Across much hockey media today there permeates the view that tonight’s Caps’ game in Pittsburgh affords the visitors an opportunity for revenge for last season’s seven-game defeat in the Eastern conference semifinals. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Examiner’s Brian McNally gets it right in his file this morning:
“The Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins will play each other four times between now and April 6 and the outcome of those games will matter little if they again should meet in the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring.”
The Capitals last season earned seven of a possible eight points against the Pens during the regular season. A lot of good that did them in game 7.
Instead, tonight is the first of four Caps-Pens’ encounters whose principal appeal is for the fanbases of the teams in particular and a good many hockey fans the world over more generally. Capitals’ fans will attend game-watch parties tonight in numbers and settings all over the region they never do for matchups with other NHL clubs — particularly those involving Southeast division foes.
If there is a storyline of intrigue for tonight I think it’s with John Carlson’s just announced recall to the parent club. Carlson has played five games with the Caps this season, and in his two most recent, last weekend, he skated a +2 in both. The Penguins last season, I believed, boasted a better blueline than the Caps’, their ability to pin the puck in the Caps’ end dictated by the mobile and well-in-synch-on-the-points play of their rearguards with the team’s forwards. Carlson, as green and wet behind the ears as he is, represents a blueline talent the Capitals simply didn’t have last season. They boast as well a vastly improved Jeff Schultz. Tonight I will be looking to see if the Caps spend less time chasing the puck in their own end, relative to last postseason’s slate with the Pens.
But I will also be enjoying this game with the elevated interest we do as sports fans when our teams engage our fiercest rivals. Five years ago this matchup was personality dominated — Ovi vs. Sid — whereas tonight, while those stars remain luminous in their luster, hockey fans will thrill to the overall quality of the two teams, both Stanley Cup aspirants.
It is a rivalry very much renewed, and as such, also a poignant reminder of Gary Bettman’s destructive meddling, in the late 1990s, in what was an extraordinary alignment of Midatlantic menaces to one another – unless you’d allege that the anticipation for today’s game bears a striking similarity to that we had for the Caps’ visits to Florida, for dates against the Panthers and Lightning, two weeks back. For me personally, in light of this discrepancy, tonight’s game is very much a bittersweet encounter. This great rivalry, which never much diminished even when both teams were lousy earlier this decade, ought to have division standings implications. Perhaps one day soon it will again.
5 Comments
couldn’t agree with you more about the over-emphasis on tonight’s game as revenge versus the importance of it between fanbases.
have fun tonight as I am back to hoping John Carlson stinks up the joint!
(though it’s hard to imagine ovie doing so, do you think he and geno go especially easy on each other given the truce and pending olympics?)
Although excited to watch the game tonight and anticipating its outcome, I have to say; tonight’s result would only mean two points for me solidifying our standing in the East, while a loss would just be that, a disappointing loss to an opponent. I would have to agree with Mr. McNally’s comment in that each of these showdowns with our rival, although a sweet revenge to a loss that we as a team were responsible for, matter very little if we face them again during the 2010 playoffs. I will be looking forward to the actual matchups and what defensive pairings Bruce will be putting on the ice. The juggling of lines, especially defensively, is essential to winning in my opinion. With Theodore playing in a confident state of mind and our forwards staying focused on playing fundamental hockey, the defensive pairings will be important throughout the season to ensure familiarity and consistency in position on the ice and style of play. As always, GO CAPS. I wish the boys well tonight and every night.
I agree. Tonight is just another hockey game but provides the media something to hype up. Look at the ESPN… “Real, Raw, Rivalry. Crosby-Ovechkin. Pens-Caps. They meet tonight for the first time since last season’s playoff clash.” However, it always provides us the opportunity to talk some smack at work for a win or loss. I will be wearing my Pens jersey but believe the CAPS will prevail. Pens are on a huge skid just like last year at this time and have lost 6 of the last 10 where the CAPS have won 6 of the 10. The Pens are up to a GA of 139 with the CAPS at 110. There is a big difference there. I am looking forward to a good hockey game!
Penguin Pete,
It’s good to hear from you again. You guys made fantastic deals about this time last eyar. Think Shero has more magic dealing up his sleeve?
I’ll be watching in my Caps jersey, outnumbered by Penguins in my own home. It should be a good game.
Post a Comment