Where to begin?
Oh, yeah.
The NHL is back in session, now that the Christmas moratorium has been lifted.
1). The Buffalo Sabres just snapped their two game home losing streak. They scored 6 goals in the first 11 minutes of tonight's game. Blitzkrieg Bop!
2). Alexander Ovechkin tipped his tinted visor to the Sabres for their relentless puck pressure, and scoring prowess. Those aren't his words, they're mine. More on AO in a bit.
3). The Sabres are now 8-2-1 against the Southeast Division this season.
4). Were it not for Olaf Kolzig, the Caps would've lost this game 14-3. Olie was superb in relief of Brent Johnson, who had allowed four goals in 6 shots in the first period.
5). I have a confession to make: I'm am Alex Ovechkin fan. AO and I had a moment in the Caps room after the game. We're good now.
Roll the highlight reel:
Buffalo flew out of the gate like someone had just broke their Mama's antique china dishes at Christmas dinner. They were an aggressive, ornery group early on in this one, and the Caps could not match the Sabres' intensity right off the hop.
The Sabres scored 6 goals on their first 8 shots in the first.
They scored 6 goals in 11 minutes-- the third fastest to 6 goals in NHL history.
Ushers at the Arena were handing out neck braces in the first period intermission due to the whiplash-like action that befell the 16th consecutive sellout crowd of the season in Buffalo.
Count 'em:
1). Soupy's twisted wrister made it 1-0 Buffalo.
2). Captain Chris popped his first of the game. 2-0 Buffalo.
3). Ditto. Drury makes it 3-0.
4). Al Kotalik's hit vapourized Johnson with his laserbeam. 4-0 Buffalo. Shower time for Johnson.
5). Max one-times home a sweet pass from Dru on the PP. 5-0 Buffalo.
6). T Vanek launches a scud missile at Kolzig and it 6-0 Buffalo.
*******
Kolzig stabilized his team with a goaltending clinic in the second and third. He made tough save after tough save to keep the Caps in the game. Beech, AO, and Clark would add singles, however, the Sabres slammed the door shut for the final 40 minutes.
******
I caught up with Ovechlkin in the Caps' room after the game. It took ten minutes or so until he emerged from the shower, however, he stood tall and offered thoughtful answers to tough questions thrown at him. I must say, in defeat, the guy still had his charisma and sense of humour. He answered all the questions asked of him and he was very truthful and honest. I respect him for manning up after such an ugly loss.
" Good game tonight? Not first period ! First period was terrible for us. They score six goals... They shoot, they score, they shoot, they score, they shoot , they score. It was-- I don't know, some magic-- but second and third period we play well. First period they win the game with big goals. If you saw the second and third period today, you saw we do not stop playing the game. Its nice for us. "
The Caps will fare better in future games for having gotten punked the way they did tonight. AO knows it. This one was a stinker and he's already moved on from it mentally.
" Today was not our day. Second period they play unbelievable at lots of moments... I missed an open net, Zubie (Zubrus) didn't score, Clarkie (Chris Clark) did not score... Miller today played well."
Buffalo fans pelted Ovechkin with boos every time he stepped oot on the ice. They were relentless on #8. AO lapped up the hatred like a cat slurping a bowl of milk.
With a hug smile and a chuckle: "It was pretty funny-- everytime I touched the puck, everybody was screaming something to me.. I like when fans scream me and, you know, do something to hurt me, I get emotional.
Ovechkin knew the Buffalo fans would have their hatred on for him since the December 2 hit from behind on Danny Briere. Danny and AO exchanged holiday wished midway through the first period, and I asked Ovechkin what was said.
" If you can tell, I fell in the Buffalo zone because of a spear , my stomach, so I just come to him and say " You wanna fight ? Lets fight". I don't know would had spear ." I recalled that Chris Drury followed Ovechkin to the Caps bench and was seen saying something to #8. What was said? " He (Drury) said, whats wrong? I said a spear. I just said to him if you wanna fight, lets fight it. So....it was a game. I know sometimes I hit Briere in the back, they speared me, so, we're now 1-1. I was very excited for this game because here the media guy told me that the fans here will boo me all the time when I touch the puck so when I score goal, I try do something like, I no can hear them boo. I know it was still ugly because it was 6-2, it was not good for my team but......"
Since we're on the subject of Briere, and AO was in a chatty mood, I asked him point blank if he had given any thought to the possibility of playing on the same line as Danny Briere in the All Star Game? If balloting ended tonight, Crosby, Briere and Ovechkin would be the three highest vote getters in the East, Therefore, they would start the game on the same line.
" Hmmm...Like I told you its just a game. Outside the rink we say "hello", you know? Nothing special. It was just a moment. I don't know who hit me in the stomach. I hit him in the back and I tell that I don;t want to do it because I am not dirty player, so, in All Star if we play the same line, maybe we fight. Nooooooooo.... I'm joke. I'm joke".
I learned a lot about Ovechkin in the brief time I had to speak with him tonight. He appears to me to be contrite for the it on Briere and he would like to move on.
Personally, I'll cut him that slack. He's young and he's feeling his oats right now. However, there are a couple of Sabre Capatins that beg to differ.
"I knew he was mad, so I asked him what happened", Chris Drury after the game of his brief encounter with AO tonight. " Its not what I would do, or, what I would recommend a guy would do, but, he puts people in the seast and thats a great thing for all of us. He does a lot, obviously, 50+ goals his rookie year. He's a super talent", in response to the Hulk Hogan hand to ear deal. " there's no doubt the kid is good for the game. He puts people in the seats and thats good for all of hockey"
Danny Briere has a solution to future clashes with Ovechkin at the All Star Game. " Maybe I'll bring Petey (Andrew Peters) with me, you know?" . Yeah, I get it. Designated Hitter, right!
******
So, Danny, who speared Ovechkin to get him chirping? Did you see the play?
" I don't know. I couldn't tell".
Thats his story and he's stickin to it.
******
More later......
Garth
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