A few things to catch up on from previous games before jumping into last night’s game. Skip ahead if you are here for Caps/Bruins:
-The Capitals made franchise history last week when they won all three West Coast games in regulation. During the full road trip, the Capitals outscored their four opponents 18-7.
-After the successful road trip, the Capitals returned home riding a six-game win streak to face a struggling Columbus Blue Jackets Squad. The CBJ were on a four-game losing streak and sat third to last in the conference. Easy win for the Caps, right? WRONG. I don’t know if it was the Jet lag or maybe they thought they could coast to a win against an inferior team but the Blue Jackets dominated the Caps in all aspects of the game. CBJ won 5-2. Personally, I don’t mind losing to a team like this. It is a friendly reminder that no matter how good you may be playing or how good you look on paper, every game in the NHL is a true test and you need to be on your A-game at all times, especially in division games. Of the next 17 games for the Caps, 11 of them are against Division foes.
-Side note about the Blue Jackets: The CBJ want so badly for the Caps to be their division rival but it is just not working. I know they also have bad blood with the Penguins too but let’s be real, who doesn’t? I remember going to a game in Cbus in 2014 where there were four separate fights. If you forgot about that game, check it out here: https://www.hockeyfights.com/games/173379. Mind you, this was the second year of the new division format and I believe the CBJ were looking to make a name for themselves in the Division. My point is that the CBJ play every game hard but since joining the division, they seem to raise their game and intensity even more against the Capitals every time they play. If you are a CBJ and/or a Caps fan, maybe you know what I am talking about or maybe not. I used to live in Columbus and watched maybe 70% of the CBJ games over the years so I’ve seen my fair share of lackluster games by the CBJ where Bob had to bail them out. Seldom do you see the CBJ come out flat against the Caps. I appreciate the competitive spirit from the CBJ but lets be real, we may be your division rival but you are not ours.
OKAY…..ON TO THE CAPS BRUINS GAME! My takeaways from the game:
-The Bruins have been playing a lot of hockey lately. Including their 8-1 win over Montreal on 11/26, this game against the Capitals was their 9th game in 17 days. They also have another game tonight against Tampa Bay for the second half of their back to back. This is likely why Halak was in net. It is never a bad idea to throw Halak in a game against the Caps in DC. He has had our number over the seasons. We wont mention what he did to us back in the 09-10 season
-The Capitals PK came up big, killing all five penalties against the #4 ranked Power Play in the league. According to RMNB, the Caps are 69 for 78 (88.5%) on the PK with Hagelin in the lineup. This would be good for #1 in the NHL. They currently have the second-best PK AT 85.3%. It is nice to have Carl back! On the negative side of this stat is the fact the Capitals take a boat load of penalties! They are 4th worst in the league with 138 penalties in 33 games. Not something you typically see from an elite level team in the league. Hopefully they can clean this up and stay more disciplined come playoff time.
-Tom Wilson fought Chara which was awesome. https://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/n260016 . Voters have this currently at a deadlock draw.
-The Bruins appeared to have a power play goal to go up 2-0 but the play was challenged/reviewed and deemed offside. This was a crucial turning point in the game.
-TJ Oshie had two great goals last night. The second one was highlight reel worthy as he dangled and split the two Bruins defenders. He drove to the net while getting hooked and still shelved it from his backhand over Halak.
-John Carlson, American Hero, continues his tear in the league. He had a goal and assist on the night. It was his 14th multi-point game of the season. He leads all defensemen with 45 points. Second is Dougie Hamilton with 30.
-The Capitals may have been outshot 32-25 but they most certainly seemed to have more scoring and high danger chances last night. Can’t find the stats but if you watched the game, you know what im talking about.
-The Capitals are now 16-1 against the Bruins in their last 17 games. That is a ridiculous stat against one of the more dominant teams of the past decade.
Next game: Saturday 12/14 @ Tampa Bay
By Brian S
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