If you are looking for a feel good, cozy, flattering article, read no further.
The Washington Capitals have a daunting task ahead and it starts tonight at the Verizon Center. As Coach Bruce Boudreau said, starting a 3-1 deficit, the Caps must now look at each game as an individual game itself. One at a time.
The Caps got themselves into this mess. They lost two at home.
Unspeakable.
Unacceptable.
Unbelievable.
Now they are in a mess and there is too much of this blaming the fact the Caps hit a hot goalie in Henrik Lundqvist. Folks, that is King Henry’s job. His job is to stop shots from going in. Instead of saying King Henry is beating the Caps, how about saying the Caps goal scorers are no where to be found.
Enough of looking for excuses.
Anaheim has San Jose on the brink of elimination. How? They are scoring on one of the best in the business, Evgeni Nabokov (2.44). Detroit is putting up goals on the sensational rookie Steve Mason (2.29). New Jersey is scoring on Cam Ward. Carolina is scoring on Marty Brodeur (except last night).
Point is, good teams find a way to score, good teams find ways to win. Good players find ways to score. I get tired of hearing how Henrik Lundqvist is beating the Caps. Lundqvist has been outstanding. BUT, how many times have the Caps come in on Lundqvist, besides Game 3 which they won?
Why are they still shooting often from way outside. Why do they spend most of their power plays passing back and forth like it is a passing drill? Why do the Caps still fail to put anyone besides Brooks Laich in front of the net? Why is Chris Clark, who will stand in front of the net, sidelined, while Tomas Fleischmann and Eric Fehr, who has down didley crap in this series, still on the ice? These criticisms are not new.
Good teams find ways to win. Good teams make adjustments to score. The Caps have done none of that.
Alex Ovechkin has one goal. Not from lack of trying. Ovie I think has actually played well overall. BUT, this team wanted to identify itself as more than just Ovie. Well, we are waiting.
Where is Mike Green? Why is Flash getting thrown around like a rag doll?
My point — let’s stop the whole ‘goalie is hot’ thing. Caps are solely responsible for their own hole they dug, dug at home, in Games 1 and 2. You hear it during intermission, you hear in pre and post game press conferences, the same mistakes, too cute on power play, shooting too far out, not going in on Lundqvist, these are all the problems the Caps have, but no one tries to fix it, same play, same mistakes. Remember too — Caps have out played Rangers, the Ranger hit a brick wall in Simeon Varlamov, but the Rangers find ways to win. Period.
Rant — DONE!
Facts are this — if the Caps keeping playing pass, pass, pass on the power play, series ends tonight. If the Caps keep trying to shoot from afar without any screens for deflections, series ends tonight. If the Caps fail to challenge Lundqvist inside tonight, series ends tonight. That is the bottom line. It would be helpful if more than Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, Brooks Laich, Simeon Valrlamov, and John Erskine showed up to play hockey as well. Might help alot. And dare I say, for team purposes, is it time to scratch Mike Green?
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