While the story of the game was the offensive show put on by “The Alexanders,” the Washington Capitals have to be pleased with the effort put out by the whole team in Saturday’s home opener. The Caps where able to hang with the defending Stanley Cup champs until the third period, where the Caps thoroughly dominated the Carolina Hurricanes, en route to a 5-2 victory.
One of the biggest questions coming into the new season revolved around the Capitals defense. In anticipation of the new salary cap in 2004, the Washington Capitals made a concerted effort to gather a slew of young players and let them grow together, especially in the group of defensemen. After adding Brian Pothier in the off-season, the competition began for the team’s other top-line defenseman. Shaone Morrisonn won that battle, and last night, they proved to be a pretty effective tandem. As the two players continue to play together, learn each other’s tendencies, and most importantly, trust each other, Pothier and Morrisonn will only get better.
Another question addressed by the Capitals on Saturday night, was whether they could possibly display the work ethic the team turned in the last month of the 2005-06 season. While one game is not enough to answer this question, the Caps certainly worked hard for this win. The question that remains is this: are the Capitals the team that lit the lamp five times in the home opener or are they the team that could not keep up with the Rangers in New York? Consistency will come with hard work, and this team appears, at least early, to be willing to put in the work. Only time will tell how good they will be, but the team appears to be heading in the right direction.
Either way, this will be a fun team to watch. The Verizon Center will be pumped up for each game, and the team, including “The Alexanders,” could score at any time. With the interactivity the Caps game day crew puts on, as well as the fast-paced, hard-hitting action on the ice, a Washington Capitals game makes for a great family event.
Take the family up to Northeast D.C., check out one of the great restaurants in the area, and catch a Caps game; you will not regret it.
-Scott Hurrey
Edit: This blog was archived in May of 2016 from our original articles database.It was originally posted by Scott Hurrey