As I mentioned earlier, I did not have the tickets for opening night so I watched that game on NBCsN. I also watched the Pittsburgh game at home. Both were great games to watch IMO, even though the Bruins really were not ready to play on opening night. The Caps retained their structure and the result showed what they could do - which is basically play the same way that propelled them through the playoffs to the Cup. The first line 8, 92, and 10 in for 43 looked very good the entire game. 13-19-77 looked very good and very fast when they need/wanted to. 63-20-18 was very solid and fast, in fact 18 (Stephenson) was wicked fast a couple of times in GM 1 vs Boston, but flashed his speed even more-so the following evening in Pittsburgh. The fourth line looked very good as well during game 1, I think we're all going to decide Nic Dowd was another great pickup by GMBM The fact that during the 7-0 trouncing of the Bruins the scoring came from six different players across all four lines last seasons leading scoring defenseman - John Carlson, and the Matt Niskanen, and even Braden Holtby had assists was #awesome. Simply put, Game 1 could not have gone better for the Caps all around. The team played fast, structured hockey and there were no passengers.
Game 2 in Pittsburgh was a different story. We can all whine about starting the season with a back to back against two good opponents, but why should we - what would be the point? I submit there is none. Look the Caps-Pens rivalry is fun hockey to watch anytime. Game 2 for the Capitals was Game 1 and the Home Opener for the Penguins. It needed up being fire wagon hockey, a least on the score sheet. The Caps had their chances to win it for sure. Their legs as a group didn't look like they held up as well as we Caps fans would have liked to have seen, especially in the this period when they took three penalties because, IMO, of the Pens moving their feet better and faster. That said, the Caps did have their chances to put the game away, they led 3-2 after the first period, trailed 5-4 after the second, and forced overtime at 6-6 thanks to two goals from TJ Oshie in the third. They lost in OT 7-6 with Evgeni Kuznetsov in the penalty box and the Pens on the PP. Given as Sidney Crosby said in post game comments "It's not often you win a game giving up 6 goals in this league" -it's even less often you win one if you give up 7 goals. As pretty and well executed as Game 1 was for the Caps, Game 2 was that chaotic, crazy and unstructured by both teams, I'm sure neither coaching staff was all that happy with what they saw from their teams in the Caps Game 2.
For the Caps the consolation is they finished the first two games of the season and their first set of back to backs against two good teams earning 3 out of 4 possible points. They then have a rest until this coming Wednesday when they take on VGK, here at home. I can't wait that's the first "real" game of this season that I will be at.
Posts
