[AP Recap – Game Summary – Event Summary – WashingtonCaps.com Postgame]
At some point, the question will need to be asked, so let’s ask it:
Can Brent Johnson be the guy?
After last night’s 33-save effort and 3-1 win, Johnson is now 8-4-2 with a 2.47 goals against average and .918 save percentage on the season. That’s a better GAA than Evgeni Nabokov and Ryan Miller and a better save percentage than Martin Brodeur and J.-S. Giguere. Look at just his starts and the numbers are even more impressive – 8-3-2/2.33/.923.
Johnson now is 14-6-3/2.36/.920 as a starter under Bruce Boudreau, and has only given up more than three goals in two of those starts, and among his 23 starts (there’s a no decision in there), he has a three- and a two-game losing streak, but not a single other instance of back-to-back losses.
It’s been a while since Johnny has had anything resembling number one minutes for a full season, and seeing his discomfort after making a great save last night (which was similar to a reaction he had in Toronto on Saturday), one wonders whether he could handle them this year. Nevertheless, the question has to be asked – can Brent Johnson be the guy for the Caps? And the answer is, “There’s only one way to find out.”
Elsewhere ‘Round the Rinks:
Feel free to discuss anything about last night’s game in the comments (Semin plays! Jurcina plays well! Giroux’s NHL94 move on the penalty shot fails! Etc.)…. A look at the media side of the Big O’s debut…. Cap of the Day: Al Jensen….Something for all of you Kyle Wilson fans.