Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Explaining Jeremy Lin's Early, Surprising Success

Tuesday Roundup/Wings 4, Caps 3 (SO)

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Super Stats]

I'm not huge on "moral victories." I'm also not big on "at least we didn't get blown out on (quasi-) national television." But going into The Joe and leaving with a point is somethin', so there's that. And yet I'm sure there's not a single player who dressed for the Caps last night who is happy with just that one point - and that's a the real takeaway from a game like this, and it's another difference between this team today and this team one month ago. Some other thoughts on the game:
  • Olie Kolzig's lateral quickness (or lack thereof) was exposed on the Henrik Zetterberg goal, and his performance in the shootout - getting beat three times on the same shot - was... well... not good. Still, he made a number of outstanding stops (one in particular, on Tomas Kopecky, comes to mind), and at least Pavel Datsyuk didn't embarrass him with this move.
  • Was Ed Olzczyk really blaming Michael Nylander for getting checked from behind headlong into the boards by Johan Franzen in the second?
  • And did Alex Semin actually try to get up in Franzen's mug in Nyls' defense? Looks like Gabby's message (or, as Dan Cleary might call it, a "tongue-licking") may have gotten through to Sasha, as he also added the game-tying goal and a shootout tally and had not a single giveaway.
  • Speaking of turnovers, was the scorekeeper sleeping on this stat, or did the Caps really only have four giveaways and Detroit only four takeaways?
  • Despite the goal, Alex Ovechkin wasn't particularly sharp, as this was one of those games where he looked to be trying to do too much on his own and he looked disinterested in displaying everything in his arsenal. But the fact that it's been since November 5 and 6 since AO went two straight games without a goal is pretty amazing.
  • You might have known that Quintin Laing, who assisted on the Jeff Schultz's fourth goal in the last six games was drafted by the Wings back in 1997. You might not have known that so was former part-time Cap Petr Sykora.
  • Mike Green rushing the puck has become just about my favorite things to watch during Caps games, perhaps only trailing AO crushing a defenseman against the boards on the forecheck.
  • The power play's inefficiency shouldn't be overlooked. Two-for-seven is nice in the box score, but the unit did not look good last night and failed to click (or even really threated) on any of three straight opportunities sandwiching the second intermission.
  • David Steckel won 13 of 16 faceoffs (81%), and while Nicklas Backstrom won only 48% of his draws, he had a huge win late in regulation in the defensive zone (which didn't quite make up for his poor backchecking on Tomas Holmstrom's second goal).
  • Viktor Kozlov was the only Cap skater not to register a shot on goal, and even went as far as to ring his shootout attempt off the iron. Ugh.
  • When Backstrom was born, Chris Chelios had already been in the NHL longer than Shaone Morrisonn has now.
  • Green and Schultz have combined for 13 goals, which is tied with Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar for the most in the League by a pair of blueliners on the same team. The Caps' 2004 Draft is looking better every day, isn't it?
So the Caps will take the point (something only four other teams have been able to do when visiting Detroit this season) and head home to face the Habs. With every game bigger than the last one, Thursday's matchup should be both hard-fought and entertaining, and hopefully worth two points for the home team.

Daily Awards
  • Hart: Tomas Holmstrom (2G, 3 SOG, 2 hits)
  • Ross: Pavel Datsyuk (3 points)
  • Norris: Brett Clark (2A, +2, 4 SOG)
  • Vezina: Dominik Hasek (3 goals allowed on 30 shots against in shootout win)
  • Richard: Tomas Holmstrom (2G)
  • Calder: David Steckel (+1, 81% faceoffs one, 1 Esa Tikkanen)
  • Aiken: Jack Johnson (0 points, 0 SOG, -2, 2 minor penalties, 4 giveaways, 0 takeaways)


Comment 0 comments  |  0 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

More from Japers' Rink

The Captain

Jan 2007 by J.P. - 0 comments

Datsyuk To Stay In Detroit?

Mar 2007 by J.P. - 0 comments

No [Dat]syuk For You!

Apr 2007 by J.P. - 0 comments

The View From Your Playoff Seat

Apr 2007 by kpb - 0 comments

The View From Your Playoff Seat

May 2007 by kpb - 0 comments

The View from Your Playoff Seat

May 2007 by kpb - 0 comments

Comments

Display:

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

A Washington Capitals blog from the most powerful city in the world

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

24236_1419689770571_1182474321_1261946_6183749_n_small
On the randomness of plus/minus
Peter_bondra_jamiesquire_small
Take away the Shootout Point
Img_2176_small
Why the Caps Should Trade for Jeff Carter
297235_228875923843877_197693266962143_697284_1857293148_n_small
Defending the Blue Line Needs Your Vote
Me_small
The NHL violated the CBA with the Ovechkin suspension
Hunter_small
On the positives of a suspension
Brutus-o-logo-toledo-mfjpg-29f8a7e84e5ea1c7_small
If we win the SE, who do you hope finishes at 6?
Rmu_vs_upj-029jan24-2010_small
Why I am against automatically "standing up for teammates" no matter what the circumstance
86-87_small
East-West Tracker
Semin_small
Is the 4-game win streak a sham?

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

FanShots

Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.

Recent FanShots

OT Hockey 2/11
OT Hockey - 2/10
One hard-working assist, one breathtaking goal, one hundred per cent awesomesauce. Ladies and...
OT Hockey 2/8
Evgeny Kuznetsov hams it up as he joins the Russia men's national team for the "Sweden Games" leg of the Euro Hockey Tour in Helsinki, Finland.

There's a bit of controversy as their game against the Finns is scheduled to be played in Helsinki's outdoor Olympic Stadium.   Where the daytime temps are currently approximately minus-15 degrees Celsius, with periodic heavy snow.

This interview with head coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov is fascinating, as he frets about the weather and especially when the reporters press him on the leaked reports that Kuznetsov will be centering the top line for Team Russia, just weeks after his 20th birthday. 

(Photo courtesy Russian Ice Hockey Federation)
OT Hockey 2/7
From Wawota.com
From our good friends at CSN Washington
Hockey4Hope
Gill

+ New FanShot All FanShots >

Southeast Standings

GP W L OTL PT
Florida 54 26 17 11 63
Washington 54 28 21 5 61
Winnipeg 57 26 25 6 58
Tampa Bay 54 24 24 6 54
Carolina 56 20 25 11 51

(updated 2.12.2012 at 3:50 AM EST)

More great SB Nation Blogs

The Vault

Guidelines_medium Tweeters_medium Cap_side2_medium Draft_side2_medium Exchange_medium Cba_side2_medium Rules_side32_medium


Managing Editor

Jp_avatar_2_small J.P.

Associate Editors

Witt_small David Getz

At_kettler_small Becca H

Avatar_small Kareem E.

Murphy_lenin_beard_small Rob Parker

Ad34hihocwl0x15cmoubvuxdb-ehczsv8ag3k6qkujpodapllokm7crajbsbss2axbdk11fp2iur8jkoxdxmitirvrgrctxufboskj7xu4bwhtulx7o19cm_small Stephen Pepper

Captain-c_small EmilyB

Contributors

Ov_avatar_small tuvanhillbilly

Moderators

Hunter_small Bald Pollack

Gould_small Gould Old Days

79c29_small Knee high to a duck

4140101486_small Rink Moderators