Caps vs. Penguin Scum 3-27-2007 Post-Mortem

Gee.... didn't see THAT coming... Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...

THE GOOD:

• Great start to the game by the Caps jumping out to a 2-0 lead off of great finishes and chances. Too bad we couldn't finish more but the chances were there tonight.
• Normally I rip the Power Play unit and it may not make much sense praising them when they went 0 for 3. However the Power Play unit tonight on all three chances got the shot they were looking for. They just couldn't get the finish. For a Power Play that often has Herculean issues just getting the puck into the offensive zone under control, the fact that they got something set up deserves honest praise.

THE BAD:

• The Penalty Killers were officially 2 for 5 tonight. That is beyond ghastly and what makes it worse is that our best Penalty Killers were on the ice for 2 of the three power play goals. The fourth goal came 11 seconds after a penalty expired.
• Brooks Orpik got the drop on Mr. Donald Brashear and Mr. Brashear took exception. Sorry, that was a clean hit. That is a prime example of why I think "The Code" is now "The Crock." There's no excuse for clean play leading to fights which that did.
• Shaone Morrrissonnn gets the Sergei Gonchar "Score on Your Own Team" Award for tonight.
• The Penguin Scum was using Sergei Gonchar on A.O. all night and A.O. couldn't beat him.

THE UGLY:

• Downright horrible officiating tonight by two referees, Tim Peel and Kerry Fraser, who should know better. I could understand if Blaine Angus and Dave Jackson were working tonight but for about 58 minutes tonight; the referees only called the one penalty on the Penguin Scum they absolutely positively had to call and that was Jarkko Ruutu's cheap high stick on Alexander Semin (Semin was on his knees and I don't think stuff like that should be a penalty, but it is). While the Caps got away with a lot, the Penguin Scum got away with every hook, every hold, every trip, and every interference except for one and that was called at 17:23 of the third period. Oh, then there's Rule 53.2 "A minor penalty shall be imposed on any player or goalkeeper on the ice who throws his stick or any part thereof or any object in the direction of the puck or an opponent in any zone, except when such act has been penalized by the assessment of a penalty shot or the awarding of a goal." Now who did that in the final seconds of the game and got away with it????????

Once again the Caps outplay the Penguin Scum and once again the Caps lose. Sorry, but the only time the Penguin Scum looked even remotely dangerous was when they had a Power Play. Considering how bad the officiating was and you have to begin to wonder if this game was on the level. This game tonight was won on the Power Play because at even strength, the Caps either dominated the Penguin Scum or were dead even. But what can you say? At least the Penguin Scum bandwagon made its first appearance in D.C. in five years.