Let’s see what these lads are made of

[SaucyJack]

Ovie gets a hat trick in a narrow home victory over the Cats.  Huzzah.  
 

But in a long regular season with half the squads continuing on to the April Knockouts, coaches must ponder how to challenge the lads now and then, to get a better grip on how they might fare when the stakes get far higher.

 

Surely, big parts of the 82-game grind are learning good habits for the later knockout rounds, but also selecting certain game sequences as dress rehearsals.  It would be nuts to expend “playoff effort” in most of the 82 games,  but a coach should draw lines under some game sequences and instruct the players to give full effort as if it were late spring.

 

As the screenshots show, now is the time to see if the Caps can play true Road Warriors.

[SaucyJack]

Game 1: 28 Nov @Carolina

 

Hard to know what to think.  Wishing family commitments would have allowed watching more than the last 10 minutes of the game.

 

Caps get the 4-2 win, but it seems they were fortunate to do so.  Own goal by the Canes to luck the Caps to a 2-0 lead…which they blow in the 3rd period as happened so often last season.  
 

Carolina announcers on ESPN+ agreed with the 2nd penalty that gave the Caps the late 5-on-3 directly leading to the game winner on the Power Play.  Ironically, it was Carolina who looked far more skilled on the PP in the 3rd period, easily gaining the zone whilst the Caps struggled to do the same.

 

A pretty good contest then, could have gone either way.  Caps at least showing the capability to stay with a quality opponent on the road.

 

BIG GAME PASS/FAIL grade:  PASS

 

Headin’ south to battle the Miami Ic…er I mean the Florida Panthers, next.

[SaucyJack]

Game 2: 30 Nov @Florida

 

Utter total scaredy-Cap 3rd period debacle.  Most of the 3rd period was Cat-Men vs Cap-Boys.  The Boys couldn’t do jack-squat defensively.  When the chips were down the Caps looked lost.  When they took the goalie interference penalty with a minute to go, you just knew they’d give Florida a 4-zip period to lose 5-4.  
 

Doesn’t matter how many wins they get against mediocre teams in coming weeks; this game exposed this club.  Right now you should want your favorite team to play the Caps first round in April.

 

Friggin Scaredy-Caps.

 

BIG GAME PASS/FAIL grade:  FAIL

[SaucyJack]

And now after losing in extra time at home to Chicago (wha…near the West Basement ) the Caps are something like 0-7 in OT/SO ?

 

We need SNL’s Kenan Thompson to reunite with Jason Sudekis, dress up in Capitals jerseys, and for current time’s sake do another rendition of “Ooo-oo-ah-wee!  Wuddup wit dat!  Wuddup wit dat!  Oooh-ooo-ah-wee!  What’s uuuuup wit dat, wuddup wit dat….”