On Frozen Blog

Taking Metro to a live hockey game downtown when its cars are air-conditioned is a novel experience for this new media man. Of course, inadvertently, Metro air conditions its cars at times in January and February, but you get my point.

There seemed plenty of resolve and spirit among the Red Nation in Chinatown today early this afternoon. Perhaps their spirits were lifted by also-on-the-brink Anaheim’s performance last night.

Thursday afternoon I stopped by the Fangear shop inside Verizon Center to red-shop for family, and the store had been picked clean almost to the bare walls of the unity color. A manager explained to me that he had his fingers crossed for reinforcement inventory in time for today. I just stopped down there and the racks are teeming with “2008 Southeast Division Champions” t-shirts as well as Rock the Red and player-personalized ones.

There are some in orange wigs and Flyers colors here, but not nearly as many as I expected in light of the fact that their team is in the proverbial driver’s seat and they had a healthy crack at game 5 tickets, whereas when game 1 and 2 seats went on sale Philly didn’t know who its first-round opponent would be.

I ran into George McPhee just a moment ago and asked him about the Caps perhaps getting Big Joe Finley signed this spring. He told me that the Caps will be talking to him and that they’re interested in getting him inked, but nothing’s newsworthy at this point.

Ted wanted a Red house, and he’s got it all right. This may be the most impressive showing to date by the Red Nation. Mike Milbury and Pierre McGuire were perched down at ice level for NBC’s lead-in, with McGuire I suppose detailing a healthy plurality of orange in the building. (There is basically none.)

The sublime Semin is back at it, sending a gorgeous cross-ice pass that Nicklas Backstrom ripped home high on the 5-on-3 power play. I’m going to be interested to see how much ice time Gabby gives #28, cause he’sbeen the best player in red this series.

As celebratory red thundersticks raise the raucousness, I ask Eric McErlain, seated next to me, if this building today is louder than during the ‘98 Cup finals.

“At least as loud,” he replied. “The thunderstick was just a gleam in our eye then,” he added with a grin.

I think with the first period we saw perhaps the Caps’ best period of the series — particularly while skating 5-on-5. The Flyers’ pressure in the Caps’ zone was limited to their lone power play and a brief flurry in the period’s final couple of minutes. In the room, I gotta think Gabby is requesting a repeat performance in the second stanza.

Want some statistical backup for that claim? here’s the hits tally: 22-9, in favor of the Caps (Brashear with six). Shots were 12-4 the Caps’ way. The Flyers did manage to win an overwhelming number of the period’s draws: 10-4. Here’s big-game ice time for a vet: Sergei Fedorov skated just under seven-and-a-half minutes in the opening frame. Steve Eminger skated 5:15, and I would be suprised is he ends up near 20 if he continues to play as he did in the opening 20 minutes.

In the Caps’ second win-or-die game of the season, is Sergei Fedorov going to carry the team through for the second time? Less than two minutes into the second stanza, a Fedorov backhander bests Biron. 2-0 home team.

Talk about an improved Capitals’ defense — through 30 minutes of game clock the Flyers have just 5 shots on goal.

We have a fresh challenger for worst penalty call (on Viktor Kozlov Thursday night) in the history of the Stanley Cup playoffs: the “interference” call on Sergei fedorov that resulted in a Flyers’ first goal of the game. We have big-screen, high definition immediately in front of us in the press box, and among McErlain, Greg Wyshynski and me we saw neither an interference nor an infraction. Dogged pusuit of the puck and a good check, yes.

It’s worth noting that the Caps were in full control of this game, leading 2-0, dominating in all three zones, overwhelmingly in possession of the puck, cycling down low almost at will, when the Zebra altered everything with incompetence. Vaclav Prospal’s goal occurred just before Sergei Fedorov was set to return to the ice, meaning that the Caps still had to kill 1:41 of his penalty. They killed it, though.

Fedorov’s non-penalty penalty has been changed from interference, which is how it appeared initially on the TV screens here, to roughing. As phantom a call as it was, it’s understandable that the scorers would have difficulty deciding. The Caps had a much better period in the faceoff circle; it’s a 19-16 edge for Philly. 2-1 Caps after two.

The Flyers are bringing their best 5-on-5 play of the day in the third. The Caps meanwhile look nervous, uncertain and apprehensive around the puck.

Chuckles and grins break out up high here when Viktor Kozlov shoves R.J. Umberger into Cristobal Huet and the Flyer earns a penalty. The Flyers, though, had little trouble killing it. A second Flyers penalty, on Randy Jones, results from Matt Bradley’s magnificent burst up the middle of the ice on a bad Flyer giveaway in the Caps’ end. This, too, Philly kills.

But then . . . I got thunderstick pandemonium for you: an Alexander Semin high-slot sling of heavy, heavy heat. 3-1 Caps on the power play tally.

If only such comfort could have lasted.