All good things must come to an end, however, and it’s bittersweet to say that this will be my final post here in the Cheap Seats. It’s been a pleasure and an honor to keep this site going and I will certainly miss it.

The good news – or bad, depending on your viewpoint – is that you just can’t get rid of me that easily. No, I’m simply packing up my lunacy, my blind optimism and my love of Brooks Laich and heading across the internet to join the fantastic crew over at Japers’ Rink. Because someone’s got to be the weak link, and it’s high time they had one.

Basically I’m stepping in to be the Alexandre Giroux to their Alexander Ovechkin, if you will.

This site will stay up for the time being, both as an archive (you know you really want to go back and read the tale of the Magical Spearing Midget one more time) and as a potential rebound should the boys over at the Rink decide there are no girls allowed, after all.

To all of you who have commented or simply stopped by to read over the years, thanks for making this so much fun and such a great place to be! I know many of you are already a part of the great community they have over at the Rink – but for those who aren’t I hope you’ll join in the discussion occasionally and help keep me honest, as you always have.

So keep rocking the red…and LET’S GO CAPS!!

No one says it better than the game-winner himself, Brooks Laich – and we all know it’s true. There are parts of this win that still feel a bit hollow as the Caps continue to put in less than stellar efforts against a weaker opponent.

Still, it’s just a little over 12 hours after this one is in the books and I’ve already seen a number of people bemoaning this win, claiming there were no two points less deserved by the Caps than these two. Maybe for part of the game that’s true – the Caps slogged through a first period that saw them fall behind on a shorthanded goal (their second in two games) and looked disinterested at best. But they woke up as the game went on and by the end seemed to want it just as much as the Islanders.

No, it’s not the model of a perfect game and it’s certainly not what we want to see out of these guys as the season progresses. But to say they didn’t earn these two points, particularly in the last 25 minutes, is to ignore a pretty decent comeback effort on the Island.

Other thoughts:

- First of all, credit where credit is due – the Islanders gave the Caps a hell of a fight. They’re really no longer a boring team to watch but a young, exciting, hard-working group that makes up for a lack of star talent by coming to the rink ready to play regardless of their opponent.

- Nice to see Brooks Laich getting back on the scoresheet, and in an essentially Brooks Laich fashion – by going to the front of the net. His fourth of the season was the perfect tip-in on a great Mike Green saucer pass. Hey, if you want bread, go to the bakery…

- Just as Varlamov has yet to steal the #1 spot from Theodore, Theodore has yet to give any huge signs that he’s ready to have it stolen. His performance tonight, like so many of his games already this year, was exactly what the Caps needed it to be – and finally they gave him a win for his efforts. A well-deserved hard hat recipient for sure.

- Two shots for #8 last night; the last time Alex Ovechkin was held to two shots or less in a regular season game was back on February 3 against the Devils. It was the same number of shots that Poti, Bradley and Steckel each had for the Caps – and Jon Sim and Brendan Witt for the Islanders.

- Two of the five goal scorers last night, Keith Aucoin and Jeff Tambellini, had less than 9 minutes of ice time apiece.

- The power play was horrible again, going 0-for-4 and giving up a second straight shorthanded goal. It did seem to get better as the game went on, however, and on the last attempt – when Nate Thompson was sent to the box for kneeing Mike Green – the whole group seemed reinvigorated. Thanks, Nate.

- How about that game of “Wheel O’Wingers” Boudreau was playing last night? Highly entertaining if nothing else. And quick, raise your hand if you had Ovechkin-Steckel-Aucoin as your goal-scoring combo when all was said and done.

- So we got our first look at young Mr. Tavares last night, and overall he looked okay – but certainly not the explosive, game-breaking kind of talent we’ve been accustomed to seeing out of #1 picks in the last few years. Yet. Ovechkin, Crosby, Kane, your legacies are safe for now.

- Considering these teams haven’t played each other yet this season and haven’t seen one another since April 1, this was a pretty chippy affair. And it seemed like Nate Thompson, Tim Jackman and Andy Sutton were pretty central to just about every post-whistle scrum. Nice to see Ovechkin get a few punches in on one of those – but that’s enough fighting for you, Ovie.

- Speaking of #8 and fighting…this is the first and last thing I’ll say about the gruesome twosome of Milbury and Cherry, who both spoke out against Ovechkin last night. We get it, you don’t like him. You’re welcome to your opinion, and I’m sure Crosby thanks you for your support. But Ovechkin’s been in the league for 5 years now, and all this talk of “someone’s going to get him for the way he plays” gets a little old when people have had plenty of time to do it and haven’t. Tell you something, morons?

- So often it’s Ovechkin who takes over in a game and decides that the Caps are simply not losing; last night it seemed to be Mike Green who made that decision, particularly after getting taken out by Thompson about halfway through the game. Both his goal and the rush up ice that led to the OT winner were classic Mike Green – nice to have you back, Mike.

So the Caps take the Islanders – or rather the Islanders take the Caps – to overtime for the fourth straight game, and for the third straight game the Caps emerge victorious. These games are practically scripted now, and while it’s exciting and a credit to the way the Islanders are playing, it’s certainly not a credit to the way the Caps are approaching them.

If this game started the way it ended, the final score wouldn’t have been anywhere close and those two points would have felt a little better – and don’t think there’s not a man in the room who doesn’t know it. Boudreau’s got to get them back to where we know they can be, and do it fast. The big, bad Flyers come to town Tuesday night.

All the talent in the world and yet continuously undermined by their own lack of mental toughness. They build up a lead, as fluky as it was, and then proceed to play sloppy defense and take bad penalties as if trying to lose the game. Foiled again, Caps…foiled again.

And then they go through a complete lack of secondary scoring through eight games, only to have an absolute explosion of goals from the third and fourth lines (and Jeff Schultz) while #8 can’t buy a goal.

Ah, just another night as a Caps fan. Weird bounces, bad goals, Jeff Schultz as the #1 star…is it a full moon or something?

Some other stuff:

- Jose Theodore is still your #1 goalie, ladies and gentlemen. Although Irbe may need to switch his focus from improving glove hands to getting both his goalies to close the damn five hole.

- The Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble line was downright invisible at times tonight. Whether it was just an off night for the newly formed top line or an excellent job of shutting them down by Atlanta, it’s hard to say – probably a bit of both.

- On the same token, here are the boys in white picking up points tonight: Fehr, Schultz, Giroux, Aucoin, Varlamov, Bradley, Steckel, Clark and Green. Wow.

- Was that Jurcina’s first bad game of the season?

- The bounce that led to Schultz’s goal, his first in 40 games, was really unfortunate for Pavelec. This wasn’t a Lundqvist bluffing an easy ground ball like Backstrom’s goal a few weeks ago; that thing hit a bump and took off. Too bad for Pavelec (and my fantasy hockey team), it would cause him to very quickly unravel.

- How about Chris Clark getting on the scoresheet with a goal so ugly it was beautiful – crashing the net, sharp angle shot, exactly the type of goal he needed to get going. Hopefully.

- Meanwhile, Fehr’s first of the season was anything but ugly, as was the outlet pass from Jeff Schultz – Jeff frickin’ Schultz – to spring him on the breakaway.

- Kovalchuk now has 9 goals, tying Ovechkin for the league lead…having played in two fewer games.

- Hard to tell what was more unacceptable – taking 8 penalties and yielding two power play goals or getting 7 power plays of their own and not only not scoring but giving up a shorthanded goal. To a defenseman. Who can’t legally drink after the game.

When the Caps started getting the bounces and fluky goals in the second, it felt like tonight could be one of those great team-uniting blowout games. Instead it ends up feeling slightly hollow, two points earned but not really deserved – especially after that horrendous third period.

The good news is, it’s early in the season and these mental blocks can still be fixed. The bad news is it feels like we’re saying that after every game now – and early season becomes late in the season before you know it.

While the Caps have found a bit of offense (yeah, just a tad) from some guy wearing #8, Atlanta’s Kovalchuk has provided the same spark for his team and has 7 goals to Ovechkin’s 9. And that’s through just 6 games. It’s an offensive showdown that promises to be a fun one to watch – not just tonight but all season long, as another long-overlooked Russian throws his hat into the scoring ring.

Ovechkin vs. Kovalchuk has been and will be covered ad nauseum around this game – and the 5 that will follow – but there’s another storyline of sorts floating around this one. Our first meeting of the season with a division rival is a reminder that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Southeast Division as it stands today.

Celebrate good times. Come on. Let’s celebrate…with random SE factoids:

- The Caps face the Thrashers in their 9th game of the season. That ties the longest start to a season without meeting a division rival since back in ‘01-’02, when the Caps didn’t see one until playing Tampa on October 23. Incidentally, that game ended in a 1-1 tie (remember those?).

- Every other season in the last ten years has seen the Caps go no more than 3 games into a campaign before facing a division rival. They’ve opened a season versus the Southeast three times, including a couple of home openers.

- Atlanta has been the first Southeast Division rival faced by the Caps 5 of the last 6 seasons including this one.

- The Caps have also played the Thrashers more times in October than any other division foe, with 8 October games under their belts. That’s not necessarily a good thing – they’re 2-3-3 in those 8 games, with one tie, one shootout loss and one overtime loss.

- Atlanta has outscored the Caps in the opening month 40-25. Of course a large part of that is thanks to back-to-back, er, thrashings, 7-3 and 8-1 to kickstart the 05-06 season.

- The Caps haven’t fared much better against the rest of the division in October; their only winning record is against the Hurricanes, with a slim margin at 3-2-1. They’re 2-2-1 against the Panthers and 2-3-1 (one tie) against the Lightning.

- Since the ‘99-’00 season, the Caps are 56-48-16 against the Southeast – but have been outscored by a sizable margin, putting up 369 goals compared to 394 allowed. Ouch.

- Last win against the Hurricanes: 3/14/09 in DC, 5-4 (SO)
- Last loss to the Hurricanes: 3/21/09 in Raleigh, 4-1

- Last win against the Lightning: 4/9/09 in Tampa, 4-2
- Last loss to the Lightning: 11/16/07 in Tampa, 5-2

- Last win against the Panthers: 3/17/09 in Florida, 3-0
- Last loss to the Panthers: 4/11/09 in Florida, 7-4

- Last win against the Thrashers: 4/7/09 in Atlanta, 4-2
- Last loss to the Thrashers: 3/16/09 in Atlanta, 5-1

- Technically this whole post is a lie because of the lockout – it’s only the 9th season these 5 teams have been together. But it certainly feels longer…

And as we head into tonight’s game against the Thrashers we take a look at four Russian headliners who enjoy nothing more than scoring on each others’ teams. Here’s how the head-to-head numbers shake out in the last two seasons:

Ovechkin – 14 games, 9-12-21, +3
Kovalchuk – 12 games, 5-9-14, -4
Semin – 11 games, 4-6-10, -4
Kozlov – 14 games, 5-7-12, +1

Of course, with Semin unable to go tonight there’s a 5th Russian to keep an eye on – Semyon Varlamov, who has appeared in 2 games against the Thrashers and given up just 3 goals for a 2.07 GAA.

And if you haven’t heard yet it means this is your first stop for Caps news…and if that’s the case, you are beyond help.

So Nyles is on his way to Michigan for two weeks and the Nylander situation that has plagued this team for over a year seems to maybe, possibly, please oh please oh please, be coming to a conclusion. Perhaps.

Dmitry Chesnokov reported that Dynamo Moscow recently passed on Nylander, (who was being shopped over there by his agent, that’s important to note), citing concerns over his game readiness due to a lack of playing time. So there’s a possibility that they didn’t pass so much as require a “tryout” of sorts – either that or another KHL or NHL team has expressed interest but had the same concerns.

Because really, as far as the Caps are concerned he is in exactly the type of shape they need him to be in to sit in the press box. They’re not going to play him, so what good is it to get him conditioning time in the AHL if the cap hit and roster spot remain the same? No good whatsoever.

Unless of course there’s interest and a way to move him down the road. That seems to be the case.

So a few things to keep in mind here. First of all, it’s not a trade – that’s a big one, as is the fact that this move doesn’t involve the Red Wings at all short of borrowing a roster spot from their AHL affiliate. And if you’re entertaining thoughts of yet another Swede in red and white, forget it; the Wings have very little room left under the cap and aren’t likely to make room for Nylander.

Second, as mentioned above Nylander’s salary still counts against the cap and the Caps still have to list him on their 23-man roster. Nyles does not have to clear waivers to go to Grand Rapids, but he did have to agree to go; the fact that he did is another sign that something could be in the works.

At the end of the day this would seem to be Nylander’s last shot at playing meaningful hockey this year. If he performs well he could turn this into a positive for himself – and don’t forget, he’s actually a pretty talented guy who just happens to not fit in with the system in DC. And whether that positive means playing in the NHL or over in the KHL, you’d have to think either is preferable to sitting in the press box night after night.

Of course, I could think of 4.875 million reasons I’d love to have that job, but that’s another story.

What doesn’t get mentioned nearly as much is that the same pressure might also exist for the longest-tenured Washington Capital, Boyd Gordon.

Gordon has long been a major asset to the penalty kill, a highly skilled and highly ranked faceoff man and an unsung hero in his third/fourth line duties. The 26-year-old was also a key contributor, like so many others on this Caps roster, to the 2006 Calder Cup run by the Hershey Bears.

And yet this offseason the Caps eschewed the idea of locking Gordon in for any longer than a year, extending just a qualifying offer. Two summers ago it was the same thing – the same offseason in which Dave Steckel, a similar breed of player, was rewarded with a two-year deal.

The two will both be coming up for new deals again this summer (Gordon as an RFA, Steckel as a UFA), but it’s hard to ignore the vote of confidence given to one while the other only received a moderate raise and another one year tryout.

Beyond the contract uncertainty, there are the injury concerns that seem to plague him annually. Before making it onto the full-time roster Gordon had appeared in all 80 games for the Bears the year of the lockout. He then played in 83 games the following year between the Caps and Bears – with another 21 games leading up to the Calder Cup.

Since then, however, injuries have forced him to miss more and more time each season, down to just 63 games played last year. Most of his absences have been related to a chronic back problem that is troubling and yet not unexpected for someone with his skill set and style of play.

Gordon’s never been relied on to provide much in the way of offense during his time in the NHL, but even that has steadily decreased. His first full season with the Caps, 2006-07, saw him put up 29 points (22 of which were assists); in the next two years his point production dropped to 16 and 14, with his assist totals taking the heaviest hits.

It admittedly hasn’t been a banner year for Gordon so far. He has just one assist and has seen minimal ice time when healthy, and his 4 minors are already halfway to his career high…though I’d wager a guess that his back problems played a key role in making him take uncharacteristically undisciplined penalties.

So his situation right now is a tricky one. There’s a lot of depth and skill up front and yet his role is well-defined and not easily filled. He’s a cheap and reliable option for the Caps down the middle but his low salary and pending RFA status could make him an easier target as part of a budget-friendly trade.

If he were to leave the team, whether by way of a trade this season or by being cut loose next summer, there’s no question he would be missed in a lineup that too often relies on skill over pure hard work.

The assets he brings to the lineup aren’t easily summed up on a scoresheet or in a contract; he is and always has been a reliable workhorse for this team, doing those little things we’re always talking about but rarely praising. He routinely sacrifices his body and has probably played through more injuries than we know about.

Gordon is the type of player that a Cup contender needs in its lineup – whether he stays with this Cup contender remains to be seen.

Because Blackhawk-centric sites don’t come up often in my daily internet perusal, but I was eternally grateful to Down Goes Brown for introducing me to Hockee Night – a snarky, smart and hysterical Blackhawks blog. And for some strange reason the boys over at Hockee Night decided to invite me to take part in their weekly “puckcast”. For some equally strange reason I accepted.

Simultaneous temporary insanity is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?

So if you want to hear two hilarious ‘Hawks fans boldly defend Cristobal Huet and compare Alex Ovechkin to Jack Skille, or if you just love the idea of listening to me embarrass myself for an hour, check out the audio below:

And for ongoing Hockee Night goodness be sure to check out the puckcast in future weeks, either on their site or on iTunes, when they will no doubt be hosting much more lucid and star-studded guests.

So who are this year’s big overachievers so far, who has underachieved, and who might actually maintain?

Overachievers
Coyotes and Avalanche – You really can’t talk about one of these teams without mentioning the other. Both have had somewhat tumultuous summers, albeit one much more tumultuous than the other, and both were penciled in for next year’s draft lottery. So what do they do right out of the gate? They start winning.

• Colorado: Believe it or not, the Avs are somehow, in some bizarre way, leading the entire Western Conference right now. They cut a blazing swath through the Northeast Division (not that it’s hard, but still) on a recent road trip and upset the President’s Trophy-winning Sharks on opening night. They’re near the top of the league in goals scored, near the bottom in goals allowed, and have gotten incredible goaltending from one Craig Anderson.

• Phoenix: Good lord. They weren’t even supposed to still be in Phoenix, let alone win games there. Instead they’ve also gotten tremendous play in net by Ilya Bryzgalov, shut out the reigning Cup champs in Pittsburgh (…heh), and are 3 points off of Western-leading Colorado in a conference that’s packed tighter than a bunch of hockey-playing sardines. There’s an image for you.

So…yeah, this isn’t going to last. It’s nice for a couple of fanbases who could use some good news and there are promising signs that the season won’t end in total devastation (good goaltending being a major one)…but neither has enough firepower or a strong enough blue line, and the rest of the West will probably catch up eventually. Honestly, though? I kind of hope I’m wrong, especially for the Coyotes’ sake.

Dany Heatley – He’s off to the best start of his career (as Ottawa fans look on in futile frustration), and chances are he’ll continue to put up numbers considering the talent surrounding him – but this 12 points in 9 games thing is a little out of reach for the petulant one. After he settles in a bit more, a point-per-game pace sounds about right for Heatley.

Atlanta’s Power Play – Through an admittedly very small sample size of games (someone please explain to me how they’ve only played 5 games) the Thrashers are clicking at 37.5% with the extra man. 37.5% – in 16 tries they’ve had 6 goals. Place your bets now on how quickly that falls now, folks. Ridiculous. And yet it’s not the most ridiculous special teams stat…

Columbus’s Penalty Kill – …this is. The Blue Jackets have been shorthanded 24 times through 6 games and have allowed just one power play goal. That, for you math-disabled out there (or those incapable of looking up the stats like I did) is a penalty-killing efficiency of 95.8%. Oh, and they’ve scored twice shorthanded, too.

New York Rangers – Of all of the overachievers listed here, this might be the team that might not actually tumble all that much. They’re certainly not going to maintain the pace they’re at now, which has them tied w/ the Penguins atop the Atlantic – but they’re getting good goaltending and, unlike last year, are winning games in regulation and scoring goals. Granted, 11 of their goals came in 2 games against the Leafs…but still. And yet it’s hard to see them as a contender just yet.

Underachievers
Boston – JP hit the nail on the head earlier today; that Kobasew trade was as much a shot across the bow for an underperforming team as it was a salary dump/pick grab. Over the last year I’ve been of the mindset that the Bruins should not have been as good as they were this past season – there’s just no reason I could see beyond a simple luck of the draw, when everything clicks for a team. At the same time, there’s no reason for them to be wallowing out of the top 8 after such a great year last year, either.

Vincent Lecavalier – How does Vinny not have a goal yet? Goals aren’t always a good litmus test for how fast or slow a season is starting, but come on now – Lecavalier scores goals. It’s what he does. It’s the same reason people were questioning it when Ovechkin didn’t score for a bunch of games at the start of last season. Of course, taking him off a line with St. Louis might have been Tocchet’s first mistake…how you ever break them up, especially given the other options on that team, is beyond me.

Vancouver – The Canucks were one of the surprise division leaders last year, coming from behind to scare the bejeezus – and the Northwest crown – out of the Flames. With some new faces (and some familiar ones locked up) they were supposed to be one of the teams to beat this year. And now they are…but not in a good way. Their three wins have come via the shootout over Dallas, in a stomping of Montreal (like it’s hard) and a 2-1 victory over the Wild (again, like it’s hard). Way underachieving for where they should be, for sure.

Mike Green – This is kind of a tongue-in-cheek entry on the list, mostly because I know it’s what others are saying. Yes, one goal in the first 8 games is not a lot for a guy with 31 goals a year ago. But Green is also playing some pretty decent hockey – pretty decent defense, actually – and really that’s what the Caps are paying him to do. It’s not like the team doesn’t know how to score.

Eric Staal / Simon Gagne – You can pretty much say the same for both guys – 2 goals (Staal) and 0 goals (Gagne) is not good enough for either one. Period. Slow starters? We’re almost a tenth of the way through the season, time to wake up. Of course, waiting until after they play the Caps is perfectly fine.

New York Islanders – Okay, wait, before you run off in disgust, I have a good reason. Sort of. The fact is that the Islanders finally have an NHL-caliber goalie – a few, actually – and they also have this kid named Tavares and a slew of young talent behind him. It’s not that they should be leading the league or even their division or even cracking the top eight, because they’re going to be bad this year. No wins, though? Granted, there are a few shootout losses to good (or “good”) teams amid that winless record…but still.

Maintenance Men
Toronto – What, you actually thought they’d be good this year? Feisty, yes. Penalty-prone, absolutely. But good? Ha! No goaltending, little offense to speak of, and the lesser half of many a successful defensive pairing will always equal one of the worst starts in franchise history. But don’t worry, Leafs faithful – Kessel will be back in November…and then you really get to see what underachieving looks like.

Los AngelesDespite finishing the season near the bottom of the league last year, there was a sense that the Kings were a young team with plenty of potential and a scrappy, hardworking nature. So far this year they’re just above .500, which puts them right on the playoff bubble – a place they might actually be as the season comes to a close, as well.

Alex Ovechkin – Sure, he’s probably not going to finish the season at a 2 point per game pace. But he won’t be far off, not the way he’s playing right now. It’s not just the sheer number of shots he’s getting…that’s always a constant, as is the physical play. But he’s hitting the net with greater accuracy, or it seems like he is, and he’s learning to use his teammates, whether to set up plays or to screen the goalie. Meanwhile the defensive side of his game is not only not suffering – it’s improving.

Yeah, like this was going to end without a little hometown bias.

Today we’re going a little outside CapsNation, and it was a throwaway comment on Justin Bourne’s blog that started the ball rolling:

“Ilya Kovalchuk is a bag of fireworks personified. Is it possible to be less famous while being the second-most electrifying player in the NHL (behind Ovechkin)?

He’s thrilling. I can’t think of someone who’s less celebrated while being one of the top five players in a major professional sport. I know everyone knows he’s good and all that, but he’s rarely in the conversation with Crosby, Ovy, Malkin, Datsyuk etc. I’d love to see him play in Toronto and get some media attention (or even better, NYR, so he could have the media plus good teammates – has the guy ever had a good teammate? Name three players he’s had to work with).”

It’s certainly a good point (although he undermines his credibility a bit by going on to extol the virtues of ear-bleed-inducing Rick Jeanneret – ew). And it got me thinking about who really does sit just behind the Great #8 when it comes to jaw-dropping, heart-pumping, electrifying explosiveness. It’s an exciting time to be a hockey fan right now, and it’s not just because of Ovechkin.

He’s a big reason, of course, but not the only reason.

In the five short seasons that he’s graced us with his presence – has it really only been five years? – Ovechkin has made himself a household name, set records, recorded milestones and drawn fans into the seats of a once-vacant Verizon Center. He’s done what few have been able to do in this lackluster time for Washington sports, and that is to make us believe in the possibility of a championship for our city.

Those of us who are lucky enough to tune into him for 82 games a year know what all the other hockey fans who get him 2, 4 or 6 times a year don’t – that he’s even better than they realize. There’s never been another player like him; I’ve certainly never seen one. He is pure Ovechkin, one of a kind.

That being said, he’s certainly not alone in being explosive, dynamic and magnetic both on the ice and off. He is, hands-down, the best in all of those categories, but there are others right behind him who make this game what it is.

So I made a list. You all know how I love my lists. It’s a list of the eight players not named Ovechkin for whom the label of “electrifying” could be applied.

Now before all of the Penguins fans come out of the woodwork and yell at me, no, you won’t see Crosby on this list. Great player, yes. Talented, one of the best in the league, sure. I can say that without gagging (almost). But electrifying? Pfft.

Here’s how I see it:

8. Patrice Bergeron – He gets forgotten a lot these days, largely because of his prolonged concussion-related absence, but Bergeron has been and continues to be an elite offensive threat for the Bruins. If you caught the B’s season opener against the Caps you saw his rush up the wing in the third. You saw his moves. And you saw him practically will the puck past a very solid Theodore. Highly underrated – and that’s coming from a semi-Habs fan.

7. Vincent Lecavalier – Take this year out of the equation and Lecavalier remains one of the snipers of the Southeast, scoring practically at will since entering the league 11 years ago. Aside from a wicked shot and some pretty slick moves, Lecavalier is a huge, physical presence on the ice that can overpower defensemen with a single stride.

6. Mike Green – There is simply no blueliner in the league right now with as much speed and agility as #52 in red. There’s no one better at joining the rush, and when he gets that shot off from the point or the half-wall or wherever he finds space, it truly is as Joe B. puts it – “thunder on the way”.

5. Jarome Iginla – Iginla brings that same physical power forward mentality of a Lecavalier or an Ovechkin. Dangerous on every shift, he’ll likely either get a scoring chance or knock an opponent down on his rear in the brief time he’s on the ice. That’s a vicious combination, made even more so by the passion he brings to his game. One of the great power forwards in the league today, no question.

4. Alexander Semin – If you’ve ever seen Semin dangle three or four guys on a single rush up ice, you know why some think he’s got more sheer talent than #8. Ridiculously soft hands and the ability to skate around defenders like pylons are just part of the package; he also gets more power in a one-legged wrist shot than some guys get with their hardest slapper. And on top of that, he’s added a feistiness and an edge to his game that wasn’t there before. God help the 29 other teams if he ever grabs hold of that elusive consistency…

3. Evgeni Malkin – There’s a reason this guy was taken one spot behind Ovechkin in the ’04 draft; like Ovechkin, he’s got the skills to take a team and a game on his back and make it his own. He’d be a bigger star without a certain someone’s shadow in his way, but the way he can play speaks for itself. Malkin’s still growing into his size and is only ranked #3 here because he hasn’t brought a physicality to his game just yet – but he’s the kind of guy whose rushes up the ice will still put any fan on the edge of their seat.

2. Pavel Datsyuk – It’s strange to refer to someone as explosive when everything they do has a quiet elegance to it – but that’s Datsyuk. Quietly explosive. He does everything that many of the people on this list do, combining some of their skill sets to form what is a truly lethal hybrid, while bringing an equally explosive defensive side to his game unrivaled anywhere else. All the praise he gets never quite seems to be enough, because without him Detroit’s attack isn’t nearly as scary.

1. Ilya Kovalchuk – He spent his first few years in the league as a slightly pouty, spoiled, diva of a teenager with immense talent and a bigger attitude. As he’s grown into his role as both the face and the leader of the Thrashers, however, he’s only become more dynamic, more talented and more interesting to watch with every passing year.

There’s truth to the fact that in a Toronto or NY he’d be a superstar. And he’d be able to overcome the “lesser” hockey market if he had some help; as it is he’s one of the main attractions for a Thrashers team without much to see these days. His play with the puck and away from it have both matured and improved since his debut to make him a truly elite player – one who is so often overlooked in favor of his countrymen but one who deserves some notice.

Now naturally this is one woman’s opinion. Feel free to make your own lists in the comments…as we count down the days until Thursday.

- Watching the Caps-Predators game last night was almost reminiscent of so many nights spent watching the Caps take on more talented teams in the lean years following the lockout. The Preds are young and have some talent, but their calling card is their work ethic – and they scrapped and worked their way to what was indeed a well-earned “loser” point. Hard to forget so many nights, not that long ago, when the Caps would have to grind it out just to make a score respectable.

- You can say that Ovechkin was the star of that shootout win against the Predators, and you’d probably have a pretty good case. But Varlamov made a statement of his own last night, despite that second Nashville dribbler, in turning aside not only two consecutive shorthanded breakaways but all three shooters in the shootout. That game had to be huge for his confidence.

- If you’re reading this blog, my guess is I don’t need to tell you that shootout goals do not count as regular goals and therefore do not complete the hat trick. So we’ll leave it at that.

- Special thanks to Comcast Sportsnet for letting me lead last night’s game chat on their website – it was a lot of fun, hope some of you were able to tune in and catch some CC ridiculousness live. If not…well, there’s always the transcript.

- A headline on NHL.com proclaims that “Gaborik’s hot start proving doubters wrong”. But is it? I don’t think many people doubted Gaborik’s ability to score, or his ability to stand out on an offensively anemic Ranger team. The question is on his ability to stay healthy so he can continue scoring. The guy has played all of 8 games without getting injured – if he makes it the full 82 or even anywhere close, then we can talk about proving people wrong.

- And on the subject of hot starts, Gaborik’s Rangers are off to a blazing hot one, going 7-1-0 in their first 8 to tie the Penguins for the Atlantic Division lead. They’ve also scored 32 goals in those 8 games while allowing only 15. Three things to remember, though – they’ve played Toronto twice (that’s 11 goals right there), they have Lundqvist in net, and were 6-1-1 in their first 8 last year.

- There seem to be quite a few teams atop the standings that could be poised for a vicious fall as the season continues on. The Rangers and Senators come to mind, as do the Coyotes, Kings and Avalanche out west. Consider that this time last year, both Montreal and Buffalo had yet to lose in regulation while the Flyers had just one win in 7 tries.

- Of course, none of that means that Toronto and the Islanders won’t each go 0-82 this season.

- Watching the “goal” Stephane Robidas scored against the Hawks last night is almost enough to make you feel sorry for Cristobal Huet…almost. For the eleventy billionth time, Cris, hug the damn post already. (Varly, we’ll talk later.)

- When all is said and done and the world stops being so topsy-turvy, it could be a fierce battle between the Northeast and Southeast divisions for the title of worst division in the league. As it stands right now the SE might have a slight lead considering that three of the five teams are stuck in neutral at 2 wins apiece. And how about those mighty Thrashers with four wins in five games played?

The Caps have now played 8 games. 6 of their opponents made the playoffs last year, with Nashville missing the cut by just 3 points. Detroit was a Cup finalist. The Sharks were the Presidents’ Trophy winners last year, while the Bruins won the Eastern Conference by 8 points. In this 8-game span the Caps have picked up 4 wins, earned 10 points, gone to OT or a shootout three times and scored 29 goals.

With the exception of the Olympic break, this four day break is the longest stretch between games for the Caps – and it comes at a great time, right after a feverish stretch that saw them face some tough competition, play just about every other night and see a number of small injuries tweaking the lineup. This should give the boys time to rest up, recuperate, get some bodies back and get ready to take on a surprising Atlanta team that is proving to be anything but pushovers.