Photo by Anna Armstrong

Kaleta, a rough-and-tumble player in his own right, was caught with his back turned towards the boards as Ovechkin zeroed in on him.  As the Sabres’ winger attempted to play the puck out of the zone, Ovi sent Kaleta flying head-first into the wall.  Alex O. sat in the box for a cool minute before being informed of his ejection.

Coach Bruce Boudreau shared his thoughts on the hit after the game:

“We just watched it a half dozen times and he hits him in the shoulder, not the side,” Boudreau said. “It might have warranted a two-minute penalty, but I don’t think it warranted anything more than that.”

Alex Ovechkin also played down the hit:

“I think it was just a moment in the game,” Ovechkin said. “Sometimes you have a bad hit and nothing happens. Sometimes you have a good hit but the guy just falls into the boards and have blood. … I can do nothing about it. I’m just going to play my game. I’m not going to change. It is me.”

No matter what transpires, tonight’s ejection just adds to Ovechkin’s list of questionable hits.  Most recently, Alex was fined for slew-footing Atlanta’s Rich Peverley in late October.  Coincidentally, Ovechkin’s only other ejection came on December 2, 2006 when he boarded then Sabre, Daniel Briere.

The next meeting between these two teams is in exactly two weeks, at the HSBC Center in Buffalo.  The boo birds will be out for Ovi (they always are), but one can only hope Mr. Kaleta does not retaliate the same way Mr. Briere did.

Photo by Caps In Pictures

With last night’s thrilling shootout victory over the New York Islanders, the Washington Capitals leapfrogged the New Jersey Devils to take sole ownership of first place in the Eastern Conference.  Their three-game win streak has come about without the presence of one Alex Ovechkin.

Enter: Mathieu Perreault.  Not a replacement; but a filler.

The 5-10, 170-pound (depending on who you ask) forward has centered on a Capitals’ third line that has supplied some much-needed secondary scoring.  Sure size has always been a question, but don’t tell that to Mathieu.  His hard work and tenacious fore-checking efforts paid off when he scored his first NHL goal two games ago against the Florida Panthers.

The happy-go-lucky 22-year old recently described his first career tally:

“I reacted silly,” Perreault said Wednesday.  “I’ve never done [a double fist pump] before.  It was just in the moment reacting.”

“The puck was dumped behind the net.  I just got on a forecheck pretty hard and took the puck from the D-man and stuffed it.”

Although his first was a softie, Perreault is no stranger to lighting the lamp.  He amassed 41 goals and 78 assists in 2007 and was awarded the QMJHL MVP Award.  A year later, Perreault ended with 114 points (34+80) and was rewarded with a three-game stint in the AHL playoffs with the Hershey Bears.

In his first full season in the AHL last year in Hershey, Perreault continued to be Mr. Productive.  On a line with fellow rookies Oskar Osala and Francois Bouchard (brother of Pierre-Marc), Mathieu finished tied for 10^th in rookie scoring with 50 points.  Two more goals and 21 games later, Mathieu Perreault and the Hershey Bears captured the Calder Cup.

Photo by Caps In Pictures

Fast-forward to this season and in the Caps’ most recent game, Perreault found himself starring down Dwayne Roloson in the sixth round of the shootout with a chance to take the lead.  As Mathieu glided in Roloson, his copious amount of dekes ultimately led to a lack of real estate and resulted in a missed attempt.  Never one to get down on himself, Perry laughed it off.  No, seriously.  Not just a chuckle or an uneasy smile, but laughter.

Last year, Perreault had to sit back and watch as teammate after teammate got called up to the NHL.  A grand total of sixteen players suited up for the Caps and the Hershey Bears in 2008-2009.  Perreault was not one of them.  He knows that his days in the NHL are numbered (at least for this season) and he’s making the most out of the opportunity.  More importantly, he’s having a blast doing it.  Besides, isn’t that what it’s all about?

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Last week I was fortunate enough to take part in a Podcast where Capitals’ defenseman Mike Green was put on the spot.  VERSUS sponsored the call and joining me in the interview were members from some prominent hockey sites including On Frozen Blog and The Hockey Barn.

The audio can be found here (opens new window and my segment begins around the 10:50 mark).  Below is the transcript of the questions I asked.

And. Here. We. Go…

Matt Leighton (The Hockey Writers): Over the past few months, you’ve established yourself on the web, via Twitter, Facebook, or your own site: GreenLife52.com.  I think it’s a great way to stay close to your fans.  What made you get involved in new media and are you trying to convince some of your teammates to do the same?

Mike Green: Yeah, definitely convincing teammates to try to do the same.  You know it is a lot of work to keep up-to-date with it, but it’s important for the fans to be in touch with the players away from just seeing them on the ice and really getting to know what they do away from the rink.

But you know it helps the sport grow and helps the fans get in touch but I’m sure once other teammates see that it’s a good thing that they’ll do the same thing…Hopefully.

THW: You went to a Redskins game recently where you were on the sidelines and interviewing players in the locker room after the game.  How did this opportunity come about and do you plan on interacting with Redskins players or other D.C. sports teams for that matter in the future?

Mike Green: Yeah, well we know quite a few of the players and they come to our games now and we definitely support them too and we got an opportunity to go down and interview them after one of their wins and it was exciting.  It just goes to show that the athletes in Washington respect each other and that we can have some fun with it.  Me and Backstrom did some interviews after one of the games.

THW: Yeah that was quite an ending to the video with you guys and it might have been the cheerleaders at the end of the video.  I’m not too sure [they knew who they were talking to] (see: 6:25-6:50 of the video linked above).

Photo by Anna Armstrong

THW: What’s it like having Bob Woods, who coached you and a few of your teammates at the AHL level…What’s it like having him behind the bench in D.C.?

Mike Green: It’s been great.  Obviously having Bob my first year, he really helped me develop to be a strong defenseman and learn the pro game really is what he helped me with.  To have him here now, I feel like my game is getting better and better again.  I have to contribute that to him for sure.  But I know a lot of the other guys vouch for him too.  He’s a great coach and he really knows what he’s talking about.

THW: Where are some of your favorite places to play?  Calgary (Mike’s hometown) has got to be number one, if not up there.  But what are some of the other arenas you look forward to playing in each year?

Mike Green: I would say Montreal.  Hmm, where else?

THW: Madison Square Garden?  Or some of the other Canadian cities, possibly?

Mike Green: Yeah Madison Square Garden is good or Toronto is alright.  Anywhere in Canada is good to play.

Be sure to check out On Frozen Blog and The Hockey Barn for their take on the Podcast.  Opportunities like these only come about once in a while so I owe a huge thanks to VERSUS for including me in this interview.  I would also like to thank Mike Green for taking the time to answer my questions, he was a real pleasure to talk with.

Photo by Anna Armstrong

Ovechkin collided with Raffi Torres and awkwardly fell to the ice.  After getting up, he skated over to the bench in a slightly hunched over manner as Caps fans simultaneously rescinded their deposits for playoff tickets.  His return was listed as “Possible”, but he never re-emerged from the locker room.

After the game, Alex addressed the media:

“I can’t tell you how I got hurt.  It’s day to day, but just in case I didn’t go back on the ice.”  Asked if he thought the injury was serious, Ovechkin said: “I don’t know.”

Now that coaches and players alike have adopted the Bill Bilichick-like strategy when it comes to revealing injuries, an answer like this should be expected.  Even though nothing was clearly stated, replays show Ovechkin favoring his left shoulder.

What’s odd about the injury is it came on a relatively innocent looking collision.  The style and speed at which Ovechkin performs is so intense, you would think he would get banged on one of those vicious checks that he  leaves his feet sends the opponent into the middle of next week.

Try watching Alex play in a blowout, then watching him play in the playoffs…you will see the same energy level and desire.  Ovechkin only knows how to operate at 110%.

Washington only has one game in the next four days, and then they will play at New Jersey and have a home-and-home series against the Panthers next weekend.  For what it’s worth, the Caps are 1-3 in the games that Ovechkin has not played in.

Knowing the type of person Ovechkin is, he will want to play hurt…which is fine.  Athletes do that all the time.  But there is a difference between playing in pain and playing injured.  Once you are hurting the team, it’s time to swallow your pride and enjoy a night off in the luxury box.  And by leading the league in goals and points, I’d say he deserves one, too.

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Following last season’s playoffs, Fehr opted to have surgery on his bum shoulder. But wait, he injured the other shoulder in the playoffs as well. So Fehr spent the summer recovering from double shoulder surgery and paints a pretty clear picture on what it was like, “Try tying your arms to your chest and walking around doing everyday things; you can’t.  That’s how it was for a while.”

The shoulders just add to the laundry list of injuries the former 1st round pick (2003) has had to deal with throughout his career. Two years ago, a back/hip ailment caused him to miss a large chunk of time. Fehr would go on to play in just 98 games in the next two seasons (06-08). To put that in perspective, last year alone, Brooks Laich played 96 games. (Brooks is also just five games shy from playing in his 200th consecutive game).

What’s great about Eric Fehr is that when he does play, you see glimpses of the top six forward that he very well may end up being. The problem is, those impressions are few and far between. Yet six games into the season, Fehr is getting his bearings straight and giving Caps’ fans something to be hopeful about.

During last Thursday’s 5-4 victory over Atlanta, Fehr got his first goal of the season on a nifty breakaway.  Jeff Schultz sent tape-to-tape lead pass to Fehr that caught the Thrashers on a bad line change.  Breaking in alone on net, Eric kept it simple with a quick snap shot that flew by the shoulder of Ondrej Pavelec and into the back of the net.

Photo by Caps in Pictures

It’s opportunities like these that Fehr needs to continue to convert on if he wants to stay with the Washington Capitals in the NHL. Fehr becomes a Restricted Free Agent after this year and the next wave of prospects are knocking on the door. The injuries have caused quite a setback in Fehr’s development, but is that a legitimate excuse?

Some players are injury-prone, while others catch bad breaks. But this season, Eric Fehr is healthy (or whatever ‘healthy’ means to Eric Fehr). So for a guy who was taken 18th overall, before the likes of Ryan Getzlaf (19th), Mike Richards (24th), and Corey Perry (28th), it’s now or never to prove to his critics that he is more than just an AHL star.

…Semin played as if he was trying out for the Harlem Globetrotters. Every time he got the puck, he would skate around looking for a shot or fancy play instead of trying to pass and be a good teammate. That doesn’t work for any team, let alone for the hardworking Caps.

Photo by Anna Armstrong

Now if you have ever watched Alexander Semin play, ‘Every time’ is a little ambiguous as to how often he tries to show-off. ‘9.5 out of 10’ is more like it. Semin is like that kid you played against growing up who knew he was better than everyone else, but instead of racking up loads of goals and passing the puck to wide-open teammates when the double-team came, he would go for the nut-meg, or the toe drag, or the spin-o-rama and end up coughing up a turnover. Caps fans should be holding their collective breaths when this Alex is operating the Power Play from the blue line because you never know what highly conservative pass he will attempt to make.

Here come the comparisons:

Semin tries to do everything himself if he’s playing with anybody except Ovechkin. The reason the second line doesn’t work is because of Semin, who might just be a slightly more skilled version of Miroslav Satan or Maxim Afinogenov. Like his fellow Russians Europeans, Semin can disappear for games on end or dominate at the drop of a hat.

It’s tough to argue against these points if you read between the lines. The first point is hard to prove but one thing is for sure: 8 + 28 = loads of offensive chances. In the second point, I don’t think Rob is arguing that Satan and Afinogenov are close to as good as Semin, based on skill ( a comparison to Thomas Vanek is more accurate anyways). Rather, I think what he means is that all three players notorious for taking days off. Okay, maybe they do and maybe they don’t, but in defense of Sasha, he has had some nagging injuries the past few seasons. ‘Not playing hard’ could easily be mixed up with ‘attempting to play with excruciating pain’.

Rob sums things up by saying:

The bottom line is that, unless Semin has a huge change of heart over the next couple weeks, this will be a problem until he is sent away – which, in my opinion, is the best resolution to dealing with the only offensive player on the roster who doesn’t understand that being selflessness is just as (and maybe more important) than skill in winning the Stanley Cup.

This is Semin’s last year of his contract meaning a few things:

a) He will have his best season yet (for what it’s worth, his stats through eight games multiplied to get an 82-game total would result in career-career highs in the three major offensive categories).

b) George McPhee has a big decision ahead of him (obviously). Is a trade imminent for the 25-year old Russian? The Semin-for-Kovalchuk trade possibility mentioned in the article is not what I have in mind here, but maybe something along the lines of a trade deadline move brining in some experience and toughness to the backline would be more realistic.

Photo by Anna Armstrong

Whatever the case may be, there is another ‘Young Gun’ in D.C. looking for a new contract and depending on how the season unfolds and Washington’s salary cap issues, Alex Semin could be the odd man out.