Matter Cooke im Raum danach: “Had [Vesa] Toskala not been so good (Saturday night), it could have been 6-0 after the first.”

More Matt: “There’s not one part of [Bruce Boudreau's] system here that was in Vancouver. That first game [Saturday] I wasn’t prepared.”

“The skill on this team is unbelievable.”

Christobal Huet suffered back spams in Monday night’s second period. After the game, he told me that he’d never suffered them before, and that these were “pretty light.”

Listening to Matt Cooke articulate his unease and unfamiliarity, in his initial hours in Washington, with Boudreau’s system after the game, I asked Huet if traded netminders have it a lot easier. After all, their job doesn’t change no matter what color uniform they wear — just stop the puck. He told me that really the only thing a goalie in his position can do in terms of transitioning to a new team is establish communication patterns/protocols with his new blueline corps. But it was interesting also to listen to him acknowledge that like Cooke he needed to learn and understand Boudreau’s system, even as a player never asked to contribute to it. He explained that he needed to understand his teammates’ responsibilities in all situations to prepare for the consequences of failed assignments. I’d never heard that before, and I found it fascinating.

Boudreau, on the creed that fed the Monday night mauling: “We wanted to make simple plays.” Isn’t it amazing how the execution of simple plays — particularly on the power play — aided of course by a couple of world-class, thread-the-needle passes from one young superstar to another, through the middle of the ice, can lead to a double-digit outburst?

League scoring update: Ovie now has 90 points to Malkin’s 88 (Ovie’s 4th goal of the evening was eventually awarded to Brooks Laich, but AO still earned an assist and his fifth point on the evening). Absent a scoring explosion by Lecavalier, Iginla, or Alfredsson, it’s a two-man chase for the scoring title this season. Lecavalier, who’s third in the league in scoring, now trails Malkin by eight points. When was the last time Russians finished 1-2 in the NHL in scoring?

Never.

Speaking of two-man races, the chase for the Calder — also because of Monday night at the Phone Booth — is likely down to just two: Patrick Kane of the Blackhawks and the Caps’ Nicklas Backstrom. Admittedly, if Jonahon Toews had another 10 games played this season, he’d have my vote; he has 43 points in 47 games, and he may eventually emerge as the most dominant performer in this rookie class. Backstrom’s four points on Monday moved him ahead of Kane and placed him at the very top of the league’s rookies in scoring.

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Posted at 7:29 pm. Filed under Alexander Ovechkin, Boston Bruins, Cristobal Huet, Matt Cooke, National Hockey League, Schadenfreude, Washington Capitals.
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12 Comments

  1. grapejoos wrote:

    Keep the punishment coming. I was amazed when I checked the score at 7:30.

    Monday, March 3, 2008 at 7:30 pm | Permalink
  2. HockeePhan wrote:

    i feel sooooooo bad for them … NOT :)

    Monday, March 3, 2008 at 8:55 pm | Permalink
  3. Grooven wrote:

    It was just one of those games. The Caps have been on the receiving end of many. Good to see them on the positive side for a change. Sometimes no matter what you do, good, bad…

    Good for the Caps for putting in their 2nd Tier guys on the powerplay at the end of the game. Get them some experience (and a goal).

    Monday, March 3, 2008 at 11:14 pm | Permalink
  4. OrderedChaos (Mike Rucki) wrote:

    The game featured FOUR goalie changes. Thomas got shelled, then the Bruins put in Auld, then Thomas again, and finally Auld. The Caps sent in Kolzig for the third. Wild night.

    Monday, March 3, 2008 at 11:19 pm | Permalink
  5. Ralph Hass wrote:

    Nice work Caps!!
    Canucks could only muster 10 stinkin’ shots against Chicago yesterday and you pump in 10 goals. Wow!

    The Sabres slaughtered the Thrashers 10-1 January 18. Wish us luck versus Philly tomorrow:)
    Sincerely,

    Ralph Hass
    -MSG-TV imaging voice for the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres

    Monday, March 3, 2008 at 11:40 pm | Permalink
  6. pepper wrote:

    Good question about goalies transitioning to a new team. I wondered that myself following the trades, and thought it likely a measure of getting to know the tendencies of the d-men (different skating styles and abilities, righty-lefty).

    Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 12:30 am | Permalink
  7. Victor wrote:

    Ovie is the NHL’s first star of the night, a well-deserved honor.

    Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 6:14 am | Permalink
  8. Drew wrote:

    I was lucky enough to witness the slaughter of Ottawa in 1992 or 93. 11-2 final score then, if memory serves? I dunno, this felt a lot more satisfying, especially in the midst of a playoff hunt.

    Tim Thomas has carved out a stellar season despite having the most technique obliterating, formless style I’ve ever seen in the NHL. It was with great enmity that I savored watching him get drubbed. Somewhere in QuƃĀ©bec, a goalie coach dies a little inside every time he flops to the ice (case in point, his attempt at a save on the Backstrom breakaway). He’s the exact opposite of Huet’s refined technique.

    Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 9:45 am | Permalink
  9. pucksandbooks wrote:

    Great observations, Drew. I hope you’ll return to OFB and share more.

    Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 9:55 am | Permalink
  10. Chris Green wrote:

    Ya think the next two games against the B’s will be lively?

    btw, why is Lady Liberty missing her head and NY on fire?

    Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 3:51 pm | Permalink
  11. KM wrote:

    What is the purpose of you placing such a terrible picture of our Lady Liberty on your blog page? You do a terrific job on the Caps and give us plenty of great stories and articles, but the picture is rather tasteless

    Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 5:34 pm | Permalink
  12. pucksandbooks wrote:

    Dear cavedweller -

    The photo is of a movie poster.

    Lady Liberty never actually was decapitated.

    The Bs, however, last night were.

    Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 5:37 pm | Permalink

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