Recap: Capitals 5, Ducks 4 (OT)
by Kareem E. on Nov 1, 2011 11:01 PM EDT
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If you only watched the first half of this contest, you would have witnessed a sluggish Capitals team losing to the Anaheim Ducks, who up to that point had played a perfect road game and were leading 3-0. But a game is 60 minutes long - not 30 - and the Caps managed to claw and fight their way back to tie the contest at four, the game-tying goal courtesy of a last-minute Nicklas Backstrom tally.
But Nicky wasn't done. A bit over three minutes later, #19 finished off the Ducks by pounding home the overtime winner from the top of the crease, capping off an inspiring three-goal comeback and sending the Verizon Center into a frenzy. The 5-4 victory moves to Caps record up to 8-2 and stretches the Caps perfect home record to 6-0. More importantly, the comeback displayed the team's never-say-die mentality.
Ten more notes on the game:
- The happiest folks on the night may not be the Caps, or even Caps Nation. It may indeed be the suits at NBC/Versus, who had the fortuitous wisdom to pick this particular game to televise nationally. Games like this - even in November - hook casual fans on to the sport.
- The first game after getting called out for lack of production, the Meat & Potatoes line of Brooks Laich, Joel Ward and Jason Chimera collectively posts seven points and finishes +9 on the night. They were also on the ice for the game-tying goal with less than one minute left in the contest. That's production!
- Anyone notice who wasn't on the ice for the Caps game-tying goal late in the third? Alex Ovechkin. Read into that what you want.
- For someone who had a relatively quiet first 59 minutes, Nick Backstrom sure came on strong in the end. His two tallies extend his point total to 14 points in 10 games, a very nice start to the season.
- No one will argue that Dennis Wideman's first period giveaway - one which gave the Ducks a cheap first period goal - was an ugly play by a veteran blue-liner. But, before throwing him entirely under the bus, you could chalk it up to a miscommunication between him and his partner, Roman Hamrlik. Those are the consequences of having two players who haven't logged a lot of minutes together. But the second Ducks goal? There is no excuse for Wideman not tying up his man. He at least scored a goal and assist to help even things out, and he somehow managed to finish +1 on the night. Dennis Wideman = High Risk, High Reward.
- Which Caps played against Anaheim's famed RPG line, arguably the most potent line in the NHL? It was a mix of forwards, but the heavy lifting came down to the unusual defensive tandem of Jeff Schultz and Karl Alzner. The end result was that the RPG line collectively finished -6 and produced only five SOG, with Corey Perry's single tally occurring on the power play. Now about those Finns...
- Much ado was made about future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer Nick Lidstrom's last regular season visit to DC 10 days ago. Another future first ballot Hall-of-Famer, Teemu Selanne, likely made his last visit to DC tonight. The Finnish Flash scored three points (2G, 1A) and made his final visit to the Verizon Center very memorable. His Finnish counterpart, Saku Koivo, also tore through the Caps defense, putting up three points (1G, 2A) as well.
- Is fatigue settling in for the overworked Tomas Vokoun, who's played in all but one game this season? He's allowed 7 goals on his last 32 shots. We knew his other-worldly save percentage was unsustainable, but this is a surprisingly quick regression towards the mean. Voks needs some rest.
- Props to the defense for only allowing 15 shots on net in 63+ minutes of hockey. There were still too many breakdowns, but any time a team only allows 15 shots, odds are they will win.
- Anaheim came into the contest in last place in team face-off percentage. Tonight, they won 54%. Blah.
- What a nice season debut for John Erskine. His beautiful 100-foot outlet pass led to Troy Brouwer's goal. Cody Eakin also made his NHL debut, finishing -1 and making a few defensive zone miscues in an otherwise quiet game, but also showing that he can certainly handle the rigor and speed of the League.
If you didn't know it before the season started, you know it now: the Washington Capitals are a good team. Their quick-strike ability can keep them in any contest. Even on nights that they do not bring their "A" game - like tonight - they still manage to squeak out two points against a quality opponent. But it shouldn't mask the reality that the Caps still have a lot of bad habits that must be corrected. For tonight may have been a memorable win on national television, but there were too many self-imposed miscues that could have cost them, undisciplined mistakes that we saw too frequently the past few springs. Additionally, the team has to find the middle ground between last year's suffocating, defensive style of play and the wide open run-n-gun that seemingly defines this year's team. Until then, we should enjoy these high-scoring, edge-of-our-seat-nail-biters, but also hope that the Caps develop enough to be able to clamp down their opponents when it really matters.
Game highlights:
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NBC
pretty critical of the captain’s play. Wasn’t his best game, but they sure got after him. There isn’t enough ink to write about it in Canada, so expect the avalanche in the morning.
Refs allow play to continue....
And for all the ripping on him, they kept commenting on what a great statement it was to set up the game winning goal by ‘kicking’ it over to Nicky. Not arguing with the results, but the puck just happened to hit him.
It isn’t even anger-inducing. It does not seem to be worth that kind of emotional investment. It might not even be disappointing any more. It is expected.
-Peerless 5.6.2011
I think it was Masisak who pointed out that CSN replayed the video and showed Nicky nodding to Ovi to pass him the puck.
by jopierce on Nov 1, 2011 11:41 PM EDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Such a nice play. Very heady. Nick definitely looks like he’s got his game back this year.
Please, call me F&B.
I agree. And you really know that Baxter has his game back because Milbury thinks he doesn’t. During one of the intermissions Milbury talked about how AO came into the season in better shape and is skating better, but said the same wasn’t true for Backstrom and he looks “doughy”. He completely ignored the fact that Baxter has never been an explosive skater.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Nov 2, 2011 12:59 AM EDT up reply actions
I actually thought he looked solid… Looked dangerous for a while in the third and was generally looking a bit more like the Ovie I’m used to seeing (though near the end he may have slipped into “Fuck it, I’ve got this” mode again…).
by Murshawursha on Nov 1, 2011 11:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Even on nights that they do not bring their “A” game – like tonight – they still manage to squeak out two points against a quality opponent. But it shouldn’t mask the reality that the Caps still have a lot of bad habits that must be corrected
The more things change…
It isn’t even anger-inducing. It does not seem to be worth that kind of emotional investment. It might not even be disappointing any more. It is expected.
-Peerless 5.6.2011
15 shots against, even with some bad defensive zone play that lead to goals, is pretty good though, right?
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How much of that can be attributed to a 3-0 hole in the first half of the game?
Please, call me F&B.
Some of it for sure. And I didn’t see any of the first, just a few minutes of the second and then most of the third. So I truly don’t know. If you say they sucked, then I believe you.
They truly looked good – except for the PK – in the third, so I’m going off of that more than anything.
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Ha, I didn’t say anything about them sucking or not. I just asked a question. I didn’t see a single minute of the game.
Please, call me F&B.
PK is driving me batty. We killed zero percent of penalties tonight. Also converted zero percent of PPs.
by Berube Doobie Doo on Nov 2, 2011 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions
The crazy thing about this game. The Caps had nearly 40 shots on goal. The Ducks had under 20 shots but still had 4 goals.
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Vokeswagon stats not so hot the last couple of games.
by Berube Doobie Doo on Nov 2, 2011 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Nope. Although it seemed that more of the Goals against were caused by defensive breakdowns than Vokoun doing poorly.
Recommendations for practice for the remainder of this week: Special teams, especially PK.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Scoring effects.
Ducks scored on wide open opportunities and didn’t need to take a lot of shots. Probably also has to do with the ducks playing too cute and looking for the perfect goal (except on the PP goal). Reminds me of the caps in a few ways.
Hmm? Maybe RPG but the rest of that lineup will get killed trying to look cute (even Selanne and Koivu, considering the possibilities for the third player on that line). Why wouldn’t the Ducks shoot more, as it is, with Vokoun not playing like he was a week ago?
With regards to score effects, even up three, 36% Corsi is not good.
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by red army line on Nov 2, 2011 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions
6 shots in the 1st for the Ducks, 5 shots in the 2nd, something like 4 or 5 in 3rd + OT. The play was fairly consistent, except for the real bone-headed mistakes. Wideman despite having 2 points tonight had a pretty poor game overall in my book. Will elaborate more below.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Nov 2, 2011 12:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Man, NB19 got away with an interference call on Cogliano just before he got the GWG. Nice to see a non-call go the Caps’ way after the EDM fiasco.
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i thought the non-calls went both ways, especially a lot of interference-like calls that were being called the last 2 games. All night i was expecting arms to go up on almost every play. I think (hope) the prior 2 games were the anomolly, and that the “among the least penalized teams in the league” we say tonight is more the norm
I don’t think we’ll go the whole season being the least penalized game, but any game we play with Stephane Auger, particularly if we’re on a winning streak he’ll do whatever he can to take the wind out of our sails. The oilers game will take half the season to average out because of that douche bag.
It would have been called on the Canada trip, but I don’t think that’s a play that has to be an interference call every time. Two guys basically ran into each other and Nick is stronger. It didn’t create any sort of advantage, so I’m fine with that not being a call.
Please, call me F&B.
I thought it created a pretty clear advantage, as it picked the guy off and allowed OV to pick up the puck and skate by. I’m not knowledgeable enough to say that was a blown call for sure, but it seemed that way to me. As fat_daddyo said, I’ll take it as karmic retribution for some of the ridiculous calls that have gone against us.
"If I knew then what I know now, that woulda messed it up somehow" - Roy Drusky
Dimagus and I both saw this and commented on it. At best it was one of those inadvertent collisions but would need to see a replay. Definitely looked like interference. Then again, they let a ton of interference go both ways tonight.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Nov 2, 2011 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions
there was a “let ’em play” attitude last night. Both teams got away with murder.
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And with 2:17 left in the third period, it looked like his brief Caps tenure and last season flashed in front of Brouwer as he was hit by Anaheim’s Toni Lydman, landing against the boards on his right shoulder.
That’s the same shoulder he had surgically repaired back in May.
Joy.
Dunno yet. Waiting for the ambiguous BB comment to the media and then any announcement from the Caps that comes later.
“Maintenance day…expect him to play next game…nope, can’t play this one, but he’s day to day…we’re putting him on the IR.”
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No, he never returned, and his fate is still unlearned…
by Aliceanna on Nov 1, 2011 11:52 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 3 recs
I thought he played a little overaggressively, and the D played a bit underaggressively in close to the net.
His one outlet pass totally enabled that one goal, however.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
I was sad that he didn’t get an assist there.
by Joran on Nov 1, 2011 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
4 goals on 15 shots…even if he’s fresh as my grandmother’s table linen he needs to get a game off to collect himself.
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to be honest I find it difficult to fault him for the first two for sure. He got totally left out to dry by the defense on those two.
And the 4th, really.
I hear you. But I’d still like to see him get a game off to collect his thoughts.
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Back to back Fri/Sat. Neuvy gets Carolina. So he can beat them twice.
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I would definitely play Neuvy on Friday. While all the goals against weren’t Vokoun’s fault and were more caused by defensive breakdowns, the last one was a softie. Plus, we were shorthanded thanks to TV.
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Agree that he needs a break, but I don’t think the penalty he took was a particularly bad one. Just missed a poke-check.
by Murshawursha on Nov 1, 2011 11:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Definitely had some issues paired with Wideman. Carlson looked pretty bad on Perry’s goal, too. No way Perry should have been able to still be standing there to take the final swipe. Carlson went right past him. Sick hands by Perry though.
RomHam has issues paired with everyone.
Roman Hamrlik is so bad that I've forgotten how bad Jeff Schultz is.
But seriously. We’d be better off if RomHam were pre-injury Poti at this point. And that is not what I thought we signed up for.
Roman Hamrlik is so bad that I've forgotten how bad Jeff Schultz is.
I’m just not panicking yet. He’s played 1300 NHL games. His age is a concern, the possibility that MON’s system was hiding his lack of mobility is a concern, but I think he deserves a chance to work out of it. He’s logged big minutes on successful teams, I think the guy still knows how to play. Let’s see how he looks when he gets the system and his teammates’ idiosyncrasies down. Going from MON to WAS is a pretty significant transition, system-wise.
Please, call me F&B.
So how much of a grace period does he get? 20 games? 40 games? Dare I say more?
Roman Hamrlik is so bad that I've forgotten how bad Jeff Schultz is.
I would have thought a guy with 1300 games under his belt would be able to mesh with a new team given an entire training camp + 10 games. Instead, he actually looked worse tonight than he did at the beginning of the year, in my eyes. At this point, I’m looking at all the teams that want defensive help and wondering what we could get for him, because I’d rather be playing Erskine than him once Green gets back. Maybe I’m jumping the gun on this, but when I watch him do things like fail to spot a pass on a 2-on-1, it seems like the problem with his ability, rather than how he’s adjusting to the system.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 1, 2011 11:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Ooof, just say no to the Lumberjack in anything more than spot duty.
I’m with F&B, let’s give 44 another 10 games before we start writing him off. Let’s also remember that he’s going to earn his money in the playoffs and not now; given the tighter checking, his lack of mobility won’t be such a hindrance. At least I hope.
Anyhow, way too early to be throwing in the towel on him, and also Erskine just can’t be a top-6 D.
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I couldn’t really make out how he played tonight, but if he’s sniffing the level he played at last year I think he’s a perfectly fine 3rd pair d-man.
Roman Hamrlik is so bad that I've forgotten how bad Jeff Schultz is.
Erskine looked a heck of a lot better than Hamrlik tonight, IMO. But my preference for Erskine over Hamrlik has more to do with Hamrlik sucking than Erskine being a legit top 6 defenseman. Hamrlik’s play thus far has not been what I’d consider acceptable for an everyday defenseman. Also…
given the tighter checking, his lack of mobility won’t be such a hindrance.
I feel like we could say the same thing about Erskine, but that’s not how it worked for him.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions
It’s a huge advantage to have puck-moving skills, which 44 has and 4 does not.
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by red army line on Nov 2, 2011 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Hannan took a while to get accustomed and he was also a veteran. Also, Hamrlik’s partners haven’t been consistent, so it’s natural we’d see some miscommunication.
I’m willing to give him more time.
P.S. I thought Erskine looked solid today.
Yeah, he was fine for the bit that I saw. Even tried to deke to the net, which made me smile.
But he’s got to be a filler-inner type of guy. When he has to run out there too many games in a row he loses a step and then he’s horrid.
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I’d rather see another game or even two of Erskine if it means that Green’s ankle is fine as opposed to “fine.”
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by EmilyB on Nov 2, 2011 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Hannan took about 10 games to get adjusted, but he did not have the luxury of playing with the team during training camp. Hamrlik had a full training camp + 10 games, and he still looks lost. That’s not a good sign. But as Rob stated somewhere in this thread, it’s still too early to come to definite conclusions on RomHam.
That was midseason. Hamrlik has an entire preseason to make the adjustment. And by 10 games in, Hannan had found his place. At this point, I think Hamrlik looks like he regressing, if anything.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions
There were other defensemen worse than Hamrlik (defensively) tonight. I’ll name two: Wideman and Carlson.
Sometimes I think you guys force-feed whatever happens in a game into your pre-made narrative.
by DonnieKnutts on Nov 2, 2011 12:10 AM EDT up reply actions
My point is that Hamrlik has been this bad all season. Wideman and Carlson’s games were aberrations. I’ve resisted hopping on the “Hamrlik sucks” bandwagon for a while, but my patience only extends so far.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 12:17 AM EDT up reply actions
Hamrlik was -3 with 0 points. Wideman was +1 with 2 points. These stats don’t tell the whole story, but they tell enough that I can fairly say I’m not force-feeding anything.
We know what we are getting with Wideman and he consistently gives it to us: puck movement, points, turnovers. What is Hamrlik’s thing? Blocked shots? Super, so is Anton Volchenkov’s.
Roman Hamrlik is so bad that I've forgotten how bad Jeff Schultz is.
Hamrlik’s thing, to me, is that he is a smart, positionally sound defenseman. At his age turns like the Titanic—yes, he’s pretty slow. But we all knew that. You say the “stats don’t tell the whole story” yet you still offer them as proof. Wideman was largely at fault for the first two goals that Hamrlik was on the ice for, and arguably Ovie was most at fault for the third.
by DonnieKnutts on Nov 2, 2011 12:33 AM EDT up reply actions
I begin to wonder if Hamrlik and Wideman are both perfectly good defensemen but just not a great combination together.
When Green went down, my first instinct would have been to leave the Schultz/Wideman pairing along since it had worked well before Wideman went down. And place Hammer with Collins so we have only 1 new pairing instead of 2.
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If you want stats, Neil had 52-44 at 55% scoring chances, maybe higher. Minimum five games played, two best Corsis on the team among D.
If nothing else, moving Hamrlik to a tough role like he had in MTL is possible.
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by red army line on Nov 2, 2011 11:44 AM EDT up reply actions
Was Hannan a lot more expensive than Hamrlik? I forget. I’d much prefer Hannan but I’m sure it was a cap space issue.
"If I knew then what I know now, that woulda messed it up somehow" - Roy Drusky
The great thing about Erskine is that you can have him give other D-men spot rest as needed, and the drop-off isn’t the sort of sheer cliff to (formerly Sloan, now Collins, etc.) would be. He’s an awesome 7D. Maybe one of the better 7D in the league.
That said, I could live with him as 6D, but it’s not an ideal solution by any stretch of the imagination.
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I agree that he’s not a great solution as a 6D, but Hamrlik’s play so far this year < Erskine’s play last year/tonight. If you gave me the choice of last year’s Erskine or Hamrlik from these first 10 games, I’m playing Erskine.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
They certainly were on for the first two GA. I’m beginning to think they may be one of those combinations that just doesn’t work so well. Back when Green first went down, I would have been more comfortable with leaving the Schultz/Wildman pair intact. It worked when Green was out last year.
Boudreau finally broke that pair up. I say about time.
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Thd biggest item IMO was Ovechkin having a seat in the last minute. Gotta say it was pretty well-deserved after the Captain used a late 3-on-2 rush to try his cut to the middle move instead of waiting for the third man. It essentially killed our late PP.
Try that stupid shit and see your automatic ice time card suspended. That’s the kind of accountability I’ve been dying to see from BB.
Note: both Ovi and Semin were not out in the last minute. The forwards were the third line (who had done well all game) and Nicky B.
Our third line was behaving more like our de-facto first line today.
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this was the play I’m positive he got sat for and deservedly so. He had a trailer to drop it to…so many more options from that than what he did. Overall I thought he didn’t play a bad game, but not as dangerous as the last 2 games on the road trip.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Nov 2, 2011 12:36 AM EDT up reply actions
When was the last time Ovechkin scored a goal after beating a defenseman one-on-one? Because I honestly can’t remember the last time he did this. Seems like all his goals this year are from going to the net or one-timing nice feeds.
Also, I hope the scout who told GMGM that Hamrlik had 2 years left, and was worth 3.5M, has been fired. I was patient with Hamrlik when he started out poorly, but I’d think by 10 games into the season he’d have picked up his game. Right now, I feel more comfortable with Erskine out there than with Hamrlik. When Green gets back, I hope Hamrlik sits instead of Erskine.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 1, 2011 11:32 PM EDT reply actions
I recall him having I nice snipe on a 1-on-1 with a defenseman (Doughty, IIRC) against LA last season….. can’t think of any others.
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by thebreakawaygoal on Nov 1, 2011 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
I think you need more than 10 games before you can really evaluate RomHam. Totally new team and system, and ten games is a small sample. I think we probably need to wait at least another ten games before thinking about drawing conclusions (and, in any event, we’ll see at least 70 more).
Please, call me F&B.
by Rob Parker on Nov 1, 2011 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
And what is going on with the PK?? Only one PP opportunity given up, that’s good. But a zero-percent success rate ain’t good at all.
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When was the last time Ovechkin scored a goal after beating a defenseman one-on-one? Because I honestly can’t remember the last time he did this. Seems like all his goals this year are from going to the net or one-timing nice feeds.
Also, I hope the scout who told GMGM that Hamrlik had 2 years left, and was worth 3.5M, has been fired. I was patient with Hamrlik when he started out poorly, but I’d think by 10 games into the season he’d have picked up his game. Right now, I feel more comfortable with Erskine out there than with Hamrlik. When Green gets back, I hope Hamrlik sits instead of Erskine.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 1, 2011 11:35 PM EDT reply actions
I’m willing to give Hamrlik some more time to get acquainted with the team and the schemes. His normal partner, Green has been out the last 3 games.
The early returns haven’t been great and Boudreau doesn’t trust him on the PP, with Laich playing the point instead of Carlson or Hamrlik, but it’s still very early.
Right? Dude is firing on all cylinders out of the gate. (Provided you assume faceoffs are not part of the engine, but rather, are like anti-lock brakes… great to have on the ice, but a secondary selling point.)
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Can the Caps please hire a faceoff coach? Nicky, Brooksie, MarJo, Eakin, and Perreault all need lessons.
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I’m not sure what it is this year. Nick was doing fine last year before his thumb injury (then he couldn’t take any) but obviously his thumb is fine this year. With MoJo, it’s more about experience, I think.
by jopierce on Nov 2, 2011 12:42 AM EDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Younger players take time to develop in the dot, particularly with the strength and technique that it takes.
Brooks, Nick, and Jeff have to be better.
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Yeah, it’s really strange that each of those guys would regress so much so suddenly. I can’t think of any reason why they’d all drop off so suddenly.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 12:46 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m cautiously optimistic. I’d like to see a bit less reliance on the PP for scoring.
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by red army line on Nov 2, 2011 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions
I have begun to liken Wideman to Charlie Kelly. They look mildly alike and Wideman is slightly prone to awful mistakes much like Charlie. Plus it’s funny to imagine that Wideman is illiterate.
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Slightly OT, but the Caps seem to have awakened the sleeping Vancouver giant. 5-0 in the third against the Flames.
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Did someone glue Luongo’s shoulders to the crossbar or is Schneider playing?
by jopierce on Nov 1, 2011 11:51 PM EDT via iPhone app up reply actions 2 recs
Seems only fitting since we seem to have broken the Red Wings. They are winless since playing the Caps. They also gave Columbus their first win.
by Gin and Tonic on Nov 2, 2011 1:43 AM EDT up reply actions
Great post game summary & analysis! On our way home from the game (after pausing for some sustinance ) I’m exhausted from this bipolar game. Heart attack hockey is back in the Nation’ Capital !
by Goaliemama on Nov 1, 2011 11:50 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
TV viewers - question
In the first frame, it sure looked like someone on the Ducks’ side cross-check/boarded Brooks Laich. Laich went down, chin-first into the boards, after being hit in a spot that looked like, from my point of view, right in the numbers, by a stick that was pretty much parallel to the ice and held in both hands.
Did anybody actually see that play on TV? Was it as bad as it looked? I saw no replay, but there was quite a bit of outrage in the crowd over that one…
Thoughts?
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I remember there being one hit where if it was six inches closer to the boards VC would have been up in arms.
But if he doesn’t actually hit the boards… they would have to call Roughing. How often do you see that?
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So, a few guys over at Anaheim Calling are saying they’d put a package together for Laich, get this, starting with Getzlaf.
Am I crazy, or is that a huge overpayment for Laich?
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Considering the pick that could have become Getzlaf turned into Danick Paquette…
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I know, great, huh?
You must have been pleased to see Eakin up with the big club, right?
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Thrilled. And when he lined up with MoJo and Semin, I totes died. :D
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My parents were over tonight along with some other family, and they had all seen Eakin play against the Wheat Kings last year when he was with Swift Current (probably – we were a bit fuzzy on the finer points). Anyway, their verdict was that he was by far the best player on the ice. So they were kind of jazzed he debuted tonight, too.
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So did I. I had assumed he’d be on the line with Knubs and Perreault. But, when they finally put Eakin and Perreault on the same line, that’s when a goal happened. Granted, neither of them scored but good things happened when they were together.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Perreault battled all night, and bird-dogged the puck every time he was on the ice.
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He looked dangerous, didn’t he?
Maybe he really is going to work out.
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He made some weak passes and got beat on the boards some. He had his moments of danger though…I like it when he sets up shop behind the net.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Nov 2, 2011 12:38 AM EDT up reply actions
I said in the summer that he’d make the team. Very happy he has, he’s actually been pretty consistently awesome lately.
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"Common sense is not so common."
Gotta say, I never expected him to be so successful on the 4th line; I thought he was too undersized for the role. Happy to eat crow on that one.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 12:22 AM EDT up reply actions
I wasn’t thinking he was either, but he’s making it work and providing such a nice little offensive kick to it.
Plus you can slot him in a lot of places, if someone on the second line goes down, he isn’t half bad there either.
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"Common sense is not so common."
Yep. Certainly never had that versatility or offensive impact with the Gordon-Steckel-Bradley 4th line.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions
And he’s decent defensively!
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"Common sense is not so common."
Yeah, that’s a crazy overpayment. I’d listen for sure, assuming it isn’t followed with “and that COL first round pick.”
Please, call me F&B.
They’re talking about sweetening the pot in order to get Laich. Unfriggingbelievable.
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Throw in AGord and you’ve got yourself a deal, Ducks.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
I miss that kid so much! I like how he stands on the bench before games, looking all introspective and stuff :p
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"Common sense is not so common."
No no, if anything that’s an underpayment. I think they’d have to throw in a 2nd to get Laich.
(Shh, they might be watching. We don’t want them to figure it out.)
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions
I Laichey! (Sorry, Brooksie, but that one is too good to pass up.)
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Agreed. Although personally, I’d trade Ovie if the return was high enough (and I’ve had recurring dreams where the Caps do this). I think my lack of loyalty stems from having my childhood heroes given away in 2003.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 12:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Of course, if Ed Snider had been the owner of the Caps instead of Leonsis, Ovi and Semin would probably both have been gone this past summer.
I’d feel bad if they were traded but I know that if the right deal comes up, it’s got to be made.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
I wonder what the could’ve gotten us over the summer. Dustin Brown + Wayne Simmonds + Brayden Schenn + 1st for Ovie? I’d think about that.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 12:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Of course, the only problem is any trading partner for Ovi would have to have a lot of Cap space due to his salary so I doubt if the Kings would have been an option.
I figure that If Snider had owned the Caps, he would have sent Semin to the Kings and Ovi to either the Isles or Panthers (or maybe the Avalanche.)
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
I could see Tallon taking on Ovie’s contract, considering he was willing to take on Campbell’s (again). Don’t know if they’d have the pieces to get Ovie though. Avs definitely could, if they were willing to package Stastny with one of their young defensemen and some picks.
I’ve always wondered if Lombardi would trade Dustin Brown for Semin. I’d love to see Dustin on a line with Ovie and Backstrom.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 12:52 AM EDT up reply actions
Campbell and Ovi on the same time — that’s like matter meeting anti-matter.
As for the Avs, the last thing they need to cough up is more draft picks.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Yeah, I guess they’re not likely to share any more of their 1st’s with us. Stastny-Johnson-McClement would be tempting though, even without picks attached.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 1:28 AM EDT up reply actions
(1) Selanne is awesome. One can only hope that Ovechkin ages as well. But he won’t. I can’t believe Teemu is 41.
(2) Ducks are a good team. Very good defensively and their top 6 is strong. Third and fourth lines, not so much.
(3) I thought Semin had a really strong game.
Semin
His stat line tonight was awful, but I have not seen him play with that much passion in a long time. The only player on the ice tonight with more was MP85. Tonight was absolutely good sasha night, just a shame he gets not points.
And, my god the puck just finds MP85. Maybe it is the hustle, but if his line is on, loose change goes to him. Maybe we should park him by the net… or put him IN the net…
by FFSEnough on Nov 2, 2011 12:07 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Agreed on Semin. One thing, though— Ovie:cut to net::Semin:curl-n-drag… i.e., everybody in the rink knows he’s gonna do it. Let’s try some other moves, boys.
by DonnieKnutts on Nov 2, 2011 12:11 AM EDT up reply actions
Semin is a ninja with the puck. But his choices on when to release said puck, either for a pass or for a shoot, are extremely lacking in sense.
Sometimes I wonder if he’s a still point in the universe and doesn’t adjust for stellar drift.
"A picture is worth a thousand words. For moving pictures we manage to shorten it to one or two."
The error in the neutrino speed measurement was because they didn’t account for Semin.
by brooksengr on Nov 2, 2011 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Semin’s line needs some grit. They just have a bunch of dancers out there, nobody to sit in front of the net and screen for mojo or Semin.
mp85 is awesome, just a shame he gets beaten up so easily. Shame he can’t get the same calls as a big guy also, it’s a shame they consider his size a mitigating factor for getting thrown across the ice.
Personal observations.
Good: Our third line and Nick Backstrom
Bad: Several defensive lapses; horrible save percentage
Ugly: See Bad.
Plus, why was it that Anaheim’s old guys: Koivu and Selanne seemed to make mincemeat out of us?
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Because that’s what they do. Was a privilege to watch them play tonight.
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Koivu and Selanne — aging like fine wine.
Meanwhile, I’m hoping that the best days of Ovi and Semin have not already passed and they’re both more than 10 years younger than either of them.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
I couldn’t be mad when Selanne scored. How can you hate the guy?
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"Common sense is not so common."
Not only do I love Selanne, but I love his Jofa 366 helmet (with Jofa logo obscured). Reminds me of the old days.
by DonnieKnutts on Nov 2, 2011 12:19 AM EDT up reply actions
That third goal was all Hamrlick’s fault. When I saw him bring that puck from around the net without waiting for the players to set up, resulting in a turnover, I said out loud “he’s going to cause a goal doing that.”
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 2, 2011 12:12 AM EDT reply actions
Seems like Ovie leaving his pointman was a bigger cause of that third goal then a botched breakout—which, mind you, is also somewhat on the wingers
by DonnieKnutts on Nov 2, 2011 12:23 AM EDT up reply actions
Seems to me that Hamrlick forced the puck along the boards with a white jersey still in the vicinity, which struck me as quite boneheaded. Perhaps I just didn’t see the whole play, however. Only saying what my initial reaction was.
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 2, 2011 12:28 AM EDT up reply actions
He kind of hopefully threw it up the boards, but Ovie was not hugging the boards like he should have been and sort of drifting laterally across the blue line. The puck was held in, and the rest was…an Anaheim goal. I’d say equally at fault were 44 and 8/19 on that broken breakout.
by DonnieKnutts on Nov 2, 2011 12:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Wideman had a shitty game. Directly responsible for the first 2 goals against…and had a horrid exit pass that led to the turnover which led to the rush/penalty on Vokoun which they eventually scored on that PP chance. His goal was a nice way to get some of it back…but overall tonight he just wasn’t that great.
I had some annoying guy behind us all game talking about how terrible Johannson is. “No assists, can’t win a faceoff” (although every faceoff he did win the guy wouldn’t say a word about…would never talk about the chances he set up tonight for Eakin, Semin, and one open look for Hammer which he flubbed), etc. Semin had some effort tonight, but I feel like he needs to start burying/creating more chances. I’m not even confident when he’s carrying the puck into the zone right now, feels like the only time that line was generating chances was when MJ90 carries the puck into the zone.
3rd line was money tonight. I can’t stress enough how much I like Joel Ward. It was definitely a weak goal, but the guy puts in so much other hard work and smart, good effort it’s just like getting what you deserve. So many times see his board work and am left just impressed. Laich had a better night distributing the puck for sure…finding Wideman coming late on the 2nd goal was nice.
Backstrom was a hero…and BB saying he didn’t think Ovie was going to be the guy to get the goal…guess he was right. OT goal was a little lucky not sure how much of Ovie’s slowing the puck down with his foot was intentional or whatevs…kinda felt like the puck just bounced its way past everyone and Nicky was like “Okay I’ll take it”.
Hard game for me to figure out. Can’t say I could find a lot of fault with Vokoun on any of their goals. Massive breakdowns and missed coverages were killing us. The shots on goal number may be misleading, but it might not be. Without some of those epic fails by Wideman early we wouldn’t have been so far behind in this game. Special teams play has got to get better.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
Mojo kinda reminds me of Jeff Carter, in that if you only judged him by his stats, you’d think he was a sniping winger. I agree that his lack of assists comes more from his linemates not finishing their chances than him not passing well.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 12:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Faceoffs were okay tonight too.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Nov 2, 2011 1:05 AM EDT up reply actions
Wideman admitted in the 2nd intermission interview with Koken that he made two boneheaded plays that led to goals. So there’s that.
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 2, 2011 12:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Mojo kinda reminds me of Jeff Carter, in that if you only judged him by his stats, you’d think he was a sniping winger. I agree that his lack of assists comes more from his linemates not finishing their chances than him not passing well.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 1:00 AM EDT up reply actions
And next year, we can look forward to MoJo’s line being the tryout line, with all the rookies.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
A line of Kuznetsov-Mojo-1st round pick could be pretty sick. Like a slightly downgraded version of Hall-RNH-Eberle.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 1:16 AM EDT up reply actions
I was thinking of Kuz & Mo with Eakin. (I doubt if this summer’s first pick will be ready for prime time next fall.)
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that the Avs won’t be netting us a top 5 pick this year. Curses.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m in awe watching MoJo, he’s very sharp with the puck and surprisingly tough for his size. If a couple of small bounces went his way (thinking back to a play in the highlights where he chases a puck down in the offensive corner, pivots and slap passes into the crease if it had hit anything in front of the net it would have gone in) he’d have magical numbers.
I’m a huge fan of MoJo, I think he’s turning into a great 2C. I had one major problem with his game lat night that I can’t see others pointing out. On Anaheim’s 4th goal, the PP goal, Perry got about 5 whacks at the puck. MoJo was right there, but instead of cleaning him out and preventing all those whacks, he just kind of stood behind him watching. Frustrating.
"If I knew then what I know now, that woulda messed it up somehow" - Roy Drusky
Next question — did Brouwer get injured when slammed into the boards near the end of regulation. I’ve heard reports that it could be his shoulder.
I hope he’s okay. (Or who takes his place on Friday?)
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Not certain, but it’s certainly looking that way from what I’ve seen. Really hope we’re not getting into another Fehr situation; a guy costing us a 1st rounder, having the potential to be a linemate for Ovie and Lars, then having his career derailed by shoulder injuries. Could be an even bigger problem for Brouwer, considering how much his game relies on checking.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 1:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Not certain, but it’s certainly looking that way from what I’ve seen. Really hope we’re not getting into another Fehr situation; a guy costing us a 1st rounder, having the potential to be a linemate for Ovie and Lars, then having his career derailed by shoulder injuries. Could be an even bigger problem for Brouwer, considering how much his game relies on checking.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 2, 2011 1:04 AM EDT up reply actions
Perspectives from Section 201 and the DVR:
The first period felt very muted for both teams, even the fight was tremendously unsatisfying with Beleskey falling down instead of going the distance. This should have been 0-0 at intermission but two glaringly irresponsible errors by the defensive pairing 44-6. Joe B: “Communication is so important for the defensemen and the goaltenders in the National Hockey League.” On the first goal Wideman let it go thinking Hamrlik would be there for the reverse. On the second goal it is banked off the boards behind the net, and Hamrlik doesn’t stop the passer and Wideman didn’t cover the shooter on an easy bang-bang. It was 2-on-5 from the faceoff circles down and both went unchecked.
The 2nd and 3rd periods were an actual hockey game and one that should have ended in a 3-2 or 4-2 win for the Caps if they weren’t already in the hole by two goals. In each game there’s going to be some lines and some guys that have the energy and the good sticks. For this one it was obviously Ward/Laich combining with Chimera, Vokoun, Wideman, Backstrom for 3 goals. The other regulation goal was an absolute softie by Hiller, rewarding Brouwer for the tried and true “Putting the puck on net.”
In general, I don’t mind Boudreau mixing up some lines after a loss or if they haven’t been producing. But I think tonight is a prime example of why he shouldn’t mix ALL of them, especially the D-lines. Erskine in, Collins out? Okay, find a fit for him but don’t go breaking up Carlzner without good reason. If you thought they were tentative coming out of our zone, or slowed things down while tinkering around with behind-the-net passes, the 3 D-line mixup is the primary cause. With the forwards there’s some leeway because if they screw up it usually doesn’t result in a goal against, just a missed opportunity. On defense you shouldn’t play with fire 3 times over.
But for all of the faults and missteps, there is the fact that the Caps still put up 4 (5) and managed to eak out a W. Against Vancouver, Detroit, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Carolina we put up at least 4 with contributions from lines all over. That’s great. Keep that. Just for the love of god and no heart attacks please lock down the defense and the PK.
"A picture is worth a thousand words. For moving pictures we manage to shorten it to one or two."
by Dimagus on Nov 2, 2011 1:05 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
About the only line that hasn’t seen much mixing up is the 3rd line. And after a little dip in play they produced tonight. Indeed though bro…enough heart stoppers for us.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Nov 2, 2011 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions
He broke up Carlzner because otherwise you’d have a Schultz-Erskine d-pairing. LumberSarge is not an ideal combo.
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by TheFuryUnleashed on Nov 2, 2011 1:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, Dima showed me the D pairings post in the GDT while we were watching warmups and that was our conclusion as well. Some things simply must not be.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Nov 2, 2011 1:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Wideman-Erskine didn’t seem to bad, but then again that would result in Hamrlik-Schultz. Actually, I can’t imagine any Hamrlik pairing that I would like tonight, not with how he was playing.
Carlson and Alzner were on babysitting duty tonight.
"A picture is worth a thousand words. For moving pictures we manage to shorten it to one or two."
Ovie gave pretty mature post-game answers to Keith Jones about being benched, but I just saw a clip of him—it aired in the Versus post-game but I don’t remember it from the actual game—immediately after the timeout where Ovie has a look of mild shock that he’s not going on the ice…and then he drops a “f**kin’ (BLANK)” as BB retreats back behind the bunch. Not sure what the BLANK is, but he definitely was pissed at BB.
Hopefully it’ll let him know making a selfish play like he did on the late PP killing the 3 on 2 rush we had isn’t acceptable.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Nov 2, 2011 1:11 AM EDT up reply actions
Sounds like a heckuva game to have had to miss. The Caps should start their games around 8AM EST so I could watch at a decent hour.
Don't put your beer in the microwave, eh. It'll boil.- Bob McKenzie
Please God, no!!! Metro starts track work at 10pm, so its slow evening service becomes absolutely glacial. With a 7pm game, it’s usually possible to be in the system between 9:30 and10pm. With a Versus/NBC game “at 7:30” (puck drop at 7:45) — not going to happen.
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Ugly Moments Late in the Game
4th Goal Against
Ovechkin 3-on-2 PP rush. He also flubbed a pass back to the blue line on this shift.
Hit on Brouwer
"A picture is worth a thousand words. For moving pictures we manage to shorten it to one or two."
by Dimagus on Nov 2, 2011 2:26 AM EDT reply actions 4 recs
Backstrom Game Tying Goal
"A picture is worth a thousand words. For moving pictures we manage to shorten it to one or two."
by Dimagus on Nov 2, 2011 2:38 AM EDT reply actions 5 recs
Backstrom: OT Hero
"A picture is worth a thousand words. For moving pictures we manage to shorten it to one or two."
by Dimagus on Nov 2, 2011 2:52 AM EDT reply actions 7 recs
Absolutely love that Backstrom gets the puck to Ovechkin and then shrugs off the impending check in the top GIF. Sweet.
Winnipeg? Winnipeg??? Oy! (And now it's official...)
by MikeL-Pivonka on Nov 2, 2011 9:00 AM EDT up reply actions
And NHL.com’s stats show Eakin as even, not -1. Nice first game for him.
by TJA on Nov 2, 2011 7:55 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Observations from Section 421
I hate 7:30 starts… I don’t get home until 11:30 at night… then bed…. ah well.
Oh and before we begin with the numbered items, one word:
FLYGPLATS
1) Wideman… he giveth and taketh away all in the same game. Been his signature for years, to have games where he contributes to scoring on both teams. His shot of the pass from Brooks was pretty sweet…. but the turnover in the first was as ugly as I’ve ever seen.
2) The defense reshuffling seemed to lead to miscommunications, but towards the end of the game, the players seemed to get along better. The number of mistakes dropped after the third goal by Anaheim. Yes some was due to Anaheim letting up, but some of it was better play.
3) Neither goaltender had a good game, and both made some bad mistakes.
4) The tripping penalty on Vokoun seemed a bit of a reach for a penalty. Maybe it was, but he was coming out to play the angle and got tangled up…
5) Eakin at times looked like an NHLer, and at times tried some moves that might work in the A league, but don’t work in the NHL. The jump from the AHL to the NHL is the largest jump and Eakin is learning that. He’s going to be a good one though, and he’ll learn. An exciting debut.
6) Kudos to Teemu Selanne. For one night he decided he was 25 again… a Hall of Famer making his last appearance in DC…. although here’s hoping we see him again, maybe sometime in June?
Winnipeg? Winnipeg??? Oy! (And now it's official...)
Offensively I thought the Caps played well from the first period on
Hate to blame luck, but they had a number of great chances and just weren’t hitting them.
Defensively they were lackluster, but offensively I thought they were moving up ice and getting chances.
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