Prior to the All-Star Break, the Capitals’ season seemed like a lost cause. The team had lost 7 of 8 games and was struggling to produce offensively. The worst part of the team’s slide was a complete lack of effort. Now, entering the Olympic Break, the team is working harder than they have all season and the team’s youth is a very large part of the newfound commitment to playing spirited, smart hockey.
During the last days before the Olympic Break, the Capitals added two more young players to the roster, recalling forward Glen Metropolit and goaltender Sebastien Charpantier (to replace the injured Olaf Kolzig) from Portland. Charpantier did not play in any games during his brief stint with the Caps and Metropolit played in both games against Tampa Bay during his time with Washington. During the second half of Monday night’s 3-1 victory over Tampa Bay, Metropolit was very effective playing on Jaromir Jagr’s left wing. Despite having no points in the game, he finished with a +2 defensive rating. If Metropolit can maintain the intensity with which he played during the first two games of this stint with the Caps, he may be able to hold onto a place on the team’s top line.
During the four game unbeaten streak, no young player has been more impressive than forward Colin Forbes. In the last four games, Forbes has scored 2 goals and 1 assist with a +1 defensive rating. He scored the game winning goal in Tampa Bay on Saturday, chasing Russian Olympic goaltender, Nikolai Khabibulin, from the net in the middle of the 2nd period. Forbes has begun to use his size more to his advantage as he has amassed 6 hits in the last four games and has been playing much more solid defensively. He has also made greater use of his speed during the streak, which has led to his recent offensive contributions. With his intense work ethic and developing chemistry with forward Chris Simon during the last few games, Colin Forbes has helped to provide the legitimate scoring threat from the third line which the team has lacked for most of the season.
On the defensive end, Todd Rohloff and J.F. Fortin have continued to play solid defensively. Rohloff sat out of the last two games due to a wrist injury, but in the previous two games, he had an even defensive rating and 1 hit while averaging about 13:30 ice-time per game. Rohloff has continued to play almost error-free hockey, assuming the same role Joe Reekie had as one of the Capitals’ most steady defensemen. J.F. Fortin has continued to impress with his speed and physical defensive style. Over the last four games, Fortin has a -1 defensive rating with 8 hits and 2 PIMs while averaging about 18:45 ice-time per game. Along with Capitals’ captain Brendan Witt, Fortin has provided the Caps with a very steady and physical top defensive pairing. Fortin continues to improve his two-way game, but so far, he has mostly impressed with his defensive play. Both Rohloff and Fortin have shown why General Manager George McPhee wants to keep them on the top team for the remainder of the season. Both defensemen will be mainstays in the lineup if they continue to play with the effort and hard- nosed style with which they have played over the course of the last week
Due to the great effort and improved work ethic of the Caps’ team (especially in their young players), the Capitals have returned to playoff contention, entering the NHL’s Olympic Break only 5 points out of 7th and 8th place in the Eastern Conference and only 8 points behind the Southeast Division leading Carolina Hurricanes. Playing with desperation and getting great contributions from the aforementioned players, the Capitals are poised to make a playoff run following the two week layoff.
