[AP Recap – Game Summary – Event Summary – WashingtonCaps.com Postgame]
Here’s a tip for whomever draws the Caps in the first round: force ’em to dump the puck in and win the series when they refuse to do so.
Yesterday, we noted that “[m]ore important than the final score on this night might be the power play opportunities for and against, because … those tend to be leading indicators of motivation and discipline, respectively, which have been the Caps’ two primary trouble areas for weeks.” So how’d the Caps do? They only committed (or at least were called for) three minor penalties. Discipline? Check. But they also drew only one penalty through regulation. Effort? Not there. Take a look at ESPN.com’s Gamecast at the number of shots the Caps took on the night from between and below the offensive zone faceoff dots. And this against a team that has given up the most goals in the NHL on a night when the Caps had a chance to pass New Jersey for second place in the Conference.
Some more thoughts on the game:
Before we all “don’t stop believin’,” we’re going to have to start believin’ again.
Seven games left to figure it out.