This weekend the Capitals decided not to add a great goalie to pull them up from the dregs of the standings. After losing seven of eight games, the Caps were in last place. This gave them the first chance to pick up Ilya Bryzgalov, a goalie placed on waivers because he didn’t enjoy playing backup on the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks.
Two years ago, Bryzgalov posted one of the greatest playoff shutout streaks in NHL history, blocking all shots for over three games. Of course, Capitals backup Brent Johnson did that in the 1990s with St. Louis, so that doesn’t mean very much. If Johnson hasn’t been Swiss Cheese behind a porous Caps defense, he’s at least been Jarlsberg.
Bryzgalov was instead claimed by the league’s second worst team, the Phoenix Coyotes, who had struggled all season with three supposedly good goalies, because their defense is almost as bad as Washington’s. In spite of this, Bryzgalov and the Coyotes shut out the offensively gifted Los Angeles Kings.
Still, things are looking up for the Capitals as they prepare to face the Florida Panthers tonight. Alexander Semin is back from his leg injury and ready to help out the offense. The Washington Times has an article that repeats this fact many times, and lets us know that coach Glen Hanlon is happy about it.
