I just would like to say thank’s Ted for being the class of NHL ownership.

- rock the red maracas ;-

First of all, I’d like to thank you for turning the Capitals into such a fun team to watch and such a great organization. The Caps are a huge part of my life. I watch every game on my computer (I’m going to college in Montreal), and when I lived in Rockville I would try to go to as many games as possible. I love the Caps!

With that said, I fear that there’s a complacency setting in with this team. We’re under .500 against everyone except the Southeast, and we blow too many leads. Something is missing with this team. Maybe it’s a calming, veteran presence like Sergei Fedorov (I know we have Mike Knuble, but I think we need more leadership). Maybe it’s a gritty, crease-clearing defenseman (I know you’re probably tired of hearing that. However, I try SO HARD to love every player on our team, to see the positives, but aside from Green and the solid Jeff Schultz, every one of our defenders is absolutely mediocre, and it doesn’t seem like you, GMGM, or Boudreau are willing to acknowledge it. The defense is our Achilles’ Heel. In particular, Tom Poti is always screening our goaltender, especially on the PK, and he’s kryptonite in the playoffs with all those own goals). Another problem with the team is that the rest of the team’s performance seems to dip severely when Ovie’s in the lineup. Look at the stats for our power play with and without Ovie, and our Goals per Game. Obviously, Ovie doesn’t make us worse. He’s the best player in the world, so it must be the rest of the team. Too often, they’re content to let Ovie get the puck in the neutral zone and attempt to go 1 on 3, 1 on 4. Too many guys just floating through games watching Ovie. That’s another area that more veteran leadership can fix.

My point is, you keep saying we shall improve, and I want to believe you so much, but I don’t see how our guys are going to magically snap out of their bad habits, such as giving up leads and giving games away, or magically develop more talent on defense in the middle of the season. We need a trade. GMGM’s been willing to acknowledge weaknesses in the past. Hell, he was even willing to pull the gutsiest move of all, trading for Huet to replace perhaps the most beloved player in the history of the franchise. I’m worried that in the present, the brain trust is overevaluating our talent on defense, or our team’s maturity/killer instinct.

Still, no matter what happens, I’ll continue rocking the red till the day I die! I wish you and the Caps all the best!

Leo Feldblyum

Regards..

I really think your team will be there come the Conference Finals. You have great depth, balance and still have room to get better between now and the end of the season. As long as everybody stays healthy and you get solid goaltending, I think your role players and second line scoring will take you to the third round. Then it’s up to Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, Green and Varlamov. Look ofr Brendan Morrison to be a sleeper.

G.

Olympic-year scheduling sucks, by the way. I have become something of a crank on the subject.