Dallas With Miracle Win Over Capitals

It’s a miracle.  A miracle.  A true blue spectacle, a miracle come true.  The miracle, the true blue spectacle, the miracle is you!  -Barry Manilow

Public Service Announcement:  Ok, here we go!  What a game, what a game!  Yesterday, I said things like, “I’ma watch the Washington Capitals lay down the hurt.”  Yesterday, I said things like, “The Stars don’t stand a chance.”  Yesterday, I was like Fonzie.  I was wrrrr.   I was wrrrrr.  I was wrrrrr.  Yesterday, I wrong.  Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away.  Yesterday the Dallas Stars troubles seemed so far away.  Yesterday, the  Dallas Stars won their first game since the Olympic break because Marty Turco may have played the greatest regular-season game of his career.  But Marty Turco wasn’t the only story of this game.  There was quite a bit of weird and wild stuff going on.       

Hey Rocky, Watch Me Pull A Rabbit Out Of My Hat

Last night the Dallas Stars pulled a rabbit out their hats all right.  Pulled a rabbit out of their hats beating the Capitals, in Washington, 4-3, via a shootout after going into the third period trailing, 2-0, and having been outshot, 42-16.  Follow all that?  Good. 

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not

Now follow this:  Since the NHL began recording shots on goal more than 50 years ago, only two other teams won a game in which they were losing at the end of the second period and had given up at least 40 shots on goal through the first 40 minutes.  Like Ripley’s, those two other teams both won, 4-3, on the road in overtime.  The Oilers on March 17, 1993 against the Rangers in New York (trailed, 3-1, and outshot, 45-23, through two periods) and the Predators on Nov. 11, 2008 at San Jose (trailed, 2-1, and outshot, 43-18, through two periods).  How about that?

Stars Win Despite Trailing By 2 Goals At The End Of 2 Periods

What makes this Dallas win even more amazing is, notwithstanding the Capitals’ 52-26 advantage in shots on goal, the Stars accomplished something that hasn’t been done in quite some time against the Capitals in Washington.  The Stars won despite trailing by two goals at the end of two periods.  Know this Hockey Krishnas:  The Caps had won their last 66 home games when leading by two-or-more goals heading into the third period.  The Caps are tied with the Wild for the longest current streak in the NHL.  The last time the Capitals suffered such a loss, whether in regulation, overtime or shootouts, had been more than eight years ago – on Nov. 8, 2001 vs. Carolina.  Yowza!

Alexander Ovechkin

Lastly, but certainly not leastly, the greatest player in hockey today, Sidney Crosby be damned, Alex Ovechkin, had 10 shots on goal in Monday night’s loss to Dallas.  Big deal you say?  Who cares you say?  I say, that marks his 33rd double-digit shots-on-goal tally since he entered the league in 2005-06.  I say, the next-highest total number of 10-plus-shot games since that time is Eric Staal, with seven.  Yes, you read that right.  Seven!  In fact, Ovechkin has more such games over that span than the next seven NHL players combined!  It still was not enough to beat the Stars

Neither were Ovechkin’s two goals.   Last night was just the second time that El Ocho has scored at least twice on home ice, only to see the Caps lose the game.  The Caps are now 22-2 in those games, with both losses coming in shootouts. 

One To Build On

So with all of that, the Stars are still sees four points behind eighth-place Detroit.  They still have a lot of work to do.  But this win, in that building, against that team, is one to build on.

Public Spectacle

Peace out homies.  Six two and Even!

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