[AP Recap – Game Summary – Event Summary – WashingtonCaps.com Postgame]
I suppose it’s fitting that on a night when the puck was bouncing all over the ice, the game would be decided on fortuitous carom.
But lest the Caps or their fans convince themselves that they were the victims of bad luck last night in Manhattan, a quick glance at the third period score sheet will surely render that notion a fleeting one:
An embarrassing dive in front of his own net by a veteran player (and for all of you who don’t understand “how they call the dive and the penalty,” this one was for you – no Ranger went with Poti); a silly and selfish penalty drawn way too easily out of the team’s best player; a delay of game (natch); and Shaone Morrisonn‘s brutal penalt(ies) du jour.
Credit the penalty killers with earning last night’s point, as they snuffed out all six Rangers penalties (9:43 of extra man ice time, 0:36 of which was 5-on-3), but when you’re in the box for 9:25 of a tied third period, it’s impossible to get your best player his minutes or generate much flow offensively.
So yeah, the Caps got beaten by a bad bounce. But perhaps the real luck was in making it to that point to begin with.
Some thoughts on the game:
In some ways, it would be nice if the Panthers and Hurricanes were a little closer in the standings (be careful what I wish for, I know), because the Caps’ biggest problem right now isn’t the defense or goaltending. It isn’t the penalty kill or the power play. It isn’t secondary scoring or team health and depth. It’s focus, and it’s the result of having to play out the rest of the schedule while waiting for the playoffs to roll around. But if they wait until then to start trying to string together a consistent effort, they may find it harder than they think.
Elsewhere ‘Round the Rinks:
A couple of good “Get to Know the Caps” vids here and here (h/t HFBoards)…. Happy 29th Birthday to former Cap (and former sixth overall pick, believe it or not) Rico Fata.