Caps 3, Blue Jackets 1
Yeah, maybe Columbus brought the junior varsity – or, more accurately, the bulk of AHL Springfield’s lineup – but a win is a win. And the Caps are happy to take it – their first of the preseason – especially after strong performances by Mathieu Perreault, Chris Bourque and Cody Eakin. Unfortunately, those three are all competing for one of the few remaining spots on this year’s roster. Check out the details in our game story here.
But there was a method to coach Bruce Boudreau’s madness. Why play three guys battling for a spot together on the same line? Won’t that lead to selfish play as each guy tries to prove himself? Not really in this case. Bourque and Perreault spent the better part of three seasons together on the same line at AHL Hershey, helping the Bears win back-to-back Calder Cup titles in 2009 and 20010.
“Sometimes that I found you’re more comfortable playing with guys that you don’t have to feel that you have to impress,” Boudreau said. “Sometimes you put, say, a Perreault between a [Alex] Semin and somebody else, he’s going, ‘Man I’ve got to get him the puck. I’ve got to do this.’ So you don’t play your own game. But you put him with two guys that he’s been with and played with – he feels comfortable because he doesn’t have to impress them. And I’m sure Cody might be feeling the same way and maybe Chris is the same way. But all together they meshed tonight fairly well.”
So that kind of neutralizes any selfishness that could creep into their games. The goal the trio scored in the second period was a thing of beauty: Perreault winning a battle in the corner – a good sign for him – and sliding the puck to Bourque, who faked like he was going around the net even after he heard Eakin calling for the puck in the slot. Bourque had heard him. He froze the Columbus defenders and shoveled a pass out to Eakin, who buried it.
“You can’t go on the ice thinking you don’t wasn’t this guy to do too good because we’re all friends here and we all hope the best for each other,” Perreault said.
After the game, defenseman Dennis Wideman said he was okay after taking a heavy hit behind Washington’s goal in the first period and skating slowly off the ice. Said it was another charley horse, though the opposite leg from the one that gave him a severe hematoma and knocked him out for the season last spring. Wideman returned to log heavy minutes on Monday night.
Meanwhile, goalie Michal Neuvirth looked steady throughout. The conditions were a little better than what he faced in the preseason opener in Baltimore last Tuesday so that had to help. He stopped 22 of 23 Columbus shots. That likely won’t be enough to unseat veteran Tomas Vokoun. But no matter. Neuvirth will get his ice time this season and the Caps need him to be sharp and push Vokoun.
“He certainly is doing his bit,” Boudreau said. “I think he’s allowed three goals in the two games he’s played and he’s looked very good in both games. But we knew he was good last year. This is not a surprise that Michal Neuvirth is playing good. There was a reason he played in the playoffs for us and down the stretch – because he’s a very good goalie.”
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