Game 2 Caps vs. Canadiens 4-17-2010 Post-Mortem

Now it's on...  Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...

THE GOOD:

• The Caps may have to call up another defensemen for Games 3 and 4 in Montreal because we have a hard time believing that Canadian Customs is going to allow John Carlson into their country tomorrow.  The Rookie notched his first playoff point and scored the game tying goal late in the third period.   We have to think that Brian Burke should have had him in Vancouver.
• Captain A.O. broke out of his slump tonight, 1 goal (assisted by Carlson), and three assists.  6 shots on goal (7 were blocked and 2 missed everything) and a monster 8 hits dished out.
• Nicklas Backstrom with the game winning goal just 31 seconds into overtime to cap off the Hat Trick.  His dish to Carlson wasn't too shabby either.

THE BAD:

• The Power Play unit continues to struggle going 0 for 3 tonight.
• We said in the series preview that taking more than two penalties was playing with fire and Montreal scored on their third Power Play chance.  It almost cost us again.
• Alexander "Slappy" Semin gets himself demoted to the third line.  He hasn't been much of a factor in the first two games of this series.

THE UGLY:

• Jeff "Sergeant" Schultz and his partner in crime Mike "BEAM ME UP" Green were on the ice for four of the five Montreal goals scored.  Sarge ended up -1 and Green even because they were on the ice for so many of the Caps goals.  They were the best defensive pair in the regular season and need to be the best defensive pair here in the playoffs.
• And let the goaltender controversy begin yet again.  Jose "Alvin, Simon," Theodore allowed two goals on two shots and Semyon "The Saviour" Varlamov comes up with the win after making 19 saves on 22 shots.  Neither goaltender came up with any big saves and Bruce Boudreau has a tough decision to make as to who he starts on Monday night in Montreal.

Well folks, you should know how much we despise fighting in hockey but we will admit that tonight's game turned when Tom Poti of all people had enough of Scott Gomez and got into a fight with him.  The Caps were down 4-3 at the time but really got going and tied the game up while Gomez was in the box.  Gomez was MIA last spring for the Rangers but he's been a problem for the Caps so far and getting him off the ice for five minutes was a huge boost to the Caps.  Now the sleeping giant has been awakened and Montreal has to be very, very concerned.  The Caps best players torched Jaroslav Halak tonight and there is clearly momentum in the Caps locker room right now.  And even if Montreal had won this game, they still would be concerned because while the Caps go their offense going - and we should note the three goals scored from in close including Captain A.O.'s where he dug in front of Halak to poke it in - the Caps can and will play better defense.  But for the next two days everybody is going to wonder who is going to take the net for the Caps in Montreal but the Canadiens cannot rule out a goaltender change of their own.