh Wilkie got hammered out of the Desert Dogs bullpen, pitching 1 inning and allowing 3 hits, 2 walks, and 4 runs. 

All of the Nationals prospects in the AFL are on Phoenix Desert Dogs, including first round picks Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen.

However. coming in at #48 is Washington capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin. 

As a cliché-prone poet once wrote, Washington loves a winner, and no
local sports team these days wins nearly as often as the Caps. And no
one in the entire NHL scores goals with the brutal frequency of
Alexander Ovechkin. Which means he’s something of a hero around town:
In 2008, Mayor Fenty awarded him a key to the city. (Other honorees
during the mayor’s term: Nicolas Sarkozy, the pope.) More politicos are
starting to cotton to him, too. David Gregory is a regular at the
Verizon Center, while John Kerry and Joe Lieberman show up when they
can. Earlier this year, Ovechkin even got a shout-out from Obama during
the president’s trip to Russia: “As a resident of Washington, D.C.,” he
said, “I continue to benefit from the contributions of
Russians–specifically, from Alexander Ovechkin.”

Let’s face it, Ovechkin has a great, great personality for a powerful city like Washington, DC, a city that thrives on power, but loves to be entertained.  The most powerful city in the Nation thirsts for a winner and there has not been much of that in professional sports in DC for some time.  However, the Washington Capitals are poised to win, win often, and win for awhile, on the back of the greatest player in hockey, the greatest player in the world, Alexander Ovechkin.   He is energetic, enthusiastic, exuberant, and loves the sport.  But overall, he loves the attention, perfect for a city where attention defines power.

Congrats to Great 8 for making the 50 Most Powerul in Washington, DC.     

Three things are clearly overriding problems of this 4 game skid.  First, the Capitals are not converting the power play like they did last season.  During the 4 game losing streak are a dismal 3-22 (.136) on the power play.  Last year the Caps were 2nd overall in the NHL, over 25% conversion on the PP.  Huge difference.  Second, the Capitals are plagued with the penalty box.  Again last night, the Caps committed 5 penalties.  Heck, the game even started out with a Mike Knuble hooking penalty in the first minute of the game.  Over the 4 game losing streak, the Caps have committed a whopping 26 penalities, thats 6.5 penalties per game.  Granted, the penaly kill went a perfect 5-5 last night, still, these penalties are killing the Capitals.

Finally, where the hell is the secondary scoring, minus Brendan Morrison and Brooks Laich?  Outside Line 1, including Alex Semin and Mike Knuble in that bunch, the Capitals have gotten just 2 goals, Mike Green last night and Matt Bradley.  All scoring has come from Alexander Ovechkin, Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Laich, Morrison, and Knbule.  Guys like Chris Clark, Eric Fehr, Boyd Gordon, and Dave Steckel have yet to score.

Corey Masisak from the Times reports on some new line formations at Caps practice today.   

Ovechkin-Morrison-Knuble

Laich-Backstrom-Semin

Clark-Steckel-Fehr

Laing-Nylander-Bradley

Morrisonn-Green

Schultz-Jurcina

Sloan-Pothier

As well as Morrison is playing, the Lien 1 with Ovie and Knubble could be a high powered, high scoring line.  Interesting that Michal Nylander is on Line 4, but I believe that is more to do with the absence of Boyd Gordon.  Tarik notes the move of Morrison, at least for now, to Line 1, is for scoring balance purposes. 

One other notable development: Coach Bruce Boudreau, in his continuing
search for balance on his top two lines, has switched things up again.
The top forward combo is Alex Ovechkin-Brendan Morrison-Mike Knuble,
while the second trio is Brooks Laich-Nicklas Backstrom-Alexander Semin.

The Caps have to be loving the performance they are getting in the net from Jose Theodore.  yeah, he has been in goal during this stretch, but Theo himself has been making splendid saves, has been efficient and effective.  Will be interesting to watch the balance that comes forth with Semyon Varlamov.  With Theodore playing so well, Varly, at least for now, is second goalie.