*** 2021-22 Playoffs Opening Round: Washington Capitals (WC2) at Florida Panthers (A1) - (FLA WINS 4-2) ***

[3 Palmateers]

3 minutes ago, SaucyJack said:

The lad from Warroad, Minnesota, way up there on Lake of the Woods, near the SE corner of Manitoba…

 

…is on fire.  I’d give him Caps MVP right now.

Was a big fan of some of the Warroad Warrior teams. Larry Olimb was one of my all-time MSHS hockey tourney legends. 

 

He's doing Warroad proud. What a series from him. 5 in the can already, and 2 tonight. 

Edited May 12, 2022 by 3 Palmateers

[SaucyJack]

Well folks, it’s now 3-1.  Long-time Caps fans are thinking, is this the start of yet another choke?  On the heels of the game 4 letdown?

[3 Palmateers]

I don't know what feed anyone is getting, but Randy Moeller is the king of made up sayings... Verhaeghe scores and he quips: "He's hotter than a blow torch on a Saturday morning."  What?

 

My all-time Moeller-ism was from a few years ago...the Panthers gave up a bad goal and he goes: "That's like a bad haircut. It affects the whole family." 

 

Panthers alive. These boys have been here before. Onslaught is coming...

Edited May 12, 2022 by 3 Palmateers

[3 Palmateers]

Just brutal by Carlson. Hornqvist  breakaway and it's 3-2.

[SaucyJack]

The Rule of Thumb for the Capitals in tense contests like this, for which their record is terrible, is:

 

”No lead too large.”

[3 Palmateers]

1 minute ago, SaucyJack said:

The Rule of Thumb for the Capitals in tense contests like this, for which their record is terrible, is:

 

”No lead too large.”

They're a GREAT road team, though. I still have faith they can weather this. 

[Toronto Jules]

The Panthers have tied this game up and the crowd is going nuts. The Capitals need to do something to quiet this storm down right now it they could find them down going into the 3rd period. 

[SaucyJack]

Having relinquished the 3-goal lead, and then taking a penalty, you just KNOW that Florida is about to get off their 0-for-15 Power Play schneid to take a lead

[SaucyJack]

It’s gotten so bad, long-time Caps TV play-by-play announcer Joe Beninati couldn’t take the decade of playoffs chokes any longer.  One-time color commentator and now on-ice interviewer Al Koken in the booth.

 

Little good it did: Panthers 4-3

[SaucyJack]

 

[SaucyJack]

Washington announcers have barely uttered Ovechkin’s name tonight.

 

We must wait until tomorrow to file a Missing Persons report.

[SaucyJack]

Oh, there he is!  Whew…glad he’s safe.

[SaucyJack]

Caps so close to tying it a few times this past minute.  Arrrrgh

[Toronto Jules]

6 minutes ago, SaucyJack said:

Caps so close to tying it a few times this past minute.  Arrrrgh

I thought Carlson had it earlier. 

[Toronto Jules]

Missed opportunities is the name of what this series is all about for the Capitals. Unfortunately, I don't see any way that they win the next two games against the Panthers to win this series. 

Edited May 12, 2022 by Toronto Jules

[SaucyJack]

When ya give up a 3-on-1 yer gonna get burnt.  5-3 Cats.

[SaucyJack]

I just heard Backstrom’s name.  He was also AWOL tonight.

[SaucyJack]

The Dream is over, TFG.  (Hope you enjoyed the Other Game )

[3 Palmateers]

29 minutes ago, SaucyJack said:

 

Tested positive for COVID? That's going around like crazy right now. MLB postponed the White Sox/Cleveland game today due to too many positives on the Guardians. 

 

Sorry, about the loss. I was a big Caps fan tonight and for this series. Bummed they let the lead slip away like in Game 4. 

 

Still, have to win one more. I hope Caps can push them to the limit and hope Wilson is back. 

[SaucyJack]

11 minutes ago, 3 Palmateers said:

Tested positive for COVID? That's going around like crazy right now. MLB postponed the White Sox/Cleveland game today due to too many positives on the Guardians.

Postgame show said Beninati lost his voice.  But yeah, COVID not gone.  Most of the time I care for my elderly mother in the Midwest who is immunocompromised.  We’ve both taken 2nd booster.  Still, I mask everywhere, since if I get it, she’ll get it and likely not survive it.  When I go to a Midwest grocery store or pharmacy, I’ve been in a small minority of The Masked recently.

[Toronto Jules]

It would be great for the Capitals to get Tom Wilson back in the next game. He not only adds that physical aspect to the team which could have really helped the team possibly hold these leads the past two games. He also adds more offense to the Capitals game. 

[SaucyJack]

Game 6: again no Tom Wilson.  Conor Sheary playing on the Ovechkin-Kuznetsov line.  And he nearly scored at about the 5:40 mark.

 

And in the Caps TV booth, no Joe Beninati again:  out per “illness”.  In his place, radio man John Walton*
 

*if you’ve never heard his radio call of the 2018 second round, where Kuznetsov won the series against Pittsburgh and ended Washington’s  ‘Penguins Curse’…well I haven’t searched for it lately but hope it is on YouTube.

[SaucyJack]

Caps announcers making too much of their PK being 17-for-17 so far.  As they always say at election time, “It’s the 5-on-5, stupid.”

[SaucyJack]

Not much of a playoffs feel to this Game 6 as it enters the 2nd intermission tied 1-1.

 

(Time to turn the sound on for Pens/Rags on the other screen.)

[SaucyJack]

Capitals now the only one of eight Eastern Conference playoff contenders with less than 3 wins.

 

But Backstrom does a crazy tip in as I typed.  2-1 Caps.  Can we get all eight with three wins ?!?