No "Kee-Kees" Here

The Caps read my blog - I'm flattered!
(But if you didn't, that title may be a bit confusing...)


Okay, that's a lie. They probably don't read it. After all, it wasn't that hard to figure out what you have to do to beat the Lightning. I just had no idea that they would actually be able to put the plan in motion.

Let's recap, shall we?

- Score early - Two goals in the first period sounds good to me, both from Fleischmann who is starting to change my mind a bit; he's playing with a lot of confidence and now has three goals in his last two games.

- Stay out of the box - The Caps gave the Bolts only two power plays all afternoon, one of which was cut short by a minor penalty on Tampa, and they killed off both successfully.

- Don't take the second period off - How does a Semin natural hat trick in the first ten minutes grab ya? The Caps were outshot 11-6 in the middle frame and allowed a goal, but they dominated at least the first half of the period and didn't let up.

- Win in regulation - Yeah, this wasn't exactly a one-goal game. I wasn't too concerned.

- Shut down St. Louis - Martin St. Louis 22:01 TOI, 0 goals, 0 assists, -1, 3 shots and a giveaway

- Shut down Richards - Brad Richards 19:40 TOI, 0 goals, 0 assists, -1, 3 shots

- Shut down Lecavalier - Vincent Lecavalier 22:17 TOI, 0 goals, 0 assists, -2, 3 shots and a giveaway

I just love the way they came out and played today, the entire team chipping in for a thoroughly satisfying win over Tampa. Almost everything about it was entertaining - 2 goals by Flash, a hat trick by Semin, Gordon and Giroux getting on the board again, the midget and his little friends staying off the board, and of course, the rotating goaltenders (it's Holmqvist...wait, no, now it's Denis...oh wait, here comes Holmqvist again...hehehe).

Assorted goodies:
- Mike Green actually had almost 15 minutes of ice time and he played pretty well - even a little defense!
- Clymer on the other hand had kind of a rough game, poor guy. Only one shift in the first period, too, so I'm not sure if he's just not 100% yet (I'm hoping that's all it was)
- O'Brien was sniffing around for a fight from the second period on, trying to jumpstart his team. Clarkie wouldn't bite, but naturally Bradley did...not a bad tilt, although it seemed to give the Bolts a bit of a spark as they scored shortly after
- Grrr, I wanted Olie to get a shutout. I guess it's just not to be this season
- This was the second straight game w/ goals from Semin, Giroux, Fleischmann, and Gordon...the only difference was no goal from Beech, although he did pick up a couple of assists
- The Caps have outscored their opponents 12-2 in their last two games and Ovechkin was kept off the scoresheet both times. Odd.
- Speaking of Ovie, he took a high stick of some kind late in the game after Gordon's goal and left the ice in a huff, dripping blood. I didn't see it happen, but he seemed pretty upset and understandably so...

Tampa Bay, like Toronto before them, just looked flat for most of the game. They got a little burst after Semin's hat trick and started launching a minor comeback (which is more than I can say for the Leafs). It sputtered pretty quickly thanks to continued good positioning by the Caps and Olie being Olie. That's the one good thing about being at the bottom of the league - teams start to look past you, take you for granted. To their credit, the Caps again took advantage of this. You'd think after falling behind by a couple of goals they'd figure out the Caps aren't going quietly into the night, but I guess they're just not that bright.

The Caps are back on the road this week, with three days off before a rumble in Buffalo with our old pal Zubie and his new pals...then it's on to Carolina for the final matchup with the 'Canes, followed by a trek into Montreal against my Habs. Don't look now, but the Caps head out on a 2 game winning streak! You have to love that.

Not that it matters anymore, but THAT'S 2 POINTS, BABY!