Is this the same person, or did Pittsburgh send over a look-a-like, while keeping the real deal hidden somewhere in a basement at the Igloo. Did Washington really get Jaromir Jagr, or did the Penguins pull a fast one on them. The one in the Washington uniform is definitely not the 5 time winner of the scoring title. He is definitely not the guy that scored 149 points in 1995-96, not the one that scored 121 points just last year, and not the player that has amassed 1088 points (444-644) over his entire career. This clone has only been able to gather up 9 points in 12 games, which will give him a projected 62 over an 82 game period. Those are good numbers, but definitely not Jagr-like.

Jagr was supposed to be the final piece in the Washington Capitals jigsaw puzzle, but as of now, he has not fit. With this one-man scoring army, Washington was believed to be a strong contender for the Cup, with a dominant defense and goaltending already in place. However, through their first 19 games, the Caps have been able to collect just 14 points, going 6-11-2, not Stanley Cup contender numbers. One of those losses, the Caps lost 11-5 to Ottawa, a pitiful margin.

Bondra continues to do well, grabbing 12 goals and 16 points. Sergei Gonchar is once again the dominant offensive defenseman he is known to be, but Jagr, the best forward and probably the best player in the NHL, has conjured up a paltry 9 points. This output is equal to the numbers Kris Beech (in his 1st season) has put up, one of the prospects Washington traded to Pittsburgh for Jagr.

Granted, No. 68 has missed a few games due to injury (injured knee), but is that really an excuse. Isn't playing hurt something hockey players are trained and known for doing. Isn't a superstar as big as Jagr supposed to dominate his game even with a little pain. So if it's not the injury, what is it? Can Jagr's great talent be constrained by the defensive minded Capitals? Does he just need time to adjust to playing on a team other than the white and gold Penguin he served throughout his entire professional career? The answer to the last question is YES, but one cannot help but wonder how long this adjustment period will take.

With Jagr on board, Washington is a team vying for the Cup. He brings offense to a team where defense rules, and skill is hard to come by after Peter Bondra and Adam Oates. However, the defense is great, as is the stellar goaltending from Kolzig. Jagr is that final piece to the tapestry. All he needs is some time to find his game, but if the Caps keep playing the way they have, he may not have as much time as he'd like.