Recap - Capitals 2, Flyers 1
by J.P. on Mar 13, 2009 6:44 AM EDT
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[AP Recap - Game Summary - Event Summary - WashingtonCaps.com Postgame]
For all the talk about how tough an opponent the Flyers are for the Capitals, Washington took four points out of the four-game season series and now, thanks to a 2-1 win last night, have won two of the last three games in Philadelphia, including last April's win-or-go-home Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, and are 4-3 in the Wachovia Center since Bruce Boudreau took over behind the Caps' bench. Suddenly, that team and that building's aren't so intimidating, are they?
For all the talk of how mediocre the Caps have been on the road this season, they're now 8-2-2 away from home since January 1 (good thing you listened when we told you not to worry), and Jose Theodore is 5-0-1 in his last six road starts (including wins in Philly, Boston and Jersey). Suddenly, it doesn't matter much whether the fans in the arena are rocking red or black and orange/gold/red, does it?
Playing without their two elder statesmen - the faceoff wizard and the enforcer - the Caps went into Philadelphia and took two points. Simple as that.
Some thoughts on the game:
- Jose Theodore stopped 35 of the 36 shots he faced, but didn't have to make too many sensational stops because his positioning was rock solid all night. Since Bill Guerin's goal on Sunday, Jose has a 0.77 goals against average and .973 save percentage in just over 156 minutes of work.
- Alex Ovechkin had another one of those "MVP" nights, setting up Brooks Laich with a gorgeous pass on the Caps' first goal, scoring the game-winner late in the second on a beautiful one-time on a nice Alex Semin feed from behind the net, chasing down Simon Gagne and making a brilliant defensive play after a ghastly Mike Green turnover while on the power play, firing eight shots on goal and registering three hits. All of this, mind you, after a pretty slow start to the night. That's it... keep booing him, Flyer fans.
- Speaking of Green, he wasn't very good at all, and has looked a bit burnt out for a little while now (then again, he saw an awful lot of both Mike Richards and Jeff Carter and neither did anything while Green was on the ice). It's crucial in this last month before the playoffs to reduce his minutes so he can be as fresh as possible when the games really matter.
- Think the Caps missed Sergei Fedorov? The team went just 16-for-48 in the faceoff circle, low-lighted by Michael Nylander's 1-for-11 night. Boyd Gordon and Laich were also notably bad in the dot, and the team went a combined 1-for-11 in special teams draws. Horrible.
- While we're harping on negatives, here's one - when you can only draw two minor penalties out of a team that came into the night averaging 5.5 minors per game, you aren't working nearly hard enough.
- Back to the positives, for the Caps' mediocre-at-best penalty kill to go a perfect 4-for-4 against the best home power play in hockey (entering the night, at least) was obviously a difference-maker, and while the team has an obvious "Big Four" Young Guns, they've also got a Big Four PKers - Tom Poti, Jeff Schultz, David Steckel and Gordon - who deserve some love.
- If I never see Alexandre Giroux in a Caps' sweater again, it'll be too soon (though he has as many points in the last six Caps games - zero - as Tomas Fleischmann and Eric Fehr do).
- Caps fans will complain about the washout of a Caps goal; Flyer fans will complain about the washout of a Flyers goal. In essence... it's a wash.
- John Erskine was quite good yet again (including a game-high five hits), and his 19 minutes were the most he's played in a game since January 19.
- Milan Jurcina may have been beaten on the Flyer goal, but he killed everyone in Corsi Rating on the night. Really, it was a solid effort from all six blueliners, and though 36 shots against is a high total, an awful lot of them were from outside and unobstructed.
And so the Caps will return home (not-so-)sweet home for Saturday night's date with the Hurricanes with a chance to bump their Division lead up to 14 points with a dozen games left, and with the renewed knowledge that they can beat anyone. Anywhere. Any time.
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Ovi made a great play back checking? He never back checks or makes defensive plays though! I mean, one screen shot from one play in one game just had me completely convinced that the guy’s never played defence in his entire life and is inherently lazy! Wow!
Ron and Fez Noon to Three
by YvonLabresMoustache on Mar 13, 2009 7:14 AM EDT reply actions
Two positive defensive plays stand out to me from last night:
1) Ovie’s backcheck was the single best play of the evening. Absolute game saver!
2) Theodore’s stop on Carter in the 1st. A shot that rattled around and kicked out to Carter in the circle, Theo shuffled over and Carter had no choice but to hit him in the chest. That was a really telling moment. I knew right then how well Theo was seeing the puck and how controlled he was. If that was last week or November, Carter would have had a wide open net to bury it.
Granted Ovi had points on both goals, but i think this was a game the Caps could have won, eventually, even without him. THAT is encouraging to me.
Who were the 3 stars? for the Caps, you’ve gotta to go
#1 JT
- AO
- insert random defender?
If you start a new line (after hitting return) with the number symbol, it will create a formatted list. And it’ll ignore the actual numeral you type.
by Gould Old Days on Mar 13, 2009 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions
I only got to see the third frame due to other commitments, but I was impressed with what I saw.
- Anyone else think the hooking call on Backstrom with about 4 minutes left to go was a weak call?
- You forgot to mention that not only did the Flyers’ goal get washed out, but they took an interference penalty on that play too (and that wasn’t a cheap call). The refs made them double-pay for that one.
I think the real reason why we think we have trouble with the Flyers is that we’ve been scary good against the rest of the Eastern Conference. 7 points out of 8 against Boston, 6 out of 8 against Montreal, 7 out of 8 against Pittsburgh, 7 out of 8 against NYR … why can’t we do that with the Flyers?
Now, Saturday. Home game. This is going to be the next test. Take those two road games, and play the SAME WAY in your own barn, boys. Play at home like you do on the road. You don’t have to be fancy or pretty for us. Pretty, dirty, one-timers from the point, garbage goals, Ovi, Laich, Gordon, defense, offense, goaltending – we don’t care. Win however you have to. Work hard, kick their butts, take two points home, and the fans will go home happy.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
There’s a camera angle that makes the Backstrom play look like a pretty obvious penalty. The correct call was probably interference, but I can’t quibble with that call.
by Gould Old Days on Mar 13, 2009 9:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Considering how many “obvious penalties” they chose not to call on the Flyers, though, that call is a stinker. It’s times like that that make you wonder if they aren’t trying to keep the game even (on the scoreboard) with their calls rather than trying to keep it fairly officiated.
That said, if the refs are going to be “against” us in any way, better for it to be like last night where they call very little than to have it be like some nights where they’ll call everything.
As usual, the Post/Katie refuses to include JP’s analysis of the game in their morning links. That makes them, uh, 0 for 123 or so in noting the best Caps blog around. So let ’em hear it Tweeters — send them the link to this post @capitalsinsider on Twitter!
Or send ‘em gotsparkly’s update on Brian Pothier, which was more substantive than anything that’s been in the Post or on its website. http://www.japersrink.com/2009/3/12/794608/update-on-pothier
Pepper’s Pothier post was even more substantive still. As was DMG’s Schultz post (or anything he’s written, pretty much).
But the Post has made it clear that they’re not interested in linking to non-MSM blogs other than Puck Daddy. It’s not likely to change any time soon.
As for Tweeting this post… a few bulleted observations hardly deserve a wider audience than those who know where to find it in the first place.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Absolutely. Don’t want to start attracting all those WaPo commenter flys with JP/DMG/Pepper’s honey. Let’s try and maintain some semblance of educated disagreement and argument.
by wittcap79 on Mar 13, 2009 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Oh, don’t worry – when idiots pop up, I shall wield the banhammer for a game of whack-a-mole.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Mar 13, 2009 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I’m flattered, but I like what Stephen Pepper wrote better. All I had are my eyes and my camera, and I went up there with the intent of watching him and the rest of Hershey’s defensive line, and spent most of the evening doing so. Stephen filled in a lot of the background I wish I had, and that was awesome.
Honestly, almost everyrthing on here is better than what the Post writes a lot of the time. The main reason I read Tarik is for the late-breaking updates on game days, and until recently, for the blog chatter. This is where the analysis is and where I actually learn more about the game.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
All I had are my eyes and my camera
Sounds like journalism to me. Thanks again for doing that. I’m in Sausalito CA, so it’s even harder for me to hike up to Hershey and see it for myself…
by Gould Old Days on Mar 13, 2009 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions
Btw, confirmed that Giroux is (which hopefully becomes “was” real soon) on emergency recall.
No confimration yet that he could be the first player in NHL history returned to the AHL on emergency send-down (as in “get him the hell away from this team, stat.”).
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Two penaltiies in the first and no points? I think he was invisible last night. Giroux’s great in the minors, but he doesn’t seem to have adjusted to the NHL game. Between you and me, I’d’ve preferred to see Jay Beagle or Chris Bourque.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
Why Giroux? I asked that question last night and couldn’t get an answer. I’d love to see him break out, but I’m not sure it will happen.
Because he’s breaking records at the AHL level, and folks think he deserves a shot. I know of a certain coach who dominated the AHL during his own playing career, but couldn’t make it in the NHL.
by Gould Old Days on Mar 13, 2009 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Your point about Flash and Fehr
True, but Giroux didn’t have two goals waived off in the last two games, did he?
by bilspacecadet on Mar 13, 2009 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions
Giroux might have been an Andrew Brunette type — slow of foot, but quick of hand — but he doesn’t seem to have Brunette’s sense of hockey smarts. He’s built for AHL speed, where his knack for overpowering goalies with a shot can flourish. A lot of guys like him around. Denis Hamel comes to mind (19 goals in 192 NHL games, 243 in 574 AHL games).
If you've read this far...seek help.
Good lord! That’s a hell of a story. Thanks DMG, I’d never heard of that guy.
by Gould Old Days on Mar 13, 2009 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions
“"The way Ovechkin reacted, he went right to the penalty box after so I imagined he definitely thought it was a penalty on this one, but the referee saw it different,” Gagne said.
“On my side of the story, I thought I was going on a breakaway by myself and I felt a blade just try to hook me from behind and slow me down just a little bit, enough to give [Ovechkin] time to get me after that, so I don’t know, tough call. But just by Ovechkin’s reaction, going to the penalty box, it means a lot.” [Link]
Wha?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Given the number of concussions Gagne has had, I guess I’ll cut him some slack for thinking the net was the penalty box.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Mar 13, 2009 9:10 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Unless he was referring to Green and had a slip of the mind there. Green’s the one who was trying to hook him or just slow him down, that must be what he was thinking of. Ovie wouldn’t have been the one to get a penalty there if there were one to be called (unless they tried to come up with a phantom slash or something, I don’t know), it would have been Green.
Playoff rest?
I know this is antithetical to Boudreau’s work ethic – but with the SE basically locked up and the 2nd or 3rd seed in hand, will he begin resting Grandpa Feds, Green, Poti et al., a little, playing Nyles more and the grinders more?
Buods likes to win and so do I, but the dynamic is so different this year.
by S h a g g y on Mar 13, 2009 9:21 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
At this point, getting everyone to be as fresh physically and mentally for the playoffs should be priority #1.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Mar 13, 2009 9:26 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
. . . getting everyone to be as fresh physically and mentally for the playoffs should be priority #1.
I agree with this in principle, particularly with the Old Farts and that Young Fart, Greener. (Perhaps some of those who are resting can spend extra time in London, Ontario, taking face-off lessons from Dale Hunter.) But JT60 has said that he relishes playing often. Do you rest him too? Bring in Varley? Let that pixie Neuvirth play some? I wonder.
I’d like to see Neuvirth get a couple of starts between now and the end of the year. He needs to get some ice time, and other than the one five-goal thing (which is only partly on him – the team in front of him was horrid) he’s been pretty good.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
- Goalies routinely run the table through the last month or two and the playoffs. I don’t have a problem with Theo that — Theodore obviously knows his own body pretty well at this point in his career, and the Caps have Dave Prior to lean on. Theo was pretty spectacular in the playoffs last year until he got sick, and that kind of thing can happen whether you’re playing or not.
by Gould Old Days on Mar 13, 2009 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Goofy SB formatting — that should be “#1 Goalies”
by Gould Old Days on Mar 13, 2009 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions
eh… I don’t think that’s gonna happen. for one, I think until the SE is locked up and 1st in the EC is out of reach, I wouldn’t sit anyone. also, BB is a huge fan of records and breaking records, so I’m sure if there’s a team point and/or win total record within reach, he’s gonna go after it.
and, from everything I remember, most of the players said that last year, the “having to win every game, zero margin for error and playoff intensity” for the last 2 months of the season is what wore on them. Being able to play a controlled game and running 3-4 lines every night will help that as well.
that being said…I do think he should use the 5-6 D-pair more due to the situation and give Greenie some rest. his speed is his primary weapon… make sure he’s got jump come playoff time.
Lots of games against the SE division coming though. Hopefully guys get a bit more rest for that reason…
by Gould Old Days on Mar 13, 2009 9:44 AM EDT up reply actions
You never know. If you’d told me beforehand that he wouldn’t have cracked 20 minutes against the Flyers in a 1 goal game, you’d have taken my money.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Mar 13, 2009 9:45 AM EDT up reply actions
MVP
That was just about as dominant a one-goal performance as I’ve ever seen by Ovechkin. Perfect set up for the first goal, nails the game winner, dazzling stick check on Gagne’s breakaway, 15 attempted shots and near the end of the game single-handedly controlled the puck in Philly’s zone for almost a minute (and he hit a post too). Who wants to lay money he gets to 50 Saturday night?
For me, that Habs game in which he scored four last year is the game against which all others will be measured (for now, at least), but no question last night’s effort was right up there.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Mar 13, 2009 9:27 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
since i don’t receive comcast mid-atlantic here in the midwest, i rely on the internet for highlights. just wanted to share the TSN clip which features all the best from AO with multiple replays of the clean backcheck.
by Natty Bumppo on Mar 13, 2009 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions
Amazing Face-Off Victory Happy Time
I would like to take this opportunity to point out that somebody won a face-off in our own end with 10 seconds left on the PK, 2 minutes left in the game.
I am still a little high off of that minute detail. And beer.
While we’re harping on negatives, here’s one – when you can only draw two minor penalties out of a team that came into the night averaging 5.5 minors per game, you aren’t working nearly hard enough.
The refereeing last night was extraordinarily inconsistent, and there were a heck of a lot of non-calls. I mentioned it in another thread, but there were two instances where a Caps player had the stick pulled or knocked out of his hands. But instead of picking it up and continuing to play, the player stood around and tried to get a call. One of those was right before the Philly goal.
You can’t do that in the playoffs. The referees are not your friends, and they are not fair — get ready for that. You just have to keep playing through it. Pick up your stick and keep at it. The team needs to get ready to win games despite the refs.
My favorite was when Alberts saved a goal by holding Semin’s stick (when he would have had a tap-in) and twisting him around. Play stopped as Biron reached out and made the save, and Alberts still had Semin’s stick in his hand. And of course the ref is standing right there, watching the whole thing not 5 feet in front of him.
Not so much angry, it was just extremely amusing and I’m glad it didn’t end up hurting the team (the reffing that is).
The Flyers played as passive a game as I can remember them playing in their own rink. This is a team that pretty much announces its strategy to play the Caps — hit ‘em early, hit ’em often, hit ’em again. They didn’t do a lot of hitting last night. I think that was reflected in the absence of minors, both of which were for “obstruction” types of fouls, not physical ones.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Jose Theodore stopped 35 of the 36 shots he faced, but didn’t have to make too many sensational stops because his positioning was rock solid all night. Since Bill Guerin’s goal on Sunday, Jose has a 0.77 goals against average and .973 save percentage in just over 156 minutes of work.
Great observation. Theo always looks his best when he’s “quiet.” When he’s flopping around a lot, he’s still an effective goalie, but his best games are where he always seems to be already square to the puck before every shot is fired.
And the team as a whole deserves credit for great defensive positioning. They made Philly look like the Caps have looked for the last month — a large number of shots from the perimeter, but not many really great scoring chances.
Theo always looks his best when he’s "quiet." When he’s flopping around a lot, he’s still an effective goalie, but his best games are where he always seems to be already square to the puck before every shot is fired.
not to nit-pick… but as a general observation, isn’t that true of pretty much all goalies???
I think the point he’s making is that Jose’s not the most athletic/acrobatic goalie, and when he’s flopping, he’s in trouble. Some goalies – Hasek comes to mind – can/could get away without super-sound positioning, and others can get away with just being great athletes (for example, I think Varlamov is more of an athlete than Neuvirth is, so if Neuvy’s positioing is off, he’s sunk, whereas Varly can get away with it a little more, from my limited observation of the two).
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Tim Thomas is another. His flopping ain’t pretty, but it’s very effective. JT’s OK when he gets into that mode, but he’s awesome when he seems to be locked in position for every shot before they’re taken.
by Gould Old Days on Mar 13, 2009 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions
No, he’s definitely right. JT’s highlight reel save last night was a good example. It looked great, but it was him just recovering from being out of position.
i’ll second this. not my intention to take a shot at JT on a night when he deserved his star, but that “highlight” save was the result of (1) badly over-committing to one side and (2) a pretty weak shot by the oncoming defenseman. JT looked more relieved than satisfied just after the play.
question for goalies out there: as a casual observer that never played the game, it seems to me that JT is slow to react on a lot of missed shots or side-to-side plays. he often pauses in his original position for a second, turning his head to look for the puck, when he could already be sliding to the opposite side and trying to find the puck along the way. is this a case where in-game reflexes just aren’t as quick as mine from my la-z-boy? is a goalie taught to find the puck first in any circumstance, even if all the supporting evidence tells him he’s on the wrong side? honestly, i always assume an athlete’s job is far more difficult than it looks.
by Natty Bumppo on Mar 13, 2009 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions
I suspect it’s just easier to make one move than two. If you hold that extra split-second, you can probably get to the other side in time. But if you slide over and you were wrong, you’re dead.
by Gould Old Days on Mar 13, 2009 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions
the stats won't bear this out per se, but
I thought Nyls played as well , and certainly as physically as I have seen him play in a long while. He looked quicker on the puck in the offensive zone, was sure defensively (despite the -1), and generally approximated a #2 C.
hah. yes, might have well been .000 like his fellow AHL reassignee…oh wait
by bigonetimer on Mar 13, 2009 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Caps fans will complain about the washout of a Caps goal; Flyer fans will complain about the washout of a Flyers goal. In essence… it’s a wash.
Now we can just go back to figuring out how Game 7’s tying goal wasn’t washed out…
No really, I’m over it.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
Did everyone see Bruce get asked essentially that question last night… “How was this one washed out, when the one in Game 7 wasn’t?”
He said something to the effect of, “Whatever, I’m thinking about the future, not the past” then promptly added “Good point though”
I laughed outloud.
Nice game, Caps fans.
See you in May, hopefully…
Swing by The Flyer Frequent. You have nothing better to do.
by Ben Rothenberg on Mar 13, 2009 11:53 AM EDT reply actions
tough one to swallow I’m sure…to what do you attribute the lack of zip in your top six last night? Even Richards seemed to be off—4 giveaways? Not like him (though that feed to Knuble was choice).
your Giroux > our Giroux
by bigonetimer on Mar 13, 2009 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Haha I’m not sure there was ever any comparing our Girouxs.
I think we did just about everything okay except for some less than great shooting, really. We had the chances, controlled most of the play, just didn’t make shots tough enough for Theodore.
And having Powe/Cote/Asham on the ice vs. Ovechkin for the GWG is inexcusable.
Swing by The Flyer Frequent. You have nothing better to do.
by Ben Rothenberg on Mar 13, 2009 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions
yep, I was wondering about that change. Unlucky for you that OV took an extra long shift right there.
Credit Boudreau for juggling OV’s TOI to keep him off the ice when possible when Timmonen was out there, too; next to Chara, he’s the best one on one defender vs. 8 I’ve seen this year. Coburn’s no slouch either.
Maybe. I look forward to it. Although, at the rate Pitt is going, I wouldn’t be surprised if you guys see them in the first round.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
That would be an enjoyable series to watch from afar.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Yes.
Kind of a win-win for us, if you think about it. Plus the hockey media will be all over it.
Plus it’d just plain be fun to watch.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida
|
53 | 25 | 17 | 11 | 61 |
|
Washington
|
54 | 28 | 21 | 5 | 61 |
|
Winnipeg
|
56 | 26 | 24 | 6 | 58 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
53 | 23 | 24 | 6 | 52 |
|
Carolina
|
56 | 20 | 25 | 11 | 51 |
(updated 2.11.2012 at 8:02 AM EST)
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