Recap: Caps 4, Canadiens 3 (SO)

After losing alot of games we should have won, it’s OK to accept winning one we should have lost. Again (and again, and again, and again . . . ) if only we could play a full 60 minutes . . .

A lucky two points, that’s for sure.

If I never see Giroux in DC again, it will probably be too soon. Sloan could have done a better job on the top line. (Okay, probably not, but you get my point.)

And I missed a PPP/Japers merger night.

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaan

This is the type of situation the Caps typically lose in, so it was nice to see a W come out of this.

I think I’m part of the “cast Erskine loose” lobby too. Two or three cases of him looking like a pylon trying to keep the puck in, and another where he did a Jeff Schult impression. Wonder if the latter will lead to YouTube videos or Facebook hate groups…

Spot on J.P.

Victory snatched from the trap, err, jaws of defeat.

Glad you said it, I was starting to feel like Crazy Trap Conspiracy Guy.

AO is back on top of the League in shots on goal now, which brings a sense of calm and order to the hockey world.

Now for goals.

You completely echo my sentiments re: Alzner and Fehr on their bullet points. If this game doesn’t convince BB that Fehr needs to be on a line with other players that can carry the puck and get it on net, then I don’t know what will. I say Fehr should live on that top line until Knuble comes back. Alzner needs to stay on the Caps permanently. Even with losing Plekanec (a mistake that I’m sure he, unlike other D, will learn from and be better for) Alzner still is a massive upgrade on our D and needs to stay.

Somewhat further to that point, the Caps didn’t get a single shot on goal from a defenseman tonight. Not one.

But Green did drill a puck into the opposing forward on the PP when it was clear that the shot was not going to get through. Then he speared him while he was on the ice. So we got that going for us.

Alzner looked great despite the mistake, he reminds me so much of the way Nick Lidstrom plays, if he can have a fraction of the career he’s had we in Caps nation will be in good shape.

His assist would have been a shot on goal for a D man if Fehr hadn’t so rudely deflected it (yes I know, picking nits).

Not only the slow thought process but also the slow feet (so much for the much publicized off season skating work), and sin of all sin for a desperate tweener he was seen to my eyes doing a lot of not skating. To me, that above all else, shows how uncomfortable and lost he feels in the show. Having not seen a single Bears game I KNOW he didn’t score 75 by not moving his feet, he just is completely intimidated in the NHL. Enjoy your career in the A Crash Giroux… I feel really bad for you, but you don’t belong here.

I’d say, Fehr has found himself a home — at least on the second line. He and Ovi have been our entire offense as of late. (In my humble opinion, Fehr should have gotten the 1st star instead of Ovi. I would have given Ovi one of the other stars.)

Even if Alzner made a mistake, I’d say he belongs in the NHL.

what was up with all these 3-3 games going to the SO tonight? weird. And with the tying goal scored with less than a minute left in three of those game.

So who should be the first line right winger now?

Would putting Fehr there mean we’re putting all our offensive eggs in one basket? And then who takes EF’s place on the second line? Does Laich move to RW and Flash moves up a line? So now MP has no real scorers on his line? MP had plenty of energy today but his line hasn’t scored as of late.

re-watching the habs PPG, the AO overpursuit becomes impossible not to notice. great pick-up, JP. have to hope he plays it more conservative there, especially with seconds left on the man advantage.

Here’s another great mind:

“We got two points on the road and you can’t be disappointed in that but at the same time we’ve got to be a little bit better and we’ve got to play a full 60 minutes, which we haven’t done in a while,” Fehr said.

With 15.5 seconds left in the game and an offensive zone draw coming, Bruce Boudreau put his 45% faceoff guy out there instead of his 62% successful pivot. It worked, so it was the right move, right?

Either way, that faceoff was just a thing of beauty. Backstrom out-musciling the Hab, kiciking it back to Flash who makes a beautiful pass to AO. Fehr drives the net, scores the game-tier. Absolutely amazing

everyone together now: awwwwwwwwwww

Mathieu Perreault spent $800 on 10 tickets for family members, then he went to center ice for the opening faceoff and won it. Just guessing here, but that might have been the highlight of his life. “That was a lot of excitement for sure,” he said. “You want to win that first faceoff for the team. I think I won it, too. So I’m pretty happy.”

from CI

I understand Fehr had Thanksgiving dinner with the Knubles. (At the beginning of the year, Fehr did want to learn from Knuble on net crashing and tip ins.)

Got home from the movies just in time to see the AO goal. Exciting game, for sure.

JoeB: “In the shootout on Comcast SportsNet. Against Carey Price. Backstrom settles. Fires and scores!”

By the way, a big kudos to you guys for a 1300+ comment GDT. Awesome stuff.

I got punk’d by Lisa Hillary. I changed the channel in disgust got called away from the teevee for urgent business elsewhere in the final three minutes of regulation. Checked in just as LH gave the wrong info, rolled my eyes, and changed the channel again.

Imagine my surprise when I decided to look at the Recap.

“We have to stay out of the penalty box and stop taking stupid penalties,” defenceman Roman Hamrlik said. “When we have the lead, we have to play tough, but not stupid.”

Anyone else notice that Ovi hasn’t once jumped into the glass after scoring since he got hurt?

Somewhat further to that point, the Caps didn’t get a single shot on goal from a defenseman tonight. Not one.

I think that’s because the Caps continue to try to be too cute and look for the longer outlet passes instead of really changing how they bring the puck up and use the skating D-Man as he joins the “stunted” rush up the ice….

With 15.5 seconds left in the game and an offensive zone draw coming, Bruce Boudreau put his 45% faceoff guy out there instead of his 62% successful pivot. It worked, so it was the right move, right?

I think that so far this season Backstrom has shown that when he’s on his game he’s more than capable of winning a faceoff or 75% or so of them and he’s also shown himself to be as much or more of a setup man/premier pivot then anyone on the team. I love Steckel as much as anybody but if it’s not Bacstrom out there for that faceoff I would have sent out B-Mo and it didn’t seem to be his night last night….

Let’s talk Alexandre Giroux. With a chance to play on the top line with two of the game’s best players, he ends the night with two offensive zone penalties, a shot on goal and a helper. His decision-making and execution are just too slow for the speed of the game at the NHL level, and the sooner he’s back in Hershey, the better.

While last night certainly wasn’t his best effort and i wouldn’t keep AG in DC a minute longer then needed after Semin returns skating with OV and Backy can’t be the easiest thing to do and it’s got to take more than 36 hours to get used to playing with such talented guys. The two offensive zone penalties – yes rookie mistakes and beat him with a wet noodle but he did get a helper on a really nice goal and show he had the puck sense to understand what Backstrom and Ovechkin were putting together at that juncture of the game so I don’t think there’s any reason to give him the “bum’s ruch” out of town either.