There are 82 games in the NHL’s regular season, and the Capitals have needed every one of them to try and get themselves into a playoff position. It all comes down to this for the Capitals in 2007-08, a game in their own barn, with a sea of red backing them inside the arena and the support of a city that hasn’t been this fully behind the Caps since their 1998 Stanley Cup run. The Caps opponent, the Florida Panthers, played the role of spoiler last night in Raleigh and will be looking to do the same against the Caps. The improbable Panthers win might just be a case of the hockey gods looking favorably upon Washington: the Panthers were outshot 46-17 last night, were called for nine penalties to Carolina’s zero, used both their goaltenders and won in Carolina for the first time since 2002. Beyond just the win, this is good news for a Capitals team that will be facing the traveling Panthers squad less than 24 hours after last night’s intense matchup, so something tells me the Caps will probably have more spring in their step.

The bottom line? The Capitals need one point to get in to the postseason. Let’s do this thing.

Florida Panthers at Washington Capitals
Saturday, April 5th, 2008, 7:00 PM
Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
TV: CSN
Last Meeting: 3/29/08, Caps win 3-0

About the Opponent

Florida Panthers: 38-34-9, 85 points, 3rd in the Southeast Division, 11th in the Eastern Conference

Team Leaders
Goals: Olli Jokinen (34)
Assists: Olli Jokinen (37)
Points: Olli Jokinen (71)
Plus/Minus: Jassen Cullimore (+21)
Penalty Minutes: Nathan Horton (85)
Fights: Tanner Glass (7)

Keys to the Game

Washington
Score early and score often. Florida’s primary motivation in this game is going to be playing the role of spoiler. While that might be enough to get off to solid start or provide a boost late in a close game, it’s probably not going to be enough to motivate a team to come back from a 2-0 or 3-0 deficit.

Florida
Convert your chances. Unless something strange happens, the Capitals should have more shots, more scoring chances more puck possession and more offensive zone time, so the only way Florida is going to have a shot on the big board is to convert an unusually higher number of their opportunities.

Players to Watch

Washington
John Erskine - The only way I see the Capitals losing this game is if they make mistakes to hand the game to Florida; the only player that I think is likely to make a mistake like that is Erskine. The Capitals don’t need a great game from Erskine, they just need him to not screw up.

Florida
Tomas Vokoun/Craig Anderson - Both are capable of stealing a game, and there’s a very good chance that whichever Panther is in net will be the toughest task for the Capitals tonight.

Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals
Tuesday, April 1st, 2008, 7:00 PM
Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
TV: CSN
Last Meeting: 3/26/08, Caps win 3-2 in the shootout

To call this one the biggest game of the season would be an understatement - this is biggest game this franchise has played in almost five years; the biggest since Martin St. Louis broke the hearts of Caps fans with an powerplay game winner in the third overtime at MCI Center on Easter Sunday, 2003, the result of a too many men on the ice call. A win Tuesday night would put the Capitals into a tie (points-wise) with Carolina for first in the Southeast Division, while a loss would all but extinguish the team’s already somewhat dim playoffs hopes. If the Capitals have proven anything this season it’s that they’re never down and out, and are at their best when their backs are against the wall. Do they have one more great win in them?

About the Opponent

Carolina Hurricanes: 42-31-6, 90 points, 1st in the Southeast Division, 3rd in the Eastern Conference

Team Leaders
Goals: Eric Staal (36)
Assists: Eric Staal (43)
Points: Eric Staal (79)
Plus/Minus: Joe Corvo (+19)
Penalty Minutes: Scott Walker (113)
Fights: Wade Brookbank (12)

Keys to the Game

Washington
Play your game. The Capitals are 32-17-7 under Bruce Boudreau and have won eight of their last nine. In short, the team knows how to play hockey and win games at the NHL level. What they need to do is not let the pressure of this game get to them and start changing the way they play.

Carolina
Score early. Cam Ward’s confidence against the Capitals has got to be high, so if the Hurricanes can get an early lead and concentrate on playing defense it might be hard for the Capitals to battle back.

Players to Watch

Washington
John Erskine - Carolina has a lot of good forwards and most of them are very good skaters while Erskine…is not. Due to his lack of foot speed and agility, Erskine is probably the best blue line target for the Hurricanes when they’re trying to create chances.

Carolina
Cam Ward - Ward’s been a little inconsistent this season, but he’s 5-0-1 against the Caps with a .950 save percentage. For Washington to win this one in regulation, they’ll need to do a better job of solving Ward.

Washington Capitals at Tampa Bay Lightning
Thursday, March 27th, 2008, 7:30 PM
St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa Bay, Florida
TV: CSN
Last Meeting: 2/16/08, Caps win 3-2

About the Opponent

Tampa Bay Lightning: 30-38-8, 68 points, 5th in the Southeast Division, 15th in the Eastern Conference

Team Leaders
Goals: Vincent Lecavalier (40)
Assists: Martin St. Louis (56)
Points: Vincent Lecavalier (89)
Plus/Minus: Michel Ouellet (+12)
Penalty Minutes: Shane O’Brien (154)
Fights: Andre Roy (12)

Keys to the Game

Washington
Avoid mistakes. The Capitals are a far better team that Tampa Bay and one with much more to play for. They ought to significantly outplay the Lightning and the only way that won’t be reflected on the scoreboard is if the Caps give the Lightning chances to get back in the game with turnovers, soft goals, bad penalties or the like.

Lightning
Slow down the game. Just as an inferior basketball team can keep themselves in the game by running down the shot clock and limiting possessions, an inferior hockey team can keep themselves in the game by mucking up play in the neutral zone and avoiding trading chances at each end.

Players to Watch

Washington
Alex Ovechkin - not exactly a bold prediction but Ovechkin’s had three goals, 2 assists and 20 shots in the two games since the Caps collapse in Chicago and seemed poised to will his team into the postseason.

Lightning
Jeff Halpern - the former Caps captain and 20 goal scorer has rediscovered his offensive touch since being traded to Tampa, where he has put up 15 points (7+8) in 13 games with the Lightning.

Washington Capitals at Atlanta Thrashers
Friday, March 20th, 2008, 7:00 PM
Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia
TV: CSN
Last Meeting: 3/14/2008, Caps win 4-1

For a post that covers similar ground, see A View From the Cheap Seats‘ “Know Thy Enemy“.

After the Capitals’ last game it was apparent that the team was tired, likely both mentally and physically and Bruce Boudreau gave the team Thursday off from practice in an effort to help them clear their heads and come back focused. Having a day away from the rink to collect their thoughts should help the team move on after getting dismantled against Chicago. A win against a struggling Atlanta team would help even more.

There’s no reason the Capitals can’t win against the Thrashers who, frankly, are a bad team. Really bad. Like, getting national attention for how bad they are. Here’s a look at what the Caps’ Friday night opponent has done in their last ten games:

• March 2nd, 3-2 overtime loss to Pittsburgh. At the time this was Atlanta 7th consecutive loss.
• March 5th, 6-3 loss to Carolina. Atrlanta put the Hurricanes on gthe powerplay seven time, contributing to the 37 shots against.
• March 7th, 3-2 win against Minnesota in the gimmick shootout. Atlanta was outshot 39-26, but did go 2-4 on the powerplay.
• March 8th, 3-2 overtime loss to Florida. Were it not for Kari Lehtonen this one would have been close; the Thrashers were outshot 43-27.
• March 11th, 5-2 loss to Colorado. Johan Hedberg allows five goals on 23 shots.
• March 13th, 6-4 win against Calgary. The Thrashers rally from a three-goal deficit to send a tired Calgary team home with a loss.
• March 14th, 4-1 loss to Washington. The Caps dominated the Thrashers, outshooting them 37-12. Only Kari Lehtonen’s stellar play kept this from being a complete blowout.
• March 16th, 3-1 loss to Florida. The Thrashers learned two things the Capitals know all to well: (1) the NHL’s referees aren’t very consistent and (2) Tomas Vokoun is really good.
• March 18th, 3-2 loss to Philadelphia. The score may have been 3-2, but the shots were 47-19 in favor of the Flyers.
• March 19th, 5-3 loss to Carolina. A Slava Kozlov goal with 39 seconds left made this one look a little better on paper and although the Thrashers played one of their stronger games of this stretch, actually out shooting the Hurricanes 34-33, this game was over at the first intermission when Carolina took a 3-0 lead to the locker room.

During this ten game stretch the Thrashers:

• Won one game in regulation, won one game in a shootout, lost twice in overtime and lost six times in regulation.
• Allowed an average of 35.6 shots per game against and averaged 26.1 shots for.
• Were outshot six times, outshot their opposition three times and matched their opponents once.
• Went 6 for 35 on the powerplay (17.1%), but scored powerplay goals in only three games.
• Killed just 29 of 40 shorthanded situations (72.5%).
• Saw their goalies post a combined .896 save percentage.

Simply put, the Capitals should not lose this game. In fact, it shouldn’t even be close.

The Capitals open a season-defining six game road trip against an opponent in a similar position. The Nashville Predators have taken a lot of people by surprise this season and like the Capitals they’re just two points away from on the cusp of an unlikely playoff berth, so this game ought to be a good one as two deep and talent teams try to go on the type of season-ending run that will be needed to bolster them into the playoffs.

Washington Capitals at Nashville Predators
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008, 8:00 PM
Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee
TV: CSN

About the Opponent

Nashville Predators: 36-29-8, 80 points, 2nd in the Central Division, 9th in the Western Conference

Team Leaders
Goals: J.P. Dumont (27)
Assists: Jason Arnott (42)
Points: Jason Arnott (67)
Plus/Minus: Alexander Radulov (+17)
Penalty Minutes: Jordin Tootoo (83)
Fights: Darcy Hordichuk (12)

Random Predators Fact
The Predators have a little bit of the Capitals in their history: Former Caps’ general manager David Poile is the only GM the Predators have ever had and the franchise’s first goal was scored by former Capital Andrew Brunette.

Random team Statistic
Predators center David Legwand was it’s first ever draft choice and leads the team in career scoring with 327 points (121+206).

Keys to the Game

Washington
Get solid games from all six defensemen. The Predators are 10th in the NHL in goals and it’s not because of one player, or even one line: Nashville already has four players with more than 20 goals (and other with 15) and six players with more than 40 points. A loss of concentration against any Nashville’s lines could mean the puck winds up in the Capitals’ net.

Nashville
Goaltending. Chris Mason was supposed to replace Tomas Vokoun, but he’s been average at best. Dan Ellis has stepped up and has great numbers on the year but he’s also been somewhat inconsistent. Nashville can skate, can play defense, can score and has great depth - when they get good goaltending they’re really a tough team to face.

Players to Watch

Washington
Alexander Semin - for Washing to have a successful road swing they can’t just rely on the Ovehckin-Backstrom-Kolov tandem to provide the vast majority of their offense and the second-best goal scorer on the Capitals Semin needs to step it up.

Nashville
Alexander Radulov - the 15th overall pick in the 2004 draft has flown under the radar a little becuase he players in Nashville, but Radulov is immensely talented and already has 24 goals and 31 assists this season to go along with his stellar +17 rating, leading a very defensively responsible Nashville team.

Atlanta Thrashers at Washington Capitals
Friday, March 14th, 2008, 7:00 PM
Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
TV: CSN
Last Meeting: 2/13/08, Caps lose in overtime 3-2

About the Opponent

Atlanta Thrashers: 31-33-8, 70 points, 4th in the Southeast Division, 14th in the Eastern Conference

Team Leaders
Goals: Ilya Kovalchuk (45)
Assists: Ilya Kovalchuk (31)
Points: Ilya Kovalchuk (76)
Plus/Minus: Niclas Havelid (+2)
Penalty Minutes: Eric Boulton (91)
Fights: Chris Thorburn (10)

Random Thrashers Fact
Yeah, I got nothing, which isn’t surprising given that the Thrashers are only six years old and the Caps play them eight times this year.

Random Thrashers Statistic
The Thrashers have allowed more goals (239) than any other team in the NHL

Keys to the Game

Washington
Play smart. Atlanta’s not a very deep team and they’re complete mess right now. The only way the Capitals lose this one is if the give it away.

Atlanta
Get lucky. Seriously, Atlanta is really just a complete mess right now and feeling is that the Thrashers just want this season over with so they can replace Don Waddell and start over.

Players to Watch

Washington
Alexander Ovechkin - he leads the NHL in goals, is going up against a fellow Russian left wing who’s second in the league in goals and the team that’s allowed the most goals in the NHL.

Atlanta
Ilya Kovalchuk - with Marian Hossa now in Pittsburgh, Kovalchuk is the Thrashers’ only game-breaking threat.

Hey, what can I say, I’m a busy guy. But here’s all you really need to know going into tonight’s game. This is the guy the Capitals (especially Ovechkin) will have to deal with and the Flames player to watch:

Of course, past instances may lead one to believe Ovechkin is up for the challenge:

Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals
March 08, 2008, 3:00 PM 12:30 PM
Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
TV: NBC
Last Meeting: 1/21/2008, Caps win 6-5 in the shootout.

About the Opponent

Pittsburgh Penguins: 38-24-7, 83 points, 2nd in the Atlantic Division, 4th in the Eastern Conference.

Team Leaders
Goals: Evgeni Malkin (38)
Assists: Evgeni Malkin (51)
Points: Evgeni Malkin (89)
Plus/Minus: Sidney Crosby (+16)
Penalty Minutes: Georges Laraque (113)
Fights: Georges Laraque (12)

Random Penguins Fact
In his final year in the QMJHL Sidney Crosby posted a +78 rating in 62 games for Rimouski Oceanic

Random Penguins Statistic
For all their offensive skill, the Penguins are 22nd in the league in shots on goal per game.

Keys to the Game

Washington
Unleash the fury. Actually I don’t really like that expression but if the Caps can funnel the anger and frustration over yesterday’s loss in to this game, the Penguins won’t stand a chance.

Penguins
Play defense first. With Ty Conklin coming back to Earth and Marc-André Fleury seeing more playing time, the Pens defensive situation is far from rock-solid; all the offensive weapons that the Pens have and they should generate enough offense. Concentrate on stopping the Caps and the rest should take of itself.

Players to Watch

Washington
Nicklas Backstrom - everyone’s going to talk about Alex Ovechkin vs. Crosby/Malkin, while perhaps mentioning Alex Semin as well. Backstrom might fly under the radar a little leading into the game but something tells me he wont be once the final buzzer sounds.

Penguins
Brooks Orpik - Orpik is the only member of the Penguins’ defense corps who can match up against Ovechkin, so the game may hinge on his ability to control The Great Eight.

Boston Bruins at Washington Capitals
Saturday, March 8th, 2008, 1:00 PM
TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
TV: CSN
Last Meeting: 3/3/2008, Caps win 10-2.

Just five days after being embarrassed by the Capitals 10-2 on the Verizon Center’s ice the Bruins will do their best to return the favor in Boston, as the Capitals try to keep pace with the Carolina Hurricanes in a Saturday matinée match up.

One quick note before I get to the gameday preview: James Mirtle has a great piece up on his blog about Olaf Kolzig that I’d encourage any Caps fan to read.

About the Opponent

Boston Bruins: 35-25-7, 77 points, 3rd in the Northeast Division, 7th in the Eastern Conference.

Team Leaders
Goals: Marco Sturm (23)
Assists: Marc Savard (60)
Points: Marc Savard (74)
Plus/Minus: tie - Dennis Wideman and Zdeno Chára (+11)
Penalty Minutes: Zdeno Chára (108)
Fights: Milan Lucic (12)

Random Bruins Fact
Former Bruins center Phil Esposito was the first player in NHL history to score 100 points in a season.

Random Bruins Statistic
In the 1970-71 season Bobby Orr had a plus/minus rating of +124.

Keys to the Game

Washington
Score first and score early. The Bruins have lost their last three games, giving up a combined 19 goals, including 10 to the Capitals on Tuesday. If the Capitals get a couple early on it might be hard for the Bruins to avoid a ‘here we go again’ feeling.

Bruins
Score first. With the Bruins having the difficulty they have had on defense recently and the 10 goal night the Capitals posted against them earlier this week the team that scores the first goal is going to have a huge advantage in this one.

Players to Watch

Washington
Boyd Gordon - David Steckel’s injury is going to hurt the Capitals more than a lot of people might realize. Bruce Boudreau and the Caps will turn to Gordon to pick up some of the slack both in the faceoff circle on the penalty kill until Steckel can return.

Bruins
Tim Thomas - The Bruins all-star netminder is 0-2-0 with a .744 save percentage and a 10.54 goals against average.

Washington Capitals at Buffalo Sabres
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008, 7:30 PM
HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York
TV: CSN+
Last Meeting: 12/14/07, Caps lose 5-3

About the Opponent

Buffalo Sabres, 32-26-9, 73 points, 4th in the Northeast Division, 9th in the Eastern Conference.

Team Leaders
Goals: Thomas Vanek (27)
Assists: Jason Pominville (40)
Points: Jason Pominville (62)
Plus/Minus: Jason Pominville (12)
Penalty Minutes: Andrew Peters (85)
Fights: Andrew Peters (11)

Random Sabres Fact
In 1996, before a game between the Sabres and the Boston Bruins, the scoreboard at HSBC Arena fell to the ice while it was being moved. There were no players on the ice at the time and no one was hurt.

Random Sabres Statistic
Sabres winger Thomas Vanek had a +47 plus/minus ratings last season. This season his is even (+0).

Keys to the Game

Washington
Keep the energy level high. The Capitals always play a much better game when they keep the energy level up and the Sabres played in Philadelphia last night.

Buffalo
Get out in front early. The Capitals are likely to be flying high coming off their 10-2 victory over Boston and if the Sabres can come out and get a quick goal or two it may throw things awry on the opposition’s bench.

Players to Watch

Washington
Olaf Kolzig - Kolzig’s been scapegoated plenty this season when he hasn’t deserved it, but the last two times these teams met he cost the Capitals at least one point, plain and simple. With Huet playing well, you’d have to figure Kolzig will run out chances (eventually…) if he doesn’t start showing something in net.

Buffalo
Thomas Vanek - the object of Kevin Lowe’s offseason affection has started playing like he’s worth $10 million, putting up 20 points (13+7) in 15 games in February.