1. Net Presence
The Capitals were only able to get 17 shots on net! Obviously more shots are needed to be successful in the series. Of the shots taken in Game 1, almost all were taken without bodies in front. Thomas is going to stop what he can see and even some that he can't. The majority of the time all three Caps forwards were on floating around the outer part of the rink. The grinders - Brooks, Brouwer, and Hendricks - need to get in front of Thomas and be prepared to pay the price.
2. Coaching Adjustments
Building off the previous key to the game, the Caps need to find a way to get more shots. I was puzzled by the line combination Dale went with. The top line was Ovie - Laich - Brouwer. It shouldn't be a surprise Ovechkin was only able to get one shot on goal. Brouwer and Laich are grinders. Ovie needs someone who can get him the puck with space or scoring areas. Backstrom needs Ovie and Ovie needs Backstrom. Backstrom was on the second line comprised of Chimera - Backstrom - Semin. I would go back with Chimera - Perreault - Semin. On paper those guys should not work--but they had consistent output during the final stretch of the regular season.
Also, lets get our veterans on the ice! Joel Ward can bring puck possession--which is much needed to battle Boston's quick transition game. Knuble should be in the line up. He is the assistant captain and an important leader to the team. A big fuss was made during the off season about bringing in veterans to help the young guns in the playoffs. Let the guys who have been there before lead by example.
3. Remain Tough
I was absolutely shocked at how the Caps came out last night. The Bruins have established themselves as one of the toughest teams in hockey. The Caps came out and stood toe to toe. Ovie was a bulldozer and any Bruin in his way was going to get hit. He had a game high 7 hits. The team as a whole didn't let the Bruins get away with their usual post-whistle crap. Backstrom stood up to Lucic...and ended up in a headlock. Beagle set the tone on the first shift by protecting the goalie and Carlson got in the face of one of the goons. This is a big change from the passive team I watched most of the regular season. The team fed of the energy and if the Caps can keep it up, the series will be very interesting.
Ultimately, it will come down to the Caps generating more offense. A few coaching adjustments and more traffic in front of Thomas will go a long way. The defense and intensity will have to remain the same. After game 1, the overall feeling is positive--the team needs to come out focused and hungry to steal game 2.
GO CAPS!
