Fan In Van

The ‘Green’ Light

As hockey fans, we eagerly await the blaring horns and the flashing red lights that signal our beloved team had just scored against a bitter division rival. However, in Washington, it is the ‘Green’ that has garnered the most attention as of late. On Feb. 14, Mike Green of the Washington Capitals scored in his eighth consecutive games, breaking Boston’s Mike O’Connell’s stretch of seven consecutive games with a goal by a defenceman, set in the 1983-84 campaign. He scored the goal in the slot on the powerplay at 5:22 of the second off of a deflected pass from Alexander Semin. The Washington bench swarmed the ice in celebration of this record-setting feat.

At just twenty-three years old, Green is just breaking into the NHL, and the best is certainly ahead of him. With 50 points in 44 games, Green has already been compared to the likes of Ray Bourque, Paul Coffey, and Bobby Orr. Although he isn’t on the same level as these hockey greats (yet), he has definitely earned the praise the team and the hockey world has bestowed upon him. As Bruce Boudreau stated, ”He (Green) could have had Mickey Mouse coaching and eventually he was going to be a great hockey player.”

With the Olympics coming up in Vancouver in 2010, Green’s strong play this season has put him on the radar to be a part of that team. His outstanding performance with the Caps has made him a good candidate to not only be on that team, but play a big role offensively for the Canadians in their search of the gold metal. His offensive prowess is just what the doctor ordered for the Canuck powerplay. His ability to run the powerplay in Washington has been on display all season as he has registered 25 powerplay points already in a mere 44 games. Steve Yzerman and the selection committee would be foolish to pass up on Green’s offensive instincts.

At a respectable $5.25M a year, signed through to the 2011/12 season, Green is a bargain for the Capitals considering the numbers he is putting up this season. And with Alexander Ovechkin locked up long term in Washington alongside him, the future couldn’t look brighter for the young stud defenseman. The Capitals should consider investing in ‘green’ lights for the budding defenseman, because many more goals are on the horizon for this rising superstar.

- Will Yuan, FanInVan.com Contributor