Caps 3, Detroit Red Wings 2
Hockey is just a bizarre sport sometimes. The Detroit Red Wings, mired in a non-playoff position for most of the season thanks to a decimating batch of injuries, played like the powerhouse they have been for almost 20 years. They dominated possession of the puck, they fired shot after shot after shot at Caps goalie Jose Theodore, they earned five power-play chances.
And yet, down a goal with just over eight minutes left to last year’s Stanley Cup runners-up, the Caps found a way to win. Goals by Nicklas Backstrom and Dave Steckel turned what should have been a loss – and a deserved one – into one of the season’s best wins. Go figure.
“We basically – in my opinion – dominated from start to finish tonight,” said Detroit coach Mike Babcock. “They’re an opportunistic team and they have a real good offensive flair. They were able to capitalize. I thought their goalie was outstanding, but I liked the way we played. We played fast. We were pretty much on top of them from start to finish. To me, it was a pretty good game by our team. If we continue to play the way we’re playing then we’ll be just fine.”
The Caps (31-12-6, 68 points) have won four in a row and seven of their last eight. They re-took sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference from Buffalo (30-11-6, 66 points) with the win. Washington also has four straight home victories and is 17-3-3 at Verizon Center this season. But coach Bruce Boudreau agreed with Babcock’s assessment that his team was fortunate to come away with two points.
“Today it was like men vs. boys,” Boudreau said. “I don’t think we touched the puck [in the first period]. They came out with a vengeance and I’m sitting there thinking ‘This is what Stanley Cup champions that are desperate do.’ It’s a bar that we have to get to. We were just fortunate that our goalie was great in the first period.”
Indeed, Jose Theodore finished with 44 saves and his numbers over the last four games – one of those coming in relief – are sick: a 1.50 GAA and a .951 save percentage. That’ll get you a few more starts. It’s exactly what the Caps needed as rookie goalie Semyon Varlamov struggles to overcome a knee injury. He has not skated – as far as we know – at Kettler Iceplex the last two days and concern has to be growing. But a productive Theodore again buys the Caps more time to rest Varlamov and make sure he is healthy.
“That’s the best I’ve seen [Theodore],” said Boudreau. “This must have been how he was when he won the Vezina and the Hart in Montreal that one year. Without him it could very well have been 6-0 at the end of the first period.”
Meanwhile, the last time star forward Alex Ovechkin was held without a shot on goal? How about Oct. 8, 2007 – a snoozer of a Columbus Day matinee on Long Island. Brooks Laich had the game winner and the Caps were all kinds of fired up after starting the year 3-0. They then went 3-14-1 over the next 44 days and got coach Glen Hanlon fired. Of course, that also ushered in the awesomeness that is the Boudreau era, too – so maybe it was for the best. Anyway, that’s just the third time in Ovechkin’s career that’s happened. And yet the Red Wings still lost. Mike Babcock just punched a wall. Ovechkin did have a point, however, with the primary assist on Backstrom’s goal. He has 35 on the year and 65 points overall.
Alex Semin’s assist on Steckel’s goal also made up for an inexplicable turnover in Washington’s defensive zone in the third period. Instead of clearing the puck he laid off a pass to…well, no one. It was pretty empty over by the far boards save for a Red Wing or three. A quick cross-ice pass by Valtteri Filppula to defenseman Brian Rafalski and his shot slid five-hole through Theodore. That made it 2-1 Detroit with under nine minutes to play and put the Caps on the ropes – for a bit.
Next up for the Caps – the Team That Shall Not be Named on Thursday night in the City That Shall Not be Named at the Arena That Shall Not be Named. First of four meetings between the two. May have a question or 12 on that contest at Kettler tomorrow. Be ready with your best cliches, boys.
Caps Notes
» Jose Theodore’s 44 saves were a season-high and he improved to 14-7-4 on the season. The 46-23 shot deficit in Detroit’s favor was the widest shot margin the Caps have faced this season. The previous high? Also against the Red Wings, 37-23, at Detroit on Oct. 10.
» The Caps have allowed 40 or more shots on goal five times this season. The 46 from Detroit is a season high against. Yet Washington is 4-0-1 in those games. It’s been a while since that has happened, though. The Caps beat Carolina on Nov. 30, 3-2, despite being outshot 40-33. The blueline stabilized soon after and for the most part has been good. Washington sits 15th in the league in goals allowed (138) after Tuesday’s action.
» Matt Bradley’s eight goals surpass his career high with the Caps and are one shy of his career best overall – nine with San Jose in 2001-02. He also had 22 points that season. The fourth-liner is already at 17 points this season.
» Defenseman Mike Green now has a nine-game point streak after his assist on Bradley’s goal. It was a beauty, too – a long stretch pass from inside his own blue line to Boyd Gordon, who had a sweet saucer pass of his own across the ice to Bradley. He had the final deke and flip over Chris Osgood (20 saves).
» Nick Backstrom notched his 20th goal of the season with his power-play tally in the third. Backstrom has 16 goals in his last 23 games and is two shy of his career high. Washington now has three 20-goal scores, including Alex Ovechkin (29) and Alex Semin (20). No other NHL team can say that.
» Faceoff stat of the night: The two teams split them 50-50. The Caps took 25 and the Red Wings took 25.
Notable Quotable
Caps coach Bruce Boudreau on his team’s ability to find a way to win a game it probably shouldn’t have. That’s a far more valuable lesson than pummeling the Atlanta Thrashers 8-1 as they did earlier this month.
“I think we’re resilient. We could have given up a few times. I think we also need to know that we have to play much better if we want to win the whole thing. Because that team played like they were in the seventh games of the Stanley Cup finals. I hope they did anyway because if they can play a lot better than that we’re in trouble. But I thought that was the best team we’ve played all year and I’m shocked they’re in ninth place right now.”
Detroit forward Todd Bertuzzi’s hooking penalty on Mike Green late in the third period set up Backstrom’s goal. He was….uh….not happy with himself afterwards. Doing his best “Chris Farley trying to interview Paul McCartney” on SNL imitation.
“I can’t give them that power play there. Stupid, stupid penalty by me. Just careless with my stick at the wrong time, then they come back and score there right away. It was pretty deflating.”
Boudreau on the Red Wings’ skill and cohesiveness.
“If you don’t get it deep, their transition game is tremendous. And their puck skills – they can make four passes within 15 feet and they’re all on the tape and they all know what they’re doing. And you look over the bench and [Babcock] has got them changing lines. They’re like a well oiled machine.”
