Sunday, December 07, 2008

Caps' Offense "Staals"

Capitals 1, Hurricanes 3
Scoresheet - Wash Post - News Ob

They certainly had their chances. Good teams find a way to score the goals that win games, bad teams often squander their chances. The Capitals happen to find themselves in the latter. The Capitals were prime for a big win to distance themselves from the closest competition, but they squander their chances and lose to divisional rivals Carolina, 3-1.

Nick Backstrom tied the game with a 5 on 3 power play goal set up by Alex Ovechkin. Even though the Capitals had 39 shots, more power play opportunity, a penalty shot, more pressure on the 'Canes, the only thing they had to show was a single 5 on 3 power play goal. Frustrating to say the least.

You could say the bounces just were going the Capitals way. But the Caps had Carolina on the ropes for most of the game and they just couldn't find the back of the net. Even with two of the top scorers in the AHL in Keith Aucoin and Alexadre Giroux (called up for one injured Eric Fehr), the Caps scoring has hit a wall.

Ovi needs to work on his penalty shots, this one was just terrible. He deked himself right into Micheal Leighton's pads. Sami Lepisto also had another bad game where he was beat on the wall behind the net allowing a Hurricane to overpower him and dink, goal.

The Caps just didn't play good defense and maybe the injuries are starting to show. But the Caps offense was just flat in terms of scoring. Missed opportunities and missing the net with shots, it was all just too much to watch at times.

Highlights by NHL.com:

Photo AP, Gerry Broome

No comments: