Recap: Hurricanes 3, Caps 2 (SO)
by Becca H on Mar 25, 2010 10:36 PM EDT
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Either the Capitals suffered a bit of a letdown after an emotionally-charged Penguins game that was "just another game"...or someone told them the game actually started at 8:30 tonight. Whatever the reasoning, the Caps simply didn't come to play early and it showed - they looked sluggish and unfocused early on, giving up two goals and sleepwalking through the first half of the game before turning it on.
And turn it on they did, with a third period attack that simply serves as a reminder of just how good this team can be. You know, when they want to.
That they failed to lock up the extra point in the shootout is disappointing, but not the end of the world. If anything it's somewhat of a relief that the historic 50th win of the season - which they will no doubt achieve sooner or later - didn't come as a result of a gimmick.
Ten more notes on the game:
- First and foremost, congratulations to John Carlson on his first career NHL goal. It took many a dented iron (and one teammate's dented face) but he finally found the back of the net, off a great effort to join the rush. It turned out to be a pretty big goal for the Caps, as well, as it tied up the game and eventually gave the Caps their 109th point of the season.
- We've talked about how Semyon Varlamov continues to improve with each outing, and this was no exception as Varly put together what was without a doubt his best performance since his injury. After being beaten by one shot that was screened and one that was deflected, Varlamov shut the door for the rest of the game. And yet there remains the one he should have stopped...the dribbler in the shootout. Tough break on an otherwise stellar night.
- Another night, another solid performance by Tyler Sloan - go figure. Of course, the less we see of a Green-Sloan duo on the blueline going forward, the better for all of us.
- It's hard to blame either Carolina goal on defensive breakdowns per se, although it would be great if John Erskine would avoid putting his 6'4", 220-pound frame right in Varlamov's sightline. The team as a whole played a decent defensive game, one that got better (like everything else) as the game progressed.
- Sometimes it's nice to just let the game flow, to watch end-to-end action - hockey at its purest. That's exactly what we got for long stretches in the third, as the refs put the whistles away, the icings and offsides drew to a halt, and the boys could just...play.
- It was awfully nice of Alexander Semin to get a goal back for the Caps after his early interference call in the first period put the Caps in a hole. Not the prettiest goal Semin will ever score, and Manny Legace certainly wants that one back, but it counts.
- Alex Ovechkin fired six shots on goal, had another seven blocked and shot five of them high, wide, and everywhere but on net. He wasn't the only one firing at will, however, as everyone on the team except Dave Steckel registered at least one shot on goal. Even Quintin Laing got in on the fun, with three shots (and none blocked, oddly enough) in just seven minutes of ice time.
- Along with the 43 shots that actually hit Legace, there were also an amazing 35 more that were blocked. Seven of those were courtesy of the opening goal-scorer, Jamie McBain, and six more left a mark on former Cap Brian Pothier.
- On the one hand, it's a bit disturbing to have both Tomas Fleischmann and Brendan Morrison on the same line - talk about your duel to see who can whiff on more close proximity shots. On the other, it's kind of a nice move by Boudreau to insure that all of the whiffage (...it's a word) stays contained on one line. No wonder Semin wouldn't give up the puck late in the game.
- Mike Knuble one night, Mike Green the next. Keep half-expecting to see John Erskine take a shot at the shootout one of these games.
It's hard to feel all that depressed after this one. Yes, we prefer wins to losses but there's something less painful about falling in an overblown skills competition. And when you're not scrapping for points, it's much easier to look at a game like this - a game one day removed from one of those fabulously overhyped battles with the Penguins - and not be all that concerned.
They do pick up a point on Western Conference leaders Chicago, and they have failed to pick up a point in just four games since the start of 2010. As these last few games roll away, we'll see more like this - tight contests against teams still in it, or believing they're still in it, or simply wanting to get one last shot at a top team before the end of the year. The Caps are still struggling a bit at keeping their focus for a whole 60 minutes but they're not letting games slip away without a fight, either.
And that's not a bad thing.
Game highlights:
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Congratulations John Carlson
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
by EmilyB on Mar 25, 2010 10:37 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Steak or Lobster, Johnny? What'll it be?
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No win, so the hard hat stays on the shelf
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He’s from Natick, Mass… gotta be the lawb-stah
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Mar 25, 2010 10:41 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t believe I’ve really heard Carlie talk, does he have an accent?
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More mid-Atlantic than anything, really, I think.
"A stack of ones, a video camera, and a toothbrush."
by Hang a Laingtern on Your Problems on Mar 25, 2010 10:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
Just a bit!
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nothing like Poti’s.
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I didn’t see any of the game tonight, but I assume Varlamov played well.
Is there any way he’s the Game 1 starting goalie? Other than an injury, what would it take for Boudreau to go with him over Theodore? And with the way Theodore’s been playing the past 2 months, what would it take for him to not start every game for the Caps in the Stanley Cup playoffs?
If Theo’s playing well in the postseason, he doesn’t sit until the Caps have a 3-0 lead in a series, I’d have to think.
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Don’t sit him even then. 4+ days off is better than one.
I thought Varly looked not great on the first goal, and had no chance on the second.
we're not gonna allow someone like Downie to go after him.
Carlson
Heck of night for the kid, who continues to be our, yes, 2nd best Dman. The goals was gorgeous, but no more so than the diving poke he had to save a goal just a few minutes before that. Great game.
He still has a few bad tendencies so I wouldn’t call him 2nd best Dman, but top 4 for sure. He’s going for – and missing – the hip check too often and is turning the puck over more than I’d like. Not gonna lie though, I’d love to see what he could do on the second unit PP.
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The hip check is definitely someting i noticed, and i think you pointed out during the game.
Other than that though, I think he is playing great hockey. To improve, i’d love to see him not hit the pose (heh) and make some more stretch passes.
I’d put him as tied for 3rd with ShaMo behind Green and Schultz.
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:11 PM EDT up reply actions
I can see 3rd, but tied for third with… ShaMo? Wow, Poti’s a world better than ShaMo: roughly double the +/-, 5x the GvT, double the points, a full goal better in GAON/60, more than a minute more shorthanded TOI per 60.
Hmm, I consider myself, corrected.
Green, Schultz, Carlson, Poti, then Shamo and Corvo?
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Shamo’s been great lately, I’d have no problem bumping him up to a 3rd place tie. Stats aside, I think he’s been one of our best D over the last few weeks.
Thank god, I was thinking he looked great lately. . .but the stats. . .the stats!
I thought i was going crazy
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m gonna take the F&B stance here (it’s wide) and say that the stats don’t convey Poti’s play very well. (FWIW, I’m not saying ShaMo’s better, because Bruce isn’t putting him out very frequently in dangerous situations.) Part of it is the timing of his gaffes, and part of it is because he’s our “veteran defenseman.” I can tolerate mistakes coming from guys like Carlson and Green, but from a guy who’s 33 with over 800 games of NHL experience, the three to four horrendously stupid errors each night are especially galling.
What makes it even worse is that Bruce thinks he’s the Caps’ most reliable defenseman and just keeps going back to the goddamn well with him time after time. Sometimes, I wish I could sit down with Bruce and ask him a few questions:
1. Why do you play Poti so much on the PK despite his demonstrated incompetence there?
2. Same thing for Steckel?
3. Why haven’t you realized that playing these two over and over again on the PK is part of the reason it sucks?
4. What the hell did Fehr do to your dog?
5. Is Flash your love child?
6. No, really.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
by D'ohboy on Mar 26, 2010 12:38 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
I would really like to ask those questions too.
I am thinking Fehr ate his garden salad, Poti had him at “No Problem”
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 26, 2010 12:53 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Fehr accidentally ran over Bruce’s dog. And by “accidentally” I mean “repeatedly”. And by “dog” I mean “son”.
I have to go. But if I find one single dog hair when I get back, I'll rub... sand... in your dead little eyes. I also need you to buy sand. I don't know if they grade it, but... coarse.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Mar 26, 2010 1:02 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
And by “ran over” do you mean…..wait, this is a family blog, right?
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 26, 2010 1:05 AM EDT up reply actions
We are Fam-i-leeeeeeeee!
Wait, this isn’t 1979????
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Mar 26, 2010 9:28 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m thinking that Bruce has realized or believes that Fehr’s production decreases with increased ice time. Not sure what that might be based on, but that is truly the only reason I can see Bruce not skating him more, especially with Brooks out.
we're not gonna allow someone like Downie to go after him.
by Sct112 on Mar 26, 2010 1:18 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
uh oh, we’ve drawn judge snider…is that bad? well he’s kinda had it in for me since I kinda ran over his dog. you did? well replace the word kinda worth the word repeatedly and the word dog with son…..
by capsfansteve on Mar 26, 2010 3:10 AM EDT up reply actions
Steckel must have had you furious on the PPG McBain scored. Standing in the high slot literally covering nobody. That’s the mobility issue.
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.
SteinBog saw Scott in Shaw at the game last night:
Guy in USA 13 jersey last night at VC RT @nateewell: Anybody else get the sense they’re going to start falling in bunches for #74 now?
(Steinz later corrected himself to say it was #11)
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So jealous, I need to get me one of those.
So poor though _
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Same goal celebration and everything tonight. I get so excited when I think about how good this kid is going to be. It’s hard to forget he’s only 20.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
Watch the missed hip check and you’ll be reminded. That said, he’s a superstar.
we're not gonna allow someone like Downie to go after him.
Did he miss one last night? I remember one from the . . . Tampa game?
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
Actually there was a mistake in the Pens game in the 3rd period that had me saying “He’s only 20” repeatedly… not major, but one that led to a scoring chance for the Pens. Still Carlson is only 20, and when he’s 23-28, he’ll be here, Rocking the Red…
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Mar 26, 2010 9:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Slightly OT: The Preds won their shootout tonight. Getting hot at the right time.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
thats never OT
Rinne finally stopped Aucoin; we solved Bryz 5×. Whoo.
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by Chris Burton on Mar 25, 2010 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions
@CP2Devil
Catch any of the game? Still wanna play the Preds?
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by Chris Burton on Mar 25, 2010 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions
I did!
And yeah. Yall are great. And Pekka Rinne is awesome. And so are yalls jerseys. and so are yalls D-corps who can score tons o’ goals. but i think we would be like Chris Hansen, and yall would be like. . .well. ..predators
Seeing what this team does when they really try has me excited for the play-offs, eventually the Caps would wear them down i think. Don’t think Hornqy and the boys would generate enough offense to get past Jose and the “bend-but-not-break-(often)” defense.
But i would still be scared
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions
As I recall the Preds took us to a … ugh … shootout.
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Dan Ellis’ jock is still in the VC rafters.
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by Chris Burton on Mar 25, 2010 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions
I believe so; he had a dazed look on his face for a month.
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by Chris Burton on Mar 25, 2010 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
But I’m still trying to explain to my friend Christine that a SO goal doesn’t earn you a hat trick!
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d'oh
Nice.
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by Chris Burton on Mar 25, 2010 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions
That was awhile ago. . .against a WC team. . .
its pretty different in the SCF
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions
I was referring more to the Yotes wanting NSH, but yeah.
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by Chris Burton on Mar 25, 2010 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Awkward. . .no haha on the Chris Hansen reference?
As far as Phx v. Nsh. . .idk.
Wow i have no idea, I would prolly pick NSH in 6 or 7
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
TBH, the Hansen jokes are about as old as Chris Chelios…
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by Chris Burton on Mar 25, 2010 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions
damn it. I thought i brought up something new. . .
I am hoping Nashville goes far, kinda want to go see some play-off games in Nashville, and I think nashville or phoenix well, or the kings, make any play off game more fun
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Are you anywhere close to Nashville?
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by Chris Burton on Mar 25, 2010 11:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Nope!
I go to USC. My best friend goes to Vandy though, and i am originally from Richmond, VA.
More than willing to skip as much school as necessary to see play-of games
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:51 PM EDT up reply actions
thats never OT
Unless it has a bearing on the game the Caps just played, it really is. Writing recaps, as I’m sure you know, is hard work. We can talk about it elsewhere, but like D’ohboy said below :
Sorry to sound like a scold, but Becca put some effort into writing a good recap, could we at least do her the courtesy of keeping the discussion related to said recap? There’ll be an OT and Clips thread tomorrow…
I know this is late, and I apologize for that. Not trying to pick on anyone, just sayin’.
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by Knee high to a duck on Mar 26, 2010 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Now this is going to sound crazy, but should we be concerned about Ovie? Two goals in his last 13 per JPs tweet. Seems like everything he shoots ends up wide or is denied five hole. He’ll turn it around cause the Olympics are in the past…right? Tell me I’m crazy.
by Kolzilla on Mar 25, 2010 11:01 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I’ve been a little concerned for a while. Hes slumped a few times, I think hes in one now. I really want him to get the art and hart but I’d also rather him be in just a bad slump now and right himself come playoffs.
Well he needs to get the hell over it if he is.
I want my Ovie back.
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Excuse me but have you forgotten Mean Lars’ highlight reel of a goal during OT against Chicago! That was post Olympics. And sheer awesomeness.
Ovi just needs to get his mojo back. He will. The wolf will howl again.
by capsyoungguns on Mar 26, 2010 12:17 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think there is much wrong with his mojo. If Ovie had mojo issues, he wouldn’t have come up big in the skills competition against the Pens.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 26, 2010 12:22 AM EDT up reply actions
What I mean is that he is wildly competitive, but right now it’s fair to say the Caps aren’t playing for much. As much as his detractors like to say how he is only interested in personal accomplishments, I don’t buy it. I’m sure he’d love to get the hardware, but I don’t think that is enough to drive him. When there is more on the line, I think that (unfortunately) he’ll be the same old Ovie.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 26, 2010 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions
Yes, he has been saying that he is more interested in the Cup than in individual awards in many, many interviews. The hardware is nice, but ……!
by capsyoungguns on Mar 26, 2010 12:28 AM EDT up reply actions
Good point. That was definitely clutch. I’m not all that concerned actually.
by capsyoungguns on Mar 26, 2010 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions
Concerned?
No. He’s slumping, but it happens to all players. He’ll come out of it sooner or later. When he does, he’s going to pour on the coals. No biggie for right now.
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This one is pretty bad by Ovie’s standards. I don’t like that it coincides with Russia getting leveled by Canada and I don’t like that there are less than 10 games for him to heat up.
by Kolzilla on Mar 25, 2010 11:08 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I’ve been worrying the same thing.
He is pretty much in a slump.
Not much we can do about it, but i pray he gets out of it next game so he can wrap up his trophies. Oh, and so we win in the post-season
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions
I know this has been covered thoroughly, but damn, Stamkos has the Richard in his sights.
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by Chris Burton on Mar 25, 2010 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions
He’s in a good situation for that. With TBL out of the playoff picture, his team can afford to feed him the puck all night long.
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Yeah he does, but expounding upon what YNC says below. . .
the ENTIRE TBL offense goes through the top line most of the time. STL can score goals, but most of the time he just dishes to Stammy for every shot every time. And Vinny. . .does the same. . .excpect i hate Vinny.
As for the PP. . .he takes alllll the shots
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions
My money is still on either Ovie or 87 coming out of their respective “slumps” and taking the Richard.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 25, 2010 11:46 PM EDT up reply actions
I think Stamkos wins it. He’s the hottest one right now. It’ll be hysterical if Team Canada left off the Richard winner and the highest scoring D. But it’s depressing that they still won.
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.
Well, they had to do something to balance things out for the other countries.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 26, 2010 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m really not worried.
First of all, it’s actually 3 goals in his last 7, which includes one game where he played just over 4 minutes because of the hit on Campbell. And during that span he’s also got 5 assists, so he’s still being productive.
I think his timing with Knuble and Backstrom is still coming back a bit. I think other teams are tightening up a bit down the stretch, preventing him from moving around as easily – which isn’t helped by the timing not quite being there. And I think the rest of the team is taking the burden off of him that he HAS to score every other game.
Plus if there’s anything we know about Ovechkin, it’s that he’s able to find another level when he needs to. He was nothing short of brilliant in the playoffs last year – anyone really doubting he doesn’t find a spark or his old scoring touch when the postseason rolls around? Really?
Sheeee-it. 8 points in 6.1 games.
Panic time.
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Trade him for Vokoun!
Seriously, though, it’s his own damn fault – he’s spoiled us rotten. We don’t know what to do when he ONLY puts up 8 points in 7 games :P
by Becca H on Mar 25, 2010 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Becca I’m sure your right, it’s just that the Russian Olympics thing worries me. Pretty much every star on that team besides Datsyuk seems shell-shocked and is underperforming relative to expectations since then.
Malkin (pre injury), Gonchar, Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, Nabakov. All of their numbers have suffered a dip relative to expectations since Vancouver and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re still not over it to a degree.
Time to focus on the consolation prize that is the Stanley Cup. It’s been over a month for chrissake.
No, I know – and if it continues a few more games I’ll join you guys on the panic train.
I guess the reason I’m not that worried is partly because he had the added little snafu of being suspended, and partly because I’m not seeing any marked difference in the way he’s been playing the last few weeks. Right after the Olympics, yes, but he seems to have settled in a bit. He doesn’t look frustrated or upset, you know?
And I honestly think we can’t underestimate the impact of being back in the postseason spotlight. He feeds off of that kind of thing – these games can’t be easy for someone like him, when there’s really not much left to play for in the regular season.
Maybe he and Lars are pretty focused on stanley cup vindicaton
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Semin is actually scoring goals right now. But he was in a funk just after the break.
Rocking the Red since 1975
Yeah three goals in his last four gets Semin off the hook, but he didn’t look right at all until about the middle of last week.
Didja see sasha kinda slump against the boards in relief after his SO goal last night? He really needed that goal.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
Yeah sometimes I’m not sure if Semin is relieved or just being reserved when he scores. He has the least demonstrative goal celebrations of anyone I’ve seen in a while. He’s the J.D. Drew of hockey.
I find that he only really celebrates when he’s gotten more than one goal – and I kind of liked that he was SO reserved tonight. It was a bad goal, I almost felt like he was keeping it in more than usual so he didn’t show up Legace.
…maybe I’m giving him more credit than he deserves, though ;)
Meh, i’d like to see more goals. . .but its all good
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions
For sure, I think he is still being productive. Especially with just the way he is on the ice. He draws the entire zone to him, he has the passing touch still, it doesn’t look like injury at all becuase he hasn’t shied away from letting the shots loose and his skating very well.
Some things I have noticed though: He is hurrying some of his shots, which could be because many teams are flocking towards him the second he has the puck. I think this is what has lead to alot of his shots going wide or above the goal.
Also, he keeps trying the sweep in from the boards, screen with the D-man, and let a wrister go. Tonight, you could see that the Defense was prepared, and put a stick out whenever he tried it.
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Nicely put. I definitely think that the first line is still working on the timing. They had such magic during the streak so I feel pretty confident that they will recapture that magic.
by capsyoungguns on Mar 26, 2010 12:20 AM EDT up reply actions
I am, a little. I wonder if there’s a little friction on the top line. Knuble has been critical in the press of both Green and Ovie during their suspensions, and somehow I don’t think that played very well. Last night AO came back to the bench after a shift and sat next to Mike without even looking at him and immediately turned away to talk to the trainer. It was just a split second without any context, so I could be reading way too much into it.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
Backstrom scored 2 goals against Chicago (5 games ago), got another one in the next game against Florida, and proceeded to put up assists in each game after that until tonight.
Of all the things to potentially worry about on this team, Backstrom’s production is the least of ’em.
I would hope the team captain isn’t pouting over something that a veteran with a high hockey IQ said aboit him. He doesn’t seem that sensitive but who know.
It’s not that he hasn’t been very good because he still draws the entire D and makes pretty passes. But yeah, I’d be lying if I didn’t think his drought is a big concern if it continues much longer.
by Kolzilla on Mar 25, 2010 11:14 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
But then again, just as he seems to get it going again, the team runs into a hot goalie, or he gets suspended. . .
It isn’t just 10 games he’s got to get back his form, I am willing to bet alot that he is staying after practice to shoot the puck around
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I think you are, can’t see something like that causing players to lose that much chemistry.
Lars et Ovie are just a little off right now i think. I think they just want the post-season to start so they can go for vindication via a cup
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions
I could be reading way too much into it.
I think this is probably the most likely situation. There are all sorts of things that could be going on with Ovechkin right now, including an plain-old slump. Personally, I think we should all refrain from trying to psychoanalyze him and the rest of the Caps through the television. If he comes out and says something, that’s one thing, but inferring his state of mind from a 5-second snippet on a broadcast is a bit much in my opinion.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
by D'ohboy on Mar 26, 2010 12:17 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I think you are reading too much into it.
In one of these recent games there was a shot of Ovie getting back to the bench and sitting next to Knuble and Knuble talked to him for a while about something. Ovie looked attentive to what was being said the entire time.
(Yes, I know about the avatar hounding - just pretend mine is invisible.)
Anybody else get the sense they’re going to start falling in bunches for #74 now?
Oh, Nate. Now?
"A stack of ones, a video camera, and a toothbrush."
by Hang a Laingtern on Your Problems on Mar 25, 2010 11:06 PM EDT reply actions
Speaking of picking up a point on Chicago
Boy did they get their ass handed to them by Columbus. I don’t care how strong the West is, losing 8-3 to the #14 team isn’t good. They can’t be trying to play their way out of the top seed to avoid Detroit since the Wings look poised to move out of the 8 spot.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 25, 2010 11:42 PM EDT reply actions
They were down 8-to-freaking-1 at one point. LOL.
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by Chris Burton on Mar 25, 2010 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Rioting in ChiTown
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:46 PM EDT up reply actions
One dark night, when we were all in bed
Old Lady Leary lit a lantern by her hear
When the cow kicked it over, she winked her eye and said
They’ll be a hot time in the old town tonight
Fire! Fire! Fire! Water! Water! Water!
Rocking the Red since 1975
lol isnt that a camp song?
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 26, 2010 12:20 AM EDT up reply actions
Not looking good for ChiTown.
Both ChiTown and SJS are slumping pretty bad. Definitely going to get knocked out by one of the other stacked teams
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 25, 2010 11:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Sorry to sound like a scold, but Becca put some effort into writing a good recap, could we at least do her the courtesy of keeping the discussion related to said recap? There’ll be an OT and Clips thread tomorrow…
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
Well, the recap did mention the race with Chicago for the top spot overall, otherwise I wouldn’t have brought it up.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 26, 2010 12:33 AM EDT up reply actions
Gotcha. It’s just that it quickly devolved from a slightly tangential, but recap- and hockey-related, comment into:
One dark night, when we were all in bed
Old Lady Leary lit a lantern by her hear
When the cow kicked it over, she winked her eye and said
They’ll be a hot time in the old town tonight
Fire! Fire! Fire! Water! Water! Water!
But perhaps I’m being overly vigilant. Must be the coffee…
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
Its ok to be an overvigilante
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 26, 2010 12:58 AM EDT up reply actions
Will do. Came here first specifically for the recap. Thank goodness Carly got his first goal—no more crossbars!
by capsyoungguns on Mar 26, 2010 12:33 AM EDT up reply actions
Totally OT, but is anyone watching this Xavier-KState game. It’s a wild one. I think they’re making a case for introducing the shootout to college hoops.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 26, 2010 12:20 AM EDT reply actions
If it’s totally OT, there’s a thread for that.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
You’re right. I just didn’t think I’d find anyone lurking over there this late. At least I added that shootout tie-in, which, however loosely, does link it with the Caps game.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 26, 2010 12:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Bounces
Watching this game, I came away with the feeling that the Caps are just going through one of those stretches offensively where the pass that used to sit down nicely on your stick blade bounces away from you, or where the shot that found its way through traffic skitters harmlessly off a shin-pad, or where a neat forehand-backhand deke gets caught on a patch of rough ice and hops over your stick.
Ovie and the gang are getting their chances, they’re just not finishing them. This team is still so good that they can hang with almost anyone, but they’re not putting up 4 and 5 goals with ease like they were earlier. It’ll come eventually, and it’s just about the last thing to worry about.
I’m far more worried about our undisciplined play (yet another bench minor, seriously Evason and Woods, what the hell do we pay you for?), and lame penalty-kill. Yet again, Steckel loses a draw then places almost no pressure whatsoever on the points, and all this just one night after looking halfway decent against the Pens.
Mark it down, if the Caps lose in the playoffs, it’ll be because they can’t stay out of the box and they can’t kill penalties. It’s beyond time to worry about this, it’s full-on panic mode at this point.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
Don’t go for the panic button yet, before the past like 3 games, we were pretty rarely penalized.
It has never been that bad a problem, except when we have a horrid PK + lots of penalties. One game namely was the 7-2 or something like that, loss to TBL.
BTW, the refs in the past few games have been absolutely HORRIBLE. like. RLY RLY BAD.
Hopefully this shit doesn’t go on in the play offs. . .but like i said, the Caps are just in a lil funk right now
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
They aren’t just in a “lil’ funk right now.” The PK has stunk pretty much since Bruce took over.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
Look at the past few games. . .the PK has looked alot better.
Maybe not BB’s problem, but Dean Evason’s?
The biggest problems with the PK, currently, are addressed in the questions you asked above. Mainly concerning Poti and Stecks. . .although Stecks isnt as bad, and makes up for it with FOs.
The Caps can’t afford to take a ton of penalties, but like i have repeated a 100 times, they can afford to take a few more with the better PK. I agree that the tema CAN NOT take stupid bench penalties (WTFDEAN) and stick penalties in the POs. That being said, the aptitude of the post season refs will hopefully be better than the jokes who showed up in the Pens game, and tonight
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
Poti is the biggest problem. Steckel has his share of being outclassed but he doesn’t get the same ice time Poti does nor does he make the “what the hell?” plays Poti does. When Steckel has been paired with Backstrom, the PK from the forwards looks pretty dynamite. Probably anyone could be out there with Backstrom and look dynamite, though.
Someone who has been stepping up on defense needs to get out there instead of him. It was nice when we used to just be able to joke about Poti’s failed clearing attempts but right now Poti isn’t clearing it, isn’t cutting down lanes and isn’t giving good enough rebound support to whoever is in net. He seems to retreat too much, count on being able to make a play with his stick or depending on the other defender to clear people out. He needs to start getting a ton more aggressive and using his body and positioning to deal with people instead of playing so conservatively and practically on top of the goalie. Half the bad PKs come from shots on the point that the goalie has no idea are coming. The other half come on stupid rebounds that the defense just sits there with their collective thumbs up their aucoins wondering if maybe they should kick it out. Green is the only guy that seems to be able to really have it in his mind to track rebounds and deal with them.
President and sole member of the Erskine lobby.
Wasn’t the PK also terrible under Hanlon?
we're not gonna allow someone like Downie to go after him.
Actually, yeah. We haven’t had a PK in the top half of the league since 2000-2001.
Now that’s what I call ineptitude!
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
One other thing that’s concerned me is the how they can lack of focus on the shift after a goal. I haven’t counted, but I feel like I’ve seen too many times when the Caps have scored, and the opposition gets it back before the end of the announcement.
Just bringing over CSN's top texts of the night from the 3rd period thread...
TFG made No. 3 and really, deserved to be No. 1.
"If you close your eyes in the NHL, you'll take one upside the head." - Alexander Semin
by mercurialwinger on Mar 26, 2010 12:29 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Thought Sloan was alright for most of the night except in OT. He activated very low to put pressure on with the offense and then when it was turned over does not have the speed to rejoin his actual position and allowed the 2 v 1 Varly had to stop.
If anything the Caps need from the 4 on 4 its their defense not allowing breakaways or odd man rushes by joining their own rush, especially in sudden death OT.
Nothing.
He does have his moments. The guy can skate, that’s for damn sure, and because of that, I’d probably prefer him in the lineup over Erskine. I’ve really come to loathe Erskine. He had a play tonight in his own end during the second that was just vintage Erskine. He had the puck with time and space, but absolutely no clue as to what to do with it. After sitting there for what seemed like an eternity, a Cane finally put some pressure on him and he coughed up the puck to neutral ice.
In the NHL, you can probably get away with being either slow of foot of slow of mind. Erskine is both, to a remarkable degree.
Also, and I don’t know if this was related to playing with Sloan or not, but Green looked great in his own end tonight.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
He did. The FSN Carolina guys were talking about how he’s a lot better in his own end than the common narrative seems to portray.
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I often wonder why the Canadian media hates on one of their own like this. I’m guessing it’s his flashy style and “exuberance.” They probably think it makes him too American.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
maybe because he wasn’t an “anointed one” and went out and made himself a superstar anyways?
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I thought Green looked good in his own end against PIT as well so I doubt it had anything to do with Sloan. Green can be very good in his own end, he just needs to find the consistency.
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.
I thought the Caps were going to stun the Caniacs there in the closing seconds with Poti’s (?) chance off the face-off. Legace didn’t seem quite sure where that puck was.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 26, 2010 1:16 AM EDT reply actions
Legace sold his soul to the devil. . .i think. . .
There were too many chances I thought we were going to tie it up. . .would’ve loved a Malkin style 85 degree angle shot that i saw a few weeks ago.
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
Legace sold his soul to the devil...?
Do you think he has a really ugly portrait up in his attic, maybe?
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by IRockTheRed on Mar 26, 2010 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Legace was amazing. And to think he was on a tryout contract with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in November.
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ALI FAROKHMANESH!
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by Steck It Out on Mar 26, 2010 1:26 AM EDT up reply actions
The Caps Are
Set…. They have that " let’s get the playoffs started already" look going on….Nick b and the Alex’s are over the olympics …theo knows this is the best opportunity to win the Stanley cup….let’s go Caps! :)
by Mikko Leinonen's opposite on Mar 26, 2010 3:49 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Belated Observations from my Sofa
Well, I missed most of the first period thankfully, due my grandson being over to visit. He’s coming up on 7 months old. :)
From what I saw:
- There is no doubt that the Caps are a better team than the ’Canes. The Canes played them tough, but it took a shootout to win the thing.
- Speaking of the shootout…4 different guys had a chance to win it for the Caps. Ovechkin if he scores, Semin if he Scores, Varly if he stops the shot in round 3, and Flash in round 4. It would have been nice to close it out…
- Call it a hunch, but if ShaMo, Laich and Sarge are in there, the Caps win this game.
- Legace was definitely on last night, ditto for Varly. Nice to see some good goaltending.
- It’s hard to watch the shootout with a 15 pound cat on your lap…
Anyway, two days off and then Calgary Sunday afternoon. A chance to clinch the top seed in the East with a win.
It’s getting close to gut-check time…
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Mar 26, 2010 10:14 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I can understand giving our “irregulars” some work but why do all of them get in on the same day?
Plus, Flash didn’t even shoot in the shootout last night. He actually would have been my next choice after a couple of fellows who turn around when you call out either “Alex” or “Sasha”.
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida
|
53 | 25 | 17 | 11 | 61 |
|
Washington
|
54 | 28 | 21 | 5 | 61 |
|
Winnipeg
|
56 | 26 | 24 | 6 | 58 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
53 | 23 | 24 | 6 | 52 |
|
Carolina
|
55 | 20 | 25 | 10 | 50 |
(updated 2.10.2012 at 9:27 AM EST)
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