Great matchup on Saturday (should they play). The Penguins look like they are the top team in the league and the Caps seem to have found their way after that horrendous losing streak.
I have been watching 24/7 on HBO. The first two episodes were mildly interesting. However, last night's episode was much more interesting as it spent about half of the episode on the first meeting b/t the two teams which the Caps lost in the 7th round of the shootout. It was neat to have watched the game live but then hear what the coaches/players were saying before the game and during the intermissions. It was also interesting to hear some of the discussion taking place on the ice during the game. Found it particularly interesting how Bylsma never referred to Caps players by name and only on their numbers. Also liked how Boudreau broke down game film of the Pens and in particular Malkin and said that if you hit him, he will retaliate and could get a stupid penalty. For those that watched the game, we saw early on how Ovie laid out Malkin and right on cue, moments later Malkin tried to return the favor to Ovie and took a bad penalty. Gave you a sense of how the players feel about each other and the way they take the rivalry.
Given where the two teams stand right now and the type of game they had just a few days ago, it certainly makes for an exciting matchup on Saturday in front of a national audience. This is the type of game that Ovie loves. The grander the stage the more he loves it. I believe Varly will get nod over Neuvy who played in the first Penguins game. Varly is coming off of a shutout and while Neuvy has been playing well and the two are the same age, Varly seems like more of the veteran and more of the imposing goalie for the opposition.
It is only one regular season game but there is no doubt that the players will be more excited about this one. The first game had a playoff feel about it and I expect this one to feel the same way. Hopefully the weather will cooperate but look forward to this one.
4 comments:
Great game. Too bad about the weather. The ice surface looked like a melting pond, but both teams had to play through it and the Caps won the physical contest.
I liked Varly's game. Hopefully this will propel them to a long winning streak.
The players didn't seem to mind the weather. In fact, Ovie said the ice was in good shape when asked during the 2nd intermission.
Varley was very good, but the defense was very strong as well. Guys were blocking shots and for the last 4-5 minutes of the game, when the Penguins were desperate for a score, the Caps barely let them get past the blue line.
Hopefully this effort is a sign of things to come.
Weather wasn't really the issue - the ice was (I know they are related). Most of the players said the ice was OK. But hockey players are not really big complainers and they are promoting the sport; I would not be surprised if they were told not to complain about it.
Young Caps defenseman John Carlson was interviewed after the game and he said the ice was horrible.
It was clear the ice was in bad shape. The way the puck was skipping around was very different than normal games.
All that said, I thought it ended up being a pretty good game.
The CAPS executed well in each phase of the game. The teams are very well matched and I hope to see the CAPS win a playoff series against them. Varly played very well and got a bit lucky, which is always a good thing. I still would like to see the stars score more goals.
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