7:00 PM EDT
	Hurricanes	VS		Capitals
	LISTEN NOW!			LISTEN NOW!

 

LET'S GO, CAPS!

Yonkman and Clymer out, Biron and Pettinger in.

WASHINGTON Capitals

Ovechkin Zubrus Willsie
Pettinger Cassels Sykora
Friesen Halpern Clark
Sutherby Gordon Bradley

Witt Eminger
Heward Green
Morrisonn Biron

Kolzig
(Johnson)

***

CAROLINA Hurricanes

Stillman Staal Cole
Cullen/Vasicek Brind'Amour Williams
Whitney Vasicek/Cullen Zigomanis
Adams [Brind'Amour/Vasicek] Boulerice

Wesley Tverdovsky
Kaberle Ward
Hedican Commodore
[Hedican/Kaberle] Wallin

Ward,
then Gerber

Lengthy delay because of a broken chain on the top of a glass. Game resumed.

Oddly enough, Martin Gerber has replaced Cam Ward in goal.

Good opportunity for Zubrus on a pass from Ovechkin.

Penalty against Morrisonn killed.

PK units:

Gordon Bradley, Witt Eminger
Sutherby Willsie, Heward Green

I'm going to bed at the first intermission. Go, Caps!

I was looking forward to watching Cam Ward in net. Wonder why they took him out

 

_____________________________________________
100% of the shots you don't take don't go in."
- Wayne Gretzky

Second penalty killed (Green in the box).

Wallin scores, but the goal is ruled out for too many men on the ice, and it's now a powerplay for the Caps.

But Halpern gets penalized 16 seconds later: 4-on-4.

Eminger, then Witt to the box.

Sutherby gets an opportunity, short-handed, but can't shoot. Brind'Amour hits the post. Good job on the PK by the Caps.

First intermission.

"I was looking forward to watching Cam Ward in net. Wonder why they took him out."

I guess that, after a few minutes, he didn't feel sharp enough to play the whole game. I believe he's injured, and was unsure for the game. He only faced one shot, by Pettinger, tonight.

Not much to talk about, this game- lots of mistakes.

Right before the 2nd goal, Eminger failed on a clear attempt and gave the puck right back to the 'Canes..... a few seconds later, off Witt's skate, and into the net.

Green had several chances at good breakout passes, but rushed them all just out of reach of his teammates.... Sykora finally put a decent shot on goal, right into the logo....

not a lot of "zip" to the guys, tonight.

Chalk this one up to a learning experience.

And, once again, very few shots on goal, at least in the first two periods- I'm beginning to wonder if this is the players, or the system Hanlon is trying to install.

edit: Pardon my error- according to the stats, no SOG for Sykora.....

Bad cut on the ref, as the puck went off the goalie and caught him right in the face. Ouch....

4-0 final.

18 total SOGs for the Caps: 4-7-7.

Not nearly good enough.

A decent first period . . . a gawd-awful second . . . and they mailed in the third. Part of the problem was spending almost 16 minutes killing penalties (this accounts for Ovechkin not having a shot on goal until the third period...he wasn't on the ice), and in the first two periods all that PK sucks the energy out of the team.

There will be a lot of nights like what happened in the first two periods, but the effort wasn't there in the third, especially when they had a 4:00 power play...that can't be tolerated. The Caps might not have much in terms of skill or experience, but effort they can bring to the rink every night.

___________
Play hard, shake hands, drink beer.

"LA needs two hockey teams like Switzerland needs two navies" -- Norman Chad (from "My 10-Point Plan to Save Gary Bettman from Himself")


If you've read this far, you probably could use a hobby

Two things.

Eric Staal is a STUD !

Being shutout on home ice by the Canes is unforgiveable !



sidenote.
The Caps will not win another game til Nov 4 .