Finally, a finisher: because Jaromir Jagr is providing world-class talent and willing to accept a defensive-oriented style, the Capitals could become the leading contender in the Eastern Conference

Sporting News, The, Dec 31, 2001 by Larry Wigge

During a walk to the MCI Center in Washington one November afternoon, a visitor passes the White House, the Capitol, the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian Institution. After crossing the street and passing a music and video store, the visitor spots a familiar face through the window.

No, it's not the president or a senator. Rather, it's a tall, black-haired young man playing a video game, surrounded by four or five youngsters. There's no telling how long this game has been going on. Suddenly, the man spins away from the machine, high-fives his new friends and rushes out of the store.

"Yes!" he whispers gleefully as he pumps his fists before jumping into his silver Mercedes and speeding away.

Three hours later, the tall, black-haired young man takes a pass from Ulf Dahlen and, with just one flick of his magical stick, scores to help the Capitals to a 2-2 tie against Phoenix.

Forget the fame, the trophies and $10 million he makes per season. Jaromir Jagr, 29, is an emotional, caring kid who happens to be trapped in the body of perhaps the world's greatest hockey player.

You never know where you might see the big kid around an NHL city: trying on clothes, checking out a heavy-metal CD or just hanging around with kids playing a video game.

"Life is a game," Jagr says. "When I was a little kid, I always dreamed of being the best player at every game I played. I'm still working at it."

And still an extraordinary talent. Jagr has the uncanny ability to see the ice and always remain cool and poised. It's like the game slows down for him, and then--bang--a big play. It's not hard to see why he has won five scoring titles in the last seven years, including the last four.

The way the league has evolved--with so much more accountability on defense and limited scoring-games often are won and lost on one play. That's why you need smart players like Jagr who make the killer play and not the killer mistake.

"I'll go to a basketball game and fix my attention on one player and just watch him move, with and without the ball," Coyotes goaltender Sean Burke says. "When I'm in goal, I try to know where all the stars are so that I'm ready for them. Jagr is a guy who can be stopped for 58 minutes, but then turn a game around with one move, one shot, when his team needs it the most.

"But this isn't tennis or golf. This isn't Andre Agassi and Tiger Woods. Whether it's Jaromir Jagr or Eric Lindros or Jeremy Roenick or Brett Hull, they all have great individual skills that wouldn't mean diddly if they don't share, don't learn to mix those skills in with others in this sport."

When the Capitals pulled off the steal of the summer--obtaining Jagr and journeyman defense-man Frantisek Kucera from the Penguins for prospects Kris Beech, Michal Sivek and Ross Lupaschuk--Capitals goalie Olaf Kolzig was perhaps the most relieved of all. In Game 2 of the Penguins-Capitals first-round playoff series last April, Kolzig barely missed Jagr's goal-mouth pass that led to Mario Lemieux's game-winning goal and a 2-0 series lead. Pittsburgh won in six games.

"It was this close," Kolzig said, holding his fingers about two inches apart, demonstrating the distance between a win and a loss. "We always seemed that dose. But when you are talking about the talents of a Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, that alone can be enough to decide a lot of excruciatingly dose games."

The Capitals now are more than just a couple of inches better than they were in that first-round loss to the Penguins, when Washington scored more than one goal in only two of the six games. Now Kolzig has that difference-making skill on his side.

And Jagr, 21/2 months into his first season with Washington, is starting to bring his new teammates that much closer to contention.

Alot of things have happened since Jagr arrived in Washington. 1) Center Adam Oates, after being placed on a line with Jagr, has put off his request for a trade. 2) Dahlen, at 34, is threatening to have a career year. 3) Coach Ron Wilson believes he can prove he can win in Washington without playing a stifling defense-first game.

"I feel like I've been unhandcuffed," Wilson says. "That's not a knock on our players. It's just the thinking of being creative and being given a whole new palette of colors to paint with."

Bold, bright colors.

But you don't surround the Mona Lisa with paintings of dogs playing poker. Washington could use another playmaker to help set up Jagr and fellow goal scorer Peter Bondra.

On paper, the Capitals' offense is better than their 13th-ranked attack of last season. After the Jagr trade cost them nothing from a roster that posted a 41-27-10-4 record and won the Southeast Division, the Capitals have skated onto a level just below the Avalanche and Red Wings, even after a slow start. Because of the Jagr move and all he brings, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Capitals in the Stanley Cup finals.

"I remember studying tapes of the Penguins for hours every night trying to find a way to beat them," Wilson says. "It always came back to stopping Lemieux and Jagr.