Recap: Caps 3, Blue Jackets 2
by J.P. on Apr 3, 2010 10:30 PM EDT
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When the Caps jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the middle of the first period of Saturday night's game in Columbus, one could fairly have assumed that the next goal would be big. Push the lead to three and the Jackets - already eliminated from playoff contention - would likely pack it in; let the hosts halve the difference and it would be a game again.
So when Mike Green's 5-on-3 blast put the Caps up three, it was hardly a surprise to see one team more or less check out for the rest of the game. What was surprising, however, was that that team was the Caps, who immediately after grabbing that big lead surrendered a shorthanded goal to a Columbus penalty kill that hounded them all night and then had to hold on as the Jackets fought until the final buzzer before simply running out of time.
But when the guy who writes the checks comes right out and refers to these last handful of matches as "exhibition games," it's hard to get too worked up about the Caps coming out, taking care of business early, and then holding on for a franchise-best 51st win of the season. Killer instinct? Let's hope it's there when it needs to be.
Ten more notes on the game:
- A few Caps were engaged and quite good for the full sixty minutes (including Mike Green, Brooks Laich and Alexander Semin), but none were as locked in as Jose Theodore. Coming off a couple of rough starts in a row, Theodore was superb, stopping 34 shots (27 after the first period) and getting a well-deserved First Star of the game.
- When the Caps got a first-period 5-on-3 (and actually scored on it - their first goal with a two-man advantage in their last six opportunities), you knew that Columbus would get their own chance up two men later in the game. What you didn't know is that the Caps would kill it - all 1:23 of it - thanks in large part to a pair of Eric Belanger faceoff wins in his own end. Huge.
- Tomas Fleischmann was back at center, scored a goal and won 75% of his eight draws on the night. Can't ask for much more from him than that, but it's still a "Plan B"... right?
- If Tom Poti and Tyler Sloan as a defensive pairing didn't sound like a disaster waiting to happen pre-game, it certainly proved to be one in-game. The duo repeatedly backed in rather than challenging Blue Jacket forwards, and got caught chasing the puck on the second C'bus goal. And yet, if Tyler Sloan might be in the mix for playoff ice time (by necessity, not choice), he needs some minutes down the stretch rather than being thrown, ice cold, into a game that actually matters.
- Speaking of bad defense, Columbus's first goal (the shortie) was technically a 2-on-1, but the way Joe Corvo played it, it might as well have been a 2-on-0. Make the right play or make the wrong play, but at least make a play. That said, Corvo and Shaone Morrisonn were a very solid pairing at even strength on the night (as Pepper predicted on the ol' radio show this morning).
- Apparently R.J. Umberger isn't impressed with the Caps, and I'm pretty sure the feeling's mutual. By the way, did he play tonight? In any event, R.J. will have plenty of free time to watch the Caps in a week or so and maybe he'll change his mind.
- As for the Caps' power-play, it was 0-for-5 in 9:19 of 5-on-4 time. Not good.
- It's not often that the Caps will win 59% of a game's faceoffs and David Steckel will win just 30% of his draws, but that's what happened tonight. Belanger's 11-of-15 led the way.
- Alex Ovechkin had yet another off night, finishing with no points, just two shots on goal (another eight that didn't make it on net) and a minus-two rating. He continues to carry the puck a bit too much for my liking, but if there's one number that should calm the nerves of Caps fans a bit, that number is one, as in the number of hits AO had on the game. When he's hitting everything that moves (or at least registering more hits than Jeff Schultz) and still struggling, let me know and we can panic together.
- Finally, on a housekeeping note, the conditions on the Milan Jurcina trade are as follows: if Juice plays five games (regular season or playoffs), the Jackets get the Caps' sixth-round pick in this year's draft. With Jurcina expected back late in the second round, here's hoping the Caps have to surrender that pick.
And so the Caps wrap up their season against the Western Conference... or at least the regular season portion of it.
Game highlights:
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Umberger....
Wonder what provoked that outburst.
In any case, the Caps haven’t exactly struggled against Western teams this season.
Question: Are Caps fans worried about the team just sort of gliding into the playoffs?
ProHockeyTalk: General NHL news, rumors and analysis, from the best hockey mind at NBCSports.com.
We’ve talked about this a bit but really I would be more concerned if they were mailing in entire games. The Caps had a great first period tonight, and had a couple of good third period comebacks in recent games. They also slugged out a really good, workmanlike win against a desperate Atlanta team the other night.
It feels very different than, for example, last year where they either won by a lot or lost by a lot, no middle ground and no fight. So I’m not too worried…can’t speak for the rest, though!
Check out this great post: http://www.japersrink.com/2010/4/1/1400233/pre-postseason-roundtable. That really gives a good sense about how we’re feeling about the team heading into the postseason.
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Apr 3, 2010 10:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Good call. And make sure to check out the comments as well.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Yep. The Peerless and F&B have posts in that thread that wouldn’t have been out of place as part of the actual roundtable post.
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Apr 3, 2010 10:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks guys!
That’s some great reference material for the game coverage next week.
ProHockeyTalk: General NHL news, rumors and analysis, from the best hockey mind at NBCSports.com.
by Brandon Worley on Apr 3, 2010 11:06 PM EDT up reply actions
In any case, the Caps haven’t exactly struggled against Western teams this season.
10-5-3… tied for best mark of Eastern teams against the West.
If you've read this far...seek help.
We do all know where Umberger was born, don’t we?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Apr 3, 2010 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Here’s the rest of Umberger’s quote:
“I don’t think any team in the West would be overmatched by them. They play the wrong way,” R.J. Umberger told the Columbus Dispatch. “They want to be moving all the time. They float around in their zone looking for breakaways and odd-man rushes. A good defensive team is going to beat them. If you eliminate your turnovers and keep them off the PP, they’re going to get frustrated because they’re in their zone a lot.”
Of course, this is coming from a guy who hasn’t been a plus player in any of his last four seasons.
That’s probably a fair criticism of what happens to the Caps some nights, and what happened to some extent against Pitt (at least the last sentence worth). The question is whether it will happen to this team when they’re playing at playoff intensity, and I hope the answer is no.
And it was especially true of the top line tonight. They spent a ton of time playing in their own end.
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.
How much of that was Potion and Sloan unable to get the puck?
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
by red army line on Apr 4, 2010 4:27 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Better yet though, how much of that is Ovie not wanting to ever play defense?? How about he work on that and stop trying for 50 goals?? I could care less about 50 goals. How about a player block a shot like Laing used to do all the time. I really hope they understand what it really takes to lay it all on the line to win the Cup once April 14th gets here. Yes, they can score, and yes, Theo and Varly can play well enough, but if they don’t clean up these bad habits and start playing TEAM DEFENSE….YES YOU OVECHKIN, then you can plan on us being severely depressed that this season was wasted.
by lifetime caps fan on Apr 4, 2010 8:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Honestly, I think you are banging your head against the system more than individual player style. Yes, Ovechkin could be better on defense, but he has also gotten better as well. Along the wall, you see him dip below top of the circles often to help out, which you used to never see. On one play, he had actually rotated down to prevent the cross crease pass and was actually playing quality positional defense right at the top of the crease. Last year, you never saw that.
The biggest problem is just that while the system we play is awesome for generating great offensive pressure with quick transitions, it isn’t so good at clearing the puck from our own end against a consistent forecheck. Since Gabby hasn’t blown a gasket about all the early bail outs by his forwards over the last couple of years, and all the attempted rink long breakaway passes, you have to assume that this is by design.
As to weather this will work in the playoffs, the chances aren’t good. Most great offense teams that lack a solid defense tend to wilt in the playoffs (see San Jose Sharks). However, the last time a team was this much better on offense than the rest of the league, #99 was still playing north of the border, and we all know how that worked out.
Whether you like the system or not, it is what got us from last place into the playoffs two years ago, and what has given us two absolutely fantastic seasons since.
by HateOffSeason on Apr 4, 2010 8:53 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think it’s a product of the system. Green and Schultz, who I think were playing separately at times last night, didn’t have trouble getting the puck and clearing the zone. I think it’s a matter of communication to coordinate pressure from the defenseman and the forward coming back.
Ovechkin’s no Steve Yzerman. Nor should DC need him to be to win it all, I don’t think.
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
by red army line on Apr 4, 2010 9:05 AM EDT up reply actions
Part of it is the ability of the dmen just to move the puck up the ice. A lot of times where they get into trouble is when they get really deliberate in moving the puck up ice. When they do that, the opponents get time to set up defensively to get the puck back, and cause an occasional odd man break.
Did anyone catch the one play where the back dman (I can’t remember who it was) was in his own zone and passed to the other dman at his own blue line (I think it was either Sloan or Poti), with two Blue Jackets along that same blueline? What happened? Sloan or Poti passed the pack BACK to the trailing Dman. Instead of dealing with three defenders in the neutral zone, they now had to deal with all five.
If they were to be a little less deliberate and just move the puck up they might miss with a pass a time or two and get some icings called on them, but I think that’s better than turning it over in the neutral zone and causing an odd man break, or at least a decent offensive opportunity for the other team.
I whole-heartedly agree. As i have watched the past couple of games, i kept asking my self “where was the Ovie who i would see on a regular basis hustling on the backcheck and laying out his body for a diving poke check?” it looks like these past couple of games 9dare i say the past half a dozen or so) that he is consistently keeping level with the blue line and waiting for the puck to come to him…that does worry me….it was his workmanlike effort to get the puck that got him all the goal scoring chances in the first place…hopefully he will come with a bit more defensive grit come playoff time
When my friend Robbie and I played hockey in the driveway on our rollerblades....I was always Peter Bondra
yeah same here - makes me wonder if he’s just saving his energy for the playoffs
Rock the Red! Rock the White! Rock the Blue! Rock the Pens!
by RedskinFan4Life on Apr 4, 2010 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions
You don’t see AO laying out his body for a diving poke check because he hasn’t been turning over the puck at the blueline leading to a breakaway while on the PP. That’s a good thing.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Apr 4, 2010 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Do you realize the conflict with singling out one guy for TEAM DEFENSE?
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.
And I 100% do not want AO blocking shots like he’s Q. That’s asking for a crippling injury to our best players. Maybe, maybe, in the playoffs I’d be comfortable watching that, but we are all aware of Q’s injury sheet right? A lot of that came from blocking shots like he does. AO doesn’t need that.
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 Rob Parker on Apr 4, 2010 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Game 7, OT, of the SCF it’s totally cool with me. Otherwise, probably not.
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
by red army line on Apr 4, 2010 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, give him a nice long break to recover and little chance he can hurt our future success.
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.
Recovering while polishing the Cup during its visit to Moscow!
by capsyoungguns on Apr 4, 2010 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
And only then. But I don’t really want to imagine him not able to eat solids and sipping everything through a straw.
Rocking the Red since 1975
Ovechkin has the league’s second best 5-on-5 per minute goal differential and is way above average in GAON/60. I’m not sure you can ask for much more.
by David Getz on Apr 4, 2010 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
Kudos to umberger for answering a question straight up and without the typical postgame athlete-speak. However, if he’s making his prediction based upon this one meaningless game then he’s mistaken.
Btw, against how many playoff teams can you say that “well we can afford to turn the puck over and take penalties and still win”?
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
Thanks, b.orr, that full text of that comment makes it less of a head-scratcher.
On the one hand, I understand where he’s coming from; certainly the Caps play like that sometimes and when they do a good team will beat them. On the other hand, it seems like his sample size is probably pretty small.
Then again, he was with the Blue Jackets last year as well, when the Caps couldn’t score off them to save their lives.
He does have a warped view of our team. (Even though they do, admittedly, have weaknesses.)
Rocking the Red since 1975
True, but what team doesn’t?
Meh, I still think it sounds like a little bit of sour grapes and the best response is Peerless’ – “Enjoy the links.”
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
How would Umberger know – he didn’t play against the Caps first line much all night depsite having over 22 minutes of TOI. He won just 45% of his faceoffs and other than that his stat line is virtually invisible. For a guy on the team teid for the third highest slary cap hit, instead of talking trash about a team that took all of about 15 minutes to put his team basically away, maybe he ought to try figuring out what he needs to do to earn his salary. If he’s not comfortable with that maybe he ought to try and talk about what good things the Blue Jackets did in coming back that they could use and build on next season.
I feel sorry for Chris Clark, he has his work cut out next season if part of his job is to help RJ grow up….
by markbona-capsfan99 on Apr 4, 2010 9:39 PM EDT up reply actions
By the way, did he play tonight?
How he played more than Rick Nash is beyond me.
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
by red army line on Apr 4, 2010 4:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Listen, we need to put to bed this whole EAST vs WEST bull shit—-at least until someone gets me some cold hard facts. When an Eastern time zone team goes out and plays in the Pacific time zone at night, they are playing when their body clocks say 10:30. That means the 3rd period starts after midnight. I don’t care how old you are or how much rest you get, that effs up your body. People whine and are moody when we move the clocks forward 1 hour and have to adjust on Monday am when they go to work tired to sit at a desk. Conversely, when a Pacific time zone plays out here at night, its 4:30 for them. Big freaking deal. If you have ever traveled out to California or Phoenix for a week, you know what i mean. These guys ARE athletes, i get it, but my contention—-and i don’t have time to do the full research although i looked at about 7 teams in the EAST and NONE had a winning record in WEST coast games starting at night.—that if each west coast team (games starting at 930pm or later) had to start those games earlier, the results would be different. Im not talking about games where PHI goes to DAL. SJ got killed out here by us. Detroit got beat 6-0 by the NYI this year in NY…. This whole western conference superiority is as annoying as people saying Canada is the best in everything. And speaking of which—-way off point here, the olympics Ice Hockey, while entertaining, is nothing more than an exhibition. Back in the day, it used to be amateurs who practiced together and stayed together for long periods of time and was a big deal. Now they just put together the best players in the world , give them maybe 48 hours to practice and say “go”. You could run the same tournament every 3 weeks and have different results. Only in the Olympics could you go 5-0-1 and lose the one game on 4-4 play (which btw, they would never do in an nhl playoff game) and still come out a loser. Enough with Canada and Western Conference nonsense. Anyone able to get the East Records vs West Records of all games that don’t start after 9:30 pm??
by lifetime caps fan on Apr 4, 2010 8:33 AM EDT up reply actions
and if you all are big football fans, you may remember last season there was all this talk about how unfair it was for like the Phoenix Cardinals to play the Jets at basically 10am for them. The West coast teams kept getting killed. Phoenix gave up like 50 pts to the Jets and ended up in the Super Bowl. And i mean LAST year, not the one that just ended.
So can RJ Umberger shove it..????!!!
by lifetime caps fan on Apr 4, 2010 8:37 AM EDT up reply actions
Only two Western teams have losing records against Eastern team; only five Eastern teams have winning records against Western teams (obvious caveat: three point games skew things).
I think the belief that the Eastern Conference is weaker than the West is perfectly legitimate. I mean, can you see the Thrashers or Bruins in the race in the West? Or the Flames and Avs fighting for a playoff spot in the East? I can’t
by David Getz on Apr 4, 2010 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I buy the West is stronger right now, but in this age of the Salary Cap etc. things will flucuate every 5 years or so. That said right now if the Flames were in the East they’d be solidly in. I don’t know about the AVs – they’re a different team and playing a different schedule I just don’t know. Lots of teams in the East already had a book on Anderson – would he have been able to put the year he’s had together if he was still in the Eastern Conference, maybe, but maybe not, IMHO.
I also don’t agree with lifetime caps fan’s comments about the Olympiucs – at all, they are m uch better now. I equate them to all star games where the guys are really, at least in their opinion, playing for something that matters. That’s not an exhibition game.
by markbona-capsfan99 on Apr 4, 2010 9:44 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
It’s actually easier to adjust to the time change when going west than when going east. But in my personal experience, it still takes a couple of days. (I have a better chance of doing so if I take a late flight from the East Coast.)
So, I’m sure that has had something to do with why many of the Eastern teams have played poorly in the West.
It would really be a major problem for the West Coast teams if they had to come to the East Coast and play a game at Noon (for NBC TV). They would essentially be playing at 9:00 am according to their body clocks which would compound the problem of an early start, which is already difficult with jet lag.
Rocking the Red since 1975
Good to win the President’s Trophy then—for the home ice advantage.
How much effect though really depends on the final team’s location. Obviously the time difference is much worse with San Jose than Chicago. And to be fair, the West has to travel through time zones on a regular basis through the season much more than the East. So it probably all washes out in the end.
No doubt the Western conference is stronger than the East, but I still like the Caps chances. Nothing is a guarantee but they have beaten a lot of teams in many different scenarios, and if this season they have “feasted” so to speak on the weaker Eastern Conference then at least they have moved up from the usual meme of “feasted” on the weaker Southeast.
by capsyoungguns on Apr 4, 2010 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Congrats Theo! And Vermette, and Nash.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
so…they lose and they still get 2 of the stars? Does the home ice pick the stars of the game?
Suspend Colin Campbell!
They (at least their media) do, but Vermette had two goals (including a shortie) and Nash had two assists (including totally setting up the shortie). No Cap had two points and the only others that could be considered in my opinion would be Semin (38th goal, tying his career high) or possibly even better Green. That said watching the game, even though the Blue Jacvkets lost, I don’t disagree with the selection of the three stars,
by markbona-capsfan99 on Apr 4, 2010 9:48 PM EDT up reply actions
With a performance like that from Flash
How soon before Gabby bumps him to 1C over Lars?
Kidding.
Kind of.
But not really.
Man, I couldn’t agree more, Flash had a good night but he’s about as far from Nick as a first line center as anyone on the team is. Nick has gotten just so much more a physical precence these past two seasons, Flash needs to bulk up before he’ll ever be able to stay on the puck like Nick does.
by markbona-capsfan99 on Apr 4, 2010 9:50 PM EDT up reply actions
meant diagree more...
silly boy – keyboards aren’t for kids
by markbona-capsfan99 on Apr 4, 2010 9:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Seriously, though, where the eff was Poti going on the second CBJ goal?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
He was in no man’s land that whole time. Pretty atrocious positioning from our veteran stalwart. I didn’t like TSlo chasing to the same guy as Poti but I’m not sure how he could have properly read the play considering how poorly Poti played 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.
Aye. I was expecting Poti to just slide and Sloan to chase the man (and it’s probably likely that Sloan was expecting the same), but then Poti cuts between Sloan and the goal in just a breathtakingly horrible play. I was at a total loss.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Watching it again, that looks like exactly what happened (around the 6:00 mark in the highlights above). Sloan started to head behind (being that the puck was on his side and all), then had a “What the hell is Poti doing?” moment before trying to get back to the middle, at which point it was too late.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
So by my twisted logic Sloan > Poti. I can go to bed happy.
To be or not to be. That's not really a question.
Follow me on Twitter! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes!
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
This is all I ask for. Twisted validation!
To be or not to be. That's not really a question.
Follow me on Twitter! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes!
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
i dunno….Sloan could have at least deflected that pass or position himself better on the CBJ player who scored
(this doesn’t excuse Poti’s play, tho’)
Rock the Red! Rock the White! Rock the Blue! Rock the Pens!
by RedskinFan4Life on Apr 4, 2010 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions
If, by lately, you mean this year.
He’s got special powers 5v5, but otherwise. . . not so much.
To be fair, upon several re-viewings of his crap-tastic play on the second goal, I’d put more of the fault on T-Slo. Nevertheless, that pairing was AWFUL all night.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
To be fair, upon several re-viewings of his crap-tastic play on the second goal, I’d put more of the fault on T-Slo.
Really? How so?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Watch T-Slo in the replay. He just. . . stands there. Poti is running all over the ice, sure, but he has to, because Sloan is just standing at the right post watching the dandelions grow.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
Disagree. Looks to me more like Sloan is playing his position then starts out to cover Nash when Poti comes from out of nowhere he could reasonably be expected to come from to chase Nash, leaving Sloan in no man’s land.
I’ll give you miserable play by both, but I still think Poti’s the more culpable.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I think it’s actually like asking who’s more tragically un-funny, Dane Cook or Carlos Mencia.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
by D'ohboy on Apr 3, 2010 11:34 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
On a Related Note
I felt that all those chances that CBJ had in our zone was the product of blown assignments, and no back checking effort as a whole…it seemed to me that on that goal Poti didnt know WHO to cover (the same with sloan on most plays) and the CBJ were playing dump and chase the whole game, and working while i felt the Caps forwards and wingers were holding the blue line at both ends, looking for that long breakaway pass, and that only led to them spending eternities in our zone
When my friend Robbie and I played hockey in the driveway on our rollerblades....I was always Peter Bondra
It took me a couple of seconds to fully get it, but now that I do it’s cool
/exhausted.
To be or not to be. That's not really a question.
Follow me on Twitter! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes!
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
The Bears’ regular logo has the bear slapping a hockey puck – this logo has the bear slapping a Hershey Kiss. Awwww.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
(I would note, however, that this it off-topic insofar as this recap is concerned.)
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I wanna go!
To be or not to be. That's not really a question.
Follow me on Twitter! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes!
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
It didn’t make the recap, but shout-out to Knuble for his saucer (OK, dying quail) pass over to Flash. Playmakah!
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
They looked real good that first 18 minutes…tight.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
I said it in the recap. . . Flash must love to play with Fehr and Knuble – they do all the work.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
Good line (your quip, not 16-14-22).
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Caps are now just one claimed point or one dropped Sharks point away from the Presidents’ Trophy.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Apr 3, 2010 11:19 PM EDT reply actions
Go Colorado go!
To be or not to be. That's not really a question.
Follow me on Twitter! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes!
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
I think I’m with Peerless on this one. I’d rather clinch at home through something we did as opposed to something someone else didn’t do. It always feels better when you earn it directly.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
technically they did earn it directly, by getting 114 points, I understand the sentiment, but they won the last game before the idle clinch situation, there’s not much more they can do about it.
Suspend Colin Campbell!
I agree. It’s semantic. The Caps will win at least one more game, so regardless of whether they clinch now with an SJS loss or tomorrow with a W doesn’t change anything. Unless we lose out and still get the PT I won’t consider it backing in or anything like that.
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.
And do check out the NHL.com Recap – it’s Corey tonight.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
for what a “hard hat” should represent, Laich should get it. Fearless in front and the corners.
If you've read this far...seek help.
I’d give it to Fehr or Chimmer. Fehr’s corner/board work set up one goal and a couple scoring chances.
Chimmer’s forecheck harried the BJ’s D-men all night.
Finally, I’d say Green as the third option. His play on the 3rd goal – from the keep-in to the shot – was money.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
Also played Nash great on a shorthanded rush.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Tonight i fully realized the incredible lightning speed of Chimmer….dudes quick. Who makes his skates? P.F Flyers?
When my friend Robbie and I played hockey in the driveway on our rollerblades....I was always Peter Bondra
by OviWankenobi on Apr 4, 2010 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions
you want fearless? he should play without that baseball mask.
Rock the Red! Rock the White! Rock the Blue! Rock the Pens!
by RedskinFan4Life on Apr 4, 2010 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions
There’s a difference between fearless and stupid. We don’t need him missing any more games to injury thanks muchly.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
by gotsparkly on Apr 4, 2010 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I’d say someone on the Caps deserved it and it should be awarded. I haven’t decided on who it should be.
Rocking the Red since 1975
Awesome Semin pic here. Real current.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Scandinavians have a phrase for such a screw-up.
It’s called, “uff-da.”
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
Um, Brandon? You still hanging out in our thread?
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
I’m still not convinced the Jackets had possession on Chimmers hard charge to the net that caused a delayed penalty.
Agreed. Touching the puck doesn’t equal possession.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
yup, which is why a goalie can make a save but a delayed penalty call remains delayed if the rebound is collected by the attacking team.
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
by Sombrero Guy on Apr 4, 2010 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m also not sure how you overturn the call on the ice though. I didn’t see the puck on any of the replays the CBJ guys showed, so I guess they got the benefit of the doubt.
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
by red army line on Apr 4, 2010 4:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Corvo - Nash
Totally agree with JP here. Corvo needed to pick a course of action and stick with it. Closing on Nash, only to retreat at the faceoff circle, then do some sort of Watusi-esque dance in an attempt to cut off the passing lane definitely isn’t in the “Hockey Defense for Dummies” book.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
Flash
Tonight’s game was Flash in a nutshell.
He floated around for most of the game, benefited from some hard work by Fehr and Knubs, and ended up looking pretty good for it.
He did some decent work in the dots, but really didn’t make his presence felt otherwise.
I know some would look at his goal and think he had a decent game, but I can’t help but think about the other 11 minutes he was on the ice in which he did something between jack and sh*t.
Apparently, Boudreau agreed with my observations, since Flash only got 12:05 of ice time.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
The Blue Jackets might not be very good . . .
But they’ve got a great goal celebration/song. The combo of the cannon and AC/DC… Classic.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
Observations From My Sofa...
As The Ten Commandments plays on the TV in the background, I write this list of observations…gotta love this movie.
Anyway from what I saw:
- When the Caps want to turn it on, they can. They played like the best team in the NHL in the first 15 minutes of the game. They need to do it for 60 minutes in the playoffs…
- Great effort for the Semin/Laich/Flash line… they produced some great chances.
- Mike Green had a strong game, ditto for Mr. Nasty. ShaMo also played well.
- I don’t think Ovie is in a major slump… he looks like he is coming closer to breaking out of his funk. Against Boston he’s going to have a big game, I can sense it…
- Good night for Flash on the dot as well, over 75%. Ditto for Belanger…. nicely done.
Well, only one point to win the Presidents’ Trophy. Either the Caps win it tomorrow if San Jose drops a point, or perhaps they can win it Monday against Boston…
Let's go Caps!
Sarge completely decked someone by the side of the net in the 2nd. It was brilliant.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
And some random Jacket got a nice faceful of Nicky’s shoulder along the boards in the third.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
That was a fantastic game. One of my favorites of the year. Because I got to see it, and I haven’t been able to watch much hockey lately.
The extended penalty kill in the beginning of the 3rd, that included the 5 on 3, was outstanding. Just great work. They were very aggressive and it led to great results. I’d like to see that PK a little more this year.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
So, how does everyone feel about facing the Rangers again? Atlanta’s done, Philly’s on life-support and with the Rangers and the Flyers ending the season with two against each other, we all know how that’s going to play out.
Well, they’re worse than last year, and the Caps are better. So I feel pretty good about it.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Apr 4, 2010 12:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Matt Bradley just smiled. A thin, hard smile, that didn’t reach his eyes.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
by EmilyB on Apr 4, 2010 12:18 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Would rather not, honestly. Yes, the Caps are better and the Rangers are worse, but I’d like a little variety in my playoffs this year. Totally stupid reason, I know, but there it is. Also, Rangers are super-hot and will have to be to make the playoffs. I’d rather have a team sliding than rising.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Looking at it further, do you realize that if PHI and NYR switch places, this year’s playoffs could be a duplicate of last year’s for us? Consider:
- NJD controls their destiny in the Atlantic. Right now, they have the lead in the Atlantic, and I doubt they’re going to relinquish it given the way they’ve been playing. This puts PIT in 4th at best.
- PHI is tied with NYR right now, and NYR’s won 3 in a row. They’re on the upswing and PHI is sliding, so the odds are better than even that they’ll slide into the postseason at PHI’s expense. Will they catch Boston? Maybe, maybe not. Boston now has a cushion. Two points, but it’s still a cushion.
- Check out BUF’s record against MTL. MTL struggles against Ryan Miller at least as much as everyone else does, and BUF has been steady and consistent down the stretch. I think BUF can take MTL.
- NJD – BOS. Yeah, I have a good guess as to who wins that one too, in 7 games.
So, who does that leave us with, if all of those scenarios happen? Yup, NYR in the first round and PIT in the second. Do. Not. Want.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
So it goes like this?
1st round
WAS – NYR
NJ – BOS
BUF – MLT
PIT – OTTAWA
2nd round
WAS – PIT
NJ – BUFF
3rd round
WAS – NJ
Quite frankly, the only team I’m not sure we can beat are the Devils. I wish we had a chance to play them at least once before the playoffs now that they are healthy and have Kovy.
Lobbies: Green, Carlson, Orlov
I have my doubts about ottawa too – we had issues with them this year.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Yes, at least in this scenario we don’t have to face Ryan Miller or any of the Canadian teams.
Lobbies: Green, Carlson, Orlov
We have a better chance of beating Miller than of any of the Canadian teams. It seems like there’s no correlation on the types of teams we can beat:
NJ — good defensive team, good goaltender, a couple of good offensive players — we have trouble beating
Pitt — good offense — we can beat, during the regular season
Buffalo — good goaltender, good defense, weak offense — we could beat, except when their goalie shut us out
Ottawa — good offense — we have trouble with
Montreal — good defense and goal tending — we have trouble with
Thrashers — good offense, so-so defense — we can beat
Rangers — good goal tender, so so offense — we can usually beat
LA Kings — good goal tender, one good offensive player — we can’t beat
Rocking the Red since 1975
OTT got one of our worst games of the season last time, and at least one other game (I think back in November) we gave them a pretty poor effort. In playoff hockey I’m not the least bit scared of OTT.
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 Rob Parker on Apr 4, 2010 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I actually think NYR might make it to 7th and Boston will drop to 8th.
The Caps play Boston twice in the last 4 games. The NYR play Philly twice. I think NYR will get the 7th seed.
Of course, Caps might play only 30 mins while Boston is fighting hard for playoff life which means Boston will get enough points to stay ahead of NYR.
Rock the Red! Rock the White! Rock the Blue! Rock the Pens!
by RedskinFan4Life on Apr 4, 2010 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Meaning a Rangers / Devils first round? Definitely more appealing.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Man, all that offense will be tough to keep track of. Hopefully they show the entire game in slow-mo because of the powerhouse offenses.
I agree totally about the stupidity of the average person. Horrifyingly, nearly 50% of people are even stupider!
That assumes that Ottawa cant beat pittsburgh…i think that would be a good series – and close
When my friend Robbie and I played hockey in the driveway on our rollerblades....I was always Peter Bondra
by OviWankenobi on Apr 4, 2010 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Definitely, but Ottawa winning is no better for us. In some ways it might be worse.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
A 2 point cushion isn’t much of a cushion when you have the Caps on your schedule two more times.
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 wasnt trying to imply that he should be banging back there with Sarge, but i do see an apathy overall in his trying to get back in the neutral zone….im taking nothing away as he is still the best player in the league, but it just concerns me to see him let other teams coast for the most part through the nuetral zone these past couple of games, which is not something he ever does…..maybe im just ansty too much for the playoffs and getting to see AO go off
When my friend Robbie and I played hockey in the driveway on our rollerblades....I was always Peter Bondra
Such a well written recap, thanks JP!
by Kolzilla on Apr 4, 2010 1:15 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Worst game of Ovechkin after olympic break. No energy, no good shots, really bad or non existent passing plays and lack of defensive effort is his slumps pike. He should have stayed of the ice this game, cause his effort transfered to his teamates. At least in the 3rd period. It can only get better with his play…
And here I had been calling for Ovi to be a healthy scratch for last night’s game on the evening of Nov 1. But none of the players (or the coach) responsible for the injury were available to Columbus. Boll is injured and out for the year. The rest were traded away. And Hitchcock was fired!
Rocking the Red since 1975
Shift Chart (Incomplete)
Something in the NHL’s data sheets is causing the macro to crap out early, and i’m not in a debugging mood, but here’s the first two periods.
Download link: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2784/4488379002_e618bbe27d_b.jpg
by vzotsky on Apr 4, 2010 12:15 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
R.J. Umberger - Total Butthead or Idiot - You Decide.
The fact that the Caps won and I still totally agree with the MSM selections of the Stars of the Game says something. That said I am still pretty surprised at post game comments by Blue Jackets center/former Flyers’ Left Wing R.J, Umberger’s comments.
Read them in Tarik’s blog and tell me you’re thinking anything other than “Wow!” My surprise comes from the fact I had never really thought of Umberger as either foolish or classless and to make these statements after your team is bested 3-2 in a game where you never really had much of a chance is probably one or the other.
To make the statement about a team that locked up their conference several games before they played your team and leads the league overall, who sits in 14th in your Conference, is currently 24th out of 30 in the league and is already mathematically out of the playoffs is, IMO, definitely one or the other. So I’ll ask you, what is more demonstrative of frustration: i) a team who plays a tight game, gives a lesser team who has and plays an effective trap a few too many chances in a game where they take a total of 3 minor penalties and come away with a 3-2 victory, or a 6th year pro spouting off, what probably were ill-considered comments, after his team looses a game where they gave the team with the best power play in the league 6 extra man opportunities and they spotted them 3 goals, all while that same player himself had a game that was basically unspectacular enough that his stat line is devoid of much in the way of entries despite having 22:56 TOI.
Oops sorry for the legnth here – probably should have done a fan post but I haven’t quite figured out how and when to do those correctly.
by markbona-capsfan99 on Apr 4, 2010 9:29 PM EDT reply actions
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