Brent Johnson & Penalties

So, the Caps didn't win this one in the shootout against the Minnesota Wild, but they came away with a point so I'll take it. They played a decent game overall...except for the constant penalties. It's tough to generate offense if you're spending over a third of the game on the penalty kill. Out of 11 penalties, the PK unit killed off 9. The Caps were ranked 28th out of 30th in the PK last year and they've managed to move up to 21st so far this year. At least, that's an improvement.

The biggest star of the night was Brent Johnson. According to the Washington Post this morning he was disappointed in the outcome - what goalie wouldn't be? However, Brent played a spectacular game, making 38 saves and some of those were unbelievable to watch. It's clear that his play continues at the level he achieved after the Olympics break so Brent we're thrilled you're Olie's backup.

Alexander Semin also played well, adding another goal to his tally. He's at the top of the leader board in the NHL with 5. Boy, are we glad to have you back from Russia. Keep up the good work.

Saturday night the Caps face the red hot Atlanta Thrashers, the division leader with a 3-0-1 record. My fingers are crossed that the Caps can generate more offense, but it's going to be a tough contest.