It was an old school night at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore on Tuesday. The Capitals wanted to give back to the growing segment of their fanbase that calls Charm City home. But to do so they had to start the preseason in a warm building that opened in 1962. There was air conditioning, but it wasn’t all that efficient. And temperatures that climbed into the 70s during the day didn’t help. By the end of the first period there were puddles all over the ice reminiscent of last year’s Winter Classic game in Pittsburgh. There just happened to be a roof this time.
But no excuses after a 2-0 loss to Nashville, which brought 14 players who had just played the day before against the Florida Panthers, flew home and then traveled to Baltimore. Maybe the ice conditions limited the skilled players on both sides. But the rookies and bubble players who made the short trip had plenty to play for.
“It’s hard to judge skill, but it’s always easy to judge effort,” Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said. “Whether you are in a snow storm or a rain storm like we were at the Winter Classic, it is always easy to judge effort.”
Fair enough. And for players like D.J. King and Jay Beagle – bubble guys with a good shot to snag one of the few open jobs during training camp – that effort was there. Beagle lamented a few scoring chances he missed. But there was no maintenance crew in the world turning 1st Mariner’s sheet into a playable surface. They did their best even if some players – as former Cap Tyler Sloan told the Post’s Tarik El-Bashir – said it was borderline, at best.
“When you have a full building, and this part of the country is very warm and humid, just didn’t get the building cold enough,” said Nashville coach Barry Trotz. “It wasn’t great. But it is what it is. We played last night in Florida, and it wasn’t a whole lot better – just it was a whole lot less water.”
But the Caps appear to have got what they wanted out of this one. No serious injuries and a chance to showcase hockey to their fans in Baltimore. Would have been nice to come out with a win. But there were enough solid performances to build on as the preseason continues. There are six more of these, after all, before the real show starts. Health for everyone on the roster, not just the big names, is of paramount concern.
“Of course, you try to think about [getting hurt] when you try to go to the boards and the corners, especially in the corners because the ice is not that good,” Washington winger Alex Ovechkin said. “I don’t know how many times [equipment manager] Brock [Myles] check our skates. It was holes and the ice was soft. But it’s over. Thank god nobody get hurt and everybody feel healthy.”
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