Caps vs. Canes 12-28-2009 Wrap Up

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post: stunner, trade winds.  Examiner.  Times: bad start, trade made, you pick 'em.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com.  AP Wire.

The Other Side:

Sorry gang, just more AP recaps.

Final Thoughts:

Well whatever it was; the trade, the upcoming road trip, playing the Hurricanes, or getting caught up in their press clippings; the Caps just didn't have a great performance last night.  While the defense overall stunk, they did kill off 1:56 of a 2:00 5-on-3 which is pretty impressive no matter what.  However, it was a good thing that General Manager George McPhee held his press conference before the game because if it had been after the game, we would have wanted to know why John "Coach's Pet" Erskine Bowles wasn't the surplus defenseman being moved.  The Coach's Pet was -2 only because he stepped onto the ice right as Eric Fehr's shot was being put into the net by Carolina.  Otherwise he would have been a well deserved -3 because he was out of position and spectating on three Carolina goals.  Jose "Alvin, Simon," Theodore had a much better game than the fans will ever give him credit for.  He only started to struggle and fight the puck after giving up the fourth goal, none of which were his fault.  He simply had no defense in front of him last night.  Though Theodore wasn't alone in trying to get the team back on track all by himself.  Once the Caps fell behind 3-0, they snapped out of the funk but got away from their system, rushed everything they did, and tried to do things individually (sound familiar?).  If Carolina was not such a bad hockey team right now, the Caps wouldn't have gotten as close as they did but Carolina was good enough to make sure that the Caps couldn't come all the way back.  Finally, while some of the nattering nabobs of negativism will harp on this game for weeks and months to come, it is just one game.  Throw it away and come back on Wednesday night against San Jose with a much better overall effort and go from there.

39 down, 43 left.