Caps 6, Colorado Avalanche 1
One of the best all-around games of the season – even if it turned sloppy during garbage time in the third period. Caps (21-7-6, 48 points) scored the first five goals of the night and Colorado – the second-best team in the Western Conference – never had a chance. Two goals by Tomas Fleischmann and one each from Mike Knuble, Nicklas Backstrom, Matt Bradley and David Steckel. That’s four of six goals from third and fourth liners – and yes, I know it’s a stretch to label Flash a third-liner. He still played there tonight. Kyle Wilson had a pair of assists and a few quality scoring chances in his first NHL game – and on his 25th birthday, to boot. Washington still has the NHL’s best record
Now, the big question for the Caps is the status of Mike Green and Shaone Morrisonn. Green was kabonged by David Koci with a suspendable hit from behind in the second period. He was tossed from the game and will be having an unpleasant conversation with the NHL office later in the week. Dirty hit for sure. Green’s eye was cut and after the game Caps coach Bruce Boudreau told reporters he expected the eye would be swollen shut by Wednesday morning. He hoped Green would be okay to play Friday night against Vancouver. But that remains to be seen. Morrisonn was injured, too, and may be more questionable than Green. No word on the nature of his inury, of course. So early in the third period, with fellow defensemen John Erskine in the penalty box for a 10-minute misconduct after fighting Koci, the Caps were in a spot. It only got worse when Tom Poti took a delay-of-game penalty. That left the Caps with Jeff Schultz, Karl Alzner and…that’s it. Brooks Laich moved from forward to defense and Brendan Morrison was ready to do the same. That isn’t the way you draw it up.
“It’s nice that we had a lead that we could do that,” Laich told reporters in Denver afterwards. “And that we had a bit of a cushion in case we were to make a mistake out there.”
Boudreau was not pleased with Koci’s hit. Like, at all. Not at all. He was a bit angry:
“Please – the guy’s got one goal in six years. He couldn’t play in the American League. If you’re looking to get things out of the game – I’ve faced David Koci an awful lot. He might be a nice guy. I have no idea. I’m glad he’s making a living. But let’s be honest, if this was any [other] game he gets on the ice in the first three minutes, he gets into a fight with a guy and then he sits at the end of the bench and that’s it. So what good is he? Fifteen feet he saw Green’s number – 52 – and that didn’t stop him one iota from hitting him in the back and going for the head. So I hope they throw the book at him.”
Boudreau also used the term “bush league” – among others. Excellent rant and well deserved. Calls will start up again about the need for an enforcer along the lines of the departed Donald Brashear. Especially with Michael Nylander’s salary off the books. I just don’t see general manager George McPhee doing it. He doesn’t believe in it. He likes having a roster spot with a real player on it. Fans can rail all they want about other teams taking runs at Caps players. I just don’t see it happening. Thanks to the Caps PR staff for sending along postgame audio.
