Monday, January 09, 2006

Stuck In First Gear

The Capitals are stuck in a rut, and they are not sure how to get out of it. The Caps have been in 22 one goal games this year. They have won 10 of those games, 5 of those wins in the shoot out.

The team has the worst penalty killing percentage in the league, and even though they have tightened their special teams up, it’s no where near perfect. The Caps can make the game close, but getting over that hump to win those games is proving to be the challenging part of this season.

“We need to get better at things and guys hate losing. Good efforts aren't good enough anymore,” goaltender Olaf Kolzig said. “We've got to start finding a way to win these games.”

"We expect in due time to win these [close] hockey games," Head Coach Glen Hanlon said.

While some keep a positive attitude, many fans just look at the overall record. 13-23-4 has kept the fans at bay, and the Caps continue to play in a building with plenty of empty seats. Even with the exciting play of Alex Ovechkin.

The list of young hopefuls in the Capitals system may be impressive, but it lacks consistency. It seems that every Hershey Bear has had a chance at the big top only to be sent down as fast.

As much as they don’t want to admit it, the Capitals are defiantly in a rut. The Caps look competitive, but fail to show it when it counts. Out of 40 games played, 22 of them were one-goal decisions. The Capitals must find a way to win.

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