Lots and lots of numbers changed on the Magic Numbers chart last night, so I think it might behoove me to try to make some sense of what might happen in the baker’s dozen of tilts today.

New York Islanders at New Jersey Devils. Matinee. Season Series: First meeting (of six). New Jersey is staying put at the top of the Magic Numbers list no matter what happens. They can’t move any higher than first place, and they have 3 top-line points on the second-place team, so even a regulation loss won’t move them down. It would, however, make their top-line lead on the East a bit more tenuous. The Islanders cannot move up, but with any loss, would have a magic number against idle San Jose for President’s Trophy elimination.

Ottawa Senators at Boston Bruins. Early. Season Series: Game 2; BOS leads by 1. Both teams are taking preliminary aim at Carolina for the 14 spot. Ottawa has played two fewer games, and because of that, they have the 4th best top-line score in the East. There’s no way for them to move up on their own, but they can definitely take a major step back if they lose. Boston can’t move up, either, but a loss would not by itself take them down any slots.

Carolina Hurricanes at Buffalo Sabres. Early. Season Series: First meeting (of 4). Mathematically, this game will be a serious setback for whoever loses. If Carolina loses, they will be either 90 or 89 points away from President’s Trophy elimination. A Carolina loss would also mean a lot more action further up the Eastern standings, as a lot of higher teams would get a step or two closer to clinching the 14 spot. Buffalo, meanwhile, can’t really afford to lose this one, either. A regulation loss here would knock them down three spots. Losing in overtime wouldn’t be as big a disaster, but it would make the immediate future a bit more competitive for the Sabres.

Washington Capitals at Montreal Canadiens. Early. Season Series: Game 2; MTL leads by 2. The Caps head into Centre Bell looking to square the series against the Habs, who have been struggling this year. The Caps inherited first place in the Eastern Conference when Pittsburgh got upset by the Islanders Friday night. Washington can take the conference lead outright with a point or (preferably!) two against Montreal. An overtime loss wouldn’t be a disaster; a regulation loss would, as it would set the Caps back 4 spots. The Habs could move up past the Islanders with a win and some help from New Jersey; they would not move down if they lost, as they have a 4-point cushion against the Leafs.

Philadelphia Flyers at Atlanta Thrashers. Early. Season series: First meeting (of 4). The Flyers cannot move up on their own here, but they can drop two spots with a regulation loss. Atlanta has been a bit of an early surprise, but most of their success has come on the road: their 4-5-2 home record indicates some vulnerability at home. Their top line score is due to games in hand, and they need to win this one to hang on to their standing.

Calgary Flames at Columbus Blue Jackets. Early. Season Series: Game 3, currently tied. Columbus is looking to snap a 3-game skid; Calgary is trying to extend a 2-game streak. Calgary can afford to lose this; Columbus cannot. I would look for a spirited effort from the Jackets.

New York Rangers at Pittsburgh Penguins. Early. Season Series: Game 2; PIT leads by 2 points. I don’t root for the Rangers that often, but tonight is one of those nights. Neither team can move itself up, but the Rangers would be in worse trouble if they lost. It’s a division game, so who knows how it’ll turn out. Let’s go Rangers! (Can’t believe I’m saying that after last year’s playoffs, but hey…the team that’s playing Pittsburgh is automatically my second-favorite NHL team.)

Detroit Red Wings at St. Louis Blues. Late. Season Series: Game 3; STL leads by 4 points. St. Louis can put this season series all but out of reach with a win at home. Both teams have been struggling early, and this result will have to hurt one team more than the other. St. Louis would actually move up on the official standings with a regulation win, and it’s a division game, so this one could be worth a look-in.

Florida Panthers at Nashville Predators. Late. Season Series: First meeting (of 2). This will be either a milk run for the Preds or a heck of an upset for the Panthers. Nashville has some spots to give and still remain in the top 8, but Florida is trying to avoid getting relegated to the same Eastern cellar as the Hurricanes. Last 10: NSH 8-2-0, FLA 5-2-3. Nashville is doing very well at home, but the Panthers have been doing remarkably well away from the Litter Box. Looks like anybody’s game coming in, and my calculator is already grumbling.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars. Late. Season Series: Only meeting. In terms of top-line score, Dallas is standing quite well in the West, but barely. A loss to the Bolts tonight, and that could change by several positions. Tampa Bay doesn’t have as much to lose, but would certainly love to move up past Philadelphia with a win and some help from division rival Atlanta. Both teams should want this one badly, and it could be an interesting contest despite it being the teams’ only meeting this season.

Minnesota Wild at Colorado Avalanche. Late. Season Series: Game 3; MIN leads by 3 points. The ‘Lanche can’t take the series lead tonight, and they have some points to give. But fans at the Pepsi Center are not going to want to see their early-season conference lead be forgotten for the year, so expect a loud rink in Denver. Minnesota, meanwhile, will be happy to know that they’re out of the Magic Number cellar in the West, and a regulation win against Colorado will keep them out. And with two wins against Colorado already this season, it’s not as if they haven’t beaten them before.

Edmonton Oilers at Vancouver Canucks. Nightcap. Season Series: Game 3, even. Another Northwest rivalry takes the stage tonight, as Vancouver tries to stay away from the Western basement, and Edmonton tries to quit digging deeper into it. All-Canada games are always fun to watch.

Chicago Blackhawks at Los Angeles Kings. Nightcap. Season Series: Game 2; CHI leads by 2 points. A regulation loss by the Kings would lead to a huge gap in official-vs-magic number standings. Only idle San Jose has more games played than Los Angeles, and the Kings’ top-line score has taken a bit of a beating due to several regulation losses. The Kings can’t afford to keep trending down (4-6-0 in their last ten). Chicago, meanwhile, can hang on to the top magic number spot in the West with a win.

CAPITAL SPIRIT
AND TO THINK I BARELY PASSED ALGEBRA

Just got back from Thanksgiving with my brother’s in-laws. First chance I’ve had to see my new nephew (everyone say awwwww…)

Have not heard anything about supplemental discipline for Ovechkin today–didn’t see any word on the front page of NHL.com at last check, so no news is good news, I guess. One thing I’m going to mention that’s probably been mentioned elsewhere by much better scribes than yours truly: recall Evgeni Malkin’s instigator penalty in last year’s Stanley Cup Finals. That’s supposed to be an automatic one-game suspension, but it may be rescinded. In other words, the League had to intervene to NOT suspend Malkin, even when it was blindingly obvious that he was throwing punches, no gloves, while his opponent still had gloves on.

The League could hand down supplemental discipline to Ovechkin under Rule 42.6 by way of Rule 29, but here’s the kicker. Rule 29 discipline under Rule 42.6 means the League has to intervene TO impose additional discipline. And the check in question by Ovechkin is not quite as open-and-shut as Malkin’s instigator was in last year’s Finals.

Bottom line, for whatever it’s worth, from one crazy fan with no hockey fashion sense, is this. The League needs to be very, very careful about throwing Rule 29 at Ovechkin on this one. Fans in Washington have been screaming “favoritism” for a very long time. And throwing Rule 29 at Alex Ovechkin for his hit in Wednesday night’s game is going to pour jet fuel on those flames. If Malkin’s automatic suspension for an indisputable late instigation is waived at League discretion, while Ovechkin gets Rule 29 thrown at him at League discretion–over a play that is open to dispute, no less–it is at the very least going to look like favoritism, even if there really isn’t any favoritism at work here.

Again, take that for whatever it’s worth–this is just one fan’s opinion.

CAPITAL SPIRIT
ANTICIPATING

Reply to: Ted’s Take: We Got One Point…

A 2-goal lead has often been called the most dangerous lead in the game, and that was certainly the case. A flat start in the third against a team that’s among the best in the Northeast this season is, to be diplomatic, disappointing.

Injuries do take their toll. Several players had frighteningly low NHL GP’s, and it showed in places. Our best players, arguably, weren’t. There is, as always, room to improve.

As you point out, the Caps still lead the Southeast, and are in very good position league-wide. Every loss but one has been by one goal. Varlamov–is that, pray tell, Russian for “saving your bacon”?–is stealing points in November, and if he keeps improving, may be stealing entire games by April.

If this is the result of a team that’s banged up and underperforming, imagine what’s possible when the team is completely healthy and playing the full sixty.

I think the central quandary for Caps fans is this: we demand full sixty-minute efforts, every single night, from October to June, and some of us tend to take regular-season losses perhaps a bit harder than we should. Again, it’s because we care about the team, and wish nothing but success for it. So seeing a two-goal lead turn into an overtime loss is no fun.

As to the demand of a full sixty, every night, for nine consecutive months, I’m of two minds. It certainly sounds like it should be a reasonable expectation: after all, these men are professionals in the top league on the planet. By now, they know what is expected of them to compete at this level.

But I’m not so sure it’s as easy as it sounds in the cheap seats. By the time the players ring in the New Year, they’ll have racked up about 20,000 frequent flier miles or thereabouts, and will have spent a not inconsequential amount of time away from their families. Jose Theodore lost his son over the summer, and has recently been excused for further personal matters; David Steckel recently lost his grandmother; and there are no doubt other, lesser matters affecting the players which we fans will never hear about. They’re professionals, yes; the best in the business, yes; but angels they certainly aren’t, and we ignore that human dimension of the sport at the expense of our own happiness.

I do not submit that to excuse subpar performances, or lackluster efforts, or even very bad, game-losing mistakes. I submit it because most of us in the stands–I contend–are ignorant of the modo di vita of NHL players. Some of us may know details of the NHL life, but we don’t know the life. We fans do not have a clue how tough it is to play 13 NHL games in the space of four weeks, with ten thousand miles-plus of travel thrown in for good measure (which is what the Caps will do in December).

I understand a fan’s desire to see his team succeed. I get that. But I also understand that the players, though admittedly well-prepared for their lives, have limits. The players are not piles of polygons on a PlayStation 3; these are, lest we forget, human beings, all of whom have different concerns when they’re only wearing shoes.

Losses are no fun to watch. Blown leads are no fun to watch. Bad mistakes are no fun to watch. We want to see the players win as often as possible. And it should be a priori obvious that the players want to win as often as possible.

But some nights, for whatever reason, it might not be meant to be. And if that is indeed the case, then fretting over such a loss is wasted misery.

So, while Ottawa was a setback, I think we fans need to Lighten up (capitalization intentional). Expect winning efforts, yes; expect winning results, yes. But one overtime loss in November most likely won’t wreck our season.

Although I’m sure Panthers fans would be only too happy to gripe about last year’s season series with Montreal…but that’s another discussion.

See you all at the Phone Booth Wednesday night.

CAPITAL SPIRIT
HUMAN AFTER ALL

For those who haven’t seen it, take a look at the Magic Numbers Chart. A couple of surprises are on there, and a couple of non-surprises, as well.

Biggest surprise as of right now is that I actually have numbers to track before we even carve the turkey–thank you, San Jose. I knew the Sharks were going to be running roughshod over the Western Conference, but come on–36 points before Thanksgiving?! I seriously want to see the fine print on that contract Sharks GM Jim Goddard must have signed with Satan–and I mean Beelzebub, not Miroslav–to have the Sharks doing this well.

But for 36 to be trackable, somebody’s top line has to be down at or below 136. And all teams start with a top line of 164. So two teams–Toronto and Carolina, I’m looking at you–have already bled 28 points off their top line scores, in not even two months. If San Jose doesn’t slow down, and Carolina and Toronto keep losing like this, those two teams could be within an ace of President’s Trophy elimination before we get our long-range weather forecast from a woodchuck.

There are also a couple of big differences between what the standings say and what the math says. Pittsburgh currently stands 2nd overall in the East, but mathematically, they’re in the 6 spot. The Caps may in fact have the points lead in the East right now, but mathematically, they’re two spots below that. And good golly Miss Molly, would you look at where the Kings are: 5th on the NHL standings, but 10th over here because of more games played and more losses taken. Detroit (no surprise) and Nashville (big surprise) have a lot more room on the top line than where they stand officially. How the Red Wings will fare now that Kronwall is out for some time remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the bloom may be starting to come off the rose in Colorado: they’re three spots below their official standing, which might portend a lower official standing before too long.

A cursory look at the schedule and the Head to Head table shows no series “in color” on the docket this week. There might be a series or two that could be settled with a regulation win, but it’s getting late and I need to get to bed before Chicago and Vancouver get too far into their game.

Carolina and Tampa Bay are now tracking with magic numbers under 100. In the East, I expect I’ll be tracking the Habs and Fishermen by the end of the week, and possibly even the Rangers if they lose a lot and the Sharks continue winning a lot. Out West, Minnesota, Anaheim, and Edmonton will likely come onto the board this week, and I’ll have a number for San Jose.

And before anyone asks why Carolina and Toronto are tracking and San Jose isn’t: I only look at the next potential event for a team in computing the numbers. And the only inter-conference comparison involving the President’s Trophy right now is who’s going to lose it. The Sharks can’t win the President’s Trophy until they’ve beaten everyone else in the West, so they have to clinch 14 West, then 13 West, and so on, before I can worry about them clinching the President’s Trophy. As of now, they’re over 100 from the 14 West spot, and thus off the board. Toronto and Carolina, on the other hand, could be out of President’s Trophy consideration before they’re mathematically eliminated from 1 East. So that’s why the bottom two spots in the East currently have a number against the Sharks, but the Sharks don’t have a number compared to the East. San Jose needs to worry about 14 West first, and that’s not in range as this goes live.

Looking forward to seeing the game at the Phone Booth on Wednesday night. Hosting the inevitable contingent of Buffaslug hooligans, not so much.

CAPITAL SPIRIT
FINALLY CAUGHT UP

(Reply to: Ted’s Take)

Mr. Leonsis:

It was not that long ago when a Caps game could be quieter than some churches I’ve attended. The first game I ever attended had an announced attendance that barely broke five figures. With the team rebuilding, losses were not uncommon, and discontent would be somewhat understandable.

It isn’t now. The Caps have a comfortable lead in the Southeast, are essentially 4th in the entire NHL, and just scored a touchdown on Florida with Ovechkin in the press box. There’s room for improvement: there always is, and there always will be. But there does come a point where the negativity seems to go beyond reason.

If Boston beats Pittsburgh Tuesday night, the Caps will have a game in hand, and will move into–wait for it–FIRST PLACE IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE. No, regular season standings don’t mean much come April (just ask the Sharks.) But they’re a pretty good measure of a team’s ability. And if the Caps are within a whisker of the conference lead, I think it’s safe to say we’ve got ourselves a decent hockey team in the District.

I do agree that some of the negativity could stand to be dialed back a notch or three. It is admittedly somewhat incongruous to see the Caps in a high standing, but still read chatter that one would expect of a team standing much lower than the Caps. The Caps really are a good hockey team right now: it should be safe to Believe.

But I submit that it’s no fun at all to see the Caps lose, particularly when it looks like the loss was self-inflicted. When you care about this team as much as some of us do, it HURTS to see the men lose games by shooting themselves in the skate.

And yet, it’s that same level of caring, that level of passion, perhaps, which makes that loud building possible. Success on the ice means nothing if the fans don’t support the team (Columbus, I’m looking at you.)

Are some of us a little too passionate in our support? Perhaps. Do some of us wish success for our beloved hockey team so much, that we’ll say and do anything we hope will be of any help at all? It certainly can be argued. Have some Caps fans seen three decades plus of coulda-woulda-shoulda, and perhaps grown too accustomed to waiting for the other skate to drop? Maybe.

But that level of dedication is what makes that loud building possible. You’re not going to have a rink that rollicking unless you have thousands of fans in the building who are flat-out CRAZY supportive.

We all express that differently. Some fans lead the cheers; some fans email you a lot; some fans follow the team on the road; some fans contribute to Caps charities; some fans dress the part; and so on. What unites us all–despite our differences–is the one intention of seeing the Caps succeed.

We care about this team, Ted. A lot. Some of us, perhaps a bit too much. But without that level of dedication–without that much investment by all of us–without fans who are living and dying on every single play–Verizon Center would not be the arena it has become.

Is there too much angst among the fans? I think there might be, but I think it may go hand in hand with the level of dedication. If we were all content to just show up and watch the games, win or lose, we might very well hope for the best, but it wouldn’t hurt if we lost. There would almost certainly be fewer armchair GM’s, fewer naysayers, and fewer nitpickers. But there might also be no Horn Guy, no Goat, no “all your fault” chants, and good luck getting the entire arena to, with one voice, scream “Unleash the Fury!”

Yes, it can be said that some fans are too pessimistic, too micromanaging, too negative, too whatever. But you take the good with the bad, as the old saw goes. And if some cringe-worthy verbiage is what you have to put up with to sell out the season to an army of passionate Caps fans, I respectfully submit that it just might be worth the trade.

Keep up the good work, and know that there are a lot of us out here who care about you and your team. Some of us may sometimes care a bit too much, but we all want what you want–to see the Stanley Cup come to Washington.

Respectfully,
Capital Spirit

Let’s try this again.

It’s been a crazy first month around the NHL, with some teams surprisingly good (Colorado, take a bow), and some who are, to be diplomatic, underperforming (Carolina, I’m looking at you.)

My beloved Capitals, despite some ugly losses, and despite some serious UH-OH injuries, are still, somehow, in a dead heat with Pittsburgh for the official Eastern Conference lead. They aren’t doing so well on the Magic Numbers table: all those losses do add up to a lower top-line score. But the teams ahead of them won’t run the table, so the Caps have a shot at ending up on top of the heap at some point this season. Whether they can stay there remains to be seen. But if I’m yelling “Seven! All your fault!” with Ovechkin and Green in the press box, something tells me the Caps will do just fine over the course of the regular season.

Naysayers will dismiss it because it was Florida we were playing, and not anybody good. But we’ll see what the next week holds: the Caps have two should-win games at home, and one either-way contest up at the Rock next Saturday. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s look at the schedule for all teams. I’m going to re-format this a bit to make it easier to read.

Anaheim Ducks. ICS AT NJD WED, ONG AT CBJ FRI, NEW AT DET SAT. The Ducks have a couple of days off early this week before three games in 4 nights in the Eastern time zone. Eastbound travel tends to induce more jet lag than westbound, so travel stress may be a factor on top of the short schedule. And they’re not exactly going to Raleigh for any of these games, either. NJD Game 1 of 1. CBJ Game 2 of 4. DET Game 1 of 4.

Atlanta Thrashers. NEW AT NYR THU, ICS VS LAK FRI, ICS VS EDM SUN. I’m sure there are plenty of fans in Atlanta who remember the Rangers dismissing the Thrash in four straight a couple of seasons ago. Rangers fans, though, have probably forgotten that one already. The Kings, meanwhile, aren’t exactly in the cellar out West, and I’ve heard that Kopitar guy is above-average offensively. (Spare me the smore makers–I’m praising with faint damns.) Edmonton at home could be very easy, or very challenging, depending on which two teams show up. NYR Game 1 of 4. LAK Game 1 of 1. EDM Game 1 of 1.

Boston Bruins. NEW VS PIT TUE, NEW VS FLA THU, ONG AT PIT SAT. A visit from the Panthers interrupts a home-and-home with the defending champs. I’m not quite sure what happened to the Bruins who cruised to first place in the East last year, and I’m sure fans in Boston feel the same. Still, every team is going to work harder when the champs are on the other end of the ice. Re the Panthers game, the Bruins need to avoid playing down to a (as of Sunday) 13th-place team. I’m sure the Caps would be happy to tell the Bruins how that usually works out. PIT Game 1 AND 2 of 4. FLA Game 1 of 4.

Buffalo Sabres. ICS VS EDM WED, ICS VS CGY FRI, ONG AT PHI SAT. Two Canadian teams from out West play their only scheduled games against the Sabres this season, right before the Sabres head to southeast Pennsylvania to try and even up the season series with the Flyers. Edmonton doesn’t look like it should present that much trouble for the Sabres, but Calgary is red-hot, and the Flyers almost always play chippy. This doesn’t look like an easy week for the Sabres going in. EDM Game 1 of 1. CGY Game 1 of 1. PHI Game 2 of 4.

Calgary Flames. END AT MTL TUE, ICS AT BUF FRI, NEW AT TOR SAT. All East, all week for the Flames, who can win the series with Montreal with anything other than a regulation loss. Buffalo is a strong team, so that will be a competitive game. Toronto looks like a cupcake when you look at where these teams are in the standings, but you know what I say about games where they don’t sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” MTL Game 2 of 2. BUF Game 1 of 1. TOR Game 1 of 2.

Carolina Hurricanes. ICS VS LAK WED, ONG VS NYI FRI, ICS VS MIN SUN. The Hurricanes only have to worry about the Kings once this year–thank goodness, if you live in Raleigh. The Islanders and Wild are in the same general area in the standings, so those games could go either way. Carolina really needs to win at least two games this week, if not all three, if it doesn’t want to be booking its postseason tee times in February. As of posting, they have no wins, no leads, and only one even series. While this Caps fan would love to see one less contender in the Southeast Division, I have to confess that I would feel very bad for the ‘Canes fans who welcomed us so warmly the past two seasons. LAK Game 1 of 1. NYI Game 2 of 4. MIN Game 1 of 1.

Chicago Blackhawks. NEW VS LAK MON, ONG VS COL WED, ICS VS TOR FRI, NEW VS SJS SUN. A brutal week for the Hawks, as they’ll be facing three of the top four teams in the West this week. Toronto could prove either a welcome respite, or one more nightmare in a really tough week. Chicago is currently 9th in the West, and this week will definitely be one to watch in the Windy City. If the Hawks can handle the best of the West, they could climb back into the top eight. A bad week, however, and it could be gut-check time. LAK Game 1 of 4. COL Game 3 of 4. TOR Game 1 of 1. SJS Game 1 of 4.

Colorado Avalanche. ONG AT CHI WED, ONG VS VAN SAT. Oddly enough, the Lanche are even with both of their opponents this week. The game at Chicago will be the third game of 4, and will go a long way in deciding who ultimately wins the series. As for the Canucks, there will still be three more games to go after Saturday night’s contest, but it’s much better to have “23″ as a lead than as a trail. CHI Game 3 of 4. VAN Game 3 of 6.

Columbus Blue Jackets. NEW VS DET WED, ONG VS ANA FRI. A light week for the Jackets if you look at the standings, but not so fast. Detroit is Detroit, and you overlook them at your own risk. The Ducks, meanwhile, have cut their teeth on a chippy style of play. So not a lot of games–just difficult ones, standings or not. DET Game 1 of 6. ANA Game 2 of 4.

Dallas Stars. NEW AT SJS THU, NEW AT PHX SAT. Kind of surprising to see the Stars opening two separate division series in one week right after Veterans’ Day, but it is what it is. Phoenix is a 4-point game–the two teams have identical point totals–and San Jose is currently leading the Pacific Division. As with Columbus, not a lot of games, just big ones. SJS Game 1 of 6. PHX Game 1 of 6.

Detroit Red Wings. NEW AT CBJ WED, ONG VS VAN THU, NEW VS ANA SAT. Columbus isn’t a travel headache for the Wings, but with proximity goes passion, and something tells me these two teams don’t like each other much. Detroit can put a series win out of reach of Vancouver with a win in regulation: the best the Canucks could hope for should Detroit prevail in sixty would be a tie, and that assumes they run the table on the last two. Recent postseason bad blood could be a factor when the Ducks come to the Joe on Saturday night. CBJ Game 1 of 6. VAN Game 2 of 4. ANA Game 1 of 4.

Edmonton Oilers. NEW AT OTT TUE, ICS AT BUF WED, ICS AT ATL SUN. A cross-Canada game gets the Oilers underway for the week, as they continue a nearly two-week stretch away from home. All 3 teams are doing better than perhaps would have been expected coming in to the season. A bad showing this week would not do the Oilers any favors. OTT Game 1 of 2. BUF Game 1 of 1. ATL Game 1 of 1.

Florida Panthers. NEW AT BOS THU, NEW VS NYI SAT. Florida gets a couple of days to dissect their weekend sweep by Washington, before heading up to the other end of the Accela line to take on the Bruins. They then come home for their first appearance in The John Tavares Show. The Panthers do not need any more notches in the Trail column. BOS Game 1 of 4. NYI Game 1 of 4.

Los Angeles Kings. NEW AT CHI MON, ICS AT CAR WED, ICS AT ATL FRI, ICS AT TBL SAT. They’re the Kings of the road this week, as Los Angeles makes a stop in Chicago before an abbreviated tour of the Southeast. Kane vs Kopitar, Round 1, should make for an exciting Monday night game on Versus. Carolina should then be a good warmup contest for the Southeast, but Atlanta and Tampa Bay could surprise a few more teams before the season is up. CHI Game 1 of 4. CAR Game 1 of 1. ATL Game 1 of 1. TBL Game 1 of 1.

Minnesota Wild. ICS AT TOR TUE, ICS AT TBL THU, ICS AT WSH FRI, ICS AT CAR SUN. Here’s another team that’s making an inter-conference call on the Southeast. Minnesota has done surprisingly well against the East so far this season, and they’ll get a chance to prove that early success was no fluke. Toronto has come on as of late, Tampa Bay has gotten better this year, Washington is currently leading the Southeast, and Carolina has an Eastern Conference Finals appearance that it has yet to re-prove. Travel will be a factor: 4 games in 6 nights is one thing, but add over 2,000 miles in the air on top, and Carolina might actually win a game before it’s all said and done. TOR Game 1 of 1. TBL Game 1 of 1. WSH Game 1 of 1. CAR Game 1 of 1.

Montreal Canadiens. END VS CGY TUE, ICS AT PHX THU, ICS AT NSH SAT. A cross-Canada series comes to a close before the Habs take off for a duel with the desert dogs. From there, it’s on to the Music City, and I would so pay money to hear a Nashville singer perform “O Canada” in French (the mind reels…) Montreal needs to decide which way their season will go; perhaps some time out west will do some good. CGY Game 2 of 2. PHX Game 1 of 1. NSH Game 1 of 1.

Nashville Predators. NEW AT SJS TUE, NEW AT STL THU, ICS VS MTL SAT. A trio of first meetings for the Preds, one of which is also the last. The Sharks will be a handful, but the Blues and Habs could prove beatable. SJS Game 1 of 4. STL Game 1 of 6. MTL Game 1 of 1.

New Jersey Devils. ICS VS ANA WED, ONG AT PIT THU, ONG VS WSH SAT. All three of these games could very easily go either way. Anaheim likes to play chippy, Pittsburgh is a division rival, and Washington would certainly love to make a statement at the Rock on Saturday night. They’d better–the Caps Fan Club is taking a bus trip up there to watch. ANA Game 1 of 1. PIT Game 2 of 6. WSH Game 3 of 4.

New York Islanders. ONG AT WSH WED, ONG AT CAR FRI, NEW AT FLA SAT. It’s all Southeast, all week for the Fishermen, as they play at Washington on Veterans’ Day, and then play two games in two nights between Raleigh and Sunrise. Washington will no doubt be a tough test; Carolina and Florida, perhaps not so much. WSH Game 3 of 4. CAR Game 2 of 4. FLA Game 1 of 4.

New York Rangers. NEW VS ATL THU, ONG AT OTT SAT. The Rangers haven’t played much against the Southeast; they’ll get a look at only their second Southeast opponent when the Thrashers come a-callin’ on Thursday night at the Garden. New York could put a win out of reach for the Sens with a regulation win on Saturday night. ATL Game 1 of 4. OTT Game 2 of 4.

Ottawa Senators. NEW VS EDM TUE, NEW AT PHI THU, ONG VS NYR SAT. A very middle-of-the-road week for a middle-of-the-road team. Not much I can say here. EDM Game 1 of 2. PHI Game 1 of 4. NYR Game 2 of 4.

Philadelphia Flyers. NEW VS OTT THU, ONG VS BUF SAT. The Flyers get a few days off before hosting surprising Ottawa on Thursday, followed by Buffalo on Saturday night. I would not want to be in Wachovia Center on Saturday–I shudder to think how Flyers faithful treat the traveling Sabres hooligan contingent. OTT Game 1 of 4. BUF Game 2 of 4.

Phoenix Coyotes. ICS VS MTL THU, NEW VS DAL SAT. The team that was once the Winnipeg Jets takes on the Habs in the teams’ only meeting this year. Somehow, I doubt the history will be much of a factor. Dallas, however, is another matter entirely–any game where Texas plays Arizona is usually worth looking in on. MTL Game 1 of 1. DAL Game 1 of 6.

Pittsburgh Penguins. NEW AT BOS TUE, ONG VS NJD THU, ONG VS BOS SAT. The Penguins get the tougher assignment in this interrupted home-and-home. Boston gets Florida on Thursday, while the Penguins get to host New Jersey. But hey, they’re the champs, they’re up to it, right? BOS Games 1 AND 2 of 2. NJD Game 2 of 6.

San Jose Sharks. NEW VS NSH TUE, NEW VS DAL THU, NEW AT STL SAT, NEW AT CHI SUN. Four more series getting underway for the Sharks, and so far they’ve been doing just fine, thank you, in most of their series. Nashville should be theirs to lose, but division rival Dallas, and last year’s other Western Conference Finalist, may want to see the Sharks losing well before April gets here. Add in a St. Louis team that wants to do better than it has, and you’ve got quite a week ahead in San Jose. NSH Game 1 of 4. DAL Game 1 of 6. STL Game 1 of 4. CHI Game 1 of 4.

St. Louis Blues. NEW VS VAN TUE, NEW VS NSH THU, NEW VS SJS SAT. A trio of get-acquainted games fill the Blues’ docket this week, as the Blues see every Western division within a span of five nights. VAN Game 1 of 4. NSH Game 1 of 6. SJS Game 1 of 4.

Tampa Bay Lightning. ICS VS MIN THU, ICS VS LAK SAT. The Bolts get a light schedule this week, starting with several days off before a home game against Minnesota. Hope they pass out No-Doz at the St. Pete Times Forum for that. The Kings should be a bit more entertaining for a Saturday night. MIN Game 1 of 1. LAK Game 1 of 1.

Toronto Maple Leafs. ICS VS MIN TUE, ICS AT CHI FRI, NEW VS CGY SAT. The Leafs? Eh, whatever. MIN Game 1 of 1. CHI Game 1 of 1. CGY Game 1 of 2.

Vancouver Canucks. NEW AT STL TUE, ONG AT DET THU, ONG AT COL SAT. Could be a big week for the Canucks, as they try to move up from the #8 spot in the West. Colorado on a Saturday night will be a very good indicator on just how good (or bad) the Canucks can be. STL Game 1 of 4. DET Game 2 of 4. COL Game 3 of 6.

Washington Capitals. ONG VS NYI WED, ICS VS MIN FRI, ONG AT NJD SAT. A couple of days off will serve the Caps well after a grueling home and home with the Panthers. The Islanders and Wild should (this Caps fan hopes) be easy pickings. Saturday’s game at New Jersey is a series elimination game: if the Caps lose, they cannot win the season series no matter what they do. They need to beat the Devils–preferably in regulation–to keep that series in play. NYI Game 3 of 4. MIN Game 1 of 1. NJD Game 3 of 4.

INTER-CONFERENCE SINGLES
Anaheim at New Jersey
Calgary at Buffalo
Edmonton at Atlanta
Edmonton at Buffalo
Los Angeles at Atlanta
Los Angeles at Carolina
Los Angeles at Tampa Bay
Minnesota at Carolina
Minnesota at Tampa Bay
Minnesota at Toronto
Minnesota at Washington
Montreal at Nashville
Montreal at Phoenix
Toronto at Chicago

POTENTIAL ODD GAMES OUT
New Jersey at Pittsburgh. Game 2 of 6; AT PIT Game 2.

POTENTIAL SERIES WINS/LOSSES
Calgary at Montreal. Final game. Calgary leads by 2. Montreal must win in regulation to clinch a series tie. Calgary wins the series on any other result.
Washington at New Jersey. Game 3 of 4. New Jersey leads by 3. New Jersey can clinch the series with any win. If Washington wins in overtime, the best they can do is tie the series. If Washington wins in regulation, it’s anybody’s series.

MAGIC NUMBERS OF NOTE
None this week, but if Carolina and Minnesota don’t figure out how to win pretty soon…

POTENTIAL CLINCHES/ELIMINATIONS
None.

Evidently, CSN put me on the feed a couple of times Saturday night at the Islanders game. I’ve seen some of the chatter, and I need to say a couple of things before I go to bed.

1. It’s a cloak, not a cape. Really. Go over to Half Moon’s website (also under Other Sites of Interest) and see for yourself.
2. Yes, I was traveling in full regalia. I did it in Philly and survived, so I figured (correctly) that the Island would be no problem. I’ve actually gotten more lip from Caps fans at Verizon Center some nights than I got at the Vet–sad but true.
3. I was with the Fan Club, not the Road Crew.
4. I intend to do future road games in full uniform. When you wear your colors with pride, treat your hosts with respect, carry yourself courageously, never–EVER–boo the home team, and accept victory and defeat with equal sportsmanship, host fans tend to respect that. Even in Philadelphia, judging from the two times I’ve been there.
5. I never, EVER forget, when on the road, that I represent a lot more than myself. I represent my team, the group I’m with, our fans as a whole, and our city. And if the worst thing they can say about Capitals fans is that some of us have no hockey fashion sense, then I’m probably doing something right–if I do say so myself.
6. I’ve said it before, and I’m going to have to keep repeating it, I guess. Every single piece of my outfit has a specific, symbolic, spiritual meaning. Does it look odd? Absolutely. But it’s that way for a reason.
7. One other thing my outfit does, is keep people at a distance. Most people who don’t know me see the odd outfit, think “weirdo,” and move on. I get a few questions here and there, I run a niche blog that doesn’t get much discussion, and I occasionally pop in on the message boards. But so far, no one I’m aware of has really tried that hard to get me to open up. I’m generally accepted, and mostly left alone–and that’s fine by me.

Think about this: as a verb, “cloak” means “to hide; conceal.” Make of that what you will.

Game against the Flyers was uneven, but Ugly W > Pretty L. And just think how good they’ll be once they start playing the full sixty.

CAPITAL SPIRIT
NEXT HOME GAME IS FRIDAY

Thanks to a long day on the road at the Islanders game on Saturday, and a whole lot of catching up to do on the charts today, I’m not going to do a season series preview this week due to time constraints. I will obviously still keep track of what’s going on. But I won’t be doing a preview write-up this week.

Not that it’s going to be missed, if my stats are any guide. And I’m having a difficult time justifying doing that much word crunching–and in my spare time, no less–for something that’s not being read as much as I’d like it to be.

CAPITAL SPIRIT
OH WHAT A WEEKEND

Ted pointed out that even though the Caps haven’t quite done as well as we all would have liked, they’re still 6-2-2 for 14 points, the division lead, and (not that he said it, but it’s true) striking distance of the conference lead.

Look, I don’t want to be accused of drinking Kool-Aid–I prefer Pepsi Max, thank you very much. But 14 points through 10 games is a 114-point pace.

And let’s not forget how much was written about how demanding the Caps’ first seven games were supposed to be. And despite some nail-biters that shouldn’t have been so close, come-from-behinds that shouldn’t have started out that way, a power play that shouldn’t be this iffy, and a four-game skid that had me wondering in print who the Redskins were playing, the Caps are somehow 6-2-2 through the first ten.

I’m not so sure about the Flyers Tuesday night–another Philadelphia at Washington game following Eagles at Skins on Monday night. Eagles fans should be on liquor, and Skins fans should be on Lexapro–somewhere out there, PT Barnum will no doubt be taking frantic notes. So that Flyers game worries me a bit. Return engagements with the Thrashers and Islanders, however, do not. I assume the Caps have learned their lessons from the past few days. So the Caps might make it out of a 13-game October with 8, or even 9, wins, and that’s nothing to sneeze at. The team’s evidently not as bad as it looked during that four-game skid, and the scary part is this: they’re only going to get better as the season progresses.

CAPITAL SPIRIT
HOPEFUL

Consider this mandatory reading while I do a bit more prep work for some updates later tonight. More to follow as the evening progresses.–CS