Capitals 4, Red Wings 2

Wow!  What a great win!  The Caps really stepped up in the third and beat a good Detroit team.  Can this be a harbinger of the future?  Let’s be cautious folks.  Boudreau switched up the lines for this game and Poti played in his first game after missing 15.  Couldn’t you tell the difference, especially on the PK?  This was the first time the Caps had their regular lineup in place since November 6th.  Wow!  That is a lot of injuries.  Yet, the Caps are winning and are in control of their division and beating the top teams in the East.  Good news.

Let’s discuss Semin.  Yet again, he took a stupid penalty after doing something stupid and the puck ended up in the Caps net.  Boudreau moved Semin down to the third line in the third period as a result.  I think he should have been moved all the way to Moscow.  Go back to my posts from October and November and you will see me discuss Semin’s penalties at that time.  However, I stated that people would overlook it at the time because he was scoring a thousand points a night.  Now, the points are gone and the penalties have become glaring.  Someone needs to take Semin aside and explain to him that he must play defense and play defense by moving his feet!  His defense on the first goal was absolutely sad.  I really hate Semin right now.

I though Laich, Fehr, and Kozlov played well in this game.  How good did Fehr look with Backstrom as his center?  He had five shots and could’ve scored two goals very easily.  Hint, hint.

Thoughts?

Bruins 3, Capitals 2

It is really disappointing to have such a good game end in such a terrible way.  The Caps controlled the shots against the Bruins as they ended with a 36-28 advantage and they carried the play throughout the game.  If Thomas wasn’t great for Boston this would have been 10-2.  Whatever.  Ovie’s stupid pass through the middle allowed Thornton to score for Boston despite a good effort from Theo.  Still, a bad play.  Green is guilty of this a lot as well.  You must go up the sides people!

The Caps and Bruins were physical in this one as well which made it even more exciting.  I read the Caps were outhit 31-21, but it seemed like the Caps stood up for themselves.  I am thinking that since the Caps were in the Bruins’ zone most of the night it allowed them to hit more.  Still, my main concern right now is the PK.  The Caps cannot go into the playoffs with a PK south of 80%.  When the Caps went to the Cup in ‘98 their PK was above 90%.  That is insanely high, but it allowed the defense to play aggressively.  Right now, the Caps cannot take stupid penalties because they lose games as a result.  I stupid hooking call on Backstrom lost this game.  Enough said?

I am encourage by Theo’s continued good play.  Hopefully, this is the Montreal goalie we knew and the Theo of October and November is gone.  Chara’s hit on Ovie was clean and fair.  As much as it upset me to see Ovie laying there I couldn’t fault Chara.  It looked like Ovie just caught a toe in the ice and his speed left him vulnerable.  That is good, hard hockey.  It wasn’t dirty.

Semin sucks.

Thoughts?

Capitals 2, Islanders 1

Another exciting game for the Caps as they beat the Islanders in overtime.  This was one of those games where the Caps couldn’t score and you were just waiting for the Islanders to win it at the end.  However, a very weak call in OT allowed the Caps to go on the PP and win it thanks to a great pass from Semin to Ovie.  Of course, the Caps may not have even been in that situation were it not for two bad penalties putting the Caps in a 5-3 PK.  They gave up one goal, but not a second which was fortunate. 

The Caps outshot the Islanders 38-28 and won the faceoff circle war as well, 33-25.  The Caps carried the play once again.  Clark was back in the lineup with Steckel and Fehr being healthy scratches.  Clark and Flash have been quiet lately.  I don’t see either doing much.  In Flash’s case, he had a couple good shots, but has not scored a point.  Clark has done nothing as far as I can tell.  He needs to be in there scrapping.  I thought Brooks Laich played very well and has been lately.  He has not scored a goal though, but he is streaky.  He has gone two games in a row now with an assist.  Keep hustling Brooksie!

The Caps are off to Ottawa for a game tomorrow night.  The could head into the All-Star game with 65 points with a win.  Is anyone scared the Caps may win the division too soon?????

Thoughts?

Capitals 2, Bruins 1

Wow!  Very cool game.  Jurcina made a super defensive play (which he wouldn’t have needed to make had he not made an errant pass to Schultz, but whatever, it turned into a goal) and poke checked Boston’s St. Pierre.  They puck ended up on Semin’s stick and he beat two Bruins down the right side and ripped a slap shot over Thomas’ shoulder.  I don’t think Thomas expected the shot to be that fast.  It was by him before he even reacted.  Very cool!

The other Capitals goal, scored by Greenie, was a picture perfect backside pinch.  Boston was focused on the puck and not who was rotating.  Nylander, in his fashion, made a perfect pass and Green roofed it to tie the game.  The goal was scored about 2 minutes after the Boston goal and effectively put the momentum back in the Capital’s end.  Nice power play guys!

Theo was so lazy on the Boston goal.  He didn’t even try to recover to the other side of the net until it was way too late.  I have seen him do this two or three times and get burned.  It was a bit ironic for me because earlier in the game Theo really jumped into position to make the save.  I thought to myself that Theo was up for the game.  Whatever.  He only gave up the one goal and I will take that all day long.

The Caps won the faceoff circle war after losing the first 10 faceoffs.  Erskine was great in the Caps zone with three hits and clearing the front of the net.  The penalty he took was ill-timed, but the PK bailed him out.  Overall, the Caps carried the play all night.  They still need to go to Beantown two times, but they won both games in Washington.  A very good win!

Thoughts?

Capitals 6, Penguins 3

How cool was this?  I LOVE beating Pittsburgh!  I love watching Crosby and Malkin get beat up, get hurt, and lose!  Very cool.  I really hope everyone heard Ovie yelling after his second goal.  The crowd went dead silent and you could hear Ovie screaming on the ice.  I was laughing.  Ovie is so determined to lead this team to a win every night and that is why he is awesome!  Ending a three game losing streak with a win in Pittsburgh is great for the Caps.  It didn’t look good at first, but the Caps really came on in the second and third periods.

The “skirmish” prior to the third period was the result of Crosby yelling at Ovie about a cheap shot he gave him.  I didn’t see Ovie do anything cheap, but Crosby is a baby anyway.  Maybe if he whined less and played more the Penguins would be in the playoff hunt.  There is too much talent on that team to not make the playoffs.  I am sure they will be there.  A Caps/Penguins series would be incredible to see.

Semin’s goal on the pass from Federov was incredible.  A fantastic play.  Flash played very well also as he scored on the power play on a rebound off Ovie’s shot.  Kozlov had a nice goal on a fantastic pass from Backstrom.  Even Schultz got in on the action with an empty net goal to seal the deal.  Hopefully, this is the Capital team that will play Boston on Saturday.  The Caps play Boston twice in the next four games and are currently 11 points behind.  If they lose both games then catching the Bruins could be very difficult.  I personally will be happy with a #3 seed, however the Caps are thinking big.  Nothing wrong with that, I guess, as long as they don’t lose focus on the present.

Thoughts?

Oilers 5, Capitals 2

Well, the Caps continue to lower their level of play against inferior teams in order to be obliging and give away points.  I can imagine it in the locker room before the game.  Clark or Ovie stands up and says, “Hey Guys.  We play Edmonton tonight and they are terrible and they just flew across the country and their best player is hurt and their goaltending is suspect and we should win this game……oh, I don’t know….at least 4-1.  However, we are going to TRICK everyone and just suck up the ice all night.  What do ya say?”  Add a Russian accent if it’s Ovie talking.  Give me a break already.  Granted the defense has been playing with call-ups most of the season, but it gets to the point where the defense needs to stand up and bang people off the puck.  Theo needs to PAY ATTENTION!  How many times do you hear, “I don’t think Theo even saw that one.”  Again, give me a break.  Theo is brilliant for 5 minutes and is terrible the next 5 minutes.  Theo!  We need consistency!  Hello!

The PP looks terrible and has for a couple of games.  The Caps want to score goals and no one wants to do the work to create chances.  Boudreau used the term “mucking” which is the appropriate.  No one moves or cycles.  I hope this is addressed very quickly.  I suspect it will be.  Boudreau is an intelligent man.  The Caps play has been lazy and uninspired.  No one is backchecking like they should.  This needs to be changed?

Wasn’t it nice to see Erskine back and banging bodies?  Three hits on his first shift!  Tell me he wasn’t feeling it!!!!!  Well done Mr. Erskine.  It is nice to have you back.

Thoughts?

Canadiens 5, Capitals 4

Jurcina wants to get out of Montreal as soon as possible, I imagine.  A flip of the puck over the glass showed less than stellar intelligence, but not checking Kostitsyn after losing the puck in his legs cost the Caps the game.  He made a mistake and unfortunately it led to a goal that cost the Caps a point (at least).  However, Collins didn’t play well either.  Get the puck deep Sean!  Please!  Green continues to be a poor passer out of the zone.  Unreal.  On the positive side for Jurcina, his good play along the boards led directly to Semin’s breakaway and second goal of the game.  Very cool.

Jurcina wasn’t the only Capital who played poorly.  Backstrom and Sloan took two very bad penalties and the Habs put two goals in the net in 43 seconds.  Suddenly, the momemtum shifted.  Nylander, Brads, and Flash quickly responded with a goal but that momentum was short lived.  Finally, Semin, Backstrom, and Ovie need to learn to dump and chase and pass to each other versus all this one on one skating they do.  It has accomplished nothing in the past two games and certainly hasn’t led to goals.  I guess my screaming at the TV isn’t getting it done.  PASS THE PUCK!

The Montreal announcers were saying last night that the voting should be done by the fans since the game is for the fans.  I guess that is real convenient thinking when Montreal has four starters of which none should be in starting roles.  What the announcers should have said was the game is for the fans “in Montreal.”  That is the correct statement.  They even went so far as to say that “Washington fans don’t know where NHL.com is.”  Nice.  Let’s just say that was rude and leave it at that.  I obviously do not concur with their sentiment.  Montreal is a hockey hotbed and Phoenix, Dallas, Washington, Raleigh, Miami, etc. are not.  Yet, all these teams have All-Star talent.  Every team should be represented.  So, yes Montreal, the voting needs to be changed.

Finally, the Caps are 8-2-2 against the teams that would be in the playoffs (Boston, Rangers, Devils, Buffalo, Carolina, Montreal, and Philly) if they started today.  So, despite their weak division, the Caps are not “getting fat” on points from Atlanta and Florida.  This is good news for the Caps.  The Caps definitely play to the level of their opponents.  This needs to be fixed.

Thoughts?

Blue Jackets 3, Capitals 0

Sound like a familiar score against Columbus????  It should because this was a replay of the game played in Columbus in November.  The Caps had 45 shots and none went in the goal.  Again.  The supposedly miserable Blue Jacket power play went 2 for 7.  Alzner did not have a good game and Jurcina bobbled a puck that landed on Umberger’s stick and then into the net.  I thought the Caps skated fast and were constantly attacking, but no puck went in.  Mason is the real deal and will win the Calder Trophy unless he falters.  Despite this, the Caps did nothing to try to score against a trapping defense.  There was no dump and chasing or guys driving the net in order to get a rebound.  It was a lot of one on one moves that never work against a trapping defense.  I would have liked the Caps to try something different.  There power play was terrible and the 5 on 3 they had for 40 seconds did nothing.  Semin just holds the puck?  Does he think the goalie is just going to slide out of the way?  Whatever.  Theo played fairly well, although it would have been nice to make the save on the second goal.  That may have changed things.  Who knows?

It was nice to have Federov back and Flash as well.  They both played well.  Fehr and Nylander were healthy scratches.  Federov apparently will not be playing in Montreal, so I expect Nylander to be back in.  Boyd Gordon was hurt in the warm-ups (back spasms) so I also expect Fehr to be playing as well with Laich centering a line.  Johnnie will probably be in goal given Theo’s performance.  We’ll see.  Hopefully, the Caps will win the game as they have left 4 points on the table against the Blue Jackets.

Thoughts?

Capitals 2, Rangers 1

This was a well played game defensively by both teams.  It is good to see the Caps win a game like this as this is the type of win they will need to get in order to advance in the playoffs.  It got really chippy at times as reflected by Clark’s fight and Semin’s “skirmish.”  Semin’s fight gives new meaning to the phrase “fights like a girl.”  However, he stuck up for himself and that is what matters.  I didn’t see anybody else skating to his defense and I wondered why Brashear didn’t do anything.  Maybe Boudreau kept him on the bench too much?  Overall, the Caps got beat up a bit as they did against Philly and they really need to address this.  You can’t just let Gomez punch you in the face Mr. Nylander.  Someone has got to hit back!  In the end, the Caps won and that is what matters.

What got into Fehr last night?  He played very well and has hustled his butt off the past two games.  It is nice to see.  I am wondering if he is concerned about playing time now that Clark and Semin are back.  What happens when Flash returns (projected for Tuesday)?  Fehr may be the odd man out and that may be what is putting the burr in his britches?  At any rate, I am enjoying his play whatever the case.

Did anyone notice that Gordon won the last two faceoffs in the Caps zone as the game wound down last night?  It allowed the Caps to clear the zone and kill the clock without a single shot against Theo despite the Rangers having the extra man.  That is a small thing that wins hockey games that don’t make the paper.  Well done, Boyd.

Theo looked strong in the net and won his fifth in a row.  Very cool.  However, Green did his best to not allow that with three turnovers at the blue line that Theo bailed him out on.  Just clear the zone Mike!  Every pass doesn’t need to be cute and/or spectacular!

Overall, the Caps continue to win and the mistakes will be covered up and/or overlooked until they start losing games because of it.  The Caps are a good team, but not a great team.  To advance past the first round of the playoffs they will need to be more solid in their zone.  The goalie play has improved, but the passing needs to get better out of the defensive end.

Thoughts?

Capitals 7, Lightning 4

Wow.  I am not sure how to feel about this one.  Bittersweet, I suppose.  The Caps continue to win at home (16-1-1 this season), but this had ugly all over it.  Sean Collins scored his first NHL goal which was exciting for him, I am sure, and Johnnie looked good in the net until late in the game.  I think the Caps were on cruise control and then decided they needed to play and then let up again.  They scored two goals a minute after the Lightning scored which regained the Caps’ momentum.  The Caps were very fortunate in this regard.  They also benefitted from two bad decisions by Tampa’s goalie who gift wrapped two goals for the home team.  Gordon made a sweet pass on the first to Bradley (who forced the turnover) and the second to Gordon who shot at a vacated net.  They were both terrible plays by the Tampa goalie.  Horrible.  At any rate, the Caps continue to look for the cross ice pass to Green pinching in and it continues to pay dividends.  Greenie scored the third goal of the game.

How about Clark????  He got into a fight (a draw) which was impressive given his right arm is still in a cast!  But, more importantly, he scored his first goal in the third period on a nice pass from Nylander.  Clark is really playing like his old self over the past five games or so.  He is being an instigator and playing in front of the net causing opposing goalies difficulty.  The Caps will need this type  of play from him.  Also, how nice was Steckel’s goal?  A long cross ice pass from Jurcina to Bradley and another cross ice pass to Steckel who deflected the puck in the net!  All at full speed!  Very cool.

The Caps forechecked very well during the game and forced several turnovers, however they continue to not clear the puck along the boards which led to a Tampa goal.  Ovie made a cross ice pass to Nylander who misplayed the puck and Tampa took it straight in and scored.  The Caps cannot continue to make this mistake.  This will be very costly in the playoffs where one mistake can end your season.  I hope this issue is addressed by Boudreau.

Jamie Heward is out of the hospital and flew back to Tampa.  He suffered a concussion and is out indefinitely.  At 37, this could end his career which would be bad obviously.  I watched Jamie play for the Caps and it is certainly unfortunate that this happened.  Ovie seemed to be upset about it as his play was off the rest of the game and he was remorseful after the game.  I hope Jamie recovers quickly and gets back out on the ice.  He is a great player/person and deserves better.

Thoughts?