Remember Alfred E Neuman from Mad Magazine? "What, Me Worry?" Maybe we should.
I missed the entire first period, and half of the second, so I'm not sure how play went early in the game. But watching it the rest of the game, it seemed like the Caps were trying, but not hard enough. It's the playoffs...you would think intensity would be knocked up a bit.
Granted, they came within a goal with only a few minutes to go, but you could say "Too Little, Too Late"
Podcast RSS Feed
It didn't appear that a lack of hustle was an issue in game three as it was in game two.
Philly has taken it to the Caps in a way they haven't seen to this level before and time is running out to adapt.
The Caps didn't look as lack luster and undisciplined on Tuesday. There were less erant passes and blind passes on the ice, but the agressive nature of the Flyers does appear to be more disruptive than the Caps could imagine. The relentless pressure began to take its toll on the team. To coin a boxing phrase the Flyers have been dishing out the body shots through most of the first three games and it wasnt until the end of game three that the first shot to the head was thrown.
The Caps must show the mental toughness, willingness, and desire to remain poised under pressure and slowing skate and pass the puck up the ice while remaining in motion and keeping adequate spacing for passing lanes. Flipping the puck up ice or passing to a player standing near the boards provides little relief of the Flyers pressure and only feeds their agression with a clear out of the zone or dumping and no chasing.
The Caps need to be patient methodically gaining the zone and use more indirect passes off the boards and be more agressive in taking shots and crashing the boards. The goals will come with shots and traffic.
If the Flyers try to tighten up around Ovechkin then passing back for a defensive shot and rebound will spread the defense apart eventually with more shots from the forwards.
Cooke's willingness to do some dirty work would help the first line. Ideally a line of Ovechkin Backstrom & Cooke should work and have Semin Federov & Kozlov on the second line. Ovie needs Backsrom to come threw and he's the only center that can skate with Ovie's speed. Kozlov's skill is great but his willingness to get dirty like Cooke will have him better suited on the second line.