Caps Burakovsky Fun to Watch

Andre Burakovsky, the 19-year old Caps rookie, may end up being a surprise gift to Caps fans from former General Manager George McPhee. The young Austrian plays the game with a composed sneakiness that makes him fun to watch. And, the amazing thing is that he's a left winger, not a center, but the Caps needed a center. They gave him the chance after trying him at the position during camp and preseason games. Good centers are gold in the NHL and if Burakovsky ends up being a good one, the Caps may be able to close their perpetual hole at second line center since Alex Ovechkin came to town.

In 9 games, Burakovsky collected 2G-6A-8P and was a plus-4. Not bad, even if the sample the size is small. It's early and the league hasn't had time to figure him out, but the 2013 first round draft pick, 23rd overall, is turning heads with his poise and plays like the one against Detroit where he exited the zone, pressured their  defense, got the puck to John Carlson for a pass to Troy Brouwer that ended up in the net.

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Let's go Caps!

Caps Ovie on Locker Room and Backie's 500th Point

Although the Caps played a flat game against the Edmonton Oilers, there are still positives signs from the team in the last several games, but Barry Trotz needs to get them back to playing like the first period against Montreal to start the season. Alex Ovechkin played a lackluster game in Edmonton, which typically means the Caps struggle. They lost 2-3, but still showed unbelievable cycling on the power play and forechecking, not typical strengths of this team.

Right now, I'm more interested in Ovie's quotes in recent interviews and Trotz's early assessments of his star winger than the Caps struggles these past two games. Those issues are surmountable. Watching the Caps play under an experienced NHL head coach is such an improvement over the last several seasons that I believe Trotz can right the ship when they start looking like last year's Caps.

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Let's go Caps!

Caps Play Under Trotz

After playing solid games against Montreal, a shootout loss, and Boston, a 4-0 win, the Caps showed bad signs of seasons past against the San Jose Sharks. They stopped moving their feet and their forechecking and board battles weren't as strong as their first two games. Barry Trotz has more work to do, but the reminder from the coaches to move their feet worked as they tied the game in the 3rd period on goals from Alex Ovechkin and Troy Brouwer.

The Caps play under Trotz looks structured and plays to the strengths of his players. Seems simple, but it hasn't been the last few years in Washington. Some fans and commentators called the first period of hockey versus Montreal the best period of Caps hockey in years so, hopefully, there is more of that to come. They are an improved team.

The Washington Capitals go as long as their captain, Alex Ovechkin, is doing his thing. Ovie appears rejuvenated by the Trotz system, flying around, hitting again, and scoring both power play and even strength goals. He's scored 4 goals in 3 games. The goal against San Jose where Ovie dished to Fehr, who threaded it to Backie who dished it back to Ovie for a hidden blast that caught Niemi unaware was delightful to watch. He ended the game with 2G, 1A, 8 shots and 5 hits.

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Let's go Caps.

The Trotz Era Begins in Washington

The Caps first coach to come to Washington with NHL coaching experience since Ron Wilson in 1997, Barry Trotz, makes his debut as bench boss for the Capitals on Thursday.  He's already instilled subtle changes in the locker room that will be interesting to watch. A rope line around the Caps logo on the floor of the locker room, placed there so no one can walk on it. Corny, yes, but can the little things turn around the country club culture that started years ago?

Another change is the leadership group, consisting of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, Brooks Orpik, Troy Brouwer, Brooks Laich, John Carlson and Jason Chimera, that he uses to discuss the direction he wants to take the Caps.  This is an approach Trotz used in Nashville. Hopefully, the group will take the pressure off Ovie. Having Orpik helps with this, too.

Trotz starts his debut with the Caps lacking personnel for a key element of a winning hockey team, depth down the middle. The Caps don't have a second line center.  For those keeping score, this deficiency has hampered the Caps since Alex Ovechkin steamrolled onto the scene in 2005. Second line centers aren't easy to come by, particularly on the open market, so it's best to develop players for that position.  Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky are both playing center with some skill, but Burakovsky is a rookie winger, not center, and Kuznetsov played wing his last couple of years in Russia and is awful on face offs, 18.5% in his 27 tries last season. That weakness continues.

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Let's go Caps!