Live Q&As

Eric Fehr is a healthy scratch and the odd man out right now with 15 healthy forwards on the Capitals' roster. Bruce Boudreau won't hesitate to change things up if and when he feels that is necessary but if the Capitals keep winning we'll likely see the same lineup. 

Arguments can be made to sit one player or another but I know that Boudreau and the Capitals like the way that fourth line of Hendricks-Gordon-Bradley works together. They've been one of the most consistent units that Boudreau has used since the trade deadline. Also the third line as currently constructed with Laich-Johansson-Chimera has plenty of speed and scoring ability along with a healthy dose of defensive responsibility.

Boudreau typically likes to have three scoring lines and a fourth energy line. Right now he appears to have that, even if there weren't many goals scored in Game 1 all three of those top lines had scoring chances. 

I think everyone (including Green) was a little surprised at the minutes he got in his first game back. Green told reporters after Game 1 that he had asked to be eased back into things but that he felt good and I'd have to agree with Joe and Locker's assessment. 

Green may have been a little rusty in spots, for example the miscommunication on Gilroy's goal, but overall he didn't look like a player who hadn't seen game action in nearly two months and that was Bruce Boudreau's report after the game as well. 

As for what to expect from Green this postseason, it will be an interesting storyline to watch. He wants (and the Capitals need him) to be an impact player in the playoffs after previous disappointments and what may help him do that is being healthy and well rested at this time of year.

It's an intriguing question for sure and right now I don't know for certain who would sit because a case could be made either way. Wideman being out on the ice this morning surprised several people, including Boudreau, who went on to say that depending on his recovery the defenseman could even return in the first round should this series go long. 

I think it might be a game-to-game decision. Erskine has overachieved this year, stepping up when the Capitals have been riddled with injuries and providing a physical presence but he didn't have the greatest Game 1. Part of that could be simply a lack of experience playing with Green, though. 

Schultz like everyone has his good and bad days and whether he sits may depend on if Boudreau sees him as part of the third pairing or puts him back with Green. That pairing with Green and Schultz has been such a good fit for both Boudreau has talked about reuniting them previously to help the two-time Norris Trophy finalist get back in full swing. That said, Green looked pretty good in the handful of games he played with Hannan this year too. 

Ha. I'm not sure I've ever heard Avery described as a dagger to the heart of a team but he definitely is capable of getting under the Capitals' skin. 

Two years ago Avery was especially effective at that, from yelling at Boudreau (his former coach in the AHL) to hitting Semyon Varlamov in the head and jawing at anyone near him.  I think everyone will be watching to see what Avery might try to stir up, particularly where Michal Neuvirth is concerned, but I don't think he can completely unravel the Capitals' composure on his own.

Although Boudreau likes to tinker with lines he does so much, much less when the Capitals win. Capitals won Game 1, so he's going with the same lineup.  

Eric Fehr. It's hard to know exactly when, and it won't be tonight for Game 2, but that will be one of the switches most likely to happen should Boudreau not like the performance of that third line or someone have an extremely poor outing. 

Arnott has developed good relationships with both Alexander Semin and Alex Ovechkin, the latter of which seems to soak up everything he can about leadership and playoff wisdom. Arnott goes out to lunch and talks to Ovechkin on a regular basis and he established an open line of communication with Semin, something that hasn't really happened in the past.

I think one of the moments that stood out the most was how Arnott arrived and on day two proclaimed that there were things that the Capitals needed to fix and he was going to bring them up regardless if his teammates wanted to hear it. There are precious few players who will do that but Arnott did. The experience and respect that Arnott brings simply by being a guy who played a substantial role on a Stanley Cup winning team is something that the Capitals needed. 

You win for the question that made me laugh at my computer. I've asked him about this in the past and I believe it's because his young daughter likes to paint them. 

That will be the job of the entire team. Neuvirth isn't going to allow an opponent to push him around but at the same time he's not Braden Holtby, who I've seen take more than a few whacks and slashes at the back of opposing players' legs and feet when they try to get in his way. 

I don't think the Capitals will let Avery take any liberties with Neuvirth, whether it's the defensemen or forwards who come to keep the Rangers out of the crease will depend on the play and proximity most likely. 

This team is Alex Ovechkin's. The question can be raised as to whether Ovechkin has the seasoning to be a captain and he's certainly not an overly-vocal leader in the room but he does take an enormous amount of pride in being one of the leaders. It's just more of an on-ice role where he sets the tone. For example that crushing hit on Brandon Dubinsky in the first period of Game 1, all of his teammates get a boost from seeing their captain and one of the most gifted hockey players on the planet dish out a hit like that to welcome the Rangers to the postseason. 

Knuble does have a more vocal presence, though he picks and chooses his spots, and that's why he has an "A". I've been told speeches like the one he gave in Boston that was shown on '24/7' is the type of thing that happens rarely, so when it does the rest of the room takes notice. The prevailing opinion seems to be that the Capitals need a good mix of vocal veterans to go along with Ovechkin's more lead-by-example style.

Unless something happens again, I don't think they will. In the days after Green suffered the concussion on Feb. 25, Boudreau said he didn't think it was a malicious hit by Stepan and a few players have said the same thing. 

I think all three are encouraging signs for the Captials, even if it was only one game. If Neuvirth can maintain his calm demeanor in net and continue to succeed it will make Boudreau's decision about who to start in every subsequent game easy and provide some stability in goal for the rest of the team. While the Capitals have grown accustomed to playing in front of three netminders the familiarity with one certainly can't hurt in a playoff run. 

Semin being a positive factor is a major bonus for the Capitals, if not a necessity for their offense. The Rangers are so strong defensively that Washington needs every option it can get chipping in to create chances and even if Semin doesn't score a bushel basket of goals, if he is visible and poses a threat that will keep the defense honest. 

The addition of Green creates another offensive threat and it gives the Capitals their No. 1 defenseman back, can't ask for much more than that at the start of the postseason.

The Capitals have been saying all the right things in this regard but ultimately we'd have to see if that two-game lead comes to fruition and how they would react in Game 3. 

That said, I think the way they let the Canadiens back in the series last year was one of the biggest lessons of that first-round defeat. It showed the Capitals how quickly a series can reverse course and how, whenever they have an opponent down, they must find the killer instinct to win the all-important fourth game. Also, if this team can't stay focused when holding an advantage in the series that would seem to mean that nothing was gleaned from last season's disappointment. Successful teams don't need to lose to be reminded of what's at stake.

Not sure the power play will be considered fixed until the Capitals can count on a goal per game from it, so I agree with you there. They have made progress lately but the inability to cash in with the man-advantage made a big difference in Game 1. If the Capitals scored on one of those early chances maybe the game would have played out differently. 

I'm curious to see how things go on any power plays the Capitals get tonight. Green was back on the point in his first game back so one would think he'd be a little more adjusted in Game 2 for that role so that may help. Also, while the Capitals have made a point to discuss crashing the net against Henrik Lundqvist it didn't happen too much in Game 1. There were plenty of chances, but aside from Ovechkin's goal not many were those gritty, greasy plays in front. If the Capitals can get more in and around the crease and some well-placed traffic it can only help overall, but particularly on the power play.