Caps @ Bruins 2-2-2010 Post-Mortem

How's it going to end???  Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...

THE GOOD:

• We have a Boyd Gordon sighting!  He scored his first goal in 12 games tonight to give the Caps some breathing room.
• Tom Poti was on the ice for the one Boston goal but ended up with a +4 tonight to go with two assists.
• For the second time on this winning streak, Jose "Alvin, Simon," Theodore turned in a magnificent performance in goal.  One goal allowed on 42 shots faced.  He turned away a penalty shot and came up with huge stops all night long.

THE BAD:

• For a team trying to extend a winning streak, the Caps got off to the worst possible start.  13 shots on goal allowed in the first period along with four penalties committed.
• It's a good thing the Bruins are so offensively challenged because the Caps took too many penalties tonight.  6 in all.
• We mentioned this morning that the Caps couldn't count on their Power Play to bail them out tonight and they couldn't because the Power Play was 0 for 4 with just six shots on goal.

THE UGLY:

• We got to see the lazy Alexander "Slappy" Semin tonight as he racked up three minor penalties.  Two hookings and a high sticking.  He was a candidate for a benching since two of those penalties occurred in the offensive zone too.
• From the "Never Count Your Chickens Before They Are Hatched" File, why was Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin talking about the historic Boston Bruins losing streak with over 12 minutes to go in the game?  Yeah, yeah the Caps are rolling the Bruins are falling apart and can't score with a blank check in a house of ill repute but we've seen big collapses before and as Yogi Berra always said, "it isn't over until it's over."  Find some other way to fill the time guys.
• Finally, while we were glad to see Gordon get a goal, why did the fourth line try a Harlem Globetrottersesque passing play with a 3-1 lead?

For the first twenty minutes the Bruins were doing exactly what they needed to do in order to beat the Caps tonight and that was slow the game down by causing whistles and not letting any flow into the game.  However, when the Caps got their feet moving in the second period, the Bruins were simply unable to keep up.  This is the scary thing about the Caps right now, when the Caps decide to impose their will on another team, they're practically unstoppable.  Now will something like this work come playoff time?  Maybe in the first round because the Caps would be playing teams like Boston, Tampa, Florida, and the Rangers in the first round.  However, after that the Caps would be facing stiffer competition.  But right now, the Caps are like a machine, they keep on grinding out and producing wins.  Now we can turn our attention to the Detroit-San Jose game to see if the Red Wings can knock off the Sharks and put the Caps into first place overall.

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