Capitals 0, Hurricanes 5
Scoresheet – Wash Post – NewsOb
The Capitals just got out-worked, out-played and out-skated. The Caps just didn’t make the plays to keep them in the game, and Brent Johnson, a surprise starter in net, did all he could to keep the Caps in shooting distance. They picked an awful time to lose their offense.
Besides the lopsided score, I actually thought the Caps played okay. A key goal at the end of the first or early in the second could have turned this game around for the Caps, but Cam Ward was dynamite in net earning his first regular season shut-out.
Caps just didn’t generate much offense, their passes seemed errant, their play seemed erratic and when they were forced to take chances late that open the score for the Hurricanes. As much as I want to hate Eric Cole, I love this guy. He is fast and plays extremely hard. Cole sported the hat-trick with some nice goals. The Hurricanes are finding their winning ways again.
Overall Grade: D+
The Caps must learn from this loss to learn about consistency. It’s something they are severely lacking. It almost seemed as if the Caps were waiting for someone to get that first goal. Although Alex Ovechkin is a team leader, he cannot do it in a vacuum.
John “I dropped Andrew Ladd like a ton of bricks” Erskin played a great game. His hits were timely, and he had great intuition on defense. Erskin fit right in after playing a few in Hershey. He filled in for a injured defense core.
Caps also need to stay out of the penalty box. Even though their penalty kill is getting the job done, they must play more focused games. Caps look to revenge a season opening loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday. They have to put together a better team effort if they wish to do so at the phone booth.
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