A few comments from the game last night, which I attended.
(1) The building was loud enough at the end that I couldn't hear the final horn. First indication that the game was over was the green light in back of the net. Backstrom leveled Geaudreau shortly after the light came on, but I don't know if he was aware the game was over, and he really didn't hit him that hard. The real issue is that Backstrom weighs 210, Geaudreau 165. G. is one of those lightweight waterbugs that seems to be prospering in the new lighterweight NHL. Cf. Kucherov and Point from the Lightning.
(2) Caps played pretty effectively for the most part. I will say that Siegenthaler has one major shortcoming in his game that he will have to work on; that is his footwork. He's NOT a slow skater and he's strong enough to hold his own on the boards (especially considering that he is now playing on his off-side), but he can't stay with the more mobile players very well. He has A LOT to learn from a guy like Orpik. I noticed that Orpik patted him on the rump with his stick a couple of times after he had made a good play. I think it is obvious that Orpik is doing all he can to mentor him.
(3) I wonder how badly Eller is hurt? For all the deserved criticism he has gotten for his play this season, he will be missed on the PK while he is out, and I'm not sure if either Dowd or Boyd can adequately fill the 3C spot, even shorter-term.
(4) Wilson was a BEAST out there last night. Easily our best forward, though Oshie had a good night as well. The TOI stats said only slightly more than 20 minutes for Wilson, but it seemed he was out there all the time, and he is always put in the toughest situations now. For those that criticized the $5 million AAV contract for him, the guy is earning every bit of it. As is Carlson on the back end. Say what you think about his defense, but he is ALWAYS the D-man out there in the tight situations. And it seems that Orpik is being protected during the game with his 3rd pairing minutes so that he can be ready for the tight end-of-game situations if they occur. The 5 guys on the ice to protect the lead in the last minute after Kuznetsov scored were Backstrom/Oshie/Wilson/Carlson/Orpik. They were not coming off the ice until the game was over.
(5) Recent comments I've seen about nervousness with defensemen pinching late in tight games? It's true, they DO do that, and they were doing it last night as well. Thing is, they were doing it last year under Trotz, so in that way, Reirden's system isn't much different. And lots of/most opposing teams do it as well. It's the way the game is played today, folks.
(6) Without Ovie on the ice last night the Caps seemed more intent on generating shots per se, I guess hoping for bounces or rebounds they could capitalize on without their most dependable sniper to try to set up. Another contributing reason that they might have been trying to generate any shot at all more than they usually do was that Mike Smith looked pretty shaky in goal most of the game, mishandling and looking uncertain on a lot of pucks. I guess a good strategy with a goalie like that is to get pucks on him, figuring he'll screw up sooner or later. But in the end, Wilson's and Kuznetsov's goals were pure snipes that no one could have done a lot about.
