Caps vs. Blue Jackets 11-1-2009 Post-Mortem

Yeah...  Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...

THE GOOD:

• Brooks "and Dunn" Laich with two goals tonight in the third period along with Quintin "Human Bruise" Lang going to the front of the net to get rebound goals on Steve Mason.  The "spell" he had on the Caps seems to be broken.
• And speaking of that spell, scoring on Mason in the first period was huge.  It certainly kept the Caps in the game in terms of a mental state, knowing that they could get a puck past Mason.
• And let's give props to Mike Knuble for his Penalty Knilling in the third period.  First time in a long time we've seen penalty killing by the Caps like that it was a spark for the team in the third period.
  

THE BAD:

• As good as Knuble was on the one third period penalty kill, that was the highlight for the bunch who allowed 2 Power Play goals at the worst possible times tonight.  We've got to bear down late in games in order to win.
  
• And Knuble lands on this list for his second slashing penalty of the game. No need to have done it and it was a bad penalty.
• We do however excuse him for his first slashing penalty, that was a result of Jeff "Sergeant" Schultz for some reason not closing off the player with the puck.  Bad play by Schultz.

THE UGLY:

• Mike "BEAM ME UP" Green stopped moving his feet and allowed Rick Nash to walk right around him and score Columbus' first goal of the game tonight.  That our friends is the John "Coach's Pet" Erskine Bowles Bonehead Play of the Game.
• Referees Greg Kimmerly and Mike Leggo tonight, in a word, stunk.  It was as if we were playing the Penguin Scum.  There was not one, but two occasions where the Caps were whistled for penalties that simply weren't penalties and on one occasion, where no contact whatsoever was made.  And of course our favorite trick, after the Caps scored a Power Play goal, they didn't get another Power Play for the rest of the game.
• And for all of you "civil disobedients" who are bringing your anti-Snyder signs to the Phone Booth to praise Ted Leonsis for being so great and bash Redskins Owner Dan Snyder for being so awful.  Know that Ted stood up the Caps Fan Club tonight and was a no-show for a meeting that he was the feature speaker for.  Ted is supposed to be the speaker at this month's "Chalk Talk" with the Season Ticket Holders next Saturday.  We're interested to see if he pulls the same stunt again.  Thanks to Tim Leone, co-author of Gabby Confesions of a Hockey Lifer, for pinch hitting.
  

Face it, when you heard that A.O. "may" return, you thought the game was over.  Especially since the Caps could only muster one goal on Steve Mason on 24 shots in the first two periods.  But the Caps come up with three goals in the third period on 12 shots.  It was more than just players stepping up, it was the Caps changing their style of play.  And with the notable exception of the first line, the Caps pulled it off.  So while the Caps come away with the Bettman point, they also can come away with the knowledge that they can play a different style when they need to.  Some might even call it "playoff hockey" with the way the Caps were willing to go to the front of the net and "pay the price."  These types of games are going to happen so don't get too upset here.  If A.O. is out for any length of time, this is how we're going to have to play in order to win and considering we couldn't score a goal on Steve Mason in two games last year, the fact that we got four tonight should be a positive.