[AP Recap - Game Summary - Super Stats - WashingtonCaps.com Postgame - AP Preview]I was travelling last night and missed the game, so it's on you guys to carry the discussion today. What went right? What went wrong? What do you expect tonight?
Finally, KB took this picture of the team huddled around its felled captain in the last minute of the game (Tarik has a "non" update on Clarkie's condition here), and if a picture's worth a thousand words, this one may sum up last night's game:
Why The Blues Will Win:
"- Ovechkin is TOO good.Daily Awards
- The Blues motto this year is, "Whatever it takes"... I think that says it all.
- Washington plays the night before vs. Vancouver....well that just sucks for you guys.
- Brent Johnson (Johnny Marlboro) could get the start...no way we lose to him in our own building.
- Olaf Kolzig could get the start...no way we lose to him in our own building.
- The Blues will mistake Washington for an actual NHL club and play most of their starters. And not until midway through the 2nd, when it is 4-0 Blues, will the Blues realize they could have started their Peoria lineup and probably still gotten the win.
- Tkachuk's name sounds like the sound of a slapshot.
- Half of our team will be wearing heated skate blades.
- Brett Hull used to play for us.
- Detroit sucks."- Let's Go Blues.com
"11. Caps fourth line just got AOL layoff notices.
10. Olaf Kolzig's five hole almost as big as the St. Louis Arch.
9. Washington Capitals? What was the District of Columbia Districts already taken?
8. We thought Kolzig retired about 5 years ago.
7. Market Street is better than K Street.
6. Rod Langway did retire. A looooong time ago.
5. You have the wrong Backstrom.
4. When the Caps redesigned their uniforms, did they really want to throw back to the "glory days" of last-place finishes in the Patrick Division?
3. Everyone knows that the Washington message doesn't play outside the Beltway.
2. Ovechkin too bummed he can’t play with his Semin all game.
1. Brent Johnson plays for you guys now." - St. Louis Game Time
- Hart: Tomas Plekanec (2G, 2A, 4 SOG)
- Ross: Tomas Plekanec (4 points)
- Norris: Mark Streit (G, A, 4 SOG)
- Vezina: Jose Theodore (W, 39 saves on 41 shots against)
- Richard: Tomas Plekanec, Taylor Pyatt, Henrik Zetterberg (2G each)
- Calder: Kyle Chipchura (G, +1)
- Aiken: Cam Ward (L, 5 goals allowed on 15 shots against in just 20 minutes of work)
8 comments:
Okay, I will start the discussion.
First, what went right:
1. 2 power play goals
2. The Caps showed a real desire to tie it up at the end of the game, culminating with several scoring chances and Ovechkin going coast-to-coast with 10 seconds left. How do you let Ovechkin go coast-to-coast with 10 seconds left???
3. Olie made a couple of great saves in the second and third periods to keep the game within reach.
Now, what went wrong:
1. Donald Brashear. I don't care how many people tell me I'm wrong. He is terrible. How many shifts did he play last night, five? Yet he manages to take a hooking (not fighting or roughing) penalty less than five minutes into the third period that led to the game-winning goal for the Canucks. It is not the first time I have seen something like that. Oh and, by the way, as is often the case, Ovechkin had the biggest hit of the night for the Caps, not their goon.
2. Olie again gave up a weak goal through the five-hole or a with a puck trickling under his legs. Maybe he needs new pads. Oh, and the rebounds are getting a bit crazy.
3. Stupid penalties. Now, I know the refereeing was questionable, but still, when your team captain takes an offensive zone interference penalty less than two minutes into the first period, you know it is going to be a long night. I think we need to start docking these guys pay for every stupid penalty, at least until they demonstrate that they can kill them off.
4. Remember that desire that I mentioned above? Well they did not show it the whole second period. They seemed to play the second period like they were ahead 2-1 rather than down 1-2. Is that the coaching or the players?
Okay, Brashear fans, lay it on me.
Maybe if Brashear got more than 5 shifts a game he wont take feel the need to do it all on a given shift, and play more controlled. Clarkie opened the game with a unneeded pick / penalty to open the game. The captain setting the example perhaps? We should have called up Boomer to help out at LP.
I see what you're saying about Brash but I really think that penalty that was called on his was a terrible call.
Also, the most frustrating part of the injury to Clark was that it shouldnt have happened because the refs should have called the high stick on him second earlier.
without going into last night's game too much I would just say I am pretty happy. The last 4 games have been played really well. The NYI/PITT/VAN game could have all gone our way and we could be sitting with a 7-2 record instead of 4-5. The important thing is those two horrible performances in NY/BUFF are gone and we have progressed past them.
The first two VAN goals were a joke last night. Granted our D should have taken care of both of them, they still didnt deserve to win that game.
We are 4-5 with plenty of hockey to play. There are plenty of "good" teams that are sitting right around us. IE buff, pitt. Soon the bounces will go our way like they did last night for VAN. We are only going to get better.
That Brash penalty was a horrible call and should never have resulted in a penalty. It was clear from the replay that he didn't hook.
Brash is a great guy to have on the team - through some of the rougher games this season, he's gone out and shown more passion on the ice than some of the top liners. Besides, without him, we'd see some nasty hits on our guys.
JP, why do you always post those "why the other team will win" snippets? Is it to:
-- make me go insane?
-- make me jump over to those sites and post caustic comments?
-- make me feel like a screwball know-nothing homer for being a Caps' fan?
-- give me a clearer notion of the screwball know-nothing homers in other cities?
-- or what?
The Brashear hooking call was bizarre. The player he hooked was... Alex Semin.
The second period desire was definitely questionable.
Lots of high sticks from both teams went uncalled last night. Lots of stuff going on behind the play. A really chippy game for a E-vs-W tilt.
Mike Green's turnover-that-led-to-the-first-goal was bad. But it was worse that he was left all alone by his partner, by the forwards, and by his goaltender who obviously didn't tell Green that anyone was there.
Lots of shots from the points last night. Big improvement.
By the third period, it looked like Semin was skating into game shape.
@ Anon:
All of the above (except for making you feel like a know-nothing homer).
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