ReCap 10/20, Caps Down Flyers, Alex Shows he's got a Pair

Going to keep this once brief as it's pretty late where I'm at now.  Besides, I think the results really speak for themselves.  In fact, I'm in a kind of cowboy mood so we're going to break this down Clint Eastwood style:

THE GOOD

Alex Ovechkin's got his groove back, two goals and a plus one.  Surprisingly no hits though. You would think somebody that has a pair would come out swinging.

Roman Hamrlik finally got on the board slinging one in from the point.  The game-winner to boot. Figures...one day before I waive him off my fantasy roster that he figures out how to shoot again.

Power play is galloping along at a 27% clip.  Good for us, bad for the rest of the league.

Tomas Vokoun stopped 40 of 42 in yet another outstanding performance.  Bad-within-a-good: This is the second out of the last three games Evil Kounevil has had to stop 30+ shots. The Caps cannot, I repeat, cannot, fall into a dependency on their goalie bailing them out.  Their hallmarks must remain their ability to outscore their opponents and their willingness to outwork them and wear them down.  Not that I don't trust Vokoun to keep up his torrid .952 Save percentage pace, I'm just saying the last line of defense shouldn't always be the the line of defense.

Probably the closest thing to a complete game the Caps have played all year--and, as was pointed out at Japers' the best is yet to come.

THE BAD

Señor Sasha made a boo-boo that led to the Claude Giroux goal to open the scoring.  Muy malo Sasha.  Good-within-a-bad though...with the moves Giroux put on, we ought to be glad the game didn't go to extra curricular activities.  Check out the highlight replay if you doubt me.

Scott Hartnell's late hit on Matthieu Perreault just as he released the shot that would open the scoring for the Caps.  Poor sportsmanship at its finest.  Feeling your innocence slipping away, Scott?  Starting to feel a bit warm under the old glutes on the bench?  You will be if you keep that crap up, courtesy of Sheriff Shanahan.
And if that doesn't do it, more games where you score a minus 3 sure will.

Speaking of officials, can't help but agree with the Bruce when he hollered profusely at Tim Peel (me like a grape) the second time Brooks Laich got clobbered in the schnozz with a high stick.  Should have been four minutes.

THE UGLY

Just why is it do the Flyers feel as though it is their God-given right to hurl themselves into the goal crease at will?  Is it some sort of team rule?  Every other scoring chance they had last night resembled the first minute of an NCIS episode--a body splayed unnaturally all over the crease area.

Looking for Mr. Irrelevant?  Look no further than #68.  No points, no nothing.  Had Matt Bradley been on the team when #68 was, he'd be bitching loudly about how Jagr didn't care.  Of course it would be even more obvious.

You want ugly?  Did anyone else see the look on Chris Pronger's face when he got called for that penalty in the first period?  He looked like a teenager getting busted for lifting a credit card--mad that he got caught.  What a punk.

I know I mentioned this before but it's worth another reference--BROOKS LAICH'S NOSE!


Lots of fun this game was, I'm hoping the Caps can keep it up.  As tough as the Flyers were, and are...an even larger test looms tomorrow night against the only other lossless team in the league....the Detroit Red Wings.  (Insert dramatic music here)  This will be good.