I guess Oates at this point feels there is nothing he can do about our top line, and will not make any changes in this series.
Let me be the first to say I would move Ovi to LW if this continues. He attacks from all angles anyways. Our LW depth is pummeled with Erat and Laich out, Wolski a write off. Our RW depth is so deep no one dared suggest moving Ward off our 4RW even though the 3 in front of him had only potted 1 PPG.
Ovi Nick Fehr
MJ Ribs Brouwer
MJ's speed is not wasted. He is still in the lineup.
I may like to see Ward tried up top but am hesitant to break our Chim P Ward line of greatness.
I just re-watched 3rd and OT. Here's stuff I noticed:
* Couple of horrendous giveaways by Nicky B in the defensive zone, including the one resulting in the Stepan chance in overtime. Game could have ended there.
* Green did the same thing about a minute earlier. Bad giveaway coming up the boards, giving Callahan fantastic opportunity which Callahan was either too tired or too surprised to do anything with. Didn't even put it on net. That too could have ended game.
* Ward Perreault Chimmer are a wonder to watch right now. Actual chemistry, and a nice tendency by the puck carrier to hold onto the puck upon zone entry and cut toward the middle. Both Ward and Perreault did it at different points. Backs the D way up, and opens up shot and pass possibilities. It also reflects an awareness that NYR d-men are being overly deferential and backing up too much. MoJo (and nicky and ovie) should remember this when entering zone and try same cut toward the middle.
* Matty P's breakaway. Oh my god, Matty, you had Lundy beat by a mile. You tried to go five-hole. If you waited a fraction of second longer, the entire right side of net would have yawned in front of you.
* Wilson skated a nice shift around 10-minute mark of 3rd period. A hit, a nice retreat into D zone, and then well-positioned to receive breakout pass, followed by carrying puck up ice, across the red, and dumping to opposite corner before changing. Unremarkable but solid and very appreciated by coaches, i'm sure.
* Either because of bad ice or some of the aforementioned giveaways during breakout, Caps started using the flip-clear a lot toward the end. Or as Doc calls it, the 'sky hook.' It was a very effective safety valve.
* On the play where Carlson drove it off the post toward end of the third, Ribeiro made a very nice keep-in at blue line and then a sweet dish to 74 for the blast. 74 has such a good shot. It's a real weapon. I hope Caps take advantage of it. Also, rangers are getting nicked up blocking all these shots, e.g. Zucarello last night. Keep shooting!!!
* Ovie was indeed a beast during OT. Looked like a bull. Throwing everything on net and then crashing net for 2nd and 3rd whacks at puck. In contrast with Nash, for instance, whom Keith Jones correctly pointed out, looked to be exhausted and cramping, Ovie had all the energy in the world in OT, and that's a very good sign for us, especially for those of us who worried about an injury. Doc credited the Ovie's OT explosion to increasing confidence as the chances mounted, and I think he was right. I think confidence is always the X factor with Ovie. This game reminded me a bit of the few games before he went on his goalscoring tear. Games in which he showed energy and took a million shots. Nothing went in. But he looked clearly to be trending up. Hopefully that will be the case in Game 6.
* MoJo was dangerously bad on at least three shifts. Failed breakout passes, whiffed passes in both zones, ineffective in puck battles. And unlike the Ward Chimmer Perreault line, where there is changing of lanes and crossing over, for much of 3rd, the top line was just entering O-zone in a static, three-across formation. Easily broken up and they weren't even gettng the puck deep. MoJo did have one extremely sweet forecheck in OT, which led to the backstrom pass to ovie on right side, and the ovie shot which slammed into Lundy and trickled wide. Also worth noting that our top line gets pinned in the D-zone frequently and is not good, at least right now, in breaking out. This was partly Nicky's fault last night.
* The play where Oleksy flips Nash is with 11-ish minutes left in OT.
* Oleksy was not immune to error. I counted a giveaway behind the net and one along the halfboards.
Overall, watching with more objectivity and calm, I was super-impressed with our third period and surprised we didn't end it then. Rangers were mounting NO offensive pressure at all, and we were getting excellent chances. Rangers looked very tired in third period.
Finally, none of it means anything. Tomorrow is a clean slate. If we lose, then yes, we are coming home, but also the momentum, to the extent it exists, is with them. We need to cut down on the D-zone giveaways, and stay out of the box.
P.S. That is one of the best games I've ever seen Chimera play. He was running over people left and right, even late in the game. Sometimes two per shift. Yes he was penalized, but he also took out Clowe for the rest of the game. If I were the coaches, I would praise him lavishly.
P.P.S. I would pay some money to know what Callejo said to Oates during the tete-a-tete mentioned by Tex.
P.P.P.S. Fehr is due. Another strong game. Good speed, aggressiveness, and battles for puck. Needs to put the puck on net, though. Like Callahan for rags, he too shot way wide on a good opportunity.
