Lots of stuff to cover, so little time...
First of all, last night's game. Aside from a blunder by Nicklas Backstrom and a BIGGER blunder by referee Bill McCreary, the Caps had a solid game and did a good job of mounting a comeback - twice - and snatching two points from the Blue Jackets. Naturally it helps when the starting goaltender gets taken out with an injury, but you can't say the Caps weren't buzzing before and after LeClaire got hurt, or that Norrena was necessarily to blame for the other goals.
Ovechkin was again a force to be reckoned with, as is becoming the usual - his two tallies give him 45 on the year, if anyone is keeping track. And you know we all are. Eric Fehr had a solid game as well and if that line meshes as it looks like it will that trio could become very potent. Semin's goal was very pretty and that new line of Semin-Kozlov-Fleischmann actually had some really entertaining shifts.
The real story tonight, though, wasn't Ovechkin or Semin or Brent Johnson (who was good when he had to be but not extensively challenged). It was Tom Poti.
Forget the goal and the assist on the game-winning goal; before all that Poti was having a stunningly good defensive game. In reality it shouldn't be that surprising - in the last few weeks Poti has stepped up his game and become a much more solid defenseman, which is what the Caps need him to be. But tonight he really was fantastic, blocking shots, playing in near-perfect position...and yes, getting a goal and an assist. We like those.
Quote of the night, courtesy of Shaone Morrisonn:It was a great hip check by Billy [McCreary] there. I don't know what he was doing in the middle, but everybody makes mistakes. Thank God we got the win, or I probably would have fought him.
Okay, so two points in overtime, again. An overtime winner and a multi-goal game for Ovechkin, again. It's a nice pattern, but a regulation win with more secondary scoring (read: anyone but Ovie) would be good, especially with a long stretch of Eastern Conference teams coming up. Which brings us to...
Who: Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Where: Wachovia Center
When: Wednesday, February 6, 7:00 pm
Broadcast Info: CSN+, 3WT Radio; CSN-P; NHL Network (US)
Media Notes:
Caps' Site
NHL.com
Washington Post
Washington Times
I'm not sure why, but Atlantic Division teams like to torture us with special pre-game ceremonies that are particularly obnoxious this season. First it was the Devils honoring former Cap Scott Stevens back in December, a game the Caps lost 3-2. Fun times.
Now it's the Flyers with Ron Hextall, a goalie who spent the better part of his career torturing the Caps - which included scoring the first playoff goal for a goaltender against us. And if you think the timing is accidental, you don't know the Flyers organization very well.
But on to the game itself.
The Caps and Flyers come into this one off of matching one-goal wins, but with the division title in sight once more and the momentum of an overtime come from behind victory fueling them, the Caps could actually be the favorite in this one. Considering they've also already won at Wachovia Center this year, as well, it's not like the threat of a scary Philly crowd is going to stop them.
One thing to watch for is special teams (but isn't it always?). The Flyers have one of the best power plays in the league thanks to a recent hot streak and the Caps PK units will need to be at their best. Better yet, the whole team needs to avoid the dumb penalties - Erskine, Semin, I'm looking at you guys.
By the way, with a win tonight the Caps take over first place in the Southeast Division. Now everyone take a look at the standings...and remember where we were two months ago. It's quite the roller coaster ride being a Caps fan, isn't it?
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Recap/Preview Double Feature
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Fehr Thee Well: Caps Win in OT
Gameday Preview: Caps vs Blue Jackets
Who: Washington Capitals vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
Where: Nationwide Arena
When: Tuesday, February 5, 7:00 pm
Broadcast Info: CSN, 3WT Radio; FSN Ohio, The Fan 1490 AM
The Caps haven't lost back to back games in regulation since November, and now would not be a good time to start. After getting shut out in two of their last three games it's going to take some hard work and some secondary scoring to get a few past shutout king Pascal Leclaire and avoid dropping that elusive second striaght game.
The biggest news going into tonight's game, though, is the return of Eric Fehr, the Caps highly-touted prospect who had just started to be finding his NHL game last year as the season ended before suffering an injury that sat him for months. After a stint with the Hershey Bears, though, Fehr is healthy and back in action alongside Ovechkin and Backstrom - quite the assignment for the youngster who has only played in a handful of NHL games to begin with.
For more on Fehr, check out Vogel's great piece on the kid. Should be fun to see him out there with the other tots for sure.
Boston has beans, the Red Sox, and the Tea Party; New York is the city that never sleeps. So what is Columbus known for? As the Caps make their first visit in four years to Nationwide Arena tonight, it seemed as good a time as any to get to know the Arch City, The Discovery City, C-Bus...Columbus, Ohio.
- Columbus was founded in 1812, became the state capital of Ohio in 1816, and was deemed a city (after achieving a population of 3500) in 1834.
- Columbus is home to the Ohio State Buckeyes; a buckeye is a type of tree or a chocolate and peanut butter candy designed to look like the nut of the tree; another popular chocolate and peanut butter candy is the Reese's peanut butter cup, produced by the Hershey chocolate company; the Hershey Bears are the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals; Dave Steckel, a Hershey Bears alum, was an Ohio State Buckeye.
- The (in)famous fast food chain White Castle is headquartered in Columbus.
- Columbus is the site of the annual Ohio State Fair, which contributes over $280 million to the state's economy annually. The fair has been taking place for over 150 years and is used as a celebration of Ohio-made products, it's people and their accomplishments. One of those accomplishments? A life-size cow and calf made completely out of butter.
- Performers at the Ohio State Fair have included Ike and Tina Turner, Johnny Cash, Bob Hope, Alan Jackson, Bow Wow, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Air Supply, Rascal Flatts, and Lifehouse.
- Renowned animal expert Jack Hanna, known for his television shows and frequent appearances on late night TV, is based out of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
- The only pro teams located in Columbus are the Blue Jackets, MLS's Columbus Crew, and AFL team the Columbus Destroyers. Columbus is also home to the Columbus Clippers, the triple-A affiliate of our own Washington Nationals.
- Columbus's first sister city was Genoa, Italy, a relationship established in 1955 and commemorated with a statue of Columbus, presented to the city from the people of Genoa. Columbus has since added six more, including Seville, Spain and Herzliya, Israel.
- Columbus is the birthplace of author/cartoonist James Thurber, historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, and golf legend Jack Nicklaus.
