From: david@eng.umd.edu (David Chi-Chung Lu)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey
Subject: Caps/Senators game
Date: 25 Jan 1993 04:13:17 GMT
Organization: Project GLUE, University of Maryland, College Park
NNTP-Posting-Host: tea.eng.umd.edu

The Caps met the Senators for the 4th time last night, coming away
with a 6-4 win and a perfect record against possibly the worst team
ever.  I went expecting a free pizza (for 6 Cap goals) before the 2nd
period was over.  But the Caps denied that until 10 seconds left in
the game and kept the game close for the entire game.  Jim Hrivnak won
for the Caps and Peter Sidorkiewicz took another hard loss.

Sidorkiewicz kept this game from being a blowout throughout the game,
including 2 breakaway saves on Reggie Savage in Savage's 1st shift.
Despite being outshot 12-6 in the 1st, Ottawa outplayed the Caps and
led 2-1 at the 1st intermission on goals by Darren Rumble and Mike 
Peluso.  Ottawa spent the last 5 minutes taking Cap turnovers and
dumping them back into the offensive zone.  The Caps blowout never 
materialized, even though Mike Ridley's goal at :49 gave most fans 
early hope for free pizza.  Washington was booed loudly as they left 
the ice.

The 2nd period wasn't much better.  Peter Bondra and Alan May
scored for Washington for a 3-2 lead  I'm sure Terry Murray had some
sort of tirade in the locker room between periods.  It didn't really
help because Brad Freer scored early in the 3rd to tie the game.  Pat
Elynuik regained the lead for Washington and Kevin Hatcher stretched
the lead to 5-3 on a long slapshot from the top of the circle.  The
rest of the game was still pathetic as Norm Maciver scored on a
shorthanded goal before Hatcher added an empty netter at 19:50. 

The Hatcher goal was disputed because Ottawa thought they had scored
at the other end.  Hrivnak had partially blocked a shot that sat on
the goal line.  Hatcher swept it away, passed it up ice, and scored 
at the end of the rush.  The game wasn't on TV anywhere, so only 1 
camera could be used for the replay, and it was blocked by Hrivnak's
pads.  If the goal had counted, Hatcher's would have been disallowed.
(Nancy!  Pay attention!)

One of the few highlights for the Caps was Hatcher, Ridley, and
Kelly Miller killing an entire 2 minute 5-on-3 penalty by themselves.
The Senators only got off a few shots during that time.  Of course,
that only counts as 1 shorthanded kill.  Other bright spots were
Michal Pivonka with his pair o' assists, Hatcher with his pair o'
goals (19 & 20) and Bondra with his 20th goal.

On the other side, Reggie Savage and Bobby Carpenter really sucked.
They didn't do a single thing right.  I also noticed that the Caps
only had 2 people back to muck for the puck in the defensive corners.
The forwards all stood around at the blue line, waiting for a lead pass.

------------------------------------
Former Cap and Skipjack and current Senator Kent Paynter has turned 
into a pseudo-goon.  He drew 2 out of the 9 total penalties and was 
in the center of all scuffles.

3 of the 4 top goal scoring defensemen are Caps.  Hatcher is the
leader, with Cote second and Iafrate 4th.

Washington scratches: Keith Jones (flu), Calle Johansson (ribs), Randy
Burridge (knees), Shawn Anderson (too many defensemen), and Steve
Konowalchuk (too many wings).  Konowalchuk and Savage were called up
recently to fill in for Jones.  Anderson hasn't played since Langway
came back.

Dave