A Few Random Observations: vs FLA, 10/18/11

It’s official: this is the best start to a season in Capitals franchise history. Would that we also enjoy the best finish to a season in franchise history this year, as well.

Tomas Vokoun has been getting better and better since his debut, and tonight he was flawless. If he keeps up this trend, the other team may end up with a negative score or something.

I was wondering before the game if the Panthers could possibly have much left in the tank after hanging a 7 spot on the Bolts last night. And while it looked that way in the first period, something got said (or consumed) at the first intermission, because the Panthers came out guns blazing, which seemed to put the Caps back on their heels a bit. No harm, no foul, though–the Caps hung on in the middle stanza, and took care of business in the third.

Alex Semin’s wrist shot may be the sneakiest shot in the NHL. One second he launches what looks like a harmless little shot from somewhere near the concession stands, and the next, it’s bedlam as the lamp comes on.

How much perfection was there tonight? Well, the Caps are 5-0-0 (perfect record), after getting a shutout (perfect goaltending). They were obviously perfect on the penalty kill (2 for 2, and against the league’s best PP unit, to boot), but they were also a perfect 1-for-1 on the power play (for what it’s worth, referees Furlatt and St. Laurent pretty much let ’em play tonight, doling out an aggregate ten PIMs combined for the entire contest.) So, four different flavors of perfect on one night. I like it.

What I didn’t like was the number of close-but-no-panatella moments served up by the Capitals. Remember that scene in The Matrix where Morpheus tells Neo, “Stop trying to hit me and hit me”? There was a point in the second where I just had to holler down, “Stop trying to score and SCORE!” If some of those nifty plays had worked, the Caps would have won by a touchdown, not just a field goal.

Jack Skille’s antics in the second were not appreciated. There was a Greyhound bus leaving for San Antonio at 10:55 tonight, and I hope Skille was under it.

There’s no such thing as an easy shutout, but the Caps pretty much made it look easy. And when it looks easy, that’s usually a sign the players are playing hard. I could probably count on one hand the number of times the Caps got bottled up in their end of the rink and were having trouble getting out. Now, THAT is a step in the right direction for the defense. A huge Bravo Zulu to the blue line corps tonight.

How does “Your first place in the NHL Washington Capitals” sound? I know it’s October, but I think it sounds just fine, myself. Now, would that we could be saying the same next June.

I know those green-shirted shutterbugs on the concourse are working on quota, but does every single one of them need me to pose? There are other fans who are much more likely to buy those, prints, and not just take up space on the roll.

Speaking of shutterbugs, I have no idea who that cute little kid was who came running up to me and gave me a hug, and then asked for a picture, but she totally made my night, and that was before warmups even got started. I sure hope the picture came out okay.

No need to stop at five wins, especially with a visit to the City of Brotherly Shove coming up two nights hence. How long can the Caps keep this up? We shall see!

CAPITAL SPIRIT
FIVE ALIVE…NOW CAN THEY GET THEIR KICKS WITH WIN NUMBER SIX?