"It's just one game now and I gotta do it next game and for the rest of the year so I can stay here." -- Mathieu Perreault, after Monday's two-goal game against Toronto

I'm going to go out on a limb right off the bat and frankly state that I like Matthieu Perreault.  From my limited exposure to him, he's been nothing but engaging, sincere and accountable -- good or bad.  As a hockey player, he's proven to be a dynamic, hustling, talented playmaker at the AHL level, with two consecutive 50 point seasons.

(C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

And he was well on his way to surpass that in this campaign, as he had eight goals and 17 assists in 25 games for Hershey this season, tied for 10th in the AHL in points (25).

I just wonder if he's got the chops for the big leagues.

Several occasions he's been called up, and in the first game or two he'll do what he did Monday night:  score, buzz around on the forecheck, add life to a young (but veteran) team.

Then, after a couple games, he'll disappear.

"Every time I get called up seems like the first game I'm flying and now it's just a matter of doing that every night," Perreault told reporters after the Caps devastating 5-4 shootout loss to Toronto Monday night.

So far this season, in four games he's got two goals and two helpers, in two different stints.  Well, that's not really a clear picture.  He had two goals Monday, and two assists in his first game this season, Oct. 23 against Atlanta.

He didn't score in the next two games, and Perreault was returned to Hershey.  Of course, that was while the team was still conducting the "Tomas Fleischmann at Center" experiment.  Perreault was a victim of numbers as much as production.

Last season, Perreault had a two-point night right off the bat, Nov. 4 against New Jersey.  Eighteen games later he had not produced another one, and was held off the scoresheet altogether in 12 of those 18 games and was demoted.  For the season, he played 21 games and had five goals and four assists.

Perreault needs to produce points at the NHL level if he's to stick in this league.  He's a good skater, so he can be effective on the forecheck, but other than that, his role is limited.  He is small (NHL.com generously has him listed at 5'10", 175), so he really isn't much help along the boards or with checking. 

And his stature is perhaps an explanation to why he's been unable to consistently produce for the Capitals; he just gets worn down playing against bigger, stronger competition night in and night out.

NHL history is dotted with "little guys" excelling.  Stan Mikita, Theo Fleury and Martin St. Louis were all vertically challenged and all were/are dynamic NHL players.  But they were all elite skaters with very high motors.  Perreault is a good skater and quick -- two of his strengths -- but I don't think he's in a class with the three mentioned above.

There is a gaping hole at center on the Caps second line, and Perreault has shown to mesh with Alexander Semin in the few opportunities he's had this season.  The job is there for the taking, and it looks like Perreault is going to get every chance to hold onto the spot. 

Perreault even skated in overtime with Semin during four-on-four Monday, and unexpectedly was the second shooter in the shoot-out, as Boudreau by-passed Nicklas Backstrom in the situation.

"It shows they have confidence in me and they're not scared to play me in a big situation."

If GM George McPhee and Coach Bruce Boudreau don't see consistent production from Perreault in the next 10-15 games, I think we should expect McPhee to address the situation with a veteran two-way player as we approach the trade deadline.

But I'll definitely be rooting for the little guy.

The Washington Capitals are struggling offensively right now.  They sit exactly middle-of-the-pack (15th) in the NHL in goals per game at 2.71, and if you factor out a seven-goal outburst in the home opener, well, the struggles are even more amplified.

One of the Caps biggest off-season concerns has now turned into a regular season nightmare:  center play.  Nicklas Backstrom is off to a fairly terrible start.  With one goal (credited when an Alex Ovechkin slapshot hit him and went into the net) and three assists, his production is well short of what is expected out of the Super Swede, coming off his career year last season of 101 points.

It's easy to look at Backstrom's slump and say "It's only seven games."  But it's worrisome that his minus-2 rating and woefully inadequate 6.3 shooting percentage isn't better just by accident.  Nicky is still winning his share of draws (57.1 percent), and Coach Bruce Boudreau can do nothing but hope that Backstrom will break out of his doldrums in a big way and in a big hurry.

Still, it's curious that he signed a huge contract this past off-season and then gets off to the worst start of his NHL career.

As for the others?

Currently, the center on the second line between The Enigma (Alexnader Semin) and Iron Man (Brooks Laich) is just-turned 20-year old Marcus Johansson.  The younger Swede has had moments of brilliance and is a slick puck handler and terrific skater.  But he is not strong enough physically right now to really compete on a daily basis with veterans in the NHL.  He is literally a boy among men.

He is also -- despite his obvious skills -- not producing.  One goal, no assists, and just 34.0 percent in the dot isn't getting it done.  He's only put six shots on net.  He's getting beaten physically and positionally on defense.  Is giving on-the-job training to a 20-year old -- on the second line -- a luxury the Capitals can afford right now?

Next, we come to everyone's favorite whipping boy, Tomas Fleischmann.  I'm going to say this one more time: He is out of position at center.  He's got two goals and two assists and is tied for the team lead at plus-4.  But his faceoff percentage is as bad as Johansson's at 36.1.  Boudreau doesn't trust him, evidenced by his TOI/G at just 15:15 and the fact that Boudreau isn't giving Flash any defensive zone draws.

Fleischmann also is a bad defender.  He is pushed off the puck much too easily for a guy that's been around a while now.  He is constantly losing physical battles and seems indifferent to back-checking.

Further down the roster is David Steckel and Boyd Gordon.  Both have the reputation for being good faceoff men and stout penalty killers.  But Steckel hasn't really made much difference on the ice this season after not getting a sweater for opening night, and Gordon hasn't even been on the ice the last three games with an undisclosed injury, after at one point Boudreau calling him a "healthy" scratch.

In the last couple of game recaps I've alluded to the possibility of a roster shake-up if the Caps offensive woes continue.  It's not a stretch to think that the center position is the first place a roster tweak could happen, should GM George McPhee and Boudreau think that's necessary.