Capitals Vs Hurricanes 03/21/2009 Review

Nicklas Backstrom & John Erskine close off Erik Cole during the 1st Period.
March 21, 2009 photo by Karl B. DeBlaker / AP Photo.

Capitals 1 - Hurricanes 4

After a pair of convincing wins in their two previous games, the Washington Capitals lost to the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday night due to a lot of mistakes and the help of some questionable officiating.

Down the stretch now, games are definitely bringing that playoff atmosphere and intensity. The hit total reaching 50 in this game alone is good evidence of that fact. Carolina (24 hits) are desperate to make sure they make the post season, and Washington (26 hits) would like to end the regular season with the conference lead. The hunger for the win was obvious from both teams.

One thing that seemed to be hampering everybody in the first period at least, was the forever bouncing puck. Either the ice was in bad shape or they forgot to freeze the pucks, because they were uncontrollable in the first 20 minutes.

The Hurricanes were the first to score, thanks to one of many Capitals turnovers during the second period. In this case, Mike Green was stripped of the puck behind Washington's net while trying to dole out a counter hit, which backfired in this case. Seconds later Rod Brind'Amour put the puck past netminder Jose Theodore. With 33.7 seconds left in the period however, it was Green who got the only Capitals' goal of the game, giving him a four game goal scoring streak. Mike continues to lead all defenseman in the NHL, now with 28 goals.

Washington was unable to score in the third period, as Carolina's goalie Cam Ward was absolutely brilliant. Theodore might not have been at his best for the Caps, but he wasn't getting the help he should have been getting either. The Capitals seemed to use up all their defensive abilities keeping the Hurricanes forwards at bay. Meanwhile, Carolina's defensemen got through the Caps at will. All three third period goals came from the opposition's defenseman.

The Capitals have every right to be upset with the referees, especially for their apparent total incompetence during the third period. However, it was turnovers, breakdowns and missed assignments that really did the Caps in. Mike Green was the only Capital to score a goal. While he may have also committed several mistakes, he wasn't alone in his less than perfect play. One thing you can't complain about was effort. Washington as a whole, put all their energy into every shift. Guys like defensman Tom Poti and John Erskine played well. Alex Ovechkin put his all into the game as usual. Even when Brind'Amour blatantly and dangerously boarded him face first, to the delight of a lot of asshole Carolina fans. The Caps will have a couple days rest when they hit the ice in Toronto to face the Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

Capitals Vs Hurricanes 12/07/2008 Review

Michael Leighton makes glove save on Alex Ovechkin penalty shot.

Capitals 1 - Hurricanes 3

Both the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes were tired. Both NHL hockey teams have had grueling schedules recently, and both played the night before. Statistically, Washington should've had the upper hand, but apparently Carolina wanted the win more than the Caps did.

As with every game in recent memory, Washington played with another change in the roster due to an injury. With forward Eric Fehr out after being injured the night before, AHL goal scoring leader Alexandre Giroux was called up from the Hershey Bears. One of these days, the Bears and the ECHL affiliate South Carolina Stingrays are going to run out of warm bodies to move up to the next level. As with a lot of teams the Capitals have faced lately though, the Hurricanes have plenty of players on the injured list as well. Injuries can't be used as an excuse, especially when the guys coming up have played so well.

Jose Theodore blocks Hurricanes shot in second period.

The stats were pretty even in the first period. The Hurricanes did end up ahead of the Capitals in the area that counts the most, when they scored the only goal in the period. Washington failed to clear the puck from their end, with Nicklas Backstrom losing control of the puck while under pressure in the corner. Rod Brind'Amour set up Joni Pitkanen (This guy was everywhere.) for a long range shot, and when the juicy rebound came his way, Ray Whitney put it past an already sprawled goaltender Jose Theodore at 13:18.

Neither team found the back of the net in the second period. Michael Leighton was very sharp for Carolina throughout the game, and Jose Theodore did a fairly good job guarding Washington's goal too. Early on in the middle frame, Theodore made a face mask save, with the puck bouncing off his mask and then the post to his left. Just before the end of the second, the post was a good friend to Jose again. The puck then hit his back and plopped down in the middle of the crease behind him before heading out of immediate harm's way. He recovered and spun around in time to block a follow up shot. In the final seconds, Alex Ovechkin was hooked down while driving to the Canes' net, earning him a penalty shot. Unfortunately, Leighton beat him with a pad save.

Paul Maurice during third game after returning as head coach for Hurricanes.

After a couple foolish penalties by Carolina put the Caps on a two man advantage and Washington took a time out to rest the troops, the chances were looking good for a Caps' scoring opportunity. After receiving the puck from netminder Theodore, Ovechkin took it into the offensive zone and sent a pass the width of the ice to Backstrom, just as time ran out on the first penalty. Nicky snapped it to the far side roof of the net, evening up the score 1-1 with the only powerplay goal of the game. A lot of times, scoring a goal like that fires up the team that put it in the net. After not having managed a single shot on goal for the first 11 minutes and 39 seconds of the third period, the Canes were the ones who suddenly found their second wind. At 15:51, the struggling forward Eric Staal sent the puck in short side over Theo's outstretched right leg. His scoring opportunity came thanks to a turnover by Sami Lepisto behind the Caps' net. A couple minutes later, Ray Whitney grabbed the puck as it squirted out from traffic in front of Washington's net. Whitney's (second goal of the game) wrister made it 3-1, in favor of the Hurricanes.

Washington outshot Carolina 39 to 25, but still only found the back of the net once. The Capitals desperately need someone with a more accurate shot to step up, whether that means someone coming off the injured list or one of the already healthy finding their groove. Washington faces a few tough teams over the next eight days, so they need all the help they can get. The good news is the Caps are still four points ahead of the Canes and leading in the Southeast Division. All things considered, they could very easily be a lot worse off at this point.

December 7, 2008 Photos by Gerry Broome / Associated Press