Friday Roundup/Bruins 2, Caps 0

[AP Recap - Game Summary - Super Stats]

And you thought non-stop coverage of the Iowa Caucuses was boring.

A few notes from an uninspired evening:

• Jeff Schultz is listed at 6'6", 221 pounds. Chuck Kobasew is 6'0", 192 pounds. How in the hell does the former allow the latter to push him into Olie Kolzig on a 3-on-5 penalty kill when the referees would let the Caps blueliner do damn near anything to clear the front of the net? KB texted me before the game "I'm gonna go with Kobasew as the Bruin who most embarrasses Schultz tonight." Very prescient.
  
• Every now and again we get a reminder that Mike Green is only 22-years-old, and last night was more or less a sixty-minute reminder. Green was totally out of position on the first Boston goal, took a careless double-minor that led to their second and could easily have gotten called for a dive on the Marc Savard hooking penalty. He did draw two penalties, but both were highly questionable calls. Was he feeling too much responsibility with Tom Poti out? Likely.
  
• Olie Kolzig had his best game in weeks, perhaps months. The fact that it came in a loss makes it less likely that Bruce Boudreau will start Freddy Cassivi in Montreal on Saturday, but we shall see.
• The officiating was, at best, inconsistent.
  
• Despite getting stuffed on a partial breakaway in the first, Tomas Fleischmann played his best game in a while as well.
• Please, Gabby - no more Donald Brashear on a scoring line or power play. Brooks Laich deserves that spot, if it comes to that.
• Alex Ovechkin always has a tough time with Zdeno Chara, and last night was no exception (though he did ring two missiles off the iron).
• The Caps are now 1-6 with Poti not in the lineup.
• Milan Lucic is an animal. He absolutely crushed Brian Pothier late in the second, and that's the last we saw of Potsy for the night.
  

Now it's off to Montreal for another tough Eastern Conference match up. Getting Alex Semin, Poti and/or Pothier back would be nice - getting a better all-around effort will be necessary.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

Thanks to Rink Reader Chris for pointing out the Mike Green love in Dave Hodge's latest offering.... On this date back in 1986 Mike Gartner registered his 10th career hat trick and Dave Christian had a pair of goals and three helpers in a 9-3 rout of the Devils. Four years later, Sergei Gonchar would tally the second ever hat trick by a Caps defenseman (Kevin Hatcher had the first) in a 6-1 win over the Habs.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Jarome Iginla (2G, including the OT game-winner, +3, 4 SOG, 4 hits)
  
• Ross: Nine players tied with 3 points apiece
  
• Norris: Brent Burns (3A, +3)
  
• Vezina: Tim Thomas (31-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Evgeni Malkin (3G)
  
• Calder: Martin Hanzal (G, A, +1, 2 hits, 2 SOG)
  
• Aiken: Marty Turco (3 goals allowed on 4 shots against in just 13:14 of work)