On Frozen Blog

Channel 1000 popping up, strange bounces, shaky goal-tending, and a furious comeback featuring 5 straight goals — doesn’t sound like your typical preseason game.

• It’s the preseason, as we keep being told, so it doesn’t mean anything in the long run, but Tom Poti’s turnover leading to Philadelphia’s first goal looked somewhat Goncharian.
• It can be difficult following a game in a small internet window, but the score sheets made it even harder. Perhaps it’s baseless optimism, but I hope everything will be straightened out soon.
• Last night was the first night I’ve seen some of the chemistry between Viktor Kozlov and Alex Ovechkin that I’ve been reading and hearing about. It could just be that Kozlov is the most talented offensive pivot he’s played with in D.C., but it looked like there was something there.
• I still have some concerns about Ovechkin’s stickhandling in tight. I have no such concerns about Alexander Semin’s.
• Dave Steckel and Mike Green continued their strong camps. Steckel is getting it done by being steady, smart and opportunistic, but Green is drawing eyes with his the increased confidence of his offensive game. Working a give-and-go, setting up on the offensive blue-line, or taking the puck up himself on a rush, Green has shown emphatically that he wants to be on the Opening Night line-up.
• The power play didn’t look particularly good, but it was nice to see the man-up squads able to retain possession of the puck in the offensive zone.
• Neither team got stellar play from their netminders and Niittymaki, in particular, looked jumpy.

The only scary moments of last night were the first two periods and Alexander Semin heading to the bench with an injury. Mike Vogel reports Semin will not be out of the lineup, so no worries on that front. The first two periods, however, will probably have Coach Hanlon and his staff turning a critical eye towards their squad.