Ovechkin, Malkin, Cooke, Letang, the Refs… Penguins lose

If there is anyone out there reading this that didn’t enjoy the game they are more ‘hockey homers’ than they are ‘hockey fans’.

Anyone who has read my posts know I don’t complain about the referees very much at all. It’s a very tough job and decisions have to be made in a second. They don’t get a chance to stop play, rewind, stop action it forward (like I did)… they make the call. But, as exciting as the game was last night, the ‘wrong’ calls went the Capitals way.

Referees don’t like being upstaged and that’s why when referees review the game play (which they all do) making a wrong call isn’t as bad as a player playing them.

For as much heat as Crosby gets as a diver… the Ovechkin, ballet danseur, pirouette move with Kunitz are ones that…

that refs don’t go for. The call on Letang was a blown call BUT calls like that happen to both sides… they do tend to even out – you just live with them. The trip of Cooke… same thing – except if Cooke was covering the point where he should have been he wouldn’t have been tripped and maybe no goal scored… at least not that open of a shot. Malkin’s was accidental but had to be called… but Ovechkin’s ballet danseur multiple rotation pirouette move… holding his face like he was high sticked (while it worked) was clearly upstaging the officials. I have said many times this guy is a tremendous hockey player but plays more like a Harlem Globetrotter putting on a show. That’s why he is being quoted now as saying “It’s not about me now.”  Think of why he’s feel’s the need to include the word “now” and you get the more complete picture of Ovechkin.

The GOOD… When you lose there’s not much good. Even with the PP going 2 for 5 and getting more shots on goal the PP didn’t come up big when it had to. Both games could have gone to either team. So far, it’s the Ovechkin show and Semin, Backstrom, and especially Green haven’t shown up. Stats show that being down 0 – 2 doesn’t bode well… however, these are the Capitals we are playing and stats also show the last time they were in a 2nd round and up 2 – 0 the Lightning stuck them down.  There is also Penguin history which is why (I guess) I feel pretty confident the series will be tied 2 – 2 when we head back to WASH DC.  Any Pen’s fan feel differently?

The BAD… Player’s not stepping it up. Particularly Sykora. Again ZIPPO shots on goal. Sykora is hurting Malkin’s line in my humble opinion. That line is Fedotenko, who’s raised his intensity as a two-way player but that line when playing at even strength is playing (like) with only 2 forwards. This has to be fixed and the answer isn’t fixing it with Satan. How long does a crew take to pick up the hats? I know the the Capitals fans are not used to this stuff and it’s kind-of like the circus when the Florida Panthers would throw the rats on the ice but this crew looked to be picking them up one by one!

The UGLY… Puck Possession starts in the face-off circle and Staal was our best at 41%. The Capitals won 62%. The PP while better looked to have PenguinPOOPed-out because of Gonchar being totally spent. I’ve suggested two power plays units which would also provide fresher legs in 5 on 5 play. Is it Gonchar’s fault for staying out too long or is it Blysma’s for leaving them out there so long. It doesn’t matter because that’s three games where he was clearly out of gas yet on the ice fumbling with the puck in our own end.

It’s back home to the friendly confines of the Igloo and until we lose a game in our own building I don’t have too much of a concern…

I did pick the Pens in 7.

This is DR Hook… carry on