The Jack of All Sports on 105.7 The FAN Baltimore

The Washington Capitals beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 last night to extend their current win streak to a franchise best 11 games. Instead of researching the stats I normally try to provide to give sizzle to my blogs, I wanted to paint some broader strokes on the state of the Washington Capitals.

#1, Ted Leonsis is one of the best owners in sports. Not only does he spend money and possess a keen understanding of marketing the brand, but he demonstrates loyalty as well. Every other owner in sports would have fired GM George McPhee as the Capitals endured a seven year playoff drought. However, Leonsis has stuck with McPhee and look at the results:

McPhee drafted star Russian youngster Alexander Semin in the 1st round in 2002. In 2004, McPhee proceeded to dismantle the team after the failed Jaromir Jagr experiment. Capitals fans cannot blame McPhee for this debacle as every fan wanted the Capitals to bring in the marqee NHL star. McPhee garnered three first round picks by dealing Jagr along with popular veterans Peter Bondra, Sergei Gonchar, and Steve Konowalchuk. McPhee parlayed improved draft position and extra first round picks in 2004 into Alexander Ovechkin (#1 overall), Jeff Schultz, and Mike Green. The icing on the cake occurred in the 2006 draft when McPhee drafted Nicklas Backstrom and Semyon Varlamov in the first round. McPhee had successfully rebuilt the future of the Capitals with a nucleus of talent that will keep the team in Stanley Cup contention for the next decade.

Following the NHL lockout season of 2004/2005, the Capitals finished in last place the next two seasons. The Capitals hit rock bottom in mid 2008, and promoted Hershey coach Bruce Boudreau to the bench to help salvage the season. The team responded by winning 15 of their last 19 games to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, the young Caps got ousted in seven games by the hated Philadelphia Flyers, but took a big step forward in the rebuilding process. Alexander Ovechkin emerged as a star, scoring 65 goals and won the franchise’s first Hart trophy as the regular season NHL MVP.

In 2009, the Capitals won the Southeast Conference and overcame a 3-1 series deficit to the New York Rangers to win their first playoff series in over a decade. The Caps proceeded to lose in the conference semifinals to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Once again Alexander Ovechkin won the Hart trophy and was recognized as the leagues’ best player.

Currently, the Capitals sit atop the Eastern Conference with 82 points, a 10 point lead over second place New Jersey. They are riding the highly publicized 11 game winning streak, the best in franchise history. The Caps lead the league in scoring, and feature three of the top scorers in the NHL (OV, Backs, and Semin). Six of the top thirteen rated NHL skaters in +/- wear a Capitals jersey. And, once again Mike Green leads all NHL defensemen in scoring. Needless to say, barring injury, Alexander Ovechkin is a lock for a third straight Hart Trophy. Only Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky have won three consecutive Hart trophies in NHL history. The Great One won eight in a row, and nine in a ten year span between 1979-1989.

Not to jinx anything, but no player that has won multiple Hart trophies has failed to win a Stanley Cup.

McPhee brought in veterans Sergei Federov and Victor Kozlov to help groom the young guns, and it helped propel the team to back to back playoff appearances. Both players are gone, but McPhee brilliantly replaced them with key veterans Brendan Morrisonn (11 goals, 20 assists) and Mike Knuble (19 goals, 15 assists). McPhee has built the Capitals into the deepest and most dynamic team in the NHL. I never thought in my lifetime that the Capitals would be this stacked with talent.

I thought the Caps would forever be a blue collar, hard working team that gets a seven seed in the playoffs at best. In the 80′s and 90′s, teams like the Rangers, Canadiens, Avalanche, and Red Wings would have already bought our top young players. Washington was not a hockey town and there wasn’t enough revenue for Abe Pollin to justify paying huge money for marquee NHL talent. Not anymore. Ted Leonsis is committed to keeping his core young stars and is not afraid to spend big money. The current Capitals sell out every game, and the Verizon Center is no longer half full of Penguin, Ranger, Devil, and Flyer fans. This is the Renaissance of hockey in the Nations capital and the future looks bright. Much of the credit has to go to Leonsis and his brilliant marketing strategy in growing the Caps fan base throughout the entire region.

Did I mention that every NHL player that has won multiple Hart trophies has won the Stanley Cup?

Unlike the Wizards who put all of their eggs in Gilbert Arenas’s basket, the Capitals entrusted their franchise to Alexander Ovechkin. Get it? Ever since OV has become captain, he is a man possessed. What other star player back-checks and plays with the physicality and edge that OV does? Not only is he the fastest skater and hardest shooter, but he is also the hardest worker.

I am nervous about the upcoming break in the NHL season due to the Olympics. Not because I fear an injury in Vancouver to one of the Caps star players, but because I want the team to stay on this roll. However, it may end up being a blessing in disguise. Hopefully the team will miss being around each other, and when they get back together, will rekindle the enthusiasm and excitement that led to the current win streak. This young team is gaining the confidence, maturity, and consistency required to win a Stanley Cup. I just hope the goaltending holds up when it matters most. Even though Jose Theodore takes a lot of heat, the guy did win a Hart Trophy in 2002.

Woodman – former Caps season ticket holder and Caps fanatic