Knuble and the Caps Catch the Hawks in OT

photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

I don't usually do game notes, but it was too exciting a game to stay silent. A couple of notes on the overtime win over the Blackhawks:

• This was by far Jason Chimera's best game of the season. He was showing off his speed and he had more chances than usual. It wasn't just Chimera though; the Chimera-Laich-Fehr line was the best of the day, generating a ton of scoring chances, and scoring the third Capitals goal. Eric Fehr fed Brooks Laich a great pass in front, and Corey Crawford had no chance to save it.
• Mike Knuble's overtime goal was beautiful; dirty, but beautiful. Knuble's forehand-backhand-forehand dance around Crawford's crease was the best his hands have looked in a long time. Marcus Johansson's pass to Knuble was picture-perfect.
• Speaking of Johansson, he was a force on the ice today. He led the team in shots on net with seven. The penalty he took late in the third period was dumb, as it led to the tying Blackhawks goal, but his pass to Knuble in overtime seemed to make up for it.
• Braden Holtby looked a bit shaky in net today. The Blackhawks' first goal was a soft one through Holtby's five hole, and their second was a bad angle shot that squeaked through seven hole, and bounced off his back into the goal. You can bet that Arturs Irbe will be working with him on situations like the second goal in practice.
• NBC seemed to be crediting everyone but Jason Arnott for Alexander Semin's reawakening. Semin also had a good, hardworking game today. His work ethic for the past seven games since Arnott entered the lineup has been consistently strong. I was in the locker room yesterday after practice, and when Arnott and Semin came in, they were chatting away. It was funny to see Arnott trying to figure out what the heck Semin was saying, but he was talking. Of all the times I've ever previously been in the locker room, I've never heard Semin say a single word. There's no doubt in my mind that Arnott is responsible for Semin's inspired play.
• Who knew that Boyd Gordon had such a cannon on him? I definitely wasn't expecting him to bomb a shot from so far away - and have it go through Crawford's pads. This is why the Caps keep Gordon around; he is essential to the penalty kill.

Overall, the game had all the intensity of a playoff game. Both teams were running on all cylinders and playing their best hockey. Considering that the Caps came away with the win, it speaks favorably to their playoff hopes. With Montreal, Detroit, New Jersey, and Philadelphia coming up, hopefully the Caps can keep up the excitement.

The Concern Over the Capitals Goaltending Depth

Possible moment of injury: Sabourin on the ice after being run by Louis Robitaille Jan. 21 (photo by Kyle Mace)

For Hershey Bears fans, it was the tweet heard 'round the world.

timleone: Sabourin slated for knee surgery. Out 2-3 months.

With Braden Holtby still nursing a mild knee injury, the Washington Capitals goaltending depth suddenly went from average to nil. It's a big blow, as Dany Sabourin, after a tough start to the season, has been doing really well in the past two months, going 10-2 in December and January starts, with one shutout. The Bears called up Todd Ford and Jared DeMichiel from South Carolina. Ford, while he has AHL experience, is not exactly an AHL starting goaltender, and DeMichiel, on his first callup, has never played in an AHL game.

For a team sure to be in some tough playoff battles in a matter of months, it's bad news. It's also concerning when it comes to the Washington Capitals -- Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth have both missed games due to injury this year, and the prospect of calling up someone who played his last game in the ECHL doesn't exactly settle the nerves. Ford and DeMichiel will work in the short-term, but what about long-term?

Earlier today, South Carolina announced that they had signed goaltender Andrew Loewen of the SPHL in order to replace their losses in the crease. But should someone else suffer an injury, either in Hershey or in Washington, what can be done?

The recent re-emergence of Ray Emery, due to the timing of these injuries in Hershey, immediately comes to mind for me. Emery has successfully recovered from what could have been a career-ending hip injury, and has made it clear that he wants to get back on the ice. Obviously, he needs to get his start in the AHL to make sure that he is in top condition, and he's ready for the opportunity to play in the A. 

Rumors are that Philadelphia, Anaheim, and a third, unnamed team are looking at signing Emery. But given the situation in Hershey, it's not a stretch to suggest that the Capitals take a look at him. 

Emery is a very capable goalie, leading the Ottawa Senators to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007. With all the hubbub surrounding the Capitals' postseason woes, he becomes even more of a viable long-term option.

Tim Leone, too, has made the suggestion, saying, "Ray Emery might loom as an intriguing long-term possibility. The free agent, who hasn’t played this season in the wake of hip surgery, is exploring playing opportunities to get back to the NHL and could theoretically use an AHL stint as a launching pad."

Sabourin is not yet scheduled for surgery, so his recovery timetable is still as unclear as can be. But should it be longer than expected (take a look at Patrick McNeill, who had surgery in the offseason and just returned in December), Ray Emery looks to be a very attractive option for a contract with the Capitals.

It's a tough but interesting situation in the Capitals organization's nets right now. Keep an eye on the Capitals front office, particularly around trade deadline time. There could be some goaltending shakeups in the works.


 
If the Capitals were to trade for a goalie or sign a free agent goalie, who would you like to see?  Let me know in the comments.

Game Recap: Bears 5, Phantoms 1

After a disappointing home opener last Saturday, as well as a loss last night, Hershey needed a big win. They got it tonight, coming out hungry and putting the pressure on the Adirondack Phantoms until the final buzzer. 

Despite the Bears' recent call-up losses of Mathieu Perreault (who ended up having a productive night in Washington), Jay Beagle, and Dany Sabourin, they had no problem filling the remaining voids, absolutely dominating the very young and offense-challenged Phantoms. The Bears had control of the puck for the majority of the game, as shown by the Phantoms' 18 shots on net. The Bears, on the other hand, put 37 shots toward Phantoms goaltender Johan Backlund.

The Bears power play returned to its former glory after going 0-5 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last night, with the Bears capitalizing on two of their eight (yes, eight) power play chances. Throughout this season, the Phantoms have had trouble staying out of the penalty box, and tonight was no exception. The Phantoms' disciplinary problems turned into an early lead for the Bears, with Brian Willsie scoring a power play goal on the Phantoms' first penalty.

Kyle Greentree followed up with another power play goal at the end of the first period, but it was really only Greentree's goal on paper. His shot deflected off of Phantom Oskars Bartulis' shoulder and went straight past Backlund for a goal. 

Greentree, on the Phantoms squad when they were based in Philadelphia, says Bartulis is a friend, and joked that he "owes [Bartulis] a beer." Previously going through a goalless streak, Greentree said he later told Bartulis, "Thanks a lot, I appreciate that, it got me out of my little funk that I was in. It's probably the easiest one I'm going to have this year."

Ashton Rome, a guy not normally known for scoring goals, netted two in the win. Rome was modest after the game, saying, "I've been told I have a pretty good shot. I look for a pass, if it's not there, just keep it and shoot and hope for the best... I think that's my first two-goal game since I was in Idaho on the East Coast [ECHL]. It's been a while."

Rome also spoke to the very physical nature of the game -- with the rivalry between the teams, it's typical for a Bears/Phantoms game to be rough, and three fights broke out (including an excellent bout between Sheldon Souray and Matt Clackson, in which Souray absolutely dominated, but ultimately as we found out later, broke his hand in the fight). Rome said, "We gotta step up when teams try to push us around and show them that they can't."

Some quick notes:

• Zach Miskovic had his face drilled into the half wall during the second period, and stayed crumpled on the ice for about a minute as blood poured from his face. Thankfully, it seems only stitches were needed, as he returned to the game shortly thereafter.
• Braden Holtby had a couple of worrying instances where he wandered out of his crease to play the puck, but with one awesome exception. As a Phantom player was streaking toward the puck in what could have been a total breakaway, Holtby stepped out to play the puck, and (unbelievably) passed it through his own legs to the boards. It totally confused his opponent and brought puck control back to the Bears.
• Speaking of Holtby, the Phantoms spoiled his shutout bid with just 4:23 left in the game.
• Trevor Bruess and Zac Rinaldo had a little re-match of their rookie game fight, but Bruess started off on uneven footing and I don't think any punches were actually landed before linesmen got between them.
• Steve Pinizzotto's goal was a thing of beauty. He wrapped around the net, and unleashed a quick snapshot from the top of the circles. Backlund didn't have a chance.
• Joel Rechlicz is still, to put it lightly, not looking so good. I got a closer look in the locker room and while the swelling in his face has gone down since last week, he still is wearing a bandage over the bridge of his nose and his eyes are still quite black. In short, he still looks pretty frightening.
• Dmitry Kugryshev had a decent game. This was the first time I was really able to see him in a Bears game, and he had a fantastic breakaway chance, passing in front of the net to Willsie, who had come up behind him. How he could have possibly seen Willsie coming just speaks to Kugryshev's instincts. Heck, even I didn't see Willsie coming.
• Assistant Coach Troy Mann seemed pleasantly surprised to have women covering the game (and not in that sort of way, more as in 'good, we haven't had enough of that diversity'). In the locker room, as I was with Hershey Bears Examiner Lauren (the only female press of the night), he turned to us and said, "Hi, ladies!"

UPDATE: Check out the video highlights below.  And don't miss Souray's fight (starting at the 0:43 mark). It was awesome (aside from Souray breaking his hand in the fight).

Focus on Prospects: Andy Miele

 photo by me

The last scrimmage of the Washington Capitals' development camp drew approximately 4,000 fans to Kettler Capitals Iceplex on a Saturday morning in July. One of the standouts of the scrimmage game, with the game-winning shootout goal, was Andy Miele, a camp invitee. So who is he? The Rink Rebel decided to find out.

 photo by Associated Press (Miele in white)

Name: Andy Miele

Position: LW
Shoots: Left
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 175 lbs
Birthdate: 1988-04-15

Hometown: Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan

Andy Miele started early in the last development camp scrimmage - he scored the first goal with a pretty move to send the puck past goaltender Philipp Grubauer. Later on, in the shootout, he scored the game winner with a stutter-step move to beat Braden Holtby.

Small (his listed roster height may be a tad generous) but speedy, the undrafted Miele began his hockey career in the USHL in 2005 with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. He blossomed after a 2006 midseason trade to the Chicago Steel, becoming a strong scorer and the star of the team. He was selected to the USHL All-Star roster in 2007, and was the team's top scorer. However, becoming college-eligible in January 2008, Miele announced his intention to attend Miami University (OH) and departed Chicago midseason. But not before breaking the Chicago Steel's all-time scoring record with 43 goals in his time on the Chicago roster.

When Miele got to Miami, he kept up his energetic scoring pace, scoring the game-winning goal against Lake Superior State in his first game as a RedHawk, just over a week after departing Chicago. In his next season in 2008-09, he improved still, becoming a reliable member of the power play unit (4 of his 15 goals in the season came on the power play). He was selected as the CCHA Offensive Player of the Week in October for his performance in a double-header against Notre Dame. Though he wasn't racking up the scoring numbers he'd seen in Chicago, he was earning the respect of the Miami coaching staff and his fellow players. According to Miami Assistant Coach Chris Bergeron, Miele came in to Miami "with his mouth shut and his ears open" and while he isn't a vocal leader in the locker room, he leads by example on the ice. 

2009-10 was an even better year for Miele. He was selected to the All-CCHA second team and was second on the RedHawks in points with 44. Miele's outstanding ability to see the ice and his puck control were benefits for both him and his linemates - he recorded a team-high 29 assists and was +22 for the season, which was also second on the team. He proved a defensive prowess as well and became a valuable guy in front of his own net and on the penalty kill, blocking 34 shots. The RedHawks went to the Frozen Four in 2010, besting Michigan in overtime to get to the tournament. However, Miami was knocked out of the tournament in a rout courtesy of Boston College, who won 7-1.

 

But Miele has high hopes for next year, especially as the rising senior has been awarded an "A" on his sweater. Miele hopes for a national championship for the RedHawks, but whatever the outcome, Bruce Boudreau may have a job for him after the season - Miele was one of the players the coach singled out at the conclusion of this week's development camp. Boudreau's "all-camp" team consisted of Miele and his former Steel teammate Eric Alexander, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Marcus Johansson, Cody Eakin, Dustin Stevenson and Joe Finley. Boudreau was obviously impressed with the diminutive forward:

"I really liked that Andy Miele, I thought he had a great camp... How can you not like the little guys? He was shifty, made great plays, and had a beautiful first goal. When you get little guys and they compete, it’s hard not to be pulling for them... His skating is tremendous, there's little things he has to do, but we've got three weeks in training camp with the best players we have, and I think you'll see a marked difference... I like what I saw and I know he's going to improve."

The folks over at Rock the Red were able to sit down and have a chat with Miele during the week - it's worth a read.

Note: Miele was one of two current Miami RedHawks to be invited to camp - his teammate Steve Spinell (So.) also attended. Teammate Pat Cannone (Sr.) attended last year's Capitals camp.

A Caps Fan's First Visit to Chocolatetown

 

all photos by ME!

Up until this weekend, I kind of felt like a bad Caps fan. I had never before made the trek to Hershey to see the Bears play in person. Sure I've seen many of them play before – I did attend a day of development camp in the summer and of course have seen some of them when they're called up to the Caps, but I'd never seen all of them play together as a team. One of the disadvantages of not having a car.

I had been to an AHL game before. In fact, my very first professional hockey game was a Chicago Wolves game. It was live hockey game love. I honestly can't remember who they played (it was maybe 7 years ago) but I remember the excitement. The arena was alive and the crowd was electric. I credit that game for my first budding interest in professional hockey.

I follow the Bears of course, but only in a limited capacity since I'm too poor to pay for AHL Live, so I rely on Twitter for the most part. So you can imagine my excitement when a bus trip down to Hershey was offered. On Saturday, I hopped on the bus with 20 Caps fans and prayed for Holtby to be in net. We turned into Giant Center a little over two hours later, and just judging by the sheer amount of people, I knew it was going to be good.

Was it ever. Check out the picture below of Mathieu Perreault that I took during warmups. He'd just scored on Bacashihua during a warmup drill. It ended up being oddly prescient.

In the Bears' 9-2 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Mathieu scored the first goal for Hershey, and over the course of just two periods, scored three more (including one successful penalty shot). Greg Amadio got into a fight (and kind of lost). Chris Bourque scored, and Steve Pinizzotto (rocking a full face cage due to facial bone fractures) racked up four assists. American Hero John Carlson had a number of great hits, as well as an assist. Braden Holtby faced 24 shots and saved all but two. I got to see the magic that is the Bears' top line of Andrew Gordon, Alexandre Giroux, and Keith Aucoin (the line ended up with 11 combined points on the night). Andrew Gordon earned a new nickname from me (affectionately, "Funshine Bear"). The hockey game had everything – outstanding goaltending (by Holtby), a hat trick, a penalty shot, a fight, and over 10,000 screaming fans. Even Coach Boudreau was there!

So, when's the next bus to Hershey?