Photo: Alex Brandon
Per tradition, we begin every Super Bowl Sunday with a Capitals game packed with all the intensity you’d expect from a rivalry matchup. Except this was the Blues, for whom the Caps have no special animosity as far as I can remember. Yet, there we were, watching the hits pile up in an ugly but mostly entertaining hour of hockey– except for the whole losing part.
Steen got it first, beating Peters on a rebound during a first-period power play. Ovechkin did the same with an Ovi shot from the Ovi spot seven minutes later. Steen got his second on the rush during a bad change, which Ovi responded to by harrying the Blues during 4v4.
Dmitrij Jaskin interrupted the Alexes to score on one of Justin Peters’ many rebounds, giving the Blues the lead after forty. Vladimir Tarasenko broke the Caps back with a rush goal six minutes into the third period.
Karl Alzner brought the Caps back within one goal in the third period as the top line did the net-front presence thing.
Blues beat Caps 4-3.
- Alex Ovechkin had his fourth multi-goal game since January 16th.
- Alex Ovechkin now has sole possession of the franchise record for multi-goal games.
- Alex Ovechkin had 10 shots on goal for the second time this season.
- Alex Ovechkin has scored 30 goals in all of his first ten seasons, including the crappy seasons shortened by lockouts and hindered by bad coaching.
- Alex Ovechkin is already 45th on the career goals list.
- Alex Ovechkin isn’t even 30 yet.
- Alex Ovechkin has been a privilege and a delight to watch and cover these past years.
- But enough about Ovi. Justin Peters has rebound issues. That’s a polite way to say it. All game long he was serving up loose pucks to Blues players like piping hot Roy Rogers sandwiches. He had atrocious defense in front of him again (allowing 40 shots on goal is unacceptable), but he’s definitely on the hook for some of those goals. I don’t think he’s unplayable like JP does, but I’ve got strong misgivings.
- David Backes didn’t do anything to minimize his hit on Karl Alzner and he should be suspended. Put me down for two games.
- The Capitals had five minutes to punish the Blues for Backes’ bad hit, but the power play couldn’t get organized. They spent most of those five digging the puck out of their own end. That one hurt, especially once the Blues took the lead for the third time at the end of the period.
- Jason Chimera‘s stone hands are back. He shanked a layup in the first period and went wide on a slapshot early in the third and couldn’t lift a breakaway later on.
- Has Jay Beagle finally lost his spot on the top line? His unending streak of penalties should have done it. I fully and enthusiastically admit that Barry Trotz knows more about this game than I do. I’m just exasperated in trying to figure out what his thinking is here.
- Like, let’s look at Vladimir Tarasenko‘s goal. The Caps had an offensive-zone faceoff while down by a goal, so Barry Trotz put out what he considers his best players. Except those best players included the team’s weakest defensive pairing (Carlson, Orpik) and a top line crippled by its weakest forward (Beagle). Instead of generating offense, the Caps lost the faceoff and bungled the neutral zone, giving Tarasenko an open lane to Peters’ net, which, let’s be honest, wasn’t well defended. Worst possible outcome, and yet not at all surprising.
- Now, put Tom Wilson in that same spot, watch him put his big body in the paint, and smile as Karl Alzner threads the needle. Top-line Tommy isn’t perfect, but it’s a much, much better option.
- Alzner and Matt Niskanen, bee tee dubs, looked like giants out there. That pairing has steadily improved all season. Nisky’s gonna score before long.
- Barry Trotz sure soured on Beagle and Hillen; they didn’t see much action in the third period.
Lion hugging a dude of the day because no Joe B and you needed this
The Tarasenko goal really bugs me. It’s emblematic of a bigger problem. Adam Stringham articulated it perfectly:
I think it's Time to take away a few of Barry's favorite toys
— Adam Stringham (@Stringhama) February 1, 2015
I love Jay Beagle, but I don’t love him as a top-liner. For whatever reason, Barry Trotz has a fondness for Beagle and a couple other iffy players, and that fondness has cost this team wins.
That’s fine. All coaches do that, even the best of them. But the best GMs in this league see when it happens and trade away those “favorite toys” before they do too much damage.
The trade deadline is a month away. Brian MacLellan could make this team a lot stronger by doing some simple arithmetic.
Have a good Sunday. Go Seahawks.
