The Peter Bondra Legacy And How It Could Help the Caps Win the Cup

It was 27 years ago when a Ukranian-born Slovak came to the Washington Capitals as a rookie.  Little did the Caps know that they had drafted what would become the greatest scorer the franchise had ever seen.  Over Peter Bondra's 14 seasons with the Capitals he would become the franchise leader in goals and points, and he even led the Capitals on an improbable playoff run to their first (and only) Stanley Cup Finals appearance in the '97-'98 season.  The Capitals were all Peter Bondra had known in his NHL career until February of 2004 when George McPhee traded Bondra to Ottawa in a salary cap purge.  An inglorious end for the Caps's greatest goal scorer at the time.  The Caps traded their best player for financial comfort, and in return they got some guy.  Some guy named Brooks Laich.

It did not take long for Bondra's replacement to endear himself to the Washington fan base.  While nowhere near the scorer that Peter Bondra was, Brooks Laich brought a humble and gritty work ethic to a team that needed that type of spark.  Laich would be an integral part of the Rock the Red Renaissance that saw the Caps' team popularity reach unprecedented heights beginning with the Cinderella run to make the playoffs in '07-'08 and continuing through to this day.  Laich would average over 20 goals as a center between '07-'10, and between 2007 and 2012 he only missed four games.  Laich's perseverance made him a fan favorite, and the franchise rewarded him with a large contract.  But fate was cruel to Brooks as he suffered a groin injury playing in Switzerland during the 2012 lockout season that never fully healed.  His production was never the same after that, and by this time last year it was evident that his $4.5 million cap hit was untenable.  The Capitals, and their fans, came to grim reality when they traded Laich in order to save cap room yet again.  It may have been the smart move to make, but they guy who had been acquired in a trade for the Capitals then best player and subsequently gave 12 hard fought years for the franchise was now being traded away himself for financial comfort and some guy.  Some guy named Daniel Winnik.

Whether Daniel Winnik likes it or not, he carries this Dalai Lama-like legacy that began with Peter Bondra and lived through Brooks Laich.  Winnik now is the physical embodiment of this spirit and he has proven this season that he is an integral part of the Capitals' success.  The knock on the Caps in the playoffs last season was their bottom six could not match up with the likes of the Penguins.  Winnik is changing that narrative by having the 12th best GF% (62.16) out of any forward 5v5 that has at least 600 minutes of ice time per Puckalytics. This is also bolstered by the fact that 75% of Winnik's zone starts come at either neutral ice or in his defensive zone.  Nerdy hockey stats aside, it was his goals Saturday Night against the Arizona Coyotes that showed the hustle and talent that Winnik brings to a fourth line that has anchored this team all season.  His first goal was Bondra-esque snapping a wrister over the catching glove; and the open net goal showed the hustle and determination that Brooks Laich brought to the team for so many years.  These goals show that Winnik has the skills and determination that has been needed to push the Capitals' bottom six forwards to produce in the playoffs.  They also show that he is worthy of carrying on the legacy that Peter Bondra left when he was traded away nearly 15 years ago.  That legacy may end with Winnik considering that his contract is up and there are numerous UFA's for the Caps to sign this offseason.  But if it there is only one more season left in this Peter Bondra legacy, it will end with someone who gives the Caps their best chance at winning a Stanley Cup.

Maryland's 2017 NCAA First Round Matchup

It is hard to believe that this will be Maryland's third straight trip to the NCAA tournament after only having three appearances in the previous seven years before 2015.  It is also hard to believe because the past two appearances have been fairly forgettable due to the lackluster performances put on by Terrapin squads that were much more highly touted than this one.  It is also hard to believe because of the way this year's Terps have performed ever since they gave away the game to Purdue at home, which culminated in Turgeon calling out the toughness of his players against Northwestern this past weekend.  Yet here we are: A surprising six seed for a team that overachieved in the first half of the season but looked like it was gelling until the last 10 games where the Terps looked like the rudderless, callow, freshman filled bonanza that was expected.  But the magic the Terps had in the beginning of the season has been marginalized more than it has disappeared.  In four of the last six losses the Terps have been leading at halftime, including the game at Wisconsin.  So let us take a look at the match ups the Terps will face in the first round: The Xavier Musketeers. All information and stats come from College Basketball Reference and Joe Lunardi

The Musketeers were a preseason AP Top 10 team that fell on hard times after their starting point guard, Edmond Sumner, went down with a season ending knee injury at the end of January.  I can't imagine why the Selection Committee did not want to rekindle the rivalry between Xavier and their cross town rival, and also six seeded, Cincinnati but alas it is the Terps that must play what could be a fairly even matched game.

The Bad News: Xavier is a big team that is good at rebounding.  They average 12.6 offensive rebounds per game which is good for 29th best in the NCAA, while the Terps allow 10.7 offensive rebounds per game which ranks 303rd.  The one area that has killed the Terps over the last 10 games has been allowing second chance points and not being able to grab rebounds on both ends, and Xavier does this just about as good as anyone in the country.  Xavier out rebounds their opponents by 6 on average, so it could be the Wisconsin game all over again if we cannot box people out.  That could also be a tall order given the size of Xavier's starting back court.  PG Quentin Goodin is the smallest of the Musketeers's starting lineup at 6'4", which may cause some match up dilemmas for Anthony Cowan who only runs a generous 6'1".  Goodin has a penchant for heating up from outside, and given that their two best scorers (Trevon Bluiett and J.P. Macura) are also average over 30% from three the Terps need to be wary of the shooters on the perimeter.  Look for the Musketeers to be aggressive in their outside shooting against whomever is matched up with Trimble or Cowan in order to exploit their height advantage and offensive rebounding acumen.

The Good News: With the loss of Edmond Sumner, the Musketeers lost their best ball handler and have been susceptible to turnovers.  The Terps need to capitalize on points off of these turnovers, which has been a problem as of late.  Xavier also is poor at defending the three point shot.  They are in the bottom third in the country in three point baskets allowed, and the Terps are not shy about stroking it from the outside.  Jackson and Huerter need to step up and hit some outside shots to stretch out the Xavier defense.  One other area that Xavier struggles with is the amount of assists they allow per game.  The Musketeers allow their opponents to get 14 assisted baskets per game, which ranks 303rd in the country.  The Terps need to look to create shots off the pass rather than dribble penetration, and do not be surprised if we see Ivan Bender get equal minutes to Dodd in order to utilize his superior passing skills in the post.  Finally, the loss of Sumner also made the Musketeers's back court depth non existent.  The Musketeers only rotate 8 players, and the three coming off the bench are all forwards.  Dodd and Bender need to be cognizant of that fact if the Musketeers decide to go big to get the Terps big men into foul trouble, but if the Terps can draw some early fouls on their guards it could slow down the Xavier offense.

Other than these differences, the Terps and Musketeers are two evenly matched teams.  This game will certainly show us what type of meddle the Terps are made of.  The Terps lose if they are limp on their rebounding attempts and allow Xavier to get numerous second chance opportunities.  Another Melo Trimble show may also spell disaster for the Terps as they will need to spread the ball around to be successful.  Huerter will also need to be on his best behavior because if he gets into foul trouble early we may not have a better defender to check Trevon Bluiett.  The Terps win if they score off of the pass and draw some early fouls on their guards to put pressure on their bench.  Justin Jackson will need to be the player he was six weeks ago, because if he can start hitting his outside shot it could help the Terps rebounding by drawing their forwards away from the basket.  Finally, the Terps need to be aggressive defending the ball by pressuring the ball handlers and not making it easy for the Musketeers to move the ball on offense.

Let's hope it is not one and done for the Terps and they can play a de facto away game against either Florida State or Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday.