[15-JAN-2010] Caps 6, Maple Leafs 1
I was late to the game tonight, so I missed Alex Ovechkin's 48-seconds-in goal. I arrived just about the time the team was finishing killing off the boarding call on Nicklas Backstrom.
What is up with that, anyway? Did he *do it?* Or are the referees being idiots again?
Anyway, I was there for the rest of the game.
Slaughter.
Whatever you want to call it, the Maple Leafs were outplayed. Towards the end of the game, things got a little chippy (to say the least), and fighting majors were handed out liberally. Shaone Morrisonn took on Colton Orr, and Jason Chimera took on Jay Rosehill; both ShaMo and Chimmer were kicked from the game, and took instigator penalties, but they stuck up for our guys, and no suspensions were forthcoming.
I was pleased to see that John Carlson was up from Hershey, but a bit disappointed as well, since I had seats seven rows back from the Bears' goal for last night's game against the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins (another slaughter), and had been looking forward to his triumphant homecoming.
It would have been nice to see him score on Vesa Toskala, if only to give the Leafs fans one more reason to hate the Hero of Team USA, but he didn't.
Ovechkin had a five-point night (1G, 4A); Knuble tallied a pair of very nice goals, from a total distance of 16' out - though how you can be standing in the paint and be 7' from the goal mouth is beyond me... someone was measuring like a guy again, I think... (Ooops, was that my out-loud voice?), and Flash, Fehr and Poti finished out the scoring.
Best Beast on the Ice - has to go to Jose Theodore, with his 28:29 night (SV% .965)
Beast of the Offense - Alex Ovechkin and Mike Knuble get this one. I have to give it to Alex for his five-point night, but Knuble's scoring, and scoring from the paint, and that is right where we want him!
Beast of the Defense - Jeff Schultz (+1 on the night), John Carlson (+2), and Mike Green (+3 on the night) get this one.
Shots on Goal - Mike Green (4); Mike Knuble (3); Tom Poti, Alex Ovechkin, Tomas Fleischmann, Eric Fehr, Jason Chimera, John Carlson (2)
Attempts Blocked - Mike Green (6); Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson (3); Jason Chimera, Jeff Schultz (2)
Hits - Alex Ovechkin, Brendan Morrison, Brooks Laich, Shaone Morrisonn, Alexander Semin, David Steckel, Jeff Schultz, Tyler Sloan (2)
Takeaways - Alex Ovechkin (2)
The rest of the story...
The Good
The Caps continue their trend of keeping the pedal to the metal and their foot on their opponent's throat. If this trend continues, along with heavy scoring, I have few worries about the rest of the season.
The Bad
I can't think of much for this one, except: WILL you guys PLEASE stay out of the frikkin' PENALTY BOX??!
* Poti (Delay of Game)
* Backstrom (Boarding?!)
* Green (Hooking, Slashing)
* Fehr (Cross-checking)
* ShaMo (Instigator, Fighting, 10-minute Misconduct)
* Team (Too many men on the ice)
* Chimera (Instigator, Fighting, Game Misconduct)
* Gordon (Tripping)
The referees were Dan O'Halloran and Chris Rooney. And 14 incidents involving a penalty is about 12 too many for my liking. Especially avoidable? Delay of game, and Too many men on the ice! Jeez, guys!
The Ugly
I have to lump both of Mike Knuble's goals into this category (in a really, REALLY good way!) Scoring from inside the paint with a casual flick of your wrist is way cool!
What is up with that, anyway? Did he *do it?* Or are the referees being idiots again?
Anyway, I was there for the rest of the game.
Slaughter.
Whatever you want to call it, the Maple Leafs were outplayed. Towards the end of the game, things got a little chippy (to say the least), and fighting majors were handed out liberally. Shaone Morrisonn took on Colton Orr, and Jason Chimera took on Jay Rosehill; both ShaMo and Chimmer were kicked from the game, and took instigator penalties, but they stuck up for our guys, and no suspensions were forthcoming.
I was pleased to see that John Carlson was up from Hershey, but a bit disappointed as well, since I had seats seven rows back from the Bears' goal for last night's game against the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins (another slaughter), and had been looking forward to his triumphant homecoming.
It would have been nice to see him score on Vesa Toskala, if only to give the Leafs fans one more reason to hate the Hero of Team USA, but he didn't.
Ovechkin had a five-point night (1G, 4A); Knuble tallied a pair of very nice goals, from a total distance of 16' out - though how you can be standing in the paint and be 7' from the goal mouth is beyond me... someone was measuring like a guy again, I think... (Ooops, was that my out-loud voice?), and Flash, Fehr and Poti finished out the scoring.
Best Beast on the Ice - has to go to Jose Theodore, with his 28:29 night (SV% .965)
Beast of the Offense - Alex Ovechkin and Mike Knuble get this one. I have to give it to Alex for his five-point night, but Knuble's scoring, and scoring from the paint, and that is right where we want him!
Beast of the Defense - Jeff Schultz (+1 on the night), John Carlson (+2), and Mike Green (+3 on the night) get this one.
Shots on Goal - Mike Green (4); Mike Knuble (3); Tom Poti, Alex Ovechkin, Tomas Fleischmann, Eric Fehr, Jason Chimera, John Carlson (2)
Attempts Blocked - Mike Green (6); Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson (3); Jason Chimera, Jeff Schultz (2)
Hits - Alex Ovechkin, Brendan Morrison, Brooks Laich, Shaone Morrisonn, Alexander Semin, David Steckel, Jeff Schultz, Tyler Sloan (2)
Takeaways - Alex Ovechkin (2)
The rest of the story...
The Good
The Caps continue their trend of keeping the pedal to the metal and their foot on their opponent's throat. If this trend continues, along with heavy scoring, I have few worries about the rest of the season.
The Bad
I can't think of much for this one, except: WILL you guys PLEASE stay out of the frikkin' PENALTY BOX??!
* Poti (Delay of Game)
* Backstrom (Boarding?!)
* Green (Hooking, Slashing)
* Fehr (Cross-checking)
* ShaMo (Instigator, Fighting, 10-minute Misconduct)
* Team (Too many men on the ice)
* Chimera (Instigator, Fighting, Game Misconduct)
* Gordon (Tripping)
The referees were Dan O'Halloran and Chris Rooney. And 14 incidents involving a penalty is about 12 too many for my liking. Especially avoidable? Delay of game, and Too many men on the ice! Jeez, guys!
The Ugly
I have to lump both of Mike Knuble's goals into this category (in a really, REALLY good way!) Scoring from inside the paint with a casual flick of your wrist is way cool!