WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS ?

The Washington Capitals fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs last night by a stunning score of 7-1.  The Maple Leafs have been decimated with key injuries and yet the Capitals failed to take advantage.  It is fair to say that Washington was  MIA as a group when they were pounded by Toronto's snipers .  This latest loss should give Bruce Boudreau reason enough to revisit his game plan and coaching style if he does not want to lose his team this early in the season.   There is something simmering under the surface in Washington.  This kind of blowout is a sign of a problem for such a talented group as the Capitals.

We had the DC boys earmarked as Stanley Cup champs but the latest turmoil in Washington has us scratching our heads. The team seems to go through prolonged slumps when the media pressure builds because expectations are not being met. 

Washington has shown their inability to deal with pressure with their performance in the last two playoff years.  The squad is very talented but it seems that it is lacking in character.  The European profile of the team might be the issue.  Don Cherry is infamous for not liking the European work ethic on the ice and the Capitals are showing us why his argument may hold water.  Europeans are flashier and more play oriented that their North American counterparts.  The team nature of the NHL game means that everyone needs to give it at the rink every night.  The Caps need to play as a team every night.  Period.  End of discussion.  Even if they don't win they won't get blown out.

Ovechkin should be the starting point for any serious discussion in Washington.  The guy has talent that is being under used this season.  He seems to have an ego.  Unfortunately so does his coach.  Hopefully the ego clash will not fester much longer.  If Boundreau can get Ovechkin back on track they might be able to resume their quest for the Cup.  If not; the NHL might be witnessing the start of the senseless implosion of a talented team looking for someone to blame.  Either way this time next year; we will be saying good bye to Ovechkin or Boudreau in Washington.  This kind of drama and flip flopping is not good or needed at the professional level.      

CHARACTER AND DEFENSE WILL MAKE THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS STANLEY CUP CHAMPS

The Washington Capitals are looking more and more like potential Stanley Cup Champions.  These guys are now 7-0 and they have just come off a drubbing of the Detroit RedWings.   Before that they beat a strong Philadelphia Flyers squad by a s score of 5-2.  This is a historic start for Bruce Boudreau's team and they appear to be a freight train of success.

Bruce Boudreau is the general behind this team which he has been coaching for a number of years.  He has turned a team of snipers into the NHL's best squad.  In the past few years, they have had enormous success in the regular season but suffered serious setbacks in the post season.  The firepower from goal scoring was not enough in the post season and the Capitals succumbed to opponents because of poor defense and lack of back checking.   

This year it is different for the Capitals.   He has added a strong defense anchored by the likes of Dennis Wideman and his goalie tandem is amongst the best in the league. His snipers now back check and the goal of a Stanley Cup championship is within reach.

We want all our readers to get their Washington Capitals jerseys ready.  These guys are for real and you don't want to the last to get on the band wagon.

BAND WAGON 101 - BRUINS, CAPITALS, KINGS AND MORE

The new NHL season is under way and fans on both sides of the border are cheering on their favourite squads.  The band wagons are not in effect as of yet so it is a good time to try and guess who might surprise and who might disappoint. Think of it kind of like band wagon 101.

The obvious favourite this year are the Bruins.  The bad boys from Bean Town crushed their way through last year's final and took home the top prize.  Boston which had seen many up and down seasons is now the humpty dumpty of the NHL.  These guys have become the love to hate team but thankfully so for Bruins fans that won't last too long.  We suspect the Bruins will stumble this year and they will be playing gold by the time the Cup final rolls around.  The grit and attitude from the Bruins last year will be matched by teams like Philly and Washington.  Chara is the reigning bully of the NHL but the new emphasis on hitting by the NHL will limit is effectiveness.  Hab fans remember how Max Pacioretty was sent to the hospital last year in the playoffs.  This kind of stuff is a no-no in this year's version of the NHL season and post season. So bye-bye Bruins !!

The Capitals are our favourite for the finals.  They may have serious competition from Pittsburgh and Vancouver but they are seasoned and now is their time to shine.  The young snipers who play for Boudreau will be led by number 8 and we should see Washington bounce everyone out in the race to the Cup.  Now is the time for true hockey fans to get a deal on Cap jerseys.  They may be hard to find at a good price when these guys knock heads on their way to a Stanley Cup Championship.

One of our spec teams this year is LA.  The Kings have been building steam for a couple of years now and they could come out of the West Coast in 2011-2012 and give some of their east Coast counterparts a run for their money.  They are solid on the D and these guys know how to find the back of the net.  This young team might not be Champions this year but they are one to watch both long and short term.  They will bring skill to the ice and leave some of their opponents skating in circles. LA's bandwagon will grow in time.  You wait and see.