Post-Game: Capitals @ Sharks

San Jose showed why they're undefeated at home and the best team in the NHL by dismantling the Capitals 7-2. Washington will now head to Minnesota and play the Wild Monday, on national television.

• San Jose scored on the first shot of the game. This has been a re-occurring theme for the Caps... Although it's not as bad when the first shot for the Sharks came in the ninth minute, it is still a bad omen. Patrick Marleau found himself wide-open in the lower slot and zipped it past Brent Johnson.
  
• Rob Blake led the Sharks with four assists. The 38 year old has not had a four assist game in over 10 years. Blake had a point in every period and added six shots, finishing +3 on the night.
• San Jose scored twice in the final minute of a period. Once with 33 seconds left in the second (Marc-Edouard Vlasic) and once with 53 seconds left in the game (former Cap, Mike Grier).
  
• Washington's 21 shots is tied for the least amount taken this season. The Caps attempted 21 against Los Angeles, scoring just twice.
• Shaone Morrisonn found the puck on his stick on the Capitals own goal line in the 1st period, but was unable to corral the puck and it wound up in the net. The puck was bouncing like crazy and Ryan Clowe was credited with the goal. It was a rough night for Jeff Shultz as well. He was on the ice for five San Jose goals and finished -4. Shultz is now a combined -5 in his past four games.
  
• Sergei Fedorov did not return for the second period, and skated under five minutes. Mike Green and Alex Semin sat out last night... and are missed dearly.
• There were some positives from the game late last night... Tom Poti has been creeping into the offensive zone recently, and it paid off last night as he scored his third goal of the season.
• Donald Brashear destroyed Jody Shelly in a fight early in the first period. Shelly checked Brash and they made eye contact and the two dropped the gloves. Jody had to return to the locker room after the fight to repair facial wounds.
  
• Brooks Laich and Fedorov were a combined, 11/15 in the face-off circle. Face-off wins ended tied, 29-29.
• Tomas Fleischmann continued his hot-streak, scoring his eighth goal of the year. Last season, his eighth goal came in February. Flash is now tied with Alex Ovechkin for second on the team in goals. Not bad for a player who was traded with a 2004 1st round pick (Mike Green) and a 2006 4th round pick from Detroit for Robert Lang back in 2004. The offensive surge has come at a cost... Fleischmann is a team worse -9.
• I saw last night's game on TV (HD) for the first time this season (usually use the internet), and I must say that I am not a fan of Al Koken announcing. Joe B was M.I.A. (was he doing another game? sick day?) and Craig Laughlin was umm, Craig Laughlin.