Let me recap the past couple days for the Capitals. On Thursday, the Caps scoring issue continued as they suffered a heart-breaker to their rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby who are usually featured in this matchup were both held pointless in this 2-1 loss for Washington. Jason Chimera was the only Cap to tickle the twine for his 10th goal of the year which seems to be a trend as of late. Tomas Vokoun played well most of the game, but allowed another shaky second goal which eventually cost them.
The most exciting point of the game for me was the fight between John Erskine and Arron Asham. Erskine was definitely paying Asham back for his actions after he knocked out forward Jay Beagle earlier in the season. Both of the tough guys landed punches, but I’ll give the upper hand to #4 in red. Other than that the only thing Washington seemed to beat Pittsburgh in was hits, which was nice to see, but not when your amount of shots gets doubled 35-17. This would make Thursday the second game in a row with less than 20 shots.
The last game of the Capitals three game home stand was vs. the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Dale Hunter would prevail and earn his first win in OT for a 3-2 win! Nicklas Backstrom and Troy Brouwer tallied the two goals in regulation for the Caps. The combo of Jason Chimera and Brooks Laich would seal the deal 12 seconds into overtime to give Laich the game winner in his 500th career NHL game. Michal Neuvirth might have played his best game of the season with 32 saves and a win. Neuvy needs to stay solid like this if the Caps are going to be successful.
It was nice to see Dale get his first win and hopefully it will be the first of many. One thing I have noticed since the coaching change is that the Caps are playing a much more physical game and the fore-check has improved. I’m excited to see what other changes in strategy the new coach has in store for us. The next matchup is very important because the Florida Panthers are currently on top the Southeast Division, so it would be nice to gain a few points on them. Tune in tomorrow for a special “3rd Line” feature. Rock the Red!
FUN FACT OF THE DAY: Did you know that Dale Hunter has fought both of his assistant coaches, Jim Johnson and Dean Evason, when he was a player. Believe it or not, Hunter and Evason fought three times in the same period when they faced each other as players. It is nice to know Dale Hunter is comfortable with the guys next to him on the bench.
Player of the Weekend: Jason Chimera (1 goal, 1 assist)
Stat of the Weekend: 5 points, +3 ice rating (3rd forward line- Chimera, Laich, Ward)
Unsung Hero: John Erskine
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