Recap: Blues 2, Caps 1

Your move indeed.

Boudreau said Ovechkin called him Monday after the firing, and Boudreau returned his call on Tuesday.

“And I told him I loved him and blah, blah, blah, all the regular stuff,” Boudreau said of the 15-minute conversation in which Ovechkin thanked the coach for his efforts.

Boudreau told Ovechkin that he hoped to see him smile again soon, something that hasn’t happened much lately with the two-time Hart Trophy winner having just eight goals in 22 games this season and the team struggling after a 7-0 start.

The notion that the two were feuding is way off base, the former coach said.

“It’s so far from the truth,” Boudreau said.

“We got along, I think, famously.”

What was with the offense tonight? They looked really out of sorts.

The numbers may say otherwise, but to me that was another horseshit game from Vokoun. If Neuvy wants to steal the job, now is the time to start making a case and playing well, because it wasn’t DH who proclaimed Vokoun the #1.

I’m certain that Carlson will be getting an ear full from DH for not icing that puck. Like you said, get him!

I think they stopped the bleeding tonight. Two not-so-terrible mistakes lead to terrible results for the Caps. I thought that the Caps should have rewinded (i.e. pass back to the D) a bit more instead of skating into the Blues’ ugly but effective trap repeatedly. Forecheck was bad to non-existent. But most importantly, they put a helluva effort out there. A hard-fought loss…as opposed to the rolling over and playing dead they’ve been playing lately.

I didn’t catch the part where Hitchcock, took off his glasses in the only way to look cool, and blithely said “check” to his fellow coach.

Late in the game, before the penalty, I could’ve sworn I saw 8-19-28 with Wideman and Orlov. Looks like a new all-offense line-pair…

Just need a semi-major deal now to complete the shakeup. Waiting for that other shoe to drop…

Not a single mention of how phenomenal the ice was tonight? I thought I was the Oracle for a bit every time I called someone falling down when they skated near the endboards.

Nick Kypreos
RealKyper Nick Kypreos
Dale Hunter’s coaching staff about to add some depth. Hearing another former #Caps player coming in 2 work with young D. Early as this week

Where would hadeed be without him now?

One oft-heard refrain here (and elsewhere) is about the importance of cycling in the offensive zone as a path to winning hockey. True to an extent, but I think it should be emphasized that it’s only one way method of offensive-zone puck possession. Tonight was an example where the Caps got the pucks deep quite a bit and did a lot of cycling, but generated very little offense out of it. We need to see more pucks in front of the net.

Orlov is a stud. He needs to be in the top six for the rest of the season…

a bit of a boost in all-around energy and effort

I couldn’t disagree with this more. The theme for tonight, to me, was LAZY. Carlson? Lazy. Vokoun? Lazy. Semin? Holy fucking lazy. Also, unfinished checks all over the ice – the opposite of what I expected to see from a Hunter-led team. An energetic team does not come out of that game with zero points. Was anyone trying to impress the new boss tonight?

I remember several instances where his feet were seemingly in cement.

I couldn’t watch past the 1st (glad I got to see our goal, as it was pretty), but I have to think that keeping it close was a good thing, no? STL has been playing tough, and I’m not sure we wouldn’t have rolled right over for them a few days ago. Clearly, still lots to fix, but I’m cautiously encouraged.

Also, sounds like it was some old-time hockey at MSG tonight. I’m really interested to see how DH handles the PIT lopsided penalty show. Hendy threw down tonight, does Erskine go Thu? Can’t wait for that game.

I honestly didn’t see the game, but from the highlights and from posts in the GDTs and this thread, I don’t think the Blues are getting enough credit. I don’t know if expectations (either consciously or not) were a little high for the first game, but the Blues are a very good hockey team who have totally and completely “bought in” to Hitch’s system and have a great set of personel for it. Maybe my opinion will change after watching the replay but I think the Caps would’ve had to play near perfect to beat them..

I wore my old game-worn Hunter jersey from 1992. As I come into the VC tonight some fans talking about the “throw-back” jersey. Not a throw-back, this is the real thing.

Anyway, you want numbered items, right?

1) Only 1 goal on 19 shots… not a way to beat Jaro Halak, but then again 50+ shots in 2010 didn’t beat him either. Still, more shots would have been nice. He did play well though, I’ll give him that.

2) Another Joel Ward turnover turns into a goal. The guy hustles, does what he should, but these brain cramps on his part have got to stop. Tonight he had a chance to bump the puck to center ice, and instead he tries to finesse it to another forward. Joel, your linemates are Brooks Laich and Jason Chimera. I think playing a bit with Ovechkin and Backstrom may have gone to his head?

3) The second goal was all Vokoun… come on Tomas, snap out of it. Now.

4) Carlson’s lack of hustle on the ice was unforgiveable, and you know Dale will make an example of him at practice or in some other way. He should do that to show he doesn’t play favorites with his former junior players.

5) MJ90 has some holes in his game… but tonight he showed having guts isn’t one of them. Blocked a shot that hurt him pretty bad, but got has [Avery] back on the ice. Good show!

6) Does Sarge make a comeback in the next game? If so who do you scratch. Carlson’s mistake notwithstanding, all six D-men did pretty well with the exception of Alzner, who was his usual superb self.

7) Hendricks nailed that guy in the fight. A shame that that fight didn’t get the Caps motivated much more.

As has happened before, in the game before the Caps play the Pens, the Caps tend to not play well as they look past their opponent. Some dreadful loses in there recently (losses to the Avs who were on their way to missing the playoffs, and once to Edmonton…) I’m sure there’ll be even more effort Thursday. Hopefully the results will bear that out.

Gotta say, the comments here regarding Vokoun are surprising to me. I thought he was one of the best players on the ice for the Caps tonight. I can’t fault him for the Blues second goal. From my view in Section 403, it looked like the initial shot hit him square in the mask, at which point I don’t expect any goalie to control the rebound, and then he got cleaned out by Wideman (more accurately, a Blues player checked Wideman into Vokoun, which should have caused the goal to be disallowed) which prevented him from getting back into the play.

Overall, I feel like there was some very clear improvements. Alex Ovechkin was blocking shots, and while he’s certainly done so in the past, I think it was the first time I’ve seenhim do so this season.

I hate Vokoun’s style as a goalie. IMO, he gambles too much, it’s almost like an adventure everytime an opposing player crashes the net. I know Neuvy hasn’t exactly played like a franchise guy this year, but I really like his composed style a lot more.

The caps’ blueline situation really worries me right now because I don’t think it was built the right way. Wideman (despite his good performances in the beginning of the season), Schultz and Hamrlik are huge question marks come playoff time.

I’ve been watching lots of Eastern Conf. games this year, and I have to say I’m kind of scared the way the top teams are using their forecheck. Note, I’m not a X’ and O’s kind of guy regarding to hockey, but if they release 3rd and 4th liners against our blueline for more than a half of a game, we’re pretty much in trouble.

I think the Caps problem wasn’t only lack of effort and discipline under Boudreau. I really believe there is a problem with the structure of our current roster.