| | The Washington Capitals can no longer be ignored. A few wins against average competition is one thing, but going 10-0-1 and beating some excellent clubs is enough for everyone to take notice. Also, some info on other teams as well as the unfortunate Trent McLeary injury.
Low pressure: Washington Capitals
I think that everyone in Washington deserves a lot of credit for the Capitals current unbeaten streak. They've shown patience can pay off. Maintaining chemistry and getting a team together after a tough start seems to be harder than ever. It just requires some continuity and giving the team a chance to find a way out of it.
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TEAMS TO WATCH
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Bruins: It was interesting that Jeremey Jacobs came out last week and defended Boston's management (Harry Sinden and Mike O'Connell) and went after the coaches, and said that they weren't doing the job. What that says to me is Jacobs is telling Burns to 'work with what you've got.'
Coyotes: Just when you think the Coyotes are going to level out and take a step back, they come up with a huge game. Monday night's 5-3 victory over Detroit was one of the best games I've seen all year. The Coyotes are showing that they're a much deeper team than just Jeremy Roenick and Keith Tkachuk. Phoenix also showed that it still has Detroit's number -- they're 7-1-1 in their last nine games against the Red Wings.
Flyers: No matter how well they play or what they do from one week-to-week or month-to-month, there's always the feeling that something is brewing in Philly. Whether it's questions about adding another defensemen or getting another goalie, things never seem to be settled in Philadelphia.
Vancouver: Vancouver is one of the most difficult places to be right now. There is such a negative environment there. The whole thing with the government has left a very negative feeling. It is an unsettled environment -- difficult for the players. And they're struggling. It makes the players wonder how they're going to deal with the adversity and where they are going to be in the future. When fans start throwing fish on the ice, and you're not in Detroit, you know something is wrong.
--Brian Engblom
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There are a number of players behind the team's success. The goaltending and team play in general go hand and hand, so it's hard to say whether Olaf Kolzig pulled them out of their dismal start, or if he got stronger as the rest of the team did. You've got a guy like Chris Simon -- whose been know more for his fists -- tied for the team lead in goals with 15.
After the terrible start (only four assists in his first 20 games), Sergei Gonchar has come to life. Coach Ron Wilson basically challenged Gonchar to get back to where he was last year when he scored 20 goals. He's been an offensive force lately and was just named the NHL's Player of the Week. He epitomizes the way the season has gone for the entire team.
Washington's start stunned me. I picked the Capitals to be much better, and to take a step forward. Confidence is such a big factor in the NHL now. There is a group of seven or eight teams at the top level and then a group of a dozen or so at the next level. It's really difficult in that middle pack. Night in and night out, confidence and momentum is a big factor. Washington obviously started out with zero, and now they're flying high. Management deserves a lot of credit for sticking with it and giving the players and Ron Wilson a chance to turn things around.
High pressure: McCleary's injury
Trent McCleary's throat injury is one of those unfortunate freak accidents that happen sometimes in sports, similar to when Clint Malarchuck had his neck cut by a skate. The throat is one of those areas that is not protected, except for the goaltenders.
You may see some players start to wear throat guards -- a lot of younger kids wear throat protection. It certainly gets players attention when something this serious happens. When Bill Masterton passed away from hitting his head on the ice, that certainly spurred a lot of players to put helmets on. However, I don't think you'll see much of a push for players to wear neck guards; it's just an unfortunate thing, and hopefully McCleary will be able to regain full health and come back and play.
High pressure: Canadian government
Since the Canadian government abandoned it's aid plan, it makes me wonder even more if there is any chance to get to the end of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2004 before all hell breaks loose.
This could be one of the big factors that make the owners decide to do something sooner rather than later. They may decide that if they wait until 2004, most of the Canadian teams will be gone. It will be interesting to see if anything comes out over the All-Star break. The owners have to vote on the Olympics and while they may not address the CBA directly it will be interesting to see if any kind of feelings come out. I think you'll start to see more stories about this coming out.
Brian Engblom is a hockey analyst for ESPN, and he played 11 seasons in the NHL. | |
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