Recap: Caps 3, Predators 2 (OT)
by Becca H on Oct 16, 2010 11:35 PM EDT
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Print[NHL.com Recap - GameCenter - Game Summary - Event Summary - Faceoff Summary - Corsi/Fenwick - Shift Charts - Head-to-Head - Zone Starts]
On a night where two of the top defensemen are out with injury and the blue line is littered with rookies, first-time NHLers and Tyler Sloan, you'd expect two things: for the team to buckle down and play tighter defensively and for the goalie to come up big when needed.
Well, at least one of those happened. The shrine to Neuvirth goes up tomorrow.
But while it didn't start out pretty, the Caps were somehow able to channel the talent we know is there for long enough to steal two points from Nashville. They took a sluggish, lazy-looking performance, used a huge performance by their goaltender as a boost and turned this into one of those riveting, come-from-behind, scoring in bunches thrillers that never fails to get the heart racing.
Ten more notes on the game:
- Talking about anything else before mentioning Michal Neuvirth's performance would be majorly disrespectful to the work the young netminder did in this one. With a weakened defense and seemingly disinterested forwards in front of him (more on that in a minute), Neuvirth was called upon time and time again to bail out his team - and he did. And it's his performance that allowed the team to pull it together long enough to tie and eventually win the game. Another great performance from #30...who is now 7-1-0 with a 1.92 GAA and a save percentage of .942 in his last 10 NHL appearances. Not bad.
- So yeah, about those forwards. It's fairly normal (unfortunately) to see some guys on this team take the defensive aspect of their game a little more lightly than they should. What's not normal is seeing guys who usually take pride in their defense, guys like Nicklas Backstrom, Brooks Laich and Jason Chimera, slack off in that department. They weren't invested and left a weak defense out to dry on more than one occasion, failing to get the puck out of the zone. Completely unacceptable. They're lucky it "only" resulted in two goals against - and that Neuvirth's play and the team's ability to generate offense out of thin air eventually bailed them out.
- Your goaltender often has to be your best penalty-killer, and that was certainly the case tonight. The rest of the PK unit deserves some credit, however. Like the rest of the game it wasn't the prettiest to watch, but they got the job done and remain perfect in this young season, killing off 21 of 21 infractions and counting.
- The second goal Neuvirth let in was a deflection (after Backstrom failed to clear the zone), but the first one was a direct result of John Erskine parking his butt right in front of the net. The frustration of Neuvirth after that one was palpable.
- So there were these moments when the Caps had five skaters and Nashville had four...and the puck went into the net behind the Predators' goalie. I feel like there's some sort of name for that, but I can't remember...
- Alex Ovechkin had...well, let's call it an uneven performance. Turnovers and sloppy play abounded, but there were flashes of good among the less-than-good, including a big hit on Suter about midway through the second that seemed to - temporarily, at least - wake up his line and his team. Leadership, baby...even when it comes in spurts.
- Faceoffs continue to be an issue for this team, as they went 26-for-56 (45%) in the faceoff dot. A tale of two Swedes: Backstrom finished 13-for-19, while Marcus Johansson was 1-for-6. Ouch.
- And speaking of Backstrom, that uneven moniker we assigned to Ovechkin could also apply to him as he combined some pretty passes with uncharacteristically lazy play along the boards and an equally uncharacteristic boarding call late in the second. 'Sup, Nick?
- The second line was partly invisible, partly facepalm-worthy and partly the entire offense for the night, with Alexander Semin and Tomas Fleischmann bringing the team even after being outplayed most of the game. Flash's goal was particularly nice, both because it tied the game and came while surrounded by three Nashville defenders. Of course, that begs the question...of all the guys on the ice, why were there three Nashville defenders on Flash?
- Brooks Laich goes to the net, loaves of bread are baked and money is withdrawn. Oh, yeah, and he gets the overtime game-winner, too.
Game highlights:
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Oddly enough, they only ended up outshooting us like 39-34. When your goalie stands on his head, and you go +2 in special teams, it helps.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Oct 16, 2010 11:38 PM EDT reply actions
I think the Caps majorly closed the gap in the 3rd. I thought I saw a number of shots stopped before they got to Neuvy though.
Never underrate the power of the hissy-cow.
Alzner definitely blocked a couple on one key sequence I remember. Of course he made a mistake that led to it if I recall right but still.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Oct 17, 2010 12:03 AM EDT up reply actions
I know Gordon had a nice block during one of the PK’s, and I think I saw a few other forwards get in front of shots during the PK’s. The 4th line was playing pretty well for almost the whole night.
Never underrate the power of the hissy-cow.
Mackan had his share of mistakes again tonight, but for stretches the 3rd line was doing pretty good work and generating a chance or two. Was just nice to see the puck stay in their zone for extended stretches during parts of the game.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Oct 17, 2010 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Mackan is playing like a very talented rookie. He creates chances (which aren’t being finished), plays fairly well defensively, but makes dumb mistakes occasionally. I like having him on the 3rd – he is sheltered somewhat but still has good linemates.
Never underrate the power of the hissy-cow.
Assuming his foot is okay I’m hoping a few more games and that line will starting clicking. He’s definitely made some plays where he could have a helper or two already on the year.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Oct 17, 2010 12:14 AM EDT up reply actions
Chimera has missed a few, and Fehr has as well. But Mackan’s passing (in the offensive zone) is awesome, and I’m sure one of the two will convert one soon – and my money is on Fehr.
Never underrate the power of the hissy-cow.
Speaking of Mackan, I was particularly impressed with him laying down the body to block a shot on the first PK (even though the puck didn’t hit him) after just having missed a game and a half with a shot block-related injury. He may be little but the kid’s got guts.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
He also lost the puck up the middle right before that. It was a nice defensive play to steal the puck but then he went into traffic in the middle and lost the puck again. I think he was making up for his own mistake. All in all it might have been his best game so far, definitely the first time I really noticed him on offense on that one chance.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Just wondering...
For nights like tonight, is there a way we can just clone Jeff Schultz 5 times over rather than deal with the D-Corps we did?
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
I actually thought Alzner did fairly well, too, although that might have been a product of him being paired w/ #55 (I think…right?).
But I lay more of the blame on the forwards. The defense wasn’t bad but they kept getting pinned in their own zone – again – and were unable to clear – again – and that’s as much an issue with guys like Backstrom and Laich not doing their jobs as it is with someone named Brian Fahey suiting up.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Gotta agree with this. The d-men were not the problem, it was the weak effort by the forwards that was the issue.
by kovachs on Oct 16, 2010 11:47 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
There were so many instances of lazy clears or lazy exit passes not clearing the zone that it made the pressure seem far worse. Somehow we “only” got out-shot 30-20 through 2 periods I think I saw. It seemed much worse than that.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Oct 16, 2010 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions
I stand corrected. KIng Karl didn’t look too bad.
I’m as big of Backs supporter as you will find, and I was shocked how lackadaisical he was out there.
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 16, 2010 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Same. It happened a few times but the one that stuck out to me was right before Nashville’s second goal – Nick gets the puck out instead of just waving at it weakly, that goal doesn’t happen and perhaps the game is different. Really bizarre and uncharacteristic of him, I was disappointed.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
I hate to say it, but: He lollygagged.
There's no 'i' in "team". But there's a 'nap' in "champion".
by redlineblue on Oct 16, 2010 11:55 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m watching Backstrom and I wonder if that shoulder injury he had late in the playoffs last season isn’t carrying over. He’s not obviously favoring his shoulder, but he doesn’t look crisp out there, either handling or passing the puck.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Oct 17, 2010 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Scary for opponents since he has 4 points last 2 games. But I agree with you, he doesn’t have the “feel” back yet for the puck.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Oct 17, 2010 12:02 AM EDT up reply actions
I’d put it more on off-season rust than a lingering injury. Unless it was an extremely serious injury he should be healed by now, and if it was serious he should have had surgery. The skill guys are the guys most prone to rust over the off-season, and I think that’s what we’re seeing more than anything.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I think Ovi’s big second period hit was on Weber. I remember hearing Smokin’ Al mention two 230 pounders colliding!
Different one, that was later and in one of the offensive zones (and equally awesome, no doubt) – the hit I’m thinking of was on Suter in front of the Nashville bench, and it knocked Suter down and took him out of the play. I made a mental note of it because it was the first big hit Ovie laid out in the game, and I noticed the team really picked it up after that. Whether it was a result of that or not, of course, I can only guess…but I’m gonna ;)
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
I think the Weber one was in the 3rd in the corner. That was a collision – both nearly went down.
Never underrate the power of the hissy-cow.
Hit of the game was the one Klein put on Semin though. That was a beaut.
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 16, 2010 11:51 PM EDT up reply actions
I think the worst thing I noticed this game was the multiple times Ovie let Weber go deep in the zone and get a chance expecting to get the pass and the breakout. Unacceptable for the Captain.
"Ovechkin is as subtle as a shot of vodka."
by i12swim on Oct 16, 2010 11:49 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Definitely, Weber really exposed AO’s defensive play like no other D I’ve seen. AO needs to be much more careful about that. Weber did the same thing to AO against Team Russia and scored, but I figured that was just because the game was a mess that AO wasn’t fully in it. I don’t know what the excuse would be for yesterday.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
So the PK is 21/21 now, what is the PP after tonight?
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Oct 16, 2010 11:50 PM EDT reply actions
4-for-22 – jumped up to over 18% after that, now we’re in the middle of the League instead of wallowing at the bottom. Amazing.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Funny how one game can do that. But it’s not surprising at all…I just wish we had gotten a 2 for game out of it against Montreal.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Oct 16, 2010 11:55 PM EDT up reply actions
three for their last six
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Oct 17, 2010 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Nice to see those TOI reports being linked to in the recaps. The shift charts are kind of a pain to go through, I find, unless you know what you’re looking for.
Carlson started 8 times in the D zone, 1 in the O zone. I don’t understand that. Carlson’s D partner, Erskine? More ESTOI than Alex Ovechkin (as I posted in the 3rd pd thread). Erskine was a -11 Corsi, -6 Fenwick. AO? -8 and -9 respectively. That’s just brutal. Fehr-Chimera-Alzner-Schultz led the way for the team, at +5 or +6 Fenwick each.
Oh, and Michal Neuvirth is making high SHsv% look mighty repeatable…
So did Andrew Raycroft. Just sayin’ one NHL season isn’t enough data.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Oct 17, 2010 8:23 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Yeah, I know, far from it. I’m just expecting it to end any day now, and it isn’t.
by red army line on Oct 17, 2010 8:35 AM EDT up reply actions
A few more notes, because I’m anal retentive and bored :D
- Boyd Gordon is a stud. Not to be too cliche but he does stuff that doesn’t show up on the scoreboard, particularly on the PK – not sure if people noticed but at one point he passed the puck to Steckel for the clear and Stecks couldn’t (“couldn’t”) get it out of the zone, so when 15 got it back he made sure just to shoot it down ice himself. Little things, folks.
- Semin is like a microcosm of this team sometimes, isn’t he? Goes from invisible to incredible in 0.37 seconds. He absolutely took over the game in the third.
- Some of those penalties were…questionable. It’s okay, though, because it evened out by the end; that penalty in OT was a bit weak, considering Ovie was already falling over thanks to his own momentum. Not that I’m complaining.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Gordo was indeed sweet out there. He should be getting a sweater every game if you ask me.
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 17, 2010 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions
When his back is healthy, he’s a totally different player.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Oct 17, 2010 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions
Gordo is indeed one of the most (if not THE most) under the radar indispensable guys on the team. I cringe when I read folks mention anything anti this guy..they surely are clueless as the dude leaves it on the ice every night.
Speaking of which…any suggestions on how to get a Gordo 15 sweater?
the caps official website store allows you to customize replica and authentic jerseys for any of the guys on the team.
by Natty Bumppo on Oct 17, 2010 5:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Definitely noticed that Gordo play. Steckel is just an abomination anywhere near the puck.
That OT PIM could be argued, and Trotz sure as hell did, but the bottom line is that Suter’s stick straight up took out AO’s feet. Suter was leaning on AO and AO is so strong that Suter started to slip, maybe AO did too but AO had a chance to fight through it until Suter’s stick took his skates out. I thought it was legit.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
After watching:
1 period of uncharacteristic lazy play followed by
1 period of less than remarkable play
I saw the Caps down 2-0 in game that had been completely dominated by the Preds. If it hadn’t been for the great play of Neuvy, I’m pretty sure the score should have been something like 5-0.
Still though, as 2nd intermission started, honest to God, I said to myself, “the Caps have been here before, and they’ve overcome greater deficits, and turned their game around in worst situations from this too many times to count them out here…”
Well, you all know what happened after that. Regardless of what happens, I’m still amazed by this team’s ability to not get behind mentally, and to not just sit back and let games lose themselves. The Preds learned a tough lesson several teams in the NHL have already had to learn the hard way…don’t sit back on just try to protect a lead in the 3rd; If you don’t continue to press and play with offensive intensity, the Caps will make you pay for it.
"I am ready for his provocations"
by PaintDrinkingPete on Oct 17, 2010 12:04 AM EDT reply actions
1 period of uncharacteristic lazy play
I wish I saw that first period as uncharacteristic, but I do not. They start out along those lines once or twice a week, based on a ~100 game sample.
There's no 'i' in "team". But there's a 'nap' in "champion".
by redlineblue on Oct 17, 2010 12:15 AM EDT up reply actions
Lazy perhaps, I added the “uncharacteristic” because I felt is was above and beyond any normal level….
"I am ready for his provocations"
by PaintDrinkingPete on Oct 17, 2010 12:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Got it. I said to my wife they looked like first period of a matinee game — Ugh.
There's no 'i' in "team". But there's a 'nap' in "champion".
by redlineblue on Oct 17, 2010 12:28 AM EDT up reply actions
I think the reality is that most teams come out flat or have a bad period or two about as often as the Caps do – the “problem” with teams like the Caps, such as it is, is that they alternate that with really high-level stuff so the difference is even more obvious. It’s always more frustrating to see a team (or a player) play like crap when you know just how good they can be, no?
My parents would call it “not living up to their potential”…not that I ever heard that growing up.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
I guess. It seems like the Caps should be erring on the side of ruthless, though: They have the roster and system stability (yes, even tonight) to support it. They have the taste of ashes from learning that ‘hang around till the third’ is written on the wrong cup. And they have those angry t-shirts.
I’m, really encouraged by Neuvy and the PK, and 2 road points always feels great. I’m mindful that champions win all kinds of ways. Could I see more of the 45 – 52 minute versions, please?
There's no 'i' in "team". But there's a 'nap' in "champion".
My new theory…The Caps have a locker room bet before most games: how many minutes of effort to take 2 points? The under 20 seems to hit most of the time.
Seriously, though, it remains frustrating to watch this team sometimes, but it’s not really that new…we just don’t seem interested in games that aren’t played against the Patrick Division. Fun as hell to watch when we try, and here’s hoping that “turn it on when we need to” changes/is somehow enough.
Hendricks......................
I really like Hendricks. He seems to be always hard working and a great team guy. I noticed him celebrating excessively after the 2nd tying goal. He was in the middle slapping everyone on the back and stuff.
Proud member of the Popsicle Division of the Cupcake Conference.
by Bman21212 on Oct 17, 2010 12:06 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
He has already gotten me to like him a lot. He brings energy, he can fight if needed to, he’ll mix it up and irritate the other team, he kills penalties, and he’s even thrown in a couple good offensive plays. He seems very much like Bradley, except a better fighter and maybe not as good offensively.
Never underrate the power of the hissy-cow.
Completely agree. And that celebration on the bench was so cute, loved watching him basically run up and down the bench high-fiving everyone. Seems like a great team guy – bet the guys love him.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Not if Sean Gordon has something to say about it ;)
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 17, 2010 12:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Seeing him celebrate like that after the second goal brought a huge smile to my face. Seems like such a team guy who loves every minute of it. I love the heart he brings.
I like Laich, but I <3 Green
by RockinRed4Life on Oct 17, 2010 3:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Can’t believe a player that is better than Steckel is so easy to find.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Oct 17, 2010 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
How do the lineup submissions work? Poor Wade Belak was probably dressed assuming DJ was gonna get a sweater. Scratching DJ essentially rendered Nashville with 11 forwards. Hardly saw Wade “Down Goes Brash” Belak out there tonight.
Does the home team get to see the road team’s lineup first?
Is this a different team?
Nice summary, Becca.
But I wonder – to what extent are we seeing a different team to 09-10? We may need to adjust our expectations and presumptions about this team. This is not the 09-10 Caps, despite the basic personnel continuity.
Clutch goaltending and a perfect PK are new and positive phenomena. Additional grittiness (though hard to quantify) is evident and, from the NJ and NYI games, adds to team cohesion.
Montreal aside (shudder, drink) PP under 20% is a bit new and potentially of concern unless we start to push the conversion rate northwards in a hurry. The increased defensively responsible mindset that accompanies a perfect PK has had ambiguous results at 5-on-5, except for Mike Green’s and Jeff Schultz’s amazing defensive stats. The checking line is still forming itself, too.
Our scoring lines have shown signs of rust. The extent to which we can revert to measuring Caps’ overall play against last year’s benchmark is ultimately determined by our scoring prowess. That’s what this team is measured by. So far we’re 18-12, which is cause for confidence.
But overall, there’s as much change as continuity in the 10-11 Caps, strategically. Results-wise, it’s as good if not better, which is some cause for optimism.
by A cold Caps fist on Oct 17, 2010 12:11 AM EDT reply actions
There was an excellent Clip posted about how the first month under Boudreau is statistically the PP’s weakest, year to year. I’ll be more worried if they haven’t made strides by Thanksgiving.
Winterion Game Studios
Visit us online at : http://winterion.com
Team has started slow the past 3 years…and this year despite a lack of offense (at least compared to what we were used to at times last year), the team is 4-1-0.
I’m not too worried, frankly, if anything, I’m re-assured that this team looks as good as they do on defense and finding ways to win games the way they are. The offense will come around, but D and goaltending have been the big question marks this team has had hanging over them the past few seasons.
"I am ready for his provocations"
by PaintDrinkingPete on Oct 17, 2010 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions
To that end, truly prolific offense comes from an element of teamwork on the lines. 8-19-22 already know how to play with each other, but they’ll always get the opposition’s best defensive effort. Once 21-14-28 and 16-90-25 start to really get used to playing with each other (knowing where each other is on the ice, able to make “sick” passes, create scoring opportunities), then I think this team could be even more scary this year than last in the score sheet…assuming these guys stay healthy enough to keep these lines together.
"I am ready for his provocations"
by PaintDrinkingPete on Oct 17, 2010 12:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Once 21-14-28 and 16-90-25 start to really get used to playing with each other
Along with how he manages TOI (16; 8; 52) throughout the slog, I’ll be very curious to see whether BB allows this to happen. Might there be less mix’n’match going on, or is there one line and a bunch of forwards?
There's no 'i' in "team". But there's a 'nap' in "champion".
Probably depends on health…
Last year, during the win streak, the one remarkable thing was the fact that BB was able to start the same line combos every single night (I believe, may have been “slight” variations, not about to go look it up)…they didn’t lose again until Chimera had to sit out in Montreal…
BB does tend to shake up the lines a lot, but does seem to keep lines consistent if things are rolling smoothly. TOI is a different issue, of course, but BB will keep guys together if everything is working like a well-oiled machine.
"I am ready for his provocations"
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by PaintDrinkingPete on Oct 17, 2010 1:20 AM EDT up reply actions
I feel totally awesome, having stuck this game out. =)
Winterion Game Studios
Visit us online at : http://winterion.com
With this team, I’ve learned never to walk away from a game until it’s over….
It doesn’t always pay off, but it amazes me just how often it does.
"I am ready for his provocations"
by PaintDrinkingPete on Oct 17, 2010 12:46 AM EDT up reply actions
As you should!
I gave up on them, that and I was called into work but I didn’t watch the first 10mins of the 3rd.
Bruce Boudreau when asked about Brooks Laich's return to the lineup, he said: "He just adds another dimension to our team. If it was puzzle, he just fits that thing. He completes us."
Brooks Laich completing everything from teams to tires and everything in between.
to becca et al: thanks for adding all the new links at the top of the recap. faceoff summary, corsi/fenwick, shift charts, head-to-tead, zone starts…all in the same place! many times easier to get the whole story about a game.
by Natty Bumppo on Oct 17, 2010 12:43 AM EDT reply actions 4 recs
related: nhl.com says backstrom has won the 6th most face-offs in the league (behind only crosby, toews, koivu, konopka, plekanec). his FO% is in the league’s top 20, and i think neither of those numbers has factored in tonight’s 68% show. nick backstrom, face-off specialist?
by Natty Bumppo on Oct 17, 2010 12:59 AM EDT up reply actions
I second this. And rec. Great writeup too. Thanks.
Alright, confess-how many goals are you going to make this year?
"I'm not going to tell!"
Well can you at least guarantee fifty?
"No way. I have a different objective. To win."
by capsyoungguns on Oct 17, 2010 9:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Agreed. Like the addition of Corsi/Fenwick.
That being said, I don’t trust it from last night.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
What don’t you trust? The Caps looked bad, and Corsi makes ’em look bad too. It makes Ovechkin and Erskine look awful and Schultz/Fehr/Chimera really good (by comparison).
by red army line on Oct 17, 2010 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions
It doesn’t make them look as bad as I thought the ought to. They looked God Awful, but this just makes them look bad.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
by D'ohboy on Oct 17, 2010 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Minus 8 in ~15 minutes of ES ice is worse than the Edmonton Oilers’ aggregate rate as a team last year: it’s as bad as they looked last night.
Working off memory, I don’t think even Taylor Chorney or Jason Strudwick were that bad in the aggregate last season. A minus 32 rate is a fuckin’ shellackin’.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Oct 17, 2010 11:59 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Hmm. There are still some anomalies in there that don’t jive well with what I saw. For example:
Weber: 0
Hornqvist, Sullivan and O’Reilly: all negative
After watching last night’s game, I’m shocked that ANY Caps were on the positive side of the ledger. Then again, NSH is known as an arena that over-counts shots against. Perhaps this plays into it somewhat.
It could also be that I’m unfamiliar with how Corsi and Fenwick look on a game-by-game basis. If you say they got worked, I’ll buy it.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
Also…let’s not go crazy. It wasn’t a pretty game. They probably shouldn’t have won, and they were horrific in the first period, horrific in the first half of the second. But they started to play much better after that – long stretches of time in the Nashville end to finish out the second period and for most of the third period.
I think we see crap early in the game and just assume it’s a 60-minute thing, and that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t anywhere near as bad as the Atlanta game, and they played better as the game went on.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
I think there’s some merit to what you say, but I’m not entirely convinced, since I’ll also point out that the “good play” you’re referring to happens to coincide nicely with when Nashville took four straight penalties.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
Right…and the “bad play” we all saw early on happens to coincide nicely with when the Caps took six straight penalties It’s not like there was any flow established while the Caps were parading to the penalty box, you know?
It’s not an excuse for how they played, of course, because there was some bad stuff at even strength early on. I’m not letting the forwards off the hook for this one, either, there was some unacceptable stuff going on out there. Just wondering how much of our collective memory of this game is tainted by choppy, shorthanded play early on, to the point that we don’t notice the good stuff later in the game.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Zone starts also have to inform Corsi; for example, Flash has a +Corsi on the night, but he was mostly dragged there by Alex Semin and didn’t have a single defensive zone start all night. Let that one sink in; not a single defensive zone draw for Flash.
Erskine’s Corsi/Fenwick are real bad, but he also got thrown to the Wolves with Jesus H Carlson; One O-Zone start to eight D-Zone starts. Schultz and Alzner got the majority of the O-Zone starts (huh?) and played most against the Sullivan/O’Reilly/Hornqvist line and really owned that set.
I thought Brian Fahey looked a lot better than he did in the preseason and had a couple of plays where he made a good breakout pass or skated the puck out of the zone himself; it was welcome relief to see that, but he was also playing most with the only line that was supporting the breakout well, 25/90/16. So context, as ever, is important.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Oct 17, 2010 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Contrary to today’s otherwise excellent write-up by Becca, I didn’t think Chimera had any defensive lapses last night. What do others think?
I’d consider Chimera’s issues not to necessarily be outright defensive lapses but, like his teammates, a consistent and frustrating inability to clear the puck when the opportunity presented itself. There’s a reason this team gets stuck in their own zone, and its things like that – make the simple play, clear the zone, give your D and goalie a break. There were a few times when he didn’t and he usually can be counted on to do that. He certainly wasn’t the only one…
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
So karma did work out in the end as the teams evened up at 5 odd man advantages. If anything the Caps played well in that department. 5-5 on the PK 2-5 on the PP I’ll take that every night.
While I agree with one of the points its a bit odd that despite the 2nd line playing rather poorly all night the individual players solely won the game tonight.
But still I don’t want to keep watching the Caps play like they did tonight, other than Neuvi, the team really didn’t deserve to win. Just like so many times last season the Caps played terrible and then glided by on their skill alone.
Bruce Boudreau when asked about Brooks Laich's return to the lineup, he said: "He just adds another dimension to our team. If it was puzzle, he just fits that thing. He completes us."
Brooks Laich completing everything from teams to tires and everything in between.
I’m not sure it was exactly that they glided by on skill alone – they were in that game partly because of Neuvy’s heroics but also because of some hard work on the PK, and two goals that came as a result of someone crashing the net.
The fact is they kept the Preds to two goals on a night that could have gotten really ugly really early – not that I want to see them play like that ever again but it was a little less skill and a little more waking up late and figuring out how to turn it on.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
The fact is they kept the Preds to two goals on a night that could have gotten really ugly really early
There’s no “they” about it. Neuvirth kept the Preds to two goals on a night that it should have gotten ugly. We didn’t deserve the win. Any “they tried hard on D” blah blah is just false. The D was brutal early (as a team) and the game should have been out of hand before we even had a chance to comeback. That Neuvirth isn’t the first star is ridiculous, and, if the stars mattered at all, borderline-criminal.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I’ll agree with this to a point, especially as it concerns 5v5 play early. The PK, on the other hand, was excellent (and lucky on several occasions).
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
The PK was really good, but our standards are so low at this point. I thought Neuvy had to make some huge saves on the PK and that some poor passing by NSH made it easier on us. Perfect is perfect, so I’ll give credit where it’s due, but even with the good PK that game should have been a run away.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Just reported by Jeff Marek on the HNIC post game coverage: The hit by Backstrom on Marcel Goc which knocked him out of the game is being reviewed by the Colin Campbell and the league office. Likely nothing will come of it except maybe a fine, but just passing the news.
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
Trotz called for suspension.
The league’s going to look at it. I’m probably partial because it’s Marcel and my player, but those are the type of hits that you want to take out of the National Hockey League. The biggest thing was I didn’t think Backstrom was playing the puck. I mean, he basically hit a player probably five feet away from the boards. If you’re a player and you get hit in the back there, you’re going head first into the boards, and that’s when people get really hurt in that situation. The league will look at it, whatever they decide, we can live with. But to me those are extremely dangerous hits and I didn’t think he was playing the puck at all.
“You can watch it and make your own judgment, but those are the things we have to get out of the league because we have a hurt player and left us shorthanded. They had a two-minute penalty and Backstrom [sic] ends up getting their first power-play goal and then he gets an assist on the winning goal. Not really happy with the call, thought he should have been out of the game. But I’m a coach, not a ref.
Anyone have video?
Trotz is full of crap. Goc was almost right next to the puck, and Backstrom didn’t hit him towards the boards – that’s the way Goc fell. I can’t find a video of the hit, but I’m sure it will be posted tomorrow morning.
Never underrate the power of the hissy-cow.
From what I recall, I disagree completely. I saw the hit and thought “Campbell” immediately, just not as fast and without the guy being hit actually having had the puck a second prior.
If you could give a double minor for boarding, I’d give that here. I don’t think he was hit hard enough for a major (which I believe is an automatic game misconduct). Seemed like Backstrom tried to give him a little bump and gave it way too hard.
by red army line on Oct 17, 2010 6:10 AM EDT up reply actions
Backstrom hardly bumped Goc, and he went down into other guys in the area. I have no problem with the minor, but any other punishment is totally uncalled for.
Never underrate the power of the hissy-cow.
Anyone know if there’s video on it? I missed the first two periods. BTW, game repeats on CSN tonight at 8 according to my listings.
"It's always good to have vikings."
Totally
There was a guy on the floor already, over the puck Backstrom’s target was going to try to clean up along the boards, Backstrom nudged the guy who tripped over his team mate causing him to fall into the boards from 4 feet out rather than glide into them. It was unfortunate circumstances for Goc (cause he got shaken up) and backstrom (who got the penalty).
Suspend Colin Campbell!
Backstrom pushed him, simply enough. His own player fell down and ended up colliding with him too which made the hit pretty vicious. It was a fair 2 minute boarding, you can’t penalize a player for what his teammate does to him.
That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if he is suspended because who the hell knows what is going on in the NHL.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
The Caps are like Michigan football, just with opposite results. :(
But since that’s OT, er, I think Neuvirth:
1. Has proven his capability as a starting NHL goaltender as much as anyone else in the league
2. Should remain the starter even if Varlamov is 274% healthy and farts out really likable Chris Prongers
3. Is probably exhausted.
Don't celebration when you score goal
by Big Boutros on Oct 17, 2010 2:25 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Rec’ed for “Farts out really likable Chris Prongers” — Spit take when I read that.
I like Laich, but I <3 Green
by RockinRed4Life on Oct 17, 2010 3:01 AM EDT up reply actions
If Varly can fart out just one likable Chris Pronger, we might just have the defensive depth problem solved…
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Oct 17, 2010 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions
I think anyone who could create a LIKEABLE Chris Pronger should be doing something other than playing hockey, like maybe creating a Middle East peace agreement and stopping world hunger, it would obviously be easy for them.
Aim for the head baby Jesus
by Doncosmic on Oct 17, 2010 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Congratulations, Tomas Fleischmann
Get dirty, get a goal and get some new headgear!
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Hardly seems fair...
If any player other than Ovechkin and especially someone named Sloan, Erskine or Flash had played the game Ovie played tonight we’d spend post after post talking about how awful they were. Ovechkin’s game tonight had brief, and sparse moments of Ovechkin goodness, but it was mostly horrible. He threw pucks around the rink without any real agenda. His play on the blue line during the power play was horrendous (and yes, he has very real responsibilities in that position and particularly with that “C” on his chest). It seems to me that Ovechkin is getting off lightly here despite stinking the joint up for most of the game.
Every year without a Cup adds wonder and awe to its eventual arrival.
by B8ovin on Oct 17, 2010 6:15 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Ovechkin’s been called out for his sloppy play tonight already and believe me, the people tracking scoring chances know how bad he was last night, right up to when he decided to turn it on in OT. Then he’s suddenly flying at full speed, drawing a penalty on one of the best defensive D in the league, cutting across the middle and absolutely hammering a one-timer for the winning shot. It’s frusrating as hell and puzzling; I’m used to seeing 100mph AO at all times, not just when he feels like it.
I really do wonder how badly out of shape he was when he showed up to camp; Corey and Katie both tweeted that he was visibly gassed during the first practices. His play so far has looked tired and out-of-shape, too. He’ll play himself into shape eventually if that’s really the problem, but its a very worrying sign if El Capitan is coming to the season in less than top-shape.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Oct 17, 2010 9:08 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I wonder how much the smoke in Moscow hurt his cardiovascular training, because he certainly trained. Or perhaps it was the different training regimes and training coach?
Alright, confess-how many goals are you going to make this year?
"I'm not going to tell!"
Well can you at least guarantee fifty?
"No way. I have a different objective. To win."
by capsyoungguns on Oct 17, 2010 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Well going out hasn’t hurt him in past summers. So I asked myself what was different this past summer than in previous ones.
Bottom line we don’t really know for sure how he organizes his life during his off-season, but there were just as many images of him training as there were of him at party events held by his many friends.
Alright, confess-how many goals are you going to make this year?
"I'm not going to tell!"
Well can you at least guarantee fifty?
"No way. I have a different objective. To win."
by capsyoungguns on Oct 17, 2010 10:17 AM EDT up reply actions
He’s older now though, 25 is about the age where that shit can start to catch up to you.
Aim for the head baby Jesus
He said himself he went out everynight. I’m not surmising it from pictures. (Although actually I saw lots of pictures of him going out and very few of him working out.)
He says a lot of things in jest. And he also said that he starts training hard in August in preparation for the upcoming season.
Sorry I don’t believe he does the Lindsay Lohan partying hard thing to 5:00 a.m. every night. I do believe he’s a social guy with a wide circle of friends and a lot of the pictures we saw we of him were at large events, such as the baptism.
Moreover going out every night does not mean overindulging every night. I will agree that perhaps now at 25 his body will not be able to do what it could at 18, but as an athlete I do believe he knows his body well and will adjust.
I’m not particularly concerned. If he’s doing the Wellwood diet but is already getting on top of the pack in terms of points and goals without his having a fabulous game yet, then OMG he really is a android.
Meh to tthe whole topic anyway. It’s easy to say he didn’t or did train enough because we can never prove or disprove it—unless one of you at Japers’ is his BFF in Moscow. If so let us know so that we can all stop hypothesizing.
Alright, confess-how many goals are you going to make this year?
"I'm not going to tell!"
Well can you at least guarantee fifty?
"No way. I have a different objective. To win."
by capsyoungguns on Oct 17, 2010 6:52 PM EDT up reply actions
If AO is out of shape then I’m fucking pissed. Was the only work out he did the rope exercise for the commercial? He has no reason not to be in peak shape to start the season, and it’s just another sign that he isn’t ready to lead the team to a Cup. Of course, if he is in shape then scratch all that.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Maybe Kovalchuk’s trainer isn’t the right trainer for Ovie. Ovie’s previous trainer was a marathon runner and prepped him for the long haul.
(Yes, I know about the avatar hounding - just pretend mine is invisible.)
I would dearly hope that Ovie wouldn’t be training for a hockey season the way he’d train for a marathon.
Moreover, just from looking at him, I doubt that he did.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
The workout was tailored for hockey players, but also increased stamina. Ovie had a lot of stamina the past two years and I think that is due in part to his previous trainer. That trainer is now working for the St. Petersburg team.
(Yes, I know about the avatar hounding - just pretend mine is invisible.)
Post home edition (in DC anyhow) doesn’t have a gamer because the game was too late. What’d it end, 10:30?
I don’t get the paper delivered anyhow, but that’s ridiculous. They pay to send a reporter to Nashville but don’t have a story for their best customers?
"This guy is an android. He's not human....Oh my goodness."
by Sam DC on Oct 17, 2010 8:19 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Thanks for that news; I haven’t brought my paper in yet. 10:30 is probably pushing it for anyone to get a story in by deadline for the early editions. When I didn’t see anything online before I went to bed, I figured it missed. I think it’s a matter of how early the deadline has to be in a time where everything in the newspaper business has been cut back and there are less facilities to print and deliver the paper.
"It's always good to have vikings."
I’ve get to run to 7-11 to get a copy. Wonder if it will be in there.
Pledge Drive 2010-2011: SO KIDS CAN!! Help build a playground
I just read the recap on NHL.com
And there wasn’t a single word about Neuvirth’s outstanding performance. His name only appears twice – once in a tame-ish sentence about blocking Sullivan, and once when the point was deflected in off Fahye’s skate.
Not a word from BB or any of the guys.
There's always more to learn about Hockey.
There was only 1 BB quote, and two other short quotes from Caps. I’m sure if they were asked about it, Neuvy gets tons of credit. Crappy reporting by NHL.com there.
Never underrate the power of the hissy-cow.
But I wonder – to what extent are we seeing a different team to 09-10? We may need to adjust our expectations and presumptions about this team. This is not the 09-10 Caps, despite the basic personnel continuity.
The expectations are the same as they ever were. This year the Caps may not be all the same personnel, but it’s hard to see much of a difference in their play from last year for large parts of their games so far (back on their heels in the first period, then overcoming deficits). As the commercial goes, questions will be come answers. Unfortunately, answers won’t come until April.
Wow, I didn’t see the three stars until just now. I am stunned – STUNNED – that Laich got the #1 star over Neuvirth. A deflection goal in OT is nice, but it doesn’t erase an otherwise lackluster game by 21 or the fact that Neuvy was the team tonight.
Not that it matters, of course…we all know who the #1 star was. Just amazed that the media got it so very wrong.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
I’m completely with you on this. That kid deserves first star and the hardhat, though I’ll bet he didn’t get that either, the way things seem to have shaken out.
There's always more to learn about Hockey.
He had the hardhat from the previous game, I’m pretty sure. You can’t award it to yourself.
"It's always good to have vikings."
Scoring chances
Schultz was a beast tonight, again. I actually have Tyler Sloan playing a pretty serviceable game by the chances, although I don’t know if he was culpable on the Tootoo goal he allowed while he was on the ice.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Oct 17, 2010 3:50 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Great stuff. Really makes Alzner and Schultz look good considering how much ice they got and who they had to play against. Nice to see Alzner with a competent partner, and oddly enough his numbers look better. Clearly, that goes both ways, but it at least confirms (to me) that Alzner isn’t the guy dragging down his D pair. Sloan being + doesn’t seem right.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
He’s barely minus in Corsi and Fenwick, but didn’t play much against the good lines head-to-head and got 0 defensive zone starts against 3 neutral zone starts and 6 offensive zone starts; he was okay because the forwards generated chances and Boudreau literally never put him out in the D zone.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Oct 17, 2010 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Just saw the replay, definitely culpable.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Oct 18, 2010 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Alex Ovechkin had…well, let’s call it an uneven performance. Turnovers and sloppy play abounded, but there were flashes of good among the less-than-good, including a big hit on Suter about midway through the second that seemed to – temporarily, at least – wake up his line and his team. Leadership, baby…even when it comes in spurts.
Not buying the last sentence. This was not a “leadership” performance. Leadership isn’t sporadic. It doesn’t come when you feel like it. It’s not lazy, selfish, or disinterested. I was thoroughly disappointed with AO’s lack of leadership today. He may be the Cap who I am most disappointed with after this game. I expected the crap D to get dominated, I didn’t expect AO to come out like he did.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Oct 17, 2010 4:13 PM EDT reply actions 4 recs
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