Recap - Sabres 5, Capitals 4 (OT)
by David M. Getz on Apr 4, 2009 7:00 AM EDT
82 comments
[AP Recap - Game Summary - Event Summary - WashingtonCaps.com Postgame]
Last year's clinching of the Southeast Division crown was, at that point at least, inarguably the season's high point. This year the same achievement doesn't carry nearly the same luster, partially because a failure to win the Southeast this season would have represented a failure of preseason expectations, partially because of the inherent bittersweet quality of taking the title in a game that the team lost, and partially because the simple reality is that this Capitals squad is capable of greater things this season. Nonetheless, consecutive division championships are something to celebrate, as is winning a division that could send three teams to the postseason. So take a moment to stop worrying about the team's defensive miscues and seeming over-reliance on the powerplay to think about what they've accomplished.
Some other thoughts on last night's game:
- Sergei Fedorov, Viktor Kozlov, Brooks Laich, and Tomas Fleischmann combined for two goals and five assists last night. That's the kind of scoring you like to see.
- Our theory on Tim Connolly's early game miss? He was so surprised by the fact the puck got through that he couldn't handle it. Way to mess with their heads, Juice.
- No doubt Viktor Kozlov caught, and will continue to catch, a lot of flak for the puck he put in his own net, but here's the reality of the situation: if you play over 1,000 minutes at the NHL level, you're going to mess up from time to time.
- Kudos to the referees for being willing to call two minor penalties on the same team at the same time. Too often the refs ignore infractions if a team already has a penalty coming. Along those same lines, kudos the the refs for calling a penalty on the Sabres even though the team was already two men down.
- Tom Poti and Milan Jurcina have exactly zero fighting majors between them on the season. Which is also exactly the amount of crap they were willing to take in front of their own net.
- Sergei Fedorov's first goal just may be the prettiest slap shot I've ever seen. Okay, maybe the second prettiest.
- We give Tomas Fleischmann more than enough grief when he's not playing well, and we're going to give him credit when does play well. That diving play to keep the puck in on Fedorov's first goal was a great play.
- First period hits, Alexander Ovechkin: 4. First period hits, Buffalo Sabres: 3.
- If you're going to wear a visor and a plastic jaw protector like Thomas Vanek, why not just wear the fishbowl?
- Brooks Laich's pass to Ovechkin on the Capitals first goal was a thing of beauty.
- The Capitals out-hit the Sabres by a two-to-one ratio, led by Milan Jurcina (five) and Alex Ovechkin (four).
- Simeon Varlamov somehow managed to get himself credited with four giveaways, which was one more than anyone else in the game.
- Another solid night on the dot for Nicklas Backstrom, who was 13-for-18 (72%). Also worth noting: David Steckel was 16-for-21 (76%).
- I don't care what anyone says - Varlamov looked way cooler with a plain white mask.
Unfortunately, despite the point that clinched the division for the Capitals last night the team lost ground to the Devils, who beat Tampa Bay. Fortunately the Capitals, who still control their own destiny when it comes to the conference's second seed, have a good opporunity to keep their lead when the face a weak Atlanta team on Sunday afternoon.
0 recs |
82 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
While kudos may go to the refs when calls go our way, it should also probably be mentioned that they missed a number of calls going both ways. For example, the no-call on Miller when he punched Ovie in the head.
I need 100% of you guys to give 110% 100% of the time.
by capsfan4life on Apr 4, 2009 7:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Maybe so, but missed calls are a fact of life. It’s when refs see calls and decide that the circumstances don’t warrant calling them that gets me.
by David M. Getz on Apr 4, 2009 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Congrats Caps fans.
This is probably the best year statistically the Southeast has ever had, with two teams in the top 5 this late. Good on y’all.
Swing by The Flyer Frequent. You have nothing better to do.
by Ben Rothenberg on Apr 4, 2009 7:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Underestimating Atlanta is not very good idea… the team is not entirely hopeless and they have no pressure
I commit sins everyday but I never give my soul away
by sleza on Apr 4, 2009 8:18 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Agreed. That team is a lot better than I think a lot people will give them credit for and they’re playing fairly well right now. Still, they’re not near a playoff caliber team and the Capitals should win.
by David M. Getz on Apr 4, 2009 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Jeez, JP. It almost sounds like we won.
by wittcap79 on Apr 4, 2009 8:18 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
And we’re still in the same position. I wish the team still had something to play for, so that they could get themselves up for it. 2nd seed is nice, but not necessary. One of the reasons they didn’t win that game, though, is that you could tell that everyone was looking to Green for that 5-on-3 for forever goal. If they’d all been shooting without hesitation, tbhey could have had 2 more goals on that powerplay.
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 4, 2009 8:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I got that impression, too. Someone should tell them to forget about the personal records and concentrate on the team records that Boudreau is to fond of. They blew it last night to hit 30 home wins. They need three out of the remaining four to hit 50 wins total. Do that, and we get second.
by gfcaps fan on Apr 4, 2009 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Boudreau is to fond of
Forgot to proofread — that should be SO fond of.
by gfcaps fan on Apr 4, 2009 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ovechkin is now 4 points back on Evgeni Malkin. I think its a very real possibility that he could catch him.
by Ovechwin on Apr 4, 2009 8:25 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Considering how hot he is, it’s very real he could make a run at 60 too.
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 4, 2009 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m going to wager a guess that if Ovechkin overtakes Malkin in points the Hart is probably his.
by Ovechwin on Apr 4, 2009 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He doesn’t need to overtake Malkin in points to win the Hart, following up a 60 goal season with a probable 57-58 goals is impressive enough, not to mention his month-long drought in Oct.
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 4, 2009 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
But I’m saying it is lock if he passes him.
by Ovechwin on Apr 4, 2009 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Definitely at that point, but I think he’s likely to win it even if he’s a few points under.
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 4, 2009 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Missed Call?
Nice recap DMG, but how can you not lead with the fact that Buffalo’s OT winner should never have been allowed? Pommenville was inside the blue line by a good foot when the puck was knocked back into the zone. The linesman totally blew the call and he was in perfect position to see the play. And this was the same guy who called offsides on the Caps in the second when the ck never came close to leaving the zone. Praise the refs if you want, but that linesman was a disgrace.
by b.orr4 on Apr 4, 2009 8:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
We decided there must have been a different blue line that the refs were seeing that we couldn’t. There were at least two offside calls against the Caps that shouldn’t have been. Maybe more, I sort of lost count.
by gfcaps fan on Apr 4, 2009 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
At least that many. Not to mention that goalie interference call on Ovechkin.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Apr 4, 2009 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
On the game ending play Pommenville was not offside by a good fot – maybe more like three inches.
As for the earlier call – are you maybe thinking of the one that looking like an offside call but was a hand pass?
by David M. Getz on Apr 4, 2009 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The linesman was in perfect position to make the call and blew it. Inexcusable at that level. As for the earlier of the two offside calls, the first was called for a high stick not offside. The later one was a blown call.
Clearly, the Caps did not lose either of these games because of these calls. But still, NHL linesmen shouldn’t make these mistakes.
If it ain't broke, don't break it.
by ChrisAm on Apr 4, 2009 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
“either of these games” = “the game”
If it ain't broke, don't break it.
by ChrisAm on Apr 4, 2009 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The officials are the best in the world, but are still only human, and given the nature of that last play and how close it was, I can understand why the linesman missed. I think that, even if it was a mistake, it’s far from a disgrace (per b.orr4) or inexcusable.
by David M. Getz on Apr 4, 2009 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The linesmen have one basic job to do during the game and that’s making sure plays are onside. You can argue with the word “disgrace”, but if Florida or the Rangers miss out on the playoffs by one point, what do you think they’re going to say about that blown call? In Florida’s case, as we’ve seen here in Washington, not making the playoffs this season could literally mean the loss of tens of millions of dollars in revenue through playoff games and new season ticket sales. It could also translate to people’s jobs. Judgement calls like the goalie interference penalty on Ovechkin I can live with. But when a linesman blows two obvious calls in the same game with the last resulting in an extra point for a team on the bubble, then yes, that is a disgraceful performance.
by b.orr4 on Apr 4, 2009 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think the stick point here is the level of obviousness. I think that call was far from obvious given the player and puck moving different directions, the fact that puck went airborne, that it happened so quickly, and that Pominville was only offside by an inch or two, if at all. To be honest I don’t find that freeze frame to be irrefutable evidence; this is what it looks like at 8x, albeit on my unimpressive photo editing program. If Pominville’s offside, it’s by less than the width of the puck; less than three inches. To me, personally, it looks like about 1/2 of the puck, so one and half inches. Whatever ramifications last night’s game may have, to castigate an official and disgraceful or inept for, literally, missing an inch given all the other circumstances of the event is to hold him to an unrealistically high standard.
by David M. Getz on Apr 4, 2009 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
As it turns out, it may be a moot point. Per the comments section on an OFB post about the play:
Actually, this is a correct call. It is a delayed offsides. The puck is not clearly in Connelly’s possession while over the blue line. He is a good few feet away from the puck and not on the blade of his stick. Connelly is not carrying the puck, nor is he making a pass across the blue line to Pominville. Therefore it is considered the same as a dump in and Pominville is correctly given a chance to clear the zone. NHL Rule 83.3
by David M. Getz on Apr 4, 2009 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not really. Here’s the exact wording of the delayed offsides rule:
If the attacking team does not clear the attacking zone, play shall be stopped for the off-side violation if any attacking player touches the puck, or attempts to gain possession of a loose puck while the puck is still in the attacking zone, or forces the defending puck carrier further back into the attacking zone, or who is about to make physical contact with the defending puck carrier.
The key point here is that Connelly was attempting to gain possession of the puck while Pomminville was in an offside position. The linesman should have at that point blown the whistle and ruled the play dead. Having possession of the puck isn’t important. In any case, it’s probably not important now since Buffalo lost to NJ and justice is served.
by b.orr4 on Apr 5, 2009 12:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That’s semantics….the linesman made a judgement call that could easily have gone either way…if the roles were reversed and it was the Caps going into the offensive zone it’d be a moot point on this site.
Not to mention that it’s not the moment he dumps it into the zone, it’s the moment he touches it while it’s in the zone.
by Yoshietree on Apr 5, 2009 1:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree. Didn’t look to me like Connolly was really in a position to make an attempt at position while Pomminville was offside. In the end, a judgment call, and my opinion is that the linesman made the right one. But hey, reasonable people can disagree.
by David M. Getz on Apr 5, 2009 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Maybe I’m alone here, but I was pretty sick of Fedorov by night’s end. The guy commits so many “stick in the belly.” And, like his final pass shows, he seems to make plays that belie his many years of experience.
And speaking of being sick of things, can Flash please stop dangling? He’s not Semin.
by RickyRage on Apr 4, 2009 9:14 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Maybe I’m alone here, but I was pretty sick of Fedorov by night’s end. The guy commits so many "stick in the belly."
Agreed. We’ve noted recently how atrocious his penalty +/- is, and last night hurt that cause even further.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Apr 4, 2009 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
at least he made up for one of them…even though he got two goals it seemed like he was the cause of at least two against
by snowburnt on Apr 4, 2009 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It seems like Fedorov is taking lessons from the kids on our team instead of the reverse. He should be showing them a good example instead of doing exactly what they do.
by CapsFan75 on Apr 4, 2009 9:41 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
It starts with Ovi, he skates wherever he wants a lot still, and I plan on counting the number of times he ices the puck from our zone pretty much because he can’t think of anything more interesting to do. That worked when we sucked but it totally disrupts the teams organization on the ice.
Keenan would’ve traded him by now!
He doesn’t do it all the time, and I want him on “our” team, but I don’t know how we get him to play a bit smarter team game on a more consistent basis
by Icebat on Apr 5, 2009 3:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The good: We got some secondary scoring and we clinched.
The bad: NJ won and the hockey gods hated Varly that night.
3 deflection goals off your own defenders is rare, or at least I believe it is, so I’m not completely worried. Giving all credit to the slugs, who never gave up, it was kind of a fluky win in regards to how a majority of their goals were scored.
But hey, you don’t get extra points for being pretty. Just as fast and the Sabres took those deflection goals, I’d love to have them too.
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 4, 2009 9:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Best “won’t show up in the boxscore” play of the night was Flash keeping the puck in on that Powerplay….beautiful stuff.
Ron and Fez Noon to Three
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 4, 2009 9:47 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Well he did get the assist. ;)
"Thank God there is a sport for middle-sized white boys.."
by Bald Pollack on Apr 4, 2009 9:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Flash also had a really good night backchecking. Lots of stick lifts from him.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Apr 4, 2009 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I actually like the Flash/Fehr combo sharing a line quite a bit. Those two together had some really good plays, clean passes, and didn’t need Nylander to set them up for a couple of pretty nice chances.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Apr 4, 2009 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
There is no excuse for the Caps last night—they scored the first goal, had three different leads, had more PP opp’s, outhit and outshot their opponent and even got a break on a disallowed tying third period goal. At home. And still found a way to lose.
this is me shaking my head.
Hats off to BUF—heck of a win for them. I’d want no part in rd. 1, thanks. They are Flyers Lite, with much better goaltending.
from the house that Red Jesus built
by bigonetimer on Apr 4, 2009 9:51 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I wasn’t impressed with Miller. Both Fedorov goals were very weak. If Theo had let those in, we’d be roasting him this morning.
by b.orr4 on Apr 4, 2009 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Especially when he punched Ovie and got away with it…Huge obvious missed call that should have made it a 4 on 4
by snowburnt on Apr 4, 2009 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Miller was not at his best last night, to be sure, but one ES goal allowed on 37 shots ain’t half bad. Were BUF to make the postseason, I would rank him behind only Brodeur, and ahead of Lundquist, as the best G we could face in the conference.
from the house that Red Jesus built
by bigonetimer on Apr 4, 2009 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Eh, the first one was a laser/bomb = blazer. I don’t think you’re going to see too many goalies stop that. It hit the inside of the pipe for goodness sake, can’t place ‘em much better than that. Not to mention that we’ve seen Feds put that exact shot past some pretty good goaltenders, Vokoun comes to mind. The second goal, well I got nothing on that one. Reminded me of the Martin St. Louis goal Jose gave up the other day. That random spin-o-rama shot from the point crap.
by wittcap79 on Apr 4, 2009 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Buffalo got a LOT of lucky breaks last night. We got a few too – why does it always seem to me that Varlamov plays with an angel on his shoulder? But they got a bunch.
As for us having defensive miscues? They had more than a few as well – probably more than we did.
Anyone else think the forward lines from last night need to stay as they are for the rest of the season?
I honestly don’t think Varlamov is ready. They had how many wide-open nets to shoot at? Honestly, the more I see of Varlamov, the more I prefer Neuvirth. (There, I spoke the blasphemy.)
I thought, all in all, we did okay last night. The dice didn’t roll our way on several points, and Varlamov isn’t ready to steal games for us yet. There’s still fine points to work on, and the goaltending was enh at best IMO, but overall, I saw the energy, the intensity level, and the chemistry I wanted to see.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Apr 4, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think either Varly or Neuvy are ready. But I much prefer Varly right now. I think his athleticism makes up for his other shortcomings whereas Neuvy seems to have to be “on” all the time. The last game Neuvy played he looked like his feet were in stone against Carolina, I know the team played like absolute shit in front of him, but some of those goals were wholly his fault. Varly really only gave up 2 “real” goals yesterday, I’m sorry but those first 2 were just fluky.
by wittcap79 on Apr 4, 2009 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
There were a couple I thought he should have had and didn’t, but some were bad bounces, yes.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Apr 4, 2009 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well if you discount 2 outta 3 redirections then the final score is 4-2, possibly 4-1. I’d say that’s pretty good goaltending.
by wittcap79 on Apr 4, 2009 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I thought Varly was just about as good as a goalie could be in a game in which he allowed five goals. His situational awareness was great – when to challenge, when not to – and his positioning was outstanding.
He is much, much better than Neuvirth right now.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Apr 4, 2009 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Positioning was outstanding? Did I watch the same game you did? How many times did he get way off to one side of the crease and they hd a wipde-open net to shoot at? I counted at least four of those. That was what bothered me about his game – he’s too easy to fake. I was not crazy about his play at all last night.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Apr 4, 2009 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Apparently we watched different games.
I watched one in which the Caps’ netminder had three pucks beat him on deflections and was hung out to dry on another. You watched one where the aggressiveness that made half a dozen saves look easy resulted in a couple of unconverted chances for the other team, so you chose to pick those moments to discuss.
Then again, since you think Neuvirth is ahead of Varly right now, there’s really no point in carrying on this discussion, is there?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Apr 4, 2009 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think his raw athleticism is helping him tremendously right now…
My main problem with him last night, wasn’t positioning though, it was his rebound control.
by Yoshietree on Apr 5, 2009 1:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I second that. He is aggressive as all get out—and that sword cuts both ways. You could see on replay on the third period tying goal a brilliant head/shot fake (by the primary assister Connolly?) where Varls came way out to cut down the angle and had no chance on the tip.
No doubt the talent and athletics are there, but I’ll go with a healthy Johnny when he’s ready.
from the house that Red Jesus built
by bigonetimer on Apr 4, 2009 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Maybe that’s why his play bothers me so much – the aggressiveness. Call it a preference. I don’t doubt the talent and athleticism, but he’s aggressive and takes a lot of risks, and that can be used against him.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Apr 4, 2009 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Absolutely it can be used against him. It’s also the same style of goaltending that won Dominik Hasek 2 Hart Trophys and 6 Vezinas. Not that Varly will be Hasek, I’m just talking about the aggression.
by wittcap79 on Apr 4, 2009 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It’s a tough game to judge Varly on. Three of the five goals were rebounds and we all know how easy it is to stop those, and the OT winner was created off a bad turnovers. You can’t honestly say that Varly is to blame for losing the game. It was a total team let down, the guys owe Varly a win.
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 4, 2009 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Only one goal was a rebound. Three were deflections and one was a breakaway.
If we really wanted to we could break it down by goal:
1) Drew Stafford – changed directions once, and maybe even twice on the way to the net.
2) Clarke MacArthur – deflected in by Kolzov
3) Derek Roy – a great deflection from a guy wide open in the slot
4) Maxim Afinogenov – rebound
5 ) Jason Pomminville – one-on-one with the goalie
Sure, you’d like Varlamov to stop one or two of those, but they’re also situations where it’s really hard to fault the goalie for not doing so.
by David M. Getz on Apr 4, 2009 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
By rebound I mean deflection.
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 4, 2009 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Got mixed up in my original post.
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 4, 2009 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
but one more thing on it, the Pominville goal was on a bad turnover, and while it was one-on-one, it was one of those plays that happened so fast Varly never really stood a chance.
I don’t think Varly is really at fault for any of the goals and if anything, as I originally said, the team should be saying sorry for letting him down. Hopefully they’ll get their chance if he gets to start again.
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 4, 2009 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Varlamov was actually in position for that tip, and if the puck doesn’t get tipped again by Shamo I think it actually hits his pad. Either way I don’t but that Connolly fooled Varlamov with his little fake. He was above the half boards and Connolly is not a threat to score from there. The problem was the guy wide open in the middle of the hash marks that was able to deflect the puck on net. He may be a tad too aggressive right now but he’s young, confident, and he’ll learn.
by Fehr and Balanced on Apr 4, 2009 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Frankly, I’d love to see him again tomorrow afternoon just to see how he bounces back, but the seed is way too important…
Something tells me that this year’s draft, reportedly a deep one, may be a moment to unlogjam our G spot if Holtby is ready for the next step. I mean, I know it takes a while to evaluate a trajectory at that position, but you can’t just pig out there forever, can you?
from the house that Red Jesus built
by bigonetimer on Apr 4, 2009 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I honestly don’t think Varlamov is ready. They had how many wide-open nets to shoot at? Honestly, the more I see of Varlamov, the more I prefer Neuvirth. (There, I spoke the blasphemy.)
I can see preferring Neuvirth stylistically – I’ve personally always favored guys like Luongo or Giguere who take away angles and play technically sound to guys like Hasek who rely on athleticism and quickness – but everything from the numbers at Hershey, to the number in Washington, to the high-end of their performances, to the way they’ve looked in DC, to the way how the coaching staff and front office regard them, seems to indicate to me that Varlamov is the better goalie at this point.
by David M. Getz on Apr 4, 2009 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Amen on Varly looking way cooler with the White Helmet.
by MetalCap on Apr 4, 2009 10:00 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
disagree with both of you. Love the Hershey/Caps helmet. When he stops a top player they can look at his mask and go “damn AHL goalie…”
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 4, 2009 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Pollyanna?
I was expecting a far more critical game recap. I thought Poti was very mediocre last night (again) and is holding the puck too long; Green was OK but not great- his shooting was particularly off target; the Caps had a fairly good night on the PK but failed to clear the zone several times when they had the chance and it almost cost them; in the race between Juice and Big John, the nod goes to Big John- I though Juice, even with his hits, was "not good"; the 5-3 PPs were stagnant- no movement, everybody just standing around waiting for Green or Ovi to blast one from the point; Feds’ giveaway was aaaaa-trocicous- his "3rd star" recognition was a joke; and Varly’s 5 hole is, shall I say, rather large.
On a positive note, I agree that Flash is playing harder and much better and has been trending that way. He had a few good opportunities to score and his keep-in speaks for itself. Can his increased and generally effective backchecking be a function of his PK time? I think so. Also, Sarge was generally solid and Ovi was very energetic.
BTW, can somebody explain Ovi’s goalie interference call to me? Calls like that make the NBA and WWE look legitimate.
If it ain't broke, don't break it.
by ChrisAm on Apr 4, 2009 10:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Agree that we’d’ve had more pucks in the net if everyone hadn’t been trying so hard to get Green the puck. Thing is, though, I saw the energy and intensity level that has been lacking lately. That was reassuring. Overall, it was a pretty good effort – lucky bounces and enh goaltending cost us, but I’ve seen much, much worse out of these guys.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Apr 4, 2009 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not wanting to rip on every single mistake the team makes doesn’t make for blind optimism because every team makes them every game. As a whole, the team did some thing well, some things not so well, and achieved something pretty impressive. I think the overall tone was appropriate given that. As for specifics:
- I thought Poti was okay, but not terrible. Nothing stood out to me. The same thing with Jurcina.
- Green had three shots on goal and two misses. That’s 1.5 shots for each miss, from a guy who, for the season has 2.7 shots for every miss. Statistically, yes, that’s a lower rate but one of those misses hits the net and suddenly it’s four shots for every miss. Something like that doesn’t really mean all that much.
- The team uses an umbrella powerplay, so ideally people are more or less going to be in one spot and in a 5-on-3 the defense isn’t pressuring very much and the team can do it. As a whole the Capitals powerplay was 3-for-7 last night and is now the best in the NHL. I don’t see much to be critical of there.
- As for Fedorov: generally when you outscore everyone else in the game, you wind up being one of the three stars.
by David M. Getz on Apr 4, 2009 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
As for Fedorov...
In response to the critics above, of course he takes penalties from time to time — he learned from the best of them, Vlad (widely known throughout the League as “The Impaler”) Konstantinov! The veterans know when it’s time to step it up a notch, and Mr. Fedorov has done that in the last few games. The intensity level is way up and he’s bringing the team up to that level. I was thrilled with his goals, and he deserved the star. Granted, the bad pass was a bad pass at a bad time — so he blotted his copybook, he didn’t put it in the net for crying out loud. I really liked the recap, DMG, well-written and focused on all the right things. One way to look at that game — our team is so good, the only guys who can beat us are … ourselves! We can beat any team we meet in the playoffs, and we will.
by FlyingCloud on Apr 4, 2009 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Pollyanna reference was more tongue-in-cheek than anything else. I appreciate how good the Caps are and, were this last year, I would agree with the tone of the post. As to the specifics:
- Poti was indeed "okay" but he needs to be better than okay. As was well documented in JP’s now infamous Tom Poti apologist post, Poti needs to be more effective at getting into the offensive flow of the game; moving the puck quickly and decisively out of his own end and clearing pucks while on the PK I thought he did none of that as well as he needs to. Poti needs to stand out, IMO, for the right reasons and any game in which he does not is cannot be considered a good game for him.
- Same for Juice in that I think it is Big John’s spot to lose and Juice needs to stand out if he wants the minutes. He did not stand out, was -2 within the first 10 minutes of the game and "not good". Anyone else think Juice should get the nod over Ersky?
- From where I was sitting, Green was either missing the net or hitting Miller in the middle of his chest. On the 5-3’s his shooting seemed particularly uninspired. As for Green getting his shots on net at a statistically similar rate, again my expectations are higher. His shots should be meaningful and purposeful shots on net; were we posting about Juice ‘s shots on net rather than Green’s I would agree with you.
- Outside of the first powerplay, the PP was not particularly impressive. The first PP goal was so good because the puck and player movement created the space for AO to score. That is what a PP should do- create space for the unmarked player. That should be even easier on a 5-3- but there was very little movement, very little space creation. Semin scored 5-3 because he potted a rebound but that doesn’t really qualify as creating space. The other 5-3 was unsuccessful and, IMO, did not do much to make success likelihood. Feds’ PP goal was a laser but, again, not the result of good puck movement.
- Feds may have outscored everyone but he gave as much as he got. The delay of game penalty was silly and the hook was lazy and uninspired. His first goal was next level, his second was just plain lucky and his giveaway in OT was simply inexcusable at that moment in the game. It was very high risk for very little reward and cost the Caps the game. Any number of players were better and more deserving,
If it ain't broke, don't break it.
by ChrisAm on Apr 4, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just one gripe…
Semin scored 5-3 because he potted a rebound but that doesn’t really qualify as creating space.
No, it doesn’t. But it does qualify as being near the crease, collapsing on the net, and getting ugly goals; which is something this team really, really, needs to do more of and I was more than pleased that it was scored in that fashion and not the typical “pretty passing” play we so often see them try and execute.
by wittcap79 on Apr 4, 2009 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I can see where you’re coming from with Poti and Jurcina, but again I just thought their performances were average and unspectacular but no reason to criticize them. I think your point on Fedorov is fair. But to criticize a guy who’s having a historically great season when it comes to goal scoring for having a slightly off night or a powerplay that goes 3-for-7 and moves up to first in the NHL seems like trying to find something to be critical about. I think you’re giving too much play to the perceived lack of movement and space creation 5-on-3 because the inherent nature of a 5-on-3 is such that there’s going to be a ton of space and players can more or less set up, work the puck around, and shoot.
by David M. Getz on Apr 4, 2009 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good point about the PP. #1 in the entire NHL and it’s being criticized. Man, we are getting spoiled.
by b.orr4 on Apr 4, 2009 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Getting spoiled is a really nice position to be in. I’ll take it.
by gfcaps fan on Apr 4, 2009 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It’s a nice change for us Caps fans, isn’t it?
by David M. Getz on Apr 4, 2009 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Midway through the game I thought to myself that I wished the Caps played Buffalo (or teams like them) more often – they’d be forced to be better than they have been lately.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Apr 4, 2009 12:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Thought the same thing but differently. I wish the Caps were playing Buffalo, Montreal, Pitt or Philly in the last four. Talk about a warm up for the post-season.
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 4, 2009 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The downside of that is the team getting worn out from having to play desperate teams right before the postseason.
by David M. Getz on Apr 4, 2009 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Maybe not all four in a row like that, but a combination of two from that four would be desirable. I don’t think that would wear down the team so much as get them running at full speed.
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 4, 2009 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Florida might still in a position to be desperate next Saturday.
"Thank God there is a sport for middle-sized white boys.."
by Bald Pollack on Apr 4, 2009 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recent FanShots
Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington
|
71 | 47 | 14 | 10 | 104 |
|
Atlanta
|
70 | 30 | 29 | 11 | 71 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
70 | 28 | 30 | 12 | 68 |
|
Florida
|
69 | 28 | 30 | 11 | 67 |
|
Carolina
|
70 | 29 | 33 | 8 | 66 |
(updated 3.20.2010 at 8:14 AM EDT)
The Vault
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
