It’s a one-point night, campers.
Well, it coulda been better, it coulda been worse. If the Caps were in the playoff hunt, it would have been infuriating. Where to start . . .
- The Caps didn’t record a shot for the first 8:25, then they scored on their first shot.
- The Caps recorded six shots in the first 30 minutes, then they had seven shots in four minutes and scored two goals.
- Milan Jurcina and Vaclav Prospal locked up as they were skating into the
- Dear sweet God in heaven, the Caps need a freakin’ center (and no, Dainius Zubrus was not what The Peerless had in mind). It is depressing to have to watch Alexander Ovechkin (or Alexander Semin) have to carry the mail, open the mail, read the mail, and send a reply every time the Caps have the puck. Can’t anyone on this team make a move and a pass to either of these guys in space?...apparently not.
- Brent Johnson’s game was a microcosm of his season. Stretches of inspiring effort followed by inexplicable brain farts. The Peerless especially loved (he said tongue-in-cheek) the one where the puck was bounced off the end boards, and Johnson lollygagged his way back to the crease just before the puck would have hit him in the skate and trickled in. You want to cut that any closer, big guy? We’re guessing he wants that Fedotenko goal back, too.
- Nothing symbolizes the Nu NHL more than a back and forth game, an overtime with three power plays (one carrying over from the end of regulation) and a shootout decided by a guy with a name that sounds like an extra (“Cop #3”) from West Side Story who had never so much as taken a shootout attempt in his career. The Peerless wanted to retch.
- The Peerless would like to know . . . how is it that a team captain gets all of 9:03 of playing time?
- Goat and Horn Guy were in playoff form tonight.
- Kiss
- The thin margin of error – three posts hit in the third period and overtime.
- Jurcina took two penalties, both apparently for being 6’4”.
The Caps played well in spots; they played atrociously in spots. That’s been their season. It will probably continue to be their season. It is a young team, perhaps about to get younger with possible injuries to Matt Pettinger (apparently too injured to participate in the shootout) and Boyd Gordon. The last 17 games are essentially the equivalent of Redskin mini-camp. The club will get a look-see at the hand they hold and get a better idea of what holes they have to fill beyond the obvious subjects (center, right wing, defenseman). Hey, keep your chins up, campers . . . it’s not like it’s 1975.
