Looking foward to tonite!
Is Huet dressing as the back-up or Johnny?

Lets go Hot Wings...
Lets go Hot Wings...
Lets go Hot Wings...

6 goals tonight - Alex gets #50...

Tarik - just an FYI, i think "must" should be "just" in that BB quote on Fedorov. Its one of those things spellcheck can miss :-)

Milestone from last night: Backstrom's 50 and 51'st points on the season. I can count on a couple fingers how many caps have done that.

Brashear's goal brings him within 2 points of 300. If we can get him that plateau, I'd be very happy.

Olie is 2 wins from 300. Look for BB to put Olie on a 1:1 basis with Huet until 300 is met, then look for Huet to get more playing time.

Oh, and the way our D played last night, I think I may have been able to get a shutout. NJ isn't known as much for their "O" but we completely handcuffed them last night. Great job from all D-men.

got it. thanks.

I'm sorry, seems Backs got credit for an assist in the last NJ game which was his 50th. Hrm.

Where is Backstrom in the rookie scoring race now?

wasnt it assist number 51 and 52?? he already got 50 awhile ago. I think he's first in points among all rookies.

Tarik:
Do you know why Huet went from 33 to 38? Also, do you know what his # was in Montreal? Thanks!

Why in the name of all that is good and holy is Boyd Gordon still playing over eith er Eric Fehr or Laing? Who does he have pictures of?

He wore 39 in MTL, his B-day is 3/8

oops...that was supposed to be @Boo! here...doh..fumbled it like Gordon

Backstrom has 52 points-- tied for first with Kane. And he has 43 assists!!

According to NHL.com, Backstrom and Kane are tied at 52 pts each. They have a 9 and 10 pt advantage over the next two guys. Nicky could potentially get the Calder, though I imagine they would give it to Kane for playing with Chicago and not Ovechkin.

@FFS Enough
Just a note on Brashear's Stats:
910 Games Played
83 Goals
116 Assists
199 Points
2,415 Penalty Minutes

Lee:
Sorry about the slip ... I was just so darn excited!! :-D

So my boy Laing is scratched again ... dagnabit! I'd rather see him play than Flash or Brash.

Trivia question: who was the first keeper to paint his mask?

2 Things...

With Mcphee adding the likes of Cooke and Fedorov the Caps went from having 1 1/2 lines of scoring threats to having now 2 1/2 lines of scoring... (Thats a huge plus now)

Eventhoe it is Huet's 1st game as a Capital, In net last night he looked like the Nicklas Backstrom of goalies... Very calm/poised the whole time... HIP HIP HUET!

* You know this team has alot of good players fighting for jersey's now when Bruce Pickle Juice moves Boyd G to the wing!

GO CAPS GO!

Opus:
I thought he was born in Sept? Regardless, wonder why he didn't stick with 39?

@boo,

I don't remember his name, but wasn't it the goalie for the bruins who painted the scars on his mask after a game?

Cheevers

YES! harry, that's him!

@Boo!

I guess he didn't want to ask Stecks to give his number up.

@Zack

If only BB would move him to the Press Box, I'd be happier. :-)

I expect Ovie to score a hat trick today. He is due and he is always great playing in Canada.

Let's Go, Caps!

Uhhh.....Fedor...

They are playing in DC...but I know what you meant, he does seem to have extra jump against Canadian Teams

I think Christobal doesen't want to were no. 39 cause it was is number in Montreal. And, i think he want a freash new start with the Capital with a brend new number. He was my number one golie in Montreal, he was not treateed very well in Montreal by the coach and the organization so i think that's wy.

Oops...

Maple Leafs face sleeping giant Ovechkin.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2008/03/01/capitals-maple-leafs-preview.html?ref=rss
Sleeping giant, I like it.

In addition to a sniper hungry for goals, the Leafs will face a veteran goaltender Saturday with something to prove.

I think Malkin will want Ovechkin's money, that's why he is so busy, and he will be gone to another team. Pens won't be able to sign him.

Spector:
Malkin's performance will likely merit him consideration for the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player. I still believe
Alexander Ovechkin will win it, but Malkin's performance means it's no longer a sure thing.

It also puts pressure upon the Penguins management to lock up Malkin a year before he becomes a restricted free agent as they did with Crosby last summer, but like Crosby it's gonna cost them, probably in the neighborhood of $8.5 million per season.

Tarik, maybe I missed it, but what are the two PP units as of now.
Anyone?
score

Opus:
LOL! I forgot Stecks was 39! :-) Oops! But why the jump from 33 to 38? Just always curious about number choices ...

Yes - Cheevers! He painted stitches for every puck/stick that hit his mask.

Next question ... who was the first keeper to go from plain brown (or white) pads and go to custom designed/colored pads? (Boy ... he must have looked like the Liberace of hockey! :-D)

BTW, diggin' "Hip Hip Huet!" :-)

We got to get on Toskola early. He played last night, and we need to expose it.

Does anyone know why Sundin and Tucker got 10-min misconducts at the end of the game last night?

As hard as it is to believe..The Leafs are playing better and actually think they can make the playoffs..They are gonna give it everything they have tonight.

Why the heck is HUET not starting again after that performance in out dueling the great broudeur. A shutout. I thought we were going to ride the hot goalie and not pacify Olie's ego. Stupid choice Bruce

smartfan,

It's because Olie's been turned on lately (his last start against the Wild in particular), and he's going to keep it turned up because he realizes that he has serious competition now.

Somebody at the game tonight should put up a banner with "We're better off with Fedorov"

I'm diggin the "hip, hip, HUET!" idea.
That should be that chant everytime he makes a big save.

LOL!

hip, hip, HUET!

I love it!

Laing got dumped so Fleisch could skate? Lame.

HolyOlie;

Oh my gosh. I know the caps will lose with Kolzig in net. At leat 2 week goals. Kolzig has had one shut out this year, 3rd game of the season. Huet looked very comfartable in net. Not eratic like Kolzig. I have to hold my breath. If Kolzig but up decent #'s this year we would already be in the playoffs. Sign Huet and Keep Johnson. Kick olie to the curb. Kolzig makes more than marty brodeur.

Won't Ollie take offense if y'all sing that tonight?

If Kolzig needs competition to play well then we don't need him. If your a true leader you bring you A game no matter who's behind him. He's lost it. And his ego is going to hurt this team. I'm pretty sure GMGM shopped him at the deadline. No one wanted him. What does that say

smartfan,

You asked why and I told you. If you don't like it, that's not my problem.

"What does that say"

It doesn't say anything, because it's speculation that isn't grounded in anything remotely approaching reality.

Huet faced 18 shots last night. What did Olie face Tuesday? 30+ wasn't it? Why not ask the D to offer the same help to Olie that they did to Huet and make it fair contest?

Lee:
I would not chant that with Olie in goal, but I would chant that for Huet. Olie deserves more respect than he gets. Frankly, I was a little surprised that there were not more "O-Lie" chants on Tue night ...

Maybe it's time I open a Cafepress store to sell "I like Olie" and "I Like Christobal" bumper stickers.

(Are any of you guys old enough to get that?)

Why is Brashear playing???? Toronto has no fighters. I'd rather see Fehr out there the way he's been playing lately.

UUUUUUUUAAAAYYYYYYYY!!

sit laing ?
dont put him on hershey's clear day roster?
why put such a hard working guy in the stands?
fehr is on clear day list yet he stays up?

@Smartfan

Olie hasnt cost us any games in Feb, so he shouldn't sit. Im happy for Huet on the shutout last night, but Olie or Johnson would of had good nights too with that overall effort.

I heard today that the Canadiens were suppose to get Hossa/Dupis/Hedberg or Lehttonen and thats why Gainey pulled the trigger on the Huet/to us for a 2nd rd pick... maybe next time Gainey should get Hossa 1st! then pull the trigger on letting his #1 goalie go away for only a 2nd rd pick! but hey im not complaining HIP HIP HUET!!!

IMO Fehr should be playing with Flash and Laich...I do believe they had 3 goals and 7 or 8 points Tuesday against the wild..Out side of OV/Backs..any other line had that good a night lately?..I am not really a flash fan but hey when the line gets 3 goals in a night, you have to pay attention, sit Brads or Bash...either one works...

Tarik,

What's your opinion on Bruce going with Olie tonight instead of Huet?

@Trevor

My take is that it's a nice problem to have down the stretch not having to send you goalie out on back-to-backs.

Why is it that some think Olie shouldn't be starting tonight? Yes his stats this season is horrible. But lately, he's picked his game up, and is looking better. In that game against Minnesota, he faced 30+ shots and only let in 1 goal. Yes, Huet got a shutout yesterday, but a big part of that was because he faced only 18 shots.

Just an observation...maybe Federov is the guy to put some discipline into Semin. He has been much better as of late, but maybe having Federov around is the kind of leadership Semin needs. OV is his buddy,so hard to push or be critical of your friend.....that and the killer passes like last night will not hurt. All three of the pickups will be playing hard the rest of the season, all want contracts or bigger contracts next year so lots of incentive..comments?

@SA-Town

Your statement that Olie or Brent wouldve had great games too against NJ is like saying putting Fleischmann at LW on Federov's line would given him a goal and a assist like Semin.

That conclusion is a stretch, or a bold statement.

I understand your affinity for Kolzig but he has faced 18 shots before and given up 5 goals in a game this year.

Im not saying he wouldnt have played well, but that is a conclusion that can't be made.

@Rich C

Having a guy with Federov's resume is great for any player,coach..whoever in the locker room...

Im not sure if Federov will get a contract here next year. Nylander is supposed to be in his role right right now.

Huet and Cooke..they want contracts.

I think part of the reason Huet did not face as many shots was, in part, due to the fact that he didn't give up as many rebounds. If you don't give up second and third chances then the other team isn't able to add on to their shot totals. Not saying NJ would have been on pace for a 40 shot game had they gotten those opportunities, but it certainly was a factor.

@Jschon

My point was just that the defense played very well. They deserve the shutout just as much as Huet.

Sometimes goalies pitch shutouts, and sometimes teams do...Last night was a team shutout...Huet played very well..so Im not stealing his thunder.

HOORAY(who-ray) for HUET(who-a)!!!

The reason HUET should start tonight is that he is way more consistent than Kolzig. Kolzig has one game than has 3 bad ones fallowing him. Everyone is treating that minesota game as if it were the stanley cup finals. What game before that did he do well? Plus Kolzig is horrible in shootouts. HUET is the monster in them.

@Nic

"Maybe it's time I open a Cafepress store to sell "I like Olie" and "I Like Christobal" bumper stickers."

I need a new bumper sticker. My "I like Sonny" is too faded.

@ smartfan

This was Huet's first game as a Caps. How are you already saying that he is more consistent, when we've only seen him play one game with this team?!?! Yes, he was great for the Habs, but you don't really know how he'll do with the Caps.

@Zachattack

MON was supposed to get Hossa and Hedberg. They thought it was a done deal so they moved Huet to make room for Hedberg. Oopsie!

gmgm suddenly found Huet offer sitting in his lap. Fortunately, he took it. Now he has the problem MON was trying to avoid - namely 3 goalies.

@smartfan

Did you lock yourself in a room for all of Feb?

Olie had decent games vs. NYI, ATL, TAM, NYR this month. The 6 goals vs. Carolina was a bad team effort, and a bad game..Olie included.

Your comment was reckless and completely lacked depth or any rationality at all when looking at Olie's recent play. Im dumber now for reading your post.

Anybody notice the first three goals last night came from the same spot - off to Brodeur's right? - cross ice feeds too.

ANd Laich's goals were both 5 hole in the previous game.

I liked Kozzie doing a Liang - "shot blocking position, please!" impersonation too. Even Emmy looked decent - and unlike Erskine - didn't take any stupid penalties.

GO CAPS!

who is Federov! He's on YOUR team now...get it right!

For all the people complaining about 18 shots that Huet faced and 30+ shots that Kolzig faced - that is all irrelevant... Huet DOES NOT give rebounds - hence, not that many shots. Kolzig gives a ton of rebounds and that is why he is getting more shots.

I understand why people are backing up Kolzig as much as they can - but in the future, he will not be playing any more - I suggest you start getting into some of the new things that the Caps have to offer.

There are always excuses - it's the D, it's the refs.... it is what it is.

18 shots that he saw without any trouble.
I could care less about Kolzig.
18 shots (that u can see) will yield a win almost every time.
Enjoy the honeymoon.
The defense will show up and shut down the opposition once every 20-30 games, that's far from contenders.

@1238,

Also, Kane is a Canadian. They always get a leg up on the trophies over the Euros. Not saying Kane doesn't deserve the Calder (he might or might not, depending), but for Backs to win it, he'll need clearly win it, just like Ovie did.)

Kane is american.

Also, Ollie getting the start is ridiculous. Huet got a shutout for God's sake, keep him in while he's really hot. You have to reward shutouts, not always wins, but at least shutouts.

This is just just to stop Olaf from crying to his agent again. He's becoming more of a locker-room cancer.

not to mention, this sends a bad message to Huet. "Yeah, we know you're the obviously better choice, but we have to please the has-been"

I get that Huet was amazing last night. Made great saves, barely any rebounds, but why do some of you seem to hate the fact that Olie is playing tonight? It's not like he's been horrible the past few games. Sure, he can do better with the rebounds, but he's not giving as many goals as before.

Elicea,
For some, the Olie bashing has a method to their madness. It's just part of the job.

Elecia;

So you know HUET does better with controlling the rebounds and made great saves. You want to start Kolzig cause he makes you heart fuzy. Why start a B player when you can start a A- player. Olie is becoming a distraction to the team. He's improving doesn't cut it. Look at the stats for both the goalies. Kolzig 88% save 3.2 GAA. HUET 2.66 GAA 91% save

Kolzig gets pulled by the end of the 1st. BB has to at least give him a chance to eat the crow being served up.

Huet comes in to win the game.

Take it to the bank.

I don't know...most of the comments on here today sound (and look) like they come from a bunch of 12-year old kids. Yeah, you all know what's best (who to start, etc.) because you've spent so much time in professional hockey as opposed to Boudreau, who just fell off the turnip truck. Yikes!

@ smartfan

Why add the stats, when I clearly said Olie's been playing well RECENTLY. And who said anything about him making my heart fuzzy? What is that about. I'm am merely pointing out that Olie has played great in the past few games, and that I don't see any reason why he shouldn't start tonight.

Funny, no mention of Ovechkin going through worst slump since he's entered NHL.
Glad they're winning without his goals,that's probably the best sign the team is playing well through all lines. Nice work BB, DESPITE GM's ignorance.

@ Chief

That just occurred to me. Wow, I think it's 7 games now, that Ovie hasn't scored a goal. Well he seems to always "bring it" against Toronto, so here's hoping he breaks this no goals streak.

Why on God's green Earth is Kolzig starting?

Huet went with #38 because it is one more better than Kolzig ;)

@ Zman

Why wouldn't he? (Other than Huet playing great last night)

Since Mike Wise's column several weeks ago, has Olie said anything in public that would suggest he's a whiner poisoning the locker room? All I've seen are "team" type comments that suggest that, whatever his personal gripes may be, he's not expressing them out loud even when given the opportunity.

I believe Tarik said somewhere along the line that *he* was the one that called Olie's agent and asked for comments. How does that make Olie to blame for the fact that his agent's views (or Olie's veiled views) got publicized?

Plus, isn't it natural that a long-time No. 1 would *want* to play? Would you really want someone out there, or on your team, who doesn't?

Olie isn't the one who decided he should play tonight. Maybe you can fault BB for feeling obligated to play his former No. 1 guy who had a great outing in his last start, but I don't know that it can be blamed on Olie himself.

Fault Olie for his play if you want, but it seems a bit out of line to attack him as a person for all of this.

ok off to the game... LETS GO CAPS!

Root for the team on the ice folks even if you disagree with it. These things usually work themselves out. I want Huet inbetween the pipes but it aint gonna happen.

That said...

WAS 5
TOR 2
OV 2g 1a
Cooke gets on the board with a goal

Article on SI.com:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/allan_muir/02/29/eastern.bubble.forecast/1.html

Rebound city in front of Kolzig tonight. One of those will go in....

It appears Katija has gone home...

YES ALEXXX!!!!
Finally!

Alex scored. What's the next attempt, Chief?

Let's go Caps! Don't get complacent.

Ladies and gentlemen: If you enjoy watching Kolzig play, make sure to catch every minute of tonight's game. He may not be seen for weeks after this.

*sigh*

OK, the worse the better...

I hope we'll never see Oldie on ice... He has just cost us playoffs.

Nice turnover by Fleisch

What a difference those stupid goals made. Momentum change completely. The Caps were outplaying them, now they're trailing...

Here's the stat: Caps are 0-23 after trailing in the second period.

Maybe 0-23 is good, maybe tonight is a break. But first you need get rid of Oldie. If I were BB, I'd change goalie right. Huet for the third period and Caps will have a chance for playoffs.

Lol, who's Oldie?

Oldie=Olie

If I were BB, I'd change goalie right now

Oh.

Yo Ay, you're spelling Olie's name wrong. No 'd'. I guess you're new or something.

Retire Oldie's number in between, put him in a Hall of Fame, do whatever is needed to get rid of old Frt

Who is Olie?

Kolzig.

Are you sure you're on the right board?

Soft goals kill momentum like nothing else. Defensively, the Caps have been solid tonight and both goals were shots from the outside. The first one looks like it was deflected from about three feet which is tough for any goaltender, but the Sundin goal was an absolute dog.

Is this AARP board or Washington Capitals professional hockey franchise? If it is AARP, I might be on a wrong board.

Come on Caps, get it together!!!

Old frt needs to go

Olie is making me regret for sticking up for him!

Wow, Fleisch just cost us the game (if no one else scores)

And he just did it again!

If Fleischman were anyone else on the team, we'd have two points right now.

Kolzig, #1 star for the Leafs. Seriously, Kolzig was a great goalie years ago. I never want to see him play for the Caps again. For every lights-out game he plays these days, he's got 4-5 like tonight. I'm sick of watching him lose the Caps games.

And let's be honest, the offense wasn't there tonight. But when that happens, the goalie's got to step up. Kolzig should step up onto a Greyhound and get out of town.

Wow, Fleisch just cost us the game

@MikeZ

Are you sure you are on the right board?

Power play and Olie lost the game for the Caps. Our power play looked lost out there and I am sorry, but a couple good saves doesn't make up for a soft goal. Huet the rest of the season

Florida is a nice place for Oldie, warm up those old bones, etc.

The Caps were playing exactly like with the Devils at the beginning. They were dominating. The second goal came after 15 shots, none of them more difficult than the ones Huet faced yesterday.

I don't blame Olie.

I blame Bruce. Before he had no good goalie choice. Now he had a choice. And he screwed up. This game was so important, it was in our hands, potentially easy win. Very pissed. This single game could cost us the whole season: the Caps were on a roll but this is legs-cutting.

Sorry for the negativity, but this is a major disappointed, and could have been avoided.

I don't want to see Olie anywhere near the net anymore. We simply play worse and less confident with him in between the pipes. It's over. He's done. We can't afford a single other $#%! loss like this one for the rest of the season. I'm furious. We had no business losing at home to this crappy Toronto team. They're terrible!

It all stems from the goalie. OLIE IS KILLING US!!!!!

I really didn't want to go to the game tonight. Look at my earlier post I said if they start Kolzig he will let 2 soft ones in. The sundin goal and the puck he misplayed of the boards. HUET plays the puck better.

The Kolzig looks up to the sky as if something happened. KOLZIG YOU SUCK. your attitude just cost the team the playoffs. HUET HAS TO PLAY EVERY GAME. No matter what kolzig lets soft goals. Plus he can only beat back ups.

SCREW YOU KOLZIG

@mauree

Don't blame BB. He has a pressure from the likes of MikeZ.

It should've been said from the day one: Huet is #1. And then BB doesn't have to make difficult choices. Remember he originally wanted to play Huet vs. Leafs. Something happened in between.

It might have cost us playoffs tonight, but now Huet must be undisputed #1. End of story. Maybe BB is too smart.

I guarantee that BB's strategy was, start Olie tonight and if he plays great then great it's another win, but, if IN ALL FREAKING LIKELIHOOD HE PLAYS TERRIBLE, then hopefully it's with enough games still left to play with Huet the man the rest of the way. The result was the predictable option B but I PRAY that this means Huet gets to run with it now. Olie is our THIRD best goalie. It's not even close.

I'm sick with disgust. This loss doesn't happen to playoff teams.

You have to blame BB. He should have established HUET as the #1. Olie has the worst stats among all goalies so He's not the #1. Very dissapointed in the fans at the game. Should have booed kolzig. after he let the soft goal in.

Olie is our THIRD best goalie.

Exactly, Johnson was better than Oldie all season long. But Oldie has too much influence. He is cancer. He must go.

elecia; & all Kolzig supporters go hug a rock

Kolzig just cost us the playoffs. We to stink up the sellout crowd with AHL goal tending skills. Why didn't the fans boo Kolzig more at the game. He needs to stop thinking he is good.

You can't blame BB for this one. Olie was bound to get one more shot to play his way into more games. But, if Olie gets near the net down the stretch now, blame away. His whining and entitlement act is sickening. His agent mouthing off is simply pure ignorance. Olie is finished. It's a new Caps team now. Yet, he may have still done enough to cost us a trip to the playoffs.

Kolzig =cancer to team. Team has no respect for him. He think he is above the team just cause he's been here so long. Make a statement and send him to the AHL

Olie sucks
Greene tried to play Superman
The team has no confidence in Kolzig and it shows when they play in front of him
Olie Sucks
Huet is the #1
Johnny should be the backup
Olie sucks
The ice at VC is terrible
By the way, did I mention Olie sucks?!?!?

I wish that old fart would just hang it up. Last night when I heard BB was going to start Olie, I got sick to my stomach and knew the Caps were in trouble. I wish the Capitals organization would realize they do NOT have two #1 goalies. They have a #1 in Huet. They have a #2 in Johnny and they have a 38 year old whinner in Kolzig. Someone last night posted that the Caps need to buy Kolzig a Rolex for retirement. No they don't, they need to purchase him a block of cheese to go with all the whinning he does.

My personal message to Kolzig:

We've struggled with you for almost three years now. Do everyone in DC a favor and go bye bye.

@ Yo Ay

Are you making fun of Kolzig, or do you really think that his name is Oldie?

Things Olie can't do:

- cover the post
- square up to long range shots
- create a line of sight for himself
- play the puck behind the net
- redirect shots
- prevent rebounds
- stop second chances
- pass the puck
- direct traffic
- stop shots from behind the net
- stay under control

the most pathetic part is that this list is NOT an exaggeration! GET HIM OUT OF THERE

@elicia

What is Kolzig name? Are you sure it's not Oldie? Oldie, but Goldie.. I like 60's music. Sounds good...

...for the love of god!!!

Things Olie can't do:

-Being young

Retire already old frt...

Olaf Kolzig, but everyone calls him Olie. There is no "d".

Can someone please tell me why no one else can score when Ovie scores?!?!?

This one hurts bad, and it probably could have been prevented.

Apart from the mediocre goaltending, the thing I noticed most about this game was the ice. Passes were hopping over sticks all game long and it may have cost both teams a goal or two.

The Caps have a nasty habit of putting the pedal down early in the game and then easing off in the second period, very frustrating.

Also, does anyone here think the power play looks better on the road? I think the team tries to get too fancy at home which is a bad move considering the ice conditions at Verizon.

Any way to pay Georgetown to never play basketball on a hockey gameday again? Go play at McDonough!

First of All I'm not a newbie...I played hockey and have followed the Caps since day 1. I am also not a Kolzig Basher as we have some things in common, but here's what I thought of his play tonight

1st Goal..nothing he could do deflection 5 feet in front of him..Gordon just watches Sundin tee it up for 5 secs..

2nd Goal- Bad Goal...it was a nice shot but he has to make that save from that angle

3rd goal..a result of poor stickhandling..bad luck & poor communication.

The troubling thing for me continues to be the rebounds of seemingly innocent shots that Olie should control. He is scrambling so much now to make up for some lost quickness that he gets off his angles and isn't square to the shots coming in..hence lack of rebound control. Olie did not lose this game he was part of a team wide malaise for lack of a better word. Toskala played very well tonight.

When Huet played he looked quiet and cerebral and the rebounds were controlled better. Olie is a great guy and I will always support him for his work off the ice, but it is time to start thinking seriously about retiring after the year.

Overall, a very disappointing effort

The blame goes to GM, he created this mess.
Starting Huey does not guarantee success, 18 shots against is far more helpful.
Take away the 3 shots that resulted in goals and there you have a Caps win.
That logic fits perfectly for most of you.

I call him Oldie. So it's not everyone.

I have no love left for Kolzig. I don't care what he has done, if he is loyal, he must admit that he is no longer good and let Huet be #1. Right now he is a cancer.

People pay ton of money to see Caps win, not old Kolzig who flops every other game.

I put this one on Boudreau.

You trade for a #1 goalie, you need to make him the #1 goalie. I love Kolzig. He's a great guy, and has stuck with the team for a lot of bad years. He should end his career as a Capital. But he has/had the worst save percentage in the league. Boudreau made the wrong decision in starting Kolzig tonight - period.

The Caps management has to make a decision. And it's a hard one, no doubt, because it could really hurt Kolzig. But they have to decide - are they serious - really serious - about making a run for the playoffs? And if the answer is "Yes", then they need the best players out on the ice. Every time. And right now, in goal, the best player is Huet. Forget sentimentality, forget years of service. If they're serious about making the playoffs, then they need to make Olie the backup, and Huet needs to be the #1 the rest of the year, and have Kolzig play when Huet needs a game off.

Chief

Did kolzig pay you to say that. Who wouldn't make a trade to get HUET for a 2nd rounder. Huet controls the rebounds so the shots aren't that much. Kolzig leaves a rebound on every shot. I guess when Kolzig sucks his supporters have to blame the GMGM for making the team better

Ok, so you were just making fun. Kind of confused me when people started asking you about it...

Is there anyway for Caps to have better ice? I saw so many falls out on the ice tonight. I say, everyone email Ted Leonsis, and tell him to get better ice!

I actually Kolzig is a punk.
Without solid D, no goalie will succeed.

This whole goaltending thing is a joke.
Yet another Band Aid by Garbage Man GM.

@Tarrant

Why BB, why not GMGM or Leonsis? They are to blame. They trade for Huet and next moment, backpedal, backpedal, backpedal... Is Oldie a hypnotizer or something.. I think they put a lot of pressure on BB to start Oldie vs. Leafs. BB said he'd put Huet if he'd play good.

After 4:0 game GMGM and others thought it would be an easy walk, let's show kolzipulator that they still love him...

Just unbeliavable how this old frt manipulates the Caps management. Sounds like they are scared of him.

Chief;

that's why your not GMGM. Chief no disrespect but your pretty stupid to say that our goal tending before HUET got here was fine. everyone but you thinks that HUET for sutherby was awesome trade. If Huet wasn't there on Friday they would have lost to the Devils. CAPS won't make playoffs cause of KOLZIG. Cancer

@Elicea
Believe it or not, I think the ice did improve since the start of the season. Maybe not enough though.

@smartfan: please don't feed the trolls.

Tonight is the most disappointing game of all in my opinion. The Caps had a huge chance of keep the high momentum up and build a winning streak. W/o momentum next games are going to be tough.

Yo is 100% correct.
BB, welcome to the wonderful world of politics. Not only do you need to win, but win the way AZAMAT & McPhail want.

Isn't Semin like a guy who drives Corvette 45 mph on the left lane? So much talent and so much no show. He could've been Caps man every night.

He really annoyed me tonight.

smartfan (how ironic)

You're stupid, 18 shots last night could have been stopped by almost any local beer league goalie.

it's very simple: GMGM has done a wonderful job since the strike. BB is our coach of the future. The team is young and talented and ready to be a playoff squad. Olie (or Ol"d"ie to invoke a very simply play on words that seems to have set a few folks on this message board reeling in a world of confusion) is no longer usable. Huet is the missing piece.

Tarrant is right. Doesn't matter if McPhee made the deal to bring Huet and Leonsis is now signing his paycheck: Boudreau decides who gets the net.

Boudreau said that if Huet was lights out against New Jersey, then he would get the nod against Toronto. Not sure what more Huet could have done on Friday night, but I think it's clear putting Kolzig in net tonight was foolish and could kill the momentum generated by a dominant showing in Newark.

Hopefully he learns his lesson, gives up his part-time job as diplomat and peacekeeper and starts the guy who deserves to start.

If Olie stops the shots coming from BEHIND the net, we win!

Unbelievable, BB STATES that Huey gets the start if he wins in Jersey, only Kolzig ends up in net.
That STINKS GM.
Wake up people, the Caps will NEVER succeed with that midget hanging around chirping.

This game showed me that it's time to move on. Olie is not going to get better, even now when someone is trying to take his job. I'm all for Huet being the #1 goaltender.

My question now is, will Caps be able to resign Huet?

What exactly was it that Cooke agitated in this game?

Oh wait, he agitated me because he got put into the lineup ahead of Laing.

@ Jordan.

I know. Why was Laing a healthy scratch in the first place? I believe, if he was in the line-up, Leaf's first goal would have been prevented. He would've probably blocked the shot from Sundin, would have never gotten to Antropov for the redirection.

@chief, you mention beer leagues, maybe you should put the beers down for a while.
as has been mentioned numerous times on this board, kolzig has the worst sv% in the nhl. huet was top 10 before he got here and he's sporting a perfect 1.000 as a cap.
did you watch the last two games? the sundin goal was a carbon copy of the easy save huet made against the devils. its an unscreened shot from the wing!! should be cake but olie makes it look unstoppable. and then what the heck was he doing firing the puck at morrison as hard as he could and then tripping green as he's going for the puck that rebounded back. hey, how about a little finesse on your passes. or maybe just let your top defensive pair take care of the dump in, so you can protect the net. (that being said opus was absolutely right about the first goal. it was not olie's fault and gordon embarassed himself allowing sundin so much room on the point. laing would have been laying on the puck before mats ever got his shot off..)
i'll miss olie, but we've missed watching the good olie all year long.

So you say Huet saved a goal tipped by one of our defense, can you tell me exactly when that was? Because I have both games on TIVO and I can't find the goal you are talking about. Tonight, first goal tipped by Leafs, Caps left Olie to play by himself, sencond goal, tipped by Morrison on a goal every goalie in the NHL says stay out of the way and let me play it. I do believe that Green should get a helper on the third leafs goal, that was a bonehead play!!! I hope the Caps play Monday in front of Huet, but a game played like tonight will be a loss to any team we play.

Would, should & could.
It's always the same stuff. As I said, any beer league goalie could have been in net last night thanks to the defense, the execution and don't forget a weak effort from the Devils.
The Leafs came into DC and beat the Caps, not the goalie.
Fedorov is WASHED UP.

Laing SO should have been in that game tonight.

Okay. Dissappointed. Ovie finally scores and were up 1-0. Then the CAPS forgot they had to play the 2nd period. Oops. Too late. They couldn't keep the puck in the offensive zone. They turned it over and made bad decisions. Also Toronto out hustled the Caps to the puck. The Caps finally showed up half way into the 3rd period but too little too late. Now the Caps have to take on a hot team in Boston on Monday. We need a 5-6 game win streak starting with Boston.

Hey Chief, wish you would WASH UP on a beach somewhere far away from here.

A very discouraging night. There is no way that olie should have let that second one in. It looked like it went over his shoulder, which if true is just dreadful. I think his days are numbered with this club.

The third goal was a result of Green trying to do something he didn't have to do. Let Kolzig freeze the puck. Green was just one of many who apparently couldn't string two really good games together. Ovechkin, despite a goal and assist was way off his game. I guess he was just conforming to the standards everyone else was adhering to.

The second period was perhaps the worst period since Hanlon left. The undisputed highlight of the period was morrisson standing behind the net to let the last five seconds run off the clock.

The ice stunk -- AGAIN!!! I suppose we should be delighted that someone has opined that we have the 14th best ice in the league. I wonder how anyone can say that since we rarely have the same ice from day to day. I find it hard to believe it was anywhere near the quality of the sheet they played on last night.

It's tempting to say that if they don't make the playoffs, they can point to this one. There have been far too many just like "this one" Hopefully, in two years this won't happen anymore, but waiting for that long will be unbearable.

Congratulations to the leaf fans celebrating outside after the game. You not only won the game but you are stuck with those slugs. You move to the front of the John Tavares sweepstakes.

I should have known the evening was going to be a complete dud. I dropped a bundle at Jalero for portions that wouldn't keep a bird alive. Never again.

An awful experience all around. But, the sun will come up tomorrow and maybe the Caps will start to get it.

I'd like to see Cooke play on the same line with Brashear.

Man, are the sharks circling!

Everyone knows that I'm no Olie hugger (or Oldie hugger, either). I have a difficult time with the goals scored. Deflections 5 feet in front of you will probably go in. And I've never seen a more wicked shot from a half cock than Sundin has. There's a reason he's a world class player. The play to the boards was OK except Green fumbled the pass and the scramble to recover was on. It didn't help that Green took the puck out from under Olie's glove, either, then lost it.

Facing facts, the Caps didn't hit like they did last night. They didn't pass like last night. They tried to get fancy, which is definately NOT their style.

If I were coach, I would NOT have played Olie tonight after Huet's play the other night. And while Chief may think that an Industrial Beer League goalie could have done as well against NJ as Huet, Huet had impeccible positioning making it look easy. His control of the puck was spot on.

I would have played Huet, but Olie did not lose this game. The team did.

Perhaps there's some psychological reason why they played so well last night and not tonight. Perhaps it was the new blood trying hard to look good, and the rest trying to show them what they can do. I don't know.

All I know is that Olie needs to sit and play the hot hand for awhile. But don't blame him for this one.

leaf fans are so annoying

Just when i start to think that Caps are doing a better job at something (In this case, getting a killer instinct), they lose a game they clearly should've won. I'm tired of using the excuse that the team is inexperienced. They've played more than enough games, to realize that they can't just sit after they get the lead, and hope to win the game.

Yes, goal #2 is on Olie. He had a clear view of of the shot, no reason not to make the save.

How about that the Caps played only 30 minutes tonight?

How about our PP just plain sucking? Taking 45 seconds to get through the blue line, dumping the puck in time and again (ala Hanlon's scheme) rather than carrying it in?

I was less than pleased that Olie got the nod over Huet tonight, but to put this loss only on Olie is not fair. Having said that, I hope Huet is in net until he looks tired and needs a rest.

god bless you old bob. the only thing I'll add is that I don't think we have to wait two years in order to see this squad play consistently. we just have to wait until Olie is no longer getting games. he's just staggeringly bad now. just horrendous. Sundin's second goal "went from the 1st floor to the 10th floor pretty quick." Well you've plummeted right down the elevator shaft Olie. Square up and make the save and then you wouldn't have to make up another creative excuse for losing the game. Get off the ice. he gives us no chance to control a game. funny how we controlled all 60 minutes the night before... I'm more mad than I've been all year.

I don't know, Steve R. I watched that goal again. He has a wicked shot and he got every bit of it. But even at that, that's one goal of 3 on him. Maybe you could say 2 with the board play, but that was a real cluster f&(* play.

Still, I agree that they didn't play the same tonight as they did against NJ.

Greg,

I was perched in the upper corner of section 413 so I didn't have the best eyes on view of goal #2. But I did have the press box 10' away and saw both the CBC and Comcast feeds on their tv's. Mo steered away and gave Olie a clear view of the shot. Great shot by Mats.

What the $%#@ happened on goal #3?

Against the Devils the Caps played about as good a 60 minutes as they've palyed all year. Tonight was depressing.

@Greg S
I disagree. The second goal especially could have been avoided. And it's the goal that changed the momentum 180 degrees. The Caps were discouraged and played like crap, but before that, they were having a very good game.

It's a matter of having the right save at the right time. Honestly... how many times this season we listed the goals and say: "yeah it was difficult to save that one" ? Countless times... basically, every game Olie played. Momentum is a huge part of a team play, and goals like tonights are legs-cutter.

huet needs to play
laing needs to play
fehr needs hershey
cooke needs to earn a spot

huet needs to play
laing needs to play
fehr needs hershey
cooke needs to earn a spot

huet needs to play
laing needs to play
fehr needs hershey
cooke needs to earn a spot

So Wendel, feel strongly about it, eh?

Gainey is looking very smart. Price is 3-0 4ga in all three. Gainey may know something about Huey that GM did not research. I'm convinced GM will regret this deal, should have done his homework.

Gainey is looking very smart. Price is 3-0 4ga in all three. Gainey may know something about Huey that GM did not research. I'm convinced GM will regret this deal, should have done his homework.

Gainey is looking very smart. Price is 3-0 4ga in all three. Gainey may know something about Huey that GM did not research. I'm convinced GM will regret this deal, should have done his homework.

Mauree, I agree that we've been saying this all season. We microanalyse and try to justify. Maybe it was that speck of dust that nudged the puck that caused Olie to miss it. It gets stupid sometimes.

Still, Matt Sundin does have a wicked shot. It's deceptive like AO's. He takes a half wind-up and hits it as hard as Chara did in the All Stars. From the top of the key, there's little time to react.

I do think that Olie's days are numbered as #1 goalie. I hope that it happens sooner than later. I don't know if Huet could have caught that shot or not, but one has to believe that an 8 years younger player is a bit faster, and that bit may be all the difference we need.

Mauree, I agree that we've been saying this all season. We microanalyse and try to justify. Maybe it was that speck of dust that nudged the puck that caused Olie to miss it. It gets stupid sometimes.

Still, Matt Sundin does have a wicked shot. It's deceptive like AO's. He takes a half wind-up and hits it as hard as Chara did in the All Stars. From the top of the key, there's little time to react.

I do think that Olie's days are numbered as #1 goalie. I hope that it happens sooner than later. I don't know if Huet could have caught that shot or not, but one has to believe that an 8 years younger player is a bit faster, and that bit may be all the difference we need.

Mauree, I agree that we've been saying this all season. We microanalyse and try to justify. Maybe it was that speck of dust that nudged the puck that caused Olie to miss it. It gets stupid sometimes.

Still, Matt Sundin does have a wicked shot. It's deceptive like AO's. He takes a half wind-up and hits it as hard as Chara did in the All Stars. From the top of the key, there's little time to react.

I do think that Olie's days are numbered as #1 goalie. I hope that it happens sooner than later. I don't know if Huet could have caught that shot or not, but one has to believe that an 8 years younger player is a bit faster, and that bit may be all the difference we need.

@Greg S
Maybe Huet could have caught it, maybe not. Fact: Olie started moving his arm after the puck was in the net.

Olie played well the last few games, and I was first to defend him and calling goals circumstantial. However last night, I didn't say out of respect for him, but I thought: "gentlemen, we have a goalie". Aside from the shutout, the gut feeling was different. Momentum build up for the Caps yesterday during the whole game, it was a crescendo and they ended up playing 60 minutes.

If you commit to get in the playoffs then you have to play the best, not try to please people. So I blame Bruce.

Disclosure: It might be the disappointment, and I might be reading too much in yesterday's and today's game.

Hey genius, when a guy like Sundin wires one top shelf, you tend to move a half hour after it hits the net. Moving was not saving that one, only playing the angle better would have caused it to hit him or go wide.

Hey genius, when a guy like Sundin wires one top shelf, you tend to move a half hour after it hits the net. Moving was not saving that one, only playing the angle better would have caused it to hit him or go wide

Hey genius, when a guy like Sundin wires one top shelf, you tend to move a half hour after it hits the net. Moving was not saving that one, only playing the angle better would have caused it to hit him or go wide

Let me see if I have this straight. The object is to win the games, right. But, they've benched Quinton Laing. The object is to win, but their most productive line ( Recently ) Laich, Fehr, and Flash haven't played A SINGLE SECOND TOGETHER in the last two games. They claim they're trying to field a winner, yet Huet pitches a shut out, but is benched the next game for a goalie with the WORST STATS IN THE ENTIRE LEAGUE.
But, what do I know? I guess I'm simply not "Deep" enough to understand why and how Boyd Gordon is still on the team. Or, how Matt Cooke can step right into a job playing 2nd line right wing. FEHR SHOULD BE THERE!!!
Ted, it's obvious your gm is setting the line ups. Just as it's ALWAYS BEEN obvious ( To me ) he hasn't a clue as to what he's doing. It's also abundantly obvious there'll be no playoffs in Chinatown again this year. But, the saddest most apparent thing of all, is that Ted Leonsis still hasn't figured out that his gm is a joke. WOW. That's REALLY DEEP.

Hey genius, when a guy like Sundin wires one top shelf, you tend to move a half hour after it hits the net. Moving was not saving that one, only playing the angle better would have caused it to hit him or go wide

I actually agree 100% with puckguru on the first paragraph

Unbelievable! Boudreau has the gall to accuse the boys effort of being, "Unacceptable." Well, IMHO his ( Or actually gmgm's ) line combinations are completely unacceptable and MYSTIFYING, to say the least.
Quinton Laing plays his heart out and can't get on the ice. What's up with THAT? Eric Fehr scores a beautiful goal in tight ( Very few guys in the league can make that shot ), then gets benched the next two games. And, all Huet does is put up ZEROS, but isn't rewarded with a start in the next game. Hmmmm. All very strange decisions, indeed.
It seems as though management has forgotten it's dealing with HUMAN beings. Human beings have feelings. Human beings enjoy being rewarded for jobs well done. You talk about a "Cancer" in the locker room. What could be worse than watching one of your boys get "Hosed" after playing an outstanding game the night before? Instead of being in the line - up, he's watching the game in civilian clothes, while someone else, totally undeserving, is getting his ice time. Any human would be pissed if treated like that. That type of MISmanagement doesn't promote competition. It sews the seeds of discontent. Even outright mutiny!
George ( Because these are obviously his decisions ) you've made a mess for the last ten years. AND, THAT'S A FACT. It's time for you, AND your sidekick Godzilla to just LEAVE. PLEASE!!

Nothing like a one goal loss to bring out Puckguru, Chief, and the Olie bashers.

Olie played as well as the rest of the team did. I'm thinking the team as a whole plays better in front of other goalies because they've become accustomed to losing w/ Kolzig.

Goal #2 was legitimately Kolzig, but the play started with a bad turnover. Goal #3 was Green not trusting Kolzig.

I think Huet should play, simply because the team can't play in front of Olie. He had his chance to follow up Huet's shutout and now it's time to ride the pine until he's so pissed at the whole situation that he works his ass off to get back into the lineup. BB isn't going to start Johnson over Kolzig unless Johnson does the same.

I hope this means we'll see a lot more of Huet in the next few weeks. Let's just be glad it's ONE GAME.

2 points != out of the playoffs with 17 games left. It'd be nice if some people would remember that.

STOP PLAYING OLIE !!!!!!!!!!!!

STOP PLAYING OLIE !!!!!!!!!!!!

STOP PLAYING OLIE !!!!!!!!!!!!

I'd say that third goal might have been caused by a defenseman who has no faith in his goalie to freeze the puck. Or maybe Kolzig didn't shout "I got it!" or whatever. As pissed as I am at Kolzig's play tonight, I just hope that he has the intelligence, humility, and class (and he should, he seems an alright guy) to pack it in and take a job somewhere off the ice.

And Cooke... he got into it with Blake after the whistle once, did he do anything (anything) else all night? I agree with whoever said he's got to EARN a spot over, say Laing, or Bradley, or whoever.

Man, I wish Clark would heal up mysteriously overnight. The Caps could use HIM right about now.

My dear Raber,
I haven't suddenly just come out of the woodwork. I've been a Caps' fan ( And supporter ) since their inception. That fact just might explain my reluctance to accepting this, "Let's be patient" bs. I HAVE BEEN PATIENT. And, thusfar, all I've gotten for it, is being swept in the finals a decade ago.
For your information, dear Raber, I was in total aggrement with selling off the Jagrs, Greers, Kono's, Robt. Laing's, Gonchars, etc. That "Team" was never really a team ( If your obviously limited IQ can grasp that concept ). It was a high - priced group of individuals. So, it made no sense financially or otherwise, to keep that roster intact. The problems since then have been the result of gmgm's extremely poor judgement regarding hockey talent; both in the trades he's made, as well as the many wasted HIGH AND NOT SO HIGH DRAFT CHOICES HE'S MADE. For every Bruce Laich he's secured, I can name you ten (10) Jonas Johanssons. Likewise, for every Mike Green, I can name you many, many more Sasha Pocoloks.
And, as far as Olie Kolzig is concerned, I certainly haven't "Bashed" him. I've merely stated the facts. Which you Kolzig lovers hide from, like vampires from sunlight. And, the fact is, THAT OLIE STINKS. HE HAS THE WORST STATS OF ANY STARTING GOALIE IN THE LEAGUE.
It's my humble opinion that you'd feel a lot better if you'd admit the truth. Instead, you ( and all the rest of Olie's fan club ) insist on ignoring reality, and living in "The World of Spin." What a shame.
You see pal, the fundamental difference between you and me is that I ROOT FOR THE CAPS, PERIOD. I'm not an Olie fan. Or, an Ov fan, or whomever. I'm A CAPS' FAN. And, I want THE TEAM to succeed. I want to watch the boys skate around The Phone Booth with Lord Stanley's Cup raised high. But, I'm also a realist. And, as such, I know that day will never come as long as has - beens like Olie Kolzig are allowed to remain on the squad. I have no loyalty to individual players. Only to the team. Understand? That's precisely why MY Caps sweater has no player's name on the back. That's simply not my style. It's not about the individual. It's about the team. Period. Got it now?

Huet in net, we would've won. My opinion. He shut out the Devils on Friday night. This is the first time i really question Bodreau's coaching...playing Olie was a bad decision. Was it entirely Kolzig's fault??? No, but sitting Huet after pitching a shut out was stupid. If the Caps want to make the playoffs, Gabby and the Olie Huggers need to get off the bandwagon and realize there is a younger, quicker, better goalie in town.

puckguru,

who do you think traded for Huet? My bet is the general manager

chief...you're just a sad case who only comes around when the caps lose.... if you don't like GMGM fine...go talk to a therapist or something

Waive Olie the washed up Goalie! Cooke looked lost; why is Flash in the NHL, does he have pictures?

The caps lost that game in the 2nd period. End of story. They did NOT want it bad enough. Their passing was TERRIBLE, no one could keep a hold of the puck. It looked like they weren't paying enough attention to the passes when they came. They weren't throwing enough body into the boards. Yeah I had some issues with Olie's goal tending tonight..like the times it took him forever to get off the ice and back into the goal. that's infuriating..and I LOVE olie. But you can't leave the goal unprotected that long.

And it was just sloppy play. They tried to rally in the 3rd, but by then it was too late really. They still need to learn to play more consistently...every hockey game is more than one or two periods worth of full tilt playing..you've got 3 periods andif you want to go for the win, you have to play ALL 3 PERIODS!

@Mauree: I don't think you're necessarily reading too much into what you saw the last two nights; what I think we saw is the same team playing with, and without confidence. Whether it's fair to Olie or can be justified on an analytical basis is irrelevant. We needed him to stop the second Toronto goal. From my seat, he was late. The third Toronto goal was really unfortunate, and whether it was because Green doesn't think his goalie can handle it or he thought it was the right play and just fell down almost doesn't matter. Sometimes when things are not going well, psychologically a team needs a change. We'll see if BB makes it. On a separate note, the power play stunk last night; IMHO, BB needs to be telling his four young guys to stop going one on one, give the puck to Federov, and let him get it set up. The first PP opportunity they did, and they had some great chances. The last few looked like pond hockey.

@IrresistibleForce

You are exactly right. I was at the game and I told my buddy I can't believe what I'm watching in the 2nd period. NO EFFORT.

Tarik, your description of #13's goal in the Post this morning is very friendly to #37.

There's been a lot of unwarranted criticism of Kolzig and leveling of sole blame for losses in his direction. That goes beyond this game.

THAT SAID, Olie was merely average, and actually disappointing, vs Toronto. He should have looked a lot better playing a home game against a team he's beaten (and that was chasing us in the playoff race) following a shutout performance by his competition for the #1 spot.

As many have said, the 2nd goal was very questionable. I wouldn't call it "soft", but Olie reacted very, very late to it. He doesn't seem to be picking up the puck well these days.

The first and third goals can't really be blamed on him. A deflection right in front of him that goes top shelf is usually going in. And that screw-up by Green and Mo (with no backchecking from the forwards) was a pathetic team goal.

The team looked tired. Their M.O. has been to storm out of the gate in the first period, and fade the rest of the way. If they don't get the lead in the first, and survive the retaliation by the other team in the second, they lose. This is mental game, and conditioning. BB needs to address this.

GMGM had to make that Huet deal. It was a smart move. We're better with what we have now. If Huet doesn't bomb vs Boston, he should get starts at about 2-1 until he wears down.

One last thing....someone is impersonating me on the Caps boards. A nice gesture, but not really very clever. I'm flattered, but it is a bit juvenile. I guess I should expect as much with so many noob trolls running around.

GO CAPS!!

I'm surprised that no one is mentioning the lousy ice. Perhaps it has become so common that people are just accepting of it. But players were flopping all over and I thought it adversely affected play. It is a disgrace and it is time that that Pollin cut the concerts and the Georgetown crap and focused on pleasing the Caps who are, after all, one of the two primary tenants.

This was the worst possible outcome from a really bad and puzzling decision to start Olie instead of Huet.

This loss is as much BB's fault as it is the players and Olie. Huet pitches a shut-out and his reward is sit and watch in inferior goalie butcher the position.

The 2nd goal was Olie's fault. Huet made that play in NJ on Zubrus's shot. The 3rd goal was debacle started by Olie and finished by Olie, co-starring Green. Olie plays with zero competency with the puck.

The discussion between Olie and Huet should be over at this point. Anyone in here that understands positioning and puck control should understand that Huet and Olie are light years apart in skill.

BB blames the lack of effort? What else is he going to say? I made the worng decision in who in net tonight? Hardly. We should have scored 4 to 5 goals, but we didnt, that doesnt excuse Olie from his mistakes too.

@ mauree

I agree Bruce was to blame for putting Olie in. That was a rookie coach mistake. You have to come back with the strong hand after the night the Huet and the teams had the night before...he didn't and the team didn't respond. Bad coaching decision. Everyone seem to know that except him. If it had worked, he would have looked great..but it didn't and we lose.

No, that was not Olie's best performance, but you can't blame him for the loss - the whole team did not show up (or at least not the team that played the night before). Shots on goal alone tell the story - Kolzig faced 25, Huet faced 18. And on Friday, Caps put in 4 of 29 v. 2 of 28 on Saturday. Yup, if the guys played the same game last night, there probably would have been a different result. Personally, I think they underestimated Toronto - there is no reason we should have lost to them.

RE: Why Kolzig got the start, my assumption is that BB wanted to give both of his #1 keepers a shot - they were fighting for THE #1 spot (IF he thought Huet was the better keeper, then it makes sense that he started him against NJ and Olie against Toronto). While the whole team was not up to snuff last night (so Olie should not be blamed for the loss alone), he could have had a monster game last night and pulled it out for them (and saved them from their own weak performance). But he didn't - he just played OK like the rest of them. So that leads me to believe that he just handed the #1 spot to Huet. I disagree that Johnny should be #2 - he is not better than Kolzig, and he does not have the history with the team. IMHO. We'll see what happens, but that's what I'm thinking.

Having said all that, everyone needs to lighten up, already. Screw you Kolzig?!? Kolzig is a cancer?!? That's disgusting. Show a little respect. He stuck with the Caps through thick and thin - he deserves the same. Even if he did not have that history, he is not a bad person. No one deserves to be talked about like that. That does not mean that he deserves the #1 spot (or even #2, frankly - he needs to earn spots). But he always deserves to be treated with respect. Period.

@Chief

Price won't wind the cup for them. BAD decision by Montreal to get rid of Huet just when the playoffs were about to start. Should have waited. Montral with Price in net: 1 round and out. With Huet, a shot a t the Cup. No way you can defend Montreal for such a stupid decision as that. Even if Price can win the rest of the regular season games. No way he takes them to the promised land.

"Unbelievable! Boudreau has the gall to accuse the boys effort of being, "Unacceptable.""
-Puckguru

...did you not watch the game last night? What would YOU call their effort?

Boo, I got to say I agree with you. The Caps looked like a disorganized bunch last night. The power play was inept. There were too many offsides. There seemed to be Leaf players everywhere in the Caps offensive zone.

Kolzig was not the best goalie on the ice last night, for sure. At this point, I doubt he is the Caps best goalie. I guess, that Huet is got to be the man, until someone proves he's not. But people ought to ease up on Ollie, he wasn't the only reason the Caps lost.

There is plenty of blame to go around. The fact is that the Leafs wanted it more. I noticed more than one time when our "D" looked like it was scared to go in and get the puck after the Leafs dumped it into our Defensive zone. Looked like to me they didn't want to take the punishment.
There were two guys in particular, both have numbers in the 50's.

Better get Quinton Laing back in the lineup. I am not sure Cooke is ready yet and of course, Huet has to be in the nets Monday.

Lastly, I think BB did the right thing playing Ollie. I read where some people are blaming BB, but I think that he had to play him to demonstrate to the team who the number one is and why... There is no doubt now and there should be no controversy.

The Caps are a better team with Huet in the nets, at least, so it seems at this point.

MikeZ:
AMEN!!!!! And I forgot to mention earlier - Flash has been less than impressive. He had at least one (if not two?) open net misses, and he has in other recent games, as well. Why does he continue to get starts? Granted, he did not lose the game alone, but he did not help.

Joe

I't been mentioned several times. It always comes up as an excuse for our lousy play. Of course, it's lousy for both sides, and we should be used to it by now.

This team is not playing with conviction and confidence in front of Olie. That leads to questioned positioning, over playing simple plays, and underplaying on D in an attempt to keep in position. There is the feeling that they may win, not will win.

Olie didn't play poorly last night. They all did. They all did because of a lack of confidence. Coach B should have played Huet.

Laing plays with heart, true. This team has to make choices with the forwards that it has. Who sits? This guy blocks shots like no one's business, but how many points?

There's a business decision that needs to be made. Do we go to win? Or do we go to placate the fans? Put in fan favorites Liang and Olie? Or win with Huet and ___?

The team seems to play better (based on one game, I know) in front of Huet. So play him. Liang is great on PK, but has limited point scoring capabilities. Play someone else.

Cooke was a straight up even trade for Pettinger. Expect Pettinger results.

@Boo, I think you are spot on about respecting Olie. I am not thrilled with his level of play, but do not see the need to disrespect him as a person.

Also think you are spot on about Flash. Can the guy hit an open net just once please?

Someone said that they thought BB played Olie to help alleviate the "goalie controversy" ideas. May be on point there. I wondered the same thing, and did think that if you were going to pick a game to do it the game against Toronto made sense. Not that I think he hung Kolzig out to dry... But now he can't say he did not get a chance if Huet plays the majority of the games from here on out.

Muddapucker:
That's the way I see it, too. How do you best deal with a goalie controversy?!? Let the goalie's "speak" for themselves. It really was a low risk gamble - there is no reason that THE ENTIRE TEAM should have lost to Toronto! I think he did the right thing. And if he had not done it, people would be complaining that Kolzig didn't even get a chance. I love Olie and wanted to see him pull it out last night, but he didn't - Huet will surely be in goal Monday.

I don't know where our PP or our PK was yesterday, but they were not in the VC. How disappointing was that?!? AND BRING LAING BACK!! I would have liked to see him block some of Toronto's shots ...

Also, did it seem to anyone else that there were an awful lot of Leafs fans there last night. A huge group came in right before the teams took the ice for pregame warm-up. I was a little surprised.

Already have a little bit of dread regarding the game on March 9th.

Greg:
I don't think that Flash brings more to the game the Laing. He may some day, but not now. In fact, I don't think that Brash is always a better choice than Laing. Just my two cents ...

The notion that the Caps owe Olie anything is so old fashioned.

Olie stuck with this team through thick and thin? You make it sound like he didnt have a choice. He knew the direction the team heading after the Jagr crap. He accepted a huge contract. Poor multi-million dollar Olie. I weep for him.

TL can run his team anyway he wants. He is trying to build a winner, a team that can compete for the Stanley Cup. I hope and doubt seriously that making sure Olie is happy at the expense of team success is up there on his to do list. At least it shouldnt be.

If anything Olie should realize that he just doesnt have it anymore, hang up the skates and allow this team to move forward instead dwelling in the past and the legacies of players whose better days are long gone.

None of these players where around the last time the Caps made the play-offs. Not 1. This is a different team, a young team that needs a goalie that can bail them out of some of their mistakes instead of a goalie that needs a young team to bail him out of his.

that was - THAN Laing ...

JSchon:
I didn't say the Caps owe Olie anything - WE owe him a little respect, he needs to EARN a spot. I think he deserves a spot more than Johnny (based on his play [=earn] and his history).

Olie has done for the CAPS what Hanlon did for the CAPS ie not completely embarrass themselves with lack of talent. While I would like to see Johnson as the backup to Huet Kolzig will probably be there, but this is it for 07 08.

Morning Boo!... sorry about "jumping off the wagon". Part of it is, being a relatively new fan, I don't know Olie's past. So in my mind I'm trying to adjust and think about him as he would be Ovie 13 years from now and maybe losing his edge.

Anyway, the main problem I'm having is with the timing:
1) two points loss against a team we can beat
2) we had huge momentum coming from the Devils game, something we really need in the upcoming games.
3) @ Raber: come on man... we were first in the division with 2 games in hands... now we're 5 points from it. You can say: "with 17 games left"... but if we keep it like this we'd be TEN points out of first at the end, don't you think?
4) Because 1,2,3 we need to put the best team on ice. And Bruce didn't.

Maybe I'm the only one thinking it, but I thought the Caps were playing exactly like against the Devils at the beginning. Remember with the Devils they didn't start out great, but it was a crescendo, momentum never stop building and we ended up absolutely dominating the third. Yesterday I had the same feeling. Then the second goal happened and *I* was so frustrated and thinking "this must be really hard on the boys", and it was and it showed.

I know it's a young team, but no matter how NHL proven veteran you are, if you feel let down by a teammate you'll lose motivation.

The gut feeling (from just one game, we'll see though) is that Huet IS a better goalie, and that the team plays better with him. Olie should acknowledge it and support the team.

Cooke was an experiment. I like Laing better. If Cooke is a better player it will show in practice, but for now Laing should play. And I also think Fehr should always play, I like him... I even liked him when he was on the first line. Maybe he's screwing up during practice, cause I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be playing.

@Muddapucker: The other thing I couldn't help but notice was that several of the D failed to pinch in along the boards when the puck was above the half wall with under 8 minutes remaining in a 1 goal game, and instead allowed the Leafs to control the puck and exit their zone without much opposition. This wasn't limited to guys with numbers in the 50s. For a team that's supposed to be playing an aggressive style, they continue to be soft on the points in the offensive zone at bad times. I believe a large part of that is, once again, confidence; although whether that's a lack of confidence in their own footspeed or fear that if they take a chance the puck is going to end up in the back of their net, I don't know.

Quinton Laing needs to be in the lineup for one reason and one reason only...

HEART!!! He raises everybody's game. When Laing gives up the body for the team, it rubs off on everyone else.

We have more skilled players, we have faster players and maybe we even have smarter players, but we don't have enough players that will absolutely do whatever it takes to win. You got to have that on a team. Its a big part of team chemistry.

@Mauree: I agree Cooke's first game wasn't notable, but let's give him a few games to see if he's another Petty or if he brings more attitude. I wish we'd seen a little more last night.

fishman,

I never said Price was winning the Habs a cup or even taking them there.
All I said was that Gainey is looking very smart right now, given Price being 3-0 & 4GA total. That's looking favorable.
If you think the Caps Defense have what it takes to even make playoffs, you're mistaken, was never desperate goalie needed, more defense problems that's never been addressed. This is just a smoke screen

At this point in the season, heart is a very big deal.

Up visiting in MD for a few days ... went to the game last night.

Olie looked shaky at other times too. He bobbled several pucks ... put some rebounds in dangerous areas ... and nearly misplayed a semi-breakaway by the Leafs.

The loss isn't on Olie -- lazy play and going 0-5 on the PP is more to blame -- but he didn't help.

In the first period, the Caps really took the body. The sound of Toronto players being crunched against the boards, their torsos and heads rattling the glass was music to fans watching on TV. Why did it seem the mute was turned on in the second period. The Caps acted as if a strong crunching check would disrupt their beautiful flowing style of play. I almost wish for the old days, when the Caps built their identity as team that did not have the best talent, but could be counted on to put their best effort into a game. The talent on this team is so much greater than any previous Caps team; they just need to learn that even the greatest offensive teams that actually won Cups did the dirty work well too. "Grind, dig, hit, fight, muscle, scrap, punish, are not descriptive terms that are used to describe this current Caps team. Boudreau has done such a smart job with this team. Now the players have to decide if they have the guts, determination, and heart to win. Federov should get the team to watch some old You Tube clips the greatest rivalry over a short period of time in the history of sports: the old Red Wings vs. Avalanche. A player had to have guts just to step on the ice. Both those teams had offensive talent beyond the Caps, but what set them apart was the crunching physical play and heart of the
teams.

The people in here calling Olie names are buffoons. However, there are buffoons everywhere. There are 7 million living in Philadelphia.

History has never won a Stanley or any trophy in any sport.

You bring out history and I'll bring out talent, I'll win 10 times in 10 tries.

Went to the game last night and it seem like every shot the Leafs put on Olie felt like it was going to go in. The second and third goals were weak goals and I have no idea why BB went with Olie last night after Huet played so well against the Devils. I say if we had Huet in net last night, he would have kept us in the game and the Caps at least get a point out of the game. If the Caps didn't have such poor goaltending throughout the season, we would closer to Carolina in the standings.

what a shock, the caps lose and puckguru comes out of hiding. and critiquing the coach of all people. i though the guru was more of a gm than a coach. all this coach has done is taken a team in last place and put it in a position to win a division, much less a playoff spot. on a short list of coach of the year candidates. he's left more NHL knowledge "in the bowl" than puckguru could ever hope to have and yet the guru knows best when it comes to line combos and human nature. he's not a caps fan, ladies and gentlemen, he a compulsive whiner who's not happy unless he's unhappy so he can share is "wisdom" with others. thas why you wont see him post any positive messages or words of support. and please, lets not criticize him lest he really lay down the law with the caps lock key. then again, without him there would be very few posters here to laugh at.

Why are people blamming BB? Blame Hanlon - why, because we can... had he won just 3 more games at the beginning of the year, we would be 1 point of Carolina with 2 games in hand.

The bigger games in the past few weeks were the games against the SE and we failed to get two points. Up 2-0 and lose... we can't expect to make the playoffs with games like that. There is still a lot of hockey left... especially against the SE - we need to win those games...

16 games left... we need to win at least 10 of those... heck... maybe even 12. As for Carolina - they need to win 8 of 14. That would put us:

Carolina 89 points
Washington 92 points (12 wins) 88 points (10 wins)

Ugg, it's not looking good at all...

Here is where we can get 12 wins:

MAR 3 - BOS
MAR 9 - PIT
MAR 14 - ATL
MAR 18 - NSH
MAR 19 - CHI
MAR 21 - ATL
MAR 25 - CAR
MAR 27 - TB
MAR 29 - FL
APR 1 - CAR
APR 3 - TB
APR 5 - FL

Keep in mind - that would be a 9 game win streak for the Caps... again - does not look good. Basically, if Carolina wins 10 more games, we are done... Who knows if we can catch an 8 spot...

828, where have you been. We need to revive the 6 goal club.