Caps Re-Cap (5-2 L at LA) | Thoughts From the End of the Bar

Ugh.

Double-up ...

... Ugh Ugh.

The second day of the back-to-back didn't work out well for the Capitals last night, despite only have to go from Anaheim to LA to play the Kings after Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Ducks.

The Caps looked listless early, and were even granted a golden opportunity to snap out of it a few minutes in when, like the Ducks the previous night, the Kings took an early penalty and put Washington on the power play. But the Caps didn't get started there, and fell behind for good when Patrick O'Sullivan beat Brent Johnson (5-hole I think) from a sharp angle to Johnson's left. The play was started in the Capitals' attacking zone, when Alexander Ovechkin mishandled the puck, whiffing on a shot atempt from the left faceoff circle.

Unable to recover the puck, the Kings played it up the right, Sullivan got his shot, and Johnson was beat. Two empty-net goals late made it the 5-2 final, and I'll be honest, down 4-2 with 9 seconds left, I'm not sure why our net was still open on the ensuing faceoff, allowing the Kings to score again. One empty-netter is quite enough, thanks.

Two other things that bothered me last night:

* I'm not sure I agree with the NHL's decision to have the same four officials work last night's game as the Wednesday night game in Anaheim. Too many little things happen in a game between players and officials to then have those same officials come back and do the next game. I'm sure they are professionals and do their best, but I think it sets up a potentially bad situation. I'm sure the league does it out of ease of travel, whatever, but it's not a trend I'd like to see continue.

* Washington's inability to enforce is really starting to concern me. I'm all for the fact that Donald Brashear has been better on the puck this year, and his line with Nylander and Clark wasn't bad at creating chances and messing up the Kings on the forecheck. However, the pattern of our goalies being run and liberties being taken on our skill players continued last night. At one point, a Kings player made like a Pete Weber strike ball into Johnson and his crease (the goal crease, not his, dammit, you know what I mean) and then there was the Dustin Brown-Ovechkin collision, which somehow becamse an interference penalty on AO. Even if it's a harmless collision on Brown's part, someone has to make him answer for it, and that's Brashear's job. From the officiating side, that's a non-call, not a penalty either way. The NHL has forgotten somewhere along the way that open-ice collisions are a part of hockey, especially as the players get bigger and faster and the rink sizes stay the same. I just hope the NHL doesn't take steps to wussify the league like the NFL has in recent years.

Next up for the Caps is at San Jose tomorrow night. Very tough game. The Sharks are the league's best team and in my book, only the Red Wings are up there with them. Semin or Federov need to return, as it looks like Green won't be back.

For more thoughts on the Capitals, especially Brooks Laich, read here.