The Washington Capitals surprisingly outshot the Columbus Blue Jackets last night, though your hometown heroes got fewer pucks in the net, losing 4-3 in overtime. On home ice. In Game 1.
Folks, we have been down this road before. An opposing player was able to knock out a top four defenseman unchecked, Jakub Vrana apologists cry bloody murder because the forward with the lowest corsi was buried in ice time, and the Capitals' dominant power play was not enough to punch home a win.
Artemi Panarin delivered a Hall of Fame quality performance, including potting a beautiful OT winner from a tough angle. Worse is that the Capitals had numbers and good positioning. Panarin is just that good.
The Capitals were able to jump on the Jackets at the end of the first, led by Evgeny Kuznetsov's dominant skating, to take a 2-0 lead.
What we would like to see next game:
Folks, we have been down this road before. An opposing player was able to knock out a top four defenseman unchecked, Jakub Vrana apologists cry bloody murder because the forward with the lowest corsi was buried in ice time, and the Capitals' dominant power play was not enough to punch home a win.
Artemi Panarin delivered a Hall of Fame quality performance, including potting a beautiful OT winner from a tough angle. Worse is that the Capitals had numbers and good positioning. Panarin is just that good.
The Capitals were able to jump on the Jackets at the end of the first, led by Evgeny Kuznetsov's dominant skating, to take a 2-0 lead.
What we would like to see next game:
- Philipp Grubauer keeps the net. He played well.
- Christian Djoos in the lineup. If Michal Kempny is good to go, then Jakub Jerabek should sit. He was invisible. With five defensemen in a 66 minute game, he played 13:17. NEXT!
- Obviously, if Jay Beagle is healthy, then he plays and Chandler Stephenson sits. If Beagle is not good to go, then Stephenson still sits, and Shane Gersich (we love how his name resembles our newest SCOTUS justice) plays. Stephenson was the only player to not manage a shot attempt - Brooks Orpik got 4!
- Speaking of Brooks, he had a hell of a game. He only played 19:39 in spite of Kempny's early injury, but managed to shine during this time, finishing with a 60.7 corsi rating and a big hit on Ian Cole that sent the latter's stick flying like a helicopter.
- No other changes. Keep everything else exactly the same. Minor tinkering is okay. Wholesale roster makeovers are bad.
Stay tuned for Game 2 on Sunday.
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