The most important lesson
By: Turner Sports Desk
Jim Turner
Turnersportsdesk.com
April 12, 2010
Many Caps fans and talking heads are worried about the first round match-up versus the Montreal Canadiens. Many are worried that Montreal Goalie, Jaroslav Halak who
sports an impressive 2.40 GAA with a .924 save percentage could steal this series.
Comcast Sports Net’s Lisa Hillary predicted a seven game series largely due to
the fact that Montreal is a tough place to win a playoff game. Hockey is
religion in Montreal and Les Habitants consider themselves hockey royalty
especially compared to the upstarts of Washington Caps Nation. Let’s take a
look at the numbers that matter most
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Categories
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Washington
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Montreal
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Goals for Season
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313
|
210
|
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Goals Per Game
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3.82
|
2.56
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Goals Against
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2.77
|
2.66
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Power Play Rank
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1st - 25.2%
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2nd
21.8%
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Penalty Kill Rank
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25th
– 78.8%
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12th 83.0%
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Home Record
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30-5-6
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20-16-5
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Road Record
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24-10-7
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19-17-5
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What do these stats say? The Caps should best Montreal as
long as they stay out of the box and play their game. The stats also say it
really does not matter where they play. As loud and crazy as the Montreal hockey barn
will be the Caps are still the better team. Unless the Canadiens find a way to get Guy Lafleur (in his prime) in their lineup this should be over quickly.
Former NHL Coach, Ken Hitchcock said a while back that if
the Caps ever learn how to close teams out they could do a lot of damage in the
playoffs. That brings us to the most important lesson of all. Have the Caps
learned that if they play their game with attention to detail, purpose and
discipline these games/series don’t have to be close? If the Caps want to truly
show the hockey universe they have matured beyond the talented but inconsistent
team we saw last year they need to play smart, consistent, non-cute hockey and
send the Canadiens home early as they are clearly capable of doing. If the Caps
can make quick work of the Habs they can put themselves in a much better
position for the 2nd round matchup.
The stats show the Washington Caps are better defensively,
they are tougher, smarter and they come at you in waves on offense. Now they
need to show everyone else that they can put it all together for an entire
series and end them quickly.