More notes from the Caps preseason home opener – a 2-1 loss to Buffalo – along with a link to the game story in the Examiner’s print edition.
http://vip-stage.washingtonexaminer.com/sports/Capitals-stars-return-to-ice-fall-to-Sabres-2-1.html
Jose Theodore, G
Team’s No. 1 goalie gave up two goals in 11 seconds, but otherwise stopped 19 of 21 Buffalo shots. There were few great chances for the Sabres so Theodore basically made the saves he needed to. The first goal was a deflection by forward Drew Stafford on a point shot. The second took a weird bounce in front and was chopped home by Patrick Kaleta. Defenseman Karl Alzner took the fall for that one. All in all, a good night for Theodore. The kids – Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth – have both been solid, too. But it’s clear at this point one of them – most likely Varlamov – has to steal Theodore’s job with a couple of fabulous games. This is a competition that will play out well into the season anyway. A couple of good preseason performances will have little to do with which goalie is starting meaningful games down the stretch after the Olympic break ends in March. The 60 or so NHL games between now and then will decide that.
“Everything [Theodore] saw he stopped. I didn’t think there was a tremendous amount of chances on him. But he did what he’s supposed to do and he kept us in the game,” Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said.
Boudreau noted that the flat effort from his team was not unexpected considering it was the first preseason game for Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin and Mike Green.
“These guys – it’s their first game and that’s the way they played it as. I thought their timing was off. But that’s why you have preseason games. That’s why they’ll be playing most of the games from here on in.” Boudreau will add more veterans to the lineup on Wednesday night against Chicago at Verizon Center.
“I think we have 10 or 11 [veterans] in there now. And we’ll probably have 14 or 15 on Wednesday and Thursday [at the New York Rangers] and then anywhere from 17 to all 20 on the following Sunday [against the Rangers].”
The game turned testy in the first period when Caps defenseman John Erskine leveled Buffalo’s Jeff Cowan with a clean hit in open ice. But Sabres forward Paul Gaustad didn’t see it that way. He jumped Erskine and earned 17 minutes worth of penalties as the third man into the fight – two for instigating, five for fighting and a 10-minute misconduct.
“I think it’s what happens now. It was a clean hit. I mean, but everybody – it’s like you’re not allowed to hit hard,” Boudreau said. “And you see it everywhere. I can understand if it was a dirty hit, from behind, into the boards. ‘Let’s protect our teammates.’ But it was just a clean hit and the referees did a great job on the call because that’s exactly what it warranted. I wish you could see more very clean hits like that without retribution. Because it’s not warranted. There’s enough stuff to pound your chest and be a great team guy other than that.”
Other evaluations:
Boudreau offered praise for Chris Bourque, Jay Beagle and also said defenseman Sean Collins rebounded from a rough game last Thursday against the Sabres. Bourque earlier this week denied a Boston Globe report that the Caps have told him he’ll be traded if he doesn’t make the final roster – presumably so as not to spend another year in the AHL. Again, he’s a 5-foot-8 winger and doesn’t project as a top-6 forward on a team this talented. But it still seems odd to just give away a player with 73 AHL points last season for a draft pick. Bourque understandably is lukewarm about spending yet another season in Hershey. He’s been there full time now for four years. But the teams that will be willing to give him a shot in the NHL this season – or at least have an opening – more than likely reside at the bottom of the standings. Just seems a year too soon to send the 23-year-old away unless the Caps have really decided he is not a fit for this roster/system.
Beagle is an intriguing darkhorse for an open fourth-line spot. He’s big, physical, willing to pay the price in front of the net and along the boards. Yes, his skating still isn’t the best. And he did only play 11 minutes, 55 seconds on Monday. That could have been a function of extended power-play time, though. Remember – the Caps trusted Beagle in four playoff games last year. He was credited with four hits against Buffalo, took a tripping minor yet also won 7 of 10 faceoffs.
