Recap: Hurricanes 4, Caps 3 (OT)
by Becca H on Mar 18, 2010 10:57 PM EDT
in Game Recaps
205 comments
[AP Recap - GameCenter - Game Summary - Event Summary]
The Capitals should really be grateful that the Hurricanes started the season with such a whimper. If Carolina had been stronger out of the gate, they'd be battling for that coveted #8 spot - and setting themselves up for what would have been an extremely tough first round matchup for the Caps. Because regardless of the standings, Carolina has always proven to be a tough opponent for the Caps, and tonight was no exception.
Ten more notes on the game:
- Joe Corvo's pair of goals in the second gives all three of the new Caps at least one goal since arriving in DC two weeks ago; in the eight games since the deadline they've combined for five goals and six assists. According to @washcaps, that's the 24th time this season the Caps have had someone score twice in the same period - and makes this multi-goal game #50 on the year.
- What the Caps have lacked in penalty killing ability this year, they've often made up for with disciplined play - in fact, they're one of the least penalized teams in the League. That wasn't the case tonight, however, as they were whistled for five infractions (including one slightly BS goaltender interference call) and found themselves shorthanded four times, including a lengthy five-on-three that resulted in Carolina's only power play goal.
- About that lone power play strike - some would want to pin the goal on Tom Poti's stick being nowhere near any of the attackers in red. Others put the blame on Matt Bradley failing to clear the zone. I choose to do a little of both, while also grudgingly giving some credit to Eric Staal for finishing off a pretty decent play.
- Speaking of less evil Erics, Eric Fehr's 20th goal of the season couldn't have come at a better time, as he struck with just under ten seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. It wasn't the prettiest shot in the world, but it counted. It also gave the Caps seven 20-goal scorers on the year so far - no other team has more than five (Vancouver).
- With Alex Ovechkin out of the lineup, the top line generally seems to be missing a bit of a spark, an energy that Tomas Fleischmann simply can't replicate. Tonight, however, the spark on that line came courtesy of Nicklas Backstrom, who had a monster of a night. He only registered one shot on goal but picked up two assists, won 75% of his 16 faceoffs and led the team with four (!) hits.
- All eyes have been on Semyon Varlamov's progression in net since returning from injury, and he does seem to get better each game. But while he was lights out for most of the night and made some huge saves, he also let in a very stoppable shot for Carolina's second goal and gave up an absolutely awful dribbler in overtime. He's still a work in progress...and Theo is still your #1 for another night.
- Jason Chimera seemed to have everything going tonight except his timing; his speed led to a few breakaway chances and he continued to have great chemistry with Eric Fehr and Brendan Morrison, but it just wasn't connecting for big #25 tonight.
- This Caps team can seemingly score at will, is filled with great skaters, has tremendous playmakers up and down the roster...so with all that speed and all the open ice available in which to use it, why are they so [Franceschetti]-ing awful 4-on-4?? 'Tis a puzzlement indeed.
- Going one for three with the extra man is nothing to sneeze at; still, it certainly felt like the Caps could have struck on all of their power play chances tonight the way they were buzzing. Once they got set up in the zone they were nearly impossible to push back out, and executed several power play passing clinics that were pretty to watch - even if they never found the back of the net.
- Wait, Jeff Schultz was a -1? Is that legal?
Game highlights:
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Is Fehrsie your heart of the game?
If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
Always and forever…or at least until Brooksie decides to be awesome again.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
Man just needs some shoot-out moves to pull on his breakaways
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 18, 2010 11:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Hey Corvo, you need to change your sweater
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
This shot made it all the way to postgame. Thanks CSN!
Только игра! Почему надо быть сумасшедшим?
FЯEE ALEX
Caps Snaps - Washington Capitals Photography
by cobracg on Mar 18, 2010 11:00 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Sorry…Staal and all…
Dave's a killer...Dave's a mess...
by MassCapsFan on Mar 18, 2010 11:11 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s just quality photojournalism, from the Research Rec’tangle.
by redlineblue on Mar 18, 2010 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions
I keep wondering how different the game would have gone if we hadn’t had the “Too many men on the ice” call and then Green’s goal would have counted and we would have been up 2-0 and it would have been a much different game.
Sigh! I felt that penalty (and the subsequent one that resulted in the 5 on 3 were the momentum changer for the game.) Still, all in all, it could have been much worse. You’re pretty much screwed when it’s an extended 5 on 3 PK.
Rocking the Red since 1975
I think that “too many men” call was a little bogus, too. Boudreau clearly thought the guys were close enough to the bench to send the others out.. We could have killed one, but the 5-on-3 was brutal. Especially on such a bad penalty.
Blog: I Rock the Red
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 18, 2010 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions
They checked for blood, but I wasn’t seeing a whole lot of it… I wonder how much blood you need before you can call a double minor for high-sticking…
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 18, 2010 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
I swear it was a call that was meant to make the Eastern Conference race just a little more interesting.
Rocking the Red since 1975
Bright side? Our Magic Number drops to 10.
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 18, 2010 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions
The too many men call was the right one, and here is why. The player leaving the ice was close enough to Green when he took the puck so as to influence the play of the defender.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Mar 19, 2010 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Fair enough.
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 19, 2010 12:11 AM EDT up reply actions
Pretty bad Ref night, I’d have to say, given a couple of non-calls (one which directly led to the game winner, poor D coverage or no), and a ridiculous penalty or two.
I mean, it doesn’t matter, but it’s frustrating to lose because of stupid shit like that.
by DrinkingPartner on Mar 18, 2010 11:03 PM EDT reply actions
And with that, I’m off to catch up on sleep. Tomorrow, y’all.
by DrinkingPartner on Mar 18, 2010 11:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Dont gooo!
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 18, 2010 11:10 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m with you on the bad / non-calls.
That goaltender interference call was utter bullshit. He was blatantly pushed, and:
If an attacking player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by a defending player so as to cause him to come into contact with the goalkeeper, such contact will not be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, provided the attacking player
has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 18, 2010 11:10 PM EDT up reply actions
no, that’s clearly a good hockey play. Or perhaps a little senior citizen on senior citizen violence.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
Heh.
Oh, yeah. I totally see why the referees called that right then and there… totally. He’s SO interfering with the goalie… bastard.
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 18, 2010 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions
the Caps are the dirtiest team in hockey!
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
GO FLYERZ!!!
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 18, 2010 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Just following the leadership of their Captain.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
how about the non-call tripping penalty in OT on Morrison, i beleive. Not 15 seconds later its game over. . .
just an inconsistent night from the zebras imo
Nothing.
It was Backstrom. That’s a PIM in the first period. Ridiculous.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 19, 2010 12:23 AM EDT up reply actions
That’s a PIM no matter what the damn situation is. I’m still hopping mad this AM. I missed a good part of the game because of DVR conflicts, but the parts I saw were awful. Seemed like the ref’s were in OT Playoff mode the whole time.
Memo to the league. Sometimes calls are made for you. There is NO LEGAL WAY to slow down or bring someone to the ice when you are behind them without getting the puck. You don’t have to feel bad for making that call, the player did it for you.
It’s a poster for the 2010 season of the Bolshoi…
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Mar 19, 2010 12:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Ugh. That call’s been screwed up so many ways Lindsay Lohan snarks it. I knew right away who was going to sit, and not because of what transpired.
by redlineblue on Mar 18, 2010 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions
No mention of Green deciding to spare Boychuk’s life?
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 18, 2010 11:07 PM EDT reply actions
Eh. I get ten bullet points in which to discuss the game, I didn’t feel the need to waste one on the Little Hit that Wasn’t.
But since you bring it up…hey, how about Green deciding to spare Boychuk’s life?
I thought it was interesting in light of recent NHL drama. It also shows he’s not clueless on the ice. He was clearly thinking about the repercussions. Good for him, though I wish he would have gone shoulder on shoulder and pasted Boychuk cleanly instead of a warning shot. Boychuk and whoever passed him that puck deserved a stronger reminder. That would have been cleaner than Cooke or Richards, but I’m glad they didn’t have to break out the stretcher again. Stevens would have killed Boychuk, but good on Green for showing some class.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 18, 2010 11:16 PM EDT up reply actions
No, you’re right – he definitely appeared to think that one through, which is fantastic, although I agree with you that a nice, clean, bone-crushing shoulder check would have been equally nice.
But he probably would have gotten suspended if he had done a bone crushing hit, especially if the hit caused injury. That would make him a repeat offender.
Rocking the Red since 1975
Nah, as far as I know bodychecking is still allowed in hockey. He had him lined up cleanly, definitely good have done some damage – as long as those elbows stay down and the feet stay on the ice, everything’s kosher.
You gotta give Campbell and the Commish a call before every hit just to make sure…the definition of “suspendable offense” changes every minute
Suspend Colin Campbell!
Was the play near the slot? cause then i saw it, and Green could have knocked him into next season
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 18, 2010 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Just as Boychuk was crossing the blueline entering the zone. Right before the first TV timeout in the 3rd period. Joe B makes passing mention of it but they never went back to it.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 18, 2010 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Nah didnt see it >.<
Good for Green though, we need to save our hits for Downie
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 18, 2010 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I’d like to say thank you Eric Fehr for salvaging a point and a bit of the misery of DC for tonight. Blowing a 3rd period lead and watching the implosion of the Georgetown Hoyas and the rest of the Big East were awful. Thankfully the Nats weren’t playing as I’m sure Zimmerman and Strasburg would have found a way to get injured.
erskine has scored...now i can die in peace
He’s on teh Twitterz 2nite, you could send him some love.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
From my vantage point, the struggles 4 on 4 come when they press too hard. The D press, and with that one less forward to cover, there goes all defensive attention. Keep it simple, they can cycle with a 2 men down on the half wall, get the puck out to the blueline, get a shot away. No muss, no fuss.
The struggles 4 on 4 are because they change lines like it’s 5 on 5 but forget that they need to support first, then change. I’m tired of seeing the 3rd man in for the opposition have free, open ice because someone called for a change and a fwd is racing from the bench to try to cover. It’s OK to ignore the bench in that situation. Get the puck deep and change then. Not when the rush is coming.
the only things i liked about that game were Chimera’s rocket skates and Eric Fehr’s goal to force OT. other than that the night was full of meh
Yes they were, and the more so for coming against his former team. I was sorry we couldn’t get him the win to go with them.
I thought Fehr’s 20th was sweet, too.
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 18, 2010 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Locker’s hat?
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 18, 2010 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions
OMG.
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 18, 2010 11:16 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Because Locker wanted to show us all his St. Patrick’s Day finery a day late? I dunno!
Blog: I Rock the Red
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 18, 2010 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Looks like he just fell off a box of Lucky Charms, doesn’t he?
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Mar 19, 2010 12:03 AM EDT up reply actions
I doubt there’s anything magically delicious there (although the food at RBC Center makes the VC food look really awful…)
Let's go Caps!
that’s because VC food IS awful
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
I think our 4 on 4 sucks because the defense somehow plays worse even though they dont have less defensemen. . .( i know that isnt correct logic)
The offense, though, played rly well with the 4-4. THey got a ton of chances, and we very close to ending it 3 or so times
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
[Varlamov] also let in a very stoppable shot for Carolina’s second goal and gave up an absolutely awful dribbler in overtime.
Sometimes, the goalie just HAS to make the save.
Blog: I Rock the Red
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He does. In fact, it almost seems like Varly and Theo have switched roles – remember when we’d talk about how Theo would make some huge flashy stops but fail to stop the ones the team needed him to stop?
In short, right now Theo is stealing games – or at least making the saves he has to make – and Varly is simply not.
YES.
I hope by the time playoffs roll around, Varly will have found his groove again… he’s SO close… but then… plop. Goal.
Blog: I Rock the Red
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 18, 2010 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I think Varly starting the playoffs is almost a pipe dream at this point. The crease is Theo’s to lose.
I am comfortable with Theo right now lol. . .
He has proven that he can be depended on. He’s like what, 13-0-3?
I would like to see him get a shut out against NJ or the Pens
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 18, 2010 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions
I think Theo was worse at this point last year. Still, it seems like Varly will be great for two period and then…….. disaster strikes.
Rocking the Red since 1975
I think at this point I’m be more comfortable with Neuvirth than Varly. Not many shots against in this game either.
Except that Neuvirth has not been playing well since his injury either. He got hurt against the Habs. Then was sent down to Hershey before the break and wasn’t well enough to play then. And then he hasn’t been wonderful since. I would go to a game (or watch a game at home), be mad at Varly and then learn that Neuvirth would do as badly, if not worse at Hershey. So I would not be more comfortable with the current version of Neuvy. The pre-injury version of Neuvy, certainly, but not the injured version.
Wonder if Holtby is our goalie of the future? But know that he’s not ready to be an NHL playoff goalie yet. He would be better served by Calder Cup experience.
Rocking the Red since 1975
Watch carefully the game next Wednesday… it would normally be Varlamov’s turn. If Theodore is in net, Boudreau has made his choice.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Mar 19, 2010 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions
Trust me, it WILL be Theo in goal vs Pitt. Otherwise, add 1 to Pitsburgh’s win total.
Rocking the Red since 1975
Yeah, I’m not so sure that the Pittsbrgh game will be the litmus test on Theo vs Varly. Bruce just hates losing to the Pens and right now Theo is his best shot to win. Saying that, it would take some serious flopping by Jose for him to lose the #1 spot come the playoffs, but Varly still needs at least 4 or 5 more starts before the regular season ends.
Theo played in both previous wins against the Pens.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
If I were BB, I’d give Varly a bit more work down the stretch just to get him ready. If we sit him the rest of the way and Theo has a repeat of game 1 from last year, what do we do? Theo knows he’s the guy right now. It’s not going to hurt him to let Varly get a little practice. Afterall, that’s what all these games are from here on out. Practice.
He absolutely HAS to make that stop. It’s inexcusable to let in 3 goals in the span of 25 minutes late in a close game. Can we send him down to Hershey for a few games until he figures his shit out? Is that even allowed at this point in the season? Am I being too drastic?
DC Landing Strip - Waxed and Ready to Go
Yes, you and everyone are being drastic, or just over-dramatic. “Inexcusable” has nothing to do with anything – when you give up quality chances against you they’ll go in sometimes. And when you get a bunch sometimes they don’t go in (like us tonight). Was it inexcusable we didn’t get a third goal or more than six shots on goal in the first 19 minutes of the 3rd period?
I was waiting to hear about the defensive inquisition based on Flash getting lost on the 2nd goal, Belanger pinching on the 3rd, and Green+Schultz ignoring Whitney for #4.
And Becca, to call the 4th goal “absolutely awful” is a joke. If he never touched it and it went in clean there wouldn’t be any mention about how he should have stopped a blast from the slot to the top of the net.
The goalies are too much under pressure. Everyone wants to see them to play in every game like in stanley cup finals, but nobody can play that way hole season. Varly was good, he wasnt outstanding, but its fine by me. You have to lower your expectations. He is not fully recovered and he should get more practice, so we have two hot goalies in the playoffs.
it just feels like they hand it out after every game because they win all the freakin’ time.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
Makes me sick.
Plus all those wings, geez.
by redlineblue on Mar 18, 2010 11:41 PM EDT up reply actions
they’ve only lost in regulation 14 times, by far the least in the East. Only San Jose and Chicago have also lost less than 20 times in regulation (16 and 19, respectively). The Caps points percentage is nearly 40 percentage points higher than second-place San Jose, .732 to .696.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
What’s our percentage if we count the OT losses as losses? Although I’m sure it’s still higher than San Jose’s percentage?
Rocking the Red since 1975
WSH: 66.2%
SJS: 62.3%
CHI: 63.8%
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
It was a good game. . Refs blew nuts. . .Offense was generating a TONNN of chances. . .
Flash played a good game, just needs to finish. When he starts finishing, we will have a lot more goals.
Fehr continues to earn his ice time (if only) and bigger portions of my heart
Backstrom did his usual "Jesus" stuff. Making ridiculous passes with out looking, skating through an entire defense, making bitches look stupid, babies cry, then smile cause they realize they were just blessed. You know, the normal stuff.
Knuble played well, generated alot of chances in his office, got knicked for some rly bad offsides calls (1 or 2) and had a bad holding penalty.
Belanger showed that he is a good fit for the team, but should not be on the PP, but we knew that. . .and i bet he did too.
Corvo is getting his game. . .or maybe just trying to show off his new girlfriend to his ex.
Green showed us what Yzerman saw. . .but not rly, cause he’s still better than Seabrook and Campbell and Weber
Varlamov tended a good goal, but got left out to dry by the team a few times. . .should have stopped that last one (/snark). Still Theo’s to lose.
Carlson had another great game, nothing bad, only good things. What a man.
Laich looked snakebit, but moved the puck very, very well
Chimera earned hours and hours and hours of shoot out drills. Man’s got rocket fuel in his veins. . .but also has snakey venom
This game #neededmoreOvie in so many words
And
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
Have some Pie
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 18, 2010 11:16 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Oh
I totally blame the Wicked Witch of the West for this one. She put a spell on… oh – that’s not what that says… Stupid small font!
Blog: I Rock the Red
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 18, 2010 11:17 PM EDT up reply actions
hah, sry i couldnt put it in bigger font. . .but that was what i was going for, just the Whitney version
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 18, 2010 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions
LOLZ. Yeah.
I do think it was a combination of all of the above…
Glad to see Crosby is being invisible. Ovi can come back next game and take back the lead in the goal scoring race.
Ovi = Russian Rocket!
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 18, 2010 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions
heck to the yes, neither did Marly or Stamkos
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 18, 2010 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions
And Backstrom is now in 3rd with 87 points, catching up with Crosby, and 3rd in assists with 58. He’s going to sneak his way to the top, that Mean Lars.
by capsyoungguns on Mar 18, 2010 11:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Spiteful Pie, with a bit of nutmeg
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 18, 2010 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Carlson looked liked just another top6 D. Nick had two Ugly giveaways to mitigate all that Meanness. I wish Green had thumped Boychuk: neither headhunting nor grazing is called for.
So: Fehr says he brings clutch goals with him? Man’s got a point.
Fehr has beaten the crap out of my skepticism this year, which I’m sure means a really lot to him. I didn’t catch on quickly to how good his D is , so when his O was sputtering (for his entire 11 TOI) I hardly saw him at all. Mistake.
by redlineblue on Mar 18, 2010 11:33 PM EDT up reply actions
A couple quick thoughts:
Taking Tom Poti off the PK would be an interesting experiment. At his age, does he have to be taught to take away the passing lane with his stick? He’s done that too many times. Time to try something else.
Yes he had a good run last year, yes he played well for stretches, but has Varly done enough personally to keep neuvirth in Hershey? sure, he was undefeated for a while before 3 months of ir, but some of those games were high scoring affairs. I’d like to see Neuvirth again.
No reason to split up 24-39-10. I like that line.
by The Jade Donkey on Mar 18, 2010 11:20 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
We have a limited number of non-emergency callups, and Neuvirth is the #1 goalie in Hershey right now. Because of the Bears’ roster being fixed, we can’t swap them easily unless Varlamov is injured again.
Blog: I Rock the Red
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 18, 2010 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Or until after the playoffs have begun.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
Isn’t there some sort of restriction on bringing up Bears while the Calder Cup playoffs are going on, too…?
Blog: I Rock the Red
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 18, 2010 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Even though Neuvy hasn’t really played all that well at Hershey as of late. It seems that he and Holtby have been alternating starts.
Rocking the Red since 1975
I haven’t made it up there in a WHILE. Considering going Sunday…
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 18, 2010 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s almost as if the Caps may win the President’s Trophy by default since San Jose and Chicago can’t seem to get their act together. And neither can Buffalo or NJ. PItt has played no better than the Caps as of late. Granted Pitt won tonight and we didn’t but this is the trend of the last 10 games.
Rocking the Red since 1975
We’re losing a few more games than usual. . .but it’s all these teams playing for play-off life.
And the SE is hottest divisions in this last 1/4 of the season, and that doesn’t help
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 18, 2010 11:51 PM EDT up reply actions
At least our “bad” percentage in the last 10 games is .600. And that’s counting the 3 OT losses as losses and not accounting for the Bettman points.
Rocking the Red since 1975
6-1-3 kinda sux, but yeah alot of those were OT heartbreaks.
i need play-off validation
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 19, 2010 12:00 AM EDT up reply actions
We’ve had too many of those. And too many late 3rd period heartbreakers throughout the year.
Rocking the Red since 1975
Meh, I am ok with out OT record. Hopefully we don’t have OT games at all, cause that is too close to losing for me.
Don’t they go 5 on 5 OT in the POs?
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 19, 2010 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions
Yes, they do. And no shootouts. (Of course, the Caps have a terrible track record in losing OT games in the playoffs.)
Rocking the Red since 1975
I think we’ll be good in OT this year for the POs.
We are the best 5 on 5 team in the league, so i think that will help
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 19, 2010 12:24 AM EDT up reply actions
point wise, I believe 6-1-3 still makes the Caps to top team over the last ten games, believe it or not.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
give me a .600 winning percentage through 4 rounds of playoffs!
erskine has scored...now i can die in peace
by souldrummer on Mar 19, 2010 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions
Lower percentage than Montreal. But I don’t think they’re that great of a team. Do you? (I don’t really care for their mode of operation. They essentially let most of their key players walk after last season. I will admit they did better than I expected. Or are they in the playoff hunt because there are so many bad teams in the East?)
Rocking the Red since 1975
no, Montreal in their last ten is 7-3-0, for 14 points. caps are 6-1-3, for 15 points.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
hah, that is great.
Montreal looks like they will be in a good spot for the play-offs
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 19, 2010 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions
We get more points than Montreal as of late due to Bettman points, even though Montreal has won more lately.
Rocking the Red since 1975
give us some credit. if ot was 5 on 5 we wouldn’t need as many bettman points. Points is points!
erskine has scored...now i can die in peace
I feel like if I had a dollar for every game the Caps lost this year where they should have won, I’d be a rich woman.
(All right, all right, you can’t win ’em all. Still if they had won at least half of them…….)
Yes, this is the team who we feel like is underachieving when they’re having a really good season. (I’m sure fans of other winning teams have said the same thing about their teams, too.)
Rocking the Red since 1975
I think perhaps overly critical on Varly, something which is good and bad. A 5 on 3 goal and then 2 goals with the shooter all alone to walk in on much more difficult than one would expect, and a breakaway goal on 4 on 4(which indeed is a point on contention) He had some dynamite saves. I can’t help but feel that Varly is close to being back on point. Though Theo is still playing great so he has to be Varly-vs-Rags great to try for that no1.
Back to the 4 on 4…The team really should excel at it with all its speed and skill but this is were their offensive “run and gun” style takes harsh criticism. The OT goal was the point man jumping in on the play when he should of backed up because he was beaten to the puck it lead to a clear breakaway. The other 4 on 4 goal? Missed assignment. It has the bearings of perhaps not enough practice, and perhaps a young team not defensively aware enough to keep up with their own pace on the back end.
Nothing.
You’re right, in that the defensive breakdowns were more responsible for our loss than Varly but it still seems like his stamina is just not there.
Rocking the Red since 1975
yea his focus is being questioned right now. He still can make great saves and his glove work as come along, again, but I don’t deny hes not playing 60 minutes yet.
But my Varly lobby will never yield!
Nothing.
I want the old, pre-injury Varly back. (I’ll admit I’ve also been the leading Holtby lobbyist too.)
Rocking the Red since 1975
He’ll be rdy soon, and he could be an amazing goalie for the Caps. Just gotta wait and see
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 19, 2010 12:13 AM EDT up reply actions
11 goals allowed… worst in the league.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Mar 19, 2010 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions
Caps have played 9 games in the last 15 days, and every other night for the entire month so far, except March 3 & 4, which were back-to-back.
/yes I know the other teams are playing hard too.
//also, the Ovie sideshow takes time and energy to deal with
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
Hmm, did not know that, can definitely explain some of the tiresome play
However, that’s what we’re gonna have to do in the POs
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 18, 2010 11:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Of those 9 games, we won 4 outright and outscored our opponents 17-8.
One regulation loss. By one goal.
We got 2 wins in OT, one loss in OT, one Gimmick loss. By definition, these are all one-goal losses.
We’ve also had to integrate 2 new forwards and a new D-man, sit players that have done nothing to earn a scratch, and mix up previously solid lines.
And did I mention the Ovechkin sideshow?
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
In otherwords, doing a wholeee lot better than our record would reflect.
But like i said, i am just so nervous for the POs right now.
That’s what we have considered all of the teams mistakes for, thats why we critque day and night. Only 4 weeks away
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 19, 2010 12:12 AM EDT up reply actions
On The Fly just asserted that “The Caps are last defensively.” Um, wanna give us something to back that up? Because I count 13 teams that have given up more goals, 22 teams that give up more goals on 5-on-5 play, 12 teams that give up more shots per game, they lead the league in win percentage when being outshot, and, yes, there are still 6 teams out there with a PK worse than Washington.
So, how, exactly are they last defensively?
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
They see that all the top teams are falling in stock. ChiTown, SJS, Pitt (a little bit), NJ (Brodeur rly), Buffalo (lol), and Ottawa (like a rock). Gotta try to bring us down with them
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 19, 2010 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions
Who’s chances are they boosting? Do they really think that Montreal will go all the way to the SC finals? By default. Since the Flyers (with no good goal tenders to speak of) and the Bruins (with no offense to speak of) are certainly not going anywhere.
Or do they figure that Phoenix or Vancouver or Detroit or Colorado will win the SC?
Rocking the Red since 1975
No idea. Maybe they want Pitt to bounce back?
I have no idea whats gonna happen in the West either. . .any team can come out of their
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 19, 2010 12:14 AM EDT up reply actions
their ladder
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 19, 2010 12:14 AM EDT up reply actions
I do NOT want Pitt to bounce back. (If Pittsburgh gets dumped in the playoffs before the SC Finals, I plan to attend a game of that particular Eastern Conference team and plan to root FOR that team. I will, of course, strategically pick the opponent to be a team I would root against)
Rocking the Red since 1975
Believe me, I don’t want them to either.
The only way i can see them really stepping up their game, is if Malkin shakes off his foot injury, Crosby gets hot again, and MAF stands on his head. . .dont see all of that happening.
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 19, 2010 12:51 AM EDT up reply actions
and if I did my math right, the average +/- for all guys who have suited up as a caps D this season is +12. just a straightforward add it all up and divide by number of players. +12.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
Which # of players? The number dressed per team per game or the number on the roster?
Rocking the Red since 1975
took it from this nhl.com page. added up the +/- of anyone with a “D” next to their name, and then divided by 12 (I think I counted 12)
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
On The Fly just asserted that "The Caps are last defensively."
That’s Steve Weekes and Dave Reid’s mantra. Win or lose, they stink defensively. Blah, blah, blah. Yet you never hear them say the same thing about the Pens who have allowed the same amount of goals. Until Alex is holding the Cup over his head, it won’t change.
I’m sure even after the Caps hoist the Cup, it’ll be “they got lucky, no way they could win with that defense again”
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
That and if they didn’t play in such a crappy division, they wouldn’t have the extra wins from home ice advantage.
Even atheists believe in Matt Wieters
Unfortunately, that is true. As for the Pens, they’ll say “The Pens know how to turn it on”.
Rocking the Red since 1975
Listen, I really care not what they say as long as they say it at the parade.
erskine has scored...now i can die in peace
by souldrummer on Mar 19, 2010 12:23 AM EDT up reply actions
ok, upon a second viewing, maybe they said “lax” not “last.” but still. Utter crap. and spare me this “defense wins championships” bull. in the post-lockout NHL, Steinberg, of all people, pretty well debunked that one!
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
Where’s Ovechwin? I got a stat about her boyfriend that will make her smile like she just got a glimpse of Neuvy’s shar-pei puppy
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
I’m packing for Toronto and stuff, but ooh tell me! tell me!
If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
of all Washington skaters who have taken a faceoff this season, Tyler Sloan leads the club with a 66.7% :)
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
And what a 3 faceoffs they were! You would expect that Ovechwin would have a photographic memory of any time Sloan assumed the faceoff position.
erskine has scored...now i can die in peace
by souldrummer on Mar 19, 2010 12:24 AM EDT up reply actions
shhhhhhhhhhhhh! I wasn’t going to mention that it was only 3 attempts!
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
Yea, but those were like the most important face-offs ever
If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
totally.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
Thanks for feeding my delusion :P
If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
no problem!
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
T-Slo is your go-to guy when the team needs to make the magic happen.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
True Sportsmanship
Who says players don’t respect each other? Recognizing the injustice of suspending Ovechkin, both Crosby and Stamkos refused to score a goal for the last two games and Henrik Sundin would only allow himself one assist during Alex’s unfair hiatus.
by b.orr4 on Mar 19, 2010 12:38 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Winner, winner, chicken dinner
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 19, 2010 12:52 AM EDT up reply actions
Bwahahahahahaha!
Rec’d for making me giggle like a madman!
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
with regards to the poti/stick placement incident. I think it was the tampa game, where the exact same situation happened and the tampa announcers pointed out that the pass would not have been completed had his stick been in the passing lane. He needs to work on that/take up passing lanes instead of open space. I put that goal on him
I've often thought of becoming a golf club
by Caps Canadian Connection on Mar 19, 2010 12:54 AM EDT reply actions
I’m pretty sure it was the CHI game, but he may have done it against TBL as well.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 19, 2010 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I guess Schultz hasn’t been the same since the Olympic break? Or has it just been since the infamous game in Montreal that broke our winning streak?
Did that game just take the wind out of Schultz mentally?
Rocking the Red since 1975
interesting thing about our dear Schultzy. His shooting percentage in a game is either 0 or 100. nothing in between.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
Maybe we lost since Caps Nut predicted a win. The more confident he is of us winning, the worse we do. And vice versa.
Rocking the Red since 1975
interesting thing about our dear Schultzy. His shooting percentage in a game is either 0 or 100. nothing in between.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
oops, wrong spot for that reply!
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
Spirit and not the Letter
The NHL needs to clean up the “Too Many Men on the Ice Rule” (Rule 74) to cover the situation from last night. The rule specifically states what can cause a player who is within 5 feet of the bench to cause a call for Too Many Men:
The third paragraph of Section 74.1 states:
If in the course of making a substitution, either the player entering the game or the player (or goalkeeper) retiring from the ice surface plays the puck with his stick, skates or hands or who checks or makes any physical contact with an opposing player while either the player entering the game or the retiring player is actually on the ice, then the infraction of "too many men on the ice" will be called.
The player entering or leaving did no such thing. Green was playing the puck and no one was checking his defender. Yes, Green did use the man coming off as a pick to gain some clearance, but under the rule as it is written this is not illegal and should not have been called.
That said, the rules do allow officials some leeway in calling penalties and in this case, the spirit of the rule was violated, even if the letter of the rule was not. The NHL needs to tidy up this rule a bit to cover the situation last night and define it as illegal, which it should be.
Let's go Caps!
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington
|
82 | 54 | 15 | 13 | 121 |
|
Atlanta
|
82 | 35 | 34 | 13 | 83 |
|
Carolina
|
82 | 35 | 37 | 10 | 80 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
82 | 34 | 36 | 12 | 80 |
|
Florida
|
82 | 32 | 37 | 13 | 77 |
(updated 4.12.2010 at 9:21 AM EDT)
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