No words necessary.
Showing posts with label Game Recap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Game Recap. Show all posts
Monday, April 21, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
It Isn't Over Yet
In more ways than one.
The Caps did what they had to do - they played hard, won Game 5 and avoided elimination. They were physical. They were well-positioned. They were opportunistic. They were, for forty minutes at least, a dominant playoff team.
That's step one.
Step two comes tomorrow night in Philly where an orange-clad crowd would like nothing more than to watch their boys land the knockout punch. Step two is no less of a "must-win" situation, it's no less pressure packed, and it's no less difficult.
We'll consider this an open thread on this lazy non-hockey Sunday. Feel free to leave your thoughts on last night's game, your predictions for Game 6, your best Passover recipes, etc.
We get back down to business tomorrow.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Bringing Down the House
During the last week there has been a poll on the Caps website asking fans to vote on who would score the first goal of the series.
Oddly enough, Donald Brashear didn't even show up on the list of options.
But it was Brash who kickstarted the scoring last night, earning a goal-scorers' goal just under four minutes in to give the Caps a 1-0 lead. He threw himself into the boards with glee, emulating the young superstars that he has sworn to protect - 239 pounds of pure happy. It wasn't the last time the Verizon Center boards would shake with celebration...but it was one of the best.
As for the rest of the team, it was a game that at times held lasting moments of cherished memories for many players, mixed with moments that all of us would soon forget. Seeing Alex Ovechkin earn his first playoff goal in dramatic fashion or seeing Dave Steckel get his first playoff goal to regain the lead - those are things that they will remember and we will remember for a long time. Seeing Daniel Briere dart out of the penalty box virtually undetected to take that lead away...that's something we'd rather forget.
It was one of those nights where the team that showed up for the first period, full of nerves and emotion and adrenalin, was different from the team that showed up for the second period, full of nerves and sluggishness and uncertainty.
And neither was the team that showed up in the third to dominate and eventually take game 1.
If you were there or were watching on TV, it's likely that you, like us, believed that a two-goal deficit could be overcome. Whether that's hubris or wishful thinking or just the result of watching this team for the last seven months, I don't know. But as soon as Green scored the Caps' third goal you could feel it - electricity. Energy. Life. They were going in for the kill.
Ovechkin was the eventual hero last night, and in usual dramatic fashion as is his way. But give credit to the Flyers for really taking away his time and space for most of the game - and give credit to the rest of the Caps for recognizing this, stepping up, and getting the job done largely without their young superstar.
There are things to work on for game 2 and a short time to get them done. Knowing this team as we do, though, there's no question it will get done before game 2 rolls around tomorrow afternoon.
And to the 18,276 other people who joined me in celebration last night...that was amazing. I can't remember the last time I heard the building that loud, even ten years ago during the Cup run. It was a truly incredible experience, and I hope to see all of you back out there in full voice and full red for tomorrow's game. There is much work to be done and we need to do our part - LET'S GO CAPS!
Friday, April 04, 2008
Another One Bites the Dust
What more is there to say?
The important thing here is that the Caps not only got two points but as soon as they took the lead (2165 hours after the game started) they seemed to smell blood and went in for the kill. It was mercifully devoid of any extra-frame excitement, although thanks to Karri Ramo the Lightning hung in there a lot longer than they should have - don't kid yourselves, if they hang on to that youngster their goaltending woes will be a thing of the past.
While there were moments of stifled yawns and unfocused eyes (it was, after all, a Tampa game), this one was not without it's little quirks and special moments. A no-goal call put the kibosh on the Caps' quick bounceback after falling behind just 39 seconds in...and I'm no rules expert so I'll just assume the right call was made and secretly indulge in a little silent consternation that Brooks Laich was denied his 22nd. After all, we won, so who cares, right? Right. Sure.
And let's not forget the one thing that is always guaranteed entertainment when these two teams tangle: John Tortorella. Quite the mouth on that one. Only Torts causes the Caps' website to add an explicit content warning to a postgame interview. Classy, classy guy.
Classiest horse's rear I know of, that's for sure.
It should be said that Matt Cooke certainly doesn't mind those gray-area hits but his bizarro check on Lecavalier was neither cheap (Torts, that black thing there next to Vinny? That was the puck) nor carried out with intent to injure. Let's save the consternation, he who sends out goons to chase tiny Flash around the ice in the dying seconds of his season.
Of course the highlight of the night, aside from Ovechkin's history-making marker in the third, had to be Boyd Gordon's lovely backhander to put the home team up by two - and the ensuing celebration on the bench that included Ovechkin grabbing Laich in a headlock and bouncing up and down. I don't think they're having fun, do you?
One down, one more to go, kids; all eyes on the scoreboard tonight. Go Panthers, go Devils, go...regulation win.
This is about to get interesting.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Rockin' the Phone Booth
Last night's game certainly wasn't for the faint of heart...nor should it have been.
The Caps and Canes exchanged bone-crushing checks, glamorous saves, end to end rushes, odd-man breaks, even injuries to key players. It had the look, feel and sound of a playoff game. It was what every great division rivalry should be - it was what the league intended when it force-fed the nauseating parade of lukewarm foes down our throats.
In short this game was exactly what it needed to be when a division title is on the line, and the Caps played exactly the way they needed to play with their season on the line.
Every player to a man felt the energy and the desperation and acted on it, resulting in role reversals all over the place. Green had 8 shots on goal and two assists. Ovechkin blocked two shots, took a roughing call and won a faceoff. Semin laid out three huge body checks in the first period. Bradley had one of the best chances of the night only to be stonewalled by Cam Ward.
It was a standout performance for many Caps. Semin had one of his best games of the year despite making his usual turnovers and taking his nightly (albeit very weak) hooking penalty. Fleischmann continued his stretch of solid work with a stellar centering feed to a rushing Brooks Laich to put the Caps up 2-0. Schultz's usual quiet nature produced an assist and two attempted shots. Matt Cooke was all over the place, getting into the faces of his opponent and creating some good offensive chances as well. The line of Bradley, Gordon and Brashear put on a puck possession clinic for a good part of the second period.
But the standouts only emphasized the complete team game this really was. Consider the fact that with only five defensemen this team still limited the Canes to just one goal and 22 shots. It speaks volumes about how well they played defense, from the goalie out to the top forward line. Despite the somewhat lopsided score, this was not a Carolina team that simply rolled over and died - in fact if not for a bit of luck and a few bizarre calls this game gets a lot closer and fast. But the Caps smothered the high-powered Carolina offense and what they didn't stop, Huet did.
And then there was the crowd. The mythological 7th man, if you will, loud and boisterous and primed for battle before the puck even dropped. It was something special to be sure - just ask the players, watch their war-weary faces light up into bright, childlike smiles at the mere mention of last night's crowd. It was the best ever, they say. Unbelievable. Loud. Fantastic. It's never been this good.
It wasn't just the sheer volume of the crowd or the fact that everyone seemed to buy into the "Red Out", although the impact of those things in combination should not be overlooked.
No, it was the spontaneity. We certainly heeded the clarian calls of Horn Guy and Goat, their distinctive voices piercing the air and leading us in unison, and we responded when implored by the PA announcer to make some noise. But it was the dull roar during the offensive rush, the applause for the simple act of clearing a puck, the oohs and aahs and groans when a brilliant play connected or went awry.
It was the hearty boos for the Hurricanes when they stepped onto the ice, and the resounding cheers when a Cap planted the opposition into the boards. It was the standing ovation at the end of the first. And the second. And the third.
It's that spontaneity and that electric, contagious buzz that sets apart the holy hockey houses from the mundane barns of the NHL - and last night DC had its Forum, its Maple Leaf Gardens, its Boston Garden.
Yet there was still something distinctly "Capitals" about it, something that sets the Phone Booth apart from these shrines of hockey - it was a celebration filled with character and humor and passion you only find here in DC. At one point last night Ovechkin urged the crowd to make more noise and was greeted with an eruption of cheers. A few minutes later the humble coach was shown on the screen to be met with more cheers and chants of "Bruuuuce" filling the air, a faint pink hue on his cheeks the only sign that he heard us. In front of him it was Matt Cooke's turn to urge the crowd on and again we responded. It was exciting and fantastic and a rush.
And it's something that has been missing for far too long.
So this morning we soak our weary feet in warm water to ease the throbbing from jumping up and down. We sip soothing cups of tea to heal the soreness in our throats from screaming and cheering all night. And we check off item number one on the to-do list: Beat the Canes in regulation. Done.
Now the next step is Tampa, a team that is not exactly going down quietly and that a week ago gave the Caps quite a scare before finally succumbing in overtime. Consistency is obviously an issue (and has been all year long), as they rebounded from a surprise upset over the Canes with a 2-0 loss at the hands of slumping Atlanta.
In the meantime there's lots of scoreboard watching to be done, as there always seems to be. Carolina, Philadelphia and Boston are all in action tonight and should any one of them falter, you can bet the Caps will be watching.
And waiting to jump in.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Panthers Fade Away
Just two nights after their second straight nailbiting win, the Caps managed to put together a much more solid, convincing (if not a little bit boring) win - and put the Panthers out of their misery.
Huet was once again the strong presence he has become between the pipes, and that save he made in the second period was the impetus for the Caps to wake up a bit and take control of the game once and for all. He faced thirty-two shots but thanks to an inspiring defensive performance by the six blueliners in front of him he saw almost every one. This was truly a team shutout, earned from the net on out.
And then there was the offense. Look no further than big #25 - Viktor Kozlov loves playing the Panthers, doesn't he? His three point performance actually outshines the two points picked up by his Russian linemate for once and he had a great game all around.
Filling in the rest, Mike Green's consistently good play over the last few games finally pays off as he is rewarded with an absolute layup of a goal to bring his total for the season up to 18. Ovechkin adds his 62nd of the season (and his 108th and 109th points of the year...let that sink in a bit) and that would be more than enough for the Caps to finish off a sluggish Panthers team.
Looking around the league...surprise, surprise, we get very little help. Boston took care of the Sens earlier today and the Islanders proved once again why they're on the outside looking in as they blew not one but two leads and eventually fell in the shootout to the Flyers.
From the good news department, however, the Lightning took care of business with the Canes, the game-winner coming off the stick of none other than Jeff Halpern. Looks like he'll stay a fan favorite here in DC for just a little bit longer.
So here's how the Eastern Conference shapes up right now:
3 Carolina 90
4 New Jersey 93
5 Ottawa 92
6 NY Rangers 91
7 Philadelphia 91
8 Boston 90
----------------
9 Washington 88
10 Buffalo 84
Amazing. Simply amazing
Friday, March 28, 2008
The Cardiac Caps, Team of Destiny
With less than four minutes to go in regulation last night, the Caps trailed the bottom-feeding Lightning 3-2. It was a game that included stretches of the Caps outplaying their opponent intertwined with stretches where they looked either disinterested or hemmed in. And for Caps fans, it didn't look like two points were going to happen.
With less than four minutes to go in regulation last night, Alexander Semin tied up the game.
With less than three minutes left in overtime last night...Tomas Fleischmann won it.
And so this game goes down as a microcosm of the Caps season. It's a metaphor whose bounds are as yet unknown - with everyone counting them out the Caps pulled even and then came out ahead thanks to the unlikeliest of heroes. But will that describe the season only up to the final games? Or will they be the first team in NHL history to go from being dead last in the league to earning a postseason berth?
The road to finding out is long and hard...or should we say short and hard. Four games left and the Caps sit two points out of third, two points out of seventh, and two points out of eighth. Each of the teams in those spots right now has a treasured game in hand on the Caps.
So to a certain extent they hold only part of their destiny in their own hands - win and you put pressure on the other teams to win. Win and you give yourself the best possible chance to make it. But should the others win, too...game over.
And for now that might have to be okay.
If the Caps give themselves every chance to make it, if they win as many games as they can and play the way we know they can play, the rest matters very little. A playoff berth would be fantastic - to see this team in the postseason led by their young superstar, it's beyond compare as fantasies go - but it's up to fate. It's up to other teams helping us out. It's up to some sort of cosmic force deciding that five years without a postseason is too long.
But it is the stuff of fairy tales that this team is even in this position right now...and you can bet everyone in that locker room is feeling the magic.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Over in a Flash
(...had to be done. Sorry.)
Photo courtesy of AP
My sentiments exactly, Brooks. Shall we go for another heart-stopping win on Saturday or can we just win decisively for once?
My sentiments exactly, Brooks. Shall we go for another heart-stopping win on Saturday or can we just win decisively for once?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
One Down...
Photo courtesy of AP
There was speculation after Friday's come from behind win about which team would emerge in Raleigh last night. Would it be the team that looked sluggish over the last three or four games or the one that rallied from a two goal deficit en route to a decisive 5-3 win?
After the first dizzying shift of swift skating, sharp passing, hard checking beauty the answer was clear. The Caps team that has made the climb from worst to being right in the thick of a playoff race was back, and not a moment too soon.
Throughout the game the Caps continued to display their defensive prowess for which they have (surprisingly) become known, corralling the big guns down in Raleigh and keeping this one tight. But they also showed a good deal of offensive flash, firing 44 shots on Cam Ward while allowing 27. In fact if not for Ward's heroics, this game could have gotten ugly very quickly as the Caps came out firing in the first and took control right away.
Carolina picked up the pace in the remaining forty minutes, but all that did was make the game more interesting. Interesting is good, right? Still, the Caps seemed to be outplaying them all over the place, foiling passes and blocking shots and when all else failed relying on the strong play of their goaltender to make the final stop. Even the special teams looked good, despite the fact that both Carolina goals came while on the power play - neither was really a power play goal in the sense that the penalty killers failed, it was really just...one of those things. Or two.
So we can forgive the fluky goals - not much you can do about a puck deflecting off a defender a mile away from the net, or a puck propelled over the line when three bodies collide in the crease. In fact, take away those two black marks and the Caps played what was a pretty stellar road game, a great team win.
But as in every great team win there were a few individual standouts - and where there are individual standouts, there is #8.
Ovechkin was a man possessed, barreling around the ice hitting and shooting wherever he could - and he would only be contained for so long, taking a beautiful pass from Backstrom (which stemmed from an equally pretty play by Kozlov) to net his history-making 61st goal of the season. Congratulations to Ovechkin as he continues to set himself apart in a league full of amazing talent.
Huet was sharp when called upon and will probably be in net for the bulk of the remaining games as a result. We can feel nostalgic and sorry for Olie, or we can bask in the glow of a goalie who is now 6-2 in his first 8 games with the club. Frankly the latter is sounding pretty good right now.
And Viktor Kozlov, whose accomplishments and contributions this year have been incredibly underrated, proved to be the biggest hero of them all with an absolute rifle of a shot to beat Cam Ward in the shootout. It was the only one that went in, the only one that counted...and Eric Staal can curse that lovely post all he wants.
This game was, for all intents and purposes, a playoff game. It felt like it for sure, as many of the players acknowledged and those of us watching at home saw for ourselves. There was an intensity that has maybe been missing from previous division games, a sense that this one meant more than the rest. No, a three point game wasn't exactly what the Caps wanted but the two points they came out with in the end were incredibly important for sure.
If you were scoreboard watching last night, as many of us were, you saw one of the more unusual evenings in the NHL. First everything was going the Caps' way, all the right teams losing; then things started to turn and it felt like once again a solid game by Washington would yield little in the end.
But by the close of the night, although the teams ahead of the Caps each picked up two points, it was the teams right on their heels that were the big story. Toronto, Buffalo, Florida - all fell in regulation, clearing out the logjam a bit and giving the Caps some much needed breathing room. It now looks more and more like it will be a three-team race for the final two spots, much better odds for a team sitting only two points out.
So the Caps are now three points ahead of the Sabres and Panthers, four points ahead of the Maple Leafs, two points behind Boston for eighth and four points behind Carolina for the Southeast Division title.
...are we having fun yet?
Saturday, March 22, 2008
What a Thrill
This team is so fun.
No, really. It would be boring if they insisted on playing one way the entire season, consistently well or consistently badly, let alone within one game. Playoff race shmayoff race, it's much more fun this way - keeps us on our toes, we never really know what we're going to get.
Except when it comes to the great #8. With him, what you see is what you get night in and night out. Passion. Exuberance. Skill. Magic. The ability to put an entire team on his back and carry them out of the doldrums to a sparkling comeback win...all while notching his 60th goal of the year.
This game was three games in one, a three act play consisting of drama and tragedy and comdey and ultimate redemption. If you watched it all the way through and didn't feel winded by the end, well...you clearly weren't watching it right.
Act One:
Our heroes take the ice, purported favorites in a battle against those hapless underdogs, the Atlanta Thrashers. The two teams circle one another, the heroes tentative, unsure, gunshy...they are after all still reeling from two nights before and in an effort to avoid a repeat they move slowly. Carefully. Don't make a mistake, don't get too flashy. A few good chances either way but a slow period, a boring one.
#8 takes center stage. He loops with his young upstart centerman, criss-crosses the ice as calmly as if he is walking across a street, and fires a shot between the gaping pads of a stunned Kari Lehtonen. 1-0 for the heroes. There is much rejoicing, high fives and songs of praise.
Act Two:
A plot twist - the heroes' alter egos take their places, true doppelgangers in every aspect except talent and drive. The scrappy 
underdogs aren't about to let the heroes slip away with a one goal lead. They pounce on a power play chance, the young Swede from the cagey veterans making it a tie game.
Then it happens. A bad bounce, a bad pass, a bad look and a power play for the heroes turns into a nightmare. A man who has never scored on our heroes is suddenly on the board with the go-ahead goal, one that seems to deflate the team and the fans.
Nine minutes later...the nightmare continues. The lights darken, fog filters out onto the ice, the men in white are on the ropes and looking as though they're about to fall. The underdogs will have their day and it will be against our heroes, another defeat with just twenty minutes of bad work and twenty minutes left to right the wrong. It doesn't seem possible.
Act Three:
Enter the great #8.
He takes the ice along with his linemates and sets the new game in motion, whirling and twirling around a stunned group of underdogs with a renewed passion and vigor. The rest follow. It is a brand new day, the heroes have reemerged, vanquished their doppelgangers to reclaim their rightful place atop the throne.
Shot after shot is fired, turned away with increasing difficulty by the mighty Lehtonen. It's only a matter of time now, only a matter of time until...
3-2. 60. In the moment it is a goal that cuts the deficit in half; in the eyes of history it is a marker that continues to cement the Gr8 One as truly among the greats.
And then the burden of getting the win at all costs falls to our young Swede, baby-faced and unassuming, the setup man, rarely the hero. He does something he never does - he shoots the puck. It goes in. The team explodes. The tide is turning, you can feel it, and the score is even at 3. Suddenly the energy is flowing through everyone, the team, the fans...something is happening here.
32 seconds later it's the young Swede again, a blistering top corner shot that gives our heroes the lead. The young Swede is chased by the great #8 and all five players on the ice congregate in the corner, bouncing and screaming with unbridled exuberance. It is a moment of pure joy amid the stunned Atlanta faithful, shared by the fans at home and the lucky few who made the journey to see it live.
An undefended net yields a fifth tally...and the curtain falls on a thrilling end.
Okay, maybe it wasn't as dramatic as that - but watching it at home you could almost hear the sweeping strains of the orchestra in the background, see the stage lighting and the suspense-creating cuts and flashes. It was a night when the dramatic was what was needed and the Caps delivered, a spectacular win to end a stretch of playing not-so-spectacular.
And in the end what it comes down to is two points sorely needed by the Caps. With the Flyers pulling ahead of Boston and Buffalo falling to the Leafs the Caps amazingly close the gap for eighth to just one point. The 8th place Bruins hold two games in hand on the Caps, one of which will disappear tonight - against the Habs, a team that has beaten them ten consecutive times.
For tonight, at least, we're all Canadiens fans.
The Caps get a little breather now before facing the mighty Hurricanes of Carolina - and we get a little breather to recover from a night that was truly a showcase of the worst and the best this team has to offer. And when the best wins out...that's a great night.
All photos courtesy of AP
Friday, March 21, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Blown Out of the Windy City
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
You never want a game to be over in the first two minutes of play but this one was, as before RCN's cable geniuses had even flipped on the feed Williams had scored and that was it, game, set, match.
It almost seemed inevitable. The Caps have been going at full speed for so long now, playing great hockey and for the most part getting results; a letdown was bound to happen at some point. You could see the signs beginning in the second and third period against Nashville. The Caps were lagging, tired, getting away from their system, and they survived with two points thanks to a combination of goaltending, defensive desperation and sheer dumb luck.
But there was no luck tonight. There was no desperation. And right from the start it was lights out for the Caps, who gave up two quick goals to the potent Chicago offense and never fully recovered.
In a way it was the perfectly timed blowout for this team. No, a loss is not good, especially with both Buffalo and Carolina picking up wins tonight. But if they're going to drop one on this road trip - and let's be honest, one is all they can afford - it's better that it comes against a team in the West. And the fact that it was so lopsided means they'll be angry, fired up, and ready to go when they take on the Southeast Division in the final seven games.
We hope.
So what went wrong? The better question is what went right, as there seemed to be breakdowns on every inch of ice - poor defensive positioning, sloppy passes, undisciplined penalties. When they did connect with a pass their shots were blocked, the Chicago defense proving too much for the Caps. Olie didn't look half bad but he got no help from his team, no rebound assistance or run support of any kind.
Frankly this was not the team we've been watching the last few weeks, the team that has every NHL analyst and pundit and commentator raising their eyebrows and claiming the Caps may just have a shot.
And they still do have a shot, despite that loss. It was a messy, unfortunate loss but whether it was a 5-0 final or 2-1 final they only fail to collect two points and they live to fight another day.
Time to put this one behind us, kids.
Farewell, Game in Hand
It was a nailbiter for sure towards the end but when all is said and done what matters is that the Caps got two points - and they did it in that coveted game in hand, drawing them even with Carolina and Florida in games remaining.
Frankly after last weekend's losses it's nice to see that the Caps still have two viable options left for a crack at the postseason. The win propelled them over Buffalo and kept them on pace with the Flyers for 8th, while also moving them within three points of Carolina.
Other thoughts on the game:
- Matt Bradley has been playing some stellar hockey lately, and his finish on the lovely Brooks Laich pass was just another reminder of that fact. When he, Gordon and Brashear are on the ice the shifts have been packed with energy and, amazingly enough, a few scoring chances as well - but it all seems to start with #10.
- All three of the Caps goals last night had something in common - they all involved the Caps driving the net in some fashion or another, something that seems to be missing when the offense sputters. Amazing.
- Scary moment #1: Alex Ovechkin taking a shot off his boot and getting up slowly, then walking with a pronounced limp back to the locker room after the first period.
- Scary moment #2: Cristobal Huet taking a slapper to the chin, sending his facemask flying.
- Scary moment #3: The last five minutes of the third period.
And around the league:
- It's a wonder that Kari Lehtonen and Johan Hedberg haven't been sized for straitjackets just yet. The (useless) Thrashers were outshot by the Flyers 47-19 last night, making that the 10th game this year in which they've allowed 40+ shots. In only 19 games have they allowed fewer than 30 shots on net, and Atlanta has outshot their opponents a mere nine times (tying another five). And of course, they're 30th in the league when it comes to shots against per game.
- You have to have seen that goal the Islanders scored - shorthanded, no less - in last night's loss to the Maple Leafs, but if you haven't do so immediately. 190 feet of slow, bouncing rubber that just kept bouncing slowly...right over Vesa Toskala's glove and into the net. The scary part for the Leafs? Up until the third period that goal was holding strong as the potential game-winner. That would have been a story.
- The Penguins lost to the Rangers last night - and their dads were there to see it. (Of course maybe someone can explain why their father-son trip was NHL.com newsworthy and the Caps' trip a few weeks ago wasn't...)
So the Caps look to extend their winning streak to five, the first time they would have accomplished that feat in seven years. Ouch. And of course they'll attempt to do it while playing their third game in four nights and the second of back to back games...but at least their opponent is in the middle of a slump of sorts, with the Hawks going 1-4-1 in their last 6 and having likely fallen out of the playoff pictures.
Watch out for the twin teens, though. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews haven't slowed down much despite their team's recent woes and they're always dangerous, as are a host of others on the Hawks roster. This'll be our first look at them against the Caps and it'll be interesting to see how well the Caps defense, so strong lately, can shut them down - and how well our own rookie phenom, Nicklas Backstrom, matches up.
Oh, and if you're keeping track, Ovechkin is sitting two goals shy of 60. Ho hum.
Your standings as of this morning:
Tonight Tampa takes on Buffalo and Atlanta hosts the Hurricanes - looks like we're picking the underdog in both of those. Hey, the Thrashers have to win one eventually, right?
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Two Points and a Million Heart Attacks
Photo courtesy of AP
Congratulations to #8 for #100 and #300...and thank you, Cristobal.
Congratulations to #8 for #100 and #300...and thank you, Cristobal.Sunday, March 16, 2008
Philly Hearing Footsteps
It's been a long while since we could legitimately say that our goalie stole a game for us...but today our goalie stole a game for us.
Huet turned aside 39 shots on goal and another two in the shootout to give the Caps a much needed 2-1 victory over the Bruins. It's a nice bit of payback for last Saturday's heartbreaker, snatching away a win after being outplayed for most of the game and even scoring a 5-on-3 goal.
This one was not pretty, though. It was hideous. Boring. Downright soul-killing.
The Chara-less Bruins, already far from the most thrilling team in the league, set about playing a slow methodical trap to keep the Caps from repeating their 10 goal outburst from two weeks ago. Everything was precise, plodding, designed to take away space and capitalize on turnovers. And it seemed to do the trick, lulling the Caps into an early afternoon nap while allowing the Bruins to simply run all over the place unchecked.
This game could have been much uglier had Huet not been his sparkling self against the team he has owned in his career, and that number one star moniker is only fitting for his performance today. There were other good performances - Laich, Bradley, Semin - but Huet was the reason for the two points today, without question.
Congrats to Sergei Fedorov on his very smiley first goal as a Cap - chalk that one up as another great game for Sergei, who has not disappointed since coming to DC despite being less than visible on the scoresheet. And I like his toque.
Matt Cooke rounded out the trio of newbies who continues to have solid game after solid game, and he came close to adding another goal or two to his resume including another stunning shorthanded chance.
As for those players having a less than stellar outing...sadly there were many. Lepisto had a roller coaster of an afternoon, following up a good play with a bad one time after time; ditto for Mike Green, whose ability to move the puck with jaw-dropping skill was only matched by his ability to turn the puck over unharassed. Fleischmann continues to make his case to be the odd man out when Clark returns.
So good news bad news time. The good news? Pittsburgh demolished the Flyers earlier today (although 7-1 was a bit of overkill...no one wants to see Pens fans that happy), bringing the Caps to within 2 points of 8th place. Bad news? Both Florida and Carolina won.
Thanks, Thrashers. Thanks, Sens. Big help.
And now we take to the road for the big circus-induced extravaganza: six games, five states, two time zones, two divisions and two weeks of fun fun fun! Nashville's up next as the Caps look to extend their winning streak to four in the land of country music.
But for now - two points, kids! I'll take it.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Keeping Hope Alive
Dominant.
That's one word you could use to describe the Caps' 4-1 victory over the Thrashers last night. Simply dominant.
Despite falling behind 1-0 in the first and appearing a little sluggish to start the game, the Caps still managed to outshoot, outdraw, outhit and outscore a weary Atlanta team en route to a crucial two points. It was a truly great team win and continues a long stretch of games in which the Caps have simply outplayed their opponent, including the two heartbreakers last weekend. Wins like this are what make you believe in the unbelievable, expect the unexpected and keep hope alive.
But back to the game itself.
First of all...Brooks Laich. Is there anything you can say about this guy that hasn't been said in recent weeks? He's clutch, becoming a player who can play in any situation at any position and still rack up points. He now has three multiple goal games in his last nine, racking up 10 goals and 12 points in his last 12 games - those are Ovechkin-esque numbers for sure, and he now sits just one goal shy of his first 20 goal season. Brooks was truly the star of the game last night and you could feel the whole crowd pulling for him to get the hat trick by the end. It'll happen eventually.
But he was but one star among many last night. The entire team absolutely shut down any hope of a Thrashers attack, stifling them to allow only 11 shots - a low mark even for a team like Atlanta that is routinely outshot.
It was textbook defensive positioning all night long, with Olie making the necessary saves but not really facing any sort of sustained attack from anywhere in close. The one goal against was a perfectly placed, wobbling shot from the point that came just as a penalty to the Caps was expiring - the only offense provided by an Atlanta team that barely sniffed the offensive zone.
Watching the second period alone was like watching poetry in motion. It was shift after shift of puck possession, from the top line down to the gritty fourth-liners and everyone in between. They ran the Atlanta defense around until they were dizzy and peppered Lehtonen constantly, who basically prevented this game from getting any uglier than it already was with some sparkling saves to keep it close.
And it wasn't that close.
Ovechkin was dominant, scoring his 57th of the year and putting him one point shy of his second 100-point season (and 3 shy of 300 for his career) - but he didn't have to be. The beauty of the team win is that the rest of the team was right there to back him up and his goal was nothing more than icing on the cake.
Mike Green was flying all over the place and seems poised to break out of his recent goal-scoring slump in the coming days. The line of Bradley, Gordon and Brashear was entertaining and dominant all night, arguably the best line through 60 minutes with some great chances that just didn't cash in. Matt Cooke gave the Caps a breather with a perfectly timed, perfectly placed and joyously celebrated shorthanded goal.
And congratulations to Sami Lepisto, whose assist on Laich's second goal gives him his first NHL point!
Now for the usual scoreboard watching, looking around the league to see who helped us and who goes on the "useless" list. The one most concerning Caps fans was last night's Buffalo-Carolina game, a tricky one as the Caps could have leapt over the Sabres with a Carolina win but would have fallen further behind in the Southeast division.
With the fresh eyes of morning it appears that the result, a 7-1 drubbing by Buffalo, worked out just fine for the Caps. They now sit 3 points behind Philly for the 8th seed and remain one point behind Buffalo; they've pulled to within 5 of the Southeast lead once more and still have two games against the Canes plus a game in hand.
Meanwhile the Rangers pick an inopportune time (shocking) to end their point streak, falling to Florida 3-2 and allowing the Panthers to stay neck in neck with the Caps. You know, it just wouldn't be a regular NHL season if Florida didn't make one last run at the playoffs in the dying days of the season, would it? All we can hope is that this year turns out like all the others...and they fall just short once again.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Olie Douses Flames and Other Non-Punny Thoughts
One down, 11 to go...
- First off, congratulations again to Olie Kolzig on his 300th win, an amazing feat. It's been a chaotic couple of months, a chaotic season, a chaotic career - but the way he's been playing lately and the way he played last night, it's not hard to see how he achieved 300 wins.
Whatever happens after this season, the incredible things he's accomplished and the impact he's had on the team, the organization and the community should never be overlooked. Truly a class act.
Be sure to swing by NHL.com to vote in their Olie-centric poll of the day!
- Another tremendous game by Alex Ovechkin kicks his season totals (and his career high totals) up to 56 goals and 97 points on the season. He's four away from his first 60 goal season, three points from his second 100+ point season, and five points from 300 on his career. I just don't think he has an off switch...
- Checking around the interwebs, the general sense is that the Caps were victimized by the refs in the first half of the game - and the Flames were victimized in the second half. There's probably a little truth to both arguments and more than a little bit of homerism in each as well, but it does beg the question: has the officiating been incredibly unbalanced this season or does it just seem that way?
- To the fair citizens in section 427 last night...I missed the memo, were the Penguins in town for another game? Maybe the Rangers? Seriously, never have I seen a fistfight erupt in the stands when a former Patrick Division rival wasn't in town, but this one was completely started by the Caps fans who insisted on pelting a few Flames fans with peanuts. Remember, kids - beer and stupidity don't mix.
- John Erskine apparently was hurt and played sparingly in the second half of the game. The Caps proceeded to come back from a 2-1 deficit to win it. Coincidence? I think not.
- Also not a coincidence - the fact that the Caps have allowed four goals in the last three games while down two men and both Dave Steckel and Quintin Laing were out of the lineup. It's great that the two of them have become such a solid fixture on the PK but the Caps have got to learn how to kill off a two-man advantage without them.
Or, you know, stop taking penalties when someone else is in the box...
- Here's a headline that is sure to take the buzz off any Leafs fan's happy dance this morning: Sundin Hurt. Reports are varied on whether he'll even miss any time, but you have to think losing him puts a serious dent in Toronto's playoff hopes. Of course, as the team currently tied with them in the race for 8th (and while we would never wish injury on anyone) it's hard not to see that as a positive at this point.
- I know the Canes are a good team, but why is no one able to beat them? There is no reason for that team, with the injuries they have and the senior citizen status most of their players hold, to be running roughshod over the entire league right now. We get two cracks at them in the coming weeks, better make them count.
- And finally, Quintin Laing has been nominated by the Washington chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association for the Bill Masterton trophy. Hard to argue with that choice - read about it here.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Olie Says Suck It
It is a week of exorcising demons.
It feels good. Great. Fantastic. Like an enormous weight has been lifted.
It wasn't a pretty game to say the least, but that tells you that the Caps played a perfect road game. They jumped on mistakes, got odd-man rushes, clogged up the neutral zone and shut it down in net. It may not have been necessarily enjoyable to watch and you certainly never felt completely comfortable, but in the end it served it's purpose.
At one end of the ice, we had Olie Kolzig - the elder statesman of the team, the much-maligned goalie who was unfairly pinned as the scapegoat for the loss last weekend, the man fighting for his job with fresh blood being brought in just a week ago. Fans around here seem to have written him off, dismissing him as nothing more than a has-been (and conveniently forgetting his 22 wins).
Has he lost a step or two? Yes. Is he the goalie he once was? No. Can he still come in and play a dominant game?
25 of 26 shots turned away say yes, he can.
He was everything they needed him to be and sometimes more, making the routine saves and occasionally the saves of the more sparkling variety. He corraled the rebounds that his defense did not and even made a great save on Milan Jurcina - probably the best save of the night.
And at the other end of the ice...Ovechkin Ovechkin Ovechkin. It seems this whole practice of booing him just pumps him up more, because he scored two goals and was a huge factor in the third one, the eventual game-winner. They gave him chances and space and he took advantage of both, and then he used his body (in a perfectly legal check, by the way, watch the clip) to give Backstrom and Kozlov room to maneuver.
The shiny, pretty, puck possession game of two nights ago was gone, replaced with the grittier visage of a road team desperate for points. There were few glaring mistakes, few costly blunders, and just the one power play goal through a crowd that beat Zilla.
Speaking of power plays - one call. One. With eighteen seconds remaining. Thanks, refs, that was...not helpful at all.
In the end it doesn't matter, though. A win is a win is a win, and the Caps creep closer to 8th place now to sit two points back of Philadelphia and three points back of Carolina for the division lead (Atlanta is useless...for a change). Two days off and we're back in action once more, facing the almost certainly bitter Bruins for a Saturday matinee in Beantown.
And in case you've been under a rock lately and missed the hype machine starting up again, Sunday brings a pack of mullets to the Phone Booth. Can't wait to greet them.
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