In case you didn’t know, last night was the first of back-to-back Game 7’s. While the Detroit Red Wings taking on the Phoenix Coyotes isn’t exactly as momentous a game as the Habs having a chance to knock off the Capitals, there are some similarities between the two games.
Despite the Coyotes heading into the game with the better record and home ice advantage, there were many who considered the Red Wings to be the better team. After all, the Wings had finished the regular season as the hottest team in the NHL and had fought back to the 5th seed after a first half of the season riddled with injuries. Add to that the overall talent level and experience of the Red Wings, and it’s easy to see why the Coyotes were considered the underdogs.
Yet the Coyotes were able to take the Red Wings to the brink with a Game 7, as they at times surprised Detroit with their tenacity and overall team approach to the game. The Coyotes won as a team, yet the Red Wings were only going to do as good as their superstars would perform. In the end, Detroit dominated a guarded and ginger Coyotes team that seemed deathly afraid of making any mistakes in the biggest game of the season. The Red Wings’ stars took over on their way to a 6-1 rout.
After the jump, some lessons for both teams headed into tonight’s game that can be learned from Detroit’s victory:
Don’t stray from what’s been successful
Save for one game, the Canadiens have been able to surprise the Capitals by jumping out to early leads and then stifling the Capitals from there on out. In their first two wins, and for the first 40 minutes of Game 2, it was the defense of the Habs that did the trick, frustrating Alex Ovechkin and company to no end on their way to surprising victories. In Game 6, it was the superb play of Jaroslav Halak that did the trick, as he was calm and collected in net and never out of control. Still, Ovechkin was held in check once again by the defensive play of the Habs. This is what they’ll need to do once more. It’s when they’ve strayed from this philosophy that they’ve gotten themselves in trouble.
Weather the early storm
With the Capitals facing a do-or-die game, on home ice, expect each and every player on that team to hit the ice like they were shot out of a cannon. The Capitals will be hungry and pissed off and fueled by what is sure to be an insane home crowd. The key is not lose control when the pressure is on and take bad penalties. The Coyotes were able to somewhat stay in the game early on, but found themselves down two quick goals thanks to putting a talented team on the power play. Don’t play with fire.
Don’t wait to “turn it on”
The Capitals have been waiting to play a full 60 minute game for the entire first round. Despite what their Game 3 and 4 wins may say, even the Capitals will admit they weren’t their best overall effort. The Capitals have had this issue since returning from the Olympic break, really, as they’ve literally had nothing to play for the past month of the season. Now they’re being asked to play their best hockey when it counts the most. Against this team, a Canadiens team with nothing to lose and everything to gain, the Capitals must finally put together a complete game. The Red Wings were able to put the accelerator to the floor when it mattered most, jumping all over a Coyotes team that was doubting itself at times. This is what the Capitals will need to do.
The superstars will have to shine
The Capitals will not win this game unless Alex Ovechkin is their best player. Sure, you could say the same thing about Semyon Varlamov, but this is why Ovechkin was named captain of the team. The rest of the players feed off of his energy and production; if he’s frustrated and not driving the play forward, then it’s going to tough for the rest of the team to follow suit. The Capitals are starting two young defenseman on the blueline tonight, so the uber-talented forwards the Captials employ will need to be better than they ever have been before. While Backstrom, Semin and Green all need to rise to the occasion, it’s Ovechkin who will be the difference. If he truly is as great as we all think he is, this is his time to shine.