Friday, November 23, 2007

Period 2

Okay I can't wait to see the posts in a couple of days from people who say they always knew the Ovechkin - Kozlov - Clark Line was going to be good; so I don't want to wait to say it. Just look at the replay of the second goal of today's game over and over and over. The things you need to notice is if it wasn't a goal and there was a rebound Ovie would have been there waiting. The other thing is back it up and watch Ovie move to the outside as Kozlov cuts in giving Victor room to move and see Clark is open and be ready to drive for the rebound. Finally just look at the laser bead Clark finishes the goal with. When these guys are good, they are REALLY good. Midway through the second period the Caps had the Flyers (statistically a very good second period team) out shot 9-2.

The Clark double-minor seemed excessive and the Flyers certainly took advantage of it but that's hockey. At least the bad penalty by T-Man that let the Caps have a PP for the bulk of the last two minutes of the period helped. The PP seems to be working better and taking more shots - a good thing from my perspective. I'd expect some changes on the PK unit soon though if things keep going the way they did on Clark's double minor, though as CL said right after the Flyer's second goal "That one is probably one Olie would like to have back." - as if Olie isn't so intense as to want to have them all back.

"Just sayin" still guardedly optimistic but it's fun watching a goalie other than Olie or Johnnie have to cover up so much. Both the forechecking and backchecking are just so much more intense than the last several games it's a different game for the Caps opponents.

6 comments:

DMG said...

Clark's double minor was automatic - 2 for instigating and another 2 for unsportsmanlike that's automatic if you get instigating while wearing a visor.

Mark Bonatucci said...

DMG: Yeah but I thought the instigating was overblown and the ref can call roughing and not trigger the unsportsmanlike conduct automatic if you're waring a visor can't he? I'm not sure just asking...

DMG said...

Roughing would not yield the instigator penalty but I think you'd have to call that one a fight based on what I saw. After hockeyfights.com puts up a video of it I'll take another look.

Mark Bonatucci said...

dmg: I just watched the replay on hockeyfights.com it was defninately a fight. That said I couldn't see the "instigating" as that happened off camera and I guess Clarkie said something to the Ref to get the misconduct...

DMG said...

Instigating comes with an automatic 10 minute misconduct - it's 2+5+10 and then +2 more if you have a shield.

I'd like to add this blog to my 'Caps Friendly Links' - what would you like to have it called on that list?

Mark Bonatucci said...

DMG: Now I understand the furor over the instigating penalty by the NHLPA. Feel free to add "Mark's Musings" to your list of Caps Friendly Blogs - and Thanks for doing so.