Recap: Ducks 2, Caps 1 (OT)

Looks like we played better, but any more traffic at the net toniite? One goal per 35+ shots doesn’t seems plausible night after night.

I said it after the Stars game, and I’ll say it again, when it’s even more fitting:

It’s games like this that keep me thinking "that could have been Ryan Fucking Getzlaf" whenever I see Fehr.

Chances

The Caps dominated this game.

Completely agree on Matty P. Love love loved him in Hershey (and still will when he comes back) but he absolutely needs to be better if he wants to hang around IMO. I noticed twice in a row (I believe on the PP?) in the offensive zone he was thrown out of faceoffs as well (not sure if that counts as a loss or not counted at all). So anyways, yeah agreed Perrault bullet.

I just got back from the game and have to disagree with David’s outlook on the game. This looked like a team that has little or no confidence in itself right now. They felt lifeless and like they were playing not to lose for most of the game rather than playing to win. Ovie continues to play like he’s thinking of something else. Boudreau was out-coached by Carlyle, who got to play the game he wanted. It was very depressing to be in the stands because it felt like the Caps have lost faith in themselves. Was this better than recent games? Yes. But when the bar has been set as low as the Rangers game, better just does not cut it.

Flash with the hattrick tonight.

I thought the Capitals certainly dominated right until Ovechkin hit the post. Then Anaheim got a PP goal. And then the Capitals just looked deflated again and didn’t really do much of, well, anything. No forecheck, no attitude, no great chances for the latter half of the game from where I was sitting.

It’s progress from the NYR game. Great. Win a fucking game. I’m sick of taking comfort in the shot totals.

I only caught the last 15 minutes of the game, but this was definitely one of their better efforts. After looking at the highlights, it seemed we had the lion’s share of quality scoring chances and missed them again. I do grow tired of BB’s use of the term “snake-bitten” though; the net is there the same way its always been. Also, I was highly disheartened by the effort on the last play, most notably by Scott Hannan. It seems he has been used multiple times on screens leading to goals against us; if other teams’ D-men can manage to not be used as screens against Ovechkin as is quite often the case now, why can’t you against inferior attackers?

This is getting old. BB is on the clock athough it’s obviously not all his fault. Guys are squeezing the titanium out of their sticks. Third dental appt in three days at 0800 so that’s it for me (appears that reality’s settling in on the Rink, btw). First day that the Caps didn’t make my tooth hurt worse; worries me that I’m in “que sera, sera” hyponitic state to avoid the pain.

Needed to detox a little and just watch the HBO special, which was pretty good I thought. Obviously was a dagger to see Getzlaf bury that goal…and I do agree that especially in the 3rd the guys looked more like they were playing not to lose and hoping for that one moment of brilliance or that bounce to go our way (so fucking deserved at this point).

It’s encouraging to see us make changes and have the guys execute them for the most part. Line matching (even on small scale), shorter shifts, less run and gun.

Ovie had Hiller owned, hit the pipe. Laich’s shot is on the line, cleared, that 2 on 1 that Knubs for whatever reason left a long drop pass to Green to make it a 3 on 1.5…I felt like they over-passed the shit out of it but in reality Backstrom has a layup and Hiller just sticks his stick out and is fortunate the shot hits it. Guys gripping their sticks too tight…it’s coming. That’s all I can say, it’s coming. The effort is there, we’re not getting rewarded for it and that’s what happens for losing streaks like this to keep going.

I’m encouraged if disappointed. It’s going to turn, and the things the players learn, and the things that Boudreau learns…may serve this organization really well going into April. We will see.

A little more luck and Hannan not going brain dead at two key moments of the game and they might’ve gotten the win. I don’t understand why he didn’t shoot on the first shift of the game, and I don’t understand why he didn’t immediately attack Getzlaf’s stick at the end of OT. Sure, Carlson lost him, but Hannan had enough time to recognize Getz was now his responsibility and to actually get to him, but instead, literally, stuck his stick between his legs and prayed that he’d block the shot.

The helpful guy behind me spent most of the time calling for Bruce’s head. When challenged on the replacement he said, “I DON’T CARE. FUCKING HITCHCOCK!” At that point, I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Then he said Bob Woods. Sure.

But the best was: “HIRE MICHEL THERRIEN. He at least gets his team to the Cup finals!” And then I lollerskates rolfcoptered away. But let the record show, I didn’t call anyone stupid.

I’m not even disappointed by the game. I’m a combination of numb and tired: I’m so tired of losing, but I’m having trouble remembering that they’re better than this.

So now “IwearStrips” has to wear a Crosby jersey at the Caps/Pens game next week. He’s the fan who vowed to wear that jersey if the Caps did not win any of the last 3 games in regulation. I feel really bad for him, to say the least.

offensively. They can’t score. The Caps go as Ovechkin goes, and let’s face it, he’s been pretty bad this year—or if you prefer, a shadow of the scoring superstar we’re used to seeing. There was a stretch a few weeks ago when Semin was on a hot steak and Backstrom was scoring, but overall the offense has been dreary—lackadaisical by and large. The defense is extremely inconsistent—and the GM, in my view, as botched the goalie situation as the Caps basically have two average—mediocre—goalies. The caps had a veteran goalie last year in Theodore, who played exceedingly well in the last half of last year. Boudreau treated theodore badly in the playoffs—didn’t even play him much— and then Varly gave up some soft goals in key spots against montreal, and now we hear talk that the Caps need a veteran goalie. Oh, my. I’m not optimistic at all that the Caps are suddenly going to become world beaters again. Hope I’m wrong.

Fleischmann got a hat-trick lol

Just because they played decent defense for one game, I don’t understand how that equals “Bruce hasn’t lost the room.”

Both goals were SOFT, especially that OT goal. He shook Carlson off like a rag and skated into the goal uncontested and took a shot. And, of course, they lost.

I am very encouraged by the shift length stat however…

Boudreau explained friends are texting him to urge Boudreau to skate his players in practice "until the puke because that’s what [legendary Team USA hockey coach Herb Brooks] did in ‘Miracle.’ "

I missed the first 15 or so minutes of 24/7 but after the Rags game I certainly would of been on board and volunteered to clean the ice if Gabby did this. Following this game not so much. But still there was a noticable change in the team after the Ducks scored, what does it take to get through to the players to get their shit in gear even when in the trenches sniffing mustard gas. They still need to be able to get up in a game and charge the enemy’s line, figuratively, and that’s if anything needs to be this years lesson to the team.

Just because we didn’t get shut out again doesn’t mean that the troubles are over or that the team has turned some kind of corner. We gave another game away because of lazy play after the 1st period and despondency after the first goal by the opposition. I’m just not seeing the effort that some are talking about. I know some are going to say I’m wrong, but that’s how I saw it.

And some want to celebrate because shift lengths are down? Professional athletes finally displaying the kind of discipline you find in pee wees is nothing to cheer about.

BB matching lines sounds to me like he has lost faith in his own system and personnel. He reached into his bag of tricks and came up empty. (Forgive me, I just watched 24/7 and came away completely unimpressed by our coach. And the team. Where is the energy and anger in that locker room? Where are the leaders among the players? I didn’t see any.)

It appears that some are taking solace in the fact that it was only a one goal loss, and that we didn’t lose in regulation.

All I know is that this isn’t Caps hockey. Not the kind I grew up watching. The compete level isn’t there. There isn’t a 60 minute effort from every player. Checks aren’t finished. Opponents don’t pay a price for being in our zone. If you saw 24/7, Dean Evason yelled at the team for not getting in people’s faces, not doing the dirty work, not responding to Ovi’s fight. He’s right. It’s just not there.

I’m still waiting to see the new skill-based style of Caps hockey come together with the hard-nosed, hard working Caps hockey of old. When it does it will be a wonder to behold, and an absolute juggernaut on the ice. I think that is what BB is trying to do this year, but I’m not sure he can.

Sorry we’re late… left after the OT goal, got down to the Shady Grove platform and had to wait, and wait, and wait for a train….about 20 minutes. There was a disabled train in front of the two primary trains to get folks home from the VC…

1) A much better effort from the Caps than we’ve seen for awhile. Good checking, great opportunities, tough defense. Everyone played well from top to bottom.

2) For a coach that says he doesn’t match lines, BB was sure matching lines a lot last night. Every time Carlyle sent out Perry-Getzlaf-Ryan, BB sent out Steckel-Laich-Bradley. Stecks was taking the draw, but in play Laich was playing the center position. They were effective to the point of scoring the Caps only goal. I do like that Bruce would also get Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble out.

3) To the idiot behind me claiming that the the shot that almost went and screaming for a review….the puck did touch the line but never went over. The replay on the jumbotron showed it never went in, and more importantly, the Caps didn’t argue the call at all. If the Caps thought it went in, they would have been all over the refs. Instead they played on.

4) The call on Knuble was the right call… he was going for the puck and got the man, tripping him… it happens. Tripping doesn’t require intent, just the action. But someone explain to me why there wasn’t a boarding penalty called when Erskine got rammed into the back wall with 2 1/2 minutes to go. The hit Erskine took is exactly the type of call the league was supposed to be cracking down on, right?

5) I would say they should check the posts and crossbars on the net Ovie hit on the breakaway, but that’s the net the opponent shoots at twice in the game, so if it’s a little small, I’m ok with that. (Yes, I am wearing my tinfoil hat, why do you ask?)

So the streak as has reached 7 games… this is not good. The schedule isn’t doing the Caps any favors in that their next games are back to back roadies at Boston and Ottawa. Nothing like playing a game Sat. night, getting on a plane, flying to another city, going through customs, going to a hotel, getting 5 hours sleep, and then morning skate…

This thing has to end sometime…

Much more encouraging to see this team roll 2 lines all night and still come away with a point. They played better. Tried to win the right way, but I have to hope that the reason for rolling the lines the way bruce did was because of our overall team health, not because we were letting the ducks dictate play so much.

It took until the 2nd period for the linesman to FINALLY toss fat-ass’s fat ass out of the dot. He was goading Stecks into getting tossed all night and it took the linesman not dropping the puck to finally fix the situation. You’re the visitor, you put your damn stick in. If you don’t, you should get tossed. What I kept laughing at all night was when Stecks would get tossed, Brooksie would step in and win the draw anyway, so it wasn’t working in fat-ass’s favor.

Overall, Getz was awful in the dot last night. Only 33%. Now Getz is not a world beater in the dot by any stretch of the imagination.

Anyway, this is a start. We need to get over this holiday hump and get back to real work in January. And Nick needs to get back to being Nick. He’s seemed off most of the year and I’m starting to get concerned.