Combo Recap and Road Ahead
It previous posts, it was stated that the Capitals needed to follow the Panthers win with strong showings at home against the Jets and on Broadway Sunday afternoon. No use dwelling on the sudden loss to the Jets, but the Capitals did have a decent showing against the Rangers on Sunday. The game for the most part was fairly evenly matched when one considers it was the #1 team in hockey playing at home against a team incapable of playing on the road. There were some definite bright spots despite the loss. The 1st two periods featured “Sasha Care” prominently, as the enigmatic sniper scored the 1st goal of the game and blocked a shot during an odd man rush for the Rangers. Neuvirth looked sharp at times and the Capitals showed a strong grasp of the Hunter offense as there were many extended offensive possessions based off cycling in the corners.
Unfortunately, the bright spots were not enough to help the team escape their road woes. Semin disappeared in the 3rd and Ovechkin again was neutralized by a defender (Dan Girardi) for most of the contest. The power play looked pathetic all game and ultimately cost them as the eventual game winner was scored shorthanded by Brandon Prust. In addition, two key defenders really showed their age in this one, both on the old and young side. Roman Hamrlik continues to be beat to pucks in the corner, often extended defensive zone time. Meanwhile, Orlov looked like a rookie as he was out of position on multiple occasions.
So what does this all really mean moving forward? Points are at a premium right now so these games cannot be washed away anymore. We are really reaching the point where the playoffs are coming into question. The facts do not lie and are startling:
- Road Win Percentage: 33% (9-15-3)
- Road Point Percentage: 39% (21 points out of 54 possible)
- Power Play: 18% effective (12th in NHL)
- PK: 81% effective (22nd in the NHL)
- Shots on Goal per Game: 27.4 (27th in the NHL- and keep in mind, inflated because of the coaching and philosophy change)
These numbers are not the numbers of a playoff team. Playoff teams win at home, but also take care of the road at a much better clip than 33%. The shots on goal might be the most disturbing of the statistics and is the one that might alter the others the most.
The schedule is also not favorable
Remaining Schedule:
- 14 Road Games
- 12 Home Games
- 11 Games against Playoff Teams (6 on the Road, including a 100% L to the Red Wings at the Joe)
If the current pace continues (and the Capitals win 81% of their home games) the Capitals will add 28 points to their current total, giving them a total of 89 points, which would have finished 10th in the conference last season. That’s the bad news. The good news is that the Capitals hold a great deal of their fate in their own hands. There are currently 9 teams that are “in the hunt” with DC (Devils, Senators, Panthers, Maple Leafs, Jets, Habs, and Tampa Bay) and 13 of their remaining 26 games are against those teams, meaning wins can help the Caps while crippling their opposition. Back to bad though, seven of those 13 games are on the road. And 4 of the next 6 are both on the road and against some of the teams in the hunt, making the next 6 games, highlighted by a Friday night clash with the Panthers, the key stretch of the season.
So how do the Capitals ensure that they get the job done? A key on the road has been scoring first in their few victories, which would mean a more aggressive approach from the drop of the puck. I personally would like to see a lot of Perreault/Semin/Chimera early as they seem to come out flying the most. They also MUST generate shots, and the ability to cycle the puck at MSG Sunday showed that they are capable of producing effective offensive possessions.
There is one last thing that needs to happen, but it is completely out of the team’s control. The Washington Capitals desperately need the services of Nick Backstrom, who as of now has still not begun skating. Pierre McGuire mentioned it yesterday, but Backstroms absences has affected many areas of the team. Not only is he maybe the best player on the team, but his absence has a huge impact on Ovechkin. Not only does he lose his setup man, but he also becomes the central focus on the top line and must deal with defenders like Chara, Girardi, and Hedman alone. His absence is also felt on the Power Play where the playmaking duties have fell to the very young Perreault and Johansson. The Capitals with a healthy Nick Backstrom (and Green would help as well) are probably comfortably in the playoffs and jockeying for position now. Without him, they might miss the playoffs.
Time to right the ship v San Jose tonight.
No comments:
Post a Comment