Not Much To Say Today About the Caps ...

I don't have much to say today about last night's game between the Capitals and the Senators as i missed the vast majority of it basically living my life. I caught part of it on the radio a way of keeping up with things that are hockey that lacks much, then saw a part of the OT, but not the GWG on the tube when I got home. So I cruised the blogsphere today to see what i missed and catch up on other hockey new.

As far as the Caps game, I ascertain it from this morning's reading was a one point night and it should have been a two point night. The Caps and game went pretty much like you could ascertain from he score sheet looking at the third period numbers, add to that that in OT the Caps #1 Defensemen coughed up the puck twice and their rookie goaltender was only able to make one miraculous save out of the two required after being required to make numerous others all the prior 60 minutes, especially the third period and the result was predictable. Also while everyone in the blogsphere understands the Caps have 7 players out and were playing their third game in four nights, it seems nobody feels that is any reason to continue to take minor penalties in the third period, and everyone wishes the Caps would start winning again, like they should... I think that sums it all up pretty well...

In other news around the league last night, you just can't talk hockey today and not mention Dwayne Roloson's performance last evening in Toronto - the Leafs had 61 shots on goal, Roloson stopped 58 and enabled the NY Islanders to leave Toronto with two points. That has to be the best definition of a goaltender stealing a game in the last decade... Not too shabby for a 40 year old who didn't know if any NHL team wanted him last June despite having attained a SV% of 0.915 in 63 GP for the Edmonton Oilers last season... I watched the replay on NHL Center Ice - the guy was awesome especially during the last five minutes of regulation. Really not much else to say one this one other than his prior performance against the Bruins wasn't too shabby either, and if you do the math 58 of 61 is a 0.951 SV%.

The Minnesota Wild and the Montreal Canadeans did something that's become pretty unusual around the NHL , a straight up trade, sending Center Benoit Pouliot to Montreal for Guillaume Latendrasse. Here's what each team is saying about the swap - Minnesota - Montreal. It seems a move designed to get both of these two veterans some new scenery and try and get their performances jump started back to their usual prior numbers. It's something you just don't see much of anymore in this era of free agency and the salary cap because it's not often all the variables can line up to let this happen.

Finally, last night was another night I'd point to as to why every game in the NHL should be a three point game. There were 10 games last night and 4 of them were three point games - 40%. Now look at the standings this morning, just three points separates the 5th place team from the 13th place team in the Eastern Conference. Three points, nine teams, last night of those nine teams only three of them had the opportunity to capture "the extra point" while the other six had to fight for just two points in regulation, by what I see as an injustice in the Eastern Conference, Boston and the Rangers were adversely affected by the current point system last night, since they only got two points for a regulation win. If every game was three points Boston would not have awakened to find themselves tied with Buffalo and the rangers would not have awakened to find themselves tied with the Islanders, Lightning and Flyers. In the Western Conference, Edmonton, Nashville and Dallas would have all fared better last night if they got three points for a regulation win, and yes yet again it would affect the standings in a manner where the implications were significant.

Next up for the Capitals the Sabres at Verizon Center.

LETS GO CAPS!!!