I’ve tried to avoid the Capitals’ current hot-button issue, simply because I don’t think it is one. To me, there shouldn’t be ambiguity about the roles of Olaf Kolzig and Cristobal Huet one the Caps. Consider these facts:

(1) Huet is tied for the best save percentage since the lockout and is 9th in the NHL in save percentage this season.
(2) Kolzig is tied for last (44th) in the league in save percentage this season.
(3) When he was being played heavily in December and January Kolzig had a save percentage of about .860. Once he started playing less frequently he played better, posting a .922 save percentage in February.
(4) Kolzig won a Veniza in D.C., led the team to the Stanley Cup finals, stayed with the team through their rebuild and has been great in the community his entire tenure with the Capitals.

To me what those first two facts mean are that Cristobal Huet certainly seems to be the better of the two goalies right now and should get the nod as the number one goaltender. If Huet’s struggles and/or Kolzig starts playing lights out, fine, that is a situation the coaching staff can deal with at that time. But right now the season is three-quarters of the way done and each goaltender has had enough playing time that a decision can be made about who the number one is going to be.

What I don’t understand is the animosity some Capitals fans have towards Kolzig, wanting him demoted to the bench (or AHL), using him as the go-to scapegoat for losses (presumably because it’s now impossible to blame Jaromir Jagr or Glen Hanlon and blaming George McPhee is looking dumber every day), and forgetting all he’s done for the franchise. Not surprisingly this has created a backlash, with other fans insisting that Kolzig is the victim of bad luck, bad coaching, or bad defense and that he deserves to stay the starter now and into the future.

In my opinion, Capitals fans are letting their passion take control of their heads which isn’t necessarily a bad thing; after all every team wants die-hard fans. But to see the situation with being blinded by frustrations that Caps fans have had with Kolzig this season or their memories or Kolzig in better days it might be best to consider the case of a franchise player with another organization.

Take Steve Yzerman as an example. Like Kolzig, Yzerman was a first round draft pick who would become the face of his franchise during it’s most successful times and like Kolzig, and every other professional athlete, Yzerman saw his skills diminish with time. As an outsider looking in once Yzerman reached his 22nd NHL season, one where he would eventually post full-season career lows of 14 goals, 20 asssits and 34 points in 61 games, it would seem ridiculous for Red Wings fans to claim because of Yzerman’s diminished skills he should be benched or sent to the minor leagues and it would be equally ridiculous for them to claim that because of his past successes Yzerman should still be allowed to be the first line center and lead the team’s top powerplay unit. Yet this is in essence what many Capitals fans are doing with Kolzg, when what would be best would be for the organization to approach the situation the way the Red Wings handled Yzerman: acknowledge both what the player has done for the organization over the years and their diminishing skill set, and find a way to use the player in a productive role until they are ready to hang up the skates and join the front office.

All photos AP/Getty by way of Yahoo!