Bryan Helmer continues to impress.....a tribute.

Veteran defenseman Bryan Helmer was signed by the Capitals organization during the summer of 2008, and has already established an impressive list of accomplishments in his short lived tenure. Assigned to the Hershey Bears prior to the 2008-09 season, the players in the locker room voted him as their team captain in recognition of his experience, leadership skills, and confidence. At the time, Alexandre Giroux joked that he wanted to vote for himself, but that he would have been unanimously outvoted in that election race. As a stay-at-home defenseman, Helmer was never going to make too many highlight reels at Hershey, but his play remained consistent and solid enough not only to be voted to the forthcoming AHL All-Star game, but also to be entrusted with the captaincy of the Canadian team. Good things continued to happen for Helmer; a call from Bruce Boudreau saw Bryan dress in a Capitals jersey and play on several occassions at the NHL level during December - a league in which he had not returned to since his playing days with the Phoenix Coyotes. And then just one day after the Christmas holiday, Helmer would not only play defense for the Caps once again, but would also be awarded the number one star for his outstanding performance during the 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Bryan Helmer, we salute you!

The Caps did not have it too easy against the Sabres. Buffalo always plays strong against Washington, and historically has taken more victories over the Caps than many would care to remember. Earlier this season in the HSBC Arena, the Sabres pounded the Capitals by a score of 5-0. The Sabres wanted to carry on where they had left off, but would be hard pressed against a Capitals team that had rallied from a four-goal deficit in their previous game to beat the New York Rangers in overtime. Jose Theodore was harassed by the Sabres during that previous encounter, and was given the start once again with the chance to silence his critics after his dismal first period performance on Broadway.

Both teams played a 60-minute game, but the game was not as close as the 3-2 score led you to believe. The Capitals played solid defense, and looked good on special teams when called to do so. Boudreau went with five offensive players on the power play - a risky move if the opponents had broken free, but with confidence in his team, Boudreau rested the d-men on several occasions to keep them fresh later in the game. Shaone Morrissonn and Milan Jurcina had solid performances. Karl Alzner continues to shine, and Tyler Sloan showed some renewed confidence after his recent slump. It was Bryan Helmer once again, however, that would excel in the defense. The amazing game-winning goal in which Alexander Ovechkin skated the length of the ice, weaving though defenders as if they were traffic cones, was made possible by the perfect pass from Bryan Helmer outside of his own zone. Sure, Ovechkin made every sports highlight reel for the goal, but he was the first to congratulate Helmer before celebrating the score that would ultimately lead to the Caps victory. When a veteran defenseman can get the puck to possibly the best hockey player of this generation, good things will continue to happen for the Capitals. And while I don't want to see the likes of Mike Green and Tom Poti out of action too long, the Hershey Bears fan in me hopes that Bryan continues to get the recognition he deserves and the chance to shine in the NHL.