The other Alexander has been great for Caps

By Bud L. Ellis

He shares a first name with a much more famous teammate. But to be honest, it’s been this Alexander who’s driving the Washington Capitals toward the Stanley Cup Playoffs as much as that other more well-known Alexander.

Alexander Semin may not grab the headlines like Alexander Ovechkin, but that hasn’t stopped the Caps’ left winger from putting together a solid season.

Semin’s 25 goals and 28 assists for 53 points is a big reason the Caps lead the Eastern Conference standings, are cruising to a third-straight Southeast Division championship, and are riding the franchise’s hottest streak in more than 20 years.

The Caps have won eight straight games, their longest winning streak since 1989. And Semin has played a big part in the January surge that’s propelled the Caps to the top of the conference. He scored twice in a win at the Islanders on Tuesday, and followed that up with another two-goal performance as Washington beat Anaheim to push its win streak to eight games.

He ranks ninth in the NHL in goals scored, 14th in points and 13th in plus-minus rating (+20). His four game-winning goals stands 13th in the league. In his past five games, Semin has 10 points, including a four-point effort (one goal, three assists) in a win over Phoenix Saturday.

If the Caps indeed are going to play deep into spring, the Caps have to have both Alexanders doing their thing.

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Friday, January 29, 2010 at 5:57 am by bud

Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Anaheim Ducks, National Hockey League, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes, Washington Capitals

Caps push win streak to six as white-hot January continues

By Bud L. Ellis

Nobody has been hotter in 2010 than the Washington Capitals. Saturday night, the Phoenix Coyotes tried their best to slow down the NHL’s most torrid team.

No dice. Michal Neuvirth shined in goal, Eric Fehr scored the go-ahead tally and the Caps made it nine wins in 11 tries in the new year, downing Phoenix 4-2 at home.

The win moves the Caps to 72 points on the season, tops in the Eastern Conference and just four behind San Jose in the race for best record in the NHL (Chicago leads the Caps by two points).

Winners of six in a row, Washington improved to 18-3-3 at home. And the Caps did so by rallying from an early 1-0 deficit, tying the game on Brooks Laich’s power-play goal in the first period. Fehr scored on the power-play with 6:38 left in the second period, and Alexander Semin pushed the Caps’ advantage to 3-1 with a goal four minutes later.

Neuvirth made it stand up from there. Alexander Ovechkin scored his 33rd goal into an empty net with six seconds remaining.

Washington now gets two days off to rest up for a busy final week of what’s been a nearly perfect month. The Caps play Tuesday at the Islanders, then finish the month with three consecutive games on home ice.

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Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 10:09 pm by bud

Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Brooks Laich, Chicago Blackhawks, Eric Fehr, Michal Neuvirth, National Hockey League, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals

Caps finish January with four of final five at home

By Bud L. Ellis

It couldn’t set up more perfectly for the Washington Capitals.

Already sitting atop the Eastern Conference and running away with the Southeast Division, the Caps play host to Phoenix on Saturday, opening up a stretch where Washington plays four of their final five games in January on home ice.

And home has been a very comforting place so far in 2009-10 for the Caps. Washington, which led New Jersey and Buffalo by three points each for first place in the East entering Friday, is 17-3-3 at home so far this season. Only Chicago (21), Vancouver (20), Phoenix (19) and Ottawa (18) have won more games at home to this point of the season.

Washington will play 18 of its final 32 games this season at home. Barring a total collapse, the Caps will win the Southeast Division and figure to be in the hunt for the top seed out of the East heading into the playoffs.

Winning at home is a big part of the equation, but the Caps have been winning everywhere of late. Washington comes into Saturday’s contest on a five-game winning streak and has won seven of its last 10. Thursday, the Caps pulled away in the final 30 minutes for a big 6-3 road win at Pittsburgh.

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Friday, January 22, 2010 at 9:27 pm by bud

Tags: Chicago Blackhawks, National Hockey League, Ottawa Senators, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals