Caps' fans booing, as the Caps have only :27 of the first 1:30 in the Leafs zone, and those few seconds, didn't get set up. They finally get in once, but the Leafs have killed it off easily.
Hehe. That team is not easy to play, either. Is it another very physical game like the last two against them? I guess our guys are too tired after yesterday's game to respond to the Leafs. Could be more inspired in the PP, though.
The Leafs played last night too- that's no excuse. And the Caps have 1 SOG in the last 4:00 of PP time.... just sorry all around tonight.
Cooke is playing, by the way, but you can't tell it from the intensity. That may be part of the problem tonight, getting both new guys in there in front of Kolzig, he may be there for moral support. Fedorov is doing fine on faceoffs, but other than that, I haven't noticed him. Ovechkin has the goal, but has looked really sloppy (as has the ice at Verizon- still the worst ice in the League, according to many visiting teams).
Caps get a PP. "Ovechkin did not keep that one in...."- JB
I've been reading "King Of Russia", Dave King's year coaching in the RSL, and I think he's got the Caps pegged when he says (I'm paraphrasing) young guys try to do too much on their own, and forget that it's a team game.
We have a tendency as fans to forget just how young this team is, and how far they've still got to go along a very long road.
"Murphy's Law" says Laughlin- the Caps misplay the puck, then Sundin tries a simple pass to the front of the net that goes in... then Toskala with a HUGE save.... this one's over.
Meanwhile, the 'Canes are winning by the identical 3-1 score.
4 point night, and -4 for the Caps (2 the Canes will get, 2 the Caps can't get back).
Definitely a young team, yes. Lately, without Poti, we probably had the youngest defense in the league. The oldest guy was Morrisonn, 25. Same thing for offense, with Nylander and Clark injured.
This message has been edited by marc_mehdi on Mar 1, 2008 9:11 PM
At least they don't give up- Backstrom fights hard for the puck, then Ovechkin gets it and gives it a go, and the puck goes over to a streaking Kozlov for a goal.
3-2 Leafs
Now Laich and Gordon seem energized for the next shift... icing Leafs, 9:22 left in regulation.
If you get to see it, that puck was bouncing wildly on Fleishmann, he couldn't get a stick on it.
Caps are now 0-24-2, when trailing after 2 periods- which kind of says even if by some fluke of nature they do make the playoffs, they better not be down going into the 3rd in any game.
I'm actually impressed enough to begin to consider getting tickets next season, but they still need to do some work over the summer and in camp to convince me. Maybe a couple more young guys will move in next season, maybe a couple of the ones here now will be gone...
Boudreau, post-game: "Unacceptable. Terrible game. Got outworked in a game we could not (afford to) get outworked.... everybody seemed to want to get the goal, instead of doing the dirty work. The 3rd goal? Olie went out to get it, (Mike) Green went to get it first, but as soon as he touched the puck he fell.... Mats looked like he was trying the wrap around, and the puck went right to Steen.... easy goal for them."
