Cable channel AMC is running a program called “Can’t Get Enough Rocky” featuring the films “Rocky” through “Rocky V” every night this week.
Most reasonable people would say that long ago the world had enough of “Rocky.” Then again, it is a guilty pleasure to watch.
So I watched “Rocky II” on Tuesday night after coming home from watching the Washington Capitals lose 2-0 to the San Jose Sharks at Verizon Center.
In this first sequel, Rocky, who is a southpaw, trains as a right-handed fighter to confuse Apollo Creed, even tying his left arm to his body so he can’t use it while training. In order to beat Creed, Rocky had to change his style.
And then it occurred to me: The Caps are “Rocky II.”
The most explosive offensive show on ice last year has one arm tied to its side, the thinking being that to win the Stanley Cup — or at least survive longer than the first round — the Caps have to change their style.
Can Caps fans take heart in the fact that Rocky beats Creed in “Rocky II”?
OK, this is a stretch. But it’s no more of a stretch than six Rocky movies being made. I’m still waiting for the prequel: “Young Rocky Balboa.”
It is no more of a stretch than the Caps being shut out eight times in the last 34 games, including Tuesday night against San Jose.
It is no more of a stretch than superstar Alex Ovechkin scoring just 20 goals so far this season. He was invisible Tuesday night.
“We just didn’t score,” Ovechkin said after the loss to the Sharks. “We didn’t shoot the puck.”
Sometimes this commitment to control and discipline (especially on nights like Tuesday) is painful to watch. Fans remember how Verizon Center was rocking and rolling night after night last season, when Washington was on its way to leading the league with 121 points. There wasn’t much to get excited about Tuesday night. The Caps were outshot 27-13 in the first two periods of what was a 0-0 game.
Any feeling that the new, defensive-minded and disciplined Caps had turned the corner coming off two impressive wins over Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh took a hit with the uninspired performance against San Jose.
“They decided to get cute since they had a little bit of success,” Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said. “But if you don’t stick with the game plan, bad things usually happen.”
The game plan is this: By tying up that left arm, Rocky can be prepared to beat Creed in the championship rounds. The game plan is to prepare the Caps to beat teams in the playoffs. That’s the constant of this season — the game plan. Part of that game plan is a shutdown goalie. Just think of Boudreau as Mickey Goldmill.
Washington goalie Michal Neuvirth made 34 saves Tuesday night but gave up two goals at the end.
“He played good for 51 minutes,” Boudreau said. “But if you want to be a great goalie in this league, when the game is on the line, you have to be the one to stop those.”
Just picture Mickey saying to Rocky, “Why don’t you stand up and fight this guy hard?”
Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at [email protected].
