What a game! (and by that I mean what an uninspired effort for 50+ minutes)
Should've lost, LAK played a pretty good road game
Was there even a check thrown the 1st 40?
After 2-1, we get away with playing for 5 minutes or so and come away with 2 points and an all-of-a-sudden legendary OV performance, lol
25+ games to get it together, at least we didn't take 6 penalties, so that's a +, bottom 6 was decent, Holtby was better than his recent normal
The blind homer optimist in me says, the Caps have learned how to conserve their energy in the RS, and only expend just the minimum amount needed to get the job done, saving as much gas for the playoffs as possible. They sleepwalk through weak opponents until they need to turn it on, then they do what they need to do. Sometimes it backfires because the on switch isn't perfect, but there's not much better explanation for them sucking vs the Kings for 50 minutes than "they just didn't feel like wasting energy against them".
The multiple comebacks from multiple goals down late in games seems to support this theory. The disastrous three game series vs TB late last year, where they got worked, then fought harder but still lost, then finally won but lost Kempny in the process, I suspect that taught them a lesson about how much regular season games really mean.
I have a feeling they are going to go into the playoffs and lay some serious wood on their first round opponent. They are built for it and if they stay healthy, they should all have full tanks of gas for the two month war to come.
Of course I could be completely full of shit, and the Caps are just lazy and disinterested much of the time for no good reason - whereas my explanation above is a "good reason", its purposeful..... Discuss?
