Just one reason why a good copy editor is the backbone of any publication, be it a blog or major Web site such as, oh... NHL.com.
Secondary scoring
The second line currently leads the Caps in goals and assists. I wonder if teams will start to double up coverage on Semin like they do Ovechkin?
Flash Gordon! (thanks CapsNPanthers)
Congrats to Tomas Fleischmann and Boyd Gordon on their first goals of the season and, boy, were they big ones! Fleischmann has had impressive efforts in the past few games but hasn't had the stats to show for it, but tonight he walks away with a goal and an assist. On Gordon's end, after sitting out a few games in the press box, he really made his minutes count with the game-winning goal.
Calming the jitters on D
If you wanted to rip off John Erskine's head tonight, I don't blame you. His delay-of-game penalty screamed AHL, but it also screamed nervous. The Capitals were overpowered in the first period and looked sloppy on defense. Then Boudreau sent Russian superman Sergei Fedorov to defense and things calmed down. Fedorov on defense isn't just good because of his calming presence – his puck-handling skills create offensive zone rushes and clears. When Feds took to the ice as a defenseman, the Capitals scored 4 unanswered goals to win. Think we'll see Feds at D again Saturday?
Cheap shot or spirited play?
Evgeni Malkin's hit on Alex Semin was worthy of a 5-minute boarding major. It was only awarded 2 minutes. While the league is supposedly cracking down on hits such as Malkin's, it leaves one to wonder if the referee saw it as an unintentional board whereas fans might believe it to be a cheap shot. Personally I don't think Malkin was intentionally trying to injure Semin, but the call was not correct. It should have been a 5-minute boarding call. Either way, Ovechkin made it his goal to crush Malkin at every oppurtunity, and he did.
Just goes to show you how necessary the Don is...
Tonight's game was dirty on both sides. Hit after hit, Ovechkin running at Malkin, Malkin running at Semin and, well, everyone running at everyone. The mayhem that occurred tonight just goes to show you what happens when your enforcer is off the ice. Brashear was out with an injury, and the Penguins were without Matt Cooke. I imagine it would have been a bit "cleaner" out there with those two patrolling the boards.
900
The number of tickets left for Saturday night's game against the Devils, according to the Capitals Web site. Is Washington becoming a hockey town?
LETS GO CAPS!
In Erskine's defense, it looked like the puck may have richoted upward off a Pens stick.
ReplyDeleteDon't fret the lack of Backstrom-Ovechin scoring so far. We're a better team if our scoring is more balanced, and consistent scoring from the second (and third, too?) lines will open things up for Ovie eventually. At what point do teams start trying to shut down Semin?
I agree: with Brashear out, the Pens took some liberties. The enforcer doesn't have to fight to keep things under control; he just has to be wearing a jersey! Anybody notice how, if he's not scoring, Ovie always starts playing body-check pinball?