Capitals 0, Hurricanes 5
Scoresheet - Wash Post
Remind me why I am a Caps fan. Three straight losses. Not to mention that the games were boring. The Caps were at least fun to watch even when they were losing a season ago. Now? It's like we are beating a dead horse and it's getting more painful to watch. Now when the Capitals get in the hole, it's like a shooting gallery from the outside. Are you kidding me? Where is this effort to get the puck to the net, to create traffic, to do anything?
The Capitals have to stop this giving up after the first goal. Every shot to the net is from the outside, there are no set up plays, no attempts to jam the puck towards the crease. Where is this creative offense that the Capitals are suppose to have? If I see Mike Green skate up the side and lose the puck one more time, I am going to puke. That is it? That's all we got?
Alex Ovechkin is on an island, playing and hitting harder than anyone else on the team. Here is a forward that should be scoring, NOT LEADING THE TEAM IN HITS! What is going on? The team keeps hoping for lucky bounces. Good teams make their own luck boys.
With Florida playing well and Atlanta getting over the funk they are in, the Capitals cannot afford anymore streaky losses. Losing 3 or 4 in a row and we are talking tee times in April, not playoffs. Maybe it's time to get Ben Clymer back in the line up, and send down Tomas Fleischmann and Nick Backstrom. Both players have been as useful as a plank of wood.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Ponderous
Capitals 0, Rangers 2
Scoresheet - Wash Post
The Rangers just seem to have the Capitals number. The Capitals had just a couple of defensive breakdowns and Hendrik Lundqvist deserves some credit. The Caps start November on the wrong foot however as they lose this game even playing the better game.
Olie Kolzig took a beating in this one, getting run over by Rangers virtually all game. But Kolzig played well and again it was penalties the Caps couldn't control. The game should have ended a 1-0 or 1-1 tie.
It was a pretty exciting game besides the loss and the shut out. The Capitals stayed to their game plan and had some great opportunities to score, but just couldn't beat Lundqvist.
Caps come back home Friday night to face off against the Flyers, a totally different team from a season ago.
Scoresheet - Wash Post
The Rangers just seem to have the Capitals number. The Capitals had just a couple of defensive breakdowns and Hendrik Lundqvist deserves some credit. The Caps start November on the wrong foot however as they lose this game even playing the better game.
Olie Kolzig took a beating in this one, getting run over by Rangers virtually all game. But Kolzig played well and again it was penalties the Caps couldn't control. The game should have ended a 1-0 or 1-1 tie.
It was a pretty exciting game besides the loss and the shut out. The Capitals stayed to their game plan and had some great opportunities to score, but just couldn't beat Lundqvist.
Caps come back home Friday night to face off against the Flyers, a totally different team from a season ago.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
XM Capitals Interview
If anyone has XM Satellite Radio on XM Ch. 204, Milan Jurcina, Shaone Morrisonn and Mike Green will be on the NHL Live show that broadcasts from the Reebok Edge store in NY. The Interview is sometime in the 1pm hour (eastern time).
Update: the Interview went well. Most of the talk was about foreign players getting use to playing in North America. And there was talk about Morrisonn's fight with Vinny Lecavlier. Sounds like they were going to a nice dinner on Holloween night. Hope they had fun.
Update: the Interview went well. Most of the talk was about foreign players getting use to playing in North America. And there was talk about Morrisonn's fight with Vinny Lecavlier. Sounds like they were going to a nice dinner on Holloween night. Hope they had fun.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
A Night Of Firsts
Capitals 7, Leafs 1
Scoresheet - Wash Post - Toronto Star
You had the feeling that this team was about to break it open. The frustration over the last couple of games spilled out into a blitz of goals for the Capitals as they smacked the Leafs in Toronto 7-1.
Scoring their first goals of the season were Matt Bradley, Brian Sutherby (who has been a healthy scratch for a while), Jeff Schultz (his first NHL career goal as well), Boyd Gordon and Matt Pettinger. Micheal Nylander added a playmaker (3 assists) and Alex Ovechkin had the two other goals and an assist. Olie Kolzig stopped 32 shots, and looked much better in net this game.
This is a big road win for the Caps. After starting their road trip with a lose to St. Louis, it looked like the team was doing everything right but nothing to show for it. Playing the Leafs - a team that started a little shaky this season - seemed to cure the Caps' ills.
Olie still looks like he is lacking a little confidence right now. He look as if he too far back in the net and not challenging shots. It looks like he is trying to hard to make the big save, when all Olie has to do is be Olie. His goaltending has to continue to improve as the season moves on.
Nick Backstrom is still without a goal, although his assists are starting to pile up. He has been close on several chances, but has yet to get a solid shot on net. Looks like his teammates are helping him out though, every game he is getting a nice feed or two in front of the net. Once Backstrom gets that goal, he may loosen that grip on the stick a lil' bit and gain some confidence.
The Caps seemed to have some of that "killer" in them in this game. Even getting the home crowd to turn on the Leafs. In the Toronto Star:
Now that hurts.
Scoresheet - Wash Post - Toronto Star
You had the feeling that this team was about to break it open. The frustration over the last couple of games spilled out into a blitz of goals for the Capitals as they smacked the Leafs in Toronto 7-1.
Scoring their first goals of the season were Matt Bradley, Brian Sutherby (who has been a healthy scratch for a while), Jeff Schultz (his first NHL career goal as well), Boyd Gordon and Matt Pettinger. Micheal Nylander added a playmaker (3 assists) and Alex Ovechkin had the two other goals and an assist. Olie Kolzig stopped 32 shots, and looked much better in net this game.
This is a big road win for the Caps. After starting their road trip with a lose to St. Louis, it looked like the team was doing everything right but nothing to show for it. Playing the Leafs - a team that started a little shaky this season - seemed to cure the Caps' ills.
Olie still looks like he is lacking a little confidence right now. He look as if he too far back in the net and not challenging shots. It looks like he is trying to hard to make the big save, when all Olie has to do is be Olie. His goaltending has to continue to improve as the season moves on.
Nick Backstrom is still without a goal, although his assists are starting to pile up. He has been close on several chances, but has yet to get a solid shot on net. Looks like his teammates are helping him out though, every game he is getting a nice feed or two in front of the net. Once Backstrom gets that goal, he may loosen that grip on the stick a lil' bit and gain some confidence.
The Caps seemed to have some of that "killer" in them in this game. Even getting the home crowd to turn on the Leafs. In the Toronto Star:
By the time the third period started, at least one third of the Air Canada Centre was empty and one small section could be heard chanting "Let's Go Raptors!". The NBA season starts Wednesday for Toronto's club.
Now that hurts.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Bondra Retires
Peter Bondra is no longer a player. More of a General Manager. As far as the last two games, I will save my angst for the Toronto game.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
That's More Like It
Capitals 5, Lightning 3
Scoresheet - Wash Post - St. Pete Times
Chris Clark may not be very flashy, fast or a sniper. But when you put the Capitals' captain on the top line with Alex Ovechkin and Viktor Kozlov, the hard working forward becomes a different player. Clark scored two goals, Ovie netted a goal and had two helpers and Dave Steckel scored his first NHL goal to stop the losing skid at just 4 games.
For the Capitals to end their losing ways and to do it versus a division foe is a big plus. Clark and Ovechkin looked right at home with one another. The chemistry that seemed to be lacking with forwards Tomas Fleischmann and Joe Motzko was there instantly with Clark back on the top line.
Alex Semin was back, but again looked a little behind Micheal Nylander and Nick Backstrom. It will take him a game or two to get back up to speed. Backstrom nearly got his first NHL goal, after a pretty feed to the slot, Backstrom was denied. Dave Steckel got his first NHL goal scoring on a feed from Ovie. Olie Kolzig still looks a little shaky to me, but played well enough to get the game. Brooks Laich also scored giving him his second on the year.
In the third, Shaone Morrisonn got under Vincent Lecavalier's skin and the two scrambled to fight when Morrisonn took an awkward turn and face planted into the ice with his arms behind him. He got a nasty cut, but was soon out to finish the period out. Both Shaone Morrisonn and Milan Jurcina have both been quietly shutting down the opposition's top line. The two have been a wall back there, playing very very well.
The Caps will face an old foe in Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks as they come to town Friday night.
Scoresheet - Wash Post - St. Pete Times
Chris Clark may not be very flashy, fast or a sniper. But when you put the Capitals' captain on the top line with Alex Ovechkin and Viktor Kozlov, the hard working forward becomes a different player. Clark scored two goals, Ovie netted a goal and had two helpers and Dave Steckel scored his first NHL goal to stop the losing skid at just 4 games.
For the Capitals to end their losing ways and to do it versus a division foe is a big plus. Clark and Ovechkin looked right at home with one another. The chemistry that seemed to be lacking with forwards Tomas Fleischmann and Joe Motzko was there instantly with Clark back on the top line.
Alex Semin was back, but again looked a little behind Micheal Nylander and Nick Backstrom. It will take him a game or two to get back up to speed. Backstrom nearly got his first NHL goal, after a pretty feed to the slot, Backstrom was denied. Dave Steckel got his first NHL goal scoring on a feed from Ovie. Olie Kolzig still looks a little shaky to me, but played well enough to get the game. Brooks Laich also scored giving him his second on the year.
In the third, Shaone Morrisonn got under Vincent Lecavalier's skin and the two scrambled to fight when Morrisonn took an awkward turn and face planted into the ice with his arms behind him. He got a nasty cut, but was soon out to finish the period out. Both Shaone Morrisonn and Milan Jurcina have both been quietly shutting down the opposition's top line. The two have been a wall back there, playing very very well.
The Caps will face an old foe in Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks as they come to town Friday night.
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