Capital Collapse Hits Team Hard
Washington Capitals coach Ron Wilson has lost his mind. When
asked to explain his team's woes - the Capitals' 8-13-3 record
places them 12th in the 14-team Eastern Conference - Wilson says
he made a deal with the Devil last April, which in his mind
explains the lucky bounces the Capitals had en route to the
Stanley Cup Finals.
However, Wilson should have asked Satan for more than the Prince
of Wales trophy, which is awarded to the Eastern Conference
champions. Winning a Stanley Cup is a necessity when selling
your soul to the Dark Lord.
Cinderella's slipper has fallen deep beneath the boiler room at
MCI Center. The dream has been replaced by a nightmare. The
Eastern Conference Championship banner is now just a memory.
What worked last season is now backfiring. Besides the personnel,
a battleground of injuries is the only similarity between the
current and championship team. But even that contrasts sharply.
Washington didn't allow injuries to ruin its on-ice performance a
year ago.
This season, however, bumps and bruises have often been used as
excuses for the Capitals' miserable performance. The Capitals
currently have six injured forwards on their roster (check the
injury list above for details).
No defensemen are ailing, although Sergei Gonchar looks rusty
after a contract holdout (missed training camp and first two
games) and a knee injury that turned him into a spectator for
three weeks. He is just now getting into playing condition.
Six injured forwards is a lot to overcome, but such devastation
is the norm for this franchise. But these Capitals, similar to
the 1996-97 Jim Schoenfeld-led club, have shown no pulse or
desire to do the little things necessary to win on a nightly
basis. Simply put, the effort is missing from most players, and
there's nothing Wilson has been able to do about it.
It's not like he hasn't tried to find a remedy. Wilson canceled
practice to take his players bowling the day after the Capitals
were blanked by New Jersey, 4-0. He hoped getting away from the
rink, while spending time together, would improve team morale.
This new coaching philosophy worked temporarily as the Capitals
finally strung 60-minutes of strong play together in a 5-1
victory over the New York Islanders. Temporarily is the key word.
Washington was back to its old self the next night in
Philadelphia, losing 2-1.
Getting out of the gates like a speeding bullet has not been the
Capitals' forte: It's been their downfall. Washington has
surrendered the first goal in each of its last five contests,
dating back to Nov. 27. Expanding that grim picture, the Capitals
have only struck first in two of their last 11 games.
"Tabby (Rick Tabaracci) stood on his head in the first period -
if he doesn't it could have been 3-0," left wing Craig Berube
said after the loss to Philadelphia. "It's like we're skating in
mud. When things are going bad, it's just not easy to play.
There's no flow to your game."
Las Vegas Nights
Wilson, a master of motivation, must find the correct key to open
the gift that keeps on giving - goals - during the club-record
eight-game road trip. Maybe the phantom key will appear with a
few lucky bounces; maybe wins will become more common than losses
if the team shows attitude; and maybe having fun off the ice is
the antidote needed to change this cursed season into one of
celebration.
Wilson is taking the latter approach. After playing San Jose on
Dec. 12, the Capitals have scheduled a mini-vacation in Las Vegas
to enjoy fun, sun, gambling and practice. Yes, players will have
to leave blackjack tables for the practice rink. But it's a small
price to pay during an in-season vacation. The Capitals will be
in Las Vegas until Dec. 16.
News & Notes
General manager George McPhee has said he is not actively seeking
any trades. That includes Vancouver Canucks holdout Pavel Bure.
However, if the team continues its downward spiral, expect McPhee
to dial 9-1-1 before Christmas.
Goaltender Olie Kolzig was benched in favor of Tabaracci last
Friday and Saturday for games against the Islanders and Flyers.
Kolzig's statistics (6-10-1 record, 2.99 goals-against-average,
.885 save-percentage) don't bode well with his new 4-year, $12
million contract.
"I think a lot of things are weighing Olie down," Wilson told The
Washington Post. "He's feeling very responsible. He doesn't see
us playing in front of him much different from [what] we did last
year, and yet early in games he feels he hasn't come up with a
big save."
Left wing Chris Simon sprained the same shoulder he had surgery
on last December. However, his prognosis is good. If Simon's
recovery goes well, he should only be sidelined for two weeks.
Left wing Tom Chorske underwent abdominal surgery last week at
the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He'll miss 12
weeks.
