Puck 'N Hockey

Even without ‘the streak’, that 6-5 OT loss to Montreal last night was a stinker.  The Capitals fell into some old, bad habits which played right into the Habs’ style.  The NHL on ice officials decided to weigh in on the game’s outcome again.  There were some bright spots but for a team that expects to win every game, this loss has to be very disappointing.

Once again, the Caps came out flat in the first period.  Within 37 seconds, the Canadiens had jumped all over some rather weak defensive zone play and Scott Gomez had the first goal of the night.  These slow, flat footed starts have to stop for the Capitals.  Maybe the pregame routine needs to be mixed up a little.  Different music in the dressing room.  Different guys standing up and giving pregame speeches to pump up the guys and get them focused.  The players have not been mentally prepared for the first 10 minutes of games lately.

As I suggested in my pregame post, Semin’s head is already in Vancouver, Fleischmann really stepped up his game, and character guys like Bradley (oops) Brooks Laich worked very hard to produce.  This was all illustrated in a single play.  Semin, reverting to his typically lazy play in the danger areas near the blue line, attempted to drop the puck to no one.  Flash was covering up the neutral zone per his center duties and jumped on the loose puck.  Spying Laich driving the net, Fleischmann’s pass split the Montreal defense.  Brooks Laich’s moves as he stashed the puck backhand passed Carey Price’s left pad were simply brilliant and would carry over for the rest of the game.

Christinne Muschi/REUTERS

Laich would go on to record his first career hat trick including the game tying goal with 18 seconds left in the game.  This guy is “a gamer” and will be a key to success in the playoffs.  I like Laich.

Fleischmann really impressed me with his puck pursuit on several shifts.  He really looked inspired.  Alexander Semin would continue to disappoint.  Especially, in plays along the boards where he can normally get opposing players turned around.  He just looked lazy.  So did the Capitals blueliners.

Jeff Schultz, Tom Poti, and Shaone Morrisonn looked awful.  The weak play in the Caps end manifested in losing races for loose pucks, allowing Habs skaters free reign in front of the Caps’ net, and getting absolutely worked along the boards.  It isn’t all the defensemen’s fault.  I thought the third and fourth forward lines, especially their centers, could have done much more to help cover up the third and fourth Montreal players in the zone.  However, there were some very distinct lapses in judgement by the 3 defensemen mentioned above.  In particular, Poti and Morrisonn appeared afraid to initiate contact with opposing players in open ice.  Tom Poti did not play for most of the third period with some sort of lower body injury.  Maybe he was hurt early on in the game?  He certainly was playing like something was wrong.  Jeff Schultz looked like he had some sort of neck immobilizer on.  On Metropolit’s power play goal in the second period, Schultz just simply did not see the former Capital hanging out on the far post.  Then, on Tomas Plekanec’s overtime winner, Schultz did not pick up the Montreal forward skating unmarked.  On both plays, I believe #55 was within a stick’s length of the opposing player and could have at least tied up the goal scorers if he had seen them.  Coaches preach “head on a swivel” in the defensive zone.  Those were youth hockey mistakes.

Once again, we saw the worst in NHL officiating.  On the Ovechkin goal that was not, the referee at the net clearly signalled a goal.  The back official thought that Carey Price was unable to perform his duties due to incidental contact as Hal Gill was propelled into the Habs netminder by Alexander Ovechkin.  First, the question of whether or not Carey Price is able to perform his duties is a question for new Montreal GM Pierre Gauthier.  All kidding aside, I think everyone can agree, this should have been called a good goal.  Gill possessed the puck, Ovechkin checked him while also contacting the puck, the puck crossed the line, and then Gill crushed Carey Price.  The officials’ suspect calls were not just going Montreal’s way either.  Several phantom penalties were called against the Habs that sent the Capitals’ potent power play on the ice.  I don’t remember replays being shown on the CSN broadcast and I wonder if they were shown in house at Bell Centre for the infractions against Montreal players in the third period.  Canadiens fans should also be up in arms.  The NHL’s on ice officiating crew could have lost them the game last night.

Even with all of the lackluster play and another questionable night put in by the NHL officials, the Caps still should have won this game.  There were plenty of missed Semin scoring opportunities and a couple of Ovechkin posts and near misses.  The Capitals’ power play could only convert on 1 of the 7 opportunities they were given.

The next two games are very important psychologically going into the Olympic break.  At this point, I really feel like the Caps need to win these next two games.  Losing and then essentially going on vacation for 8 days with those losses on players’ minds, could very well carry over coming out of the break.  With the majority of their division games coming after the Vancouver Olympics, it will be very important for those players not playing in the tournament to have a good, winning state of mind for the time off and while practicing.

Going into tonight’s game in Ottawa, the Capitals need to refocus on the things that made them successful during the 14 game win streak.  The blueliners and centers have to support their goaltender and lock down the danger area in front of the net.  Puck pursuit and possession will be key tonight.  Especially, in the defensive zone.  A Capitals skater has to be the first man to reach loose pucks.  The Capitals power play has to get back on track.  Ottawa has won 12 of their last 13 and is very impressive on home ice with only 8 regulation losses at Scotiabank Place.  The Sens will be ready to play.  The Caps cannot come out flat footed in the first period and expect to come from behind again.  They need short memories.  Forget about what happened last night.  Boudreau’s boys need to jump on the Senators early and keep the pedal to the metal for the entire 60 minutes.  This rebound game will be a very good indicator of this team’s resiliency from game to game heading towards the playoff run.