The Morning After -- Caps vs. Devils I

It’s a two-point day, kiddies . . .

Beating New Jersey for the first time since February 19, 2004, is nice. Beating them in the Meadowlands for the first time since March 29, 2002, is really nice. Getting four goals on Martin Brodeur qualifies as miraculous, given the Caps’ offensive woes of late.

But it was a fine effort all around. There are some things one could pick on (Alex . . . no, not you, the other one . . . "pass" is something you can give, not just receive). However, that would be just that…picky. When you haven’t beaten a club on their ice in almost five years, you really shouldn’t be. So, what was the good?

Let’s start with “the rest of the lineup.” The Caps have a top-heavy scoring punch with the top line and Alexander Semin accounting for 60 percent of the Caps’ goals for the season coming into this game. Well, kudos to Matt Pettinger (with a shortie), Milan Jurcina (with his first as a Cap) , and Tomas Fleischmann (with his first of any kind in the NHL). Seven of the 10 points were had by “the rest of the lineup.”

Tomas Fleischmann – a goal, a couple of hits, and a penalty. OK, it wasn’t a Gordie Howe hat trick -- more like a Gordie Howe Headband, but it indicates involvement on the youngster’s part. He was not just a spectator, which might have been a description of his participation in earlier stints.

Boyd Gordon – didn’t have a shot on goal, but he had the primary assists on the Pettinger shorthanded goal and the Fleischmann goal, the latter springing Fleischmann as he was exiting the penalty box. And, he had a couple of hits and was on the plus side of draws (11 of 21).

Milan Jurcina – yeah, he got his goal, but he continues to be pretty solid in his own end. Plus-two and almost 26 minutes of ice time.

Brent Johnson – Nice to see his solid play rewarded. He deserves better than to be 1-2-2 since taking over for Olaf Kolzig in the wake of the latter’s knee injury. He’s 2.52, .914 in his five straight starts.

Alex Ovechkin – yes, he was held without a goal once more, but his performance was reminiscent of the hitter in baseball who has been in a slump who starts hitting ropes that get caught. That’s a sign the player is coming out of a slump. Ovechkin had more animation to his game than he’s had on a consistent basis lately, and he seemed to recognize that. From his post game comments reported in the Post . . .

"My game today was much better than last game and before last game. I didn't get a goal, but I feel more comfortable. It's okay. It's coming. I had lots of moments."

For the Caps, it’s not about the playoffs at this point, it is about getting better. That might mean getting more than the 70 points they finished with last year. Given the injuries that swept through the club from December forward, that might be an achievement to build on. They need 13 points in the final 20 games to achieve that goal. Last year, the Caps went 7-8-5 in their last 20 games for 19 points. Johnson was 4-3-1 in that season-ending stretch. If the Caps duplicate it, 77 points won’t look all that bad for this year.