Caps vs. Ning 3-18-2007 Post-Mortem

Where were these guys for the last two months? Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...


THE GOOD:

• Tomas Fleischmann seems to be settling in on the second line rather nicely. He had a Chuck Woolery today (2 and 2) along with the game winning goal to go with his goal on Friday night which now gives him 5 points in his last 4 games. Now if we can get Eric Fehr to work on the first line, we might be onto something once we get real centers.
• Alexander Semin's natural hat trick (his second hat trick of the season) gets the hat that I wore at home games from 1999 until they switched to the black jerseys at home thrown to the ice.
• The final line Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis is no goals, no assists, six shots combined (none for either in the second period), a combined -3, and no real threats today. Great job by the checking line of Captain Chris Clark, Boyd Gordon, and Brooks "and Dunn" Laich and the defensive pairing of Milan "Jerky" Jurcina and Shaone Morrrissonnn today. They were a combined +10.
• The Penalty Killers kept the 6th ranked Power Play off the board going 3 for 3 today.
• Always fun to chase both goaltenders. Marc Denis did not make a single save on three shots in the second period.

THE BAD:

• What's deal with welcoming the Baltimorons in the crowd and showing the Ratbird's Defensive Coordinator? I thought this was Washington D.C. and not Bhawlmuher?
• Bringing the Disowned UVA Pep Band (you have to scroll down on both articles to get to the story) to the game. The Yahoos still don't know when to shut up as they played over the action throughout the third period and while the rendition of Taps was nice with about a minute to go; you can certainly bet that it did not sit very well with the Ning. We play these guys again in 13 days. Please Ted, don't bring these clowns in anymore.
• After all he's been through this season, Olie Kolzig deserves a shutout and missed out on one again today.

THE UGLY:

• Dan Boyle:

About a month ago now, I said that this team was going to break out of their offensive slump and it would be a sight to behold. Well, today was that day and it was a sight to behold. Sure we'll be reading tomorrow about how the Ning played an awful game and there's no doubt in my mind that they did. However, just last week we had a team shut us out 3-0 and complain that they didn't play their best game either. The nattering naboos of negativism will say that this is too little too late, but concerns that I had that the team had given up on this season are gone and I for one am very glad.

It has been... A TWO POINT DAY!!!