For the second year in a row ESPN NHL hockey analyst Barry Melrose thinks the Washington Capitals are the team to beat for the 2010-2011 Stanley Cup. Sure, the Caps bombed out in the first round of The Stanley Cup Playoffs, but that could be a good thing.
Melrose feels that losing will focus the Capitals team and talking to him Wednesday he is still a big supporter of Washington.
Melrose on the 2010-2011 Caps » Washington is a proud franchise and now I think they will do the two things they did not do enough of last season. First they need to start playing defense and second they should put teams away once they get ahead. Look, coach Bruce Boudreau can now preach to Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green and the others, the importance of playing defense and closing the deal. Players tend to listen more to coaches after a devastating end to a great season they had last year.
Melrose on the Caps and the Oilers » The Wayne Gretzky years in Edmonton had many of the same talents and problems the Caps have. They could score at will and if they do what Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri and Paul Coffey did by getting up on a team and then putting away them away they can take that big step. If I were Bruce [Boudreau] I would be showing them the tapes of the Oilers so the Caps will see, they could be a dynasty but you have to win the first Stanley Cup and I think this is their year.
Melrose on the Caps competition in the East » Really this is a three team race as I see it. You have the Caps, the Pens of course and the Devils. The Southeast Division has a much improved Tampa Bay team that is getting much better and an improved Atlanta team. But neither will give the Caps any problems.
CSN will be ready for opening night, starting at 6:30 p.m. with a full half hour of Capitals Pregame Live the talented Jill Sorenson as the beat reporter. The popular trio of Al Koken handling pre and post game duties as well as serving as the in game reporter. Handling the game action is the best local broadcast team in the NHL. The talented play by play work of the incomparable Joe Beninati and his tell it like it is analyst partner Craig Laughlin makes watching the telecasts both fun and educational.
Radio wise on WFED-AM 1500 the “Iceman” Steve Kolbe will again be handling the play by play duties and his partner, Ken Sabourin is back for another year of fine analysis. The Caps radio team will also consist of a talented group of hockey broadcasters. Executive Producer Ben Raby has put together a good pre and post game team led by Mike Vogel and Jonathan Warner.
